If you’re a fan of historical mystery romance, you may have come across Copper Script by K.J. Charles. Set in 1920s England, the book combines crime, graphology, and a touch of romance. Unfortunately, while the premise sounded fascinating, the execution left me frustrated, with weak character development, unclear worldbuilding, and a mystery that fell flat.
Copper Script by K.J. Charles Genres: Historical, MM Romance
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Detective Sergeant Aaron Fowler of the Metropolitan Police doesn’t count himself a gullible man. When he encounters a graphologist who deduces people’s lives and personalities from their handwriting with impossible accuracy, he needs to find out how the trick is done. Even if that involves spending more time with the intriguing, flirtatious Joel Wildsmith than feels quite safe.
Joel’s not an admirer of the police, but DS Fowler has the most irresistible handwriting he’s ever seen. If the policeman’s tests let him spend time unnerving the handsome copper, why not play along?
But when Joel looks at a powerful man's handwriting and sees a murderer, the policeman and the graphologist are plunged into deadly danger. Their enemy will protect himself at any cost--unless the sparring pair can come together to prove his guilt and save each other.
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When I was younger, I loved reading mystery books for beginners, especially those that made even the simplest plot engaging. Copper Script reminded me of that format, but with a disappointing difference: it was dull, repetitive, and far less gripping than I had hoped.
The story follows Joel, a war veteran who lost his left hand and now makes a living analyzing handwriting to reveal people’s personalities. His dream is to afford a proper prosthesis so he can write again. Enter Detective Sergeant Aaron Fowler, a skeptic who suspects Joel is nothing more than a con artist. Determined to prove him wrong, Fowler investigates, only to end up pulled into danger alongside the very man he doubted.
The premise sounds promising, but the execution stumbles early. The book never makes it clear whether Joel’s “gift” is meant to be supernatural or rooted in science. Sometimes it is treated as almost divine, other times as evidence solid enough to be legally relevant, which left me confused about the very foundation of the plot. If the central concept of a mystery isn’t solid, everything else risks collapsing, and here, it did.
The pacing was another issue. Most of the action happens off-page, with readers only informed of results instead of experiencing the tension firsthand. The mystery itself doesn’t really take shape until about 70–80% into the book, making it difficult to stay invested.
And then there’s the romance. Fowler and Joel are pushed into a love story that feels like instant attraction without depth. The connection between them wasn’t believable, the chemistry underdeveloped, and the overall relationship uninspiring. I couldn’t “buy” into them as a couple, which made their moments together fall flat.
Add to that the heavy use of 1920s slang so much that even native speakers might struggle.
In the end, I gave this book two stars, simply because I finished it. But the lingering taste was bitter, and it left me wishing the brilliant premise had been explored with more care and clarity.
Final Rating: 2 stars!
Have you read Copper Script? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Did you feel the same frustration, or did it work better for you?
About K.J. Charles
KJ is a writer of romance, mostly m/m, historical or fantasy or both. She lives in London, UK, with her husband, two kids, and a cat of absolute night.
