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The Dark Farewell

by Josh Lanyon (Goodreads Author)

3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 · rating details · 422 ratings · 67 reviews

Don t talk to strangers, young man especially the dead ones.

It s the Roaring Twenties. Skirts are short, crime is rampant and booze is in short supply. Prohibition has hit Little Egypt, where newspaperman David Flynn has come to do a follow-up story on the Herren Massacre. The massacre isn t the only news in town though. Spiritualist medium Julian Devereux claims to speak...more

ebook, 189 pages

Published March 5th 2010 by Samhain Publishing (first published 2010)

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Strawberries for Dessert by Marie Sexton

Best M/M Romance Published in 2010

90th out of 233 books — 470 voters

The Gentleman and the Rogue by Bonnie Dee

Best Gay Historical Romance

70th out of 273 books — 455 voters

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Apr 27, 2011 Alyosha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: age-gap, agents-cops-soldiers-warriors, disabilities, historical, in-the-closet, paranormal, witches-wizards-magicians-etc, writers-journalists

*shivers*

The perfect mixture of the 1920- atmosphere, historical detail, flawless writing and entertaining word plays, sexy, interesting heroes, creepy bad guy and, at times, scary paranormal aspect.

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 22, 2010 Emanuela ~plastic duck~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: rainbow-gay, glbt, action-crime-suspense, historical, paranormal

This book could be given a lot of tags: it's historical, there's a mistery and there's even a touch of paranormal, but it has also a beautiful romance.

For once I think that the narrator is not the character we get to know better in the book. David Flynn doesn't let the reader into his thoughts and emotions, there were a lot of occasions in which he could have let himself go, but he barely did that. What happened to him in the war and the loss of his lover are sketched, but never fully told. Even...more This book could be given a lot of tags: it's historical, there's a mistery and there's even a touch of paranormal, but it has also a beautiful romance.

For once I think that the narrator is not the character we get to know better in the book. David Flynn doesn't let the reader into his thoughts and emotions, there were a lot of occasions in which he could have let himself go, but he barely did that. What happened to him in the war and the loss of his lover are sketched, but never fully told. Even when he acknowledges his attraction and feelings for Julian, the young psychic, he seems detached. I think he feels respect for Julian, maybe also a little bit of pity, a human connection, an unquenchable attraction, but not love. I think the war and his profession caused Flynn to shut off his deepest and most uncontrollable feelings.

On the other hand Julian, whom we see only through Flynn's eyes, is more accessible and he presents himself to the reader (and to Flynn) in all his physical and emotional nakedness. I don't think we would have known more about him if he had been the narrator. He is exceptionally vulnerable, but his vulnerability doesn't depend on his personality, instead it's the result of his illness and the decisions his grandfather made for him. Julian is delicate, but he is not a damsel in distress that needs to be saved by a knight in a shiny armour, he's extremely dignified. What he needs is someone who allows him to spread his wings and the part where he tells Flynn what he wants for himself is very moving.

I agree with one of the other reviewer who said that this book had the potential of a full-length novel. There was a wonderful cast of characters and each one of them could have filled pages of interesting narration. And there were also the fascinating topic of Julian's illness and the repercussion it had on his life. Looking at it through modern eyes, the way homosexuality was considered a perverted manifestation of Julian's illness is chilling.

I also agree that the ending is quite abrupt. While I'm reading, I usually projects in my mind my expectation of the plot, and I was already contemplating all the future developments when the story, in a few paragraphs, finished. I'm still craving for an epilogue, but, hey, I'm allowed to make up what I want, right?

A lovely story and another character I've fallen in love with.(less)

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Jan 04, 2011 Cara Dee rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really wanted to like this book, being a fan of Lanyon, but it just didn't do it for me. As always, Lanyon introduced great mystery aspects to his M/M novel, and amazing characterization. I enjoyed the progression of Julian and Flynn's relationship, it was a true journey however, I felt like there should have been... more to the story.

For example, Julian's big revalation of his "disease" went over my head. I was still a bit confused about WHAT exactly this disease meant for the character and...more

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Nov 11, 2010 Nikki rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lgbt, romance, mystery

I've been meaning to read more of Josh Lanyon's work for a while. Wanted to grab something for my iPod tonight -- I was going to a gig where I knew I didn't care for the support band -- and ended up getting this from the Kindle store. It's quite a short book -- nine chapters -- and easy to read, though I felt weird about reading the sex scenes while leaning up against the barrier in front of the stage!

