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kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
My Take
Oh, this was just so bittersweet! Bitter in the aftermath of a love affair when you're so angry that you cut all ties. Sweet in its progress and ending.
I do so love Lanyon's Adrien English. He's a sweet guy suffering all the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune in his overprotective and well-meaning mother; his newly acquired, overly interested stepsisters; and, Jake re-entering his life through yet another murder.
And it seems that Adrien is going to take arms against this sea of troubles which will indeed lead to a consummation devoutly wished. He certainly has plenty of food for thought with the revelations from Paul Kane, Jake's attempts to talk to him, and his family's excessive interest in his health.
Adrien's still trying to understand his new stepsibs. As he points out, they're "the nicest family in the world" and he's just not used to people who are actually interested and...nice??
I love Lanyon's writing as well. He's interesting and pulls you right in with his characters---I want to say larger-than-life, but they're not. They are simply interesting and intelligent people with their own quirks and personalities. They live everyday lives that just happen to include murder. The relationships he creates are true to life with all the ups and downs. The anger and frustration. The inability to let go. The pride. Then there are the snarky, literary comments. Too funny!
I can't help wanting to know what happens next and I so want Adrien and Jake to get back together again.
The Story
Excited, but cautious about his first novel being optioned for a film, Adrien is enduring a luncheon with the Hollywood crowd who will be involved. Only to realize his past experience with murder will come in handy yet again when one of the guests falls over dead in his vichyssoise.
It's a shock to see Jake again and somewhat less of a shock to realize Jake knows Paul Kane. Luckily, Adrien's previous experiences have him prepared for the police interrogations to come.
What he's not prepared for is Jake.
The Characters
Adrien English is recovering from a severe bout of pneumonia and it's created problems for his weakened heart. He's currently in a two-year relationship with Guy Snowden, the professor he met in Hell You Say.
Lisa is his newly re-married mother. She's always been worried about Adrien's heart after that bout he had with rheumatic fever when he was sixteen. The marriage has brought him three new sisters: Lauren is the oldest and married to Beavis; Natalie is the middle sister (she has horrible taste in boyfriends) and now works for Adrien at his bookstore, Cloak and Dagger Books; and, Emma is his favorite and he indulges her with riding lessons. Councilman Bill Dauten is the new hubby.
Lieutenant Jake Riordan is with the LAPD and a Dominant indulging in BDSM with some of his male lovers. He has been married to Kate for two years, although Kate had a miscarriage. Still Jake is determined to have a family and since Adrien refuses to acknowledge him…
Detective Alonzo is in charge of the murder case and, pardon the pun, has a real hard-on for Adrien and then his lieutenant. To the point that he's ridiculous.
Luncheon guests include:
Porter Jones is a wealthy investor in the movies, Paul Kane is an accomplished British actor who swings both ways, and Al January is a screenwriter. All three men have a long history together of pleasure and work. Valarie Rose is the potential director for Adrien's book, Murder Will Out. Ally Beaton-Jones is Porter's gold digger wife. Nina Hawthorne was the caterer and she had a history with both Porter and Paul.
Neither Dr. Cardigan nor Mr. Gracen seem to understand client confidentiality. Peter Verlane has been sprung from the Tehachapi California Correctional Institution. Seems someone was speaking up for him. Now he's drawing a line in the sand with Adrien. Marla Vicenza is the first Mrs. Porter Jones. Mr. Markopoulos of Markopoulos Investigations is a private investigator hired by Porter.
Catching Up
Detective Paul Chan, Jake's former homicide partner, is still attending the Partners in Crime author group that meets in Cloak and Dagger Books. He's worried about Jake and Adrien and he's disappointed that all the book publishers he's contacted aren't interested in a real look at police procedure. The Finches however have got an agent for their monstrosity much to Adrien's dismay.
The Cover
The lurid cover is a collage of Hollywood icons from film strip to clapper, the Hollywood sign wavering in the background, and the pirate king slashing his way to victory.
The title is so very appropriate as it does lead to the metaphorical Death of a Pirate King.
a_reader_obsessed's review against another edition
4.0
It seemed at times, I felt sorry for everyone.
Spoiler
Sorry for Adrien for his inner turmoil. He was in a bit of denial for settling for Guy. Of course there's a little self loathing for still wanting a man who has hurt him so deeply. Despite that he just can't seem to stay away or say no for forever.Sorry for Guy for knowing he can't measure up. Will never measure up. He witnesses helplessly as Adrien slips through his fingers.
And then there's Jake. He continues to hold steadfast to a dream that has become unattainable. He's still afraid to come out, understandably fearing great personal and professional loss. At the same time, he too, can't let go of the past. Funny how the saying "you can't have your cake and eat it too" was so appropriately applied to his delusions.
Of course the romantic in me swooned, while the cynic wanted to break furniture on a grand scale. Lanyon as always, is so succinct and sharp. Adrien's snark is more caustic and shrewd, hitting its target with precision. I wanted so much more between these two; I wanted pages of dialogue and proclamations. But that's not Adrien; that's definitely not Jake. So instead I got a forced grand gesture and in typical Lanyon fashion, an epic abrupt ending - and I'm still left reeling.
bhookjunkhie's review against another edition
5.0
sarah_fodots's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
gryvon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mehtahussain's review against another edition
5.0
I love a slow burn romance. Painful, agonizing, tentative, long slow burns. That's a big part of why this book worked so well for me (and the buildup in the previous three books leading up to it).
I felt kind of meh about [b:Fatal Shadows|1274861|Fatal Shadows (The Adrien English Mysteries, #1)|Josh Lanyon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1363734106l/1274861._SY75_.jpg|2815045], the first book in this series. There was basically no romance (yes, that's how slow burn this series' romance is), and Jake Riordan was the biggest asshole love interest I had encountered in recent memory. BUT that all changes in this book, and the change is not abrupt. There was lead up, everything was believable, and most importantly, though Adrien and Jake still aren't together (told you I love a painful slow burn) the relationship between them is so multifaceted and nuanced that it has me in a chokehold.
Josh Lanyon has a way with writing relationships that's so achingly torturous for the readers in best way possible, and so god damn human. Seriously, none of the characters make the right decisions all the time, the same way no human ever does, and even when I feel frustrated, I understand why the characters act the way they do. No one is perfect, but they all try. I'm really struggling to put my feelings about this into coherent words, but believe me, the agonizingly (and deliberately) slow development of Jake Riordan as a character and love interest is fan-fucking-tastic.
Also, this is the first book in the series so far where I was actually engaged in the mystery (BECAUSE THAT ENDING THOUGH. WOW.) and that in conjunction with Adrien and Jake's tentative and rocky relationship reaching a new milestone (which you find out at the very end of the book) just made me feel so giddy and filled with anticipation.
This will not be everyone's cup of tea; not everyone wants such a hyper-realistic and oftentimes dramatic or slow burn relationship development. But for me, this is a new favourite book and I can't WAIT to reread it in the future.
human_once's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
layla87's review against another edition
4.0
Fucking hell. Can you tell I'm mad
scarletcat13's review against another edition
4.0
Spoiler
Poor Adrien has the hardest time with men. a killer, a jerk who used him, and then a guy who didn't seem to ever get what Adrien needed/wanted. Now it seems we're going back to the jerk...I hope Adrien makes him walk over coals before he gets back together with him.patti_pinguin's review against another edition
3.5