The Shooting Season

By: Isobel Starling

Narrated by: Gary Furlong

A brand new historical m/m novella from award-winning author Isobel Starling.

Monday, December 20, 1897. Mr. Benedict Hannan, the owner of Hannan’s Auction House in Fitzrovia, receives a letter inviting him to attend the sale of a private collection of fine art and antiquities belonging to the late Lord Percival Ardmillan. Ardmillan is known to Benedict, or rather, his son Euan is, and so, Benedict hurriedly travels to the West Highlands to fulfill his dream of owning a particular item from the Lord’s collection - something that he has coveted for 30 years.

In Scotland, Benedict meets the collectors who were invited to bid in the auction. He discovers that the auction of the private collection is not as straightforward as he had imagined. Forced to come to terms with his past and present desires, Benedict finds himself in the thrall of a mysterious traveler, and in turn, he gets more than he bargained for this Christmas!

©2019 Isobel Starling/ Decent Fellows Press (P)2024 Isobel Starling/ Decent Fellows Press

Wonderful M/M Historical Romance

This was a joy from start to finish. Beautifully written and very much in keeping with the Victorian period. It has romance, mystery and a Scots country house to keep the listener intrigued. But what I loved was that this was in a way a teaser for a series. The characters of Benedict and Sebastian are delicious and I cannot wait for more. Of course, Gary Furlong knocks it out of the park with his narration.

Tempting Start to the Series Furlong is Fantastic!

I love the depth a charmingly flawed character brings to a story, and Isobel Starling has crafted a gem in Benedict Hannan. Naïve and a bit dim, Benedict has a way to go before he figures it all out, and the goings on in The Shooting Season are just the beginning of his education.

Set up to initiate him into the ways of the world is humble American traveller John Edwards, or is it art collector Artur Engels, or master thief Sebastian Cavell? Well, whatever alias he’s using at the moment, I love the chemistry between him and Benedict and I can’t wait to see what Isobel Starling is going to do with these two gents!

Regardless of his pompous piety, do not let Benedict’s buffoonery put you off. Ms. Starling has plans for him and The Resurrectionist series continues in episode two, The Gentleman’s Thief. I’m diving straight into the audio version of this one, and here’s hoping there will be many more episodes to come.

I know it can't possibly be true, but I can't help but wonder if Isobel Starling writes her novels to be read by the spectacular voice actor, Gary Furlong. Knowing his amazing strengths, she capitalizes on Mr. Furlong's unparalleled skills with accents and makes the most of his many other talents. A bonus to this clever, creative mystery, listening to Mr. Furlong's narration is always an immense pleasure.

Delicious novella

What a lovely story! Benedict Hannan is a buttoned up, aloof gentleman whose only delight in life is collecting valuables and treasures for his auction house, and finding comfort in his religion. He's on his way to Scotland with business in mind, but he can't help but feel trepidation, as he is to meet with his one and only lover, whom he hasn't seen in thirty years, after the beautiful man broke his heart in pieces. Benedict never fully recovered from his heartbreak, and feels tremendously guilty about his "unnatural feelings," and never acts out on his lust and stews in his loneliness, trying to find comfort in his religion. He is a very likable character, with a snarky yet endearingly shy personality, who tries to hide his desires behind the stolid dignity of his fifty years of age. I really enjoyed Benedict, his attempts at being a curmudgeon are stifled by his cute reactions, and I couldn't help but feel sad at his denial and loneliness. There's a little mystery subplot dealing with a very exciting gentleman thief, and Benedict's former lover, and both men may not be all what they seem. The intimate scenes are hot and sensual without overtaking the plot, and though it is a fairly quick read, the novella does an excellent job of developing Benedict's character. There's a happy ending and a promise of a sequel, to which I am looking forward, because this was a delightful story and I really would like to see where the happy couple goes to. Gary Furlong is a masterful performer, I would love to be able to pronounce "anxiety " with as much haughtiness as he does, he really brings a delicious arrogance and cuteness to Benedict, not to mention the playfulness of the gentleman thief. The sensuality of the intimate scenes is always on point, and I just loved the audiobook, it kept me engaged the whole time. Very recommended.

