From the Bookshelf of Q&A with Josh Lanyon…

High Concept

Whitley Gray

Start date: October 1, 2013

Finish date: October 31, 2013

Discussion: Book of the Month Club

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 2 topics — 4,118 comments total

Book of the Month Club

* Candidates for Next Month's Read
By Josh · 3043 posts · 623 views

last updated Feb 21, 2024 10:37PM

February 2025: The Lemon Drop Kid
By Karen · 15 posts · 20 views

last updated Jun 14, 2025 04:47PM

showing 3 of 3 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Sep 16, 2013 Buda rated it liked it

Well this one is tough to rate. There were parts I liked, parts I hated, and parts that just seemed desperate. Let's start with what I liked.

Zach and Beck were nice enough guys, both of them dealing with traumatic pasts, both of them showing their heroic hearts of gold through their dealings with loved ones (Zach's recovering addict ex and Beck's partner's widow). The plot was nice and convoluted, as you'd expect for a crime caper.

What I hated were some of the grammatical issues. The author cont Well this one is tough to rate. There were parts I liked, parts I hated, and parts that just seemed desperate. Let's start with what I liked.

Zach and Beck were nice enough guys, both of them dealing with traumatic pasts, both of them showing their heroic hearts of gold through their dealings with loved ones (Zach's recovering addict ex and Beck's partner's widow). The plot was nice and convoluted, as you'd expect for a crime caper.

What I hated were some of the grammatical issues. The author continually contracts the word "had" onto names. "Zach'd" "Beck'd". In one paragraph around the 70-78% mark, she contracts "had" three times in a row. Those instances yanked me out of the story like a bad dog on a leash. Oh, right, that's the other thing. Similes abound in the book. Description is good, inane description is bad. Also, the guys just up and leave the precinct when the janitor they suspected of being not on the up and up is nowhere to be found. Really? REALLY??

The desperation came with the villain. It's no secret who he is, which irritated me because I like to try to figure it out with the guys. I understand the villain's scenes were probably inserted to break up the monotony of the story (there is a lot of paper chasing). However, the villain's scenes reminded me very much of the cartoons I watched growing up. My basic image of him is Skeletor. I kept waiting for the rubbing of hands and the evil laugh. Perhaps this was the goal; I have no idea. If so, well played; if not, cut it the hell out.

Also, it feels like the author simply ran out of steam. After the manufactured disagreement between Zach and, well, Zach, because Beck barely got a word in edgewise, it all went to hell. Oh right, that's where the climax starts, but it's poorly designed. (view spoiler) Moving on, the last scene? It felt truncated. I was left dissatisfied.

The stereotypes in the book bothered me, too. Zach's boss, Sands, communicates in a staccato fashion, brooking no argument, taking no bullshit. Beck's grumpy boss, nicknamed "The Man," but whose name I can't even remember, chews antacids like they're chocolates, has an off-screen dying wife, and only has one redeeming scene (think Beck getting to the elevator). The female warden? Well, of course she's built like an East German gymnast with the personality to match. Xav-D, the flesh-eating serial killer, is, of course, black as night and ginormous. The old woman neighbor at Zach's temporary digs? Of course she's a flirty old thing. What, June Cleaver couldn't have fallen on hard times? It had to be Flo from Alice? Lazy characterization.

All this leads me to the central question: Where the hell was the editor? Loose Id, I'm talking to you. Step it up.

Okay, so now that I've ripped it to shreds, I have to say, it's not a bad book. I can't see reading it again and I am somewhat perturbed I paid $8 for it, but, meh, lesson learned. The author shows promise. I look forward to paying far less for her next effort. ...more

9 likes · Like · see review

Jan 31, 2016 JR rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, favorites, mystery, leo, broken-men, action-adventure, ptsd, gritty

Beck Stryker, a Denver cop, suffers from PTSD after being wounded, and losing his partner in the line of duty. Zach Littman is an FBI profiler, sent to collaborate with the Denver police in an attempt to solve a series of seemingly unrelated homicides involving a up and coming politician. There's one problem, Beck and Zach's encounter two years ago went bad.

This was a good mystery that was very fast paced and sexy. I like the characters, and enjoyed their wary attitude toward each other. The o ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 15, 2013 Feliz rated it really liked it

Shelves: m-m, cops-detectives-lawmen, contemporary, action-adventure

Reread it lately and it's still not quite 4 stars, but definitely more than 3.5.

A psychologist-turned-FBI-profiler and a cop who's scarred inside and out. One pretty much out, one very much in the closet. The police procedural is basically realistic, even though both cop and FBI-Agent act so stupid at one time I needed an ice-pack to keep the top of my head from flying off (re the pressure-cooker-effect)

What I liked:
- The Romance. A slow, sweet build between two considerate and generally sweet ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 27, 2013 SueM rated it really liked it

Shelves: cop-agent-military-pi, in-the-closet, ptsd, bingo-challenge, mourning, colleagues-to-lovers, ipad-shubooks

3.5 stars

Beck Stryker, an in-the-closet homicide cop, is on desk-duty while recovering from a shooting, the same shooting in which his partner (of the police kind), Dan, is killed. Suffering from PTSD, he is struggling to keep his physical and emotional pain hidden from the rest of the precinct, knowing that he may lose his career if it is noticed.

When a case of his suddenly looks to be the work of a serial killer, he fights for the right to be back on active duty, as he feels he not only has s 3.5 stars

Beck Stryker, an in-the-closet homicide cop, is on desk-duty while recovering from a shooting, the same shooting in which his partner (of the police kind), Dan, is killed. Suffering from PTSD, he is struggling to keep his physical and emotional pain hidden from the rest of the precinct, knowing that he may lose his career if it is noticed.

