'The Dark Tide: Adrien English #5' by Josh LANYON

From the BLURB:

As if recovering from heart surgery beneath the gaze of his over-protective family wasn’t exasperating enough, someone keeps trying to break into Adrien English’s bookstore. What is this determined midnight intruder searching for?

When a half-century old skeleton tumbles out of the wall in the midst of the renovation of Cloak and Dagger Bookstore renovation, Adrien turns to hot and handsome ex-lover Jake Riordan -- now out-of-the closet and working as a private detective.

Jake is only too happy to have reason to stay in close contact with Adrien, but there are more surprises in Adrien’s past than either one of them expects -- and one of them may prove hazardous to Jake’s own heart.

This is the last book in Josh Lanyon’s ‘Adrien English’ series (*tear*).

A lot has changed since the events of ‘Death of a Pirate King’. It’s only been five weeks in the series timeline, but Adrien is recovering from open-heart surgery and Jake Riordan has retired from the force and come out of the closet. Jake has made it obvious that he wants a relationship with Adrien now that everything is out in the open – but Adrien is still recovering from the war wounds Jake inflicted two years ago and is reluctant to lose his heart again.

This book delves deeper than ever into Jake and Adrien’s relationship and their respective personalities – in particular, Adrien’s. We’ve known from book 1 that because of his heart murmur Adrien was living on borrowed time. But in ‘The Dark Tide’ his surgery means that he’s gained longevity and will most likely live to a ripe-old age. A lot changes for Adrien now that he isn’t scared of dying – and we see a few of his walls and defenses come crumbling down.

The best thing in this final book is the tentative rekindling of Jake and Adrien’s relationship. It isn’t an explosive re-coupling, but rather a slow burn indicative of the hurt Adrien endured because of Jake’s self-hatred. A lot of dirty laundry is aired and lots of pink elephants are finally addressed.

“I’m begging,” I said.

He looked at me and grinned. “You never begged in your life.”

“I suppose you have?”

An odd expression flickered in his eyes, a sudden recognition of something in the distance – or the past. “I begged for something once.”

To be straight? That would be about right. Or did he mean it in a sexual context I didn’t want to know anything about?

I said drily, “And did you get what you begged for?”

“Yeah.” His voice sounded funny. “I did.”

This is a very satisfying reunion, and entirely romantic. I never thought of this series as M/M erotica – yes, the sex scenes are hot, but above all else Jake and Adrien are an entirely romantic, sweet couple. Never more so than in ‘The Dark Tide’;

He smelled like soap and sleep and bare skin. He smelled familiar. Not the déjà vu familiar of Guy or Mel. Familiar like… the ache in your chest of homesickness, of longing for harbor after weeks of rough seas or craving a fire’s warmth after snow – or wanting back something you should never have given away.

I wasn’t too keen on the murder plot in this book. I didn’t mind that it was a cold case, some fifty-years out of date. I had a problem with the contrite way the murder was made to reflect Jake and Adrien’s life in a ‘Sliding Doors’, ‘what if’ kind of way. It was just a little bit too convenient and mushy for my liking – and I would have preferred the series to end on a hard-boiled bang.

Having read the series I’m a little disappointed that it wasn’t released under a more mainstream publishing house. The Adrien English books (and e-books) were released by independent publishers MLR Press (Man Love Romance). Maybe Josh Lanyon never wanted the likes of Penguin and Macmillan to represent his work – maybe he went straight to the experts for his genre and protagonist and never even thought of taking his series to the mainstream. I sort of hope that is the case – I would hate to think of this wonderful series being passed up by publishing conglomerates purely because of a homosexual protagonist and a healthy touch of M/M erotica. If that is not the case though, and MLR Press were the only takers for Lanyon’s series – then I find that very sad. Because these books are good.

Yes, the series does scratch that particularly smutty M/M itch and the romance is gush-worthy and intense. But aside from that, Lanyon is a damn good writer. He borrows from the old-school likes of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler and puts his own twist on the classic hard-boiled detective novel. He’s written an entirely engaging and enigmatic character in the form of Adrien English and devised interesting sleuthing expeditions to keep his protagonist sharp while also weaving an insanely complex and satisfying romance throughout the series. I have fallen head over heels in love with this series and my heart bleeds to think that there won’t be any more Adrien English books.

