From the Bookshelf of Q&A with Josh Lanyon…

Last Line (Last Line, #1)

Harper Fox

Start date: July 1, 2011

Finish date: July 31, 2011

Discussion: Book of the Month Club

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What Members Thought

Jun 25, 2011 John rated it it was amazing

Shelves: gay, fiction, mystery, mm-romance

Harper Fox writes, in my opinion, beautiful prose. I suspect she could make the driest subject compelling by her deft use of language. So from a purely technical point of view Last Line is a pleasure: beautifully descriptive and evocative. As in her other books, her characters are engaging an compelling; the plot full of action and swift-flowing. There are few moments to catch one's breath; both style and plot move at a breathtaking pace. Only at the last chapter does the reader get a chance to Harper Fox writes, in my opinion, beautiful prose. I suspect she could make the driest subject compelling by her deft use of language. So from a purely technical point of view Last Line is a pleasure: beautifully descriptive and evocative. As in her other books, her characters are engaging an compelling; the plot full of action and swift-flowing. There are few moments to catch one's breath; both style and plot move at a breathtaking pace. Only at the last chapter does the reader get a chance to catch a breath.

But Last Line is different. It's mood is dark and dangerous, the stakes high, and at times it's acutely disturbing. We see the activity of the novel through a perspective that shifts between the main characters, Michael and John. Neither man is ordinary (indeed, Michael is the victim of torture and profound psychological abuse) so their perceptions (and therefore ours) are often surreal. Other characters aren't what they seem; events might not mean what one would think. Even reality becomes almost fantastic. What's more, we're not - completely - able to dismiss the surreal by attributing it to hallucination.

So while it's not entirely fantasy, Last Line isn't entirely happening in the mundane world. Straddling this line is hard to do without straining my credulity, but here, I buy it. Perhaps it's because I became sufficiently invested in the characters and in the themes Fox works with. Perhaps it's because the magical bending of reality isn't gratuitous. It's equally possible that the characters through whom we see this are as skeptical as we would be; as they have no choice but to accept an alternative reality, so are we.

At the end of the book, what it all means is a little hard to say. This is the first part of a trilogy, so it's appropriate that the books puzzles aren't wholly solved. Even so, the thoughtful reader will find much to ponder at the finish. I very much doubt I will be the only reader eagerly awaiting the next instalment of Michael and John's adventure. ...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Mtsnow13 rated it it was amazing

Shelves: paranormal, m-m, suspense, series-read, romance, erotica, military, fbi-agent-detective, contemporary, bdsm

Definitely an intense story, and makes me wonder if the author would consider a sequel. (ha! just found out she's making this into a series)

I enjoyed the gritty feel and parlay into the mind of the 'brainwashed'. Gives an introduction into a strange D/s relationship.

Very well done. The various scenes had me on the edge of my seat, and the introduction of the younger brother as well as some of the more paranormal aspects gave a feeling of other directions the author could go if she so chooses.

Lov ...more

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