When a case of his suddenly looks to be the work of a serial killer, he fights for the right to be back on active duty, as he feels he not only has something to prove to himself, but also to the memory of Dan. Reluctantly his Captain gives him permission, but only if he is willing to work with the FBI.

Zach Littman, the FBI profiler called in to the case, last saw Beck two years previously. They had not parted on the best of terms, so neither were looking forward to their forced partnership.

Yet time has a way of changing things, as both men were not the same as they had been two years earlier. (Beck's trauma is an obvious reason why, but it is not until later we learn exactly why Zach had changed.) This time when they meet, the attraction is mutual and unexpected. As they delve deep into the case, with its increasing complexity and numerous dead-ends, they grow closer, but baggage from their past prevents them from a true relationship.

From the crime point-of-view, the story is a little too predictable to be called enthralling, but despite seeing where it was going, I still enjoyed the unveiling of clues. From the relationship point-of-view, it too was a little predictable, though the dynamics between the two men is good. What prevents me from giving it a solid 4 stars (I rounded up as it is better than average) is the pacing, particularly the rather rushed ending. While the ending covers most plot-threads (there are at least two that I noticed that are unresolved), it is not with any particular depth, leaving me feeling a little unsatisfied. That said, given the rush and the unresolved issue, I wouldn't be at all surprised to find there is a sequel (and there may be, I haven't checked) in the works.
...more

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 15, 2013 Lady*M rated it really liked it

Shelves: m-m-romance, contemporary, police-procedural, suspense

3.75 stars

After his partner is killed while they were trying to apprehend the suspect in two home invasions, Detective Beck Stryker fights PTSD, survivor guilt, pain and the possibility that he’ll never be an officer in the field again. He feels responsible for his partner’s family and isolated from the world because his partner was the only one who knew that he is gay. When another home invasion happens, FBI profiler Zach Littman is called to help and further complicates Beck’s life because he 3.75 stars

After his partner is killed while they were trying to apprehend the suspect in two home invasions, Detective Beck Stryker fights PTSD, survivor guilt, pain and the possibility that he’ll never be an officer in the field again. He feels responsible for his partner’s family and isolated from the world because his partner was the only one who knew that he is gay. When another home invasion happens, FBI profiler Zach Littman is called to help and further complicates Beck’s life because he once made a pass at Zach and was rebuffed because Zach was in a relationship. The attraction is still there and it’s mutual, but Zach has his own set of problems, including an incarcerated serial killer who once hurt him and an ex-boyfriend who wants to get back with him.

High Concept is not a mystery, but a police procedural: the villain is known early into novel. While the procedural is done very realistically, sometimes it goes overboard in a way that hurts the overall story. There is only so much report reading, dead end leads and interviews that a plot can take. Kudos for realism, but fiction sometimes requires a bit of shorthand. I also had a problem with a couple of Zach’s decisions: to make a presumption about Beck based on past bad experiences, and to confront the murderer on his own. There is a lot going on in the novel and sometimes certain plot lines just disappear for a while, only to pop up later and be tied up within a single scene. Some were left open-ended, which is fine, because real life is rarely neat. However, you have to ask yourself why some of them were even in the story. I thought that some of that space could have been used to further develop the case and the men’s relationship. Of course, some of these plot lines may be used in a potential sequel, but I am not aware that the author has a plan to write one.

The men are both likable, serious about their work and commitments. After initial animosity, they start working well together and the mutual attraction flares up again. Beck has a lot of things to deal with, not just related to his injury. He is in the closet and has to deal with a fellow officer with whom he had a brief relationship as well as scrutiny of his colleagues after the shooting. He worries about possible consequences of coming out and about his partner’s family, especially Marybeth, who started drinking after losing her husband, Beck’s partner. Zach wonders if a career in the FBI is the right choice for him and worries about his ex Dean, who is a recovering addict and wants to reconcile. The possible ending of the case and separation looms over them as well.

The villain of the piece and the third largest character in the book – Isaac Olivetti – is perhaps the weakest link, character-wise. The author reveals him slowly throughout the novel: as a corrupt businessman running for governor, high-functioning sociopath adept at manipulation and, finally, as the serial killer. It seemed to me that the author checked all the psychological traits of a sociopath in creating Olivetti, but that didn’t necessarily produce depth – he is completely one-dimensional. It was perhaps inevitable for me to compare him with another serial killer in this genre, Julie Bozza’s John Garrett, who even inspired sympathy at one point. Olivetti, however, is completely black with no trace of anything to give him life. The other characters are painted in very broad strokes, but that was sufficient for the story which centers on the police investigation.

The writing style is simple, sometimes almost stark. The author has a penchant for incomplete sentences which sometimes works well within a scene, sometimes not. I know that some readers had a problem with the style, but I didn’t mind as it reminded me of some mainstream police procedurals I’ve read.

High Concept is the first Whitley Gray story I’ve read and while I had some problems with it, I think it won’t be the last. The book is a solid police procedural with two likable protagonists and if cops are your flavor, this could be a book for you.
...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Oct 17, 2013 Stephanie marked it as did-not-finish

Shelves: 2013, amazon-com

DNF at 55% Blergh.

1 like · Like · see review

Sep 17, 2013 Eve rated it liked it

I started the book with high hope but came away a bit disappointed. I expected a good mix of mystery and romance, however, the romance itself faltered about 60% into the story and eventually had a sort of "big misunderstanding" to create tension. The mystery was partly ruined by the multi-POV storytelling, everything was too clearly laid out, there's no mystery left. That is ok for some mysteries, because sometimes the "why" is more interesting, but in this case, the why is a rather convenient e ...more

Like · see review