What do you think?
Rate this book
44.1644° North
The decades-old disappearance of twenty-one-year-old teaching student Deirdre Duncan is the Holy Grail for true crime buffs—and Skylar Brennan, the host of the Ugly Town podcast, is no exception. In fact, on the mean streets of the internet, he’s considered an expert on the case. (In law enforcement circles, he’s viewed as just another crackpot internet sleuth.) Every February, the remote New Hampshire village of Woodlark is the site of a candlelight vigil for Deirdre. Family, friends, and “supporters” of the long missing girl, gather at the spot where she was last seen. This is Skylar’s first vigil, and his fans are excited, but maybe not as excited as the person who’s been anonymously emailing him coordinates to what this poison pen pal claims is Deirdre’s grave.
158 pages, Paperback
First published February 9, 2023
28 people are currently reading
333 people want to read
About the author
Josh Lanyon
224 books5,418 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
March 9, 2023
•| ⊱✿⊰ |• 4,9 Stars •| ⊱✿⊰ |•
This is more a mystery than a romance, though the main characters go round around each other.
Slow burn, or I may even say, almost clean romance.
Deirdre went missing nineteen years ago.
A lot of speculation, but even the police couldn't solve the case.
Skylar goes to the annual vigil for Deirdre, since he's the host of a podcast about unsolved murderers.
Also, he's been receiving death threats about his theory of Deirdre disappearance.
There he meets Rory, an FBI special agent.
There's an instantaneous chemistry between the two of them.
Rory thinks that Skylar is in danger, so he stays close.
It grabbed me from the first moment, will they solve the crime?
Is Deirdre dead or alive?
Is Skylar right in his theories that his life is threatened?
June 30, 2023
I haven't read a romance novel in a while that didn't make me want to gag, choke and do bloody murder on whoever invented the idea of love. But since coming to terms with a lot of my issues, some of the joy I used to find in characters finding romantic happiness has returned to me.
This book is about Skylar, a criminology professor who also moonlights as a true crime podcaster. His pocasting career has mostly focused on the disappearance of Deirdre who went missing in 2004 after crashing her car then was never heard from again. Skylar decides to attend a vigil for Deirdre, held at the small town, Woodlark, New Hamsphire (that's what NH stands for, right?). But what's even more disturbing about Sky's visit is that he's been receiving credible death threats, and one particularly ominous email with the subject line reading, 44.1644° North. Could this be Deirdre's final resting place?
Sky has his theories about what happened to Deirdre but some of his podcasting peers don't agree with most of them. Even a celebrated, according to himself, Peter Weber who wore a fedora hat that was too big for his allegedly big head. Weber had all sorts of theories about what happened to Deirdre, some more cuckoo than the rest. He's in a bit of an envy streak when he finds out that Pat, Deirdre's father, was willing to give Sky an interview when he was denied multiple times. The lion, the witch and the audacity of this bitch in thinking he'd get an interview when he'd once wrongfully accused Pat of sexually assaulting his daughter.
Other podcasters aren't pleased to see Sky around but he's not really sure why. At one point he is even stalked outside a bar, on his first night since his arrival. The book has two mysteries playing in tandem. A nice little tango and our partner in dance is FBI BAU analyst Rory, who also works with Jason (from The Mermaid Murders). Rory was sent to bumfuck, Snow Everywhere because of the threats Sky had shared and when I say they are cute. I absolutely mean it.
On their first friendly interaction, Sky's drink has been spiked by his unknown fan. Sky wanders out to get to his room then gets turned around in the woods.
Rory and Sky combine forces to uncover more details about Deirdre's disappearance and who would want to hurt Sky. But as the pages left kept dwindling, I was hit with a pang that this was a novella. None of my favourite parts of mysteries made lasting cameos such as interviewing the suspects, canvassing for witnesses, exploring the scene of the crime, gathering all the involved people in a room to unfold the detective's findings and finally point to the murderer. Aha! But this is no Poirot caper. And that's not a bad thing. Rory does connect the dots by the end of the book and there is enough action to make me pause. The resolution may not be the most satisfying to readers but I still felt abject relief when it ended. This book was extremely lovely, something that reminded the cold dead cockles of my heart that it still beats.
