"Threshold" by Jordan L. Hawk

[Ulysses]

"Threshold" once again allows us to share in the romantic adventures of Percival Whyborne and Griffin Flaherty - the philologist and the Pinkerton.

This novel would make a great horror/action/romance film by M. Night Shyamalan - with, of course, the exception of the m/m romance at its core. I can decry the prejudice of Hollywood and the pop culture marketplace, but I can also celebrate the cinematic writing of Jordan L. Hawk and her fevered imagination.

Some folks found the plot of the first Whyborne/Griffin series, "Widdershins" too derivative of recent films like "The Mummy." I might nod to that, but cannot agree that the romance between the poor bullied Prufrock of Whyborne and the dashing ex-Pinkerton Flaherty was tepid. I will say that, at least to me, the romance was distinctly more heated, the emotional challenges more potent, and the development of Dr. Whyborne richer in every way in the present volume than it was in the first book. Good show.

If Ms. Hawk has a slight problem making her books feel American, readers must understand that there is very little tradition of 19th-century romance novels in America. One must look to Trollope and Dickens (or even Bram Stoker, since "Threshold" is set in the year that "Dracula" was published). So I forgive the odd British feeling of Jordan's two novels in this series, and appreciate her difficulty in Americanizing them. But I also appreciate her largely successful avoidance of anachronisms, and her maintenance of a fairly solid feel of "then."

I might also hope that, in future books, that Dr. Christine Putnam might finally find a man appreciative of her strengths as she accompanies her friends into the face of danger. Her character reminds me very much of Amelia Peabody, the intrepid Egyptologist in the Elizabeth Peters novels. I had rather hoped that the character of Elliott Manning, head of the Threshold Pinkerton force, would be that man - but of course Ms. Jordan had other ideas.

I liked this even better than the first book. Original, vivid, romantic and well written. Bravo, Ms. Jordan.

[Ulysses]

Here's the link to the not-always-positive reviews of "Widdershins," the first book in this series.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...