Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
ARCHIVE JOSH Book Discussions
>
Adrien English series challenge #1: Fatal Shadows
Mod
He'd certainly benefit from a little bit of "cuddle therapy". :-D"
Probably not with me though. :-P
Mod
Melissa wrote: "Ok, today is the official start date to read Fatal Shadows. I will admit to starting to read it yesterday, but I only got one chapter in. And I recently was able to read [book:The Bo..."You got one chapter in and I have only less than one chapter to finish the book on the first day, my self-control really needs improving.
Mod
I was thinking about the same thing yesterday evening, but I'm only in chapter 13, so I don't have any answer to t..."
I'm still mulling over Karen's question above and a couple of other things she posted: Kudos to Josh that some things are left not fully explained. Why did Rob go back to the Blue Parrot? What would he have said to Adrien if he were still there?
And how about the fact that Rob had asked Tara to send him his junior year high school yearbook a few weeks earlier?
So, did you guys end up thinking that Rob had figured out (or was about to figure out) who he was getting involved with (who Bruce really was)? It seems to me that all those questions point to that direction.
Johanna wrote: "This is how my JL books tend to look during our rereads (I *think* this is All She Wrote)."You mean the group does re-reads of the Holmes & Moriarity series too?
Oh, now I can't wait for the next one...if this is any indication, it's gonna be awesome to discuss Kit and J.X. with all of you.
Jordan wrote: "Probably not with me though. :-P"Hey, if Adrien is not available, better you than Paul Kane, Jordan. :D
Jordan wrote: "We're already on page four of our discussions, guys! That's pretty amazing. It shows what we're all hot and bothered about! :-D"
And it's only the first day of the first week.
Johanna wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Karen wrote: "And why did he take out that million dollar life insurance policy?"I was thinking about the same thing yesterday evening, but I'm only in chapter 13, so I don't have..."
I always assumed that he had figured out who Bruce really was or at least had some doubt and he wanted to talk to Adrien about it.
Johanna wrote: "So, did you guys end up thinking that Rob had figured out (or was about to figure out) who he was getting involved with (who Bruce really was)? It seems to me that all those questions point to that direction."You know, I never even bothered paying attention to any of that. Good catch!
Johanna wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Karen wrote: "And why did he take out that million dollar life insurance policy?"I was thinking about the same thing yesterday evening, but I'm only in chapter 13, so I don't have..."
I always thought Rob figured it. He had a better memory of the teen boy, he asked for the yearbook to double check. I think he went back to the restaurant to smooth things out. Though I kind of doubt he was going to tell Adrien about his "date", considering the shameful past
Mod
You mean the group does re-reads of the Holmes & Moriarity series too?
Oh, now I can't w..."
If you're interested in browsing through our chapter-by-chapter discussions of Holmes & Moriarity books #1 and #2, here're are the links to those.
Somebody Killed His Editor discussion (July 2012)
All She Wrote, chapters 1-6 (October 2012)
All She Wrote, chapters 7-12 (October 2012)
All She Wrote, chapters 13-18 (October 2012)
All She Wrote, chapters 19-24 (October 2012)
Oh, and here's the discussion topic for also the Holmes & Moriarity #3! (That wasn't a re-read discussion though — the book had just been released when we discussed it.)
The Boy with the Painful Tattoo discussion (October 2014)
Mod
And yes, this group definitely does re-read discussions of ANY of the Josh Lanyon books you guys want to re-read together. :-D
Lulu wrote: "I think he went back to the restaurant to smooth things out. Though I kind of doubt he was going to tell Adrien about his "date", considering the shameful past "You know, maybe you're right that he wasn't going to tell Adrien about his date, he could have done so earlier.
But I wonder how did he have the time to go back to the Blue Parrot a hour later. He was already late for his date with Bruce when he argued with Adrien.
Johanna wrote: "And by the way... we clearly need to have one for also The Boy with the Painfull Tattoo!!!"We could schedule it for when we finish the AE challenge, since Jake and Adrien appear in it.
If we keep re-reading so fast, it seems like we'll have time before So This Is Christmas. :D
Mod
We could schedule it for when we finish the AE challenge, since Jake and Adrien appear i..."
LOL! It would be so much fun to re-read The Boy with the Painful Tattoo together. Maybe schedule it before the book #4 comes out?
Mod
And it's only the first day of the first week."
