wtf is this.
a him and her review special.



him: what is this?

Kennedy’s dick sprang free, crowding Jason in the darkness that pressed closer, smelling of faded aftershave, musk, and imminent sex.

“Beautiful,” Kennedy said, reaching for him, and Jason’s cock nestled into his curled palm. “This is beautiful.”

Yes, it was. After a day devoted to death and dying, sex was a beautiful, life-affirming thing. An art form all its own.
her: It is an art form. A form of art.

him: what does imminent sex smell

her: If I remember right, one too many Fuzzy Navels — hey-oh!

him: can you imagine having a dick big enough to ‘crowd’ a grown-assed man

her: Is it the dick or the darkness that smells a frat party?

him: ...but what is this tho

Kennedy’s thumb stroked along Jason’s achingly hard length in a sensual brailing, and the moan Jason had tried to swallow tore out of his throat. Raw and honest with need.
her: Hold up, flag on the play: “brailing”? …. *noises of hurried page flipping and keyboard clicking* Awright, we’ve got “brailing” (one L), ropes for hauling in sails, and “brailing” (two Ls), feeling for things you cannot see or converting words into Braille. You pick.

him: i this image. come, sir, permit me to read your cock a novel.

her: And then haul it into my boat.

him: no but seriously what is this?

Jason’s balls drew tight. Little lights danced behind his eyes. He surged up against the door one final time and went barreling down a luminous blue-green tunnel until he felt orgasm lift him a wave scooping up his surfboard and casting him into sunlight and spray.
her: This is a metaphor. The author is comparing orgasm to the movie Blue Crush.

him: but … literally out of nowhere

her: right? Where did the surfboard come from? They're in a hotel in Massachusetts. Maybe he sleeps with a wee surfboard instead of a teddy bear, and calls it George.

him: and this?

The next few minutes passed in pleasurable physical contact. Kennedy might not be much for mouth-to-mouth, but he was definitely an orally fixated kind of guy.
her: One surfing metaphor is all you get. Future encounters meet minimum pleasure standards.

him: your interval of pleasurable physical contact is konkluded, komrade. now we hydrate the body.

her: You old honeydripper.

him: writing this gives me agita. also, who the fuck is “much for” CPR in the first fucking place? it’s a fun hobby? or a secret kink? i hope someone drowns after falling off their surfboard during an overwhelming orgasm so i may revive them.

her: I think mouth-to-mouth might be kissing? It means he won't kiss but he’ll suck cock. Please come to me with all your future confusing gay sex questions.

him: i’m gonna need someone to tell me what this is.

Jason jumped and then closed his eyes, willing himself to relax as something slick and wet on the point of Kennedy’s finger invaded his anus.
her: This is a proctology exam.

him: ANUS INVADER IV: THE SLICKENING

her: I think I used to play that on Atari.



him: is this what?

Kennedy’s weight settled on top of him. He was big, but he was surprisingly lithe, and his cock—condom, okay that’s good—rudely poked Jason in a couple of vulnerable spots before lodging between Jason’s buttocks. A pleasurable compromise if that’s what Jason wanted.
her: This is the aforementioned pleasure, enjoyed in a responsible manner.

him: rude penis is rude. i beg your pardon, sir!

her: The penis is probably a New Yorker (see what I did there?)

him: what. is. this.

Jason pushed up on his elbows and knees, rocking into the roll of Kennedy’s hips. They fell right into a natural rhythm, push and pull, back and forth, forehand and backhand…now picking up speed.
her: This is salsa dancing? Tennis? A rowing machine?

him: pretty sure it’s tennis. on a surfboard, mebbe.

her: (insert ball boy joke here)

him: ok but—and that’s fine, really it is, just… what? is? this?

