Home Fires Burning

by Charlie Cochrane

Two stories, two couples, two eras, timeless emotions. In "This Ground Which Was Secured At Great Expense," it is 1914 and the Great War is underway. When the call to arms comes, Nicholas Southwell won't be found hanging back. It's a pity he can't be so decisive when it comes to letting his estate manager Paul Haskell know what he feels before he has to leave for the front line. In the trenches Nicholas meets a fellow officer, Phillip Taylor, who takes him into the unclaimed territory of physical love. Which one will he choose, if he's allowed the choice? In "The Case of the Overprotective Ass," stars of the silver screen Alasdair Hamilton and Toby Bowe are wowing the post WWII audiences with their depictions of Holmes and Watson. When they are asked by a friend to investigate a mysterious disappearance, they jump at the chance-surely detection can't be that hard? But a series of threatening letters-and an unwanted suitor-make real life very different from the movies. Charlie Cochrane brings her familiar romantic, roguish style to the two novellas that together are Home Fires Burning.

Genres: Historical, M M Romance, Anthologies, War, Military Fiction, Audiobook, Gay

ebook

First published August 25, 2011

About the author

Because Charlie Cochrane couldn't be trusted to do any of her jobs of choice—like managing a rugby team—she writes. Her mystery novels include the Edwardian era Cambridge Fellows series, series, and the contemporary Best Corpse for the Job. Multi-published, she has titles with Carina, Samhain, Riptide and Bold Strokes, among others.

A member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Mystery People and International Thriller Writers Inc, Charlie regularly appears at literary festivals and at reader and author conferences with The Deadly Dames.

Reviews

[Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first compliment I'm going to pay this book goes to whoever it was that decided to put these two novellas, This Ground Which Was Secured At Great Expense and The Case of the Overprotective Ass, together in one print collection.

In case this wasn't in the warnings: the first story has a bittersweet, melancholic and brooding atmosphere to it. Fortunately, it was perfectly balanced by the lighthearted, though no less profound, mood of the second. Read the first and then the second - in that order. This is an effective way your heart can survive the book.

If books were humans, Ian McEwan's Atonement would probably be the uncle or the aunt of Charlie Cochrane's first novella in this collection, This Ground Which Was Secured At Great Expense. This aunt - let's assume the book is female - would've told her (probably gay) nephew and said, "If you want to tell a story about two people being in love during wartime, do tell one that holds more optimism and hopefulness, if only to not break someone's heart." And then, in my head, the nephew would respond, "Yes, Aunt, I know love stories are more poignant and beautiful when there's plenty of tragedy around, but I shall do my best to make people smile. Well, smile through tears anyway."

And so the nephew would proceed to narrate the great love stories of a man, Nicholas Southwell, who is healthy enough to go to war and wealthy enough to employ an estate manager named Paul Haskell. Paul also happens to be a Nicholas' childhood friend, with whom he's been in love for a long while. When Nicholas decides to join the war, he leaves Paul behind, resigned to the fact that he would never be with Paul as a lover. But an encounter with his new partner on the frontline, Phillip Taylor, changes the status quo and gives him renewed hope. That is, if he survives the war and his perplexing attraction for Phillip.

"It's a love triangle of sorts," the nephew would continue to say, "and it will have a few deaths. It is wartime, after all. And then there's a part where Nicholas gets infatuated and goes to bed with the wrong man, which will make some people bite their nails in anxiety. But don't worry; everything will sort itself out in the end!" He would pause and hold his aunt's gaze for a moment or two. Then he would say, "Do you disagree with this, Aunt?"

Then I imagine the Aunt would say, "Very well, nephew. That will do. Quite brilliantly, in fact!"

Anthropomorphism aside, Ms. Cochrane proves that she excels at writing historical stories. Historical romance in the M/M genre deserves more recognition because the quality of work produced by the likes of Ms. Cochrane and her contemporaries are top notch. When you read a historical romance by Charlie Cochrane, the emphasis is actually on 'history' instead of on 'romance'. Although this is not to say the romance is not important - as always, her love stories are not only delightful to digest but also sensible and devoid of toothache-inducing tropes that usually make the romance genre's bed.

