Puzzle For Two

Title: Puzzle for Two

Author: Josh Lanyon

Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing

Release Date: May 27, 2023

Genre(s): M/M PI Mystery

Page Count: 316

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here

Puzzle for Two gives us an improbable case ("Possibly the whole pretend-t0-be-my boyfriend to decoy my maybe suicidal wife thing?") with Zach, a young PI resolved to keep his father's PI agency afloat while fending off creditors as well as his competitor ex-Marine Flint Carey who is determined to buy him out. Never mind that Zach might be a bit too inexperienced, the case stinks to high heaven, and his client is ... unsettling, the $12,000 fee alleviates a lot of Zach's qualms, for now. 

In reading this PI murder mystery, I'm again struck by how beautifully Lanyon creates character. It's in the turn of a phrase, a succinct description, a pause. One really gets a sense of each of the characters here - untried but determined Zach, the unnerving client Alton Beacher, Zach's delightfully quirky sister Brooke with her mad researching skills, Zach's obsessive ex Ben. And Flint Carey is at first defined by Zach's (misguided) perception of him and the way that perception changes bit by bit is a delightfully slow burn. 

I really liked the interplay of all these distinct characters and how the murder / mystery works so well as a classic detective story. And here's hoping that Lanyon decides to continue this series! 4 stars.

I received an ARC from the author, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Death at the Deep Dive (Secrets and Scrabble #7)

Title: Death at the Deep Dive (Secrets and Scrabble series #7)

Author: Josh Lanyon

Publisher: JustJoshin Publications

Release Date: August 14, 2022

Genre(s): Cozy M/M Mystery

Page Count: 199

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here

This latest installment in the Secrets and Scrabble series is one of my series favorites. In Ellery's brief time in Pirate Cove, he's built up the Crow's Nest bookstore with the able help of his assistant manager / sleuth Nora Sweeney, is restoring his ramshackle Victorian gothic mansion, gotten the pretty much perfectly dreamy boyfriend - Police Chief Jack Carson - and has been involved in far, far too many murders. 

Buck Island's history is a rich melange of pirating and sunken treasure, with the Shandy family featuring prominently. Vernon Shandy has been missing for almost 60 years, and with Ellery's discovery of a sack of Spanish coins, it appears that Vernon did find the famed Blood Red Rose treasure. Ellery believes that Vernon was murdered and Vernon's sister Vera tasks him with solving the murder, offering up a list of suspects, including Ellery's great aunt Eudora. 

Ellery's great aunt Eudora Page has always been in the background of the series, mostly as the vehicle to bring Ellery to the island by willing him the bookstore and mansion, the Captain's Seat. But here we finally get to meet Eudora - as an young attractive woman in 1963. We've grown to love the village of Pirate's Cove and Bucks Island and its residents and in solving the mystery, we poignantly learn Eudora's dreams and her sadness. 

And in the end, the perfectly dreamy Jack Carson comes through with a perfectly romantic scene, and I am left to look forward to the (final?) installment in the series where we meet Jack's parents?? Learn if Ellery returns to acting to finance restoring the Captain's Seat? See if Jack finally learns to cook?? 4.5 stars. 

I received an ARC from the author, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

44.1644 North

Title: 44.1644 North

Author: Josh Lanyon

Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing

Release Date: February 9, 2023

Genre(s): Murder/Mystery, M/M

Page Count: 142

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here

I find Josh Lanyon's take on this true-crime mystery fascinating. This 140+ page novella uses the framework of an annual gathering at the site of a 20-year-old fictional disappearance of a young woman (Deidre O'Donnell) in a small New Hampshire town in order to discuss the real 2004 disappearance of Maura Murray.

Our MC Skylar Brennan is a podcast host who has a degree in criminal justice and teaches courses in criminology, and as such is a step above the "murder and makeup" crowd or the two "documentary" makers whose research consisted of visiting strip clubs in Montreal. All the usual suspects are discussed - it's the boyfriend, the father, the local creepy-guy, someone in the police department, it's the supposed mysterious passenger in the car, ad naseum. 

Lanyon does an exceptional job of examining Deidre's character (and by extension Maura's) and putting her actions into a context that seems logical and entirely possible. And at the end of the story (and a somewhat hurried heart-stopping resolution), it's jarring to get a fictional solution to a fictional case, while we may never know what actually happened in the case of Maura Murray. 

