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61st out of 240 books
—
146 voters
In a Dark Wood
by
Josh Lanyon (Goodreads Author)
(Part of Arresting Developments anthology)
In a dark, dark wood there was a dark, dark house...
Camping in the Jersey Pine Barrens may literally turn out to be a first date from hell for travel writer Tim and the cute cop who persuades him to revisit a past that Tim has done his best to forget.
In a dark, dark wood there was a dark, dark house...
Camping in the Jersey Pine Barrens may literally turn out to be a first date from hell for travel writer Tim and the cute cop who persuades him to revisit a past that Tim has done his best to forget.
Kindle Edition
Published
(first published January 28th 2011)
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By and large, I think Lanyon is a consistently a cut above the majority of his peers in the m/m romance market. On the other hand, the consistency of quality within his own works can be somewhat variable.
The set-up on this story was a little wacky, though I think Lanyon sells it well, but I think it would've benefited (for me, at least) from a little more expansion and exploration, just because of the number of things that Lanyon tackles in the course of such a short story.
As well, it reminds m...more
The set-up on this story was a little wacky, though I think Lanyon sells it well, but I think it would've benefited (for me, at least) from a little more expansion and exploration, just because of the number of things that Lanyon tackles in the course of such a short story.
As well, it reminds m...more
First...Josh Lanyon has the most awesome taste in music...We Shall Overcome...BS Seeger Sessions...AWESOME!!
Second..This story was fantastic...I liked that it was in NY although the city was not really a character.
Tim meets Luke at a dinner party...prompted by his friend Rob, Tim tells the story of how him and his friend discovered a very scary man while lost in the woods in Jersey. Tim played up the story and laughed it off. Luke could tell, Tim did not think it was quite so funny.
At the end of...more
Second..This story was fantastic...I liked that it was in NY although the city was not really a character.
Tim meets Luke at a dinner party...prompted by his friend Rob, Tim tells the story of how him and his friend discovered a very scary man while lost in the woods in Jersey. Tim played up the story and laughed it off. Luke could tell, Tim did not think it was quite so funny.
At the end of...more
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I've come late to Josh's work, but have become a ravenous fan. And it's not the M/M angle that gets me, although I do enjoy that aspect of his work. Josh is a damn good writer, one who on occasion has made me keep reading when I should have been writing my own stuff. That's a good book.
I'm not sure whether to call this a long short story or novella but whatever it is, the author packs a tremendous amount of character development and plot into a very compact narrative. While there is a cop, and a...more
I'm not sure whether to call this a long short story or novella but whatever it is, the author packs a tremendous amount of character development and plot into a very compact narrative. While there is a cop, and a...more
3 likes · like · see review
Josh Lanyon is without a doubt up there as one of my fav authors—I can't get enough of his work, as the ferociousness of how I've plowed through his back catalogue recently shows. This was another great story. Short, yes, but with everything it needed to have. Of course, as is generally the case, I'd love to see this couple again, I really connected with them, and knowing how the future turns out for them, especially Tim, would be great. Sadly, I know this is unlikely to happen, but that is shor...more
In a Dark Wood is probably my favorite among Lanyon's shorter works. I remember reading it for the first time and realizing that this funny, charming guy Tim is actually a drunk. It was heartbreaking to see him slowly disintegrate and finally accept his problem. It's rare that alcoholics get as much understanding as Luke gave to Tim. A part of me still couldn't help but hate Luke a little for making Tim go to that house. And, damn, talk about that house! Lanyon's bogeyman is like Michael Myers,...more
This read like one of those creepy bed-time stories that I grew up with in my family, and took me back to playing around abandoned 'haunted' houses and ruins of robber baron castles in deep, dark woods while scaring the bejesus out of each other.
It feels different from a lot of Josh Lanyon's other stories. It's an intense little tale, tackling alcoholism, but more importantly facing your demons which Timothy ends up doing on the inside and the outside. Luke, his date, has an interesting role in...more
It feels different from a lot of Josh Lanyon's other stories. It's an intense little tale, tackling alcoholism, but more importantly facing your demons which Timothy ends up doing on the inside and the outside. Luke, his date, has an interesting role in...more
Tim is a travel writer that meets Luke, a cop, at the dinner party of mutual friends. After Tim tells a story of the Jersey devil and his adventures in the woods at the age of 13, Luke convinces Tim to head back to the woods to confront his past. Although it's an unusual first date offer, Tim wants to spend more time with Luke so he accepts. For a very short story, this story had a lot of depth and was very interesting. The plot was good and we even got into some of the character's inner demons....more
When I think about why I want to read I immediately think of emotions. I read to have my emotions played with, to be forced into feeling things, sometimes things I don't always want to feel. When I choose a paranormal story it's because I want to be scared, I want to feel the chills, the pricklish, ticklish eruption of goosebumps across my skin. And I want it to linger. I want it to dance around the fringes of my memory for days, coming back to life as I pull the sheets up around me when I go to...more
2 likes · like · see review
Feb 06, 2011
J. Rosemary Moss
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
favorites,
five-stars,
josh-lanyon,
kindle,
fiction,
m-m-romance,
suspense,
thriller,
lgbt,
recovery,
addiction
Yeah, this camping trip with Luke is the first date from hell. Poor Tim. (Note to self: learn from Tim's experience. Never go camping on a first date.)
But worse than getting lost in the woods is Luke's annoying conviction that he knows what's wrong with Tim and how Tim should fix it. (Ok, Tim. I agree with Luke that you have a problem--but damned if you should put up with him telling you how to run your life! You can hit him now if you'd like. I've got your back.)
