Fatal Shadows

The Adrien English Mysteries

By: Josh Lanyon

Narrated by: Chris Patton

Length: 5 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Someone's out to get Los Angeles bookseller Adrien English. His best friend has been viciously murdered, now he's getting weird phone calls and sinister gifts from a mysterious "admirer." The cops think he's trying to divert suspicion from himself - with the exception of sexy and homophobic homicide detective Jake Riordan. Is Riordan really such a great detective - or does he have a few secrets of his own? Is his offer to help Adrien on the level or is he out to nail his favorite suspect - to the wall?

©Copyright 2012 Josh Lanyon (P)2012 Josh Lanyon

Your Typical Mystery Novel with a Gay Twist!

This is my first listen from this author, and one of my first listens in the mystery genre. I have to say Josh Lanyon has me hooked! The storyline was captivating, but did not quite keep me on the edge of my seat. The characters were very likeable and realistic, and even though I was able to guess the culprit by the middle of the book, his motivation was not revealed until much later.

Overall, it is an excellent listen. Chris Patton is an above average narrator, neither distracting or annoying, and really added something special to the whole experience.

One huge advantage (in my opinion) to other gay novels I have listened to is that the sex scenes in Fatal Shadows are more tasteful and less graphic. They are still there, and they are still hot, but they are fairly short, so they don't distract the reader from the storyline.

So worth it!

Have you listened to any of Chris Patton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't heard him before, but I really hope Mr. Patton does all the Adrien English series. It was outstanding--especially his characterizations of Lisa, Claude and Jake.

Interesting Characters

Would you listen to another book narrated by Chris Patton?

He was a good narrator, but I did not like how he portrayed Adrien. When I had read the books, I read Adrien as more matter of fact. Chris Patton made him over dramatic. I didn't like it. I got used to it and began to overlook it as the series goes on. He did fine with the other characters.

Any additional comments?

Even though this is a mystery, its one I can listen to over again even though I now know who did it. This is because the characters and plot are so interesting.

Good start to a great series

I love the series and as the series progresses, I get more involved. Fatal shadows is the start and it gets better.

4.5 Overall Stars

Fatal Shadows is the first book in Josh Lanyon’s Adrien English series. This book isn’t a romance, nor is it an erotic read. What it is is one hell of a murder mystery!

My friends have been raving about Mr. Lanyon’s books for awhile now, and now I get why. He’s got a unique style when it comes to storytelling, and toss in an interesting cast and an intriguing mystery loaded with twists and turns, Fatal Shadows turned out to be a refreshing, totally entertaining read!

Chris Patton is the narrator and he does a fantastic job bringing the characters to life! His voice is so attractive and comfortable to listen to that I have to admit I'm just a little bit in lust with it! The sound quality is pretty good, but there were a couple other issues which could be resolved with better audio editing during production.

Awesome blend of mystery & romance

Overall Series 5th Re-Read 2019:
Adrien with an "e", what can I say that I haven't already said? Nothing really because I absolutely adore Adrien and Jake. Yes, there are multiple times I want to whack Jake upside the head but he's learning, albeit slowly sometimes but still learning. There's heartbreak, there's joy, there's murder, and well there's plenty of love(even if it takes Jake a little longer to accept).

All but the final Christmas novella is narrated by Chris Patton and his voice is perfect for these two. I couldn't imagine listening to anyone else bring life to the pair but then when I listened to So This is Christmas, read by Kale Williams, he too is . . . well for the lack of a better word(and not to sound redundant😉) . . . brilliant. Obviously there is a difference between the two narrators but since Adrien and Jake are settled, or as settled as they can be considering Adrien's knack for stumbling into mayhem, which changes people and so the difference in narrators kind of reflects that I thought. So I say spot on to all involved bringing Adrien English and Jake Riordan to life.

I love Adrien English! 🖤

**Audio reread/listen August 2021**

Even better on audio!! I love Adrien so much though I have to seriously question his judgment sometimes. 😳 And it's so weird to listen to Jake knowing all that's coming. I'm frustrated in advance!

Chris Patton is a new-to-me narrator but he did a great job with Adrien. 💕 Already listening to the next one!

**First read April 2014**

I really enjoyed this. As always, Josh Lanyon's stories are beautifully written and this first in the Adrien English series is no exception.

However, I did see the bad guy coming a mile away, which took away some of the tension I thought I should feel when things went down, and the ending felt a bit abrupt.

But I did like Adrien and I'm interested in where things will go from here for him, as well as what might develop with Riordan.

Adrien English Read by Chris Patton is a Treat

What made the experience of listening to Fatal Shadows the most enjoyable?

Chris Patton's performance of the characters was a treat. I heard from others that they liked his performance, and now having heard him myself - I can say that Josh really picked someone who interpreted the characters of Adrien and Jake superbly.

What did you like best about this story?

Josh Lanyon writes like no other m/m writer. Yes, I am a fan, but the reason I become one is because of the polish and thoughtful construction he puts into his stories. Almost everyone who has read Adrien English falls in love with Adrien with an 'e" and Jake. Josh writes with humor and flawed characters that endear themselves to the reader.

Have you listened to any of Chris Patton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but I can't wait to hear more of his performances.

If you could take any character from Fatal Shadows out to dinner, who would it be and why?

That's tough because you fall in love with both main characters, but I think I would love to go out to dinner with Claude (a secondary character) just for the sheer entertainment of hearing him dish the dirt in a faux French accent.

Any additional comments?

If you are a Josh Lanyon fan then why not treat yourself and add to your collection. It's a great for a commute.

Why all the hype?

I had high hopes for this book given reviews i had read elsewhere. Sadly for me the book just fell flat for me. the mystery was very much run of the mill, almost caned and picked off a shelf. i felt a distinct lack of empathy for the people in the book. I didn't actively dislike any just could not relate to them on an emotional level perhaps It's just a mark of the noir vibe the author was going for but I detected a note of smugness through out the work like Lanyon was toying with reader it felt at some points like he was trying to give a lecture in detective fiction. after thinking about it, much of the praise for the comes from the fact the protagonist is gay and not for the quality of the work itself;

the narration like the rest if the book is nothing memorable

Thoroughly enjoyed first of series

If you could sum up Fatal Shadows in three words, what would they be?

Great mystery romance

What did you like best about this story?

I really liked the narrator quite well. I also became quite smitten with Adrien and Detective Jake Riordan. Wonderful main characters.

What does Chris Patton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He made the story come alive. Mr. Lanyon is an incredible writer, and Chris Patton was the icing on the cake.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

When the protagonist and antagonist were in the bedroom together, it was pretty tense.

Any additional comments?

I can hardly wait to read others in the series. Josh Lanyon is one of the best m/m writers out there.