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38th out of 1,095 books
—
1,378 voters
Somebody Killed His Editor (Holmes & Moriarity #1)
by
Josh Lanyon (Goodreads Author)
Thanks to an elderly spinster sleuth and her ingenious cat, Christopher Holmes has enjoyed a celebrated career as a bestselling mystery writer. Until now. Sales are down and his new editor is allergic to geriatric gumshoes.
On the advice of his agent, he reinvents his fortyish, frumpy, recently dumped self into the sleek, sexy image of a literary lion, and heads for a North...more
On the advice of his agent, he reinvents his fortyish, frumpy, recently dumped self into the sleek, sexy image of a literary lion, and heads for a North...more
Kindle Edition, 272 pages
Published
June 16th 2009
by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
(first published June 2009)
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This book was exactly what I needed and I read it with a constant smile on my face : amused, ironic, fond, knowing, goofy, sometimes exploding into laughter...
Indeed, there is a lot to smile at:
The setting is a conference reuniting an entire cast of writers and it was fun to have an insight into their world and into the publishing industry.
The mystery was a big wink at Agatha Christie and I dived happily into the intrigue, suspecting everyone until the very end.
Holmes is self-centered, bitter an...more
**4.5**
I absolutely love Josh Lanyon. He writes the perfect blend of thrilling mystery, quirky comedy, and sweet and sexy romance. He makes me tense, he makes me giddy, and he makes me sigh—all while I try to piece together who the damn murderer is.
When we first meet Christopher “Kit” Holmes, the story reads like my favorite sort of comedy routine: It's full of exasperation, self-deprecation and sarcasm. Christopher is at his wits’ end since discovering his publisher won't be reupping his contr...more
I absolutely love Josh Lanyon. He writes the perfect blend of thrilling mystery, quirky comedy, and sweet and sexy romance. He makes me tense, he makes me giddy, and he makes me sigh—all while I try to piece together who the damn murderer is.
When we first meet Christopher “Kit” Holmes, the story reads like my favorite sort of comedy routine: It's full of exasperation, self-deprecation and sarcasm. Christopher is at his wits’ end since discovering his publisher won't be reupping his contr...more
4 stars
this was fun and a great intro for me into josh lanyon's style
what i liked . . .
*great setting. great descriptions. it felt like i was out in the woods in the rain at several points in the book.
*i really liked the MCs. holmes is a whiny diva author whose humor makes him likeable to me. he is trying to save his career and somehow needs to attend this workshop in the middle of no where to meet with his editor. who turns up dead. moriarity is a likeable ex-cop with whom holmes had a fling m...more
this was fun and a great intro for me into josh lanyon's style
what i liked . . .
*great setting. great descriptions. it felt like i was out in the woods in the rain at several points in the book.
*i really liked the MCs. holmes is a whiny diva author whose humor makes him likeable to me. he is trying to save his career and somehow needs to attend this workshop in the middle of no where to meet with his editor. who turns up dead. moriarity is a likeable ex-cop with whom holmes had a fling m...more
I must confess: I didn't realize J.X.'s name was Moriarity with an _i_ until it was spelled out in the book.
First of all, I liked the setting and the cast of characters (I really liked Rachel, Kit's agent). The beginning of the book is gripping and you really get in the mood of a mistery in a secluded location.
I loved Kit. Even if he was the narrator, I felt like he was able to keep his hurt to himself and at the same time he was able to retain some kind of levity. He's often walking a fine edge...more
First of all, I liked the setting and the cast of characters (I really liked Rachel, Kit's agent). The beginning of the book is gripping and you really get in the mood of a mistery in a secluded location.
I loved Kit. Even if he was the narrator, I felt like he was able to keep his hurt to himself and at the same time he was able to retain some kind of levity. He's often walking a fine edge...more
IMpeccable mystery romance with a winning new duo. Lanyon is one of the gold stanards of our genre.
Craft! Wit! Chops! Lanyon just knows his shit and throws down like a hot truckstop hooker with no time to waste. Deliver-deliver-deliver... If I have any quibble, it's with the abrupt ending but I know full well why Lanyond structured it that way and agree with the choice in principle.
One of these days his books are going to cross over to mass market. They should have already. Amazing. I enjoyed t...more
Craft! Wit! Chops! Lanyon just knows his shit and throws down like a hot truckstop hooker with no time to waste. Deliver-deliver-deliver... If I have any quibble, it's with the abrupt ending but I know full well why Lanyond structured it that way and agree with the choice in principle.
