Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
JustJoshin (2013), Paperback, 360 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Mystery. HTML: Like recovering from heart surgery beneath the gaze of his over-protective family isn't exasperating enough, someone keeps trying to break into Adrien English's bookstore. What is this determined midnight intruder searching for? When a half-century old skeleton tumbles out of the wall in the midst of Cloak and Dagger Bookstore's renovation, Adrien turns to hot and handsome ex-lover Jake Riordan �?? now out-of-the closet and working as a private detective. Jake is only too happy to have reason to stay in close contact with Adrien, but there are more surprises in Adrien's past than either one of them expects �?? and one of them may prove hazardous to Jake's own heart
User reviews
LibraryThing member silversurfer
The last book in the series is the best book in the series. Once again, our intrepid hero, Adrien English, fresh out of heart surgery, finds himself deep in another mystery. This time, a long buried skeleton emrges from the floorboards at Adrien's store, the CLOAK & DAGGER. Adrien has hired a team
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of contractors to do renovations with the idea of expanding the book store. Out pops a skeleton that dates back to the '50's...so Adrien calls upon his ex-lover,now ex-cop Jake Riordan to assist him in the investigation. Adrien is still in love with Jake, but harbors deep hurt and resentment. Jake is finally out of the closet and wants a relationship with Adrien...Adrien doesn't know what he wants at this point. Will Adrien solve the mystery of the Cold Case that he stumbled upon? Will his heart ever heal, in more ways than one ? Will he ever eat a full meal again? And will Adrien and Jake finally find the happiness that has eluded them? Josh Lanyon has answered all the questions and wrapped up this series in a most satisfying way. I just wish this weren't their last adventure. I have grown to love Adrien. One of the best characters ever created in contempory mystery fiction. I will miss him. Show Less
LibraryThing member jshillingford
Lanyon has hinted that this may be the last Adrien English mystery (at least for some time). Though I'll miss the character, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Remember how ludicrous it became that Jessica Fletcher stumbled across so many murder mysteries in that tiny, little New England town!?
This is first a mystery series, but this last installment has a good deal more romance and personal interaction than the previous four. That is actually what made it such a good series-closer. This book is not for people new to the series - it does not stand alone well as the previous mysteries did. There is too much "baggage" a reader needs to understand Adrien's issues. Adrien's love life has been as messy as his cases, and we finally get some closure on that front. The case was well-suited to the increased romance as well. A fifty-year old body doesn't leave too many witnesses alive, which narrows the investigation and made the mystery more straightforward than usual. So Adrien could shift between contemplating the case and his relationships, without either suffering. They find the villain (duh), Adrien makes some long-delayed personal decisions, we get to see old friends from the previous books, and there is just enough left to build new stories on. Should Lanyon return to the Cloak and Dagger.
Adrien is very likeable. He has a dry wit, and self-deprecating humor about him. I'd happily read more about him, perhaps in a few years when Lanyon is ready to give him some fresh opportunities to stick his nose in where it doesn't belong. However, if this is indeed the end, I don't feel cheated. Only content.
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What made Adrien so appealing to me was he was an ordinary guy who often ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. But that can happen only so often before a reader can no longer suspend their disbelief. If this is the finale, it was very satisfying - leaving the character and the reader in a good place.This is first a mystery series, but this last installment has a good deal more romance and personal interaction than the previous four. That is actually what made it such a good series-closer. This book is not for people new to the series - it does not stand alone well as the previous mysteries did. There is too much "baggage" a reader needs to understand Adrien's issues. Adrien's love life has been as messy as his cases, and we finally get some closure on that front. The case was well-suited to the increased romance as well. A fifty-year old body doesn't leave too many witnesses alive, which narrows the investigation and made the mystery more straightforward than usual. So Adrien could shift between contemplating the case and his relationships, without either suffering. They find the villain (duh), Adrien makes some long-delayed personal decisions, we get to see old friends from the previous books, and there is just enough left to build new stories on. Should Lanyon return to the Cloak and Dagger.