You cannot relegate the Adrien English series purely to M/M erotica, because it is above all else a murder-mystery series and a damn good one at that. I have enjoyed this series immensely and really wish that Josh Lanyon would write more books in the series. There’s still a lot of ground uncovered, mainly concerning Jake’s family and his new life as an out homosexual. Regardless, I enjoyed the ride while it lasted.

5/5

I would love to read more of Lanyon’s work – can anyone recommend which of his books/series I should read next?

'The Death of a Pirate King: Adrien English #4' by Josh LANYON

From the BLURB:

Gay bookseller and reluctant amateur sleuth Adrien English's writing career is suddenly taking off. His first novel, Murder Will Out, has been optioned by notorious Hollywood actor Paul Kane. But when murder makes an appearance at a dinner party, who should be called in but Adrien's former lover, handsome closeted detective Jake Riordan, now a Lieutenant with LAPD -- which may just drive Adrien's new boyfriend, sexy UCLA professor Guy Snowden, to commit a murder of his own!

This is the fourth book in Josh Lanyon’s ‘Adrien English’ series.

Two years have passed since the events in ‘The Hell You Say’ and a lot has changed. Adrien and the UCLA occult professor, Guy Snowden, are an item – with Guy pushing for more in the way of holy matrimony. Adrien has gotten used to his extended step family and even, dare say, loves them. Especially his fourteen-year-old steps-sister, Emma, who he shares a love of horses with. Adrien’s heart murmur has gotten worse and open-heart surgery looms. And Adrien hasn’t spoken to married Lietuenant Jake Riordan in two years…. Until one night at a swanky Hollywood party, Adrien is sitting next to a wealthy producer who keels over and dies. Enter Lt. Riordan, back in Adrien’s life and more confusing than ever.

Once again Adrien is suspected of murder. He is unwittingly bought into the sleuthing side of the murder investigation when bisexual film star, Paul Kane, insists that Adrien help Jake Riordan with the case. But there’s more to Paul Kane’s insistence that Jake and Adrien work together, and the plot thickens and congeals…

It was pretty risky of Lanyon to jump the book forward by two years, but it works really well. The hurt Jake inflicted on Adrien has had time to settle and fester, and as old wounds are reopened the emotional stakes feel higher than ever. I didn’t know how much worse it could get for Adrien when it came to his ex-boyfriend, Jake Riordan, but Lanyon manages to increase Adrien’s heartache ten-fold. I was literally gasping in certain passages, as Adrien learns more of Jake’s secrets and looks at his and Jake’s relationship from a whole new angle.

And I thought maybe I didn’t need to worry about my heart anymore because it had stopped beating a couple of seconds earlier, and I was still sitting there living and breathing – though admittedly I wasn’t feeling much of anything.

The increased emotional tension makes for intensely addictive reading. But it is also painful to read – Adrien isn’t really one for confrontation, and as he learns more about his and Jake’s previous relationship he remains tight-lipped - much to my chagrin.

In this book I really responded to the murder plot. It’s made more interesting by the fact that the players are all Hollywood moguls, and the added fact that certain persons have a personal relationship and interest with Adrien and Jake. This book definitely has a ‘noir’ feel to it; there’s lots of seedy underbelly being revealed and the sleuthing is better than ever.

And as if I didn’t love Adrien enough as it was. In this book he makes reference to one of my all-time favorite TV shows; ‘Veronica Mars’. Makes sense, since the show was about an amateur sleuth and leaned heavily toward the noir side of things… but I like to think the reference is yet another indicator that if Adrien English were a real person, he and I would totally be bosom buddies.

I loved this book (as I’ve loved all the Adrien English books thus far) and I’m going into the fifth and final book ‘The Dark Tide’ with a little trepidation. I don’t want the series to end! I want to prolong it for as long as possible, but I know my addiction to Adrien will win out.

5/5

'The Hell You Say: Adrien English #3' by Josh LANYON

From the BLURB:

The long anticipated third novel in the Adrien English series finds the "ill-starred and bookish" mystery writer and bookseller battling demons--maybe literally.

After bookstore clerk Angus flees following terrifying death threats, Adrien must contend with a mysterious Satanic cult, a hot and handsome university professor, and his on-again/off-again relationship with closeted LAPD Homicide Detective Jake Riordan.

And, oh, yes, murder...

The third book in Josh Lanyon’s ‘Adrien English’ series proves to be just as good as its predecessors.

