Customer Reviews

Josh Lanyon Collected #2

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If you haven't yet read any of Josh Lanyon's stories, this volume is a great place to start. For any newbies reading this, the man is a sophisticated, stylish writer. The stories themselves are variously creepy, suspenseful, action-packed and always romantic. While not all of them are outright ghost stories (one of them, on the surface at least, is a full-bore spy thriller, complete with assassins and flying bullets) it could be argued that the characters in all of them are haunted by the past, one way or another.

For those of us who first encountered these stories in electronic format, what a relief it is to have them collected in tangible, paperback format, perfect for taking to the beach, which is what I did.

One of the many pleasures of Josh Lanyon's work is picking up the allusions and references - literary, cinematic, cultural - that he plants in his stories and novels.

For example, Lanyon says that the first story in this volume, "In a Dark Wood," where the protagonist has lost his way in the woods, and must fight his personal demons, was inspired by something he read on the internet about "a creepy old house in the Eastern woods". But wait, surely he also had in mind the first Canto of Dante's Inferno:

Midway upon the journey of our life
I found myself within a forest dark,
For the straightforward pathway had been lost.

Ah me! how hard a thing it is to say
What was this forest savage, rough, and stern,
Which in the very thought renews the fear.

In " I Spy Something Bloody," the "Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam" ("The Moving finger writes...") and Dickens' "Little Dorritt" figure prominently. And again, in the "Dark Horse," the plot parallels and intersects with Mary Renault's wonderful "Charioteer" (which should be required reading for all M/M romance fans, btw.)

But fear not, Lanyon's stories do not require an advanced degree in Literature to enjoy. Cliff Notes are not necessary, and there's no final exam, so you can't fail. That is, it's very hard to see how anyone could fail to enjoy this book, or any of Josh Lanyon's work, for that matter.

Add this to your Josh collection! You won't be sorry. Especially if you are a romantic at heart or a closet romantic!

"In A Dark Wood"

When Tim was a kid, he and some friends got lost in the woods and stumbled upon a dilapidated house. Many years later, Tim tells the tale at a friend's dinner party, spurring a camping trip with one of the guests. Detective Luke O'Brien is eager to get Tim alone and see the spooky house. It's a camping trip they'll never forget.

"In A Dark Wood" is one of Josh Lanyon's scarier suspense stories. Luke is an all around great guy and my heart went out to Tim. I was happy to see how things ended with them. Before I got to the happy ending I was sitting on the edge of my seat, wide eyed with anticipation. The suspense was killing me! "In A Dark Wood" is a spooky, suspenseful story that is as scary as it is erotic and romantic.



"I Spy Something Bloody"

When British spy Mark Hardwicke is injured on the job, he calls Stephen Thorpe for help. Mark and Stephen were lovers, but Mark's job keeps getting in the way. Mark is thinking of settling down, but it seems that Stephen has moved on. While Mark and Stephan sort through their feelings, Mark's job gets in the way again, except this time, it threatens their lives.

"I Spy Something Bloody" is an angst filled romance shrouded in suspense and action. The superb writing, engaging storyline, and in depth characterization kept me glued to each page. Mark leads a very interesting life. It's dangerous and exciting, yet lonely. Stephen is wonderful. He's intelligent, and strong in body and mind.



"A Limited Engagement"

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Adam wants his boyfriend Ross to know how he feels about him before Ross leaves. He goes about it in a very drastic way. Will Ross appreciate the gesture, or call the cops and have Adam arrested?

Josh Lanyon can take an eighteen page story and make it seem like a novel. "A Limited Engagement" is intense, passionate, sexy, and full of angst. The storyline is surprisingly deep for such a short story. Adam's longing for Ross and his desperate attempt to hold on to him is risky and romantic. Ross's reaction is understandable. Waiting for his response kept me on edge until the end.



"Dark Horse"

LAPD detective Daniel Moran was Sean Fairchild's bodyguard when Sean was being stalked by Paul Hammond. Now, Dan and Sean are boyfriends and Hammond is dead, or is he? Sean is getting postcards again, just like the ones Hammond used to send. If Hammond isn't sending them, who is? As the plot thickens, the danger grows. Who can Sean trust when he isn't even sure he can trust himself?

"Dark Horse" is a complex story. First there is Sean's past and his insecurities that constantly rear their ugly heads. Then there is Dan, his alpha-male boyfriend, who is sometimes dismissive and callused, but really hiding his true feelings for Sean. There were times I wanted to hate Dan, but I found myself loving him (as much as I love Sean), instead. There's also Sean's relationship with his manager, his relationship with Dan, and an intriguing mystery. The angst-filled ending nearly did me in. Josh Lanyon put me through the ringer with "Dark Horse" and I loved every minute of it.



