Winter Kill

Looking at my reading list there's no doubt I like Josh Lanyon. The mystery with a hint (and sometimes a little bit more) of romance is just right for me, so I am ready to lose myself in any of Josh Lanyon's books. I enjoy the mystery so much and Josh Lanyon has a way of keeping the reader engaged and looking for clues while at the same time giving us the perfect amount of romance that doesn't feel forced and doesn't take away from the mystery. What's there not to like?

Unfortunately, even with that great recipe for a book, this time it missed the spot.

I enjoyed the serial killer line of the story, and I loved when things got very complicated. I also liked both Adam and Rob and I think they made a great pair. My interest piqued more when I saw Tucker mentioned, whom I know from 'All's Fair' series. If I remember correctly, Adam has been mentioned in the series too...

After a quick look, Adam had indeed been mentioned in the last novel, 'Fair Chance', of 'All's Fair' series.

First here, so we know Adam and Tucker had already broken up when Adam worked the Conway case.

Even if Tucker had inexplicably, unbelievably decided they were through, he would have called the minute he learned of the shooting. It was just the way he was built. He had called his ex, Adam, when Adam had come under administrative fire for botching a kidnapping case. He would certainly call Elliot to make sure he was okay.

And second here, but this part is more relevant to 'All's Fair' than 'Winter Kill'.

He was not the only one to recognize this fact. He’d had a message on his answering machine from Adam, Tucker’s ex in Oregon, offering whatever help and support Elliot needed. Adam had not offered condolences, but how long before the sympathy calls started?

I tried to figure out the timeline here, but I'm not sure. I think they are close, 'Fair Chance' is set somewhere in September, so my guess is that 'All's Fair' series ended before 'Winter Kill' started. Or they overlapped for a bit.

Enough of a tangent, let's get back to our story.

While the book was very entertaining I have questions about the murderers. There's a lot to be said about their motivation, their modus operandi, the way they selected their victims. I am not a fan of how they've been dealt with by the author. It was too convenient, I would have liked some questioning at least. Everything leading up to the conclusion was great, but the conclusion was too abrupt.

About Adam and Rob, I think them two is the part I'm most okay with. They are both adults, they talked things through, and they reached a conclusion. My issue comes with the Epilogue. It really didn't feel like an Epilogue to me, but more like another chapter. In an Epilogue I would have expected to see something from, I don't know, a few weeks or months after the conclusion of the book. Luckily, Josh Lanyon spoils us with Codas so I sort of got the kind of Epilogue I wanted. That being said, I still would have liked a more complete conclusion.