From the Bookshelf of Q&A with Josh Lanyon…

The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks (The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks, #1)

Josh Lanyon

Start date: December 1, 2017

Finish date: December 31, 2017

Discussion: Book of the Month Club

Discussion leader: Jordan Lombard

Why we're reading this: We're reading this in preparation for the sequel which is coming out very soon!…more
[close] We're reading this in preparation for the sequel which is coming out very soon!

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Book of the Month Club

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What Members Thought

Mar 02, 2011 Dina rated it it was ok

Shelves: m-m, novella, contemporary-romance, ebook, mystery-thrillers, to-review

I'm a big JL fan, so it saddens me to say I did not like this book. The mystery was too convoluted and I didn't feel the romance, because Perry and Nick had no chemistry whatsoever and their HEA felt rushed. All in all, this book didn't work for me. ...more

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Jun 22, 2009 Meraehl rated it it was amazing

Shelves: josh-lanyon

I adore this book - one of my top 3 comfort reads. Sure it's a fun murder mystery with disappearing bodies in a "haunted" boarding house populated by a cast of colourful characters, but for me it's the interactions between Perry & Nick just as much as the whodunnit investigations that makes this such a delightful story.

Perry in particular is an immensely likable protagonist. He's friendly, polite, and has a sweetness and naivety that comes from having been well-protected by a comfortably middle- I adore this book - one of my top 3 comfort reads. Sure it's a fun murder mystery with disappearing bodies in a "haunted" boarding house populated by a cast of colourful characters, but for me it's the interactions between Perry & Nick just as much as the whodunnit investigations that makes this such a delightful story.

Perry in particular is an immensely likable protagonist. He's friendly, polite, and has a sweetness and naivety that comes from having been well-protected by a comfortably middle-class family. This might make him sound nauseatingly twee, but this is a Josh Lanyon book - under his deft hands Perry is not a saccharine caricature but is a normal, (mostly) sensible and sometimes stubborn young man. He has his share of fears, faults, vulnerabilities and disappointments, but he endures his knocks and picks himself up again with an endearing mix of dignity, optimism and pragmatism. The thing I like most about Perry is that despite his inexperience he's not stupid or unaware, particularly when it comes to dealing with hot-and-cold Nick. He's relatable and likable. Just lovely.

Nick Reno, the ex-Navy Seal, is a very blunt and capable guy and he's not happy about getting involved in the boarding house shenanigans. He's leaving as soon as possible for much needed employment, but seems to have a nagging sense of responsibility - he can't leave without knowing that the frail kid Perry will be okay. Again, he's no simple knight -errant: he has his own prospects to worry about and has a very human reluctance to get involved with both Perry and the disappearing body. His attempts to keep Perry at arms-length warring with his innate protectiveness are just as much a source of suspense as the mysterious boarding house incidents.

Technically, this is not the best Josh has ever written. I think it could have used a little more careful editing - nothing major, just a couple of missing words, often repeated words and inconsistencies. There are occasions where the POV flips around a bit, which is a little disconcerting when you're used to one POV per scene. Also, a limited number of logical suspects makes the reveal at the end not a huge surprise for those who like their mysteries to have a twist. The journey, rather than the destination, is more important here. The ending felt a little abrupt - but that's probably more my reluctance for the story to end. Issues between Nick & Perry weren't completely resolved and it certainly leaves room for a sequel (says she, hopefully). :-)

Although I just said it isn't the best Josh has ever written, I think it may be my favourite (although, really, trying to pick one favourite Lanyon book is pretty much impossible - I reserve the right to have more than one :-P). The dynamic between Perry & Nick just worked for me, and the way the murder mystery at their boarding house drew them together into a type of relationship that is new to the both of them, despite their disparate levels of experience, was a very sweet and satisfying read.
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Feb 25, 2012 Tara rated it really liked it

Shelves: military, m-m, read-in-2012, artist-visual-or-performing

You know, I always hesitate to start Josh Lanyon Books and I don't know why, and now I remember. They cause me to be late for things, miss things, and be generally lazy, in other words just sit and read instead of doing anything else. I started this book on Thursday afternoon intending for it to be the book I read throughout the weekend on my lunch breaks and such... for me Josh Lanyon books always start slow. Like he's giving me a chance to abort before I get hooked. So I read a little, then we ...more

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