Don't Look Back

by Josh Lanyon

Strong Plot and Characters

Reviewed: March 4, 2010

Genre: LGBT-M/M Romantic Suspense

Series: N/A ~ (Non-Series / Stand-Alone)

Rating: 4 Stars

Length: Novella

Formats: eBook

What I Read...

And about the story... Peter Killian is a museum curator who gets bashed on the head and wakes up in the hospital, confused and hurting, only to realize he remembers almost nothing about himself. Mike Griffin is the detective that's on the case of thefts from Peter's museum, and his hard, cynical eyes are the first thing that Peter sees upon awakening. Confused and beleaguered by amnesia and accusations of being a thief, Peter doesn't even have time to regain his wits before old friends and new dangers threaten his life. And the draw of one sexy detective goes beyond physical straight into the foggy void of Peter's past.

What I Thought...

I have to admit, I'm a fan of Josh Lanyon's stories. Everything I've read of his is well plotted and paced, interesting and engaging with a delightfully clean style. Don't Look Back is no different. I enjoyed the story immensely, and I thought Peter and Mike were well drawn, for the length of the story.

While Don't Look Back is definitely an engaging read, my only complaint is that it isn't longer. I liked what I read very much, but obviously, lacking the length of a full novel, it also lacked the depth of one. I truly would've enjoyed reading more about both Peter and Mike, and would've really loved seeing their relationship develop over a wider stretch of time. That's not a criticism of the story as is, but it is what kept my review from reaching five stars. I guess I'm greedy, but when Lanyon writes such interesting stories and characters, I can't help myself; I always want more.

I did have one tiny criticism. The whodunit resolution seemed just a bit pat and the reveal of the perpetrator a bit anticlimactic and unsurprising. But again, working with a novella length book, you don't have the opportunity to toss in a lot of potential suspects. Darn it, I wish this had been a full length book!

Happy Reading! ~ Tracy