This arc was provided in exchange for an honest review.
This book is about Skylar, a criminology professor who also moonlights as a true crime podcaster. His pocasting career has mostly focused on the disappearance of Deirdre who went missing in 2004 after crashing her car then was never heard from again. Skylar decides to attend a vigil for Deirdre, held at the small town, Woodlark, New Hamsphire (that's what NH stands for, right?). But what's even more disturbing about Sky's visit is that he's been receiving credible death threats, and one particularly ominous email with the subject line reading, 44.1644° North. Could this be Deirdre's final resting place?
Sky has his theories about what happened to Deirdre but some of his podcasting peers don't agree with most of them. Even a celebrated, according to himself, Peter Weber who wore a fedora hat that was too big for his allegedly big head. Weber had all sorts of theories about what happened to Deirdre, some more cuckoo than the rest. He's in a bit of an envy streak when he finds out that Pat, Deirdre's father, was willing to give Sky an interview when he was denied multiple times. The lion, the witch and the audacity of this bitch in thinking he'd get an interview when he'd once wrongfully accused Pat of sexually assaulting his daughter.
Other podcasters aren't pleased to see Sky around but he's not really sure why. At one point he is even stalked outside a bar, on his first night since his arrival. The book has two mysteries playing in tandem. A nice little tango and our partner in dance is FBI BAU analyst Rory, who also works with Jason (from The Mermaid Murders). Rory was sent to bumfuck, Snow Everywhere because of the threats Sky had shared and when I say they are cute. I absolutely mean it.
On their first friendly interaction, Sky's drink has been spiked by his unknown fan. Sky wanders out to get to his room then gets turned around in the woods.
...I couldn't remember which of the dark cabins was supposed to be mine. They all looked alike when they were asleep. Which started me laughing so hard, I had to grab the nearest tree to stay upright.It was Rory to the rescue. By that point, Sky had yet to learn Rory's name and my god this was adorable, attempted drugging notwithstanding.
"Can I have this dance?" ...
A hand landed on my shoulder, "May I cut in?"
"My name is Rory Torr," he said crisply, "Special Agent Rory Torr to you."This book has me believing in meet cutes again.
After a moment, I asked suspiciously, "Why just to me?"
Rory and Sky combine forces to uncover more details about Deirdre's disappearance and who would want to hurt Sky. But as the pages left kept dwindling, I was hit with a pang that this was a novella. None of my favourite parts of mysteries made lasting cameos such as interviewing the suspects, canvassing for witnesses, exploring the scene of the crime, gathering all the involved people in a room to unfold the detective's findings and finally point to the murderer. Aha! But this is no Poirot caper. And that's not a bad thing. Rory does connect the dots by the end of the book and there is enough action to make me pause. The resolution may not be the most satisfying to readers but I still felt abject relief when it ended. This book was extremely lovely, something that reminded the cold dead cockles of my heart that it still beats.
This arc was provided in exchange for an honest review.
March 19, 2025
4.5 stars. I enjoyed this so much! A strong contender for my favourite Lanyon book so far and it's positively criminal that it's only 145 pages long. This novella had the bones to easily be a full length novel and I would have GOBBLED UP EVERY PAGE.
Skylar Brennon is a criminology professor with a side gig running a popular true crime podcast. Over the years Skylar has been captivated by the cold case disappeance of a young college student in a remote New Hampshire village and as they approach the 20 year anniversary of the disappearance Skylar finally decided to attend the annual vigil hosted by the village. Skylar however, has an ulterior motive for going as he recently received a mysterious and anonymous email, where someone has provided him with what they claim to be the coordinates of where her body is buried and a warning and Skylar wants to get to the bottom of the mystery.
There was a very cute little romance going on here with Rory the FBI agent. I really enjoyed what chemistry we got but I would crawl over glass to have gotten more page time between them.