Adrien is very likeable. He has a dry wit, and self-deprecating humor about him. I'd happily read more about him, perhaps in a few years when Lanyon is ready to give him some fresh opportunities to stick his nose in where it doesn't belong. However, if this is indeed the end, I don't feel cheated. Only content.
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LibraryThing member amf0001
I'm not reading these books for the mysteries, though they are just fine... I am reading them for Adrien English, who I just love. Adrien has been through a really, really bad patch and this book is about recovery and rebuilding. And there is much to recover from, especially concerning his
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relationship with Jake Riorden. Adrien has other options but I'm completely loyal to Jake and don't want him to even consider them, but of course Adrien has to do what works for him. According to Lanyon, this is the last feature book of Adrien and Jake, but they may appear in other stories... I sincerely hope they do, because I love spending time with them. Show Less
LibraryThing member kateoncouch
I liked this a lot. It's a very satisfying ending to Adrien and Jake's story and the mystery plot is better integrated into the romance plot than in some of the preceding books.
LibraryThing member lycomayflower
This last Adrien English mystery rises back to the enjoyment of the first for me. The mystery is well integrated with what's going on in Adrien's personal life, and things between Adrien and Jake finally come to a head. Lanyon handles the high emotion of these two characters extremely well (there's
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a couple of perfect, devastating, lovely scenes here), and both Jake and Adrien have changed in ways that feel entirely within character. The final scenes of this book are pretty perfect in the way that the conclusion to the mystery and the conclusion to the emotional arcs for Adrien and Jake intertwine. (I almost wish there had been an epilogue where we get to see things a little more calmed down, but I dunno. It might be that that would have ruined things a bit.) If this is really the end of the series (it feels like an end), it is a worthy end. Recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member ClifSven
Love this series!
LibraryThing member ToniFGMAMTC
I totally love this series. This book is different from the others in my opinion because it is more about the romance than solving whatever mystery Adrien finds himself in. Jake actually won some hearts in this one I believe. :)
LibraryThing member Carol420
This is one series that really should/must be read in order since one book picks up and carries on the story from the last book. The book was about much more than the relationship between Adrien and Jake. As in all of this authors books the mystery was front and center...and as always...it was
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another good one that kept me guessing and the pages turning. It also was a fitting finale to “The Adrien English Mysteries” series, but I really am not ready to say goodbye. On further checking there seems to be one more story left and perhaps a novella... so maybe Ms. Lanyon isn’t ready to say goodbye either. Show Less
LibraryThing member Carol420
Things between Adrien and Jake changed in book #4 Death of a Pirate King...drastically. Now it's Jake's turn to wait for Adrien to make a choice. I really enjoyed seeing Jake squirm for a change...but I also felt for him... just a teeny, tiny little bit. and really hoped that Adrien would make the
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right choice. The books are never just about Adrien and Jakes’ on again, off again, maybe NEVER again... relationship. The mystery was front and center and it was another good one that kept me guessing and the pages turning. There is one more book in this series and I see there is also a short story featuring Adrien and Jake but so far haven’t been able to locate it. I so hate to see this series end but the good news is that I can now revisit the series whenever I want... that's what re-reads are for, right? Show Less
LibraryThing member NannyOgg13
Now that's an ending. I was afraid it will be undeserving of such a long and fabulous series, but I needn't have been. Thank you Mr. Lanyon!
LibraryThing member ShazOV
A wonderful ending to a great series! I honestly wish we could have more of these two guys.
The mix of mystery and romance is truly a great thing to read. And I absolutely love Adrien and Jake. I'm glad they finally get their HEA.
The mix of mystery and romance is truly a great thing to read. And I absolutely love Adrien and Jake. I'm glad they finally get their HEA.
LibraryThing member JorgeousJotts
The very cold case of the mystery wasn't as interesting to me, but the relationship drama amping up made up for it. =)
Awards
ALA Over the Rainbow Book List (Selection — Mystery — 2011)
Language
Original publication date
2009-12-22
Physical description
360 p.; 5.91 x 0.75 inches
ISBN
1937909514 / 9781937909512
Other editions
The Dark Tide by Josh Lanyon (Paperback)