http://moloch981.wordpress.com/2012/11/25/fatal-shadows-a-dangerous-thing/ ( )

Just charming! I really liked the character of Adrien English who felt entirely real to me. His love of books, his love of old movies, his relationship with Lisa, the hundred small grounding details about him, all made him leap off the page. And then there is the gruff, doubting, devestating Jake Riordan who is investigating Adrien's connection to a murder and not at all satisfied with what he finds.

This is actually 2 books - the first book, Fatal Shadows, introduces us to Adrien and his world, and then to Jake, who is investigating Adrien's world.
The second book takes us out of the city and onto the ranch, where Adrien rushes off to, ostensibly to write, and stumbles across another corpse (or two) and is surprised when Jack comes out to help him. Their relationship deepens, and it's just wonderful spending time in that world. This is a keeper and will be a reread for me.
Josh Lanyon is a great writer and I'm happily looking for more of his books. ( )

This is an omnibus of Fatal Shadows and A Dangerous Thing. In the first book, we meet Adrien English, bookstore owner and first-time novelist. His friends start turning up dead and he begins figuring out whodunnit in order to keep himself alive and out of jail.

In the second book, Adrien decides to leave the city for a writing vacation-- and to escape from a frustrating relationship. When he arrives at his destination, he finds a dead body.

I found both stories highly enjoyable, action-packed and humorous with interesting and plausible plots. The characters' interpersonal lives are realistic and believable, too. ( )