And because this is Josh Lanyon - we get a hurried but sweet start of a relationship between Skylar and Rory who is sent to investigate the case on the behest of (the unnamed in the book) BAU Chief Sam Kennedy. 

4 stars for a very poignant take on a true-crime story.

I received an ARC from the author, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Hide and Seek

Title: Hide and Seek 

Author: Josh Lanyon 

Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing

Release Date: October 19, 2022 

Genre(s): M/M Romance, M/M Mystery 

Page Count: 305 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here

I devoured this book in one sitting because, bottom line, I am a total sucker for second chance romance. 

And this story of Andy returning to the appropriately-named Safehaven to help out his injured great uncle Cuthbert and reconnecting with his first love, bad boy Quinn Rafferty, fits the bill.  

Leaving an abusive ex-cop boyfriend, Andy returns to Safehaven to tend the antiques shop "Time in a Bottle" while Uncle Cuthbert lies in a coma, the victim of a savage beating in connection with a break-in. There are a few obvious suspects - the deliciously dysfunctional couple Clark and Fleur Skylar - and as the break-ins continue, the mystery grows. 

When Quinn Rafferty disappeared one night (when he was 18 and Andy was 16), Andy believed him dead ...

"Because otherwise why wouldn't Quinn have let him know where he was? Why wouldn't Quinn have told Andy what was going on? After everything - after what they had meant to each other -  But it turned out Andy had been as wrong about that as all the rest of it. Clearly, Quinn had not felt the same."

Sometimes the bad boy is just a messed-up kid who doesn't know where to turn. And sometimes that kid becomes (how can I say this ....) an "international man of mystery" which works for the story but lets Quinn off the hook in a way by too quickly encapsulating what made Quinn the man he is today.

In any case, Andy finally solves the mystery which has led us through a tantalizing array of suspects and motives.  I suspect some readers are not going to be as forgiving of Quinn; however, the mystery kept my interest throughout and c'mon, the bad boy and a geeky museum curator get back together. 4 stars.

I received an ARC from the author, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

The Movie-Town Murders (The Art of Murder series, #5)

Title: The Movie-Town Murders (The Art of Murder, #5)

Author: Josh Lanyon

Publisher: JustJoshin Publications

Release Date: May 30, 2022

Genre(s): Murder / Mystery

Page Count: 227

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here

It has been so long since I read the fourth book in this series, The Monuments Men Murders, that I went back and did a quick reread of the entire series just to get to the point where I could recall enough of the overlying plot in order to read this latest book.

Lanyon has done a pretty remarkable job of making Sam and Jason's relationship an intensely-felt relationship that leans heavily on the longing and light on the actual boots-on-the-ground aspect, yet to me it still feels intriguing and dynamic. I really like their arc and like where they are at this place in the series. 

However, the murder mystery here is not as captivating as others in the series, and while I appreciated Jason's professorial attempts, everything felt a bit too long, a bit too convoluted and by the time I got to the end, I had a moment where a character was murdered ... and I couldn't immediately recall who the victim was, and the final pages left me with a sense of wait, what? rather than anticipation for the next book in the series. 

HOWEVER, I feel that once the next book is released, I will (hopefully) get a better sense of how everything plays out based on what we learned in this book in the series, which seems more of a transitional book instead of a clear stand-alone book. 3.5 stars. 

I received an ARC from the author via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Body at Buccaneer's Bay (Secrets and Scrabble #5)

Title: Body at Buccaneer's Bay (Secrets and Scrabble #5)

Author: Josh Lanyon

Publisher: Just Joshin Publishing

Release Date: December 18, 2021

Genre(s): M/M Cozy Mystery

Page Count: 223

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here

While diving an old shipwreck, Ellery and Jack find a dead body - hardly a surprise anymore due to Ellery's proclivity for murder and mayhem on Buck Island - however, this one is in an old-fashioned diving suit and there are no outstanding missing person reports. And all this in the midst of Buck Island's annual Race Week.

And yet all this faded into the background for me personally as I was enthralled by Jack finally meeting Ellery's parents, a resolution of sorts in the feud between Nora and Kingston Peabody at the Crow's Nest bookstore, Jack meeting one of his exes, Watson's continuing doggy antics, and most importantly the comfortable domesticity between Jack and Ellery: 

"Hey, I've been thinking about what you were saying last night," Ellery leaned against the counter, watching Jack pour coffee into two mugs.