Imagine that! :-D :-D :-D
Elena wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Ok, today is the official start date to read Fatal Shadows. I will admit to starting to read it yesterday, but I only got one chapter in. And I recently was able to r..."Well my self control is out of the window for sure. Not only have i finished Fatal shadows ...I also finished re-reading second book.
Mod
:-D
Elena wrote: "You got one chapter in and I have only less than one chapter to finish the book on the first day, my self-control really needs improving."Haha!
Well I am at work so I had RL to contend with. I know, I know: that's no excuse!
But I will be sure to finish before the week is out, no worries! :)
Johanna wrote: "LOL! It would be so much fun to re-read The Boy with the Painful Tattoo together. Maybe schedule it before the book #4 comes out?"It's a date. :-)
K. wrote: "Well my self control is out of the window for sure. Not only have i finished Fatal shadows ...I also finished re-reading second book."I'll be right behind you, K., don't doubt it.
Mymymble wrote: "He probably phoned Bruce anyway or something to postpone, or cancel which would have sent Bruce mad."Right! That's probably what happened.
Melissa wrote: "Elena wrote: "You got one chapter in and I have only less than one chapter to finish the book on the first day, my self-control really needs improving."Haha!
Well I am at work so I had RL to co..."
Yeah, I shouldn't have started it during the weekend, too much free time.
Well, since you're still at the beginning, we can re-start commenting with you on the things that'll catch your attention. Win-win. :-)
Mymymble wrote: "I can't think of any book of any genre or publication date which could cause so much debate about a victim who dies before the first page. Josh is so talented. We haven't even got to Claude. This i..."I'm pretty sure Josh could get us to discuss for hours different shoe sizes...
Mod
Haha!
Well I am at work s..."
Yeah, if you guys finished reading the book already, it means you now have lots of time to comment here... ;-)
Mod
One thing about Jake in that first book (I'd sort of forgotten it myself) is that he really does believe for a period of time that Adrien may very well have killed Robert.
And I think the more he doesn't want to think it, the harder he gets because he doesn't want to be a fool about this, doesn't want to fall for a pretty face.
Because he takes such a dim view of homosexuality, it's only too easy for him to conclude Adrien might have flipped out and committed murder. Once he gets to know Adrien...then everything begins to change.
Mod
Murdered and lectured in one night. It really was too much.
:-D :-D :-D
Mod
One thing about Jake in that first book (I'd..."
Thank you for sharing this! Yes, it does make sense.
Strangely, I never thought that Rob and Bruce/Landis were to meet for an actual date. *shrugs* Don't know why I think this. In my mind it somehow made sense that Rob knew who he was going to meet (because of the yearbook). What never made sense to me (and it doesn't have to because deranged serial killer and all...) was why he wanted to kill Adrien too. When it was about revenge and Adrien hadn't even been there around the time of the incident. In combination with the poem that essentially said they had it coming because of their former acts, it makes even less sense because Adrien never did anything to Landis. But you can't argue logic with this kind of mind...Anyways, how do you read that Fatal Shadows poem?
Find the whole thing here: An Honest Man’s Fortune
By John Fletcher (1579–1625) http://www.bartleby.com/371/266
Mod
So a lot of what I tried to very carefully lay out in that first book...that maybe Adrien *had* killed Robert, then maybe Jake *had* killed Robert is totally lost now. I don't think anyone now starts that book fooled for a second into believing Adrien or Jake could possibly have committed the murders.
But back when I wrote FS most readers would have suspected Jake of being the killer -- because in most gay mysteries of the time that would be correct! That would have been the typical ending.
I honestly think the fact that Jake wasn't the killer is one reason the series lasted. Lasted long enough to reach a period of gay fiction where the shock would be if he WAS the killer.
I guess that's a very positive sign, when you think about it.
Mod
Somewhere I still have that book!
Mod
Maybe ..."
LOL
Josh wrote: "A weird thing for me as the writer is that really no one now can read even Fatal Shadows as those of you did all those years ago. It's inevitable because it's the first book in a series and the rel..."You gave me the biggest scare when you mentioned a while back that in the beginning Adrien could have been the murderer. During my reread after that I read the book with a completely different pov and on the inside went like "Noooooo...." :-D It was so confusing to even for a second to entertain the idea Adrien could be it.
Mod
Claude's panic and the way he's absolutely convinced that Jake is the killer is very effective (with the fact that at the same time it's revealed that Jake is clearly living some sort of double life). It left me thinking yesterday evening that what had Jake actually, exactly said to Claude? Claude insisted that Jake had threatened to kill Claude. I find it hard to believe he had used those exact words. So it must have been Claude jumping into conclusions?