Kennedy whispered into his ear, “You’re something else, West. Something special…really special…” impaling him in easy, rhythmic strokes.
her: This is Kennedy issuing bureau-approved pillow-talk.

him: but can we discuss the impalement, or

her: Can you impale over and over again, rhythmically? I feel impaling is just the once.

him: i think maybe it’s all in the easy, rhythmic stabbing motion. , in the wrists, or sommat.

her: When the car crashed the man was ejected and impaled rhythmically on a fence post.

him: from things i’ve read on the internet i surmise that Lanyon prefers to think of herself as a mystery writer first. what think ye of the mystery in this one?

her: The whodunitness was just okay, but the atmosphere was satisfyingly creepy and I did a lot of the secondary characters.

him: yeah, those scenes in the abandoned town freaked me the fuck out. so, meh on the mystery? yay on the atmosphere? and blergity on the romance?

her: I...think so

him: i am not satisfied.



229 s1 comment Baba 859 3,959

4 stars. Review posted March 7, 2016




“There has to be something here.” He didn’t realize he’d spoken aloud until Kennedy said, “There always is. Sometimes you know it’s there by its very absence.” Very Yoda-esque. Wise in the ways of aberrant psychology are you, Senior Special Agent Kennedy.

Sitting in front of your laptop and waiting on your review mojo to reappear is probably not the best thing to do. I don't know. Sometimes life has other things in store for you and reading and reviewing are, quite frankly, not at the very top of my priority list anymore. I'm pretty sure that I don't even read more than one or two book(s) per week at the moment which should bother me terribly, but I'm at a point where I don't even care. That means I'm way behind on my Reading Challenge 2016 also.

Anyhoo…let me say something about Lanyon's latest mystery book series. Due to the afore-mentioned reasons, I'll keep it short and to the point.

I enjoyed The Mermaid Murders, the first book in Lanyon's new series The Art of Murder. I think it comes close to her "old style" and popular murder mysteries. While I'm usually very good at figuring out the villain, I did struggle this time around to spot the baddie. Thus I felt the mystery was well done and very engaging and kept me guessing for a long time. As per usual, Lanyon's witty writing was pretty much flawless and, to me, played a major part in making this story a success. In my book, the romance (I mean romance not sex) was kinda lacking but I didn't mind that one bit. Given the fact that Sam Kennedy and Jason West had to inadvertently form an alliance to solve a crime and thereby handle a good deal of strong antipathy for each other, you couldn't expect any lovey-dovey-rainbows-and-flowers kind of relationship between those two. As I saw it, the main focus had been laid on the gripping mystery and the problematic collaboration between the two main protags. That's why I greatly appreciated the chill-out factor that popped up a couple times in the form of some sizzling smexy bits.

“No one suggested you screwed up the earlier investigation.”
Kennedy’s gaze grew mocking. “Tactfully put. You’ll do well in management.”
“Fuck off,” Jason said quietly.
Kennedy’s pale brows rose.
“Sir,” Jason added.
Kennedy laughed. It was a sound of genuine amusement.

I'm positive that readers will get to know Sam and Jason better over the course of the series. One particular scene struck me as intriguing:

Kennedy stared at him. There was so much pain in his face. He wasn't even trying to hide it. Features set and pale, mouth too firm, eyes dark with naked emotion. Where had all that come from? Four hours ago he had been Mr. Freeze.

Something happened in Sam's past that made him wall up. I hope that secret will be laid open in one of the next installments because I can't wait to read about "it". I want more personal information about Sam and Jason's background and I really want them to develop not only a relationship, but I want them to fall in love. Gimme some feel-good vibes please. That should go hand in hand very nicely with another solid murder mystery.

“Listen,” he said.
“You don’t want to be involved with me.”
“You’re right.”
“If you think I’m an asshole now…”
“You don’t have to convince me.”
“I’m too old for you, for one thing.”
Jason folded his arms. “And getting older by the minute.”
“I’m always on the road. Always traveling. I it that way.”
“Sure. Sounds ideal.”

Book II The Monet Murders is due out in winter 2017. That's a rather long wait. Though we all know that good things come to those who wait, and that's what I'm going to do. Patiently.


Recommended read.


