Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
GMP (2001), Paperback, 220 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Mystery. HTML: In this second LA-based adventure, bookseller Adrien English arrives at the Pine Shadow Ranch (left to him by a beloved grandmother) to find a corpse in his driveway. But by the time the unfriendly local sheriffs arrive, the body has disappeared. Who are the mysterious strangers excavating on his land? And will he sort out his problems with LAPD Detective Jake Riordan, heavily into S/M sex but not so hot on relationships? Find out in this engrossing, slyly witty thriller..
User reviews
LibraryThing member silversurfer
This is the 2nd in the series. I enjoyed this one, not as much as the first. Once again our reluctant sleuth is in the middle of mystery and murder, when he escapes from the stress of dealing with his messed up LAPD Hottie, Jake Riordan. Jake is very much attracted to Adrien, but he also wants a
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wife and kids. Adrien holes up at his late Grandmother's ranch, which is now his, to hopefully get some writing down. Murder and Jake soon follow. A good plot, but I do think the author tends to wrap things up fairly quickly with an abrubt ending. However, Adrien and Jake finally consummate their "relationship". Stay tuned for Book 3 Show Less
LibraryThing member Balthazar-Lawson
This is a simple amateur sleuth story of murder for unknown reasons. But I enjoyed it a lot. It's the characters that are at the heart of most stories and I like the characters in this book.
LibraryThing member maybedog
4.5 stars
Jake can be such an ass and Adrien doesn't even see it. He puts up with way more than is even believable. They've been "together" three months and in this book they finally kiss. Jake's homophobia and self-loathing is getting tiring. It's also confusing as he is inconsistent with
But... Lanyon is a gifted writer and this book is a joy to read. It's clever and funny in parts, emotional and intense in others. There's a lot of action and danger and desperate moments. I read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. (The fact that I was too sick to get out of bed was not a factor, I swear.)
Some excerpts (all taken from early in the book):
(Going to a bookcase of old books) "I approached slowly, my pulse quickening in excitement known only to book lovers in the advanced stage of addiction."
***
"You're the one paying that no account Ted Harvey to sit around and smoke dope all day."
"I'm paying hum to look after my property." Smoking dope was a perk.
***
(When closeted Jake does something domestic) Someday he was going to make some woman a wonderful wife.
***
"How come you never came back when your granny passed away?"
"I was eight. I didn't have my driver's licence."
Jake can be such an ass and Adrien doesn't even see it. He puts up with way more than is even believable. They've been "together" three months and in this book they finally kiss. Jake's homophobia and self-loathing is getting tiring. It's also confusing as he is inconsistent with
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affection. Why a guy whose been out his whole life would be willing to be with someone like Jake who doesn't even let Adrien touch him is too far fetched. But... Lanyon is a gifted writer and this book is a joy to read. It's clever and funny in parts, emotional and intense in others. There's a lot of action and danger and desperate moments. I read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. (The fact that I was too sick to get out of bed was not a factor, I swear.)
Some excerpts (all taken from early in the book):
(Going to a bookcase of old books) "I approached slowly, my pulse quickening in excitement known only to book lovers in the advanced stage of addiction."
***
"You're the one paying that no account Ted Harvey to sit around and smoke dope all day."
"I'm paying hum to look after my property." Smoking dope was a perk.
***
(When closeted Jake does something domestic) Someday he was going to make some woman a wonderful wife.
***
"How come you never came back when your granny passed away?"
"I was eight. I didn't have my driver's licence."
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LibraryThing member Capnrandm
Thriller/mystery side of this Adrien English book worked better for me than the first of the series. The concept of being alone out on a ranch with dead bodies and drug trafficking really creeped me out. Adrien's relationship with Jake was interesting and well drawn, and I was delighted to find
9/16/12 - Still love these characters, excited to read further into the serires.
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that the cheesy line, "You're so tight" is as entertaining in a gay romance as it is in the straight variety.9/16/12 - Still love these characters, excited to read further into the serires.
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LibraryThing member lycomayflower
**The following is spoilery for character reveals from book one and discusses character development stuff from book two. I don't reveal anything about the resolutions to either book's mystery.**
The second in the Adrien English mystery series. Not quite as good as the first, but mostly in that way
I had him pegged as closeted and probably conflicted from almost his first appearance in book one, and part of me was watching to see how Lanyon developed him as the story went along. And it all felt pretty spot-on. In book two it turns out that Jake is not just closeted and conflicted, he's, like, suuuuuper conflicted. Like, hates himself for being attracted to men, plans on marrying a woman and having kids, can hardly bring himself to to have dinner with Adrien conflicted. Which is fine. Big old bundles of contradictions make for interesting stories. But Jake's confliction is confusing in its expression, almost to the point of feeling inconsistent at times. At the start of the story, he can't even kiss Adrien because kissing a man feels too weird, despite having been a regular at S&M clubs for some time. The suggestion being that Jake can handle sex with men if it's with strangers and is impersonal, but in the scene where he can't kiss Adrien, his reluctance is painted as a reaction to markers of Adrien's maleness (five o'clock shadow, the scent of aftershave) not as a reaction to trying to have smexy times with someone he cares about. Later he seems to be over the kissing issue with no further concern. He is sometimes incredibly tender and protective of Adrien (in private) but also makes really withering comments about Adrien's sexuality. That all of these traits could exist in one man at one time is something I can absolutely buy, but I sometimes felt like Lanyon wasn't quite selling it. That being said, some of this is the result of the point of view (first person Adrien), and given that Jake is an uncommunicative lug (in the grand tradition, natch), that Jake's actions and attitudes would seem a bit unexplained is to be expected (because they are, because we only know what Adrien knows, and Jake isn't telling him what's going on in his head). Further more, important characterizing scenes between Adrien and Jake always feel like there's all kinds of stuff going on under the surface (which is precisely how I think important characterizing scenes should feel). So, I'm back to "I'm not sure what to do with Jake." In all honesty, this is probably fifteen percent "more could have been done to make Jake's characterization consistent" and eighty-five percent "I couldn't turn off my editor brain while reading for fun." In any case, recommended for the writing, characters, wit, and decent mystery.
