| From RomanceJunkies.com Suspense/Intrigue
LOVERS AND OTHER STRANGERS by Josh Lanyon
Finn left
The night before Finn left home, he found his twin brother Fitch in bed with Finn’s lover. Incredibly hurt by their betrayal Finn walked away from both of them and never looked back. Upon his return, however, he is shocked to learn that no one has seen or heard from his brother since that night in fact, Finn is one of the last people to see Fitch alive.
Despite the hurt his brother caused him, Fin can’t help but be concerned about him. He is determined to find out what happened to Fitch. Along the way he crosses paths with his former lover. Con Carlyle is determined to convince Fitch that he still loves him. Fitch shares Con’s feelings but as the mystery of his brother’s disappearance deepens Fin becomes very afraid of what he might find.
I was drawn in from the first sentence of this story by the author’s descriptions of the island and its inhabitants. The images Finn evokes when he describes how he would paint certain scenes are lovely and offer unique insight into his character. As I read, I saw the stark isolation of the island and the sense of loneliness that it brings with it. This loneliness and emptiness are mirrored in Finn very effectively. I found LOVERS AND OTHER STRANGERS by Josh Lanyon to be an extremely interesting read.
http://www.joshlanyon.com/
BODY ART by Jordan Castillo Price
Ray Carlucci is in desperate need of a job. Ray used to own his own tattoo shop. He made a good living as a tattoo artist and his work was in high demand. Little did he know that while he was busy working himself into an early grave, his boyfriend was squandering away all his money to support his drug habit. When the bill collectors came calling it was already too late and Ray lost everything.
Since then he has been living on the charity of his few friends moving from couch to couch, bill collectors tormenting him all the while. Needing someway to support himself Ray gets his professional driving license and begins working as a chauffer for a rich couple who live on
The island is practically deserted for the winter. Ray is unused to the quiet and isolation of living on an island and both make him uneasy. He quickly realizes that life on the island becomes monotonous especially in the off season—until he meets a very unusual man in the forest. Anton is an artist. His sculptures are unique and often very disturbing. Ray can’t help but be fascinated by them and by their creator as well.
This story is populated with many intriguing and unexpected characters. I was particularly fascinated by Anton. He is certainly not your typical hero. He has so many interesting and quirky personality traits. The author did a good job of describing mental illness in a sensitive manner without making it the main focus of the story. I enjoyed Anton’s and Ray’s interactions. They are sensual and often amusing. Ray is wonderfully accepting of Anton’s differences. BODY ART by Jordan Castillo Price took me by surprise in a very good way.
http://www.jordancastilloprice.com/
Within the pages of this anthology you will find absorbing mysteries and hot m/m romance. THE ART OF DYING is the fourth installment in the Partners in Crime series. I enjoyed the island settings very much. The reader gets a sense of the isolation that living on an island can bring. In both stories the sense that there is something sinister going on, despite the idyllic setting builds slowly and effectively. Both Josh Lanyon and Jordan Castillo Price did a great job of creating distinctive settings and characters. While each story is written in a different style the descriptions in both are very powerful. I thoroughly enjoyed The ART OF DYING.
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