Somebody Killed His Editor [Paperback]

Somebody Killed His Editor opens with lots of danger and 'atmosphere'. Armed with his new wardrobe which consists of silk Calvin Klein's underwear and designer outerwear purchased on the advice of his agent Rachel to revamp his frumpy look and writing career, our hero Christopher Holmes (is this a take on Holmes of Sherlock Holmes fame?) is on his way to a writers' conference in Northern California. After abandoning his disabled car close to his destination, he's caught in the driving rain on a bridge that is breaking up and he doesn't know if he will get to safety before it and he fall into the raging torrent below. He barely makes it to the other side in time in his impractical but fashionable Bruno Magli boots. Exhausted, he stops to change his new boots which are ruined, and just when he's congratulating himself on escaping death by the slimmest of margins he comes across the body of a woman who has obviously been murdered, and worse, he gets the feeling that someone is watching him. He rushes out of there as fast as his feet can make it in their uncomfortable new shoes to find the location of the lodge where he and the other authors are supposed to be staying.

When he arrives at his destination, if Christopher thought that at least there would be some relief and good times he's mistaken, because the first attendees he sees other than his agent are his new editor who has him in his sights, Steven "Satan" Krass, and former cop and now best selling author, J.X. Moriarity. Christopher and J.X. had a 'past', having met ten years ago when they had a brief fling but had not seen each other again until the fateful weekend. How the tables have turned in terms of Christopher's and J.X.'s fortunes! When they met all those years ago Christopher was a successful author and J.X was a cop - now Kit (as J.X calls him) is on the outside looking in, a has-been, while J.X. is on top of his game, one of the best selling authors in his field.

In Josh Lanyon's mysteries there are always many suspects who have both motive and opportunity to commit murder and the task of figuring out whodunit is usually not too difficult although he's getting a lot better lately. In Somebody Killed His Editor, to add complexity to the story the main character is the prime suspect. The murder victim is Peaches Sadler, a best selling author who was one of Christopher's biggest critics - strike 1. Just when it seems there's a chance to reignite his stalled writing career, the next victim, Krass, publicly humiliates him; the following morning Christopher finds Krass's body, another murder victim - strike 2. Christopher is soon in the 'protective' custody of J.X. who is the chief investigator of the crime based solely on his past career as a police officer and his take charge attitude. Of the supporting characters, Holmes' agent Rachel and her sidekick and client Espie have a colourful past together which makes for some interesting moments in the book, as their past actions are suspicious and not always above board. Most of the other characters have enough in their former relationships with either victim for them to be considered credible suspects, and figuring out who has the most to gain by murder was an enjoyable task for me.

In typical Lanyon fashion the sex in the book is not the focus of the story nor is there a lot of it and if you read too quickly you might miss a good part of the action :) but what there is turns out to be tender and loving with great dialogue. In terms of the characterizations, neither protag is physically overwhelming although J.X. is certainly charming, charismatic, handsome and successful; Christopher Holmes' character would not set anyone's pulse racing since he's ordinary looking, small statured, middle aged, with no redeeming over the top physical attributes but he's smart, as are most of the author's protags.

The weather is a very important "character" and ambiance in this book as it sets the stage for most of the action. There's nothing like forced togetherness to bring out the worst in people, and in Somebody Killed His Editor this is all too true. Human beings when they know that they can't physically escape immediately from an unpleasant situation tend to act irrationally and drink to excess when under stress, which lowers their inhibitions and they say things that get them into trouble or killed which is the situation here. Many authors of murder mysteries use inclement weather to their advantage and Josh Lanyon manages to squeeze every ounce of tension and danger out of the havoc caused by the storm that trapped 50+ people with no means of egress or ingress.

The prose and dialogue are as wonderful and funny as we have come to expect from this author and here are a few examples -

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," I said as he stepped out of his jeans--and I don't think Superman ever shed his clothes as fast or looked as gorgeous naked. "The sex is nice, but we seem to singe our eyebrows on the afterglow."
I arched up against him, fingers sinking into his back muscles. "That's...nice," I got out.J.X. raised his head. "Nice?" "Nice is highly underrated."

"The problem with murder was that it was contagious. Like eating potato chips, it was hard to stop at one ...."

Somebody Killed His Editor is the first book in a new series by Josh Lanyon - Holmes and Moriarity. Maybe lightning will strike twice and H & M will take the place of the Adrien English series in terms of fan appeal. Book 1 is an excellent start and I'm looking forward to the new adventures of our intrepid pair of authors, turned detectives. One of the keys for any successful series is that even though the plots are very important, readers have to love the characters and be invested in them and I think that Lanyon made brilliant choices in Christopher and J.X.who have great chemistry together. It also doesn't hurt that the sex between them is emotional, funny and hot. Somebody Killed His Editor reminds me in some ways of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, complete with dramatic denouement scene.

This story is told from the 1st person POV, in Christopher's "voice," and I would urge those readers who don't like this technique to give it a try because Lanyon excels in this form of narration. This is a terrific story with great characters. I highly recommend it.

I am a Josh Lanyon reader. I fully admit this. I've been an avid reader of his for years.

Josh consistently hits the story and characters. That's the best way I can put it. I purchased this as a pre-order. I knew it was coming and said that I would finish another book prior to reading this one. So I did. Hit the last page of the other book and said... yeah, that was okay.

Then I read the first page of this one and thought, but damn, this really is a writer.

Josh creates people and places. There are questions and intrigue without it seeming forced. A bit of lightness and mystery blended into something that will keep you turning the page. Or in the Kindle's case, hitting the next page button.

I enjoy reading Holmes and Moriarity. I'm writing this review without even being at the halfway point because it's that good. A different relationship than Adrien and Jake. Also different from the other pairs that he's constructed but very engaging.

I like Christopher Holmes' human-ness. He's less sure of himself than he should be and Moriarity is definitely a good foil.

Very much looking forward to the second half of this book. Thanks Josh. Thanks for writing this.

Christopher Holmes is attending a writers' conference, trying to resurrect his writing career, when he stumbles on a dead body in the woods. The conference takes on an eerie quality now that the news is out and everyone is wondering who killed Peaches. Despite his efforts, Christopher's career is still sliding downhill and now he's wondering if he could be the next victim. To make matters worse, J.X. Moriarity is attending the conference, too. J.X. is an ex-cop turned writer. Christopher and J.X have a little history together and it's repeating itself. With a murderer on the loose, they may never get the chance to see what might have been.

Somebody Killed his Editor is a suspenseful and witty tale. Christopher and J.X. do a good job of tearing each other up emotionally, making their eventual reconciliation that much sweeter. Josh Lanyon's usual blend of intense romantic angst and a cast of colorful characters make Somebody Killed his Editor a real page-turner. What makes Somebody Killed his Editor a little different from Lanyon's previous books is the light-heartedness of the story. The suspense is high, but the investigation is often a lot of fun. Christopher made me laugh a lot. When I read a Josh Lanyon book, I prepare myself for hot guys, a dead body or three, and an unconventional romance. I usually cry before I get my happily-ever-after. And I look forward to it every time!

Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

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