Not that it's all about the sex. There's the mystery, of course, in the background, and the sup...more

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Sep 10, 2010 Lynette rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shortly after World War One, people are still feeling the effects of loved ones they lost, including reporter David Flynn. His latest assignment brings him to Little Egypt to report on the aftermath of a local mining disaster. However, once he arrives in town, he learns there are bigger things going on. Someone is murdering girls, and there’s a mysterious medium who’s predicting their deaths. The whole situation seems a little too convenient for David and he finds himself trying to determine the...more Shortly after World War One, people are still feeling the effects of loved ones they lost, including reporter David Flynn. His latest assignment brings him to Little Egypt to report on the aftermath of a local mining disaster. However, once he arrives in town, he learns there are bigger things going on. Someone is murdering girls, and there’s a mysterious medium who’s predicting their deaths. The whole situation seems a little too convenient for David and he finds himself trying to determine the medium’s motives. Is he the killer, or just another naive bystander.

When I first began THE DARK FAREWELL I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. It had a slow start-up and with so many characters (THE DARK FAREWELL takes place at a Boarding house in the 1920′s) to be introduced in the beginning of the story it took awhile to introduce everyone and their personality types. However, once the story/mystery began I couldn’t stop reading. THE DARK FAREWELL caught my attention and held it.

The characters were unique (and no I don’t mean because of their sexual orientation). Each person had a unique outlook on the, way they saw the world which enhance how they reacted to what was going on around them. Mr. Lanyon even managed to give his walk-on characters a distinct personality and each person played a part in helping David figure out what was going on.

David goes into the situation with many preconceived notions. I loved how his preconceptions were slowly torn down, from his feelings about the murders, the mine catastrophe, Julian and the other members of the boarding house. David’s growth was subtle and beautifully layered as he opened his eyes to look past outer appearances to see what’s within.

The mystery was inside THE DARK FAREWELL was well-done. Mr. Lanyon did an excellent job of leading his readers down the incorrect path. As a result, I didn’t know who the murderer was until right before David did.

I also must give Mr. Lanyon’s kudos for showing the depth of emotion between David and Julian. It was more powerful to me because it was so subtle. Even with the subtlety I could still tell how deeply they both cared about each other. Several fans of his had informed me that they didn’t think I would like Mr. Lanyon’s work because it was more focused on the mystery instead of the romance. They felt this way because I complained of the lack of romantic build up in one of his contemporaries and they felt his stories focused more on the mystery than the romantic relationship. Umm, they were wrong. I totally bought into David and Julian’s relationship and saw genuine caring and love between the two.

I highly recommend.
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Sep 02, 2010 Erastes rated it 4 of 5 stars

We are always, as authors, being advised by Those That Know that to get a book sold and to capture the reader, you need a killer first line. And this book certainly has one:

The body of the third girl was found Tuesday morning in the woods a few miles outside Murphysboro.

It sets the scene and intrigues, without being trying too hard. And yet – although this hints at much, this isn’t really even the main plot of this clever, convoluted novella.

This is (embarrassingly) the first book I’ve read of...more We are always, as authors, being advised by Those That Know that to get a book sold and to capture the reader, you need a killer first line. And this book certainly has one:

The body of the third girl was found Tuesday morning in the woods a few miles outside Murphysboro.

It sets the scene and intrigues, without being trying too hard. And yet – although this hints at much, this isn’t really even the main plot of this clever, convoluted novella.

This is (embarrassingly) the first book I’ve read of Lanyon’s. My reasons–or excuses–are simple: People generally clamour to review his books for the site before I even know they are out, and with the amount of books I have to read I’m happy to let others cover it. But I found that no-one had picked this one up and I did it myself.

I have to say, I’m impressed, although–having heard my friends’ praise that shouldn’t have surprised me. Lanyon writes very well in a direct, but descriptive manner. The tone reminded me a little of Chandler, with the touches of description and personal opinion, shuttered away behind a tough guy veneer.

It would be entirely wrong to try and tag a label on this book. It is a standalone, but it is to published in The Mysterious anthology (along with Laura Baumbach and Alex Beecroft) and that’s a good way to label it, if labelling is necessary: mysterious. That being said, with it not exactly being a romance and it not being exactly a paranormal – it IS a great whodunnit, with a great cast of characters all of whom could be the guilty party.

