A crippling knee injury forced Elliot Mills to trade in his FBI badge for dusty chalkboards and bored college students. Now a history professor at Puget Sound university, the former agent has put his old life behind him-but it seems his old life isn’t finished with him.
A young man has gone missing from campus-and as a favor to a family friend, Elliot agrees to do a little sniffing around. His investigations bring him face-to-face with his former lover, Tucker Lance, the special agent handling the case.
Things ended badly with Tucker, and neither man is ready to back down on the fight that drove them apart. But they have to figure out a way to move beyond their past and work together as more men go missing and Elliot becomes the target in a killer’s obsessive game…
The blurb pretty much explains what the book is about so I’ll just go straight to my thoughts…
Lanyon writes great mysteries, there’s no doubt about it. Like a great mystery should be, the book was like a puzzle that needed to be figured out. With this one I have to admit to not figuring out whodunit until about 3/4 of the way through the story. I loved Elliot’s way of figuring out the parts and pieces to the clues and ruminating over them in his mind or even banking them off of Tucker to get his thoughts.
Then there was Elliot and Tucker.I really liked them together. The tension between the two men was so thick you could cut it with a knife, but I had the distinct impression that Tucker wasn’t quite as over the relationship as Elliot was. Tucker had screwed up when Elliot had gotten shot and some painful words had been spoken, but Elliot wasn’t blameless either and when the two finally talk about what had happened between them it was quite engaging. I think it’s the pure emotion that comes through in the writing that got to me and I could almost feel the pain that they were feeling. This wasn’t your typical romance and I think I liked the book all the more because of that.
Let’s face it, I am a total Lanyon fan. His book, Fatal Shadows, was the first m/m book that I ever read and it hooked me not only to him as a writer but the genre in general. This book rates right up there as one of my favorites so far. (I’ve not read all of his books but I’m working on it!)
(Oh and as a side note, I love, love, love the cover of this book!)
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
I received this book from the publisher
Great book, great cover. All around win! I loved this one, too. 🙂
Looking forward to this one. So many good books out these days. I can't keep up.
I've got this one on my wish list. It sounds great and like you I love the cover.
I'll have to get this. I began the Lanyon experience with the one about killing the publisher. Can't remember the entire title, but have read others of his and agree that he is one incredible writer. Apart from any subject he choses, his expertise rates in the *awesome* range.
Chris – Gotta agree with ya. Great book and beautiful cover.
Tam – I know! They all seem to come out at the same time. 🙂
Lily – The cover's just got something about it that draws me. I love the kind of outdoorsy yet cloak and dagger feel to it.
Judith – It just came out through Carina Press. I think you'll like this one just as much as the others you've read. And yep – I think Josh Lanyon is awesome as well. 🙂
I think it's the pure emotion that comes through in the writing that got to me and I could almost feel the pain that they were feeling.
Tracy – that one line of your review has me itching to read this book. I love emotional development in a book! And I agree the cover is gorgeous. I need to work my way through JL's backlist as I've only read the Adrien English series (which was amazing).
Thank you – fantastic review!
Orannia – Lanyon has that way with emotion that gets me every time. Whether it's the couple is loving or fighting I get into it.
Oh yes, there are quite a few of his backlist that I've read that I think you'll really enjoy. I'm still working on that backlist myself. 🙂
This book is on my radar… it sounds great!
Oh yes, there are quite a few of his backlist that I've read that I think you'll really enjoy.
Ohhhh. *rubs hands with glee*
Hilcia – I think you'll love it.
Orannia – Oh the anticipation! lol
I agree about Lanyon way with emotion – I read this last week…
That scene where Tucker apologies and the kitchen scene with Elliot and his Dad… absolutely near perfect…
Loved it, with some reservations..
E.H>
EH – I really liked the kitchen scene as well. What am I saying? I liked it all. 🙂 I just wish the men would have communicated when everything first went down, but then we wouldn't have had this story, now would we? lol