And yet, this single-minded, t...more
But worse than getting lost in the woods is Luke's annoying conviction that he knows what's wrong with Tim and how Tim should fix it. (Ok, Tim. I agree with Luke that you have a problem--but damned if you should put up with him telling you how to run your life! You can hit him now if you'd like. I've got your back.)
And yet, this single-minded, t...more
Great story, though not realistic at all!!! I want to read more about Tim. He is a very interesting character. It is impressive that in a story so short, there was a character so well developed. I want to know how he is going to deal with his issues. I want to know how his sexy cop will help him. And I want to know if in one of Tim's travels he will discover something strange, dark, deadly, and how he will deal with it.
Can we have more about Tim?
Can we have more about Tim?
For what is on the surface a very simple Stand by Me/Wrong Turn mashup this is a short story that really captured me. Tim is so fractured, and is beyond Luke's ability to put him back together. There is no HEA, not even an HFN, but perhaps a promise for some happy one day in the future.
This story was one of the most chilling I've read a while. Tim and Luke, The MCs were believable and I the Killer was so easy to picture in my mind. It was a short story but it took me a while to finish because I kept stopping to shudder and look in the shadows around myself. I recommend if you like Mysteries and a little scaryness..(if thats a word). Another fine read from Mr. Josh Lanyon!
This is a jewel. This short story is incredibly intense. In a few pages, Tim comes literally alive with all his flaws and past trauma, and Luke, whose point of view remains outside of the story, comes alive with his keen spirit of observation and his caring compassion. In a few pages, I felt invested in their story and in their future, I watched with horror and fascination how Tim was coming apart and Luke was trying to keep him together during a trip which should have been harmless, where the d...more
Mar 20, 2013
Tina
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Tina by:
Tharayn
Shelves:
short-stories,
josh-lanyon
Wow... that was a dark read, beautifully written. *shivers*
"In the dark dark wood.... there was a dark dark house...and in that dark dark house..."
If you want to know what happens you have to read it. :)
And I guess Tim is right:
"Yeah, I'm fine... I just... picked a really bad day to stop drinking."
2 likes · like · see review
3.5 Stars
This wasn't just a spooky story about two guys camping in the woods. This was Tim confronting his past and dealing with his demons. The writing flowed easily but at times certain scenes felt a bit rushed. Regardless, Lanyon was still able to bring depth to Tim's character.
Great little story.
This wasn't just a spooky story about two guys camping in the woods. This was Tim confronting his past and dealing with his demons. The writing flowed easily but at times certain scenes felt a bit rushed. Regardless, Lanyon was still able to bring depth to Tim's character.
Great little story.
5 likes · like · see review
I loved this book. It's a scary story and some parts just made my heart skip. The dialogue between Tim and Luke was so adorable and hilarious at the same time. The story ended at the right place. I'm not surprised that i enjoyed this book. Anything by Josh Lanyon is solid gold.
More 2.5 than 3. A little too short to be entirely satisfying. It's Lanyon, so it's good, and I liked the characters, but in my opinion both the relationship aspect and the 'horror story' were underdeveloped and would have benefited from a few more pages.
3.5 stars.
As always I loved the writing. The scary story was really good but I need a sequel for the relationship since it is left hopeful (with a lot to overcome) but not quite secured. I'd love to read about Tim's recovery and get more insight into Luke.
As always I loved the writing. The scary story was really good but I need a sequel for the relationship since it is left hopeful (with a lot to overcome) but not quite secured. I'd love to read about Tim's recovery and get more insight into Luke.
Very good, quick read that offers alot in the time given. I like the ghost-story quality which I don't see much in the m/m genre. The character development flows at a good pace, and the story offers some nice surprises. Another winner for Josh Lanyon.
This is classic Lanyon. Well-developed characters, a plot that sucks in the reader, chews up the heroes and spits everyone out the other side all a little worse for wear but ready and willing to start the next adventure.
A quick read. This is a horror/thriller novella with a decent balance of suspense and budding romance. I'm not a huge fan of thrillers anymore, so someone who loves them (and m/m romance) might have given this 5 stars.
This story felt a bit off, almost rushed at times. The writing didn't flow as well as some of Lanyon's other stories, though it was nice to see him try his hand in a slightly different genre.
Even though it was a very short story Tim was a very well developed character and the story was really good, tight and enjoyable. Josh has a way of spoiling me for most other writers.
4.5
How is it possible to fit everything I love about a book in such a short story? Characters with depth, intrigue, plot, action, hope...how does he do it?
How is it possible to fit everything I love about a book in such a short story? Characters with depth, intrigue, plot, action, hope...how does he do it?
3 likes · like · see review
Another great one! Loved the MCs, the short, but riveting crime/horror/thriller part. It is amazing how much good book one can put in so few words!
2 likes · like · see review
Well that was the creepiest thing I've read in a while...i would like to read more about these guys though since they ended with an almost HFN.
5 likes · like · see review
Enjoyed seeing darker play from Lanyon. Tim was a great vehicle, especially enjoyed his moments of stress.
I thought this story was going to be a light tale of two guys working out their relationship "demons" while hiking through the spooky Pine Barrens... but the story is much darker... that's all I'll say.
I liked it but it had its usual frustrating, "are they a couple or not" ending.
1 like · like · see review
What a great read. It's a pretty short story, but feels complete.
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A distinct voice in gay fiction, multi-award-winning author JOSH LANYON has been writing gay mystery, adventure and romance for over a decade. In addition to numerous short stories, novellas, and novels, Josh is the author of the critically acclaimed Adrien English series, including The Hell You Say, winner of the 2006 USABookNews awards for GLBT Fiction. Josh is an Eppie Award winner and a three-...more
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