Title: Winter Kill
Author: Josh Lanyon
Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing, Inc.
Reviewer: Larry / John
Release Date: May 31, 2015
Genre(s): m/m
/ Mystery / Detective Thriller
Page Count: 220 pages
Heat Level: 3 flames out of 5
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Blurb: 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, might even seem like a goofball, but he’s 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.

Review:
Adam has found himself in a bad spot, trying his best to overcome a negative hit to his career path.  Working the morgue patrol seeking out victims of a serial killer is the last thing he ever imagined he’d be doing.  But here he was, in a cold remote town in Oregon called Nearby, doing just that.  But is this a victim of his serial killer or just a routine homicide that the local sheriff’s department couldn’t handle?

Deputy Sheriff Robert (Rob) Haskell doesn’t like that his boss called in the feebs on the case.  He thinks they have the where-with-all to handle it on their own.  Though he feels violated, he can’t help being attracted to the extremely put-together Adam Darling.  And the attraction seems to be mutual.  That said, both men had sworn to never mix work with pleasure, so the situation stayed professional, until Adam found he was in the wrong place.

This was not a case for a federal investigation.  The homicide was not one of his serial killer project.  That allowed him to look at Rob in a different light, in his bed, bringing him to an amazing, breath-taking climax. “He’d never see the man again, so what did it matter”

Three months later, he was back, with a new partner who didn’t appreciate Adam’s work style, his position in a redemption role and didn’t appreciate being on morgue patrol.  This time the case held the possibility that it might just be a serial killer, possibly his serial killer, and remotely possible that the killer might still be in town.

But how do these professionals who pledged they wouldn’t interact personally while working a case manage?  When the investigation of one death becomes a manhunt for another possible victim, the town of Nearby becomes a hot spot for feds, and cops from several area communities.

Twists, turns, murder, missing persons, hate, jealousy, lust, and love are mingled throughout Winterkill by Josh Lanyon.  She managed to keep my attention on the mystery while interlacing just enough sexual tension to keep me interested in the personal lives of Adam, Rob and others in the story.

I did some research on Lanyon and found she has written dozens of mystery thrillers.  Her books are well accepted and the reviews laud her with praise.  So I guess I’ll just have to add my own to the list.