Scan barcode
vale_leah's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.5
kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
Second in the All's Fair m/m detective mystery series revolving around a gay couple, one of whom is still an FBI agent. It's based in Seattle, Washington.
My Take
It's a walk down memory lane. It's not an enjoyable one, not when Elliot has to wonder (using third-person subjective point-of-view), if his father committed murder — along with all the violent plans Rollie had made as leader of an underground movement — that realization is definitely the inciting incident. Worse, it's a "walk" Elliot has to suss out from his father's manuscript and money trail, an analeptic reverse chronology if you will, for his father has gone underground, again.
It is a handy story for us, as it provides us with a lot of background on Roland and why he has such a controversial relationship with Elliot, particularly with regard to his joining the FBI. It's one of those had-I-known plot beats that is used several times to relieve the stress Elliot is under regarding Tucker's unfathomable actions and understanding his father's past actions.
Why does everyone think that Elliot should stop trying to find his dad? Especially since most of the story is of Elliot trying to find his dad, lol, tracking down old friends and following his credit card usage. Dad should have known Elliot wouldn't give up. He'd have been better off telling his son everything.
It's pretty funny that the Collective's best terrorist ideas came from an undercover FBI agent. I gotta say, I'm with J.Z. I can see both sides of those issues, and I disapprove of the actions of both sides. Yep, I'm a conservative-liberal…although sometimes I'm a liberal-conservative. Yep, there really is a difference, *more laughter*. You can tell there are plot twists from that remark alone *grin*
The resolution is somewhat heart-breaking with more of a relieved ending than the happy ending plot beat.
The Story
Someone doesn't want Roland to publish his antiestablishment memoirs, Power to the People, and is willing to go to extremes to prevent it.
Just to complicate things, Roland goes underground, hiding from his son. Who learns that Roland is suspected of having murdered at least one of their group.
The Characters
Former special agent and now history professor, Elliot Mills, chose to retire from the FBI rather than sit behind a desk. His hobby is Civil War dioramas and working through the recreation of old battles. His life partner, Special Agent Tucker Lance, had been his FBI partner before the shootout two years ago. The Bull Fish is Tucker's sloop.
The Special-Agent-in-Charge (and Tucker's boss) is Montgomery.
Tova, Tucker's addicted mother who dumped him into foster care, is in Seattle for the Woman Up conference. Now she's born-again and married to the unstylish Ed.
Roland Mills still is a chick magnet and living on Ketron Island. He is also a professor at Puget Sound University, as well as a former, well, maybe not so-former, radical from the 1960s. In fact, he had been one of the most prominent leaders of the antiwar movement at the University of Washington. Jesse Mills was his [third] wife and Elliot's mother.
The Collective was…
…back in the day, an antiwar group that had splintered off from the SDS and was led by Roland. Some of the members included Mischa Weinstein (his first wife) who is director for the Center for Justice for Women and Children in New York. Oscar "Nobby" Nobb, a be-medaled Vietnam vet, is the fourth-generation owner of Nobb's Organic Farm outside Bellevue. Tom (he's a high-powered lawyer these days) and Pauline (she's his second wife) Baker are some of Roland's oldest and closest friends. Franklyn "Frank" Blue had been a musician. J.Z. McGavin Zelvin had been undercover for the FBI. Most of the group had been in love with Star, a.k.a., Stella. Suzy D. (Susanne DeWoskin) and Ruth Margolies, Roland's second wife, who is now Ruth Margolies-Rossiter teaching sociology at Cascadia Community College in Bothell, were also part of the group.
Mrs. McGillivray is Dad's neighbor. Burris is the fire captain on scene. Detectives Pine and Upson are with the Seattle PD and investigating the attacks.
Puget Sound University is…
…one of the most liberal colleges on the West Coast and where both professors teach. One of Elliot's seminars is on "Film and History: The American West". Kyle is Elliot's teaching assistant. Z is the computer hacker. Donna is the department secretary. Elliot's students include Leslie Mrachek, Liane Miller, and Mira Eagan. Charlotte Oppenheimer is the university president. Anne Gold is another professor. Dr. Fish is head of the Philosophy Department. Professor Corian was the Sculptor, the case Tucker and Elliot closed in Fair Game, 1.
Will MacAuley is a neoconservative billionaire blogger and radio talk show host who despises people like Roland. George Clifton Blewe is a city council president in Seattle being targeted for assassination. By his soon-to-be ex-wife.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a range of oranges to yellow in that cloud-filled sunset that reflects so redly in the waters behind the peacoat-clad Elliot. The author's name is right-aligned in the top center of the cover while the title is in a soft yellow-to-orange gradient in the lower right corner.
The title is all that Professor Mills the Elder is asking, give us Fair Play.