Jack threw him a quick look.

"Er, not that," Ellery said hastily, "Although, yes, that. For sure." 

Jack bit back a smile. Then his brows rose and he held up Ellery's I woke up like this Disney Princess mug.

And not to mention, the news that Christopher Holmes (from Lanyon's excellent Holmes & Moriarity series) will be coming to the Crow's Nest for a book tour.  Or as Nora and Ellery discuss (excerpts from their conversation):

"Christopher Holmes." 

"Never heard of him."

"He wants to come here? Won't any other bookstores let him sign?"

Nora didn't bother denying it was an odd choice.

"He must be crazy."

"Probably."

"Well, I mean, if he wants to come, okay," Ellery said reluctantly.

Nora murmured, "I'll let them know how thrilled we are."

In the midst of all this, I must admit the murder mystery plot had a lot of competition! This is such an enjoyable series that I anxiously await the next two books (slated for publication in 2022)  in the series.  Keep 'em coming!

I received an ARC from the author, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Shadows Left Behind: An Historical Mysteries Box Set

Title: Shadows Left Behind: An Historical Mysteries Box Set 

Author: Josh Lanyon 

Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing 

Release Date: April 2, 2021 

Genre(s): M/M Historical, Mystery, Romance 

Page Count: 524 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

 

Read book blurb here 

"Shadows Left Behind" is a set of five historical mysteries ranging from WWI to post-WWII. 1916 to 1948. I've always enjoyed Lanyon's historicals because the characters feel true to the era and she does an excellent job of giving us the time period without too many extraneous details. 

Overall, I would give this collection 4 stars, with some stories a bit higher and others lower: 

Out of the Blue (1916) - Set in WWI, with planes dogfighting above the trenches and the staggering loss of life, two pilots meet because of a murder and its cover-up. I had a niggle about the way Lanyon develops the relationship between Bat and Cowboy and how its beginning is somewhat creepy and nonconsensual (due to blackmail) but she captures the feeling of grabbing life and love, while know that any day could be their last. 3.5 stars. 

The Dark Farewell (1922) - Set in Illinois during the Prohibition, reporter David Flynn meets Julian Devereaux, a traveling spiritualist / medium and it doesn't take a crystal ball to see that Julian is very attracted to David, and vice versa. Throw in a series of murders in the area, a traveling salesman, a death in the boarding house, labor unrest, hot nights and cool jazz, and this compelling story definitely held my interest .... until the final chapter where the story is way too quickly resolved. 4 stars. 

This Rough Magic (1935) - A great setting and two intriguing main characters (PI Neil Patrick Rafferty, and the upper crust Brett Sheridan) but where it falls apart, IMHO, is all the characters - there's Brett's sister and her tragically dead fiance, her relationship with a shady character, the stepmother with a mysterious past, Brett's delusional family and his shoplifting / piano playing sister, the wacky father and his love of Etruscan art, the siblings named Sebastian and Viola (and their dearly departed brother .... Hamlet) .... sigh. 3 stars. 

Slay Ride (1943): This story was a bit uneven, with a far-too long car chase and hostage / robbery / murder situation, which is quickly wrapped up with a single newspaper article and a short epilogue. But the relationship between Police Chief Rob Garrett and young reporter Jamie Johnson is very well-done. 3.5 stars. 

Murder Between the Pages (1948): This is my favorite story in the collection, an entertaining "locked room" mystery, set in 1948 or so, with two crime writers who hate each other with a passion, and in the process of solving a crime find themselves begrudgingly falling in love. Lanyon gives us two men who survived the war - one in the OSS and the other as a pilot - but still miss the excitement, and having a purpose. 4.5 stars. 

I received an ARC from the author, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Requiem for Mr. Busybody

Title: Requiem for Mr. Busybody 

Author: Josh Lanyon 

Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing, Inc. 

Release Date: October 28, 2020 

Genre(s): M/M Murder Mystery 

Page Count: 50 

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here

It was .... okay. I mean, it was a good book and no one writes "former lovers reconnecting and finally getting it right" better than Josh Lanyon and as always, I adore the way she slowly unfolds their collective past and gives them a second chance. But did it move me, and will I remember what the plot was when I look back on my 2020 book list? Nope, sorry. 3.5 stars.

