I received this book for free from my own shelves in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: my own shelves
Fair Chance
by
Josh Lanyon
detective mystery, LGBT, romance in a Kindle edition that was published by Carina Press on March 13, 2017 and has 366 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Fatal Shadows, Death of a Pirate King, A Dangerous Thing, The Hell You Say, Dark Tide, Somebody Killed His Editor, Fair Play, "So This is Christmas", Murder at Pirate's Cove, Secret at Skull House, Footsteps in the Dark, Mystery at the Masquerade, The Dark Farewell, “A Funny Thing Happened . . .”, Murder Takes the High Road
Third and last in the All’s Fair LGBT detective mystery series and revolving around two men involved in law enforcement and in love in Seattle, Washington.
My Take
The things serial killers will do. I wonder if Corian was really all that great of an artist if he had to use bodies to create his sculpture?
It’s a twitchy sort of story, as Lanyon uses third person simple subjective point-of-view, with Elliot’s worries about Tucker pulling at him. All the worries of a person who loves and yet feels that lack of security. A former FBI agent who knows the realities and chafes at the restrictions. And between Sheba’s missing owner and Tucker, Elliot can’t resist going tracking, hunting for something, anything. Good thing.
That same POV gives us the inside view on the love between Tucker and Elliot…we should all be so lucky.
There are multiple battles in this: trying to get Corian to talk; Tucker wanting Elliot off the case, period; the possible offer from SAC Montgomery; the slaps from other law enforcement agents because Elliot isn’t an agent anymore; MacAuley’s lame “hunting”; and, Elliot’s too-forgiving father all keep things on edge.
There’s a bit of self-analysis as Elliot tries to decide where his heart really lies. Of course, we all know what he’ll choose.
Oh, boy…and Tip isn’t the only idiot:
“…listening to Loggers linebacker Tip Wilkins earnestly explain why football practice was more important than writing an essay on ‘ancient history’, i.e., the Dred Scott decision…”
Lanyon tosses out all sorts of red herrings, making me suspicious of everyone. Of course, he also does an easy job of making me despise MacAuley. What an idiot!?! That man is too arrogant for words. Even I can see that his idea of a “fun” party is dangerous! WTF is he thinking??
The action does keep me hopping…or is that hoping? But the worst of it? This is the last of it; I want more stories about Tucker and Elliot! They’re compassionate men who are passionate about their work, and that Roland, lol. Oh, boy, he’s much more forgiving than I could be, and I did appreciate that remark about approaching the dairies, *more laughter*
The Story
It’s a game of cat-and-mouse, as the Sculptor taunts Elliot with clues about the men he murdered. Yet more taunts that leave Elliot bewildered, until Tucker doesn’t come home.
It’s chance, pure chance and a compassionate heart that breaks the case.
The Characters
Professor Elliot Mills retired from the FBI after a debilitating injury and now teaches courses that revolve around the Civil War at Puget Sound University as a non-tenured professor. Special Agent Tucker Lance is his life partner and former FBI partner who now heads the Sculptor case. The two live on Goose Island.
The revolutionary Professor Roland Mills is Elliot’s father and also a teacher at Puget Sound. Oscar Nobb is one of his father’s revolutionary pals for whom Roland wants Elliot’s help (Fair Play, 2). Tom Baker was Nobby’s defense attorney.
Tova is Tucker’s birth mother and a born-again Christian; she lives in Wyoming with her conservative car salesman husband, Ed.
The FBI office in…
…Seattle is led by Special-Agent-in-Charge (SAC) Theresa Montgomery who wants Elliot on the case as a consultant. Special Agent Kelli Yamiguchi isn’t sure about this. Unit Chief Sam Kennedy is a legendary profiler.
Tacoma PD
Detective Pine is with Homicide. Detective Upson is Pine’s partner and seems to be a witness for Nobby. There may be a romance starting up between Upson and Rollie. Detective Fallis is in charge of the double-murder and the kidnapping cases.
The FBI and the Tacoma PD are part of a multiagency task force that includes Pierce County Prosecutor John Marquessi; Chief Caleb Woll with the Black Diamond PD who has his own secrets; and, the much-married Deputy Sheriff Jack Dannon with the King’s County Sheriff’s Department who has quite the reputation.
Puget Sound University
Elliot has an office in Hanby Hall. Donna is the history department secretary. Tip Wilkins and Linda Markowitz are students in some of his classes. Charlotte Oppenheimer is the president of the university. Anne Gold teaches art history. Jordan Perigee is an art student.
Will MacAuley is a conservative crank and right-wing radio commentator/blogger who’d love to get Elliot in his bed. Torrin Barro had a minor police record and worked as a full-time creamologist for Freeze Frame.
Andrew Corian was the Sculptor, a serial killer whom Elliot and Tucker caught in Fair Game, 1. Eddie and Gina Hope are Corian’s nearest neighbors, besides Connie Foster who is a mite quick with a shotgun. Honoria Sallis is Corian’s ex-wife. Arvon Jamieson is a very expensive lawyer. Ellen and Odell Haysbert had been Corian’s foster parents. Krayle had been the Haysberts’ son who died. Tamir Flurry is a guard at the prison and a former student of Corian’s. Green Garden Landscaping is a gardening service.
Corian’s victims included Douglas Watterson (his best friend, Mather, is in the same prison as Corian).
Sheba is a lost Doberman pinscher in the wrong place for some, the right place for others. Todd Rice is the absent owner who works at BP Cherry Point Refinery. Dr. Mueller with Maple Valley Veterinary Hospital is the vet to whom Elliot takes Sheba. Dianne and Carli are teenagers working at a day care center. The house on Todd’s right is owned by a retired couple, Matthew and Jaime Howard.
Steven Roche is a former neighbor of Elliot’s. Ira Kane was the man who shot Elliot’s knee out at Pioneer Courthouse Square. Adam is Tucker’s ex.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a lot of dark blues with a cloud-covered, moonlit sky and a horizon of fir trees behind the boys, dark-haired, dark jackets, the pale flesh of their faces and hands popping against all that dark. The author’s name is in the center and right justified in white at the top while the title is in a gradation of white to blue to purple at the bottom left. Do wish authors would slap on the series information, sigh…
The title is all Elliot asks for, a Fair Chance to find his lover.