This was probably the first of JLs works where I really understood people's complaints about her books ending suddenly cause I got a bit of whiplash with how fast that ending pulled up. I'm not ANGRY as such about where and how she stopped it, like it made sense, but it was very abrupt, so I understand.
I think if you go into JLs books with the expectation that while they have romance in them it's secondary to the main plot, you'll be fine, if you go in to them for the romance, I can see why you might be a bit disappointed.
“Okay, what’s your cell number? I’ll send you my contact info, and you can phone me when you’re leaving the lodge.”
We zinged our info to each other, our phones pinged, and Rory gave me a half-smile.
Which for some reason led me to press my phone to my chest and declare, “I shall treasure it always!”
I don’t think he knew what to do with that. He was outside the door before he came up with, “I bet you say that to all the FBI agents.”
“Oh no, only the special agents,” I told him, and shut the door.
Skylar Brennon is a criminology professor with a side gig running a popular true crime podcast. Over the years Skylar has been captivated by the cold case disappeance of a young college student in a remote New Hampshire village and as they approach the 20 year anniversary of the disappearance Skylar finally decided to attend the annual vigil hosted by the village. Skylar however, has an ulterior motive for going as he recently received a mysterious and anonymous email, where someone has provided him with what they claim to be the coordinates of where her body is buried and a warning and Skylar wants to get to the bottom of the mystery.
There was a very cute little romance going on here with Rory the FBI agent. I really enjoyed what chemistry we got but I would crawl over glass to have gotten more page time between them.
This was probably the first of JLs works where I really understood people's complaints about her books ending suddenly cause I got a bit of whiplash with how fast that ending pulled up. I'm not ANGRY as such about where and how she stopped it, like it made sense, but it was very abrupt, so I understand.
I think if you go into JLs books with the expectation that while they have romance in them it's secondary to the main plot, you'll be fine, if you go in to them for the romance, I can see why you might be a bit disappointed.
“Okay, what’s your cell number? I’ll send you my contact info, and you can phone me when you’re leaving the lodge.”
We zinged our info to each other, our phones pinged, and Rory gave me a half-smile.
Which for some reason led me to press my phone to my chest and declare, “I shall treasure it always!”
I don’t think he knew what to do with that. He was outside the door before he came up with, “I bet you say that to all the FBI agents.”
“Oh no, only the special agents,” I told him, and shut the door.
Read
February 12, 2023Maybe now that I've worked out how *I* think it might have gone down, I can finally let go of this true crime case that has haunted me for decades.
Although I use a lot of true crime as inspiration, this is the first time that every baffling and contradictory detail of the original (fictional) crime is based so closely on a real case. It will be fascinating to see what theories you come up with!
Although I use a lot of true crime as inspiration, this is the first time that every baffling and contradictory detail of the original (fictional) crime is based so closely on a real case. It will be fascinating to see what theories you come up with!
March 25, 2025
I'm cursing this book because I almost couldn't put it down and probably looked like a zombie in the morning (but I'm still masquerading as a responsible adult whose work starts at 6:30 so I couldn't truly not put it down 😭) - for a novella, it was so damn good!
As a casual listener to true-crime podcasts, this was right up my alley. A girl has been missing for almost twenty years (based on a real case of Maura Murray), and as with most mysteries, the case has attracted a lot of attention from all kinds of people. One of those being Skylar, our MC, who not only has a podcast, but he also has a degree in criminology - which makes him intelligent and credible and I LOVED being in his head.
There's a vigil every year for the girl and Skylar decides to attend for the first time. Not really out of whim; he received a few death threats and suspicious coordinates that were supposed to lead to the girl's body.
I loved the mystery, the tension was great and kept me guessing... oh and there was a special agent Rory thrown in 🤭
I don't generally like characters getting together instantaneously. Skylar and Rory knew each other for about 24 hours and formed a seemingly strong connection. It should have bothered me... but it didn't? Maybe it's because there were no silly sappy confessions, more like an "Oh hey stranger, I like what I see and what I got to know about you, how about giving this a chance to see where it could go?" And Josh Lanyon seems to write these connections in a way even my aroace brain can accept (though still dubiously, I'm still me 😅)
I would've given it 5 stars for the utter enjoyment but the story did lose a bit of traction during the last third (and I'm very stingy with my five stars).