What I particularly liked, though, was the way that this didn’t go at all the way I expected. We meet a couple of guys that the protagonists tags with his gaydar, and without spoiling too much I thought things would go otherwise than they did. While I didn’t feel feel ever very close to Flynn–and I think this was deliberate because he’d shut himself off from just about everyone due to the war, and his job, and losses he’d suffered–I fell almost instantly in love with Julian, the spiritualist. “A sissy, if ever he’d seen one” thinks Flynn, and he’s right.

I loved how Flynn disliked Julian – and the reasons why he disliked him. He’s coloured by prejudice against spiritualism, and he hates that Julian is effeminate–because it reflects something in himself that he isn’t able to show openly, something that he’s learned to be disgusted in himself. I loved their first private encounter, and when more was learned about Julian, it made me sad to see Flynn treat him like that.

I think my main complaint about the book would be a purely personal one, and that’s one I’ve often stated with novellas, that this has more than enough material in it to be a full-sized novel, and it short changes itself by being the size it is. It might be this aspect, the pure distillation of so many facets and ideas that made me a little confused at times, and I would rather have meandered along those Illinois byways for a happy 80,000 words without a complaint. Because of the size (42,000 words)

I felt the characterisation was sometimes a bit rushed, we are whizzed around the introductions for everyone in the boarding house for example, the other gay relationship Flynn forms is picked up and dropped rather too abruptly too. There’s so many themes here, the debunking–or not–of spiritualism, antiquated methods of medicine, mine safety, unions, prohibition, and much more. With a novel to play in, Lanyon could have wallowed in the intimate talks with all the other inmates of the hostel, layered the tension, laid more red herrings. But I can’t mark the book down because of what I’d like it to have been!

On the negative side: the cover is pretty misleading, as it looks like naked men in the trenches, which is so not what the book is about–and the blurb within the book itself could have done with an editor. There are two(!) typos in it–and I really hate these jokey warnings Samhain do. Warning: This novella contains phony spiritualists, cynical newspapermen, labor disputes, illicit love affairs, high-calorie southern cooking, and more than fifty-percent humidity! But that’s probably just me being curmudgeonly, I’m sure loads of readers love this touch. To me it smacks of fanfiction (from where these warnings seem to have come) and lessens the worth of the book. It makes it sound like a comedy, and it’s anything but that, and it doesn’t do the book the justice it deserves.

But if you haven’t read this novella, then I strongly recommend it, it was exactly “my kind of book” with enough difference from many other books to keep me reading and reading. I’ll certainly be trying other books of Lanyon’s now on the strength of this.(less)

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Jul 17, 2012 Paola rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-as-ebook

The second 'period' book by Josh Lanyon that I've read so far, after Snowball in Hell. I simply couldn't put this story down, as I found myself riveted to the mysterious connections and often disturbing elements that the MC David Flynn is trying to unravel. All is not what it seems in this small southern town, and while David investigates (officially in his role as a reporter, and unofficially because of the growing attraction he feels for Julian) he not only discovers unsavoury truths about oth...more

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May 03, 2013 Riayl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Would have given this one four stars but the ending killed one of them. First and foremost, it just ended. Like, in the middle of a chapter kind of ended. So, ended without really ending. It peeved me so bad I was tempted to only give one star, but up until that point I had pretty much enjoyed the story and been able to ignore niggling little details. One of those (actually not so little) details was the killer. Or, to be more precise, the last murder attempt. Granted the whole premise is that t...more

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Mar 04, 2010 Jenre rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historicals, m-m, paranormal, romance, mystery

Set in Illinois during 1922, this historical novella follows reporter David Flynn as he travels from New York to Herrin, chasing a story following up a massacre at a mine which took place the year before. Flynn is hoping to get a new angle on the story so that those living outside Illinois would get a greater understanding of the events surrounding the massacre where 21 men were killed by an angry mob of striking miners. Things don't work out as expected for Flynn though when he meets Julian, a...more Set in Illinois during 1922, this historical novella follows reporter David Flynn as he travels from New York to Herrin, chasing a story following up a massacre at a mine which took place the year before. Flynn is hoping to get a new angle on the story so that those living outside Illinois would get a greater understanding of the events surrounding the massacre where 21 men were killed by an angry mob of striking miners. Things don't work out as expected for Flynn though when he meets Julian, a travelling psychic, whose outwardly phoney powers seem to hide a genuine talent for listening to the dead. Something which could be useful in finding out the identity of a killer who has been preying on young women.