... "You fascinate me." - Sebastian to Ben

All I want from a book is to be lost in a good story for a few hours and this one ticks that box 😊
Delightfully entertaining, The Shooting Season sets up the characters for what I expect will be an entertaining series, this is a story of intrigue and deception, the descriptions are vivid and the characters easily coming to life off the page.

Would I listen to it again: yes
Did the story keep me engaged: yes
Was I invested in the characters: yes

Narrator comment: Gary Furlong is a perfect choice for proper English gentleman - both reputable and scoundrel. I had no problem distinguishing characters and the rhythm, inflections and intonations all worked to make the book come alive.

A great Mystery Suspense

If you have never read (or Listened to) Isobel Starling…You should. The writing is exquisite, the characters compelling and the stories, interesting and twisted.
The Shooting Season was quite a bit different than the Shatterproof Bond series in a way. This was a historical set back when if you were caught in a gay relationship you were imprisoned or killed. It is set in Oscar Wilde’s time and he was cited as an example. Benedict is on his way to a huge private invitation-only auction where he hopes to acquire a special artifact not for his Auction House but for himself. It is a staff rumored to cure any ailment and he hopes to cast away his evil, Impure thoughts. The problem is it is taking him straight into the lion’s den to the home of his first lover Euan Ardmillan, The new owner of the estate.
This is a very short book and it drags you in with its telling and keeps you there with each page turn. Once the twists begin, they get tighter and tighter and more and more. There is a lot in this short of a book.
The narration by Gary Furlong is perfect. His voice for Benedict gives the story the perfect accent for this setting, and also the perfect eerie feeling.
If you love historical MM stories, mystery/suspense, lots of twists, and a short story to fill some time this is for you. I highly recommend the audio since the narration gives it a perfect boost just reading will miss.

Fantastic historic M/M

At first, I thought this story was going to be dull and boring. Fortunately, it sped up quickly and I wanted to know about Benedict's journey, his past, his predilections, and the mysterious man(men) he meets. It really left me wanting to know more about the mysterious Mr. Cavell. They are some truly funny, if dryly so, comments in this story, and I think if you blink you could miss them. Don't blink! I've already listened to the second book, which is longer, and provides more mystery, funny moments, disguises, and steamy connection between Benedict and Sebastian. I am eager for the next installment.

Gary does his usual excellent job of voicing the characters, perfectly capturing the accents, and distinguishing all the different characters and personas. Honestly, I can't imagine anyone else narrating Isobel's stories.

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

A Great Introduction

I enjoyed this introduction to auction-house owner Benedict Hannan. Is Sebastian the man who can burrow under Benedict's layers of sexual repression and self-denial? Since there was a 'To Be Continued' at the end of the story, I'm anticipating more adventures for Benedict and Sebastian from author Isobel Starling.

This novella length story will not leave you hanging; it is complete, but it will make you want to continue to the next chapter in Benedict and Sebastian's tale. It is a well-written story with great details to establish the setting and characters and a wonderful first person POV.

Gary Furlong's narration is excellent. His reading has emotion and each character is distinct. His interpretation of Benedict is superb.

This audiobook was provided to me, as a review copy, at my request. This is my voluntary review.

Highly recommended.

I'm ready for book two!

This was an interesting and fairly quick listen at only 3 hours. Gary Furlong did his usual great job and the story really held my interest.

We met several interesting characters in this book and I suspect that at least a couple of them will feature prominently in the rest of the series if this is anything like Isobel's other series. This seems to be the introduction to the Resurrectionist series and it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger. Lucky for me I have book 2 coming up soon!

A complimentary copy of this audiobook was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author and/or narrator.

Good story

I listen to audiobooks in my car and I really enjoyed listening to this story. The story was good and I liked the narrator's voice. The story is not a long one but it kept me interested.

it was good

It started slow. It felt like just as the story was really getting good it stopped. it's not exactly a cliffhanger but it is an abrupt stop with a to be continued.