One of these days his books are going to cross over to mass market. They should have already. Amazing. I enjoyed t...more
Why haven't I read this book earlier?!
I fell blindly and unconditionally in love with Kit! He seems to be struggling with his mid-life crisis big time: his long-term relationship has just ended, his career is going downhill, he is concerned about his health, he feels awfully old and he complains a lot about all and everything. What is there not to like about this man?! I enjoy the way he sees the world and himself through snarky lenses and I absolutely love the unbeatable logic of his!
And maybe...more
I fell blindly and unconditionally in love with Kit! He seems to be struggling with his mid-life crisis big time: his long-term relationship has just ended, his career is going downhill, he is concerned about his health, he feels awfully old and he complains a lot about all and everything. What is there not to like about this man?! I enjoy the way he sees the world and himself through snarky lenses and I absolutely love the unbeatable logic of his!
And maybe...more
Dec 21, 2010
Nikyta
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Nikyta by:
Bubbles Hunty
While I didn't like this one as much as the Adrien English series, I still loved it. I fell in love with Kit's sarcastic nervousness right off the bat and hated J.X. until just about the last page when we learn of why he acted like a rat-bastard towards Kit.
The mystery and the crazy supporting characters made this book really interesting to me. While I knew who the killer was from the beginning (because I cheated and looked ^_^) I still found it surprising how and why the killer did what s/he d...more
The mystery and the crazy supporting characters made this book really interesting to me. While I knew who the killer was from the beginning (because I cheated and looked ^_^) I still found it surprising how and why the killer did what s/he d...more
An entertaining story. Christopher (not Chris and only Kit to J.X.) is the narrator. We see his inner struggles. He would be insufferable except for his humor which is most often directed at himself. He fought the attraction to J.X. years ago after a weekend that he has never forgot. Now at the writers' conference from hell, everyone tells him J.X. is straight, married and a father. He is shocked but cannot believe that weekend was simply a experiment for J.X.
Christopher finds a corpse as he st...more
Christopher finds a corpse as he st...more
Well color me happy, I just read an MM book that I liked! More than liked, I loved the whole thing! Perhaps because it was light on the MM steamy stuff. Or maybe because it was a really well written and entertaining story.
From the very beginning I was drawn into the plot and really liked Christopher Holmes. He is very engaging and funny in a self effacing way. You find yourself drawn into his plight as a writer being shelved by his publishing house, newly single and fighting against reinventing...more
From the very beginning I was drawn into the plot and really liked Christopher Holmes. He is very engaging and funny in a self effacing way. You find yourself drawn into his plight as a writer being shelved by his publishing house, newly single and fighting against reinventing...more
This is the first book of Josh Lanyon's I have read and I look forward to reading more, especially in this series. I didn't expect so much humor and found myself laughing out loud several times.
Kit Holmes is a successful writer whose successful series of cozy mysteries has lost their appeal. His literary agent twists his arm into attending a writer's conference in a remote forest retreat so that he can pitch new ideas to his irascible editor in a last-ditch effort to revive his career.
And as he...more
Kit Holmes is a successful writer whose successful series of cozy mysteries has lost their appeal. His literary agent twists his arm into attending a writer's conference in a remote forest retreat so that he can pitch new ideas to his irascible editor in a last-ditch effort to revive his career.
And as he...more
SlashReaders: This book actually took me a bit to get into it. I was a little put off by Christopher Holmes at first; however, by the time I reached the end of the book I was quite hooked. Christopher has a way of roping you in and along for the ride in ways that you don't expect. He's not the coolest kid on the block at least not right away and it's fun to get to know him.
I also enjoyed the way that the mystery behind J.X. and Christopher's past played out as well as their future. It was fun to...more
I also enjoyed the way that the mystery behind J.X. and Christopher's past played out as well as their future. It was fun to...more
I generally enjoy Josh Lanyon, but I thought this one was one of his weaker novels, for a number of reasons.
Firstly, I thought the whole set-up was a little worn. How many Agatha Christie plots have been duplicated? Probably hundreds. The whole set-up of a group of people trapped at a lodge in a winter storm with a murder and a detective/Angela Landsbury-type character gets to be a little old.