I have to admit it's been quite hard for me to put my finger on where exactly to place this book in terms of genre. It's definitely an historical but the rest is all up for discussion. There's a mystery to solve. In fact there are two mysteries really: The events which led to the massacre and who was responsible; and the identity of the person killing all the young women. However, both these mysteries aren't really the main focus of the story. There's a romantic sub-plot which takes us through a few twists and turns as Flynn meets two men who could possibly be a potential partner for him - both of whom Flynn has mixed feelings about. There's a bit of a ghost story too with links to the occult, as we see Julian 'perform' in the local theatre and talk to the dead townsfolk for the benefit of their living relatives. However, non of these elements can be seen to dominate the book in any way, and yet all of them are necessary for the story to work. In the end, after much thought, I've decided that the main genre of this book is just that it's an historical because the starring role in the story seems to be 1920s USA.

Most of my enjoyment of The Dark Farewell sprang from the way I was immersed in the history of the time. It's four years after the end of the First World War and deep into the prohibition era. The ripples from the war, and the influenza outbreak that followed hard on its heels is an important factor in the book - not just for Flynn who still mourns his lover who fell during the fighting, but also for the Herrin townsfolk as they flock to see Julian's spiritualist shows in the hope of contacting their dead relatives. I know next to nothing about 1920's USA and so found it quite fascinating to read the accounts of the 'soft drinks' that Flynn buys or the 'Roadhouses' where dancing and drinking take place in remote locations. Even the social justice issues surrounding the rich mine owners and the unions were interesting to read, especially when we see it it from Flynn's initially detached viewpoint, one that gradually changes as Flynn finds himself sympathising with the local miners. There were countless other little incidental details which drew me into the story such as the food (which had my mouth watering), the popular songs and the way that Flynn sees himself as a gay man.

The other aspect of this story which I found interesting was in the characterisation. Although this is written in the third person the reader is only given Flynn's thoughts. As such we see the world through his somewhat weary eyes. Like many reporters he is sharp sighted and also sceptical of anything he is unable to conclusively prove, leading to conflict between himself and Julian. His time in Herrin provides Flynn with an opportunity to slow down, to take stock and evaluate his life, and I liked the journey that I took with him towards a happier future. We see the other characters through Flynn's eyes too and their characteristics changed - for the better or worse - according to how Flynn's views also change. It was quite subtly done but proves once again that Josh Lanyon can write damned good characters.

My only complaint about this novella is that the ending is quite sudden. The story takes us on a long meandering path and as we get towards the end we are faced with at least three complications. Then, all of a sudden, these are sewed up tight in the last two pages. I was so surprised that I had to go back and read the last few pages again, just to make sure I had read them correctly. There was nothing technically wrong with what happens at the end, and the last page is logical, but part of me wishes that there had been a couple more pages showing the aftermath of what happened at the end - a more gentle wind down which would have perhaps fitted in better with the slower, gentle plotting that characterises the rest of the book.

This minor niggle wasn't enough to spoil my enjoyment of the book too much though, as the positives greatly outweighed the negatives. I spent the majority of the book engrossed in the story, the characters and the time period. I highly recommend The Dark Farewell to those readers who like historical books and who want to read a slightly chilling story of love, loss and murder.
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Mar 10, 2011 Lauraadriana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fave-authors

This was an interesting book...very PNRish...it was, as always with Josh Lanyon very well researched and well written it takes place in a small town in Illinois during prohibition. David Flynn is a reporter from the East Coast who comes to this small town to write a feature about a massacre that happened in a coal mine the year before...the issues arose from a strike and lead to many deaths. At the same time there are women being murdered in this town in a gruesome way.

He comes to her friend's b...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Evaine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books, m-m, mystery

My first foray into Josh Lanyon. :) I really enjoyed this! Everyone who reads m/m practically worships this author as one of the the genres superstars, so I was actually ready to be disappointed, as one often is. But I wasn't!

The Dark Farewell is a novella set in the mid-1920s. There are murders, there are seances, there are spirits, there is humour, there is sad reflection on loves past and there is some lovely intimacy between the main characters, Flynn, the almost-cynical reporter returned fr...more

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Mar 07, 2010 thelastaerie rated it 5 of 5 stars

There are lots of dark subjects in this story. Rich in its historical background setting, It's part mystery, part ghost/spirits story and yes, part romance.