In this book Lanyon adds onto the cast of secondary characters by having Adrien’s society-belle mother marry a middle-aged councilman. The extended family make witty fodder for Adrien as he inherits three step sisters – all of whom are statuesque maidens Adrien coquettishly calls a ‘harem’.

Also joining the cast of secondary characters is University occult lecturer, Guy Snowden, who makes for sweet distraction when things between Adrien and Jake hit a serious roadblock.

From the first I feel like I’ve been holding my breath regarding Jake and Adrien. So all encompassing is Jake’s hatred of himself and the gay community, you just knew from the get-go that Adrien was going to get hurt in the midst of Jake’s denial. I feel sorry for Jake too, just as Adrien does – I mean, it can’t be easy hating yourself that much over something you have no control over. Regardless, I was vicariously hurt by Jake’s actions in ‘The Hell You Say’ and my heart goes out to Adrien. Their relationship is so intense that even when it turns depressing it’s still interesting and makes for addictive reading. I’m kind of going into the next 2 books with my heart in my throat though, because I can only imagine how much worse it can get for Adrien and Jake.

I was especially saddened by the events of ‘The Hell You Say’ because I love Adrien so much. I wish he were a real person I could call up and have a late-night chat with, or meet for cosmos in a fancy bar where we would proceed to quietly heckle those around us. He is all shades of awesome – and so (fictional character or not) I feel very precious and protective of him.

‘The Hell You Say’ has Adrien at his best, witty-saccharine self. Sure it becomes increasingly hard to believe that Adrien would bumble into these murder investigations, but the suspended belief is aided by Lanyon’s clever ‘story within a story’. Adrien is a murder-mystery novelist on the side, and he hosts a writers workshop with fellow mystery authors– who all poke fun at the absurdity of their own writing and the probability of their average-joe characters actually getting tangled in police investigations. The suspended belief is also aided by the fact that Adrien is just so darn charming and funny, so I don’t mind the ludicrousness:

So when the downstairs phone rang, I doubled back to pick it up, though I was already running late.

A pause followed my greeting. Then, “We’re watching you,” whispered the voice on the other end.

“Yeah? Did you see what I did with my keys?”

Silence. Then dial tone.

These younger demons. So easily discouraged.

I loved this book and I continue to adore the 'Adrien English' series.

5/5

'A Dangerous Thing: Adrien English #2' by Josh LANYON

From the BLURB:

In Josh Lanyon's "A Dangerous Thing", the second in his on-going series of Los Angeles based thrillers, featuring bookseller Adrien English, a holiday trip, following directly on from the 'Gay Slasher Killings' narrated in "Fatal Shadows" proves far less relaxing than English anticipates. But one corpse is not enough and as the body count mounts, so does the excitement.

This is the second book in Josh Lanyon’s ‘Adrien English’ series, which just gets better and better…

In this second installment Adrien escapes LA and his maybe-but-not-really-boyfriend, Detective Jake Riordan, and his yo-yoing affections. Adrien travels eight hours to the ranch he inherited from his deceased grandmother. Adrien has every intention of squeezing in some writing time for his second novel, and to forget about closeted homosexual, Jake.

Before he even gets through the front door, Adrien stumbles across a corpse lying in his driveway. He calls the Podunk town Sheriff’s, but when they retrace Adrien’s steps, the body has vanished.

Further complicating Adrien’s life; he discovers marijuana being grown on his abandoned property, and when he goes snooping he gets clocked on the head and lands in hospital. When he wakes, Jake Riordan is standing sentry and refusing to leave Adrien on his lonesome until they get to the bottom of these strange happenings.

“You’re not a cop, baby. You’re a bookseller. You don’t have a gut instinct. You have a knack for nearly getting yourself killed.”

I batted my lashes. “I didn’t know you cared.”

His eyes held mine briefly. “The hell you didn’t.”

This is a great follow-up to Lanyon’s first novel, ‘Fatal Shadows’. Not least of all because Lanyon has the Adrien/Jake romance cranking up a few notches. This is one of the most complicated romances I have ever read – on the one hand Jake is firmly in the closet and deep in denial. Jake’s obvious disgust with his sexuality is unbelievably sad and complicated, but thoroughly intriguing. Adrien is very aware and sensitive to Jake’s feelings, but he has to bear the brunt of his negativity and face the fact that Jake’s self-hatred probably includes Adrien. Despite this huge emotional obstacle, these two are H-O-T! ‘A Dangerous Thing’ marks Jake and Adrien’s first sexual encounter, and it absolutely sizzles. Lanyon isn’t writing the “Adrien English” series to be M/M erotica, but he definitely knows his way around a sex scene;

“Shhh. Turn off for a few seconds, Adrien.”

