The Hell You Say

Publisher's Summary

The third novel in the Adrien English series finds the "ill-starred and bookish" mystery writer and bookseller battling demons - maybe literally. After bookstore clerk Angus flees following terrifying death threats, Adrien must contend with a mysterious Satanic cult, a hot and handsome university professor, and his on-again/off-again relationship with closeted LAPD Homicide Detective Jake Riordan. And, oh, yes, murder...

©2007 MLR Press (P)2013 Josh Lanyon

Best book in series so far!

Would you listen to The Hell You Say again? Why?

Absolutely. I have listened to it twice already.
Josh Lanyon does a great job of showing how far people are willing to go to remain acceptable to their peers and the repercussions of how soul destroying denial can become.
Chris brings a great character range, making the book even more appealing.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Hell You Say?

The most memorable scene for me was how calm Adrien remains about the marriage announcement. Chris's performance of this scene made my heart hurt.

What about Chris Patton’s performance did you like?

Chris has a great vocal range for characters. He also adds a lot of emotion that increased the overall appeal of the book. I look forward to listening to him read.

Any additional comments?

Both Jake's and Angus's actions in this book show the degree of destruction they are willing to accept in order to fit in with their peers.
Jake's homophobia becomes more than fear, it develops into a mental illness, causing him to endanger others through unprotected sex and physical violence.
Angus's need to fit in brings him into contact with a group of people who are more than willing to kill to protect themselves and he is willing to turn a blind eye because of his need.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Cool mystery, simply perfect narration

What made the experience of listening to The Hell You Say the most enjoyable?

Chris Patton's narration. Such a marvel! and of course he had the best material to work with. I love the book and had very high expectations which were met by Chris' narration and more.

What did you like best about this story?

What i like best about this book (3rd in a series of 5) are the mystery (which is really cool) and the introduction of Adrien's new family (which provides a much needed comic relief). In addition, there is the story of what is going on between Adrien and Jake (some tough decisions are made in this book), and that part is emotionally intense. I admire Josh Lanyon's writing for weaving all of the above together seamlessly.

What about Chris Patton’s performance did you like?

I truly like everything about Chris Patton's performance, and he gets better and better with every book in this series. I enjoy in particular the voice nuances, which give each character a distinct voice that is completely in sync with what i imagined. My personal favorite is Jake's voice. The scenes between Adrien and Jake (everyday interaction and erotic) are crucial to the understanding of these characters, and especially for Jake, whose inner thoughts we don't have access to. Since these books mean so much to me, i felt apprehensive when i started listening to Fatal Shadows (book 1), and to A Dangerous Thing (book 2), because there are specific scenes that have this perfect clarity. Never fear, Chris' narration is wonderful! Any doubt i might have had evaporated while listening to Fatal Shadows, but with The Hell You Say i now feel that i completely trust Chris Patton with any of my favorite scenes.

If you could take any character from The Hell You Say out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Jake. I'd like to talk to him about stuff. And since he's been thrashing about inside, it seems that he might welcome being able to openly talk to someone, without fear of repercussions. It might make him feel less lonely (hey, this *is* fiction).

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Andrien and Jake

Any additional comments?

Whew! That last scene with Jake and Andien...good Lord...I was scared myself. That was so intense!!!!

Of course, this is a great mystery and man oh man Andrien just does not know how to stay away from dead bodies and he sure as hell can't figure out how to stay away from trouble! i.e. Jake

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Great Story!!!

Where does The Hell You Say rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Narrator did an excellent job of telling the story. Brought the story to life! Wouldn't mind listening to it again.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Hell You Say?

Jake knocking Adrien down during a confrontation.

Which scene was your favorite?

There was too many to list, but the ones showing Adrien's humor were my favs.

Any additional comments?

I want more of this series!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Brilliant!

I had long ago given up on the m/m genre, whether the stories be paranormal or suspenseful or merely contemporary romance, because they all started to run together... just the same old stuff. I've recently discovered, however, that in giving up all together I've been missing out on the writing brilliance of Josh Lanyon.

The Hell You Say is the 3rd book in the Adrien English Mystery series and, so far, my favorite. This story of occult and murder is action packed and fast paced, and simply amazing. Exciting, intriguing, humorous, steamy, and at times even poignant... to say this was entertaining is to say the least!

The audio version is very, very good! Chris Patton's voice is seductive and comfortable and appealing. He does an amazing job of bringing the characters to life, and I can't imagine a more perfect voice for this series.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Hellacious times

Curses, Satanists, dead bodies, marriages and a pregnancy. Just about everything but the kitchen sink happens to Adrien this go-around.

Not my favorite of the Adrien English series, but every book is a great read/listen. You cannot go wrong with Josh Lanyon.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

The Occult was never more readable.

What did you love best about The Hell You Say?

I loved the research that went into this book. It effortlessly educates the reader into a dark world of cults and ritual killings that paints the best milieu of the series.

What other book might you compare The Hell You Say to and why?

I don't read enough books involving the occult that to compare it to.

Which scene was your favorite?

Adrien's visit to Angus home and the discovery of the ...

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

This one did not make me cry. "Dark Tide" did.

Any additional comments?

One of the best in the series.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Love these books

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

All the Adrien "with an e" English books are great. The story lines and the romance is great. I re-read and re-listen to them frequently

Who was your favorite character and why?

Adrien of course. He is funny, whitty, and brave without trying to be.

Which character – as performed by Chris Patton – was your favorite?

You know what ALL OF THEM. I have bought so many audibles in the last few months and so many of them I can't even finish the performances are so horrible the sound of their voices gets on my nerves and I don't finish, because if I do it will ruin the book that I loved reading.

Chris Patton is excellent in all ways - his characters, the sound of his voice, the emotion all of it. I so wish he had a lot more books in this genre for me to buy. I'd buy them, no doubt.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Another good book in the Adrien English series

Josh Lanyon continues to deliver in another instalment in the Adrien English series. The relationship between Adrien and his closeted cop continues to develop with it's twists and turns.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

This is my least favorite of this series

This is my least favorite of this series just because there isn't enough AdrienxJake, and Jake being super horrible.
Chris Patton is awesome as usual.

I like consistyency in a series

The stories continue to be good, and the narration is too - and once again it would be better without the unnecessarily descriptive sex scenes (well, actually the sex scenes themselves are't really necessary, but at least there aren't many of them), so I marked down for that.