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In A Dark Wood #1
In a Dark Wood
In a dark, dark wood there was a dark, dark house...Camping in the Jersey Pine Barrens may literally turn out to be a first date from hell for travel writer Tim and the cute cop who persuades him to revisit a past that Tim has done his best to forget.
37 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 28, 2011
14 people are currently reading
618 people want to read
About the author
Josh Lanyon
224 books5,420 followersAuthor of 100+ titles of Gay Mystery and M/M Romance, Josh Lanyon has built her literary legacy on twisty mystery, kickass adventure, and unapologetic man-on-man romance.
Her work has been translated into twelve languages. The FBI thriller Fair Game was the first Male/Male title to be published by Italy’s Harlequin Mondadori and Stranger on the Shore (Harper Collins Italia) was the first M/M title to be published in print. In 2016 Fatal Shadows placed #5 in Japan’s annual Boy Love novel list (the first and only title by a foreign author to place on the list). The Adrien English series was awarded the All-Time Favorite Couple by the Goodreads M/M Romance Group. In 2019, Fatal Shadows became the first LGBTQ mobile game created by Moments: Choose Your Story.
She’s an EPIC Award winner, a four-time Lambda Literary Award finalist (twice for Gay Mystery), an Edgar nominee, and the first ever recipient of the Goodreads All Time Favorite M/M Author award.
Josh is married and lives in Southern California with her irascible husband, two adorable dogs, a small garden, and an ever-expanding library of vintage mystery destined to eventually crush them all beneath its weight.
Find other Josh Lanyon titles at www.joshlanyon.com
Follow Josh on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.
Her work has been translated into twelve languages. The FBI thriller Fair Game was the first Male/Male title to be published by Italy’s Harlequin Mondadori and Stranger on the Shore (Harper Collins Italia) was the first M/M title to be published in print. In 2016 Fatal Shadows placed #5 in Japan’s annual Boy Love novel list (the first and only title by a foreign author to place on the list). The Adrien English series was awarded the All-Time Favorite Couple by the Goodreads M/M Romance Group. In 2019, Fatal Shadows became the first LGBTQ mobile game created by Moments: Choose Your Story.
She’s an EPIC Award winner, a four-time Lambda Literary Award finalist (twice for Gay Mystery), an Edgar nominee, and the first ever recipient of the Goodreads All Time Favorite M/M Author award.
Josh is married and lives in Southern California with her irascible husband, two adorable dogs, a small garden, and an ever-expanding library of vintage mystery destined to eventually crush them all beneath its weight.
Find other Josh Lanyon titles at www.joshlanyon.com
Follow Josh on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
January 19, 2015
3 stars. Review posted January 19, 2015
Twelve years ago something happened to Tim while he was spending the summer in the Pine Barrens, New Jersey. Tim is still trying to escape those memories. His friend Rob tries to fix him up with Luke who's a detective with the New York Police Department. Anyhoo, the detective and the travel writer agree to go on a date...
First dates. You've got to love 'em.
But I mean, what kind of fucking sadist chooses camping for a first date?
Luke wants to kill two birds with one stone. Combining the fun of sexin' it up under the moon and stars while at the same time helping Tim to cope with his daunting memory.
In a Dark Wood is the prequel to The Parting Glass which I've read back in 2013 and even though I'm not familiar with the details anymore, I do remember it hurt so darn good. After having read In a Dark Wood I feel tempted to do a quick re-read of The Parting Glass sometime soon.
In a Dark Wood is a little bit creepy, a little bit steamy and pretty satisfying. It's also more than a little bit well-written; just the usual trademark short novella by Josh Lanyon. It can be read as a standalone but I would really recommend you to check out The Parting Glass which is a very compelling and gut-wrenching reunion story. Go read it!
Sometimes waiting leads to something irresistibly good…to be continued in The Parting Glass.
Twelve years ago something happened to Tim while he was spending the summer in the Pine Barrens, New Jersey. Tim is still trying to escape those memories. His friend Rob tries to fix him up with Luke who's a detective with the New York Police Department. Anyhoo, the detective and the travel writer agree to go on a date...
