Fair Chance by Josh Lanyon

Fair Chance by Josh Lanyon

Review by Lauren

source: copy from Netgalley; all opinions are my own

Official Summary: Ex–FBI agent Elliot Mills thought he was done with the most brutal case of his career. The Sculptor, the serial killer he spent years hunting, is finally in jail. But Elliot's hope dies when he learns the murderer wasn't acting alone. Now everyone is at risk once again—thanks to a madman determined to finish his partner's gruesome mission.  

When the lead agent on the case, Special Agent Tucker Lance, goes missing, Elliot knows it's the killer at work. After all, abducting the love of his life is the quickest way to hurt him.  

The chances of finding Tucker are all but impossible without the help of the Sculptor—but the Sculptor is in no position to talk. Critically injured in a prison fight, he lies comatose and dying while the clock ticks down. Elliot has no choice but to play this killer's twisted game and hope he can find Tucker in time.

Review: This is the third book in the All's Fair series. For whatever reason, I must not have realized this when I requested the book from Netgalley as I have not read the previous two. Regardless, I think you can read Fair Chance on its own and still follow the story just fine. I might have to go back and read the first two at some point though, as I really do like Josh Lanyon's writing.

Anyway, back to Fair Chance! Elliot Mills is an Ex-FBI agent who is still stuck in the midst of a case as the serial killer he helped catch, while in jail now, is still toying with him. The Sculptor won't talk to anyone but Elliot, and when Elliot goes to visit him in jail, he's given information that may or may not be true, but if it is true? It changes the game...and not in any way the FBI is happy about.

Special Agent Tucker Lance is Elliot's partner and none too thrilled that Elliot is still involved in the case. He wants him to be separate from all of this. However, when Tucker ends up going missing, Elliot is determined to do everything he can to figure out just where Tucker went and if it's at all connected to The Sculptor.

This was an exciting read with plenty of suspense and mystery. I thought I had an idea of what was happening, but then new information was revealed and things change again. I love this in a good mystery! It keeps the reader on their toes and that's never a bad thing. I thought the characters were well-rounded and wonderfully written. It was easy to get into Elliot's head and feel his fears and emotions, especially when Tucker goes missing.

While this book is mostly a mystery, there is a bit of romance and it all balances itself out well. Definitely recommended!

Want to read? I'm an amazon affiliate; I get a small percent of any sale. Check out Fair Chance in print or as an e-copy.

Snowball in Hell by Josh Lanyon

Snowball in Hell by Josh Lanyon

Review by: Lauren

Copy From: Netgalley

amazon associate: buy book, we get small percentage

Official Summary:

Los Angeles, 1943


Reporter Nathan Doyle had his reasons to want Phil Arlen dead, but when he sees the man's body pulled from the La Brea tar pit, he knows he'll be the prime suspect. He also knows that his life won't stand up to intense police scrutiny, so he sets out to crack the case himself.


Lieutenant Matthew Spain's official inquiries soon lead him to believe that Nathan knows more than he's saying. But that's not the only reason Matt takes notice of the handsome journalist. Matt's been drawn to men before, but he must hide his true feelings—or risk his entire career.


As Nathan digs deeper, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay one step ahead of Matt Spain—and to deny his intense attraction to him. Nathan's secrets may not include murder, but has his hunt put him right in the path of the real killer?

Review: I love that Snowball in Hell is not just an LGBT book. It's first, and foremost, a mystery novel. Somebody has been found dead and they figure he must have been murdered...after all, he was apparently kidnapped, though the family never told the police. I'm not the most savvy when it comes to mysteries, so feel free to take this with a "grain of salt" if you will...but I didn't know who the murderer was until the end. To be honest, I thinkt it would be a surprise for most people...and for those that do figure it out, I don't see how you would until close to the end anyway.

As for the LGBT content, it is there. Being gay in 1943 is much, much harder than being gay today so Nathan keeps it quiet and meets up with people in secret. It's not ideal, but he cannot stop it. He has to be with people he's actually attracted to. Matt, on the other hand, never really allowed himself to think about his attraction to the same sex...not until he meets Nathan. While Matt finds himself attracted to Nathan, he's also curious as to just how this guy who was recently out of town found himself amongst a murder case (besides being a reporter).

The relationship between Matt and Nathan was very interesting to read. I liked that they came from two different sides of things, and they really show that the care for the other (especially Matt, who finds himself wanting to make sure Nathan is taken care of and not hurt by anyone).

You know, whenever I review something here, I make sure to talk about anything in the book that might not be suitable for the YA set. Again, being a young adult varies in many years...or so I believe...so obviously, I think this book is appropriate for some YA but not all. The ones that might want to wait would be a much younger set...15 or 16 and under. The sexual content you would read about (and that's about everything that's 'adult') takes place near the end of the book and pretty much constitutes a chapter. The rest of it is much more focused on the "innocent" side of romance as well as the mystery.

I do recommend this book. I also heard it was the first in a new series, so I'm excited about that. I'd definitely enjoy reading more of Nathan and Matt's story.

On the level of YA...I'd give this a 7 out of 10! (this is not the book's rating. I don't really rate books. This number is what I talked about above...how appropriate for YA).