“A few seconds? Is that all it’s - -"I caught my breath as his finger moved knowledgably, unerringly.

“There’s the off button,” he murmured.

I pushed back hard on his hand. Not like I’d never felt this before, and yet somehow I’d never felt it quite so intensely.

In this second book I appreciate the romance more than the mystery. The ‘whodunnit’ is a little bit too layered with too many players and urban legends floating around. It’s still intriguing and keeps the pace moving, but I found myself more invested in the murder-mystery in ‘Fatal Shadows’ because those deaths were closer to Adrien’s heart.

I loved this book as much as the first, and I really look forward to reading the last three installments.

4/5

'Fatal Shadows: Adrien English #1' by Josh LANYON

From the BLURB:

Adrien English runs a small bookstore in Pasadena, which is reputed to have the largest collection of gay and gothic whodunnits around. But mystery invades his own life one morning when his best friend is found stabbed to death and he is seen as the most likely suspect. More murder and mayhem ensue in this nailbiting thriller with plenty of twists and turns.

This is the first book in Josh Lanyon’s popular ‘Adrien English’ series.

This series is not M/M erotica – there is an M/M love story at the series’ centre, but Lanyon’s book is first and foremost a mystery. That’s probably the best thing about Lanyon – he isn’t overly preoccupied with writing a gay series, he just so happens to be writing a murder-mystery with a gay hero.

Adrien English is a fantastic leading man. He’s witty, a little bit goofy and utterly charming. He’s also not your typical gay lead. In fact, as a writer he pokes fun at the gay stereotype prevalent in current fiction. Adrien is not particularly suave – he eats cereal in his underwear while watching old Errol Flynn movies. The only stereotype Adrien maintains (much to his chagrin) is that of mama’s boy – but only because his eccentric society mother, Lisa, is still reluctant to cut the apron strings. Adrien is also unlucky in love, still nursing a broken heart after his ex, Mel, walked out on him years ago and he’s been celibate ever since. To top it all off, Adrien has had a heart murmur since he was sixteen years old – a condition which will most likely mean Adrien won’t live to see 50. His heart condition is very defining of Adrien’s character and explains a lot about his ‘lone wolf’ persona and the armor he dons with those closest to him (or rather, those who try to get close to him). I loved Adrien. He was a completely delightful and unsuspecting hero.

Lanyon also writes some fantastic secondary characters. From Adrien’s nosy mother, Lisa, to his gay café-owner friend Claude La Pierra – the book is peppered with lovable eccentrics. And half the joy is in reading Adrien’s reactions to them – from Claude’s stereotypical flamboyant homosexuality to his mother’s insistence that he move back home.

Lanyon has also written a greatly complex love interest for Adrien English in the form of LAPD detective, Jake Riordan. These two have a less than auspicious meeting when Jake is assigned to the murder investigation of Adrien’s best friend, an investigation in which Adrien is the number one suspect. More than that though, Jake is a firmly closeted homosexual who is heavy into the BDSM scene. His sexual preference toward violence, dominance and submission is very Freudian and revealing of Jake’s feelings of shame and humiliation at liking men. Despite all the obstacles in their way, Jake and Adrien definitely have chemistry, and their tentative romance is a nice counter-point to the murder-mystery plot.

That grip on my arm was going to leave bruises. “I asked you to stay out of it. I specifically told you. What do I have to do? Arrest you?”

“Anything to get me in handcuffs?”

I don’t know why that popped out, but police brutality seemed imminent.

The murder-mystery is a real page-turner, I was guessing at the ‘whodunnit’ until the very end. This is where Lanyon really excels – having his bumbling leading man trying his hand at sleuthing. Though there is a gruesome murder at its centre, the book never becomes too dark because Adrien keeps things charming and interesting. It also helps that on occasion Adrien becomes slightly hysterical and funny.

I will definitely be continuing this series and would like to thank every book blogger who ever recommended Mr. Lanyon!

5/5

P.S. – Lanyon describes Adrien as closely resembling Montgomery Clift. When I cast this series in my head I picture Kerr Smith (‘Dawson’s Creek’, ‘Life Unexpected’) in the role – because, is it just me, or does Kerr bare a teeny resemblance to Mr. Clift?