First dates. You've got to love 'em.
But I mean, what kind of fucking sadist chooses camping for a first date?
Luke wants to kill two birds with one stone. Combining the fun of sexin' it up under the moon and stars while at the same time helping Tim to cope with his daunting memory.
In a Dark Wood is the prequel to The Parting Glass which I've read back in 2013 and even though I'm not familiar with the details anymore, I do remember it hurt so darn good. After having read In a Dark Wood I feel tempted to do a quick re-read of The Parting Glass sometime soon.
In a Dark Wood is a little bit creepy, a little bit steamy and pretty satisfying. It's also more than a little bit well-written; just the usual trademark short novella by Josh Lanyon. It can be read as a standalone but I would really recommend you to check out The Parting Glass which is a very compelling and gut-wrenching reunion story. Go read it!
Sometimes waiting leads to something irresistibly good…to be continued in The Parting Glass.
October 25, 2023
2.5 stars
July 26, 2018
3.5 Stars
This was creepy AF! Nothing good ever happens in the woods. Seriously, just don’t go in there!
This was creepy AF! Nothing good ever happens in the woods. Seriously, just don’t go in there!
May 2, 2014
First date …
Goes well…
Very very well…
Until …
Then …
In a dark, dark wood… There was a dark, dark house…And in that dark, dark house…
Read it !!!
Goes well…
Very very well…
Until …
Then …
In a dark, dark wood… There was a dark, dark house…And in that dark, dark house…
Read it !!!
July 25, 2018
4 Stars
Geezus that was fucking scary intense.
I will say this. Nobody does short stories like Lanyon.
In so few words plot, motive, romance are tightly woven together, set smartly against the backdrop of a mystery to solve.
The abrupt ending was not surprisingly abrupt and of course left me hanging and wanting more. Thank gawd the sequel is at the ready!
Geezus that was fucking scary intense.
I will say this. Nobody does short stories like Lanyon.
In so few words plot, motive, romance are tightly woven together, set smartly against the backdrop of a mystery to solve.
The abrupt ending was not surprisingly abrupt and of course left me hanging and wanting more. Thank gawd the sequel is at the ready!
October 31, 2013
This is pretty much the perfect novella.
There’s this great…attraction…still new, first date, but there…between Tim and the hot cop, Luke…who met at a dinner party and bonded over a childhood story about a creepy old house and a skull.
They go camping…have sex outdoors…
…and out to possibly solve a decade old mystery…murder maybe?
I can’t tell you much without spoiler’ing it…but this book is PERFECTLY freaky…like real-life-scare-the-shit-out-of-me insane. And what Lanyon is able to do in such a short, quick read is genius. I was terrified, yet…I still was feeling the potential romance between the two MC’s.
One date…and this story had more yummy goodness and action than most books I read well over 200 pages. I’m obsessed with this story actually. And so glad to hear there’s MORE to it in book 2 The Parting Glass.
Check out our other Halloween recommendations:
October 29, 2013
Totally badass. What else can I expect? Nailed it!
I've read scarier Lanyon, IMO, but maybe that was because it was night and I'm a big fat chicken.
This book was cool. Creepy. Very "horror movie" and not so much "mystery/thriller", but that's okay. I love it all.
This was creepy and I can't wait to move onto the next book!
Alas, kickass book!
I've read scarier Lanyon, IMO, but maybe that was because it was night and I'm a big fat chicken.
This book was cool. Creepy. Very "horror movie" and not so much "mystery/thriller", but that's okay. I love it all.
This was creepy and I can't wait to move onto the next book!
Alas, kickass book!
March 21, 2016
Más bien un 3,5, es muy cortito y es una pena.
Buena construcción de personajes en pocas páginas, seguiré con la segunda parte en breve.
Buena construcción de personajes en pocas páginas, seguiré con la segunda parte en breve.
September 21, 2024
Listened to the audio but can't find that edition here on GR. Anyway, this was a perfect horror novella. Never heard of this one before so I didn't know what to expect but JL seldom disappoints. 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
January 8, 2022
2nd read: 1/2/2022
I never planned to read this again. I'm glad I did. I don't remember crying at the end the first time. Maybe I did this time because I knew what was coming.
