Ok, maybe pigs didn’t exactly fly – my mom, Judith, never actually stated that she’d never read an m/m book. When I told her, which was no small feat for me, that I read m/m books she just kind of looked at me funny without saying anything for a few minutes. Then she said, “well, I guess I wouldn’t mind that as long as it didn’t have too much sex in it.” Whaaaa? Why would I read something like that? lol I never in a million years dreamed that she’d read an m/m. Shows you how wrong I can be, huh? So when we were talking on the phone recently and discussing doing guest reviews on each others blogs the idea struck. How about I ask my mom to review an m/m book? Why the heck not? The worst she could say was HELL no and disown me forever, right? Well, lucky for me, she didn’t. She was slightly hesitant, but game none the less. I chose an author that I love and a book that wasn’t totally raunchy for her first outing and told her to read Somebody Killed His Editor by Josh Lanyon. Without further ado…her review:
Somebody Killed His Editor by Josh Lanyon – A review
Everyone I have ever known has wanted to be a success! From our earliest years we are encouraged to set goals and to project timelines in our lives so that we can “keep track” of what is important and how well we are doing in this process called living. Few people like to think of what may happen when one has reached the pinnacle of success and then must deal with the realities that no one ever stays on top of the mountain forever.
Such is the life situation Christopher Holms finds himself in this fast-paced and intriguing tale, set in the mountains of Northern California, and abounding with characters that boast of jealousy, secrets too embarrassing to relate, past relationships that have gone sour, and so forth. The scenario is reminiscent of the movie “Murder By Death” with the crush of writers, some wanting to succeed, some successful, and some dead. At a conference sporting the usual workshops and focus groups, Christopher is hopefully going to convince his publisher not to remove him from his “stable” of writers. He has been coerced into this meeting by his agent who is one of those “I’m going to succeed if it kills both me and you” kind of women.
In the course of less than two days, the bodies of a best-selling author and Christopher’s editor are found, both of them by him. He immediately becomes the foremost suspect. Add in the presence of a successful, best-selling author, J. X. Moriarity, a former San Francisco cop with whom Christopher shared a long romantic weekend ten years earlier, and the suspense, emotion, acidic repartee make for a wonderful tale full of all the stuff of which great fiction are made.
The dialogue is funny and for persons who make their living as wordsmiths, writers can charm or crucify with fewer words than anyone on the planet. Josh Lanyon characters are full-dimensional and so well developed. There is great writing on every page. Now I love romance and there is a thread of romance running through this story. Christopher’s “committed” relationship with another individual has just ended, one that has been a ten-year-long frustration because his partner has defiled their commitment with repeated infidelities. Now being faced with J. X.’s hurt and disappointment that apparently has never gone away from their involvement a decade earlier, Christopher feels the pressure of not only his soon-to-be-over writing career, but the pull of a deeper emotion and connection with J. X., one that is unexpected to say the least.
I think I love mysteries as much as I love romance literature. Mysteries seem to challenge the reader to run ahead of the author, figure out who the “bad guy” may be, and solve the crime. In this great book romance and mystery junkies have it all. What’s not to like? This is a delightful book and a very, very good read.
Finally, this is the first romance I have read that is a male/male romance. It is not a genre I would have even been aware of until the book was recommended, but having read it, I am struck with the way the author outlined the relationship between Christopher and J. X. — with all the tentative and caring nuances that are a part of any romantic relationship. But it illustrates that love is love, no matter who shares it. There are many straight people who would never read a book containing homosexual love. I am sorry to say that would have been me years ago. But I have grown old watching people and know that genuine caring and loving connection is precious and to be claimed under any circumstances. This romance is not a bawdy, in-your-face, inappropriate recitation of mindless sex. It is a gentle rediscovery to genuine connection and loving that has been let go for too long and is now a future possibility. It is the kind of romance we all hope to have in our lives, one way or the other.
I give this novel a 5 out of 5 rating.
Yep, that’s my mom. Isn’t she great? I may be a little prejudiced but she does write wonderful reviews if I do say so myself. She’s got her own blog Dr J’s Book Place if you want to check out some more of her reviews. And I’m thinking I’ll slowly be able to get her hooked on m/m.