"Ghost of a Chance"

Rhys Davies is a history professor moonlighting as a paranormal investigator. He's spending the weekend at his friend Oliver's house so he can investigate the Berkeley House and the ghost that supposedly lives there. Rhys thinks he'll be alone all weekend, so it's a huge surprise when Sam Devlin, Oliver's nephew, is already at the house. Sam is a cop. He's suspicious by nature and doesn't believe in ghosts. Somehow, Rhys has to do his research while dealing with his feelings for Sam. If he can just figure out what that shadow is in the middle of the road he'll be alright.

Ghosts, a sexy cop, a spooky cellar, and a little sex and undeniable attraction fill the pages of "Ghost of a Chance." While it's obvious that there is chemistry between Rhys and Sam, Sam's overbearing and overprotective nature keeps getting in the way, causing Rhys to do things Sam might not like. Sam is very endearing. I liked him a lot. He's sweet and tough and all muscles, but not very fair of face. He deserves what he gets in the end.

Josh Lanyon's men never lay all their cards on the table. There is always something elusive and mysterious about them that keeps you guessing. From 'is he still interested?' in "I Spy Something Bloody" to 'is he the bad guy?' in "Dark Horse", I'm always wondering: what's he thinking, what's he feeling, and then, where is Josh going with this?? Josh Lanyon's literary juggling is impressive. He develops angst between his characters and describes sex scenes in achingly hot detail while maintaining a high level of suspense. Josh Lanyon Collective Novellas Vol. 2 is an impressive array of stories that feed your imagination and your heart.

Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

"+"
These are stories, but you get a full book feeling for characters.
It may be only a few pages, but feels like a whole book, with character development and interaction.
Characters are real, not perfect, and react accordingly.
Happy endings ;-)

"-"
Nothing really.

In IN A DARK WOOD, Tim and Luke go to the woods to find a haunted house, and along the way, Tim also faces his own haunted past with Luke's help. In I SPY SOMETHING BLOODY, British agent Mark Hardwicke, returned to the arm of the Dr. Stephen Thorpe, the man he left betrayed and left behind, for a shelter after a mission gone wrong. If only Stephen will give him another chance, of course. I usually dislike May/December love story, but this one is so good, so heart-pulling, I just can't stop loving it. In fact, it's my favorite of the collection. In DARK HORSE, we meet Sean and Dan in a dedication to both the movie "Gaslight" (I so need to watch that movie!) and the book, "The Charioteer". It has similar theme to a couple of Josh's stories, but still a good one. In A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT, a young man goes in desperate action to be with the one he loves, including blackmail. And in GHOST OF A CHANCE, Rhys Davies tries to explore the secret of a haunted house while exploring another adventure with Sam Devlin, a nephew of a dear friend

All collection in one book? You should NOT skip this one :)

A superb collection of Josh Lanyon's novellas, most of which have been published before in compilations or with a co author's story.
They are all long enough to be satisfying, the characters are well drawn and although there is sex, it is not gratuitous or crass.
The biggest problem I have with the short stories is that I want more, I want to know what happens next. Can Tim and Luke make a go of it?
Although these seemed to be aimed at m/m readers, it is a shame to limit them that way, there are genuine and truly scary (although not gory!) horror (In a Dark Wood and Ghost of a Chance) and romance as well. Josh Lanyon's works deserve a wider audience.

Overall, I liked the originality of Josh Lanyon's writing in this collection. Having said that, I cannot give the book more than 3 stars. Why? Quite frankly, I don't like stories written in first person. The only author who I think can pull the first person POV successfully is James Patterson and his Alex Cross novels, so the minute I started reading "Collected Volume #2," and I knew it was in first person, it had a strike against it. While Lanyon's writing is solid, his characters flawed, realistic and original, the flow of the stories just did not work for me while using "I" instead of "He."

Out of the five stories, the one I enjoyed most was "Dark Horse." It was suspenseful and thrilling, paying homage to the classic movie, "Gaslight." Sean is a Hollywood actor being stalked by a crazy fan, and Dan is the LAPD cop assigned to protect him. They fall in love, but when Sean's stalker is supposedly killed, and the threat is gone, will Dan believe that his lover is still in danger as creepy notes continue to arrive at thier home or will Dan pass it off as Sean's fragile state of mind crumbling into insanity? This story was very well-written and had a cast of well-developed secondary characters that weren't two dimensional. I am looking forward to the prequel/sequel to "Dark Horse," which should be published this year, according to Mr. Lanyon's web site.

While I generally think the hype around Lanyon's writing is deserved, I hope for his future novels he will move into writing in the third person, as I think it would add depth and a better overall flow to his stories. If you don't have a problem with first person POV, then you will enjoy this collection, if like myself don't like that style of writing, then you might want to give this book a pass.