Books by Josh Lanyon

God Help You Merry Gentlemen...Arriving home early after spending Christmas in jolly old England, sometime amateur sleuth Adrien English discovers alarming developments at Cloak and Dagger Books--and an old acquaintance seeking help in finding his missing boyfriend.Fortunately, Adrien just happens to know a really good private eye...

Like recovering from heart surgery beneath the gaze of his over-protective family isn't exasperating enough, someone keeps trying to break into Adrien English's bookstore. What is this determined midnight intruder searching for?When a half-century old skeleton is discovered beneath the floorboards during the renovation of Cloak and Dagger Bookstore, Adrien turns to hot and handsome ex-lover Jake Riordan -- now out-of-the closet and working as a private detective.Jake is only too happy to have reason to stay in close contact with Adrien, but there are more surprises in Adrien's past than either one of them expects -- and one of them may prove hazardous to Jake's own heart.

Demons, death threats...and Christmas shopping.It's gonna be one Hell of a Holiday.In the third in the popular Adrien English series, the "ill-starred and bookish" mystery writer has to contend with a Satanic cult, a handsome university professor and his on-again/off-again relationship with the eternally conflicted LAPD Detective Jake Riordan.And, oh, yes, murder...

Gay bookseller and reluctant amateur sleuth Adrien English's writing career is suddenly taking off. His first novel, Murder Will Out, has been optioned by notorious Hollywood actor Paul Kane.But when murder makes an appearance at a dinner party, who should be called in but Adrien's former lover, handsome closeted detective Jake Riordan, now a Lieutenant with LAPD -- which may just drive Adrien's new boyfriend, sexy UCLA professor Guy Snowden, to commit a murder of his own.

In this second LA-based adventure, bookseller Adrien English arrives at the Pine Shadow Ranch to find a corpse in his driveway. But by the time the unfriendly local sheriffs arrive, the body has disappeared.Who are the mysterious strangers excavating on his land? And will he sort out his problems with LAPD Detective Jake Riordan, heavily into S/M sex but not so hot on relationships? Find out in this engrossing, slyly witty thriller.

The collection includes the five Petit Mort stories written for JCP Books: "Slings and Arrows," "Other People's Weddings," "Sort of Stranger Than Fiction," "Critic's Choice" and "Just Desserts."Arranged to flow thematically and stylistically are "Perfect Day," "A Limited Engagement," "In Sunshine or In Shadow," a lightly rewritten version of "The French Have a Word for It," "In a Dark Wood," "Until We Meet Once More," "Heart Trouble" and "In Plain Sight."

Something old, something new, something borrowed…something blacker than the darkest night. Antiques dealer (and witch) Cosmo Saville adores his new husband, but his little white lies—and some very black magic—are about to bring his fairytale romance to an end. Someone is killing San Francisco's spellcasters—and the only person Cosmo can turn to—the man who so recently swore to love and cherish him—isn't taking his phone calls.The only magic Police Commissioner John Joseph Galbraith believes in is true love. Discovering he’s married to a witch—a witch with something alarmingly like magical powers—is nearly as bad as discovering the man he loved tricked and deceived him. John shoulders the pain of betrayal and packs his bags. But when he learns Cosmo is in the crosshairs of a mysterious and murderous plot, he knows he must do everything in in his mortal power to protect him. 

Clever and ambitious, Special Agent Adam Darling (yeah, he’s heard all the jokes before) was on the fast track to promotion and success until his mishandling of a high profile operation left one person dead and Adam “On the Beach.” Now he’s got a new partner, a new case, and a new chance to resurrect his career, hunting a cruel and cunning serial killer in a remote mountain resort in Oregon.Deputy Sheriff Robert Haskell may seem laid-back, may even seem like a goofball, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a tough and efficient cop when he has to be. And Rob is none too thrilled to see feebs on his turf—even when one of the agents is smart, handsome, and probably gay. But a butchered body in a Native American museum is out of his small-town department’s league. For that matter, icy, uptight Adam Darling is out of Rob’s league, but that doesn’t mean Rob won’t take his best shot. 

Cards on the TableFifty years ago a glamorous Hollywood party ended in murder-the only clue a bloody Tarot card. Reporter Timothy North is trying to find out what happened that long ago summer's night.Mummy DearestDrew 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's coffin. Don't Look BackPeter Killian, curator at Constantine House in Los Angeles, wakes in the hospital to find himself accused of stealing a Tenth Century Chinese sculpture. Kick StartFormer DS Agent Will Brandt is finally braced to bring his partner in work and romance Taylor MacAllister home to meet the folks. Unfortunately, not every member of the Brandt clan loves Taylor the way Will does.

