From the Bookshelf of Q&A with Josh Lanyon…

Winter Kill

Josh Lanyon

Start date: February 1, 2022

Finish date: February 28, 2022

Discussion: Book of the Month Club

Why we're reading this: We first read this back in 2015, and we’ve voted to make this one of our four 2022 Josh rereads for our W…more
[close] We first read this back in 2015, and we’ve voted to make this one of our four 2022 Josh rereads for our Winter theme in February.

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Book of the Month Club

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What Members Thought

Jun 04, 2015 Ami rated it liked it

Shelves: mm-mystery-suspense-thriller, mm-cops-detective-guard

This is one Lanyon book that I have waited for awhile. But the release date was pushed several times, so I tried to tone down my expectation.

First chapter in and I was pretty excited. As I went along, I thought this had a VERY GOOD built-up on the mystery front. What can I say, I can be really demanding on body counts when it comes to story about serial killers. Heck, I don't even mind a mystery book without romance. Good mystery can sometimes trump romance. Maybe it's a left-over from my child This is one Lanyon book that I have waited for awhile. But the release date was pushed several times, so I tried to tone down my expectation.

First chapter in and I was pretty excited. As I went along, I thought this had a VERY GOOD built-up on the mystery front. What can I say, I can be really demanding on body counts when it comes to story about serial killers. Heck, I don't even mind a mystery book without romance. Good mystery can sometimes trump romance. Maybe it's a left-over from my childhood reading experience, when I only consumed Agatha Christie's novels.

So yes, this had a very good mystery set-up: a 20-year-old buried skeleton, butchered body in an American museum, another girl with throat slashed... not to mentioned a serial-killer case that hasn't been caught running on the background.

It was promising!!

Until that LOUSY ending. Don't get me wrong, our men got their 'unsub', but the wrapping of this mystery was really sucky for me as a reader. I'm going to rant, thus MAJOR spoilers ... (view spoiler) Did Lanyon really want me to get a conclusion of my own, making up the plot as I went along??

I am SO NOT amused!!

If the mystery conclusion was 'sacrificed' for the sake of the romance, well, hell, it didn't really work out for me. The romance was lackluster at best -- maybe because I didn't feel the chemistry that well. Plus I couldn't warm up to Rob. I thought he was too laid-back and apathetic as a Deputy Sherrif. I mean, shouldn't he be more curious, more suspicious of things? THERE WERE MURDERS, MAN! I got irritated with Rob when he shot down possible reasons, just because... So yeah, I wasn't really sold on the romance, I was hoping for the mystery to save me.

And that Epilogue *face palm* It was like a rushed add-on because the story needed some sort of HFN. Really, I would be fine with a more tentative ending. If any of you read A.M. Riley's Son of a Gun (a GREAT story, by the way), it offered a hint of a promise that felt more realistic and natural to the relationship as a whole. The epilogue? Yeah, it could've just scraped off and made way for the mystery conclusion, in my humble opinion.

In the end, not exactly my favorite from Lanyon. Still gave it a 3-stars because the first 85% - 90% or so was good enough.

PS: I also notice a couple of errors, like missing word in a complete sentence, type of thing? Also a word "x miles", which I thought was weird. Maybe the X was supposed to be written as numbers?? ...more

41 likes · Like · see review

May 07, 2014 Liz (Bugetta) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, contemporary-romance, mystery-and-suspense, m-m-romance, e-book, cops-law-enforcement-pi, chal-mmrg-best-2015

Re-read: 4/1/18 Really enjoyed it the second time around but man, that ending. I want a second epilogue or something!

Really good mystery with some romance, though the end was a bit rushed. I listened to the audio book and loved the narration by Gomez Pugh. He did a great job as always, especially with all the different character voices.

4 likes · Like · see review

Jan 20, 2013 Didi rated it liked it

Shelves: romance, m-m, mystery-suspense-thriller, contemporary, men-in-uniform-law-enforcement

2.75 stars

It's rare for me to have unfavourable feeling to Lanyon's book. Plus, this was the one that I've been waiting for for a couple of years, at least.
I didn't say I dislike the book; I liked it enough with some notes (or question mark).

The mystery was typical Lanyon that I enjoyed reading. It was brilliantly played too. For a while it seemed like the entire small town was suspect! I liked it when I got to play whodunnit guessing game. Only toward the end, I don't know - perhaps because of 2.75 stars

It's rare for me to have unfavourable feeling to Lanyon's book. Plus, this was the one that I've been waiting for for a couple of years, at least.
I didn't say I dislike the book; I liked it enough with some notes (or question mark).

The mystery was typical Lanyon that I enjoyed reading. It was brilliantly played too. For a while it seemed like the entire small town was suspect! I liked it when I got to play whodunnit guessing game. Only toward the end, I don't know - perhaps because of dateline? - the case was tied up in pretty rushed manner. Personally I still had some unanswered questions myself.

The romance felt bland, unexplored. There was no built-up of Adam's and Rob's attraction to each other. And there seemed to be gap between last chapter where (view spoiler) to the epilogue when the empty space had our MC made another sudden decision. Another rushed tied-up.

I didn't feel the connection to the MCs, it was like there was barrier while it's their POVs turn to show us glimpse of their minds. The sentiment that said Adam Darling was a robot was probably true somewhat. He could switch his feeling on and off at will. Rob Haskell on the other hand... Sometimes I liked him enough and then he got disturbingly weird like (view spoiler)? I mean... What!?? Fortunately the supporting characters were the usual mix of decent, jerk, suspicious, weird, or nice people. Even the villains.

I also found quite a number of typos here. A few times I went back to read just to be sure. (view spoiler)

The last thing was actually the niggling feeling I had from start when Adam mentioned his ex, Tucker, the one who got away. I had my suspicious that this was the Tucker we met on All's Fair series, Elliot's Tucker. I know, I know, it got no relevant whatsoever with this story. But that's just the why my head wired, okay! :D
...more

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Dec 11, 2015 leigh rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned-audio

Audiobook. An engaging, well-paced listen, enhanced by Gomez Pugh’s masterful narration. Ultimately, the mystery suffered for the inclusion of a superfluous additional crime plot, which had no satisfying resolution.

Rob’s colleagues in the Sheriff’s department were distinctive, but a bit hard to get a handle on in terms of character and personality. Zeke always seemed riled up about something, and there were times when the reader questioned Frankie’s leadership ability. I enjoyed the contrast bet ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Feb 05, 2013 Susinok rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mystery, contemporary, glbt, romance

Exciting mystery. Really liked Adam Darling (and what a wonderful name!)

2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 20, 2015 Susinok rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Audiobook.

1 like · Like · see review

Dec 19, 2015 JPerceval rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, lgbtq-romance, 2015-winter-vacation-stash

(review to come, but I will say this is a satisfying entry from JL!)

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Jan 19, 2013 ttg rated it really liked it

Shelves: gimme-gimme-gimme

An enjoyable murder mystery/romance from Lanyon. Nice use of the PNW rural Oregon setting. For those who like gay mysteries with a solid dash of romance, this may be up your alley. :-)

Like · see review