Adrien gets a fine proposal from actor Paul Kane to make his first novel into a movie which is exactly what gets him smack in the middle of a crime scene when the man sitting across from him in a fancy dinner falls over and dies.. That's when Paul suggests he helps out in the case and since Jake is in charge of the investigation he promises to deal with Jake since as it seems they have been sharing the BDSM scene for the past 5 years (yeah, including the time he and Jake were together..). Adrien agrees, that's his "thing", right? he also can't really stay away from Jake when he is THAT close by even if he is still hurt and angry with him for to many things to count..
His relationship with Guy (the professor he met in the previous book) on the other hand starts to crumble. Guy wants more, but Adrien is unwilling to commit. It's obvious he still has feelings for Jake and it's also obvious something is missing in his relationship with Guy. So when a figure from the past appears on his door step which Adrien can't deal with they are in an impasse.
It was pretty obvious from the start who our villain is, took Adrien long enough though. There's a saying in my mother tongue which roughly translates to "on the the head of the thief the hat burns" I feel in this one it's very fitting. The whole situation puts Jake in a lot of stress, having to decide what to do with Paul and Adrien, both being his lovers, while managing the murder investigation. Trying to hold the police off both of them while can't explaining why he is sure of their innocence. Living a double life starts to put a real strain on his life (I felt like screaming "FINALLY!").
Now I'm really looking forward to reading the next one and see how things are concluded. But I have to say that if I was asked about this series I would suggest starting with this one. Yeah there will be some things that are not explained (enough?) but all in all, if I'd known this series would feel the way it does for me I wouldn't have read it. Adrien is a very weak character, and while it's different (translating - could be a nice change), I can't say I like him that much, Jake is struggling, but we don't even get to hear his POV which I would have appreciated. The romance in general is a very weak point in the books and the mystery is quite obvious mostly. So all you are in for is really great writing that without it I wouldn't be here on the 4th book.. I'm curious about other books by Josh but I'll have to do a better "homework" on it before I start.
Additional Details: Kindle Ebook, 251 pages, 23-25 October 2015 / On GoodReads
ABOUT THIS SERIES
Adrien English is a MM Romantic Suspense series by Josh Lanyon.
The series follows Adrien who is a mystery book store owners as well as
a new writer. Adrien stumbles on crimes too often and since he IS
writing mystery and he IS a very curious guy he also finds himself smack
in the middle of it, and probably accused of the crime himself..
In the first book we are introduced to Jake Riordan a police detective that slowly becomes Adrien's love interest. It doesn't go well at first with Jake being more closeted than a closet can offer.. and yet he sees something in Adrien he can't put aside and so he struggles with his identity and desires and tries to give a true chance to him and Adrien.
The series contains 5 full novels (yet quite short ones) each of a new mystery with an ongoing relationship buildup between Adrien and Jake.
Though this is a well known and generally appreciated series I can't say I truly enjoyed it. For me the suspense was a bit too amateur-ish and the romance was VERY lacking. We get the HEA in the end, but I'm not sure I would have invested in the series knowing what I do know. I should say that the writing is witty and very enjoyable! In one word - Superb! So if you're into amateur sleuthing and not very much into romance it would be right down your ally. The only book I truly recommend is the forth one, but be advised you won't get a HEA but maybe a promise to one. So guess maybe the 4th+5th is the better bet.
Books:
1. Fatal Shadows (Published 1 May 2000) ★★★★
2. A Dangerous Thing (Published 1 November 2001) ★★★½
3. The Hell You Say (Published 6 March 2006) ★★★
4. Death of a Pirate King (Published 13 September 2008) ★★★★
5. The Dark Tide (Published1 December 2009) ★★★
In the first book we are introduced to Jake Riordan a police detective that slowly becomes Adrien's love interest. It doesn't go well at first with Jake being more closeted than a closet can offer.. and yet he sees something in Adrien he can't put aside and so he struggles with his identity and desires and tries to give a true chance to him and Adrien.
The series contains 5 full novels (yet quite short ones) each of a new mystery with an ongoing relationship buildup between Adrien and Jake.
Though this is a well known and generally appreciated series I can't say I truly enjoyed it. For me the suspense was a bit too amateur-ish and the romance was VERY lacking. We get the HEA in the end, but I'm not sure I would have invested in the series knowing what I do know. I should say that the writing is witty and very enjoyable! In one word - Superb! So if you're into amateur sleuthing and not very much into romance it would be right down your ally. The only book I truly recommend is the forth one, but be advised you won't get a HEA but maybe a promise to one. So guess maybe the 4th+5th is the better bet.
Books:
1. Fatal Shadows (Published 1 May 2000) ★★★★
2. A Dangerous Thing (Published 1 November 2001) ★★★½
3. The Hell You Say (Published 6 March 2006) ★★★
4. Death of a Pirate King (Published 13 September 2008) ★★★★
5. The Dark Tide (Published1 December 2009) ★★★
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