My name is Aunt Lynn and I am a Fanyon.
I am not a regular reader or fan of mystery in any format, but I had heard great things about Josh Lanyon's Adrien English series, and since I am reading almost nothing other than m/m right now, I took the plunge. I am so glad I did! I purchased books 1-4 (
Fatal Shadows
,
A Dangerous Thing
,
The Hell You Say
, and Death of a Pirate King) all at one time and had a marathon reading session one weekend. Although each book can be read as a standalone, it is best to read the series in order, especially as you get further in as references are made to previous events and built-upon emotions. Oh, and I should mention that I bought the ebooks after the re-edits and the new publishers, so I did not experience the editing problems many people had with especially FS (reflected in many of the more negative reviews).
Quickie plot: Mystery bookstore owner and writer Adrien English has had his first book optioned for a film. While at a Hollywood party, the possible financier for the film dies from poisoning and Adrien is once again one of the primary suspects. His ex-lover and closeted LAPD lieutenant, Jake Riordan, is on the case, much to the dismay and frustration of Adrien's boyfriend Guy. In order to find the killer and clear his own name, Adrien is reluctantly persuaded into informally investigating the murder by party-host and movie star Paul Kane, who seems to have ulterior motives and a not-so-mysterious past with Jake.
Set two years after the end of THYS, both protags have changed over that time. Adrien is both better and worse off from where we last left him. His bookstore is expanding and has a steady employee. He is in a healthy relationship with a stable, loving man. His first book has been optioned. Though he is still having a difficult time getting used to the new family unit from his mother's remarriage, he has people in his life who care about him. But he seems bitter, harder, colder, and more emotionally distant, with the speculation that his breakup with Jake is perhaps the reason. He doesn't seem ready for the commitment Guy is asking for. Has he changed so much that he is incapable, is he not over Jake, is there something else going on? Are these less-than-desirable changes on the surface only? At the same time, he is more vulnerable and fragile -- physically and emotionally -- here than in books past. Recovering from pneumonia and facing surgery, we the reader and Adrien himself are not sure how much more is poor heart can take.
Jake, on the other hand, is somewhat softer, kinder, gentler. As with ADT, I felt this book was as much about Jake as Adrien. After THYS, I needed Jake to be redeemed. Salvaged. Rehabilitated. There were readers and fans calling for Jake's head on a platter, but I was not one of them. I have mentioned in past reviews of books in this series that I loves me a tortured, broken hero, and Jake is at the top of that list. He may have made me angry, and I thought he acted like an asshole and a brute bordering on abusive, but I do care for him and I had hope that maybe he would come to his senses about so many things. There are obviously unresolved issues on both sides, and it seems that he and Adrien both have been struggling with feelings of loss. Like Adrien, I guess his relationship with Paul should not have been surprising, but I admit that I was bothered and felt betrayed that he was seeing Paul in the way he was while with Adrien. After learning this very early in the book, it made Adrien question everything about his involvement with Jake, what he believed, how he felt, how Jake felt. Jake is going to have to work to get my and Adrien's trust back. Also, I once again found myself asking several times -- as did Adrien -- how far would Jake go to protect his secret? And can Jake continue leading the double life and living a lie indefinitely, or is his coming out inevitable, either by his doing or being pushed out of the closet kicking and screaming by someone else?
I kinda, sorta felt a teensy bit bad for Guy in this book, though I admit that I never really saw him with Adrien long-term, even when it was apparent in THYS he was going to probably get with him. The conflict with Adrien over his involvement with both the case and Jake was understandable, though I have to wonder if he was already feeling insecure in the relationship. I felt his frustration with Adrien over his inability to commit and the now obvious feelings he still has for Jake. The reappearance of Peter Verlane, one of the cult members from THYS and former student/lover of Guy's, made for, in my opinion, a possible easy out for him. I was curious if he would take it.
I felt that this cast of characters in the murder investigation was the best so far. Paul was so well done and believable as a conniving manipulator who does think he's all that and a bag of chips. And the scene where he is interviewing the victim's widow I found very amusing (..."I was hoping you weren't gay. Or that you were only half-gay. Like Paul." "Uh...sorry," I said. "It's pretty much full-time now. The pay's not great, but the perks..." Hee!). The Partners in Crime writers group had less on-screen time than in other books, though Paul Chan (Jake's former partner) had some significant dialog with Adrien that led him to think and rethink Jake's motives. His relationship with and feelings toward Emma, his youngest stepsister, are wonderful, and I hope she is featured in future books. Lisa, his overprotective and interfering mother, has a small, but important role in this book as her character develops further.
I had a feeling early on whodunit (wasn't sure the motive, however, and definitely wasn't prepared for the literally heart-stopping climax), though I definitely enjoyed it nonetheless, perhaps more so than any of the other mystery plotlines so far in the series.
As usual, Josh's writing is so tight and spare and masterful (the line "...sweet in the way crack must feel hitting the bloodstream of an addict after years of staying clean." is positively brilliant). Mystery fans will love it for the sleuthing; the romance fans will be reading to see what happens with Adrien and Jake's relationship. Josh clearly had an enormous task satisfying fans of both genres, many of whom had high expectations after THYS, and I believe he absolutely met the challenge. Though I said this about THYS (but that was before I read DOAPK!), this is the best book in the series by far, and simply a great book, period. It has something for everyone: a great murder mystery, suspense, humor, and a wonderful romance (it really is a book about love and redemption). I really wish the series could be mainstreamed, or maybe I should say that I wish this world at large were ready for and could accept a series like this without cringing at the underlying sexual element of two men being together. And note, as with the other books, the sex scenes are not often and used only to further the plot.
This is an emotional roller coaster for us, the reader, and the cast. Every character is affected by the last two years and the happenings in this book. Even though it is narrated first person, the reader is very aware of the feelings of all through Adrien's eyes. I smiled and laughed, I shed several tears, I got angry, I sat at the edge of my seat, I felt cautious hope for the future. Oh, and I squeed at the end. I thought about this book -- and the series overall -- a whole hella lot after. It stayed with me. I've reread the series four times since I acquired it and I am sure will be doing so again.
The next -- and probably final, if you go by what Josh says -- book is due December 2009. I can't imagine him topping DOAPK, but I then also thought that about THYS...
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