OH but those subtle off-page cameos from Jason and Rory's BAU boss, who is of course Sam Kennedy, both from The Art of Murder series?? 😍 I squealed into my pillow when I recognized them 😍
As a casual listener to true-crime podcasts, this was right up my alley. A girl has been missing for almost twenty years (based on a real case of Maura Murray), and as with most mysteries, the case has attracted a lot of attention from all kinds of people. One of those being Skylar, our MC, who not only has a podcast, but he also has a degree in criminology - which makes him intelligent and credible and I LOVED being in his head.
There's a vigil every year for the girl and Skylar decides to attend for the first time. Not really out of whim; he received a few death threats and suspicious coordinates that were supposed to lead to the girl's body.
I loved the mystery, the tension was great and kept me guessing... oh and there was a special agent Rory thrown in 🤭
I don't generally like characters getting together instantaneously. Skylar and Rory knew each other for about 24 hours and formed a seemingly strong connection. It should have bothered me... but it didn't? Maybe it's because there were no silly sappy confessions, more like an "Oh hey stranger, I like what I see and what I got to know about you, how about giving this a chance to see where it could go?" And Josh Lanyon seems to write these connections in a way even my aroace brain can accept (though still dubiously, I'm still me 😅)
I would've given it 5 stars for the utter enjoyment but the story did lose a bit of traction during the last third (and I'm very stingy with my five stars).
OH but those subtle off-page cameos from Jason and Rory's BAU boss, who is of course Sam Kennedy, both from The Art of Murder series?? 😍 I squealed into my pillow when I recognized them 😍
March 5, 2023
loved this!
What a fantastic murder mystery packed into such few pages!
Real-crime fans get a taste of real danger in rural New Hampshire.
Worth every penny!
What a fantastic murder mystery packed into such few pages!
Real-crime fans get a taste of real danger in rural New Hampshire.
Worth every penny!
February 18, 2023
Wow...
The minute I finished this novella, I went straight to Google to look for the disappearance case that inspired this novella. Because it was an interesting read! I admit that I don't follow any podcasts or true-crime related news. But the whole theories that were built here, with Skylar also making hypothesis about what really happened with Deirdre ... I was so immersed by it.
The romance was only a beginning, but I was here for the mystery, not the romance. And I am totally satisfied by it.
The minute I finished this novella, I went straight to Google to look for the disappearance case that inspired this novella. Because it was an interesting read! I admit that I don't follow any podcasts or true-crime related news. But the whole theories that were built here, with Skylar also making hypothesis about what really happened with Deirdre ... I was so immersed by it.
The romance was only a beginning, but I was here for the mystery, not the romance. And I am totally satisfied by it.
February 16, 2025
Thrilling cold case that kept me on the edge. I wish the ending wasn’t so abrupt though.. but otherwise a great short. Really intriguing and it made me dig up information on the real-life case this is sort of based on. Unfortunately that cold case is still open,
March 12, 2023
I find Josh Lanyon's take on this true-crime mystery fascinating. This 140+ page novella uses the framework of an annual gathering at the site of a 20-year-old fictional disappearance of a young woman (Deidre O'Donnell) in a small New Hampshire town in order to discuss the real 2004 disappearance of Maura Murray.
Our MC Skylar Brennan is a podcast host who has a degree in criminal justice and teaches courses in criminology, and as such is a step above the "murder and makeup" crowd or the two "documentary" makers whose research consisted of visiting strip clubs in Montreal. All the usual suspects are discussed - it's the boyfriend, the father, the local creepy-guy, someone in the police department, it's the supposed mysterious passenger in the car, ad naseum.
Lanyon does an exceptional job of examining Deidre's character (and by extension Maura's) and putting her actions into a context that seems logical and entirely possible. And at the end of the story (and a somewhat hurried heart-stopping resolution), it's jarring to get a fictional solution to a fictional case, while we may never know what actually happened in the case of Maura Murray.