Josh Lanyon laid out that period in vivid details and even though it is told in third-person POV, readers can easily experience the inner thoughts and emotions of the central character, David. Almost every character, main or supporting, in the story is complex, you can never judge them at face value or first glance, including David.

And ever...more

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May 20, 2012 amelia cavendish rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-2012, fiction, gay-male, historical, murder-mystery, supernatural

It's the early 20s and reporter David Flynn, a veteran of WWI, takes the opportunity to travel to Herrin, Illinois to pay his respects to the widow of his mentor and get a story on the aftermath of the massacre back in 1922.

The story he actually finds though comes in the form of spiritualist medium Julian Devereux, who claims to be able to act as a conduit for the dead to speak to the living...

I liked Flynn from the start but couldn't understand why he liked Casey, although to be honest, I liked...more

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May 27, 2010 Oddmonster rated it 2 of 5 stars

really, really wanted to like this story more than I did.

David Flynn is a newspaperman who travels to a small rural Southern town that played host to a massacre of strikebreakers a few months earlier. In 1922, this is big news. But bigger news to Flynn is that in the boarding house he’s staying at is a dark and enigmatic young man named Julian, who has come to town with his saturnine grandfather as a traveling psychic. Add in a serial killer preying on–say it with me–helpless young women–and a...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Kay Sachse rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: schwulenkrimis, schwulenromane, ebooks

Quite the disturbing story about Flynn, a reporter, who works on his latest story in the early 20's about a massacre in a small town in the US. At the boarding house he meets the young Julian, who works as a medium. In the same area a couple of murders took place and Julian foresees the last one which gets him into the focus of the cop's attention. And while Flynn doesn't like the show of Julian he starts feeling attracted to the other man who is under some kind of spell by his grandfather. A lo...more

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Nov 16, 2010 Elizabeth H. rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm having a hard time finding a Josh Lanyon story I don't like! I didn't expect to like this one, as historicals are not exactly my thing, even if it's a historical set in the recent past. But I fell for this novella and the characters in it. I recently wrote to a friend that Lanyon characters are never one-dimensional, and my reactions to Julian prove my point. I didn't like him at all to start, and by the end of The Dark Farewell I found him fascinating. The fact that he's 26 and looks 19 is...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Ayanna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

*blink. blink

It just...ended...

I'm trying to come up with something to say, but it's not coming. I think I'm shocked by how abruptly it ended. Still, a good story. Engaging, but still it seemed like (at least to me) quite a light read, which is interesting considering its topic.

It's not quite as dramatic as the blurb lets on. I mean, I personally thought it really was suddenly and whatnot, but it all seemed...softened. I think I was expecting it to come as a heavier blow, as more of a shock but...more

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May 21, 2013 Katharina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, suspense, fantasy

3.75

The Dark Farewell has the typical Lanyonesque good points: it's written very well and fluently, the characters are great and well sketched, the world is described beautifully and in detail, and the imagery it brings encompasses all senses.

I enjoyed reading about Flynn and Julian, loved the setting in the 1920s, and the paranormal aspect was interesting - the bit of fantasy mixed up with real life happenings really spiced things up in this novella.

There were a few things, though, that bugged...more

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Mar 23, 2012 Trix rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure, angst, ghost, mm-novels, mystery, paranormal, suspense

It was a strange story.

(view spoiler)...more

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Jul 03, 2011 D.H. Starr rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Dark Farewell is the second book I have read by Josh Lanyon. Although I typically don’t choose to read historical fiction, I’ve been in a bit of a stint with them and have come to appreciate what I like and dislike about the genre. What I dislike are stories where the author has worked so hard to maintain the authenticity of the time period, that the story gets lost in that process. What I DO like about the genre is when the authenticity places me into the time period, but the story is enhan...more The Dark Farewell is the second book I have read by Josh Lanyon. Although I typically don’t choose to read historical fiction, I’ve been in a bit of a stint with them and have come to appreciate what I like and dislike about the genre. What I dislike are stories where the author has worked so hard to maintain the authenticity of the time period, that the story gets lost in that process. What I DO like about the genre is when the authenticity places me into the time period, but the story is enhanced, not driven by the details of the era. Josh Lanyon most definitely falls into the second category of what I described above.