***********************
Dude.
I am at a loss for words.
That was...dude.
I mean, I had absolutely no idea what to expect but it wasn't that.
I am on pins and needles, still kinda freaked out from the last 15 or so pages, basically the last half of this short and yet quite frankly almost perfect story.
I feel for Tim.
I adore the hell out of Luke.
I am in love with Lanyon's writing.
I am so reading the next book but am so afraid of the feels.
Good lord.
Dude, this was good.
I never planned to read this again. I'm glad I did. I don't remember crying at the end the first time. Maybe I did this time because I knew what was coming.
***********************
Dude.
I am at a loss for words.
That was...dude.
I mean, I had absolutely no idea what to expect but it wasn't that.
I am on pins and needles, still kinda freaked out from the last 15 or so pages, basically the last half of this short and yet quite frankly almost perfect story.
I feel for Tim.
I adore the hell out of Luke.
I am in love with Lanyon's writing.
I am so reading the next book but am so afraid of the feels.
Good lord.
Dude, this was good.
September 14, 2012
For what is on the surface a very simple Stand by Me/Wrong Turn mashup this is a short story that really captured me. Tim is so fractured, and is beyond Luke's ability to put him back together. There is no HEA, not even an HFN, but perhaps a promise for some happy one day in the future.
March 25, 2011
I've come late to Josh's work, but have become a ravenous fan. And it's not the M/M angle that gets me, although I do enjoy that aspect of his work. Josh is a damn good writer, one who on occasion has made me keep reading when I should have been writing my own stuff. That's a good book.
I'm not sure whether to call this a long short story or novella but whatever it is, the author packs a tremendous amount of character development and plot into a very compact narrative. While there is a cop, and an element of mystery, it's more a story about a man fighting for his own soul. Because it is a short work, we don't get the kind of time and detail we might have in a novel, and the protagonist/narrator, Tim, is by far the more developed, but his "date" and ultimately, friend, Luke is a steady, likable guy, the sort that Josh does so well. And he forces Tim to face a few demons on the camping trip from, or perhaps in, hell.
This story also contains one of the most beautiful love scenes I've ever read. That's something else Josh excels at. He manages to imbue even a casual hook up with heart and passion, and, quite frankly, his love scenes are pretty hot. He eschews tired cliche, awkward wording, purple prose, and brings an emotional veracity that makes his characters both real and sympathetic.
I'm not sure whether to call this a long short story or novella but whatever it is, the author packs a tremendous amount of character development and plot into a very compact narrative. While there is a cop, and an element of mystery, it's more a story about a man fighting for his own soul. Because it is a short work, we don't get the kind of time and detail we might have in a novel, and the protagonist/narrator, Tim, is by far the more developed, but his "date" and ultimately, friend, Luke is a steady, likable guy, the sort that Josh does so well. And he forces Tim to face a few demons on the camping trip from, or perhaps in, hell.
This story also contains one of the most beautiful love scenes I've ever read. That's something else Josh excels at. He manages to imbue even a casual hook up with heart and passion, and, quite frankly, his love scenes are pretty hot. He eschews tired cliche, awkward wording, purple prose, and brings an emotional veracity that makes his characters both real and sympathetic.
March 12, 2018
I was not expecting that. Do NOT read reviews and do not read my spoiler until AFTER you've read this story! Really, don't! OK? Now I'm off to buy book 2.
May 7, 2014
This was short but really very good, and more than a little creepy.
November 3, 2012
3.5 Stars
This wasn't just a spooky story about two guys camping in the woods. This was Tim confronting his past and dealing with his demons. The writing flowed easily but at times certain scenes felt a bit rushed. Regardless, Lanyon was still able to bring depth to Tim's character.
Great little story.
This wasn't just a spooky story about two guys camping in the woods. This was Tim confronting his past and dealing with his demons. The writing flowed easily but at times certain scenes felt a bit rushed. Regardless, Lanyon was still able to bring depth to Tim's character.
Great little story.