Out of the BlueGrieving over the death of his lover, British flying ace Bat Bryant accidentally kills the man threatening him with exposure. The Dark FarewellIt's the Roaring Twenties. Skirts are short, crime is rampant, and booze is in short supply. Prohibition has hit Little Egypt where newspaper man David Flynn is convinced Spiritualist Medium Julian Devereux is as fake. This Rough MagicWealthy playboy Brett Sheridan thinks he knows the score when he hires tough guy private eye Neil Patrick Rafferty to find a priceless stolen folio of Shakespeare's The Tempest.Snowball in HellIt's 1943 and the world is at war. Reporter Nathan Doyle is just back from the European Theater when he's asked to cover the murder of a society blackmailer--a man who, Homicide Detective Matthew Spain believes, Nathan had every reason to want dead.

A holiday treat for those who love a little sexy sparkle with their Christmas romance. Five contemporary holiday novellas. Includes Icecapade, Baby, it's Cold, The Dickens with Love, A Case of Christmas, and Lone Star.

Turning forty has left much to be desired for mystery writer Christopher Holmes. After both his boyfriend and long-time publisher dump him, he worries his life is officially at the start of a steep decline. Stranded at a writing conference for the weekend, he never expected to bump into an old flame… or stumble across a dead body in the woods.Ex-cop JX Moriarty is soaking up all the newfound fame from his successful crime fiction. When the only bridge into the conference venue washes away to reveal a dead body, Moriarty falls back on old skills to secure and investigate the crime scene. But even his years of experience couldn't prepare him for the discovery of a second body: his ex-boyfriend Christopher's editor.With all fingers pointing to Holmes, Moriarty has no choice but to clear the name of the man who broke his heart. Can the ex-lovers solve the murders and rekindle their passion, or will a killer attendee write them into the body count?Somebody Killed His Editor is the first book in the madcap Holmes & Moriarty romantic gay mystery series. If you like tongue-in-cheek humor, crazy twists and turns, and sizzling chemistry, then you'll love Josh Lanyon's quirky novel.

Despite having attracted the attention of a stalker, Special Agent Jason West is doing his best to keep his mind on his job and off his own troubles.But his latest case implicates one of the original Monuments Men in the theft and perhaps destruction of part of the world’s cultural heritage—a lost Vermeer.But Naval Reserve Lt. Commander Emerson Harley wasn’t just a World War II hero—he was the grandfather Jason grew up idolizing. In fact, Grandpa Harley was a large part of what inspired Jason to join the FBI’s Art Crime Team.Learning that his grandfather might have turned a blind eye to American GIs “liberating” priceless art treasures at the end of the war is more than disturbing. It’s devastating.Jason is determined to clear his grandfather’s name, even if that means putting him on a collision course with romantic partner BAU Chief Sam Kennedy.Meanwhile, someone in the shadows is biding his time…

His romantic weekend in ruins, shy twenty-something artist Perry Foster learns that things can always get worse when he returns home from San Francisco to find a dead body in his bathtub. A dead body in a very ugly sportscoat -- and matching socks.The dead man is a stranger to Perry, but that's not much of a comfort; how did a strange dead man get in a locked flat at the isolated Alton Estate in the wilds of the "Northeast Kingdom" of Vermont? Perry turns to help from "tall, dark and hostile" former navy SEAL Nick Reno -- but is Reno all that he seems?

Mystery author and sometimes amateur sleuth Christopher Holmes is settling into domesticity with his sometimes rival, sometimes nemesis J.X. Moriarity when he learns a body has been discovered in the backyard of his former home.To complicate matters, Christopher's ex turns up accusing Christopher of doing away with his former personal assistant--the man David dumped him for.It's life as usual at Chez Holmes. In other words... Murder.

It's moving day Chez Holmes. Somehow, against Kit's better instincts, he and J.X. are setting up house together. But while J.X. is off at a mystery fiction convention, Kit unpacks a crate that should contain old china. It doesn't...

A murderous fall down icy stairs is nearly all she wrote for Anna Hitchcock, the "American Agatha Christie." The cry for help from his old mentor cuts short mystery author Kit Holmes' romantic weekend with his new boyfriend J.X. Moriarity, and lands him an amateur sleuth gig in an elegant snowbound mansion in the Berkshires.Unfortunately, a clever killer is still one step ahead of Kit...

Nothing up his sleeves. Nothing but murder… Jason West, hot-shot special agent with the FBI’s Art Crime Team, is at the Wyoming home of Behavioral Analysis Unit Chief Sam Kennedy, recuperating from a recent hit-and-run accident, when he’s asked to consult on the theft of a priceless collection of vintage magic posters.But before Jason can say “presto change-o,” the owner of the art collection turns up murdered in a National Forest. When the dead man is revealed to be the Kubla Khanjurer, a much-hated part-time magician accused of revealing the highly guarded secrets of professional illusionists, it seems clear this is a simple revenge killing—until Jason realizes an earlier suspicious death at the trendy magic club Top Hat White Rabbit might be part of the same larger and more sinister pattern.