This book follows David Flynn, a reporter from New York City who has travelled to Little Egypt in Illinois to follow-up on the Herrin Massacre. When he arrives, he meets young Julian, a clairvoyant who sets her nerves on end from the first moment they meet. But Flynn realizes that what he originally thought was agitation setting him off was actually attraction. As he interviews people about the massacre, there is also talk about a serial killer targeting women. When a fourth woman is discovered, Flynn’s investigative mind takes him in a different direction; one that points the finger at several possible suspects right in Little Egypt.

Unlike most murder mysteries, this story does not keep a race-against-the-clock pace. It takes its time to weave together the people, the events, and the raw emotions that grow between Flynn and Julian. The use of language throughout the story is masterful, each phrase and word seemingly hand-picked to match precisely with the image Mr. Lanyon wanted to invoke.

The physical experiences between the two heroes was not as intense as other m/m erotic romance’s that I have read, but the emotions behind the actions are present and heart-warming. As Flynn’s heart opened to Julian, moving from annoyed to enraptured, I found that my open desire to see the couple succeed travelled the same path. It was wonderful to be guided along Flynn’s journey without even realizing it. To recognize after the fact that my feelings about the two of them changed was a pleasant surprise and adds to my admiration of the subtlety of Mr. Lanyon’s writing style.

While the pace was a bit slow for my taste and the heat index wasn’t as high as I personally prefer, those are personal tastes that have no bearing on my rating. The only thing that fell short of my expectations in this novel was the ending which seemed to occur rather abruptly. The story unfolded at a languid pace. Details were laid out with pain-staking precision and with provocative imagery. When the climax of the story was achieved, the story ended and I missed the slow wind-down of events that tends to give a hint of how life would progress for the heroes from now on. Perhaps this was intentional by the author so that the reader could form their own opinion about what will happen next. Maybe these two characters will resurface in a second novel. Whatever the reason, it was the one aspect to the story that left me hanging.

Overall, an excellent read and another success by this talented author.

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Mar 09, 2011 Merith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Late last year, Josh announced his release schedule for 2010, and The Dark Farewell ignited instant interest. Who doesn't like spooky stories with a touch of ESP? Josh's announcement hooked me; the publisher's tagline reeled me in: "Don't talk to strangers, young man-especially the dead ones."

While on the surface, The Dark Farewell is different from Josh's well-known stories, but there are correlations. Farewell feels as though elements from `Snowball's Chance in Hell', `The Ghost Wore Yellow So...more Late last year, Josh announced his release schedule for 2010, and The Dark Farewell ignited instant interest. Who doesn't like spooky stories with a touch of ESP? Josh's announcement hooked me; the publisher's tagline reeled me in: "Don't talk to strangers, young man-especially the dead ones."

While on the surface, The Dark Farewell is different from Josh's well-known stories, but there are correlations. Farewell feels as though elements from `Snowball's Chance in Hell', `The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks', and `In a Dark Wood' were mixed together though it is uniquely different from anything else he's written. From the war-embittered veteran to the spiritualist charlatan, the paranormal aspect and the absolute necessity of keeping certain proclivities quiet, The Dark Farewell pulls together a sharp bit of writing that tells not one but two dark tales.

David Flynn travels to Herrin to write an aftermath piece about an event that took place the year before. What David finds is not so much the fallout from the mob induced murders, but the isolated attitudes the murders invoked upon the county. Amy describes the collective disposition best in an attempt to help David understand. The more David delves for some hint of remorse, the more David becomes distracted and loses interest in the story.

Even as he draws ever closer to his destination, David reads of the recent rash of murders. He has been clued in on the ritualistic nature of the torture and killings, and shuts it away as he'd seen enough killing in the war. But, as his primary story wanes, the murders and information issued from Julian offers David a new story. And as this story develops, so does his attraction in Julian.

Julian Devereux is and isn't what he seems at first glance: he is both a fraud and a genuine clairvoyant with minimal control over his talent. He knows things no one else should know and hears voices no one else can hear. Julian is also keeping a secret; one his grandfather welds to maintain tight control of him.

Allowing Julian to jolt him out of his personal detachment, David finds himself intrigued and wanting more from him. Any potential future they might have is sidelined by the murders, by Julian's secret and Julian's grandfather. The story comes to a head with a warning from the beyond, a threat at forced commitment and ruination, and the next death in the air.

