Fatal Shadows

This groundbreaking series started in 2000 at the late, very lamented Gay Men's Press, when there was a great deal less M/M fiction around.

In a lot of ways, that fact explains the unquestioning acceptance of the M/M audience of Jake's waffling about Adrien, for whom he clearly has a lot of feelings...even if he doesn't want to come right out and say so for quite a long time. This approach/avoidance dynamic doesn't play the same way it did in 2000. We'd probably call it "queerbaiting" today, and it really makes me personally feel squirmy, but I totally grandfather this book in under the "the past is a foreign country" rubric. I don't think being lenient with an artifact of a bygone era is always a mistake; more especially so when it's show more something as influntial as this book and series were in that barely-rememberable time.

I confess that, had the prose been less fun to read, I might be harsher. Author Lanyon is justly celebrated for her skill with dialogue. Funny when that's what the story needs:
“Just shut up and listen.”

“Well, since you ask so nicely...”

There was silence. I listened. He didn’t say anything.

“Are we communicating through the Psychic Hotline or what?”
–and–
“Drink your coffee—people in Africa are sleeping.”

...quietly intense in other moods:
I dug out the powder blue cashmere cardigan my mother Lisa gave me the Christmas before last, pulled on my oldest, softest Levi’s. Comfort clothes; the next best thing to a hug from a warm, living body. Lately there had been a shortage of hugs in my life. Lately there had been a shortage of warm, living bodies.
–and–
“Everything a gay man does makes a political statement. Everything matters: where you bank, where you shop, where you eat. When you hold your lover’s hand in public.”

Some verities are eternal, or so it seems....

What the reader gets by turning on this time machine is a hit of funny, a soupçon of sexy, a helping of gay awakening, wrapped in a pretty darn interesting mystery. I would have LOVED to see this as a TV series in the Aughties or the Teens; now, I just don't think it'd play that well. Not that I wouldn't sample it! But my hopes wouldn't be high.

The price of experiencing things after their time. Still, a very worthwhile read indeed. show less

Books I love generally fall into two categories: 1) books I love for what they're doing with sentences or form or genre or 2) books I love for the stories they tell. Mrs Dalloway is a good example of the first; Outlander is a good example of the second; At Swim, Two Boys and The Lord of the Rings are good examples of the rare beauty what falls into both categories. Category one tends to fire up the old brain pan, while category two makes me grin stupidly, get the warm fuzzies, and entertain notions that the author somehow magically wrote a book just for me. I think the kinds of books that land in category one generally tend to be held above those in category two, but I'm much more excited these days to find these category two loves. show more Probably because I spent so long (grad school) immersed in very little but litfic, finding joy in story, even ones that employ (*gasp*) formulaic genre tropes, feels really fresh and wonderful. (This is a lesson I apparently need to relearn over and over: see anything I've ever written about my experience reading the Harry Potter series for the first time). Fatal Shadows was a category two, warm fuzzy, grin like an idiot, loved it read.

It's a murder mystery, and the mystery bits are entertaining and just mysterious enough (I did figure it out, but it took me to the two-thirds point), I love the characters, the writing is solid, and the romancy subplots work out (delightfully) as they should. I'm super excited that there's a handful more in this series and that Lanyon has written lots else besides. Looks like I may have a new go-to author for when I want something fun, fast, entertaining, and good. Woot! show less

“Cops before breakfast. Before coffee even. As if Mondays weren't bad enough.”

Fatal Shadows is told through first person point of view, and the main character completely rocks. I absolutely loved him. He’s sympathetic with a sense of humor. He’s slightly fragile and real. He’s a total bookworm, a good friend, likes to look for the good in others, a loner. If it weren't for Adrien, the book wouldn't be nearly half as good. Throw in other fun characters like the new "weird" assistant, Angus, the quirky and controlling mother (although her better moments don't come until later in the series) and the oddball mystery book club that meets there once a week. It's especially amusing how one married couple is obviously modeling the show more main character in their book after Adrien but refusing to come right out and admit it.

The man he becomes interested in isn’t as much of a winner yet, but having a flawed character be the interest was refreshing. I find it mentally stimulating where there’s a conflict/contrast. There wasn’t romance in this one, but it was a slow build that fit in well and made me intrigued. The save and rescue act was endearing, but again, don't expect much romance this time around.

With the mystery, I guessed who it was early on, but that was mainly due to their being so little in the suspect pool; still, the mystery was entertaining and the reasoning behind it - when it came to light - layered enough to make it be convincing.

Throw in the bonus that Adrien is of course a mystery fan who reads books. I have several classics and hard-boiled, noir, and other obscure titles I slowly want to search out because of this series.

Go into it expecting a fun mystery, but don’t go into it yet expecting romance or steam. show less

This is a spoiler-free review of all five books in the Adrien English series. Short version: Superb mix of mystery and romance, fantastic writing, recommended buy.