Scandal at the Salty Dog (Secrets and Scrabble #4)

Title: Scandal at the Salty Dog (Secrets and Scrabble #4) 

Author: Josh Lanyon 

Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing 

Release Date: May 31, 2021 

Genre(s): M/M Cozy Mystery 

Page Count: 196 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here

Lanyon's Secrets and Scrabble series continues to be utterly charming, fortified with murder, mystery .... and pirates.  It's pretty much the ideal trifecta, in my opinion.  

This book gives us a little bit of this, a dab of that, and it feels like catching up on old friends. There's the very attractive Dr. Mane at the Med Center, Nora and the Silver Sleuths are afoot, Ellery is reluctantly looking for a new employee at the Crow's Nest and then there's Jack ...

The thought of Jack made Ellery smile, but the thing between them still felt so new, so fragile, he didn't want to ... handle it too much. Didn't want to overthink it. but so far so good. In fact, so much better than he had even hoped.

And it turns out Buck Island has another secret - pirate tunnels! - and these tunnels, a holdover from pirate days and a handy place for stowing illegal loot, play a part in the mystery of how food is disappearing from the Salty Dog kitchen. In addition, elderly recluse Juliet Blackwell claims to see the ghost of legendary pirate Rufus Blackwell, and Ellery wonders if the "ghost" is using the pirate tunnels.  

Yes, Ellery is once again reluctantly involved in solving mysteries, and while I didn't personally find this murder mystery gripping, I'm looking forward to getting to know Ellery's new employee, wonder what Nora will next find to investigate, hope Dr. Mane doesn't get in the way of Jack and Ellery's budding relationship, and can't wait for their next adventure.  4 stars. 

I received an ARC from the author, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Come Unto These Yellow Sands

Title: Come Unto These Yellow Sands 

Author: Josh Lanyon 

 Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing 

Release Date: May 31, 2021 (reissue) 

Genre(s): M/M Murder Mystery 

Page Count: 161 

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here 

What a difference a reread makes. I had enormously liked this novella the first time I read it several years ago.  FYI, the book was originally published in 2011 and this is a reissue.  This second time ... I was gobsmacked by it. 

Swift, the only child of two literary icons, had nearly every moment of his childhood documented in film and poetry. "It was a peculiar thing to grow up in the public eye. It was a still weirder thing to serve as the living, breathing form of inspiration for two of the greatest poets in North America." [...] No wonder Swift had been doing drugs by the time he was seventeen. 

That drug addiction nearly killed him, left him estranged from his mother, mourning the death of his adored father and denied access to his trust fund. "There was nothing like having friends, family and your health-care professionals go on the record that they did not believe you were (or ever would be) competent to manage your own business affairs - and then having a judge agree." 

But Swift has hung onto his sobriety by the skin of his teeth, and his relationship with Max - Police Chief Max Prescott - has kept him grounded (and very sexually satisfied). But when one of his students, a battered and bruised Tad Corelli, asks for help and a place to get away for a while, Swift gives him aid ... only to learn that Tad's father has been murdered and that his actions of helping Tad evade arrest may have severed his relationship with Max forever. 

Sure, the murder keeps the drama going, but at the heart of the story is Swift and the theme of perception. Swift thinks his relationship with Max is casual yet he wants so much more, Swift was unaware that his job at the university at times had been hanging by a thread, Swift has a real problem understanding how he is perceived by others, there is the perception by some that Swift will always be nothing more than addict, and the murder mystery hinges on perceptions about various suspects that are encouraged by someone. We have conscious and unconscious perceptions about others that color the facts and can hide the truth. 

The more I think of this book, the more it becomes. It is really a touching story about a man living with addiction and finding the one person who can see beyond preconceptions and really be there for him and love him. 5 stars all the way. 

I received an ARC from the author, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Bell, Book and Scandal (Bedknobs and Broomsticks #3)

Title: Bell, Book and Scandal (Bedknobs and Broomsticks series, Book #3) 

Author: Josh Lanyon 

Publisher: JustJoshin Publications 

Release Date: March 30, 2021 

Genre(s): Page Count: 204 

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here

There is something intriguingly indefinable about the relationship between the staid pragmatic police commissioner John Galbraith and the sauve French speaking (witch) Craft royalty, Cosmo Saville. 