The picture she paints of the situations at the trenches were so vivid that it was like being transported back to the times the Great War. It's not so much the historical details that makes it so but the words and expressions used that sends readers to that particular era. At times flowery and whimsical, but never out of character, time and place, Charlie Cochrane's words manage to tug the heartstrings, twist the gut and push liquid out of the ducts. And some of the events that took place in the book just plain punch the emotional stuffing out of you.

The Case of the Overprotective Ass, on the other hand, would probably be the direct descendant of any of Oscar Wilde's works that grew up watching classic movies and reading his great great grandfather's friend Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. (I'd also imagine, this novella would also bear a very close physical resemblance to Ben Barnes. But that's just my overactive imagination talking.)

This fifth generation Sherlock-fanboy Wilde would say, "This may be a story about two actors impersonating Holmes and Watson for the camera who also decide to play detectives in real life, but at the core, it's also about how to be a gay celebrity who's in love with your best friend in the '40s! Fun, eh?"

Half of the novella sees Alasdair Hamilton and Toby Bowe, recurring characters from Ms. Cochrane's previous works, investigating the case of a missing person. This is the fun part... and not only because I suspect there's a vague review for the modern interpretations of Sherlock Holmes stories on screen there! But it's also because Alasdair and Toby, whom I already knew and liked from previous stories, have the most delicious banters and do the most outrageous things. I don't actually know how movie actors live in the '40s but going by Alasdair and Toby, they seem to have a lot more freedom and fun than paparazzi-hounded actors of today's world. (This is good, seeing as the other aspects of their lives as famous people are less enjoyable.)

One thing that struck me as amusing was how similar they are to Orlando Coppersmith and Jonty Stewart, the heroes of Charlie Cochrane's Cambridge series. I kept expecting their paths would cross, as I think the universe all four men exist in is one and the same, and Alasdair and Toby would receive technical advice from the 'original' Holmes and Watson impersonators, Orlando and Jonty. Alas, that didn't happen... although I'm keeping my hopes up for Alasdair and Toby's next adventure!

The not so fun part of the book is where the realization that these two heroes are still pretty much locked in the closet finally surfaces. Throughout the story, we hear Alasdair and Toby discuss their concerns of their 'secret' being found out. They had to continuously take precautions to avoid being caught and devise ways to thwart public attention and suspicion. Beneath the banter, the humor and the adventure, there's underlying sadness that these men still have to hide who they are.

Despite that bit of melancholic note, the mixing of comedy, action and emotion in this novella is typical Cochrane. It's an entertaining post-WWII romp that will provide giggles and squeals and at the same time make you wish you had Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes movie on standby. Alasdair and Toby's story can prove to be just as addictive to follow as Jonty and Orlando's, so I do hope they will appear again in Ms. Cochrane's future stories.

But, really, any future story - tragic or funny - from Charlie Cochrane will be welcome in my bookshelf. She's that good of a writer and one whose works deserve more than a few re-reads. And even as I end this review, I've already started thumbing the first few pages of that delicious novel called Lessons In Love... no mystery there.

[Kaje Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5

Charlie Cochrane writes some of my favorite M/M historical stories and I really enjoyed this. I read it for an anthology challenge and it was mis-shelved as an anthology - two novellas by the same author - but I knew that going in. Those loopholes are there to be used, right?

This Ground Which Was Secured At Great Expense 5 stars
- this was a lovely, atmospheric piece set during the Great War, about Nicholas, who has loved his estate manager since they were both boys, but never dared take the smallest step to tell him so or find out if there was any chance it was mutual. In that era, the risks of being outed were high, and above all he didn't want to lose what little he had of Paul. Serving overseas in France, he meets a fellow officer who reminds him of Paul, and who turns out to have both words and touches of wisdom for him. But getting to the end of the road to figure out who he truly loves and desires is a slow, and sometimes painful, journey.

The Case of the Overprotective Ass 4 stars
- this was a lighter story to follow the first, about two closeted actors who have played Holmes and Watson, and who are asked by a friend to look into the mysterious disappearance of his secretary. This one was funny, sometimes sweet, with a bit of sexual tension from the demands of being in the public eye in the early 1950's. I really liked the fact that the underlying case turned out to be plausible and not melodramatic. The characters were great and there is some lovely euphemistic banter.

