Slay Ride

By: Josh Lanyon

Narrated by: Alexander Masters

Length: 2 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

A wild and dangerous ride takes two lonely men into uncharted territory....

1943 Montana. Returning home to Montana after being wounded in the Pacific, Police Chief Robert Garrett was hoping for a little much needed peace on earth and goodwill toward man. Instead, he finds himself chasing after a cold-blooded killer on Christmas day aided - whether he likes it or not - by eager young reporter Jamie Jameson.

Jamie has idolized Police Chief Garrett most of his life. Despite a stolen birthday kiss seven years earlier, he knows his feelings are unreturned. Even if Rob felt the same, there’s no room in their world for such feelings between men. But while Jamie can accept Robert not sharing his feelings, he won’t put up with being treated like a troublesome kid brother. He too has a job to do and he intends on traveling this bloody and twisted road with Robert Garrett - no matter where it leads.

©2019 Josh Lanyon (P)2019 Josh Lanyon

3.5 stars | not to the standard I usually expect

Did the story keep me engaged: start was good but lagged a bit. I did like the "news flash" at the end.
Did I feel an emotional connection to the characters: not in this one
Would I listen to it again: maybe - if i was in the mood for a short era piece.

I've been a Josh Lanyon fan since 'Fatal Shadows' and have all the available audio's. I enjoy the way Lanyon's 'sexy times' are more suggestive and left to the imagination to fill in the blanks rather than full on detailed sexual content, as is quite often the case in this genre. I also generally enjoy the short stories (The Dickens with Love is one of my favorites), Perhaps I have come to hold this author to a higher standard and I really wanted to love this one, but Slay Ride just fell flat for me. I'm not sure what my problem is, although it's short, there is a significant amount of content and I really 'felt' the 1940's era, the two MC's are interesting and the suspense is good, but I just didn't connect with the story.

Alexander Masters did a good job on the narration. His voices suited the characters and the feel for the era and the war and overall enhanced the audio experience.

Awesome blend of historical, suspense, & romance

Audiobook Review November 2019:
Considering it's only been about 6 months since I originally read Slay Ride(listening to the audiobook so soon is something I very rarely do) the suspense still had me glued to my seat. There really is nothing more I can add to the original review so I'll just add that Alexander Masters' narration is spot on. Whether it was the 1943 setting of Slay Ride or the narrators brilliant reading but I really felt like I was listening to one of the old radio shows I collect which only heightened the enjoyment.

Original Review Book of the May 2019:
Once again Josh Lanyon does not disappoint. She has blended suspense and romance perfectly as well as set the scene for the WW2 era homefront. Robert having been wounded and discharged is now sheriff and Jamie, 4F who is disappointed not to serve. One of my dad's uncles was unable to serve and was told his services were needed here as he was a farmer. The disappointment Jamie feels is spot on, not that I expected anything less from the author. As with her other historicals, it is pretty obvious that she has a healthy respect for the past with the little details she includes in the story and yet the accuracies are never so strong that it reads as a history lesson. I know that is why some steer clear of the historical sub-genre so if you are one who lets stories of the past go unread because you don't want to be "taught a lesson" then this is the book for you. You definitely get a feel for the era but it never overshadows the entertainment factor.

As for Robert and Jamie, they have this push and pull dance of attraction balanced with the fear of being discovered. You just want to tell them it will be okay but in 1943, that isn't a guarantee and Josh Lanyon balances that scale with flirty danger that kept me glued to my seat. Throw in a layer of suspense which I won't spoil and you have a must read for Lanyon fans as well as historical and mystery fans.

Now, I should mention that I actually loved the way the author "finished it off" off-page. I know some might not like that and will feel a little cheated not to "see" all the action but if you are a fan of classic films of the 40s then you know you often didn't get to see the big payoff. Of course in old Hollywood they had the censor board they had to adhere to but as Slay Ride is set in 1943, I found it quite fitting to finish the way it did and I not only can't imagine it ending with a big "onscreen bloody shootout", I would have been disappointed if it had. I guess what I'm saying is the way the author wrote the ending is, in my opinion, just another example of the respect she has for the past that makes this story wonderfully entertaining.

Short and Sweet

Lanyon's full-length novels never disappoint and the same can be said for this short story. I love period pieces and Lanyon's colorful turns of phrase took me all the way back to a time of cub reporters, gun-toting gangsters, and a love that dares not speak its name. Slay Ride had me jingling all the way!

From an earlier time

The setting for this novella is during WWII and you can really get a sense of the impact of the war on the returned wounded soldiers, the food rationing, the frustration and shame of those young men who couldn’t serve due to illness or disability. You also get a sense of how hidden homosexuality was at that time and the loneliness and isolation of the two gay protagonists and how they coped with it during that time.

It’s a quick read but there is a surprising amount of content and an immersive feel. I was born in the 50’s so I thankfully missed that terrible war, but I had family members who served and there were many men around me bearing some of the devastating injuries suffered.

Josh Lanyon’s gay romance stories have more suggested or delicately described sexual content than many others in this genre. I like how your imagination can fill in the blanks, so different than the more graphic content with some other authors. In a world of limitless porn on your phone, computer and TV, I think this is a good example of why reading can be so much more enjoyable than other entertainment media that do all the work for you.

Thank you Josh, and thank you narrator Alexander Masters for a very enjoyable book with excellent narration.

A Solid Mystery

Very solid 3 star story. Decent romance, good historical, creative mystery/suspense. Nicely performed by Alexander Masters.

Let's take a ride, shall we?

Slay Ride was a sweet mystery novella. Set during Christmas in 1943 Montana it had a wonderful sense of place and time. Even though this book is short it’s packed with emotions, a great plot and likable characters.

I think what l liked the most, and maybe that’s the wrong terminology for it, because bottom line, it’s horrible and sad. Anyway I loved how Laynon portrayed the view of homosexuality in that time period. The difficulties Rob and Jamie faced if they were ever found out. How it was kind of a given that they’d try to change, to marry and have children. That they also expected to be alone for the rest of their lives. It felt so genuine – and heartbreaking. It highlights that some things have changed for the better – I only wish it had changed more in all of these years.

With this book I’ve met a new narrator – new to me at least; Alexander Masters. He was a perfect fit for this book, he gave you that sense of place and understood the characters. He brought them to life, made you get to know them. His voice was a bit gruff at times, but it was soo nice to listen to.

I loved the newsflash in the end, it was great. I loved that beeping sound that signaled the start of it, the tone and intensity of Masters. It made me sit up and take notice, and if I hadn’t been before I was transported back to yesteryears news bulletins. I love these kinds of special effects. They add to the listener experience in a big way. They might only last seconds out of the entire book, but they also show that the narrator have gone out of their way in producing the book.

I hope this duo will produce more books together in the future – or is that the past?

A copy of this book was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review for Love Bytes.