January 29, 2015
Audible
For a short story it was quite creepy. I loved the suspense. Lanyon manages to keep readers on their toes even within 37 pages. Impressive. The narrator is excellent too.
***4 stars***
For a short story it was quite creepy. I loved the suspense. Lanyon manages to keep readers on their toes even within 37 pages. Impressive. The narrator is excellent too.
***4 stars***
January 12, 2023
Kindle-Sort-ReRead
Intense and creepy.
But Tim is clearly suffering PTSD and Luke is weirdly insistent forcing him to face his fear - straight into danger. Deciding he's an alcoholic when they've literally just met. Has sex with him knowing he's drunk.
The writing is good, atmosphere is strong, but I pitied Tim and seriously didn't like Luke.
Intense and creepy.
But Tim is clearly suffering PTSD and Luke is weirdly insistent forcing him to face his fear - straight into danger. Deciding he's an alcoholic when they've literally just met. Has sex with him knowing he's drunk.
The writing is good, atmosphere is strong, but I pitied Tim and seriously didn't like Luke.
September 26, 2015
Sh*t, this really *is* a horror story!
A perfect mood piece for Halloween, actually.
Tim, a travel blogger and Luke, a cop, meet at a mutual friends' party and Luke is mighty interested in a childhood story that Tim is telling about an abandoned mansion deep in the woods in Jersey that he found when he got lost in the woods with a friend at age 13. The boys found a piece of a human skull in the soil outside the house and ran home, scared to death.
Luke asks Tim to meet up again on the weekend, as a kind of first date. But instead of a movie or dinner, he suggests an over night trip hiking through the woods to find the haunted house of Tim's nightmarish childhood adventure.
Tim is not happy, but Luke's cute, hot and a cop. So why not?
What starts off as an unusual date with some hot cuddling, turns into a blood curdling horror that reveals not only a terrible mistake in Tim's past, but also a deep-rooted problem he yet has to face in daylight. And why *is* Luke so interested in dragging his date to an abandoned house deep into the dark dark wood...?
It's a short story, but it contains so many details, it truly shows what a seasoned professional Mr Lanyon is.
A perfect mood piece for Halloween, actually.
Tim, a travel blogger and Luke, a cop, meet at a mutual friends' party and Luke is mighty interested in a childhood story that Tim is telling about an abandoned mansion deep in the woods in Jersey that he found when he got lost in the woods with a friend at age 13. The boys found a piece of a human skull in the soil outside the house and ran home, scared to death.
Luke asks Tim to meet up again on the weekend, as a kind of first date. But instead of a movie or dinner, he suggests an over night trip hiking through the woods to find the haunted house of Tim's nightmarish childhood adventure.
Tim is not happy, but Luke's cute, hot and a cop. So why not?
What starts off as an unusual date with some hot cuddling, turns into a blood curdling horror that reveals not only a terrible mistake in Tim's past, but also a deep-rooted problem he yet has to face in daylight. And why *is* Luke so interested in dragging his date to an abandoned house deep into the dark dark wood...?
It's a short story, but it contains so many details, it truly shows what a seasoned professional Mr Lanyon is.
March 31, 2017
I actually enjoyed it even more the second time, knowing how it ended relieved a lot of my anxiety over how scary that one was.
October 1, 2013
I felt that it was too short and too fast for what happened in the book.
For me, things were progressing at the shockingly fast pace,
I felt that it was slightly disjointed at time and some moments of *Are you serious?*. While I may not always bought the actual journeys of the MCs (who had spend probably no more than 3 days and a night together by the end of the book, I bought the emotional journey of Tim. Josh Lanyon never failed to deliver on that front.
For me, things were progressing at the shockingly fast pace,
I felt that it was slightly disjointed at time and some moments of *Are you serious?*. While I may not always bought the actual journeys of the MCs (who had spend probably no more than 3 days and a night together by the end of the book, I bought the emotional journey of Tim. Josh Lanyon never failed to deliver on that front.
March 12, 2017
First dates. You’ve got to love ’em. But I mean, what kind of fucking sadist chooses camping for a first date?