Secondly, I got really tired of the MC--just too whiney for me. Yeah, as J.X. said, he was too much of...more
Firstly, I thought the whole set-up was a little worn. How many Agatha Christie plots have been duplicated? Probably hundreds. The whole set-up of a group of people trapped at a lodge in a winter storm with a murder and a detective/Angela Landsbury-type character gets to be a little old.
Secondly, I got really tired of the MC--just too whiney for me. Yeah, as J.X. said, he was too much of...more
I know, I know...a 3 for Josh Lanyon? The terrible part is that if it had been anyone else's book, I probably would have viewed it differently, but Josh sets the bar high and I have, perhaps, unrealistic expectations because of it.
It would be wonderful to review this book and the subsequent Holmes and Moriarity together, as a single entity, which also would change the rating for me. I did read them back to back, and taken together, Kit and J. X.'s story gains irresistible pull.
But this one firs...more
It would be wonderful to review this book and the subsequent Holmes and Moriarity together, as a single entity, which also would change the rating for me. I did read them back to back, and taken together, Kit and J. X.'s story gains irresistible pull.
But this one firs...more
5 stars
I started this book right after I finished the Adrien English Mystery series. At first, I wasn't sure if I should read yet another set of books about an author-turned-amateur sleuth, but I couldn't help myself. After five books of Adrien English, I was a bit hooked on quirky, quaint, adorable mystery writers. *g* So I took a chance with the book, thinking to myself, if this one is too similar to Adrien English, I'll save it for later while I chose something else to read.
I need not have w...more
I started this book right after I finished the Adrien English Mystery series. At first, I wasn't sure if I should read yet another set of books about an author-turned-amateur sleuth, but I couldn't help myself. After five books of Adrien English, I was a bit hooked on quirky, quaint, adorable mystery writers. *g* So I took a chance with the book, thinking to myself, if this one is too similar to Adrien English, I'll save it for later while I chose something else to read.
I need not have w...more
First of all: Great read. 4.5
The story is fast-paced with a suspenseful cliffhanger at the end of nearly every chapter. Christopher's voice is very witty in its cynicism. I liked the atmosphere, reminiscent of mysteries of long ago, especially in its conclusion.
I found myself agreeing with JX though that Christopher is a drama queen and a rather self-absorbed drama queen at that. Christopher's antics made me want to smack him up the head a number of times but there is something to be said for a...more
The story is fast-paced with a suspenseful cliffhanger at the end of nearly every chapter. Christopher's voice is very witty in its cynicism. I liked the atmosphere, reminiscent of mysteries of long ago, especially in its conclusion.
I found myself agreeing with JX though that Christopher is a drama queen and a rather self-absorbed drama queen at that. Christopher's antics made me want to smack him up the head a number of times but there is something to be said for a...more
Kit Holmes isn't a happy man. Not only has his lover recently run off with Kit's PA, he's also been told by his editor, the odious Stephen Krass, that his long-running mystery series involving the elderly English sleuth Miss Butterwith and her feline sidekick Mr Pinkerton is no longer commercially viable. In a desperate attempt to keep his contract, Kit's agent, Rachel signs him up for a writer's conference in the middle of nowhere so that he can pitch a new idea for a book to Krass. Kit's also...more
Beware! Mild spoilers for the relationship-development between Christopher and J.X. I wouldn't have been bothered if I had read that in advance but if you're ultra-allergic to spoilers skip this review.
I did like the mystery part in this book more than in All She Wrote. It felt less like the solution was just thanks to some lucky coincidences (and apart from that: it was a We are all closed off from the outside world and thereis a murderer among us-mystery...including the All suspects meet in th...more
I did like the mystery part in this book more than in All She Wrote. It felt less like the solution was just thanks to some lucky coincidences (and apart from that: it was a We are all closed off from the outside world and thereis a murderer among us-mystery...including the All suspects meet in th...more
I picked this book up for my Kindle on a whim and it did not disappoint.
The main character, Christopher--only J.X. calls me Kit--Holmes, is a forty-something author of charming mysteries featuring elderly British spinster, Miss Butterwith. His books have gone out of fashion and his house is threatening to drop him, so his agent sends him to a writer's retreat--horrors!--to make nice with his new editor, not-so-fondly known as "Satan." Christopher has new clothes, more hair products than he know...more
The main character, Christopher--only J.X. calls me Kit--Holmes, is a forty-something author of charming mysteries featuring elderly British spinster, Miss Butterwith. His books have gone out of fashion and his house is threatening to drop him, so his agent sends him to a writer's retreat--horrors!--to make nice with his new editor, not-so-fondly known as "Satan." Christopher has new clothes, more hair products than he know...more
So far, this has been my least favorite of Josh Lanyon's novels.
