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odomaf's review
5.0
Delightful and warm
A cozy mystery, a sweet romance - all well done. This is my fourth book by this author, and I barely put them down long enough to sleep. Highly recommend.
A cozy mystery, a sweet romance - all well done. This is my fourth book by this author, and I barely put them down long enough to sleep. Highly recommend.
teresab78's review against another edition
4.0
4 Stars - Ok, so that was so much better than I was expecting!! Josh Lanyon isn't high on my list, the writing is good, but the subject has just never clicked before. I'm not usually big into mysteries and Ilike it balanced with more romance than this author usually gives but I loved the mystery and the romance in Somebody Killed His Editor. I was rooting for Christopher and J.X. even when we weren't sure who the killer was.
qalminator's review
3.0
Enjoyable little mystery saga, where a writer at a writer's retreat cut off by weather and a bridge collapse solves a murder, while reconnecting with an old lover. I liked the meta-aspect of it, where he keeps comparing how this plot is going to the ones in his own books. There were several nice redirects, where evidence seemed to point one way, then another, then another.
The romance subplot is amusing, and somewhat sweet, but either Lanyon is really bad at writing sex scenes, or Free is really bad at reading them. My guess is some of both, but I'd have to compare by reading the text to really decide, and I don't own the text version. I mostly found myself laughing through the sex scenes, as they felt ridiculous and overwrought. Mercifully, they were short. I think Lanyon would have been better off with a brief, non-graphic description for them, then cutting back in for the aftermath, but I'm aware that the book industry seems to think anything with a male-male relationship is expected to show the sex, so... * shrugs *
Since I'm more interested in the plot, I was just amused by the whole thing, though I did wonder how hard it would be to edit those scenes out for future listens....
The romance subplot is amusing, and somewhat sweet, but either Lanyon is really bad at writing sex scenes, or Free is really bad at reading them. My guess is some of both, but I'd have to compare by reading the text to really decide, and I don't own the text version. I mostly found myself laughing through the sex scenes, as they felt ridiculous and overwrought. Mercifully, they were short. I think Lanyon would have been better off with a brief, non-graphic description for them, then cutting back in for the aftermath, but I'm aware that the book industry seems to think anything with a male-male relationship is expected to show the sex, so... * shrugs *
Since I'm more interested in the plot, I was just amused by the whole thing, though I did wonder how hard it would be to edit those scenes out for future listens....
rebeccabadger's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
malus23's review against another edition
3.0
This was...OK. I went with the the belief that the author was poking slight fun at the traditional set-up, rather than seriously trying to redo it, which helps. Certain things then become humor rather than failure to use common sense. The main character is pretty whiny, but very believable. Liked seeing someone the north side of 40 still being shown as being vital and attractive to their partner (despite efforts from younger characters to paint him as over the hill). Would've liked deeper characters all the way around, but it's a pretty short book, so most of the people other than the couple were simply "types".
macnchz's review against another edition
3.0
Decent start of a mystery series with a side of M/M romance. Low on the steam. Fairly enjoyable read but didn't hook me enough to continue the series.
mattsimms's review against another edition
3.0
Fun concept for a book, with the whole "group of mystery writers in a closed-room mystery" schtick, but it fell a little flat to me. Kit was not my favorite main character. He's supposed to be a reclusive writer (ironically from LA), but his constant witty/sarcastic comments really didn't accurately portray that. There were also a fair amount of racially-charged terms used. There's a Chinese character, and Kit uses references to Japanese culture in context to her. It did not leave me wanting to cheer for him. The only Latina character went to prison. Also weird mentions to Native Americans and an awfully translated line in German that Kit says that harkens back to the German military. I don't understand why any of these had to be included, since they don't really add anything to the book. Ok book, but I don't think I'm going to be continuing to read the series since the author obviously does not have a handle on his racism.
teri_dost's review against another edition
2.0
Pořád nevím, komu je tahle kniha určena - velikostí písma to připomíná knihu pro mladší, obsahem je to spíš pro dospělé (a ne jen proto, že jde o detektivku).
Začnu tím pozitivním - je to čtivé a postavy jsou zajímavé (a jediný důvod, proč si přečtu i další díly).
A teď to horší - celé to působí jako první verze knihy, je to takové uspěchané a detektivní zápletka je slabá a její vyřešení je neúplné (a taky moc nedává smysl - umím si představit i jiné pachatele, u kterých by to dávalo smysl). Navíc je to místy takové dětinské a zároveň je to plné opravdu dospěláckých témat - vážně nevím, pro koho ta kniha je.
Celkově to má velký potenciál, který nebyl využitý...
Začnu tím pozitivním - je to čtivé a postavy jsou zajímavé (a jediný důvod, proč si přečtu i další díly).
A teď to horší - celé to působí jako první verze knihy, je to takové uspěchané a detektivní zápletka je slabá a její vyřešení je neúplné (a taky moc nedává smysl - umím si představit i jiné pachatele, u kterých by to dávalo smysl). Navíc je to místy takové dětinské a zároveň je to plné opravdu dospěláckých témat - vážně nevím, pro koho ta kniha je.
Celkově to má velký potenciál, který nebyl využitý...
sonovahades's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
mcintmac's review
1.0
So… anyone else uncomfy here? When I read the Adrien English series as a teenager, I unethically let slide (or plain missed) problematic things. As an adult woman with a socially awake brain, the same cannot be said for Someone Killed His Editor. Also, it just wasn’t that enjoyable.
1. Lanyon’s writing is racist. Here’s our MC‘s description of his friend (an Asian woman) expressing emotion:
“I blinked at her while she continued to yap at me like a Pekingese after too many generations of inbreeding”
2. It’s also somehow sexist? Again, our male MC:
“‘Sometimes in a room full of women you have to raise your voice to be heard,’ I said with dignity.”
3. This is Old News, but Landon successfully passed herself off as a gay man for YEARS into her career. Considering many readers try to avoid fetish writing or further marginalization of queer storytelling, it’s not ok Lanyon wasn’t upfront about being a woman. Even if her pen name was initially innocent and used to avoid the sexism of the publishing industry, it’s clear she was complicit in the growing belief that she was a gay man writing about other gay men.
4. The writing lowkey sucked. Which is unique, as I remember enjoying the writing in the Adriend English series. Anyway, I’ll leave this here:
“he was coming, sperm slinging from his cock and sliding down my throat, and I was lapping the fountain up like mother’s milk”
*shudders*
1. Lanyon’s writing is racist. Here’s our MC‘s description of his friend (an Asian woman) expressing emotion:
“I blinked at her while she continued to yap at me like a Pekingese after too many generations of inbreeding”
2. It’s also somehow sexist? Again, our male MC:
“‘Sometimes in a room full of women you have to raise your voice to be heard,’ I said with dignity.”
3. This is Old News, but Landon successfully passed herself off as a gay man for YEARS into her career. Considering many readers try to avoid fetish writing or further marginalization of queer storytelling, it’s not ok Lanyon wasn’t upfront about being a woman. Even if her pen name was initially innocent and used to avoid the sexism of the publishing industry, it’s clear she was complicit in the growing belief that she was a gay man writing about other gay men.
4. The writing lowkey sucked. Which is unique, as I remember enjoying the writing in the Adriend English series. Anyway, I’ll leave this here:
“he was coming, sperm slinging from his cock and sliding down my throat, and I was lapping the fountain up like mother’s milk”
*shudders*