 Meeting up again with Cosmo and John Galbraith is like reconnecting with old friends .... if one were the pragmatic San Francisco police commissioner and the other was involved in unearthing his sister-in-law's blackmailer, saving his Maman from charges of treason from the high council of Societe du Sortilege and (big breath ...) running from a levitating blind GramMa shedding unfocused magic like a telephone transformer about to blow. Whew ... 

Again, there is plenty to admire about this series - the universe Lanyon has created with the uneasy coexistence between mortals and member of the Craft, the underlying murder mystery, and the incredible collection of characters, events, and intertwining relationships that make absolute sense when reading the book .... and are about impossible to summarize in a coherent manner. 

At the core of the story is the unlikely love story - and sizzling sexual dynamic - between John and Cosmo and finally, after all the struggles through the series, they are on the same page:

"Hell, yes, it's my job," John said impatiently. "It's my job to protect you. To love, cherish, and protect you. That's what I signed on for."

"But it's my job, too, " I said. "To love, cherish, and protect you. And I hate that I keep doing things that put you in the position of having to go against what you think is right just to keep my secrets safe. You don't even like secrets."

"You think he doesn't have secrets?" Phelon said with sudden poisonous softness.

Ah, right there. That's why I love this series. After three books, Lanyon continues to dole out tempting tidbits about John's nightmares, about Cosmo's terrifying past-life regressions (?), the struggle between elements in the Craft world and so much more ... and it all fits together into this wonderfully created universe. 4.5 stars. 

I received an ARC from the author, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I Buried a Witch (Bedknobs and Broomsticks #2)

Title: I Buried a Witch (Bedknobs and Broomsticks, #2) 

Author: Josh Lanyon 

Publisher: JustJoshin Publications 

Release Date: November 30, 2019

Genre(s): Paranormal Romance, Murder/Mystery/Magic

Page Count: 248

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here 

"Mainly by Moonlight," the first book in Josh Lanyon's new Bedknobs and Broomsticks series was more of a whirlwind introduction to the unlikely marriage between stoic police commissioner John and glittery antique store owner / cocktail cupcake creater Cosmo. In between magical spells and a murder, Cosmo blythly ignores the warning signs that perhaps wedding John without full disclosure is not going to turn out well. 

As "I Buried a Witch" progresses, it becomes a case of that traditional adage "Marry in haste, repent in leisure" as their marriage goes off the rails, and Cosmo realizes he has no one to blame but himself. It's a more mature feel to this book - less frivilous and more hard reality about love NOT conquering all. We get more insight into John as well: 

The ability to negotiate a hard bargain is the ability to walk away from a bad deal. John - it was right there in the fierce lines of his face, in the steely gleam of his eyes - was prepared - always prepared - to walk away. I was not. Could not even contemplate it. Not then. In those four minutes I learned more about him than I'd learned in four weeks ...

As Cos comes to an epiphany about his relationship, the underlying murder mystery continues and deepens as a possible serial killer called The Witch Killer is introduced, who may be connected to the Reitherman murder from "Mainly by Moonlight." And while the murder cauldron is boiling away, there is plenty of steam between John and Cos, with several scenes illustrating why their unlikely relationship works so well ... at least in bed. 

Lanyon keeps our interest in the ongoing murder investigations, while amping up the relationship between Cos and John, giving it more texture and depth. I'm looking forward to the third book in this series and give "I Buried a Witch" 4.5 stars.

I received an ARC from the author, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Mystery at the Masquerade (Secrets and Scrabble #3)

Title: Mystery at the Masquerade (Secrets and Scrabble #3)

Author: Josh Lanyon

Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing

Release Date: February 28, 2021

Genre(s): M/M Cozy Mystery

Page Count: 219

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 

Read book blurb here

This third installment in John Lanyon's new cozy mystery series was unexpectedly published in early 2021, ahead of schedule, and it is a welcome ray of sunshine (and murder).  

Ellery and Jack, Buck Island's gorgeous police chief, are still friends .... just friends, no benefits. They share an easy casual friendship involving sanding, sawing and plenty of other home repairs at Ellery's decaying Dutch Renaissance style mansion, but anything beyond that involves the two men warily circling around any sort of actual involvement. 

But an unexpected invitation to the annual Marauder's Masquerade at Bloodworth Manor puts Ellery in the middle of a murder in a mausoleum, with plenty of suspects and intrigue. Of course, Nora finds the murder a bit too convoluted. 

"A hard shove down the stairs, a balcony railing giving way," Nora was saying dreamily. "That how you do it."