[Erastes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and a half stars.

Let me say up front that I thoroughly enjoyed both books, as I expected I would. I just didn’t enjoy the overall experience as much as I thought I would.

The trouble for me came with the stark differences in tone. I can see possibly why this was done, to offer some light relief in the second story to compensate for the pain of reading the first one, but I found the disconnect a little too much. The light frothy feel of the second book seemed to lessen the really true impact of the first, and that was a shame. I wish I had read them the other way around.

This Ground Which Was Secured At Great Expense

You can usually assume that any book dealing with the Great War is going to be a harrowing story, unless the writer doesn’t do their job properly and this one is no exception. Don’t be put off–this deals as lightly as it can with the actual job of soldiering in the trenches, and while there is description of the environments and atmosphere of that time, it won’t make you go cold in sheer horror as some books have done.

One thing that struck me as I was reading was the way that Cochrane’s writing has evolved over the years that I’ve been reading her. She could always write a good yarn and she’s always been on my list of Must Reads but this book shines for me as the best thing she’s ever done.

She doesn’t take the easy option with this book–e.g. that of one man meeting another, having conflict in the war, and despite all odds coming through to find his true love. That, married to the wonderful writing, would have been sufficient–but (and forgive me if I’m wrong here) Cochrane for the first time decides to explore some flawed characters. In fact, this darkness had begun to creep into the Cambridge Fellows series towards the end, and that’s what made it fascinating for me, but Cochrane shows true strength of prose as she explores the love square, one must call it I suppose, between Nicholas, Paul, Phillip and Fergal.

The most touching moments for me were those between Nicholas and Phillip, and the way the story has them coming together (as it were) due to many reasons: war, anger with another, loneliness and just damned human need.

As you can see, there are too many people in the equation to have a realistic gay historical romance ending, so you’ll already realise that choices have to be made and something’s gotta give. I won’t spoil it, but it’s wrapped up very deftly, without cloying into saccharine sentiment and my eyes were moist, which is always a good ending for me.

Absolutely marvellous read–please do not miss this one. I can only hold my breath to see where Cochrane goes next.

The Case of the Over-Protective Ass

We are back on familiar ground here, as Ms Cochrane demonstates her skill at sleuthing. Our heroes, both stars of the silver screen, and protected as much as possible by their studio are in love and having a rather lovely affair, although as discreet as possible. They are asked by a theatre impresario, to find his missing secretary and the game is afoot.

I quite liked Toby and Alasdair, but I didn’t warm to them the way I warmed to Orlando and Jonty from The Cambridge Fellows series, they seemed a bit too similar to the Fellows – not altogether surprising, I suppose, being two sets of homosexual sleuths deeply in love with a penchant for innuendo and double entendre. But I would have liked them to be more distinct from their Cambridge counterparts–to have voices more their own.

However, the story is engaging, with one mystery spilling into another and the progression of it is nicely handled with no sudden incomprehensible jumps as the reader is kept nicely informed of progress all the way. There was one glaring error I spotted, and that was Alasdair speaking of the Aunt’s will a couple of pages before said aunt and said will had even been discovered by Toby. There was also a mention of one of the actors having done silent films, which I found incongruous seeing as it was supposed to be post-war (1950?). The editing slipped a little here and there, with a few missing punctuation marks, and the wrong homonym used at one point.

But as a piece of entertaining crime-solving fiction, I recommend it highly, the protagonists are amusing and sweet in turns, although the sex was a little over-stylised for me (compared with the more subtle and almost glossed over scenes in the first story) but the mystery rumbles along at a good pace never making the reader bored. I could quite easily see these characters having their own series of books, but I hope that doesn’t happen and that Ms Cochrane investigates and develops the growing power of her writing as shown in “This Ground.”

It’s just that overall, I couldn’t gel the two stories together, I think I would have liked (as in Ginn Hale’s Wicked Gentlemen) two novellas relating to the same characters, or–if about two sets of people–two novellas more similar in tone. Not necessarily both about the Great War, but The Case of the Over Protective Ass didn’t have the impact it should have if it had been a readalone, because of the power and strength of the first story.

