Mummy Dearest

The XOXO Files, Book 1

By: Josh Lanyon

Narrated by: Sean Crisden

Length: 2 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

The truth is out there. Way, way, way out there!

Drew Lawson is racing against the clock. He's got a twenty-four-hour window to authenticate the mummy of Princess Merneith. If he's not at his boyfriend's garden party when that window closes, it'll be the final nail in their relationship coffin.

The last thing he needs traipsing on the final shred of his patience is brash, handsome reality show host Fraser Fortune, who's scheduled to film a documentary about the mummy's Halloween curse.

The opportunity to film a bona-fide professor examining the mummy is exactly the aura of authenticity Fraser needs. Except the grumpy PhD is a pompous ass on leave from his ivory tower. Yet something about Drew has Fraser using a word he doesn't normally have to draw upon: please.

With no time to waste-and a spark of attraction he can't deny - Drew reluctantly agrees to let Fraser follow his every move as he unwraps the mummy's secrets. Soon they're both making moves behind the scenes that even the dead can't ignore…

Warning: Whoso shall ever open this tomb, er, book shall suffer the curse of the Pharaohs. Okay, maybe not. But set aside a chunk of time for marauding mummies, too many cosmopolitans, illicit sex in hotel rooms, and other non-academic shenanigans.

©2010 Josh Lanyon (P)2014 Josh Lanyon

Really great - classic Lanyon

If you could sum up Mummy Dearest in three words, what would they be?

If you want a great comfort 'listen to' then this is your book

What was one of the most memorable moments of Mummy Dearest?

the first time they are alone in the hotel room - wow, great chemistry

Which character – as performed by Sean Crisden – was your favorite?

Drew was great

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

Fraser... hello ;)

Any additional comments?

I love everything SC narrates - he is so talented and his characters are great. Love Josh Lanyon - such great characters and stories. Really great.

Book-y meets flash-y, and a mummy.

Any additional comments?

**** 4 mummy stars ****

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"Which part are you upset about? The BJ or the mummy watching me blow you?"
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Drew Lawson, a young college professor visits the town of Walsh, Wyoming, aka the middle of nowhere, to examine the mummy of Princess Merneith at the local museum. Unfortunately it seems the mummy is "double booked" since handsome, tv celebrity Fraser Fortune is there to do a show on the mummy as well. The rumor is that the mummy comes to life every Halloween, and guess which day it is?

Their first meet isn't very successful, book-y meets flash-y, but turns of events bring them together to try to unwrap (ha!) the mystery. The rumor can't be real, right?

Drew also got to deal with his boyfriend, who's not going to win a Boyfriend of the Year award anytime soon.

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My heart was pounding so hard I felt sick as I said, "You know, Noah, in the space of a two-minute conversation you’ve called me ridiculous three times. Also insecure, childish and jealous."
Noah said tartly, “That, beautiful boy, is because you’re behaving ridiculously. Now I’m going to have my dinner and I’ll talk to you tomorrow evening."
"Don’t hang up on me, Noah."
"Goodbye, Drew."
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This was a fun, lighthearted and angst free short audio listen just short of three hours. The writing was good and the narration great. The mystery wasn't much of a mystery, but the reveal wasn't the focus of the story as how they got there and found each other was the interesting part. I might argue the breakup with Drew's boyfriend was a bit sudden, even though the boyfriend had it coming, and Drew hooking up with Fraser was a bit quick, but I was happy for Drew and Fraser. Sometimes shit happens and you meet someone and it just clicks! By a little help of a mummy.

Recommended!

It's XOXO files, not XLXL files! LOL!

It took awhile for me to warm to the story but that was the fault of the narrator. I usually love Crisden's work but here, not only does he say "XLXL Files", but he gives Frasier Fortune a voice that makes him sound at worst, like a perv, and at best, a weirdo. FF is neither of these despite Drew's disdain of him at first.

I know I would have liked this JL story in audio a lot more if Crisden had given FF a regular-sounding voice. And why didn't anyone catch the XLXL mistake before it was released?

Not hot

I liked the story plot but I could not connect these two sexually. No chemistry. Maybe it was the physical description that had me picturing someone with the body of Joe Peshi that turned the heat down for me. Also the voice of Frasier just always sounded so typical Rico Suave. Like he always had a quirked eyebrow and bedroom eyes. To me, it's that annoying flirty equivalent of a female give that fake giggle. Blah. Still adore narrator and author. This title just fell flat for me.

Fun mystery

What made the experience of listening to Mummy Dearest the most enjoyable?

The banter back and forth between Drew and Fraser.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Mummy Dearest?