"Sometimes you scare me," Ellery remarked.

Don't get me wrong - like Nora, I simply adore a good old-fashioned murder mystery, and while the mystery here is interesting, well-written and completely gripping, I think I actually squealed in delight at the very G-rated, yet nicely steamy debut of some perhaps more-than-friendly benefits between Ellery and Jack.  4 stars for "Mystery at the Masquerade."

I received an ARC from the author, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Secret at Skull House (Secrets and Scrabble #2)

Title: Secret at Skull House
Author: Josh Lanyon
Publisher: JustJoshin Publications
Release Date: April 28, 2020
Genre(s): M/M Cozy Mystery
Page Count: 208
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Read book blurb here

This second book in Josh Lanyon's M/M cozy mystery series is a delight. While the first book understandably spent a lot of time introducing the town of Pirate's Cove and its quirky murderous townsfolk, this book focuses more on the slow-burn relationship between Ellery Page and Police Chief Jack Carson.

For a "no sex, no gore" genre, Lanyon manages to pack in a lot of sexual tension and possibilities, as well as one of Ellery's ex-boyfriends, Brandon Abbott who buys Skull House, and promptly ends up murdered. Brandon is a strange character and not particularly fleshed-out, but he serves as a good device to uncover a set of unsolved murders from twenty years ago that may be linked to Brandon's murder.

Maybe it's me, but the murder mystery didn't particularly grab me, but I will definitely look forward to the next book in the series, if only to find out what's going on with Jack and Ellery. 4 stars.

I received an ARC from the author, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Murder at Pirate's Cove (Secrets and Scrabble #1)

Title: Murder at Pirate's Cove (Secrets and Scrabble #1)
Author: Josh Lanyon
Publisher: JustJoshin Publications
Release Date: February 29, 2020
Genre(s): Cozy M/M Mystery
Page Count: 206
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Read book blurb here

Charming. That's the word that keeps popping to mind in reading this first book in Josh Lanyon's new cozy mystery series. We meet Ellery Page, brought to a small seaside town due to an unexpected inheritance he received from his great-great-great aunt Eudora. He's now the opener of a dilipated house and bookstore, the Crow's Nest, in Pirate's Cove, Rhode Island.

When a body is found in the Crow's Nest, Ellery is understandably horrified to learn he is Police Chief Jack Carson's prime suspect.  This is a cozy mystery - so by definition there is no gore and no sex - but Lanyon gives us a wonderfully tantalizing character in Police Chief Jack Carson:

 "a ruggedly handsome six foot, one hundred and ninety-plus pounds of gainfully employed eligible male ... [Ellery] had been pretty sure Carson had a secret that would deeply disappoint the ladies of Pirate's Cove." 

We are introduced to the community and its residents on the way to solving the crimes, along with some well-crafted red herrings, and I did not figure out the murderer until near the end, so it definitely held my interest.  Ellery is an interesting character and I relish learning more about him and also really like how Lanyon teases the possibility of a romance between Jack Carson and Ellery.

I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Secret at Skull House, due at the end of March.  4.5 stars.

I received an ARC from the author, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Stranger in the House

Title: Stranger in the House
Author: Josh Lanyon
Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing
Release Date: February 18, 2020
Genre(s): Mystery / Suspense
Page Count: 114
Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Read book blurb here

American schoolteacher Miles Tuesday is stunned to learn he has inherited a huge mansion in Montreal from his mother's close friend Madame Martel. Miles also can't figure out why he received this $9M inheritance rather than Madame's two sons, Oliver and Linley. As a young boy, Miles had a terrible crush on Linley, and was devastated to have Linley destroy his dreams of becoming a painter, telling Miles he just didn't see that spark in his paintings.

I've been on a bit of a Josh Lanyon kick lately, but this novella did not work for me personally. At around 110 pages, too much is devoted to creating the situation and the setting IMHO. Miles can't figure out why he inherited, and honestly, even at the end of the novella, we readers are equally unsure. The mysterious / vaguely paranormal elements are tossed around as window dressing and the mystery is lightly-fleshed out and quickly solved in a matter of pages.

I would have liked more in-depth character development of Miles and Linley and because we don't really know these characters, their romance feels .... shallow? Again, this is only my opinion and Your Mileage May Vary. 3 stars for "Stranger in the House."

