Rating: 
Summary: WELCOME TO A NEW GAY LA SLEUTH!
Review: According to the cover of this book FATAL SHADOWS is the first in a new series of Los Angeles murder mysteries featuring Adrien English. Mr. English, who has "heart problems" both physical (tremors) and emotional (near celibacy), owns a small Pasadena book store which has the largest collection of gay and gothic mysteries in Los Angeles.The mystery begins with him becoming the chief suspect in the brutal murder of his life long friend and temporary employee, Robert Hersey. Naturally, (and isn't this always the case) one of the detectives gives him heart tremors (in more ways than one). Soon he finds out that other friends and former classmates are being killed or are already dead. It's obvious that he is the next one on the killer's stab list. Thinking that the police are more interested in proving he is the killer rather than discovering who really is, he sets out to unmask the murderer himself. Adrien, his lifestyle and his world provide interesting possibilities for a new mystery series. I enjoyed Lanyon's witty writing very much and I look forward to future books. However, the author is not well served by the sloppy editing and/or production of the book. I was annoyed by what seemed to be strange typos until I realized that the non-words were really parts of two other words that had been joined together leaving out several lines of the story. It seems that someone should be proofreading the galleys a little closer if they want this series to get off the ground. Actually, I'm my own worst proofreader, so I usually have a friend do it.
Rating:
Summary: Promising Start to a New Mystery Series!
Review: Adrien English was not at his best when the LAPD detectives called in the morning. He was disheveled, coffee-less and didn't feel any better when Detective Riordan informed him that Robert Hersey, his on-again-off-again friend and employee, had been murdered. He also got the distinct impression that he was a prime suspect in the murder. After all, he had dinner with Robert the night before he was murdered and was the last to seem him alive (besides the killer) and he was gay so he must have done it, right? Unfortunately, Adrien was not able to persuade the persistent police that he was not the killer, but they didn't arrest him...yet. Adrien's life only got more complicated from that point as he found himself digging into the murder investigation, trying to clear his name, but always showing up at the wrong time or in the wrong place. He also started receiving threatening phone calls and knew that someone was out to get him. However, when he took his fears to the police and even presented them with a pattern of murders very like Robert's, Detective Riordan refused to give the ravings of a gay prima donna credence. Left on his own, Adrien keeps trying to solve the mystery while fending off creepy news reporter Bruce Green and trying to fight his feelings for the all too attractive Detective Riordan... Fatal Shadows was a fast, fun mystery. I really liked Adrien as a character and enjoyed his sarcastic, wry sense of humor and subtle wit. Detective Riordan was also an interesting character and it is hard to tell what, if anything will happen between the two. The mystery was not rocket science and not very hard to figure out, even though it was a little farfetched and probably would never happen, but, hey, we're talking fiction here, right? If you are looking for something to read in one quick sitting that is entertaining and enjoyable, this is the mystery for you! Also, A Dangerous Thing, the sequel, is even better! I hope that Josh Lanyon keeps going with this series!
Rating:
Summary: Very quick but fun read
Review: Enjoyable read. Its refreshing to have a gay detective (sort of) I will read his other book as well. Just wish it was a bit longer. Read it in a few hours. Fun though.
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable...
Review: I just finished reading Fatal Shadows and found myself saying, "This was a good book!" I ordered Josh Lanyon's next book, A Dangerous Thing, before reading Fatal Shadows, so am now *really* looking forward to it. I liked Adrien's sense of humor. I hope his and Riordan's relationship continue in the next book. I like Lanyon's dialog style of writing. If he had gone mostly narrative, it would have been boring. I would have given the book 5 stars, but the typos were bothersome because you had to re-read some passages in order to figure out what Lanyon was writing. And, the book wasn't long enough. With just 150 pages, it ended way too soon. You wanted to keep reading.
Rating:
Summary: Fun an fast
Review: I liked this book quite a bit. It was fast read (1 day), but kept my interest. I usually read the last chapter, either because a book is going on & on and I'm bored...or I HAVE to know what happens. This one I didn't. Although he didn't develop the suspects' characters a great deal (the forcus is more on the central character), there is enough information that nearly everyone is suspect to one degree or another. Any one of them could have been the culprit in the end. I was so glad the guilty person was ultimately handled the way it was, otherwise I would have felt really very sorry for him. If you aren't looking for something deep and complicated, but still want a nice story and entertained, you'll like it. I was glad I bought the second book at the same time & am looking forward to the next.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad, but too many mistakes
Review: I was up untill 3:30 in the morning reading this book. That's always a good sign. It is fast faced and interesting. There is, however, a huge problem: it is riddled with mistakes. Sentences are missing periods. Words that don't belong are inserted. There is a sentence that has so many mistakes that I had no clue what the author was trying to write. I have never seen a book with so many mistakes in my life. Note to publishing company: Hire a proofreader that can read!
Rating:
Summary: a great read
Review: Just finished Fatal Shadows - staying up late to find out the ending. I highly recommend this book to fans of gay mysteries. be warned, tho, as noted in another review, this book could have used a good proofreader. Not only are there typos, but I got the sense at one point that an entire paragraph (concerning the initial chess piece) was missing. Still, a good book and a fun read. I'm already into the second book.
Rating:
Summary: Good read -- refreshing!
Review: Perhaps the fact that I live in the LA area and was able to pinpoint/recognize many of the landmarks mentioned in the book made the story all the more realistic and/or humorous for me, but I very much enjoyed FATAL SHADOWS. And while I'm not typically a fan of murder mysteries, I had a thoroughly pleasant time reading about Adrien, Claude, Riordan, and even Bruce ^_~ Given the title, the story is appropriately grim, but Adrien's somewhat smart-aleck attitude flavors the book with a typically, cynically LA humor, which, combined with the various hang-ups of the diverse characters, creates a wonderfully colored picture that I wouldn't mind revisiting time and again. Excellent characterization, and a plot that managed to keep me fairly engrossed. Somewhat rough in certain areas, a bit hurried/didn't explain enough in a few places, but while it's not as refined as it could be, the smart personality of the book more than makes up for it.
Rating: 
Summary: Unsatisfying
Review: The book is a reasonably entertaining quick read, at best.
The typos went from mildly annoying to incredibly frustrating as the novel progressed - at two points it seems that sentences, if not paragraphs, have been dropped.
It was the ending, however, which earned this book its low rating. The killer's motive is ridiculous. I don't want to
give anything away here, but I thought that the ending of this story (which I think is meant to be sexy and romantic) is fairly offensive. I'd like to go into more detail as to why, but won't spoil the ending.
Even the most starved gay mystery lover should feel his patience tested by this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Move Over, Hansen and Nava, Here Comes Lanyon
Review: This is a hugely entertaining first book in a proposed new mystery series set in L.A. The mystery
surrounding the brutal murder of a young gay man is deftly and cleanly handled. What makes the
book really go is the narrator, Adrien English, whose best friend and erstwhile lover (sort of)
Robert has been stabbed to death in a Los Angeles alley. Adrien finds himself implicated in the
crime, but, worse, he's being stalked himself by the person who likely killed his buddy. Adrien is a wonderful character and narrator, a real person, unlike some protagonists of more
established and touted series. He's funny without being mean and smart as a tack. This is a smart book, well-paced, sweet, and suspenseful too. What more could one ask for? Well, the second installment. I can't wait for A DANGEROUS THING!
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