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.

A Good Mystery, Well Read

Would you consider the audio edition of Fatal Shadows to be better than the print version?

No, the are equally good each in their own way. What's remarkable is that Lanyon's skillful writing translates so well into the audio medium. He puts precise, witty dialogue on the page that gives each character a distinctive personality and voice. All that comes across vividly in Chris Patton's skillful vocal enactment.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Well, Adrien, of course; an sympathetic, quirky character who is, as another character says, "something of a wise-ass."
After Adrien, the most complex character may well be Riordan, the enigmatic, macho homicide detective.
But Adrien's faux-French black restaurateur pal Claude is right up there.
And let's not forget Adrien's overly-doting socialite mother, Lisa.

Which scene was your favorite?

I suppose the very last one, where Riordan says,"This won't be easy, Adrien," causing Adrien to smile.
Makes you impatient for a sequel.
But the scenes where Adrien tries to communicate with Angus, the Goth temp store clerk, are hilarious.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The most appropriate would be the two lines from the Elizabethan dramatist that give the story it's title:

"Our acts, our angels are, for good or ill
Our fatal shadows that walk by us still."

But for today's audiences you'd have to dumb it down to something like:

"SHADOWS FROM THE PAST CAN KILL!"

Any additional comments?

If you like a an exciting, romantic mystery, written in a literate and witty style, this is the story for you.

Good book...

Just finished this book and though I figured out who the culprit was half way through, I enjoyed the journey to revelation. The dialogue between Adrien (with an e) and Jake at the end, makes me want to get the next part of this series. The tale provided by Josh Lanyon was a good read and Chris Patton's narration added to the story. A great book...

Awesome Audio!

Would you listen to Fatal Shadows again? Why?

Yep! The story was quite compelling and the narrator did an excellent job.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Oh yeah. It was a slow build on mystery, yet things kept happening in story to keep the interest going. This audio actually sets a pace that slows you down to get the full impact of the storyline..No rushing through like you do a book, especially when it starts to get suspenseful. Things you might miss while reading are picked up while listening to an audio version.

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

Good voice characterizations. Not a drone!Actually brought the characters and story to life.

Any additional comments?

Would love to hear the rest of the series done by Chris Patton.

Gripping till the last moment!

Excellent writing, and wonderful detective story! It keeps you guessing who is the real killer till (almost) the last moment. The main charater (Adrien) is very likable and the supporting cast is revealed as more than one dimensional. I was slightly thrown when the story ended before any action between Adrian and his love interest (I won't spoil it!), only to discover that there is a second book.I can't wait to get it now! Laynon shows that he is up there with the other great crime authors. The fact that he also adds in steamy m/m romance is a big, big bonus. I will definately be searching out other books by him. Patton also gives a great performance.

I LOVE this series!!!

What did you love best about Fatal Shadows?

the plot, the characters, Adrien! His mother! Claude! Chris Patton!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Fatal Shadows?

Anytime claude spoke, Chris pulled off the pseudo accent so well!

Which scene was your favorite?

I really liked the end.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The scene with sex scene toward the end. so creepy.

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

Not a great start

Glad I didn’t start with Book 1 of this series because I wouldn’t have continued. Main character engaged in risky, stupid, implausible behavior. Glad to report subsequent books in the series are better. I’d advise skipping this one. It really doesn’t add much to the story other than the leads meeting.

Fascinating amateur sleuth

Adrien English, mystery bookstore owner cum amateur sleuth, is a sensational character—smart, damaged, wry, and a lot stronger than he thinks he is. Josh Lanyon’s writing is funny, rich, and consistently captivating. It takes five books to develop both Adrien’s subtle, danger-driven evolution into a man more at ease in his own skin and the company of his family and friends, and his beautifully complex relationship with big, gruff homicide detective Jake Reardon, and it’s worth every minute—especially given Chris Patton’s spot-on narration. Fatal Shadows sets the stage, but you won’t get the true Adrien English experience unless you keep going.

Great story and audiobook

This is my first Adrien English story by Josh Lanyon and i loved it. Chris Patton's narration was superb, his tone dry and witty, he is just perfect. I can't wait to listen to them all.

Nice mystery, no hot stuff, TRIGGER WARNING: RAPE

Well, the mystery was nice enough, and I guess the 99% antagonising and 1% something else main couple will tickle someone.

Anyway it was quite disappointing to read all the queer bashing by side characters.

What really freaked the whole thing up was the rape scene in the last chapter, came as a total surprise, like what in holy hell. And on top of that is was brushed off as nothing.

So, a freaking rape scene, no hot stuff between the main pair (I mean come one, even a kiss would be nice). Thanks, I need to go and bleach my brain.

Captivating, thorough and keeps you guessing

This tale is very descriptive and the voice acting is very good and distinguishable. It kept my attention by guiding me through details of the location, of the protagonist's thought process and thus it does well to convey how Adrien felt in a situation like his.

The plot is original, the characters were unique and interesting. It's quite easy to flow through most of the book. Really, really enjoyable.

Great but short

Loved the story and narration but book's too short! wish there could have been more of it. ;(

Brilliant

Loved it, this is one of my all time favourite series and couples❤️ I enjoyed the voice of the narrator.

Enjoyable Story

A well written story with and interesting  concept.  The characters are likeable and the narration is very good.

First in the series

Having read the Adrien English series on Kindle I thought I would give the audio a try. Overall not bad but there were inconsistencies with the narration. Lots of plosives (popping p’s and sibilance for example) and at times you can hear the narrator swallow or turn a page. Turning down the volume helped but the quality could do with some tweaking. Adrien remains a favourite of mine, Jake, not so much.

Mystery rather obvious, but liked the narrator...

Spent some of my Audible credits on Josh Lanyon books. I quite like Chris Patton as a narrator [he did a good job too, apart from the pretty awful French accent for Claude 😉], and too many of my fave books at the mo are being narrated by people I really don't like. This series did not thrill me when I started to read it back in 2013, so 3.5 stars for the story BUT I'll try to persevere with the audio books.

Excellent version of Fatal Shadows

I have only recently got into audio books, having concentrated primarily on print and then electronic, and have begun to dip my toes in the water by getting audio books of titles I already own in other formats, which means that I knew in advance that I liked the first installment in the Adrien English series (good mystery, slow burn buildup of the relationship (in the broadest sense) between him and Jake, engaging character voices). The narrator is very good and brings the individual characters to life and the delivery when Adrien is narrating rather than talking to another character comes across as very noirish which I thought was appropriate and, at times, very funny (for the right reasons.)
All in all I enjoyed this version of the book and will happily move between the print, eBook, and audio versions depending on my mood and location. If you're looking for a light, noirish, modern murder mystery with a great main character then I do recommend this.
My *only* criticism of the narration is that when a character speaks in a low voice, sotto voce for example, the sound level dropped so much it was hard to hear. I use headphones at work, so if I had it loud enough to perfectly hear the quiet bits, I'd be deafened in the normal sections. With speakers it's fine, though.

Really entertaining!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is the first gay murder mystory I've ever had the fotune to listen to- I must admit I found it riviting stuff especially in the capable voice of C Patton who lent a real sense of suspense and drama to the story. It may not be highly original or entirly convincing (*spoiler alert* - the protagonist being a rather unhealthly weak-hearted liberal winning the attraction of the cop at the end of the story seemingly out of the blue, nor the rather incongruous actions of the antagonist of the story), but it was very entertaining and the camp humour and drama was played out very well!