****************************************

Pre-reading The Mermaid Murders:

ETA: January 20th 2016, 5:53 pm. Beebs said: Hi baba, I wondered at the 19 pages too and saw somewhere that it is kind of a placeholder thing with amazon and book is actually 249 pages approx :)

Then add this little important fact to Amazon asap. Geez. That's so misleading. *smh*

ETA: January 20 2016

Dear Publishers,

I really wanted to read The Mermaid Murders, but if you think I will shell out 4.71 euro ($ 5.15) for 19 pages, then I suggest you think again.

Good luck with your sales strategy, you might need it.

Best,

Baba

Current pricing on Amazon.com and Amazon.de, January 20th 2016

********************************



Maybe I should rate it too…give it five stars, just to counterbalance the one-star rating. After all, the book is only due out next year and deserves a rating. *sarcasm* This "system of categorizing" not released books by giving them a rating is annoying the fuck outta me.


books-kelly-and-baba-d-or-loved josh-lanyon m-m132 s Snjez853 743

4.5 stars

I have no idea why I waited so long to start this series. I've read and loved many of this author's books and this one is pretty typical of how she writes mysteries with some romance on the side. And it totally works for me.

The mystery is quite good. There might be a plot hole here and there, but it was very engaging and I enjoyed watching how it unfolded.

What I didn't expect is to love the characters as much as I did. The author often writes the same type of characters: one older and grumpy, and the other younger and more prone to get himself in trouble. But for some reason it never feels I'm reading about the same characters. They are all very distinct in my mind.

Anyway, I loved both Jason and Sam. I loved their dynamics and how their relationship developed from the initial animosity. The things between them aren't necessarily romantic, but there were moments that I thought were very sweet. And I absolutely loved the ending.

Fantastic narration by Kale Williams.0-audiobooks mm mm-mystery-thriller73 s26 comments LenaRibka1,455 423

4,5 stars!

Let me congratulate us with a start of a new VERY promising series written in the best traditions of our dear author.

You favour books with the main focus on a MM romance?
You'll it!
You prefer a good structured mystery?
Go and get it!
The bad news:
It is the first book and the next book in the series will appear in 2017!
The good news - for me anyway:
It might equally well be a standalone, and I wouldn't be disappointed.

MEANS: The story has a lot of potential and could become a huge success among similar series. On the other hand, it has a VERY special HFN, that somehow ends at the right moment with the right mood. WHAT DO I WANT MORE? Except I want MORE.

Senior Special Agent Sam Kennedy, a legend in the Bureau, a brilliant profiler, but with a difficult reputation returns to Kingsfield where almost one decade ago he caught and put a serial murder behind bar. When suddenly a young woman disappeared there again, the Kinsfield Police Chief asked for Special Agent Kennedy's help. Does he have a copy killer on his hand? Or could it be that The Huntsman, a serial murder, had a companion who just waited for a perfect moment to attack? And what if the wrong person was imprisoned? So many unanswered questions! It looks one of our MC, agent Sam Kennedy, is not very popular for his very direct manner and some people can't wait to see him lavishly failed. No wonder that Sam is not excited to find that for this case he has been temporarily partnered with Jason West, an agent from the Art Crime Team. (?!) Isn't he supposed to work in a museum and not in the field?

OF COURSE their first meeting doesn't go well. Kennedy let Jason know that he is going to work ALONE and that all Jason needs to do is stay out of his way, and Jason let him know that WHETHER he s it or NOT, he is his partner for this case. Besides he doesn't to WORK with him EITHER, but they HAVE TO. Period.

Well when the second girl disappears, things get serious. And our guys start not just to work TOGETHER, but also...NO, I'm not going to spoil you the pleasure to find it yourselves.


That was a great read. We have a typical Josh Lanyon's couple. VERY DIFFERENT guys, not only from their appearance. And as we know (also from all Josh Lanyon's books) that Opposites attract! And we have here everything that a good suspense romance can offer:

We have thrilling actions, we have SEXUAL tension, we have great dialogues, we have a quick paced gripping mystery- I've been puzzling over the real murder almost up to the very end - and we have atypical for the author ending - there is no abrupt finale here. It is smooth and romantic and left me satisfied, beaming with happiness.