Mummy Dearest (The XOXO Files #1)

Title: Mummy Dearest (The XOXO Files #1)
Author: Josh Lanyon
Publisher: JustJoshin Publications
Release Date: September 12, 2019 (Reissued February 12, 2020)
Genre(s): Mystery / Suspense
Page Count: 100
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Read book blurb here

Professor Drew Larson is trapped in the jaws of "publish or perish" needing to authenticate what may be an Egyptian mummy in a small Wyoming museum. His boyfriend and boss ("a 55 year old anthropologist whose idea of a rip-roaring time is his mother’s garden party," but, hey, he happens to look like George Clooney) is expecting him back in San Francisco in 24 hours.

But Drew's plans are sidelined by Fraser Fortune and his film crew who have plans of their own. Fraser is host of:

“The Mysterious. It’s only one of the top-rated documentary series on TV right now.”

I snorted. “You mean that thing where they supposedly investigate ancient, weird or paranormal phenomenon and then wrap it all up in half an hour for the at-home viewers?”

“Yeah. That long-running, top-rated, award-winning thing that I produce, write and host.”

What follows is a fun romp involving a Halloween curse, a museum mystery and the start of a deliciously sexy relationship between Fraser and Drew.

"Mummy Dearest" was reissued in the fall of 2019 and the second book in the series, "Bite Club," is in the works. I'm looking forward to reading more about Fraser and Drew and their next adventure! 4 stars.

The Ghost Had an Early Check-Out (The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks #2)

Title: The Ghost Had an Early Check-out
Author: Josh Lanyon
Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing, Inc.
Release Date: December 18, 2018
Genre(s): Murder / Mystery
Page Count: 184
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Read book blurb here

Aspiring artist Perry and ex-navy SEAL turned PI Nick have moved from Vermont to California for a fresh start together, but just like in "The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks" somehow they are still managing to encounter possibly ghost-related murders in mysterious circumstances.

Perry is sketching Angel's Rest - a wonderfully creepy overgrown former hotel owned by famous horror film star Horace Daly - when he hears screams and ends up rescuing Horace Daly from three masked men wearing capes and carrying wooden swords. Kind-hearted Perry offers to help Horace solve the mystery of who is trying to kill him, and he returns for the weekend with his boyfriend Nick in tow.

The Monuments Men Murders (The Art of Murder #4)

Title: The Monuments Men Murders: The Art of Murder 4
Author: Josh Lanyon
Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing
Release Date: June 30, 2019
Genre(s): Murder / Mystery
Page Count: 199
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Blurb: Read book blurb on here

Lanyon gives us a compelling story here, combining the mystery of Nazi-plundered art treasures (and the possibility that Jason's beloved grandfather was involved in illegal theft) with the continuing arc of Jason and Sam's relationship. Jason is passionate about proving that his grandfather had nothing to do with the misappropriation of a Vermeer painting worth millions and he is willing to flaunt FBI rules and regulations to do so.

Jason's adamant misguided insistence in lying made me crazy, (and I spent far too much time yelling at my Kindle).

Mainly by Moonlight (Bedknobs and Broomsticks #1)

Title: Mainly by Moonlight: Bedknobs and Broomsticks 1
Author: Josh Lanyon
Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing, Inc.
Release Date: August 1, 2019
Genre(s): Paranormal Romance, Murder/Mystery/Magic
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Blurb: Read book blurb here

A San Francisco Police Comissioner with a Scottish surname? Check. Coupled with a sexy partner / fiance considerably younger than him? Check. Murder, mystery and mayhem ensue as they get involved in solving crimes? Yup, another Check. Oh, and the young fiance practices The Craft (Witch, that is) occasionally and has a family of quirky crafty characters. I quickly got a "McMillan & Wife / Bewitched" vibe from this tale, and had to laugh when reading Josh's authors note: "I wanted to write something perhaps a little light and more romantic than I typically do - a cozy, sexy mystery with, er, witches - sort of like Bewitched meets McMillan and Wife meets Josh Lanyon."

Kudos to Lanyon for the seamless world-building that quickly draws us into the realm of witchcraft, with Cosmo Saville being the heir to the esteemed Abracadantes line. After a positively whirlwind romance (fueled by a love spell, unknown to Cosmo), Cosmo finds himself 2 days away from his wedding, embroiled in a magic-related murder mystery and desperately hoping that his fiance John will come to love him on his own.