The second in the Adrien English mystery series. Not quite as good as the first, but mostly in that way
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most second books aren't as good as the first--simply because they aren't the start of something. The mystery in this one felt a little less meaty, but that's mostly made up for in that we get lots of relationship stuff between Adrien and Jake. I'm not sure what to do with Jake, though. I had him pegged as closeted and probably conflicted from almost his first appearance in book one, and part of me was watching to see how Lanyon developed him as the story went along. And it all felt pretty spot-on. In book two it turns out that Jake is not just closeted and conflicted, he's, like, suuuuuper conflicted. Like, hates himself for being attracted to men, plans on marrying a woman and having kids, can hardly bring himself to to have dinner with Adrien conflicted. Which is fine. Big old bundles of contradictions make for interesting stories. But Jake's confliction is confusing in its expression, almost to the point of feeling inconsistent at times. At the start of the story, he can't even kiss Adrien because kissing a man feels too weird, despite having been a regular at S&M clubs for some time. The suggestion being that Jake can handle sex with men if it's with strangers and is impersonal, but in the scene where he can't kiss Adrien, his reluctance is painted as a reaction to markers of Adrien's maleness (five o'clock shadow, the scent of aftershave) not as a reaction to trying to have smexy times with someone he cares about. Later he seems to be over the kissing issue with no further concern. He is sometimes incredibly tender and protective of Adrien (in private) but also makes really withering comments about Adrien's sexuality. That all of these traits could exist in one man at one time is something I can absolutely buy, but I sometimes felt like Lanyon wasn't quite selling it. That being said, some of this is the result of the point of view (first person Adrien), and given that Jake is an uncommunicative lug (in the grand tradition, natch), that Jake's actions and attitudes would seem a bit unexplained is to be expected (because they are, because we only know what Adrien knows, and Jake isn't telling him what's going on in his head). Further more, important characterizing scenes between Adrien and Jake always feel like there's all kinds of stuff going on under the surface (which is precisely how I think important characterizing scenes should feel). So, I'm back to "I'm not sure what to do with Jake." In all honesty, this is probably fifteen percent "more could have been done to make Jake's characterization consistent" and eighty-five percent "I couldn't turn off my editor brain while reading for fun." In any case, recommended for the writing, characters, wit, and decent mystery.
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LibraryThing member ToniFGMAMTC
4.5 stars
I'm loving this series. I really like how the main character is gay without the whole story being about his gayness. This book is a complete, very interesting mystery with his love life as just one of the factors. Humor and suspense pop up freely. I can't wait to start the next one.
I'm loving this series. I really like how the main character is gay without the whole story being about his gayness. This book is a complete, very interesting mystery with his love life as just one of the factors. Humor and suspense pop up freely. I can't wait to start the next one.
LibraryThing member ToniFGMAMTC
4.5 stars
I'm loving this series. I really like how the main character is gay without the whole story being about his gayness. This book is a complete, very interesting mystery with his love life as just one of the factors. Humor and suspense pop up freely. I can't wait to start the next one.
I'm loving this series. I really like how the main character is gay without the whole story being about his gayness. This book is a complete, very interesting mystery with his love life as just one of the factors. Humor and suspense pop up freely. I can't wait to start the next one.
LibraryThing member Carol420
Poor Ardien is getting a little fed up with his on again off again relationship with Jake Riordan the cop. I share his frustration. If this man was any further in the closet he’d completely disappear. To complicate Ardien’s problems, he’s not doing very well writing the sequel to his first
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sold manuscript. He's getting nowhere in either situation...so he decides to take a break and go to the ranch that his grandmother left him. Who but Ardien would find a dead body in the road the night he arrives? Ardien is the heart and soul of this series even though we are only two books into it. He has no illusions about who or what he is. And he can laugh at himself and find humor in the situations that he finds himself in. He is completely aware of the ridiculousness of his situations. After so long reading Josh Lanyon’s books, I know she always rescues her characters and that there will be a happily after...eventually. Perhaps a good kick in the seat of his pants would help Jake out of his closet...but it does seem that he is making some progress on his closet exit on his own. Show Less
LibraryThing member JorgeousJotts
The romance aspect finally started amounting to something, which was fun. And the story held my interest.
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
2002
ISBN
1902852338 / 9781902852331
Local notes
OCLC = 60
0 local
0 local
Other editions
A Dangerous Thing by Josh Lanyon (Paperback)
A Dangerous Thing by Josh Lanyon (Paperback)