I don't need to prey the writing. I read also some of Josh Lanyon's books that didn't work for me.

But this one belongs definitively to one of her best!


***ARC provided to Gay Book Reviews by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.***

contemporary favourite-read-2016 gaybook ...more61 s Martin764 480

Amazing! This book is f***ing fantastic!!!
I am probably biased because not only does the title refer to mermaids (I am obsessed with mermaids, LOL), but the story itself revolves around mermaids and mermaid related items. I loved it.
And we even get to see a real one in the story, as scary as this may sound.

Not this kind of mermaid, though.


Not this one, either, sorry (but good excuse to post this pic, right?).


This is the type of ‘mermaid’ that you’ll encounter in the course of the story. If you don’t know what this is, let the story surprise you and google it afterwards ;-)


As disgusting as this seems, these ‘mermaids’ do exist.
Oh, and we get to see a flooded ghost town in this book! How cool is that?

About the plot:


Young aspiring FBI Agent Jason West from the Art Crime Division is trying to do his superior Agent in Charge a favor by temporarily teaming up with fellow Agent Sam Kennedy, who is a profiler working on a missing girl’s case.

Kennedy’s excellent reputation has suffered in the course of his previous assignment and the FBI wants to keep Kennedy on a short leash, hoping he won’t screw up his next case and drag in even more bad publicity.



Upon meeting the older agent, Jason is sure that the assignment will be tough. Kennedy seems unfriendly, arrogant and distant. He’s a lone wolf who is not exactly happy the FBI has hooked him up with a chaperone, let alone a pen pusher from the Art Crime Division who has never seen a murder crime scene or done serious profiling before.

The current case of a girl gone missing from a party reminds Kennedy of a series of murders that he had to solve some 10 years ago in the same area. Back then, the infamous ‘Huntsman’ had killed teenage girls, raped them and mutilated their corpses, before Kennedy was able to track him down and put him in prison.

The new investigation shows disturbing similarities to the Huntsman case and people start talking about the ‘Huntsman’ being back.

Is this a copycat killer or did Kennedy put the wrong man behind bars? The last question would mean the end of Kennedy’s career – and despite Jason’s initial reservations about his new temporary partner, he doesn’t want to see Kennedy fall.

But suddenly Jason’s past catches up with him and he finds himself a suspect in this insane case and needs Kennedy to help prove his innocence.


This story is pure perfection from the beginning to the end. The tension, the actual investigation, it all went under my skin and towards the end I was actually afraid to turn the pages!
Sam and Jason are a dream team! They’re not the easy romance type of guys that I usually love to read about. They’re professional and strictly business. Their getting to know each other is rather subtle and sweet.

And just when I thought that we might have to wait for the next book before *anything* happens between those two guys Kennedy asks Jason out of the blue if he wants to come with him to his hotel room. I almost dropped my reader! Jason went for it, of course. Kennedy is one hunky piece of man, after all.
While their sex was pretty casual at the beginning, it was so sweet to see how Kennedy slowly started to care about his partner, treating his wounds when he got hurt and allowing him to sleep with him to keep the nightmares at bay.

The story is told exclusively from Jason’s POV, so we never know what Kennedy actually thinks. I usually don’t this narration style, but here it is simply brilliant. We get to know Kennedy the same way Jason gets to know him, which is just a perfect adventure!

I am so in love with these two guys. I wish this book had been much, much longer. I can hardly wait to meet these guys again in Winter 2017!
Josh Lanyon never fails to amaze me, but this book seriously blew me away! It is my favorite by this author for sure - and be sure to make the connection to Winter Kill, which is also a great novel!

5 stars and on my list of all time favorites!
favorites top-10-m-m-romance-all-time top-10-mm-read-in-201655 s Nick PageantAuthor 6 books911

Oh, Lanyon, my Lanyon! It's so good to be with you again. m-m somebody-got-dead57 s Ingie1,405 168

Review written March 5, 2016

5 Stars - Simply perfect in every way. Terrific read!

A fresh and new full length Josh Lanyon novel. Crime and M/M romance in the very best combo. I enjoyed and thankfully took in EVERYTHING reading this one. Stunned and still happydancing.