I liked both stories, but have to give “This Ground” a resounding five stars, as I couldn’t get it out of my head afterwards but “The Case of The Over Protective Ass” only gets a four. Overall, the duet of stories gets a 4½ and a highly recommended.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was shelved in Crime in my library, and I know nothing about the author. Not aimed at me & I didn't finish either story. I'm always puzzled by female authors writing gay male fiction.

[Gerry Burnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gerry B's Book Reviews - www.gerrycan.wordpress.com

You can always be assured of a good read when it has Charlie Cochrane’s name on the cover, and her latest work, Home Fires Burning [Cheyenne Press, August 2011] is no exception. Mind you, I must admit a weakness for vintage British style, and also the sentimentality of love during wartime. Even the title evokes this, being taken (I think) from a patriotic ditty composed by Ivor Novello with lyrics by Lena Gilbert Ford in 1914, i.e.

Chrous:

“Keep the Home Fires Burning,

While your hearts are yearning.

Though your lads are far away

They dream of home.

There’s a silver lining

Through the dark clouds shining,

Turn the dark cloud inside out

‘Til the boys come home.”

This Ground Which Was Secured At Great Expense:

The blurb captures the gist of the story fairly well, and so I will limit my remarks to those aspects that I found particularly appealing.

I believe you can recognize a master writer within the first two dozen pages by the way the story develops, i.e. not too fast nor too slow in the same way that life or fate unfolds. Surprisingly it is easier said than done, for it requires an almost innate sense of timing to get the pace just right and maintain it. This is particularly true of a period novella like this one, for life in the early twentieth century—particularly for the upper classes—moved at a much more leisurely pace than we in the “fast food” era know it. Having said that, Ms Cochrane did a very fine job of capturing this civilized pace indeed.

Another aspect that registered with me was her depiction of the naïveté leading up to WWI. As part of one’s manhood it was very much expected that you would go off and fight whether you wanted to or not. There was also a measure of arrogance in the belief that Britain was invincible, and so, like Nicholas, many went “to get it over” by Christmas. Like Nicholas, however, they soon discovered that trench warfare was a very different war from anything they had experienced. The gruesomeness of it almost defies description, but I think the author has captured enough of it to give the reader the idea without emphasizing the macabre.

I also like how Nicholas, Phillip and Paul all maintain their masculine identity throughout, which would have almost certainly been the case in 1914. The unhurried pace at which Nicholas and Phillip entered into a sexual liaison is also credible, as is the uncertainty that existed between Paul and Nicholas. All pluses.

My only quibble comes with the sex scene that seems to be tacked on late in the story, but to discuss it further would risk spoiling the ending. Five stars.

The Case of the Overprotective Ass

This story is a light hearted tale, once again written with a real sense of style. The protagonists, Alistair and Toby, are two quick-witted cinema personalities of the 1940s. They are also lovers. Having just finished a portrayal of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, they are asked by a theatre friend to find his missing male secretary. This sets them off on a adventure around London, conducting interviews and collecting clues—all the while indulging in witty banter.

In reading this story I couldn’t help but see Jonty and Orlando in disguise, and some parallels with the Cambridge Fellows Series. Or maybe it is because Charlie Cochrane is the author of both. Regardless, it was a delightful read and highly recommended. Five Stars.

[Heather York · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original Audiobook Review August 2019:
Not much more I can add to my original and re-read reviews for these two novellas/short stories. I still loved the stories, the characters, the settings, everything, these tales are an all around entertaining read/listen. The voices may not have matched what I heard in my head when I read them but Joshua Story did an excellent job bringing life to these intriguing and fun stories of the past.

Re-Read Review of This Ground Which was Secured at Great Expense(from Pack Up Your Troubles Collection) August 2018:
I've read this one before and loved it then and I loved it even more the second time. You can't help but want to shake Nicholas and Paul for not speaking up when they have the chance but then you remember its WW1 and it wasn't so easy or legal back then to love who you wanted to. I love watching Nicholas grow and yet still retain the same befuddled innocence when he came home on leave. Will they ever find the happiness neither seems strong enough to reach for? You have to read for yourself for that answer but watching them get from point A to point Z makes for a lovely entertaining and heartwarming read.