And I do enjoy his writing quite a bit.
So much so that I'm willing to read murder mysteries - probably my least favorite genre after contemporary romance.
But I'm a weird person, so bare with me.
Anyways, what irked me mostly about the book were the characters.
I didn't like any of them.
There were a few female chars I liked a tiny bit, especially due to a certain aspect (won't spoil it).
But other than that, nobody was likeable.
Christop...more
And I do enjoy his writing quite a bit.
So much so that I'm willing to read murder mysteries - probably my least favorite genre after contemporary romance.
But I'm a weird person, so bare with me.
Anyways, what irked me mostly about the book were the characters.
I didn't like any of them.
There were a few female chars I liked a tiny bit, especially due to a certain aspect (won't spoil it).
But other than that, nobody was likeable.
Christop...more
Jan 03, 2011
Blaine
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
all mystery lovers
Shelves:
mystery-suspense,
2011
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Somebody Killed His Editor is a rather old-fashioned appearing crime story with a romantic subplot and a lot of self-ironic humour. The main character Christopher Holmes is a pretty old-fashioned crime writer himself, favouring witticism and clever criminal riddles solved by the traditional old British spinster over mysteries based on sex, high heels, and guns. That is exactly why his prime as a writer might have passed, because the reading masses seem to disagree with him on that matter - and h...more
Josh Lanyon has done it to me again, creating another pair of characters whom I can't wait to get to know a lot better.
This book was set around the "it was a dark and stormy night" atmosphere of a remote lodge, where murder comes calling, and nearly everyone seems to have had both a motive and an opportunity to have perpetrated the crimes. The first victim, Peaches (loved the character names in this book!) is introduced as a corpse. We never see her alive but get to know her through the eyes of...more
This book was set around the "it was a dark and stormy night" atmosphere of a remote lodge, where murder comes calling, and nearly everyone seems to have had both a motive and an opportunity to have perpetrated the crimes. The first victim, Peaches (loved the character names in this book!) is introduced as a corpse. We never see her alive but get to know her through the eyes of...more
Fave Quote: '“Oh, fuck,” I whispered. Usually I’m better at dialog.'
- Storyline - 6/10
- Hero (J.X.) - 8/10
- Hero (Kit) - 6/10
- Chemistry - 5/10
- Steaminess - 5/10
- Sweetness - 5/10
- Secondary Characters - 5/10
- Setting - 9/10
- Details/Quirks - 6/10
- Banter/Humor - 7/10
- Ending - 8/10
- Ridiculousness - 8/10
- Annoying the shit out of me factor - 5/10
- This book described in one word/phrase - Silly
This book was very light-hearted and humorous, but it had zero depth. In some ways that was good, beca...more
- Storyline - 6/10
- Hero (J.X.) - 8/10
- Hero (Kit) - 6/10
- Chemistry - 5/10
- Steaminess - 5/10
- Sweetness - 5/10
- Secondary Characters - 5/10
- Setting - 9/10
- Details/Quirks - 6/10
- Banter/Humor - 7/10
- Ending - 8/10
- Ridiculousness - 8/10
- Annoying the shit out of me factor - 5/10
- This book described in one word/phrase - Silly
This book was very light-hearted and humorous, but it had zero depth. In some ways that was good, beca...more
Dec 04, 2009
Ami
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mm-mystery-suspense-thriller
I know that I will be in a good company whenever I pick up Josh Lanyon's stories.
This book feel like an hommage to Agatha Christie's (with a side shout to current trends as well, there is a mention of David Boreanaz *g*). A group of mystery writers gathered for a convention - and one of them, Christopher "Kit" Holmes, find two dead bodies within a mere few days. Bad thing is, they are cut from the outside due to bad weather, which means the murderer most likely is among them. Helped by a fellow...more
This book feel like an hommage to Agatha Christie's (with a side shout to current trends as well, there is a mention of David Boreanaz *g*). A group of mystery writers gathered for a convention - and one of them, Christopher "Kit" Holmes, find two dead bodies within a mere few days. Bad thing is, they are cut from the outside due to bad weather, which means the murderer most likely is among them. Helped by a fellow...more
4.5 stars
I loved this book! LOVED IT! Great characters, great story, terrific mystery.