My Take
It's a walk down memory lane. It's not an enjoyable one, not when Elliot has to wonder (using third-person subjective point-of-view), if his father committed murder — along with all the violent plans Rollie had made as leader of an underground movement — that realization is definitely the inciting incident. Worse, it's a "walk" Elliot has to suss out from his father's manuscript and money trail, an analeptic reverse chronology if you will, for his father has gone underground, again.
It is a handy story for us, as it provides us with a lot of background on Roland and why he has such a controversial relationship with Elliot, particularly with regard to his joining the FBI. It's one of those had-I-known plot beats that is used several times to relieve the stress Elliot is under regarding Tucker's unfathomable actions and understanding his father's past actions.
"Facts may be open to interpretation, but the facts themselves are not subjective."It's rough for Elliot to read about the violence his father had planned and carried out back in the '60s, and just as painful to read about the civil rights violations and brutality from the other side.
Why does everyone think that Elliot should stop trying to find his dad? Especially since most of the story is of Elliot trying to find his dad, lol, tracking down old friends and following his credit card usage. Dad should have known Elliot wouldn't give up. He'd have been better off telling his son everything.
It's pretty funny that the Collective's best terrorist ideas came from an undercover FBI agent. I gotta say, I'm with J.Z. I can see both sides of those issues, and I disapprove of the actions of both sides. Yep, I'm a conservative-liberal…although sometimes I'm a liberal-conservative. Yep, there really is a difference, *more laughter*. You can tell there are plot twists from that remark alone *grin*
The resolution is somewhat heart-breaking with more of a relieved ending than the happy ending plot beat.
The Story
Someone doesn't want Roland to publish his antiestablishment memoirs, Power to the People, and is willing to go to extremes to prevent it.
Just to complicate things, Roland goes underground, hiding from his son. Who learns that Roland is suspected of having murdered at least one of their group.
The Characters
Former special agent and now history professor, Elliot Mills, chose to retire from the FBI rather than sit behind a desk. His hobby is Civil War dioramas and working through the recreation of old battles. His life partner, Special Agent Tucker Lance, had been his FBI partner before the shootout two years ago. The Bull Fish is Tucker's sloop.
The Special-Agent-in-Charge (and Tucker's boss) is Montgomery.
Tova, Tucker's addicted mother who dumped him into foster care, is in Seattle for the Woman Up conference. Now she's born-again and married to the unstylish Ed.
Roland Mills still is a chick magnet and living on Ketron Island. He is also a professor at Puget Sound University, as well as a former, well, maybe not so-former, radical from the 1960s. In fact, he had been one of the most prominent leaders of the antiwar movement at the University of Washington. Jesse Mills was his [third] wife and Elliot's mother.
The Collective was…
…back in the day, an antiwar group that had splintered off from the SDS and was led by Roland. Some of the members included Mischa Weinstein (his first wife) who is director for the Center for Justice for Women and Children in New York. Oscar "Nobby" Nobb, a be-medaled Vietnam vet, is the fourth-generation owner of Nobb's Organic Farm outside Bellevue. Tom (he's a high-powered lawyer these days) and Pauline (she's his second wife) Baker are some of Roland's oldest and closest friends. Franklyn "Frank" Blue had been a musician. J.Z. McGavin Zelvin had been undercover for the FBI. Most of the group had been in love with Star, a.k.a., Stella. Suzy D. (Susanne DeWoskin) and Ruth Margolies, Roland's second wife, who is now Ruth Margolies-Rossiter teaching sociology at Cascadia Community College in Bothell, were also part of the group.
Mrs. McGillivray is Dad's neighbor. Burris is the fire captain on scene. Detectives Pine and Upson are with the Seattle PD and investigating the attacks.
Puget Sound University is…
…one of the most liberal colleges on the West Coast and where both professors teach. One of Elliot's seminars is on "Film and History: The American West". Kyle is Elliot's teaching assistant. Z is the computer hacker. Donna is the department secretary. Elliot's students include Leslie Mrachek, Liane Miller, and Mira Eagan. Charlotte Oppenheimer is the university president. Anne Gold is another professor. Dr. Fish is head of the Philosophy Department. Professor Corian was the Sculptor, the case Tucker and Elliot closed in Fair Game, 1.
Will MacAuley is a neoconservative billionaire blogger and radio talk show host who despises people like Roland. George Clifton Blewe is a city council president in Seattle being targeted for assassination. By his soon-to-be ex-wife.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a range of oranges to yellow in that cloud-filled sunset that reflects so redly in the waters behind the peacoat-clad Elliot. The author's name is right-aligned in the top center of the cover while the title is in a soft yellow-to-orange gradient in the lower right corner.
