Anarchy, feminism, and a duke who collects china dogs! It's a great, great read. I loved every page, was fascinated by all the characters, and hated turning the last page because that meant that, though a satisfying read had been had, it was now over. Alas.

I'm talking about Laurie R. King's Touchstone. I'd waited awhile to read it (other obligations), but once I started there was no putting it down.

Set in mid-1920s England, it begins with Harris Stuyvesant, an American intelligence agent, searching for an anarchist agitator who has a penchant for bombs. The search leads him to an Englishman, and thence to England, but the authorities shuffle him aside, eventually handing him off (somewhat accidentally) to a Major Carstairs and his rather mysterious agenda. Major Carstairs introduces him to the touchstone, the sensitive Bennett Grey (a wonderfully complex, interesting character), and the story moves forward from there. Dense without being muddy, complex without being frustrating, this novel is thick with good writing and interesting ideas.

There's the deft social handler and seeming Red sympathizer Lady Laura, her friend (and Grey's sister) Sarah, the ever-so-smooth Mr. Bunsen, the creepy Major . . . all taking up some well-deserved space in my mind at the moment. The conversations they have, the issues raised, all with seemingly effortless twists and turns of dialogue and plot. There are surprises of character and action, but not unreasonable surprises. Not silly just-to-excite surprises. Surprises that are consistent with previous characterization. Great writing!

I'm becoming quite a fan of King's writing. Whether the Mary Russell series, or now with novels like Touchstone, hers are books I'll return to.