A short suspenseful story about a helluva first date between Luke, a cop, and Tim, a travel writer. Add in an urban legend about the Forrester and a creepy house out in the middle of nowhere, some hot sleeping bag sex, and Tim finally coming to terms with . Pretty much a perfect novella by Josh Lanyon!
March 20, 2013
Wow... that was a dark read, beautifully written. *shivers*
"In the dark dark wood.... there was a dark dark house...and in that dark dark house..."
If you want to know what happens you have to read it. :)
And I guess Tim is right:
"Yeah, I'm fine... I just... picked a really bad day to stop drinking."
October 7, 2011
4.5
How is it possible to fit everything I love about a book in such a short story? Characters with depth, intrigue, plot, action, hope...how does he do it?
How is it possible to fit everything I love about a book in such a short story? Characters with depth, intrigue, plot, action, hope...how does he do it?
March 22, 2013
Well that was the creepiest thing I've read in a while...i would like to read more about these guys though since they ended with an almost HFN.
March 7, 2014
Well, that was kind of scary, very Blair Witch Project, and a little hot and very, very serious. I have to read the next one now.
June 29, 2014
An interesting little thriller.
Bit too light on the romance but there is certainly potential for these two guys.
Bit too light on the romance but there is certainly potential for these two guys.
June 18, 2023
Upgraded to 3 stars.....
Okay, so there must be something wrong with me when I read this series(two novellas again) because this definitely deserves more...and the re-read proved it.
Okay, so there must be something wrong with me when I read this series(two novellas again) because this definitely deserves more...and the re-read proved it.
December 23, 2022
I loved every bit of it.
September 19, 2011
By and large, I think Lanyon is a consistently a cut above the majority of his peers in the m/m romance market. On the other hand, the consistency of quality within his own works can be somewhat variable.
The set-up on this story was a little wacky, though I think Lanyon sells it well, but I think it would've benefited (for me, at least) from a little more expansion and exploration, just because of the number of things that Lanyon tackles in the course of such a short story.
As well, it reminds me of what I find dissatisfying about a lot of romances; it gives you a lot of set-up--from a relationship POV--but once the characters get together and, as far as I'm concerned, things are just starting to get really interesting, it ends. It's a personal complaint; much of the romance market predicates on that thrill of new romance and the struggle to get together and far fewer of us are interested in the "Okay, they're together, what comes next?" but given the struggles Tim and the still largely opaque Luke have in front of them, only barely revealed in the course of the story, much less resolved, it's hard not to want more.
Which I suppose is the place where Lanyon usually nails it; he's got the gift of gimme, of creating characters and a chemistry that you can't help wanting to know more about. Even with my complaints, I enjoyed this story a lot.
The set-up on this story was a little wacky, though I think Lanyon sells it well, but I think it would've benefited (for me, at least) from a little more expansion and exploration, just because of the number of things that Lanyon tackles in the course of such a short story.
As well, it reminds me of what I find dissatisfying about a lot of romances; it gives you a lot of set-up--from a relationship POV--but once the characters get together and, as far as I'm concerned, things are just starting to get really interesting, it ends. It's a personal complaint; much of the romance market predicates on that thrill of new romance and the struggle to get together and far fewer of us are interested in the "Okay, they're together, what comes next?" but given the struggles Tim and the still largely opaque Luke have in front of them, only barely revealed in the course of the story, much less resolved, it's hard not to want more.
Which I suppose is the place where Lanyon usually nails it; he's got the gift of gimme, of creating characters and a chemistry that you can't help wanting to know more about. Even with my complaints, I enjoyed this story a lot.
August 10, 2018
I loved it. I think it's the first time I read something by Lanyon that I find trully creepy.
I am so SO glad to see there's a follow up to this. Lanyon is great at short stories, and I always crave more of her characters while admitting she stopped at the right place. This time though, I trully wanted more, because I need to know if they'll reach their HEA, they're not there yet.
I am so SO glad to see there's a follow up to this. Lanyon is great at short stories, and I always crave more of her characters while admitting she stopped at the right place. This time though, I trully wanted more, because I need to know if they'll reach their HEA, they're not there yet.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews