The Affair of the Porcelain Dog

By: Jess Faraday

Narrated by: Philip Battley

Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

London, 1889. For Ira Adler, former rent-boy and present plaything of crime lord Cain Goddard, stealing back the statue from Goddard's blackmailer should have been a doddle. But inside the statue is evidence that could put Goddard away for a long time under the sodomy laws, and everyone's after it, including Ira's bitter ex, Dr. Timothy Lazarus. No sooner does Ira have the porcelain dog in his hot little hands, than he loses it to a nimble-fingered prostitute.

As Ira’s search for the dog drags him back to the mean East End streets where he grew up, he discovers secrets about his own past, and about Goddard's present business dealings, which make him question everything he thought he knew. An old friend turns up dead, and an old enemy proves himself a friend. Goddard is pressing Ira for a commitment, but every new discovery casts doubt on whether Ira can, in good conscience, remain with him.In the end, Ira must choose between his hard-won life of luxury and standing against a grievous wrong.

©2011 Jess Faraday (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Absolutely wonderful

A once immoral tale with a present moral lesson. Adler, Goddard, Lazarus all unique and surprisingly lovable.

Sherlock Holmes Meets Oscar Wilde

Faraday has written a brilliant Victorian mystery. The opening scene is a blackmail letter being cast down like a gauntlet: "I know what you are."

Ira Adler (echoes of Sherlock Holmes' Irene Adler) has found a comfy life as a kept man, that is, a "private secretary."

But when Ira and his lover are threatened with homosexual exposure, he must leave his life of comfort and head back to the seedy side of London. Asked to retrieve the "porcelain dog" of the title, he finds he is not the only one looking for it, at his peril. The careful plot is arranged like set of nesting boxes.

Victorian London comes alive through the eyes of a 19th century outlier.

It's drivel, but at least it's fun drivel!

Don't expect a literary masterpiece with this book. There are holes in the plot. There are historical inaccuracies I'm sure. It's unrealistic. Sherlock Holmes? Um, not quite.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed it in a shallow, guilty sort of way. The characters are likeable and engaging. The narrator gets a solid B+. I listened to it in about 3 days.

Don't over think this book, and just enjoy it for what it is.

Good fun!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Affair of the Porcelain Dog to be better than the print version?

Who knows? I don't have the print version. I hate these pre-populated review questions!

What did you like best about this story?

This story was fun, a good mystery to follow along. Not great literary art, but it doesn't try to be. The plot is fast-paced, the characters and setting well drawn, even if the story demands a little suspension of belief here and there.

Which character – as performed by Philip Battley – was your favorite?

Ira Adler was a great protagonist and I hope to read more about him in another story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No.

Any additional comments?

Listen to this book for fun and try to figure out the various twists and turns as they present themselves.

Really Great

I read a lot of gay mystery type books and I must say this one is one of the best! The story is believable and has action, suspense, and mystery. Jess develops the characters, giving them a history, an emotional life, and believable personalities. The narrator is excellent. I can't wait for the next book by Jess!

Outstanding period mystery

This book truly captures the imagination with its vivid staging and intriguing characters. I found myself completely drawn into the inner and outer world of Ira Adler, suffering through his tribulations and rejoicing with him with his successes. His evolution from street urchin into a man of stature and conscience was utterly believable. The mystery and story was generally extremely engaging, but for me it was secondary to the terrific characters and set. The agony of homosexuality forced to hide because of the constraints of society is extremely well portrayed. The story ends with a realistic and satisfying conclusion. The narration was also outstanding. Highly recommended! I only wish that parts 2 and 3 of the Ira Adler story we're also available as audiobooks (audible? Hint hint)

Not that great

It works for the genre it is in, which is not known for high literature. The mystery is interesting but has more angst than the romance can carry. The historical setting is interesting. Could have been a good short story.

Brilliant book, Phenomenal audio experience!

I'm a lover of audiobooks. Even if I were able to physically read on the bus - I can't, it makes me feel ill - there's still something so incredibly wonderful about the spoken word, and the experience of listening to a great story being told. Usually, I do this to make the time pass by on the long trek to and from work, or when I'm doing something tedious like the laundry or dishes. For "The Affair of the Porcelain Dog" I was instead scurrying around, trying to find any excuse to be able to keep listening, and even wearing my ear-buds while I did routine stuff all the way to the moment I had to open the doors for the day.

I listened on my break. I listened on my lunch. I listened in the bath. I even got up early on the day of my closing shift so I'd have the two full hours of time I needed to finish the book before my work shift started.

In short? Jess Faraday's "The Affair of the Porcelain Dog" was the best audiobook experience I've had in years. There are a few sides to that experience.

One, the writing was so completely engaging that I was happily drawn into the narrative from step one. The setting - a Holmes-era tale in London at it's most coal-caked and financially stratified, "The Affair of the Porcelain Dog" is also Holmes-esque in its execution, pulling you into a mystery from the opening that is as steeped in the time and place and culture as it is in the richly drawn characters. The main voice, Ira Adler, is such a charming character even when he's being selfish or spoiled that I was smitten instantly. An orphan and former rent-boy, Ira is living in luxury now at the beck and call - and bed - of Cain Goddard, who despite his genteel appearance is in fact a crime lord making most of his living off the legal opium trade. Ira, no slouch in the street arts of lock picking, pick pocketing, and capable of thieving with the best of them, is tasked by Goddard to recover the titular piece of artwork, which is both ugly and apparently contains a secret that could ruin Goddard, and bring Ira's comfortable new life to an end. Of course, in a mystery as tightly drawn as this one, there are far more players than that - including the wonderfully written Timothy Lazarus, a giving clinic doctor who is after the same object d'art for his own friend - and Goddard's rival. That Lazarus and Adler have a romantic entanglement in the past just adds to the joy in their interactions.

Two, the performance. Oh how Philip Battley narrated the heck out of this book! He took Jess Faraday's amazing story and put such an incredible performance behind his reading. Every accent and every tone just burst with verisimilitude. It kills me that the search on his name over on audible only showed one other audiobook. I sincerely hope there's more from him.

Third - and last - there weren't compromises in the historical setting including gay characters. I rarely read historical gay fiction because so often the gay stuff sort of slides unnoticed among the rest of the tale. Somehow everyone the characters meet are happy and open-minded folks who understand these guys aren't evil (despite religion, law, and everything about the current culture saying they are). That these men are gay is a huge factor to the story, but not in a way that doesn't ring true.

Okay. I'm moving past reviewing and into gushing. Just trust me on this one. Read it or listen to it - I'm totally going to suggest you listen to it if you're at all an audiobook lover - and rejoice in the fact that there's a sequel, Turnbull House, on its way.

Excellent historical

I really enjoyed this new to me writer, Jess Faraday, and look forward to reading/listening to more of her books. The narrator did an excellent job. He was well suited to the story and the characters.

Completely entertaining!

The story was surprising and the narrator talented. Kept involved and guessing until the end!