All those late night conversations when Sam had maybe a drink too many or Jason was half falling asleep. All those playful, provocative comments about what they’d do when they finally met up again. Well, here they were... The last thing Jason West, an ambitious young FBI Special Agent with the Art Crimes Team, wants--or needs--is his uncertain and unacknowledged romantic relationship with irascible legendary Behavioral Analysis Unit Chief Sam Kennedy. And it’s starting to feel like Sam is not thrilled with the idea either. But personal feelings must be put aside when Sam requests Jason’s help to catch a deranged killer targeting wealthy, upscale art collectors. A killer whose calling card is a series of grotesque paintings depicting the murders.

Special Agent Jason West is seconded from the FBI Art Crime Team to temporarily partner with disgraced, legendary “manhunter” Sam Kennedy when it appears Kennedy’s most famous case, the capture and conviction of a serial killer known as the Huntsman, may actually have been a disastrous failure. The Huntsman is still out there…and the killing has begun again. 

A gay high-society wedding. A stolen book of spells. A love-threatening lie.Can a witch avoid a murder rap without revealing the supernatural truth? Cosmo Saville guiltily hides a paranormal secret from his soon-to-be husband. Thanks to a powerful love spell, uncertainty threatens his nuptial magic. But when he's suspected of killing a longtime rival, he could spend his honeymoon behind bars… Police Commissioner John Joseph Galbraith never believed in Happily Ever After until Cosmo came along. Falling head over heels for the elegant antiques dealer is an enchantment he never wants to break. But when all fingers point to Cosmo's guilt, John struggles to trust what his heart is telling him. As Cosmo hunts for the missing grimoire among the arcane aristocracy, John's doubts grow. With an unseen enemy threatening to expose Cosmo's true nature, the couple's blissful future could shatter like a broken charm. Can Cosmo find the lost grimoire, clear his name, and keep John's love alive, or will black magic "rune" their wedding bells?

Collected for the first time in print -- all three of the "I Spy" stories!I Spy Something Bloody Espionage was always a game, but now British spy Mark Hardwicke wants to retire and settle down with ex-lover Dr. Stephen Thorpe -- if Stephen will have him. Unfortunately, Stephen has other plans -- and so do the terrorists who want Mark dead.I Spy Something WickedIt's All Hallow's Eve and Mark Hardwicke's past has come back to haunt him. The Old Man needs Mark to go on one last mission to the wild, lonely hills of Afghanistan -- a mission Mark knows he can't survive. Even if he does make it back, Stephen has made it very clear Mark is out of second chances. Should Mark place his lover and his own happiness before duty?I Spy Something ChristmasNothing says Christmas like a bullet with your name on it. Mark is used to death and danger. Stephen will never be okay with violence -- or Mark's attitude toward it. Like the holidays weren't tough enough on a romance.

The snick of a lock. The squeak of door hinges. The creak of a floorboard.Are those approaching steps that of a lover or an enemy?Entrée to Murder. After a steady diet of big city trouble, Chef Drew Allison moved to the island town of Orca's Slough to get a taste of life in the slow lane. But hometown hospitality goes stale when he finds a dead body in the basement of his own Eelgrass Café.Twelve Seconds. A mysterious phone call, a missing executive, and an exploding rocket throw space reporter Justin Harris and Air Force Special Agent Greg Marcotte into an investigation that will change their lives…if it doesn't kill them first.Reality Bites. Detective Cabot Decker is called to the set of hotshot TV producer Jax Thornburn's reality-TV show after a contestant is mauled to death by a tiger. Is someone trying to ax Jax's career-or Jax himself?Blind Man's Buff. A game of Capture the Flag turns deadly inside an abandoned shopping mall when Tommy and Jonah stumble into a homicidal maniac's hunting grounds.A Country for Old Men. Inspector Calum Macleod has returned to the Western Isles of Scotland to bury a part of himself he can't accept. But the island has old secrets of its own. When a murderer strikes, Calum finds his past can't be so easily escaped.Pepper the Crime Lab. When Lonnie Boudreaux's neighbor is murdered, he must foster the man's dog, befriend a mysterious former cop, and stop the killer-or else!Lights, Camera, Murder. When a hotshot television producer hires him to recover a stolen script, NY PI Rory Byrne must go undercover on the set of the ground-breaking historical drama The Bowery-a job complicated by Rory's unexpected attraction to handsome, talented, and out-and-proud actor Marion Roosevelt.Stranger in the House. Miles Tuesday's memories of Montreal are happy ones, but now that he has inherited the mansion at 13 Place Braeside, everything feels different. Was Madame Martel's fatal fall really an accident? And who is stealing her treasures?One thing has not changed: Miles still wants handsome and sophisticated art dealer Linley Palmer to have a place in his life.Authors L.B. Gregg, Nicole Kimberling, Josh Lanyon, Dal Maclean, Z.A. Maxfield, Meg Perry, C.S. Poe, and S.C. Wynne join forces for Footsteps in the Dark, eight sexy and suspenseful novellas of Male/Male Mystery and Romance.