| 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! | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - very upbeat How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given Time/era of story: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 60% Special suspect? - investigator him/herself Misc. Murder Plotlets - Proving innocence of very obvious suspect Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot? descript. of violence and chases - 20 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 20's-30's Profession/status: Eccentric: Yes Motive of antagonist - revenge How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting United States Yes The US: - California City? Yes City: - Los Angeles Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths Explicit sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - vague references - descript of kissing - homosexuals doing their thing Amount of dialog - significantly more descript than dialog |
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