Original Review February 2015:
Both tales are amazing. It's the simplest and easiest way to describe it. In This Ground Which Was Secured At Great Expense, you can't help but feel what Nicholas is going through. Not only is he dealing with the heartaches of war but he's also has his heart set on a man he didn't reveal his feelings for before leaving. He's given a chance at exploring physical love when he has a new tent mate in Phillip. In The Case of the Overprotective Ass, we see 2 actors entertaining post WW2 audiences with Sherlock & Holmes but they are given a chance to play detectives for real. Alastair and Toby share similarities with Miss Cochrane's famed Orlando and Jonty from her Cambridge Fellows series, but they are definitely their own pair. Both tales, although shorter than what I would like, are most enjoyable and very entertaining reads.

[Pedro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is composed by two different stories. The first, This Ground Which Was Secured At Great Expense, empathises on a bitter-sweet love story, while the second, The Case of the Overprotective Ass, is more a detective type of narrative. I'm going to review them separately.

This Ground Which Was Secured At Great Expense
Nicholas decides to enlist for the English forces fighting in France during the Great War. Despite the courage to face a mighty and unknown enemy for his country, he still can't express his feeling to his sweetheart. In the end he leaves for the war without letting his state manager, Paul, know that he loves him. In the front, Nicholas meet Philip, who shows him how to love. Nicholas is then faced with the difficult choice between Paul and Philip.

This short story deserves my 5 star rating. It is well written, without dead times or page-fillers. I also find the tone to be best choice. No negative aspects to point.

The Case of the Overprotective Ass
Set in London of the 50's, two screen stars, Alasdair and Toby, are asked to investigate a mysterious disappearance. As they have staged Holmes and Watson, they decide to try their luck. All seems pretty much straight forward if wasn't for some letters threatening to unmask the relationship.

When compared with the other one, I can only give a 3 star rating. The love story goes to the 2nd plan of the narrative and that foils the expectations built in the 1st one. I also find hard to match the tone of the story with what is being told. Maybe if the book stared with this one, this expectations problem would not exist at all.


I was very happy to receive this book through the first reads program from Goodreads.

[Heather York · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both tales are amazing. It's the simplest and easiest way to describe it. In This Ground Which Was Secured At Great Expense, you can't help but feel what Nicholas is going through. Not only is he dealing with the heartaches of war but he's also has his heart set on a man he didn't reveal his feelings for before leaving. He's given a chance at exploring physical love when he has a new tent mate in Phillip. In The Case of the Overprotective Ass, we see 2 actors entertaining post WW2 audiences with Sherlock & Holmes but they are given a chance to play detectives for real. Alastair and Toby share similarities with Miss Cochrane's famed Orlando and Jonty from her Cambridge Fellows series, but they are definitely their own pair. Both tales, although shorter than what I would like, are most enjoyable and very entertaining reads.

[Sharon L. Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two novellas in one and both are good reads! "This Ground Which Was Secured at Great Expense" comes first and puts the reader directly into WWI. A romantic triangle between three men is the focus of the story and fits well with the struggle to be true to oneself in a fierce time. (Set primarily in England.)

If you like Sherlock Holmes and Watson, follow two male actors who are lovers and portray the famed detective duo professionally, but are called upon to solve a case that is closer to home in "The Csse of the Overprotective Ass." Keeping with the witticisms evident in Doyle's works, Toby and Alasdair must keep their relationship secret in 1950s London which adds to the conflict.

[SH · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it very much. Two different stories, superficially different (set in different time periods with very different characters) but on ending the second novella the subtle similarities between the two become apparent.

[HJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed it very much. Two different stories, superficially different (set in different time periods with very different characters) but on ending the second novella the subtle similarities between the two become apparent.

[Sylvie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved these two novellas... As always with Charlie's books.

[Kiki · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Enid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Ground Which Was Secured At Great Expense 4.5 stars

The Case of the Overprotective Ass 3.5 stars

[Elisa Rolle · Rating 5 out of 5]

2012 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)