From the Bookshelf of Q&A with Josh Lanyon…

All She Wrote (Holmes & Moriarity, #2)

Josh Lanyon

Start date: October 1, 2012

Finish date: October 31, 2012

Discussion: Book of the Month Club

Why we're reading this: Book 2 in the Holmes & Moriarity series
[close] Book 2 in the Holmes & Moriarity series

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What Members Thought

Feb 16, 2012 Anna rated it it was amazing

Shelves: i-own-mobi, m-m, amazing, 5-stars, favourites, smokin-hot-guys, awesome-couples, comfort-reads, mm-mystery-crime-suspense, mm-seriously-adorable

I cannot begin to tell you how much I loved this book. This is one of those times when I wish Goodreads would let us rate a book 6 stars, because this one would definitely deserve that extra star. All the wrote is now one of my top 3 favourite Josh Lanyon books. This book also reminded me just why Lanyon is my all time favourite M/M authors; that woman is a genius. She can write amazing mysteries and such realistic and strong characters. I have always liked that about her books.

I honestly wasn' I cannot begin to tell you how much I loved this book. This is one of those times when I wish Goodreads would let us rate a book 6 stars, because this one would definitely deserve that extra star. All the wrote is now one of my top 3 favourite Josh Lanyon books. This book also reminded me just why Lanyon is my all time favourite M/M authors; that woman is a genius. She can write amazing mysteries and such realistic and strong characters. I have always liked that about her books.

I honestly wasn't expecting to like this book all that much, I actually put off reading it for months because I only gave the first book 3 stars.. so let's say I wasn't in any rush to read the sequel. Boy was I wrong doing so! All she wrote was amazing!!

I knew before getting into the book that the second MC wasn't going to be in it for some time, so I was worried I'd get bored until then. It took 28% of the book for the second MC to get into the story, and not one moment was I bored 'till then...I would give a 4 stars fore the first 28% of the book. But when J.X. got into the book it suddenly went from 4 stars to 5 6 in a few paragraphs. Christopher and J.X. are great together. I mean yes, Christopher has many insecurities (which are understandable), but he slowly worked through them, learned to trust J.X and to open up to him (figuratively and literally, eheh). I must say, this couple is probably the sweetest couple I have ever read about. I loved reading about all the little touches exchanged, everything J.X. told Christopher to make him trust him, etc. Maybe I'm a sap, but it was fucking adorable and I reread those passages multiple times. I loved them so much that they are now definitely one of my all time favourite m/m couples.

The mystery part was also great. Like I said, the book didn't focus on Christopher and J.X.'s relationship 'till 28% of the book, so until then it mainly focused on the mystery, and I liked that. I really got into the mystery, trying to figure out who was behind all of it. It was a really interesting book from the mystery aspect as well.

The only thing that I didn't quite like as much was the ending. I would have preferred to have one more chapter where we could see Christopher and J.X. have that "talk" they said they'd have. I mean I'm sure things ended up good for them, but I would have liked to see how things were for them back in L.A. (view spoiler) So yeah, that's my only (really) small problem with the book.

I am definitely going to be rereading this book pretty soon. Hopefully, Lanyon will also decide to write a third book in the series... I'm crossing my fingers for that ! ...more

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Aug 11, 2013 Chris, the Dalek King rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, mc-pairing-mm, uniforms-and-private-dicks, murder-and-mystery, arts-and-letters, contemporary, kindle-loaned-r, owned-ebook-or-audio

"Nobody ever said being a master detective was easy."

Somebody is trying to kill Anna Hitchcock...so naturally the first thing she does is call in her old student, Christopher Holmes, to help solve the mystery. Christopher, having just had his iffy-relationship with the brilliant, younger, startling handsome writer J.X. Moriarity called to a halt, is rather eager to see his old mentor again. Even if he has to once again suffer through transport hell to get to her. He's not brokenhearted--nope, no "Nobody ever said being a master detective was easy."

Somebody is trying to kill Anna Hitchcock...so naturally the first thing she does is call in her old student, Christopher Holmes, to help solve the mystery. Christopher, having just had his iffy-relationship with the brilliant, younger, startling handsome writer J.X. Moriarity called to a halt, is rather eager to see his old mentor again. Even if he has to once again suffer through transport hell to get to her. He's not brokenhearted--nope, not at all--and even if he is not entirely sure how to go about finding this would-be-killer, well this will give him time to--not get over, after all there is nothing to get over, right?--but get some perspective on just why he and incredibly well-received and published J.X., were never going to work anyways. He just didn't expect that nearly everyone in sight would be a suspect, have a motive, or be harboring some dark past.

But what is a plethora of suspects, motives, and would-be murder weapons against the mighty detective...er, author of an aging English spinster-detective with a trusty cat? Well, it's a right mess actually, but that is not going to stop Christopher Holmes from getting to the bottom of this attempted author-cide. Plus, he sorta, kinda, figured out that whole mess with the editor and the ax, right?

"As my agent Rachel kept reminding me, platform is everything in publishing these days, and my wobbly new platform was apparently that of amateur sleuth. Which was still an improvement over my previous platform of crotchety reclusive has-been. That platform had more closely resembled a scaffold.

When death comes knocking, or barreling in with the force of out-of-control car, and J.X. comes calling, Christopher is going to have to use all his resources--and a few of his maybe-boyfriend's as well--if he hopes to figure out just who is plotting, before everyone gets planted, six feet under.

I really liked the first book in this series, Somebody Killed His Editor, but I have waited a long time to read the sequel--mainly because I was afraid that after the lovely plot of the first book, the second wouldn't be nearly as good. I was a fool. This book is probably even better than the first, taking the reader through a veritable maze of plots, counter-plots, finger-pointing, and one god-almighty final twist so cold-heartedly brilliant, that I think I may have fallen a little in love with Josh Lanyon (I do love a man with a wonderfully devious mind).

What should have bugged me--the whole mystery writer turned amateur sleuth--never really did. Maybe it was because Christopher seemed to be perfectly aware that he really wasn't a real detective. Or it could be that I will endure quite a bit in order to read a story with his perfectly balanced wit. Whatever the reason, I love Christopher Holmes as reluctant detective. He seems perfect for the role; and with his boyfriend/lover/something along to help keep his feet on the ground--as well the rest of him in the land of the living--there always seems like there is a chance that he might actually stumble upon the answer to the whole plot.

I love this series and am probably going to have to pre-order The Boy with the Painful Tattoo, which comes out in December. The pair work so well together--even though Christopher still has a ways to go to stop second guessing everything about them--and I am sure the next mystery will be just as twisty, and just as thrilling as the last two.

This story hits about everything I want out a detective story, so I am giving it 5 stars. Read when you need some mystery, crave pithy humor, and never-ever want to trust anyone ever again. ...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Cynthia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I just adore Josh Lanyon's books...I loved Adrien and Jake in the Adrien English series and I may love Christopher and J.X. just as much. Christopher (so clever) makes me laugh out loud while I'm reading and J.X. is SUCH a keeper...hope Christopher continues to realize that. ...more

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