*********************************************
“Art is the other side of the coin. It represents the best of humanity. And what I’m here for is to try and protect that…legacy. Our cultural heritage. And by our, I mean everybody.”


There were mermaids, dead teenage girls and a horrible killer...

The FBI Art Crime Team's young ambitious Special Agent Jason West is seconded to temporarily partner the (feared) legendary murderhunter Sam Kennedy. A grumpy older agent, blond big and tough manly. A man who doesn't want a teammate. Not friendly, not nice but quite impressive and very interesting.

The killing has begun again...

These two are to investigate a new case with a missing teengirl in the same small Kingsfiekd town as Kennedy’s most famous case over 10 years ago. The case with the famous serial killer known as The Huntsman. — Also the place where Jason spent his teenage summers and lost his first "girlfriend".

Two men. A small town with sad memories and still the feeling of fear...

I was convinced this Mermaid Murders novel should be a wonderful great JL story after just reading a few pages. For me it had it all; a interesting set, a good crime case, characters to feel for and nail biting excitement and suspense in the end. Best of all; so lovely romantic, hot-hot, intense and the relationship stuff developed in that perfect believable slow pace I most. It can't be better. No, not possible.

Lanyon end with a promise of more books with these two in the future (winter 2017). — Gosh and sigh, it will be a unbelievable long hard wait. (...but I know I will throw myself over it and drop all other books as soon it is here to get.)

*********************************************

So good; the atmosphere, the feel, the impact on me and my mood. Perfect. More can't be said. — Higly Recommended!

I LIKE - no, I'm amazed, I'm thankful, I adore...


****
# Woot, this was fun! A weekdays BR with start 2nd March with a bunch of JL fans. — Thank you Therese, Sofia and Rosa!

# My oldish "currently-reading" gif as I loved so much:

books-i-read-2016 c-amazing-5-stars-2016 romance-m-m-novels ...more54 s Natasha544 252

Great. Just great.

SPOILERS!



Of all the Lanyon's I've read, this mystery is the one that I found most interesting. The mystery in The Mermaid Murders was beyond what I was hoping for, plot wise. Lanyon took this shit to a next level.
The small town, the people, the scenery, reminded me very much of the small town from Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects. Something's just... not right, and you can feel that deep in your bones. You have no idea what's wrong, or why, but you know there's something sour just on the tip of your tongue.

O, Sam Kennedy. My newest boyfriend. Big, mean, intimidating. Not quite handsome and powerful. In my book, perfection. I adored him. I also adored Jason. Without delving too deeply into the traits of each character, know that they are distinct and they are crisp. It's lovely.

This book is my favorite read of the year so far. I'm not sure what more I could've asked for. Slow romance, a disturbing mystery, spooky parts which made me gasp, classic Lanyon one-liners which made me laugh. A wonderful mystery that kept me guessing. In this book, I cared just as much about the mystery as the romance, which is saying something for me.

I doubt I will ever grow tired of her wonderful, tantalizing mysteries, her surprising characters, her slow-burn romances, her unapproachable love interests. Even the stories I don't love, I still very much enjoy. Her books are my type. I'm a creature of habit. I what I , and what I are Lanyon books.

As long as Lanyon continues to write, I will continue to buy, and allow myself to live in the worlds she builds, if only for a few hours.

When you gaze long into the abyss...the abyss asks you out for cocktails?

---

alright, WHO RATED THIS?
if you're gonna not read a lanyon but rate it anyway, at least give it a 5! gawwwwwdddddddd.boys-who--boys favorites hello-officer48 s mwana410 363

I last read this book in 2016, and it is my firm belief that I may have lapsed into a coma while reading it because I made observations that would have my literacy revoked. Or perhaps I am wiser since I am turning 30 in a week. Yes, the existential crisis looms, and perhaps that is why I suffer the strongest of urges to revisit old favourites.