I’d heard a lot of praise for Josh Lanyon’s prose, so I started the first book in the Adrien English series expecting something flowery. And, yes, when Lanyon waxes poetic his writing is vivid and visceral in a way that seems to bypass your eyes and just make images explode in your brain, but that’s not what’s remarkable about his writing. It’s how well he shifts gears – he can be a very efficient writer, economical with words, keeping the pace trotting briskly ahead. He can be funny, with an eye for human foibles and a gift for witty dialogue. And he balances that show more with an ability to drench the page with emotion, sweet, searing, bittersweet, sexy. He does the hot stuff very well indeed.

The Adrien English series consists of five books that must be read in order. Written in first person. The protagonist, Adrien English, owns a bookstore specializing in mysteries and writes mysteries on the side. (Making a list of all the things that Lanyon does well would be tedious, but here’s one: I generally dislike writer characters in novels, but Lanyon handles it with humor and a minimum of posturing.)

The first book sets the pattern for the rest. In it, Adrien is caught up in an actual murder investigation when his employee turns up dead. Since the cops – including closet-case detective Jake Riordan – seem content to pin the crime on Adrien, he decides to be pro-active about finding the real murderer. By the end, we know whodunit and Adrien and Jake have launched a relationship of sorts.

In each subsequent book in the series, there’s a new crime and more development of Adrien and Riordan’s relationship. Adrien, as an amateur sleuth, is realistically hurt and wearied by this close contact with violent death. He has a heart condition which makes him both reckless and fragile. Likewise, Adrien’s relationship with Riordan ebbs and wanes realistically. Riordan’s stuck in the closet and he’s selfishly willing to hurt a lot of people in order to live a lie.

There were times that I hated Riordan, but I rooted for him too. All the characters are amazingly well drawn. You can see them, you know who they are, they feel real. The mysteries are pretty decent, and for every book where I guessed the murderer early there was another where Lanyon had me fooled.

These books are fantastic reads. I started the first book and before long I was sucked under. I didn’t come up for breath, I didn’t feel the time pass. When I finished one book, I moved immediately on to the next – I was happy to lose myself in them. Highly, highly recommended. show less

I am a huge fan of Josh Lanyon and almost everything she writes. Mostly what she writes is a murder mystery mixed with a little romance (same sex couple). The main character of this series...Adrien is no fool by any means...so when he is pulled into a murder case and he begins to look into the murder himself. After all the victims have all been friends of his and he can't help but wonder if he is also on the killers scope. Since he doesn’t want to be arrested for something he didn’t do.... he starts sleuthing on his own which doesn’t make him any friends with the cops. Ardien could use some friends. He seems to be a lonely man living his solitary life, running his book store and trying to write his own novel. I actually felt sorry show more for him and was just waiting for someone to see what a special guy he was....especially the homicide detective that couldn't decide if he was gay or straight. The book had enough twists and turns to make it a very intriguing storyline. As the crime is solved Adrien finds that he may have found just the “friend” he needs...or not. (sigh) show less

This is not the first time I’ve read this book, however I’ve never reviewed it before so…

This review is *solely* on Fatal Shadow, not on the series as a whole, so bear that in mind that I’m trying to keep my comments to the ends on this book and not the future ones.

This is first look we get at Adrien English, and whom I generally love (though at times I want to shake him). I love his internal monologue and his dry sardonic wit, and the way, despite his dry spell (romantically) and his health issues, he’s pretty comfortable in his own skin.

Jake Riordan is a little more complicated. He seems conflicted in this book about whether to believe Adrien or not, and whether he wants to pursue what is obviously a mutual attraction, show more despite his own seriously contrary and complicated regarding homosexuality and it’s place in his life.
The sex scenes, though few are so painful to read because of Adrien’s sexual partner.

Overall, this was a great start to a good mystery series with interesting, flawed and complicated characters. show less

I have this theory that a truly talented author is able to write just about anything and still make it interesting. Up until now, I've never really read any such work.

Now don't get me wrong, I've read plenty of authors I ended up liking, but ultimately the stories they wrote played a huge role in that decision.

Fatal Shadow has a rather unremarkable storyline, with a somewhat predictable ending. And yet, I just couldn't put it down. The ease of writing, lack of overly flowery description and the occasional dry humor got to me instantly. The ending threw me for a loop a bit, I just didn't feel enough sexual tension between Adrien and Jake to warrant the latter's endearment, but at the same time it made me look forward to the second show more book.

This is actually, also the first book of this genre I read. For some reason, while I literally devour yaoi mangas and fanfiction, I never really thought of reading gay romance. And now I can't remember why...

============================================
review of book 2: A Dangerous Thing
review of book 3: The Hell You Say
review of book 4: Death of a Pirate King
review of book 5: The Dark Tide
review of book 5.5: So This is Christmas
review of Stranger Things Have Happened: An Adrien English Write Your Own Damn Story show less