The title is all that Professor Mills the Elder is asking, give us Fair Play.
vale_leah's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
Era da tempo che non leggevo qualcosa di Josh Lanyon ed è sempre un piacere. Il mix di romance e mistery è sempre ben equilibrato ed è uno dei connubi che preferisco.
Era da tempo che non leggevo qualcosa di Josh Lanyon ed è sempre un piacere. Il mix di romance e mistery è sempre ben equilibrato ed è uno dei connubi che preferisco.
yazaleea's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars, this was… weird.
The mystery was fine. Like in the first book, the resolution comes in the last chapter and is a bit rushed for my taste, but I likes the investigation. In this book, Elliot’s father is targeted as people try to silence him and keep him from publishing a book on his political journey. The dad is very vocal about his anti-system beliefs (honestly what a king) and has a lot of enemies and we dive into his past to understand what is going on. I liked that part.
Now, the relationship. That part had me going MAD. In the previous book, we learn that Tucker ans Elliot had had a relationship for three months before Elliot’s injury. It was apparently nothing too serious, more casual sex than anything else. That was because neither of them know how to communicate. Apparently both wanted more but never had the time to push for it. Tucker was an asshole to Elliot and they broke it off. When I learned all that, I was like wow Tucker is insane Elliot you gotta RUN this man told you to man up and get over a life changing injury, that’s a red flag. Anyway, they ended up being cute so I got over it. Then at the end of that book, they moved in together. After a few weeks. I get how not every couple moves at the same speed, but this felt soo sudden, especially since they have so much shit they need to work through.
That’s where this book picks up. They’ve been together for six months now, and they have done zero progress. They’re still getting angry at each other over stupid stuff’ and Elliot made me so angry by constantly jumping to obviously wrong conclusions and making everyone’s life hell over the little theories in his head. And they could be cute, but god the whole he is the man I want to live my entire life with one second and the next he doesn’t trust Tucker AT ALL and thinks he will hurt him during sex. Like. Man, you got ISSUES maybe you need to do something about them. Tucker felt so much more reasonable in this book, but everything was about Elliot freaking out all the time I didn’t really enjoy them. Even when Tucker’s birth mom comes into the plot briefly, it doesn’t feel too impactful. That whole thing made me so mad, it’s just Elliot asking favours of everyone and getting angry when people rightfully remind him he is a civilian now!! Most of the time, it felt like Elliot was doing his own thing and asking Tucker favours. Of them working against each other, instead of together. They’re NOT partners in investigation, and that’s such a shame cause they could be good! But nope, at this point they’re barely functional as a couple. They get angry then they had sex and all was well. Eh. Tucker did make an effort to open up, and Elliot did realise some things at the end so progress is there. But it’s so tiny and tedious, I was exhausted by the end.
I will read the last book to finish the series but yeah, I hope the relationship part gets better, I want to see them being cute and working together!!!
((Also, I kinda dislike Elliot as a character. I get him not being as extreme in his beliefs as his father. But being an ex FBI history teacher and showing very little criticism in the government and its violence, or saying History is objective when we know it’s anything but, is so tone deaf. Like has that man never questioned anything in his life?? He was like oh police violence is bad in this book but I need some stronger stance from him. That’s plain ridiculous.))
The mystery was fine. Like in the first book, the resolution comes in the last chapter and is a bit rushed for my taste, but I likes the investigation. In this book, Elliot’s father is targeted as people try to silence him and keep him from publishing a book on his political journey. The dad is very vocal about his anti-system beliefs (honestly what a king) and has a lot of enemies and we dive into his past to understand what is going on. I liked that part.
Now, the relationship. That part had me going MAD. In the previous book, we learn that Tucker ans Elliot had had a relationship for three months before Elliot’s injury. It was apparently nothing too serious, more casual sex than anything else. That was because neither of them know how to communicate. Apparently both wanted more but never had the time to push for it. Tucker was an asshole to Elliot and they broke it off. When I learned all that, I was like wow Tucker is insane Elliot you gotta RUN this man told you to man up and get over a life changing injury, that’s a red flag. Anyway, they ended up being cute so I got over it. Then at the end of that book, they moved in together. After a few weeks. I get how not every couple moves at the same speed, but this felt soo sudden, especially since they have so much shit they need to work through.