The Dark Farewell is a mystery, but not; is a ghost story, but not; is a romance but not really. It will draw you in and keep you reading from page one to the end.
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Jan 31, 2013 Allison rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mm, murder-mystery, serial-killer

I am torn about this one.

On one hand I loved it, I loved the peek into the 20's and I cared about the characters. On the other hand it all went too quickly for me, I needed more depth to the characters and the story. Things happened much too fast and it made me question some of the motivations and outcomes.

Again though, I am not much of a short story reader so my feelings may reflect that as much as it reflects the story.

Definitely still worth reading however.

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Jan 03, 2013 Steelwhisper rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-thriller, erotic-lit-erotica, quiltbag, roaring-twenties

Josh Lanyon, as always, delivers. That's what I have grown to expect of his books and that's what he does with this.

The clash of an effeminate and a manly homosexual man during the roaring twenties, a background quite meticulously researched and a gentle ghost story--all perfectly meshed into this wonderful tale.

My only criticism, which has become a regular one for some of the best authors I read, is it's short length. I wanted to stay with Julian and David for the length of a novel.

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 12, 2012 Vivian rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, m-m

What a little jewel! I really liked Julien Deveraux. David Flynn was an interesting character, very well developed and not the usual romantic lead. And the mystery, gah, 99.9 percent of the time I can tell who has done it, but this time I wasn't able to recognize them before it was obvious. Not that the plot wasn't perfectly logical and carefully constructed, but Mr. Lanyon was sneaky and tricked me. I am usually not that easily tricked.
I loved it!

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May 30, 2012 Spoonkick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, mystery, romance, supernatural, favourite-authors

I love the 1920s, and it is not a time period you regularly see used in romance novels. So I was intrigued. The Fact that Mr. Lanyon wrote it sealed the deal, but while I enjoyed Dark Farewell a love, I can't say I enjoyed it more than the others of his I have read.

The characters were charming. I found Julian's forwardness refreshing.

The ending was a bit abrupt but it was the one this story needed.

Dark Farewell was a good read. Keeps you on your toes.

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Mar 09, 2010 Kari Gregg rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt

An historical set in 1922, this is a fascinating glimpse into an era not typically covered in historicals. Loved the characters. Ending felt too abrupt, though. Rushed. Left feeling like the story wasn't quite finished. Otherwise, an excellent read. Vintage Josh Lanyon (metaphorically and literally considering this is a reissue from part of a long-ago anthology) & with Lanyon, you can never go wrong.

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Apr 19, 2010 Wren rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: m-m, historical-fiction

1920's Illinois. David is a reporter, Julian is a spiritualist. Girls are being murdered. David doesn't want to like Julian, but is drawn to him, anyway. The best part to me was the collection of people staying at the boarding house owned by David's dead friend's wife. Also interesting to see how men might have dealt with being gay in the 20's, as well as David's journey of self-discovery.

1 like · like · see review

Jun 20, 2011 Hilcia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-read, lgbt-books, romance, mystery

A good whodunit with a rather distant protagonist and a rushed and dissatisfying ending. That's what I thought of The Dark Farewell by Josh Lanyon. This is one of those novellas that would have benefited from more character development for those secondary characters and fine details, although again the historical atmosphere and particularly the whodunit were well-done.

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Feb 07, 2011 Kati rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: gay, 2011, ebooks, in-english, paranormal-rmnc

Loved the book, especially the supernatural part. And the fact that Julian was not the author's typical hero, Julian was namely - as he was called in the book (it was the 20s, don't forget!) - a "pansy" which didn't sit well with Flynn, the other main character, at least at first.

One thing that I didn't like, though, was the abrupt ending. I expected an epilogue, at least.

1 like · like · see review

Jan 15, 2012 Matthew Vandrew rated it 3 of 5 stars

The end was so abrupt I almost thought I got a corrupted file. But no, it really ended the moment the killer was revealed. Huh? There was the end but there wasn't an ending. A story needs a few pages/minutes of winding down.
Another complaint goes to the last attempted murder. Too close to home and not convincing at all.
Otherwise, good reading as usual.

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About Josh Lanyon

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

More about Josh Lanyon...

Books by Josh Lanyon

Fatal Shadows (Adrien English Mystery, #1)

The Dark Tide (Adrien English Mystery, #5)

A Dangerous Thing (Adrien English Mystery, #2)

Death of a Pirate King (Adrien English Mystery, #4)

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