A mermaid netsuke

The story starts with Special Agent Sam Kennedy, chief of the Behavioral Analysis Unit, who is first introduced in Winter Kill (which you should read before reading book 2). Agent Kennedy has the sparkling personality of a burnt shoe, but he smells a lot more pleasant. At least he does, according to Special Agent Jason West, who is in the Art Crimes Team. West has been assigned to oversee Kennedy in a unique case affecting the town he grew up in that was terrorised by a serial killer when he was a teenager. The serial killer at the time, The Huntsman, was put behind bars through Kennedy's intrepid efforts. Still, after a kerfuffle in Wisconsin, the bureau wants to ditch Captain Unpleasant with the help of West's reports. But first, someone is killing girls again. Did Kennedy get the wrong man all those years ago?

The story unfolds slowly, with elements of West and Kennedy's personalities interweaving the narrative seamlessly. We want to know who the killer is, whether the real Huntsman is in prison, why Officer Boyd has such a boner for West's destruction, why West's boss has such a erm vendetta against Kennedy. But also, we want to know why Kennedy lets his gaze linger on West. Why he can only laugh with West. Why he damn near lost his mind when West fell through tricky flooring in an abandoned building. "Jason-"
"I want to try the stairway. I'll keep yelling Marco, and you yell Polo. So you know I'm okay, and I can tell how far from you I am."
"Are you-? And what if you're not okay? How am I supposed to get to you?"
"Marco?"
"West, you're beginning to piss me off."
"Marco."
"At the least we should be using radio voice procedure."
"Marco to Kennedy. Over."
Kennedy snapped, "Polo." As the seminal philosophers from Disney's Hercules once said, Girl don't be proud, it's ok you're in love.

This book is a lot funnier than I remembered it being, and it was also quite the roller coaster. When the murderer was finally revealed, my flabber was sufficiently gasted. I couldn't believe the book bamboozled me on a reread. However, my memory is also not what it used to be. I'm turning 300 in seven days. It's quite the predicament. Unnatural even. But since I suffer from quasi-senility, I couldn't forget how remarkable Lanyon's writing is. And this is a book that seems as effortless as a Christie novel, and it's perfect for enthusiasts of the genre.action-suspense-thriller adult crime ...more48 s *J* Too Many Books Too Little Time1,921 3,709

4 stars!

Quality writing.
Quality suspense.
Quality characters.

But....I found the romance a bit lacking.



I love romantic suspense. Trying to figure out "who done it"...which I almost never get right. I had two people pegged as the "bad guy" from the get-go and one of them ended up being right.



Needless to say I definitely enjoyed the suspense aspect of this one. It had me intrigued the whole book, especially the last few chapters.

Unfortunately I was a little underwhelmed and bored with the romance between Sam and James.



I wanted more chemistry between them. More sexual tension.

Granted this is the start of a series....and unfortunately the next book won't be out for a year....but I am hopeful that the romance will build. male-action48 s Otila364 29

I think I can safely say that this book will be in my favorites for 2016. I loved both the mystery and the romance.

The mystery was fast paced, really well plotted and not at all predictable. It kept me guessing all the way to the end and I did not see it coming.

The slow-build attraction between Sean and Kennedy is great. Kennedy is your typical Lanyon Alpha jerk who wants nothing to do with the young agent assigned to “babysit” him. I d that Jason wouldn’t take his bullshit.

"I’ve been asked to try and make sure you don’t step in it again, sure, but I’m not here to hold your cape, Batman. I’m your partner on this case whether either of us s it or not. And, for the record, I don’t it—any more than you do.”
One of the things I love about Lanyon’s series is that she gives the relationship time to build. The ending is HFN but it’s completely satisfying and not at all abrupt or jarring some of her standalones. I love the potential these two have and I’m excited to see where they go.

Highly recommended!