One question, did I miss why JX call Christopher "Kit?" I was wondering but didn't see it mentioned.
Christopher/Kit is a great character. He's in a bit of a personal slump so at times his self-depreciating wit turned into a pity party. But honestly it worked. He finds himself in this place, personally, that he just didn't know what to do with. Some his fault, some just life.
J.X. was also great. Even though he...more
I loved this book! LOVED IT! Great characters, great story, terrific mystery.
One question, did I miss why JX call Christopher "Kit?" I was wondering but didn't see it mentioned.
Christopher/Kit is a great character. He's in a bit of a personal slump so at times his self-depreciating wit turned into a pity party. But honestly it worked. He finds himself in this place, personally, that he just didn't know what to do with. Some his fault, some just life.
J.X. was also great. Even though he...more
This is the 6th or 7th Lanyon book I've read, and I have to say, (well, I don't, but I'm gonna) I wasn't as enamoured with this book as I have been with all of the others. To me, it felt too much like the author was trying to recapture the magic of Adrien/Jake from the English series. The format was the same, the characters etc ... even Christopher's career was very similar to Adrien's, not too mention his personality.
Now, that could've been fine. I have no problem with authors sticking to what...more
Now, that could've been fine. I have no problem with authors sticking to what...more
This is the first book in Lanyon's new mystery series, "Holmes and Moriarity", introducing two sleuthing novelists, Christopher "Kit" Holmes and J.X. Moriarity. Also, this is a gay mystery, if Lanyon's name didn't clue you in :) And as I have previously stated, my objectivity goes right out of the window when it comes down to Lanyon's books because I just love his characters so much - and this book is no exception.
You know why I liked this one so much? Holmes is basically Rodney McKay - a 39-yea...more
You know why I liked this one so much? Holmes is basically Rodney McKay - a 39-yea...more
4.5 Stars
This is a mystery, a good who dunnit with a large cast of characters, but for me the best part of the book was Christopher Holmes. Christopher or Kit, the main character in Somebody Killed His Editor: Holmes & Moriarity, Book 1 is one of those characters that no matter how many bodies he finds, or how bloody the situation, will make you smile. This story is told in first person point of view and I just loved Christopher's voice... talk about a sardonic, sarcastic, insecure man with...more
This is a mystery, a good who dunnit with a large cast of characters, but for me the best part of the book was Christopher Holmes. Christopher or Kit, the main character in Somebody Killed His Editor: Holmes & Moriarity, Book 1 is one of those characters that no matter how many bodies he finds, or how bloody the situation, will make you smile. This story is told in first person point of view and I just loved Christopher's voice... talk about a sardonic, sarcastic, insecure man with...more
What can I say about this book? I loved it. This was my first Josh Lanyon book, so I was keen to know it if was going to good and boy was it. Kit Holmes was the perfect narrative for the novel. I liked that he wasn't perfect, ie didn't sound like he did any exercise, and he drunk a lot. I liked too that his career was in decline. Why? Because it put him back into the path of J.X. Not giving too much away to say that J.X was someone Kit had a brief weekend fling with and boy I could see the spark...more
Read full review at Blissful Temptation
Somebody Killed His Editor is a plot driven book, which weighs the plot, crimes and character development high, however this has made the sex scenes seen a wee bit too dull for my tastes. Maybe because I am used to very explicit sex scenes? I cannot tell, but I will bet my money on it.
The characters, however, are well created and with a lot of depth as well as their own individual traits, endearing them to me as I read on.
Unfortunately, it was not enough...more
Somebody Killed His Editor is a plot driven book, which weighs the plot, crimes and character development high, however this has made the sex scenes seen a wee bit too dull for my tastes. Maybe because I am used to very explicit sex scenes? I cannot tell, but I will bet my money on it.
The characters, however, are well created and with a lot of depth as well as their own individual traits, endearing them to me as I read on.
Unfortunately, it was not enough...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q&A with Josh...: July 2012 | 361 | 103 | Jul 31, 2012 06:05am |
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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“I thought I recognized you."
Really? He remembered me looking like Swamp Thing? How flattering.”
—
29 people liked it
Really? He remembered me looking like Swamp Thing? How flattering.”
“You know that thing about Death Be Not Proud? Well, Fear Be Not Proud either. And Fear Be Not Elegant. What Fear be is stumbling, bumbling flight, crashing through brush, slip-sliding on pine needles, sloshing through puddles that are always deeper than you expect.”
—
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