That’s where this book picks up. They’ve been together for six months now, and they have done zero progress. They’re still getting angry at each other over stupid stuff’ and Elliot made me so angry by constantly jumping to obviously wrong conclusions and making everyone’s life hell over the little theories in his head. And they could be cute, but god the whole he is the man I want to live my entire life with one second and the next he doesn’t trust Tucker AT ALL and thinks he will hurt him during sex. Like. Man, you got ISSUES maybe you need to do something about them. Tucker felt so much more reasonable in this book, but everything was about Elliot freaking out all the time I didn’t really enjoy them. Even when Tucker’s birth mom comes into the plot briefly, it doesn’t feel too impactful. That whole thing made me so mad, it’s just Elliot asking favours of everyone and getting angry when people rightfully remind him he is a civilian now!! Most of the time, it felt like Elliot was doing his own thing and asking Tucker favours. Of them working against each other, instead of together. They’re NOT partners in investigation, and that’s such a shame cause they could be good! But nope, at this point they’re barely functional as a couple. They get angry then they had sex and all was well. Eh. Tucker did make an effort to open up, and Elliot did realise some things at the end so progress is there. But it’s so tiny and tedious, I was exhausted by the end.
I will read the last book to finish the series but yeah, I hope the relationship part gets better, I want to see them being cute and working together!!!
((Also, I kinda dislike Elliot as a character. I get him not being as extreme in his beliefs as his father. But being an ex FBI history teacher and showing very little criticism in the government and its violence, or saying History is objective when we know it’s anything but, is so tone deaf. Like has that man never questioned anything in his life?? He was like oh police violence is bad in this book but I need some stronger stance from him. That’s plain ridiculous.))
bitchie's review against another edition
4.0
I love these guys, but I have to admit, Elliot frustrated me a bit. I was actually torn between frustration and understanding. I get that it must be hard to do the civilian thing, especially with a case so close to him, but he kept forgetting that he's NOT an agent anymore. I just wanted him to chill out a bit sometimes.
Still, all in all, this is a really good series, and I'm glad I'm finally back and finishing it up.
Still, all in all, this is a really good series, and I'm glad I'm finally back and finishing it up.
a_reader_obsessed's review against another edition
4.0
4 Stars!
In and amongst the standard mystery that is prevalent in all of Lanyon's works, there is also a peek into the lives of Elliot and Tucker, who have really made strides in their budding relationship. It's six months later and they've only gotten closer, but it seems the latest attack on Elliot's father could quite possibly come between them. Elliot pursues the whodunnit relentlessly and toes the legal line, discovering more and more about his father's illustrious, liberal past. Of course, this obviously doesn't sit well with Tucker at all.
What I appreciated the most here was the relationship between these two stubborn men, as they navigate and test boundaries. I swooned at Tucker's dominance, his unabashed love for Elliot - that though not blatant, he lays his heart on his sleeve over and over. What's not to like about a gruff alpha not afraid to express his feelings?? Yes! Elliot could take some notes out of Tucker's playbook.
So this was one of the sexier Lanyon books I've come across, and lo and behold, the abrupt ending did not make me want to hit someone. A very enjoyable mystery with great family and relationship dynamics. Looks like there'll be more, and I'm quite pleased with that prospect.
In and amongst the standard mystery that is prevalent in all of Lanyon's works, there is also a peek into the lives of Elliot and Tucker, who have really made strides in their budding relationship. It's six months later and they've only gotten closer, but it seems the latest attack on Elliot's father could quite possibly come between them. Elliot pursues the whodunnit relentlessly and toes the legal line, discovering more and more about his father's illustrious, liberal past. Of course, this obviously doesn't sit well with Tucker at all.
What I appreciated the most here was the relationship between these two stubborn men, as they navigate and test boundaries. I swooned at Tucker's dominance, his unabashed love for Elliot - that though not blatant, he lays his heart on his sleeve over and over. What's not to like about a gruff alpha not afraid to express his feelings?? Yes! Elliot could take some notes out of Tucker's playbook.
So this was one of the sexier Lanyon books I've come across, and lo and behold, the abrupt ending did not make me want to hit someone. A very enjoyable mystery with great family and relationship dynamics. Looks like there'll be more, and I'm quite pleased with that prospect.
laura_katie_j's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jrv45's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
gryvon's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Sexual content, Alcohol, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
Minor: Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Rape, Drug use, Death, Violence, and Abandonment
sil_the_lobster's review
5.0
Wow, that was a very satisfying, beautiful read. I loved this book front to back, it's even better than Fair Game. It shows the development of Elliott's and Tucker's relationship and their steep learning curve. It tells us more about Professor Mills the Elder, Elliott's father. It tells us about the hopes and dreams of the (post-) Nam generation and their not-so-peaceful activities. It gives us a case (who's hunting down Roland, and what the hell's in that book of his?). And as for Elliott's and Tucker's quality times, yep, that too.
In short: you'll reach the last page saying, "WTF? Over already?". What more can a reader ask for?
Chapeau, Mr Lanyon. Well done indeed.
In short: you'll reach the last page saying, "WTF? Over already?". What more can a reader ask for?
Chapeau, Mr Lanyon. Well done indeed.