Usually cool, calm and collect Drew getting Tipsy in a shit kicker bar on Cosmos.

What about Sean Crisden’s performance did you like?

Everything!

Who was the most memorable character of Mummy Dearest and why?

Fraser. I love his genial attitude and the fact that he wears converse.

Any additional comments?

Drew Lawson is a professor hoping to make tenure by publishing a paper on his authentication of the mummy Princess Merneith’s tomb. He’s travelled all the way Wyoming and pissed his long term boyfriend off in the process to examine this mummy’s tomb. Unfortunately the doctor in charge of the museum has double booked the princess and left town over the Halloween weekend. Drew is forced to work with an extravagant reality show host, Fraser Fortune, who takes charge of the museum to film an upcoming episode.

The authentication of the mummy is just the tip of the iceberg for Drew and Fraser who wind up spending their down time in the quiet Wyoming town together chasing mummies, bar hopping and trying to figure out exactly who is in charge of the museum.

There was a sort of Boris Karloff feel to this story. If you are a fun of the movie, then you’ll figure little things about this short story out pretty early on. But it was a lot of hysterical, creepy fun hearing Drew and Fraser skirting around town in beat up converse, chasing the peeping tom mummy, getting wasted in a hick bar, then making out to the wee hours of the morning. I do have to disagree with the part of the description that states ‘illicit sex in hotel rooms’… the sex in the story was simply hinted at, no descriptives and if you blink, you’ll miss it.

Narrated by Sean Crisden, need I say more? Sean C is one of the best narrators out there right now. I loved the voice he gave Fraser Fortune. At first you might think Fraser is an aging, pompous ass by the tone Sean C uses for him, but he’s not. He’s really an attractive guy that hosts a reality show and wears converse. I could almost picture the look on Fraser’s face a couple times when he was placating a slightly tippy Drew.

Overall I quite liked this story, well worth a listen if you are a fan of fun mysteries.

LOVE this story!

Where does Mummy Dearest rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Have to say I'm a bit prejudiced. This is one of my go-to "feel good" stories, and I reread it at least once a year. Was *thrilled* to find it in audio as well.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I loved Frasier. He's so goofy, but at the same time very earnest, smart, and sweet.

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

He really brought the characters' voices to life.

Funny and a lot of fun, and really cool narration

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

Yes. The story is light and fun and funny too, with just a bit of romance, just perfect. I like the setting and atmosphere, the story of the princess, and i really like Fraser's character. The narration was a delight. I'm in awe of Sean Crisden's dramatization. I couldn't stop smiling throughout.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Mummy Dearest?

The scene where Drew examines the mummy and the scene when the mummy first appears are among my favorites.

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

This was my first listen to Sean Crisden and i'm looking forward to hearing more from him.

A Voice Can Ruin it All

My appreciation of this book was definitely affected by the fact that it was an audiobook and the narrator made a lot of choices that just flat out didn't work for me.

On the story front, this is actually one of the cases where Lanyon's brevity works very well. This is less a love story than the opening stages of a love story. That's not a criticism. There's a real sweetness to Drew and Fraser's interactions, their adventures around the town, but the fact remains that they've just met and Drew's just getting out of a not-great relationship. For it to go further would be pushing it and, in this case, it feels right for Lanyon to end it where it does, in that sweet possibility of a greater relationship but without crossing the line.

On the other hand, the audio narrator, Sean Crisden... His "regular" voice, when speaking for Drew was fine. It was a little laconic for me, but I could roll with it. However, the voices he did for the other characters had the exaggerated tone and inflection of an old time radio play, and not in a good way. This was most egregious for me in the plummy, douchey tone he chose for Fraser. I know the story's blurb describes Fraser as "brash", but there's a way to do brash that's still charming and I feel that Crisden missed the mark, badly, and I had to dig deep to go with the text, rather than the portrayal.

Short and fun

Fun is not an adjective that is generally used in describing a Josh Lanyon novel, but when your leads are drunk and being chased by a guy in a mummy costume, you have to use that very word: Fun.
This is titled as book 1, but unfortunately so far Josh has not come out with a 2nd book (yet) I live in hope, and wait to see where Drew and Fraser's lives will lead.

Even better the second time around

Any additional comments?

Series/Standalone: book 1
Genre/sub-genre: mystery/romance
Book Format: audio
HEA/HFN: yes
Relatable characters: yes
Abuse/Rape: no
Violence: not really
Ratio of sex/plot: equal
Well written/editor needed: well written
Would I re-read?: yes
Personal thoughts: I enjoyed reading this the first time, but listening to it in audio, I loved it even more. It's a light book, with lots of humor, right along with the mystery and the romance. Great Halloween read!