**Copy of The Mermaid Murders provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.**
favorite-author favorites-mm44 s Sofia1,239 248


a well honed Lanyon with a great mystery, great resolution and a very good ending.
Lanyon gives us this FBI procedural which progresses very fluidly whilst she subtly feeds us the people and then I realised that hey I connect with these guys and I'm interested and I care.
I read this so eagerly that I had to make myself not gobble it up in one go and send real life duties to perdition.
I'm already smiling at the thought that next year I'll be having more :D
because glaciers do melt so nicely.



Lanyon Time BR with great friends - thanks Girls

2016 br crime-mystery-thriller ...more37 s Ms. Smartarse631 316

FBI agent Jason West is ready for a holiday: he's seriously looking forward to overcoming the trauma of getting shot during his last mission. Unfortunately, his boss calls him back for duty to assist legendary FBI agent Sam Kennedy in solving a case, that echos the horrifying murders of a serial killer.

On top of his recent trauma, Jason also has to contend with Kennedy's adversarial attitude and his boss' constant machinations to discredit his partner. Plus his own childhood demons threaten to make a rather unwelcome comeback any minute now...



I d the setting a lot: the whole remote holiday resort town feel, along with the mysterious ghost town, right down to the forgotten creepy Fiji mermaid exhibits.

Despite all the danger surrounding the area, and wishing Jason would stop testing every single aged wood plank's resistance in person, I also wanted to explore every nook and cranny of the abandoned ghost-town. With three more books published, I knew he wasn't going to die right this minute.


A mumified Fiji mermaid in all its splendour

The protagonists and their romance however, left a lot to be desired.
First, Jason and Kennedy's attraction pops-up very suddenly. Ironically enough, it happened just as I was wondering when I'll get to see some romance, making me imagine Josh Lanyon personally answering my inner musings with "why, thank you for asking", followed by a very theatrical unveiling of the scene in question.

Second, Jason's ties to the crime setting are merely an excuse to introduce some minor homophobic tension in the equation. I'd have much rather focused on Jason's childhood demons, as a way to relate to the original murders.

Third, neither of the protagonists were too likable: Jason kept fleshing out his impulsive kid persona with a single-minded vehemence, while Kennedy would religiously follow his arrogant arsehole agenda. Good thing he threw in a last minute confession, because with dialogue this, I was rooting for Jason to slam the door in his face:


“Listen,” [Kennedy] said. “You don’t want to be involved with me.”
“You’re right.”
“If you think I’m an asshole now…”
“You don’t have to convince me.”
“I’m too old for you, for one thing.”
Jason folded his arms. “And getting older by the minute.”
“I’m always on the road. Always traveling. I it that way.”
“Sure. Sounds ideal.”


Score: 3.1/5 stars

I loved the setting, the process of solving the murder mystery... and some parts of Jason and Kennedy's romantic relationship. If it weren't for the latter's bone-melting confession at the end, I wouldn't have jumped on the sequel quite so soon.

======================
Review of book 2: The Monet Murders
Review of book 3: The Magician Murders
Review of book 4: The Monuments Men Murders
Review of book 5: The Movie-Town Murdersaction-adventure contemporary guilty-pleasure ...more34 s Lyn?Loves?Listening to Real Voices Only!!!!??1#AUDIOBOOKADDICT2,274 706

Audio 5 stars
Book 4
4.5
I don't know why I've waited so long to read a Josh Lanyon book. I own several of them. They're sitting out in my cloud. It's time for me to relieve them of the cloud dust and get to reading.

I totally loved this book. I really had no idea who the killer was until it was revealed. The only reason I'm rating it 4.5 stars instead of 5 is because it took me awhile to warm to the idea of Jason and Kennedy becoming couple. And that was because only Jason's pov was given. age-difference audio book-bargain-buy ...more33 s Melissa1,295 83

April 2023 audio
I could listen to this series over and over and over and over again, back to back, with no regrets. This is just a brilliant story, tightly written with REAL characters. JL is a creative genius to come up with the twists and turns and chess moves that IS this book and series. I am beyond happy JL has gifted us with her talent. All the stars and more!

Jan 2021 audio
Gah, this is such a good series. I love these characters!!!!
Autor del comentario:
=================================