Mod
And yeah, I definitely see your point. It's difficult to imagine any reader starting to read this series without any knowledge about it or without certain expectations.
Mod
..."
I'm always struck by how good you guys are catching the teeny tiny stuff that most readers miss. You're the kind of readers writers write for.
"Bob" is a completely different image than a "Rob." So is it Tara who wants to believe Rob is Bob? Or did Rob at one point work to be Bob?
What's especially astonishing to me is how for so many of you English is not your first language. But is that maybe *why* you're such alert and careful readers?
Mod
We could schedule it for when we finish the AE challenge, since Jake and Adrien appear i..."
Well, if you do want to "challenge" the H&M books, you might want to wait until NEXT year at this time because I'm planning that next H&M book for next December. ;-)
Mod
Hmmm. Interesting. Well, that certainly does make one concentrate on every single word... :-)
Mod
*smooch, smooch, smack, smack*
Next December! Yay! Did the flying kisses I just send find you? ;-)
Josh wrote: "I don't think anyone now starts that book fooled for a second into believing Adrien or Jake could possibly have committed the murders.But back when I wrote FS most readers would have suspected Jake of being the killer."
That's so true. I read it for the first time when the series was complete and I comtemplated the thought of Jake being the killer for about one second before thinking:"that's not possible, there're other four books about him and Adrien, there's no way he's the killer."
Adrien as the killer didn't even cross my mind.
Now I'm curious though, there was ever any chance that Jake would end up being the killer?
Johanna wrote: "Hmmm. Interesting. Well, that certainly does make one concentrate on every single word... :-)"I find myself skimming in English as much as in Italian if the book doesn't hold my attention, so it isn't the case for me. :-)
Mod
I was thinking about the same thing yesterday evening, but I'm only in chapter 13, so I don't have..."
Now that you drag them out into the open, yes, it does look that way. Rob was his only sleuth!
Mod
But back when I wrote FS most readers would have..."
Jake no. Adrien yes.
:-D
In the really, really early stages of the book I toyed with doing something very noir.
But I just couldn't do it. For one thing I hated the fact that most gay mysteries ended on such a bitter note (especially if there was any kind of romance). And for another...Adrien had too strong a sense of humor--was too kind--to resort to murder. He could have done it by accident, but it wasn't an accidental kind of murder.
Mod
I find myself skimming in English as much as in Italian if the book doesn't hold my a..."
LOL. And I'm equally slow reader both in English and Finnish. :-D
Mod
Hey, if Adrien is not available, better you than Paul Kane, Jordan. :D
Jordan wrote: "We're already on page four of our discussions, guys! That's ..."
:-D Well, let's hope for Jake's sake that Adrien IS available. Besides, I'm pretty sure Adrien would have a problem with this if he wasn't. ;-)
Josh wrote: "Elena wrote: "Johanna wrote: "And by the way... we clearly need to have one for also The Boy with the Painfull Tattoo!!!"We could schedule it for when we finish the AE challenge, since Jake and A..."
I second Johanna's "Next December! Yay!"
Is that gonna be the book in which we'll meet the infamous David? :-D
Mod
*smooch, smooch..."
LOL
Mod
It would surely have been a very different book -- and no series!
Jordan wrote: ":-D Well, let's hope for Jake's sake that Adrien IS available. Besides, I'm pretty sure Adrien would have a problem with this if he wasn't. ;-)"LOL
Mod
Find the whole thing here: An Honest Man’s Fortune
By John Fletcher (1579–1625) http://www.bartleby.com/371/266 "
Thank you for posting the link to the poem, Calathea! I meant to do it at some point, but then forgot all about it...
Q&A with Josh Lanyon
Books mentioned in this topic
Fatal Shadows / A Dangerous Thing (other topics)Stranger Things Have Happened: An Adrien English Write Your Own Damn Story (other topics)
The Boy with the Painful Tattoo (other topics)
Here there be dragons (other topics)
Fatal Shadows / A Dangerous Thing (other topics)
More...
I assumed this was just a case of different people using different nicknames for him.
As an example, my dad's name is Richard. His childhood friend calls him Ricky, and everyone else calls him Dick. Years ago someone called the house, got my mom, and asked for Ricky. She thought it was a wrong number! So, that's what I was thinking of. But maybe I was wrong.