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

* Candidates for Next Month's Read
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What Members Thought

Feb 15, 2013 Meep rated it liked it

Shelves: cosy-mystery-crime-detective, lost-the-plot

Almost good. I actually finished the book including epilogue then asked myself was the murder solved? Then an oh wait is it was that person, that wasn't another victim setup for the fall or something. It's strange, very much an unfinished feel as the politics and romance take over leaving the murders in the background. Big relationship and life leap that didn't fully convince me.
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Hmm complicated mystery with lots going on, perhaps too much. Great potential but ultimately got wasted with the Almost good. I actually finished the book including epilogue then asked myself was the murder solved? Then an oh wait is it was that person, that wasn't another victim setup for the fall or something. It's strange, very much an unfinished feel as the politics and romance take over leaving the murders in the background. Big relationship and life leap that didn't fully convince me.
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Hmm complicated mystery with lots going on, perhaps too much. Great potential but ultimately got wasted with the brush off conclusion. - Characters I didn't fully invest in but that had potential if only they weren't outshone by the side players. - Mediocre romance if you can call it that, and an ending out of nowhere.

Sounds pretty damning but I'm tired, I'll sleep then think on it and review properly. Right now I'm disappointed, so much wasted potential.

-- EDIT more thoughts below --

On thought I'm still disappointed with this and worse - can't escape the feel of being sneered at.

I understand the story has it's influences in True Crime and Nordic Mysteries - the first I avoid and the second I'm unfamilar with. My background reading is cosies and thrillers, I'm well aware that the world is never so neat and have no wish to understand real serial killers, I like escapism where things however harsh work out. Reality is abstract often harsh, fiction allows the ticking of little boxes with a smirk, the tieing up of clues into an elaborate bow. I am unashamed of my choices. It'll depend on your reading tastes how you react to this story.

Lanyon generally writes his mysteries with a gentle dig at cosies; the body that disappears or doesn't, the conclusion spelt out to the group. Here he's striving for realism, the ending without that bow! In the process he mocks popular shows saying 'reality isn't like that' by the end I felt that mockery had narrowed to me the reader, for wanting a more satisfying conclusion. I KNOW reality isn't like that.

There was great potential and the sense of research done, from a thriller pov some things weren't made the most of. Characters didn't seem fully developed to me and my impression of them wavered. Odd quirks that came from nowhere, behaviour that contradicted. Idea where there but not fleshed out. But there was enough for me to want to like them, to want to know the area and story.

I found the writing felt forced at times as if pushed past a block, which added to the impression of the ending as a rushed job. After leading us through the maze Lanyon pointed to some random person in the crowd shouted 'He did it. Because.' then cackled typing 'the end' It wasn't satisfying, neat or the result of any detecting. Also the romance went from lust and pleasant convenience to declarations and big life changing decisions. A reverse to that effort for realism, it was a leap made on shaky ground.

The book is an enjoyable read but the conclusion will not appeal to all. For me it left an unsettled taste and I was close to rating lower. ...more

29 likes · Like · see review

Jan 02, 2014 Deanna rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fav-authors, m-m, mystery, favorites, want-more, cops-feds-firefighters, mc-to-love

The last few books I have read tortured me with typos, excessive pronouns, bad or no editing and other grammatical problems. Some had interesting plots or characters. Oh how wonderful it was to have a Josh Lanyon book before my eyes. As usual Lanyon has gifted his readers with a well written book filled with complex characters and two intriguing leading men. The MCs have immediate attraction and lust.The mystery was good with twists. There was not a great amount of sex, but what was there was ho ...more

9 likes · Like · see review

Feb 12, 2013 karlakolumna rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, mm-crime-mystery-suspense, cops-agents-private-investigators

Really enjoyed this one. I think I need to start reading a few more books of the "suspense genre" again, because I gotta say I kinda missed them. Well done mystery, kept me guessing till the end.

Though I could've done without the schmoopy end epilogue. Bacause sacrificing and rearranging one's declared life goals so suddenly (and after such a short time) just kinda seems unbelievable und overly hasty to me.

But what do I know about love and the rose-coloured glasses that come along with it?

Well, ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Feb 08, 2013 K rated it it was amazing

4.5 stars rounded up
Very good mystery story in a rural area of Oregan. When a body is discovered the local sheriff calls in the FBI who are working on a serial killer case with bodies dumped at a roadside. They don't think there is a link with this body when it turns out to be 30 years old, but then three months later the body count starts to rise, and the FBI return, only to find they are on the trail of not one but two serial killers. A budding romance between the FBI agent and the deputy sher ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Feb 08, 2013 Pete W rated it really liked it

A somewhat classic murder/police procedural mystery by the master Josh Lanyon.

This is probably not a typical romance book. Since the MCs didn't actually spend time together that much. I felt that Mr. Lanyon relied on the sense of 'Love at first sight' in this book so he could write the character growth book.

Agent Darling had fell from grace recently single (view spoiler), and focused more on ...more

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Mar 01, 2015 Susana rated it really liked it

Special Agent Adam Darling went from hotshot to be put in the background due to a miscalculation which ended badly… But he does love his job and wants to rekindle his career. Maybe the murder investigation in Oregon can help him do so. Deputy Sheriff Robert Haskell does not like having the Feebs in his town… Although he would not mind having Agent Darling in his bed. After a hot night together they part without any promises or hope to see each other again. But another murder brings them back tog Special Agent Adam Darling went from hotshot to be put in the background due to a miscalculation which ended badly… But he does love his job and wants to rekindle his career. Maybe the murder investigation in Oregon can help him do so. Deputy Sheriff Robert Haskell does not like having the Feebs in his town… Although he would not mind having Agent Darling in his bed. After a hot night together they part without any promises or hope to see each other again. But another murder brings them back together, and feelings begin to forge between these two but, given the chance … will Adam choose Rob over a position which undoubtedly will boost his career?
Okay, I’m a convinced Fanyon so my reviews of Josh’ books are never objective. I love them all. But some of them I love better, and it is because of the characters: Adrien English, Sebastian Swift, Kit Holmes, Elliot Mills, they are all characters I fell immediately for. This did not happen with Adam Darling or Robert Haskell. They are both difficult characters to attract sympathy or affection from the beginning. Adam Darling is too cold and detached, focused on his job. Robert is careless and does not seem to take his job seriously. But that was only my first impression. I soon realised that Rob’s apparent carelessness really hid his concern and faith in the goodness of his neighbours (however naïve this may be). As for Adam, he remains a bit cold and career-focused all the book, but he redeems himself with his final decision. I came to appreciate Rob’s playfulness and cockiness in bed, and Adam’s capacity to keep a cold mind even in the more scary situations. I hope there is more of these two. I think a relationship between them is not going to be an easy one: It is surprising that these two so very different characters can harbour feelings for each other. Adam loves the sun and is a convinced urbanite. Rob tried the cities, but he finds happiness in the solitude of northern forests. Honestly, I do not know how they are going to do it. I’m eager to find out…. And, by the way, look for a pseudo-cameo of a well-known (and very dear to me) character from other of Josh’ series…
...more

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Jan 18, 2014 Josephine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, m-m-bl-yaoi, lgbt, suspense, mm, mm-romance, romantic-suspense, crime

I loved Winter Kill. For a lot of reasons. Josh's great writing for one. Then there's the suspense, the mystery, the romance, the characters. Absolutely everything you'll ever ask for out of a Josh Lanyon book and more.

I wish he'd write a sequel or a Christmas coda about Adam and Rob. ^___^
...more

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