And because this is Josh Lanyon - we get a hurried but sweet start of a relationship between Skylar and Rory who is sent to investigate the case on the behest of (the unnamed in the book) BAU Chief Sam Kennedy.
4 stars for a very poignant take on a true-crime story.
I received an ARC from the author, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Our MC Skylar Brennan is a podcast host who has a degree in criminal justice and teaches courses in criminology, and as such is a step above the "murder and makeup" crowd or the two "documentary" makers whose research consisted of visiting strip clubs in Montreal. All the usual suspects are discussed - it's the boyfriend, the father, the local creepy-guy, someone in the police department, it's the supposed mysterious passenger in the car, ad naseum.
Lanyon does an exceptional job of examining Deidre's character (and by extension Maura's) and putting her actions into a context that seems logical and entirely possible. And at the end of the story (and a somewhat hurried heart-stopping resolution), it's jarring to get a fictional solution to a fictional case, while we may never know what actually happened in the case of Maura Murray.
And because this is Josh Lanyon - we get a hurried but sweet start of a relationship between Skylar and Rory who is sent to investigate the case on the behest of (the unnamed in the book) BAU Chief Sam Kennedy.
4 stars for a very poignant take on a true-crime story.
I received an ARC from the author, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
April 8, 2023
I usually enjoy Lanyons’s books but this was not that interesting to me. It felt messy and all over the place, like she rushed through it. This could have been a really good story if it wasn’t rushed, if the characters were more evolved. I’m tired of these characters who meet and have a rushed and fumbled sexual encounter and then are supposedly all in.
January 27, 2024
This was adequate.
January 2, 2024
Cut and dried in a blink of an eye.
February 20, 2023
[3.9] i may be an avid mystery reader, but the closest i get to true crime is documentaries on netflix and random reddit threads i happen to stumble upon in the wee hours of the morning. even if i have come across my fair share of case rundowns, i wasn't entirely surprised to realize this particular one was new to me.
the moment i read the author's note, i rushed to the interwebs to read about the actual disappearance that served as the novella's inspiration (i genuinely got chills when i saw her disappearance happened on the same date as my birthday). i can say that this story does indeed follow the case very closely, down to some of the finest details. to the point where people might not be comfortable reading it even if it's written as a fictional recount of sorts. at least Josh Lanyon acknowledges to an extent within the text that creating content around true crime stands on the very thin line between exploitative and beneficial. i also appreciated the mc's self-awareness that he plays into that online "armchair psychologist" culture as a true crime podcaster, but please keep all this in mind in case it's something you can't see yourself looking past.
since the priority was clearly on delivering the ins-and-outs of the case within the constraints of a novella, it's a given that the vast majority of pages was dedicated to exposition in lieu of development on the romance front. that said, i still enjoyed what we were able to get both mystery and relationship wise, even if they were rushed. now the likelihood is small, but i do hope we can follow more adventures with Sky and Rory because the potential is blinding. not to mention the high i was riding at seeing the (albeit too-few and too-brief) references to Sam & Jason 🥰
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book - this is my honest review :)
the moment i read the author's note, i rushed to the interwebs to read about the actual disappearance that served as the novella's inspiration (i genuinely got chills when i saw her disappearance happened on the same date as my birthday). i can say that this story does indeed follow the case very closely, down to some of the finest details. to the point where people might not be comfortable reading it even if it's written as a fictional recount of sorts. at least Josh Lanyon acknowledges to an extent within the text that creating content around true crime stands on the very thin line between exploitative and beneficial. i also appreciated the mc's self-awareness that he plays into that online "armchair psychologist" culture as a true crime podcaster, but please keep all this in mind in case it's something you can't see yourself looking past.
since the priority was clearly on delivering the ins-and-outs of the case within the constraints of a novella, it's a given that the vast majority of pages was dedicated to exposition in lieu of development on the romance front. that said, i still enjoyed what we were able to get both mystery and relationship wise, even if they were rushed. now the likelihood is small, but i do hope we can follow more adventures with Sky and Rory because the potential is blinding. not to mention the high i was riding at seeing the (albeit too-few and too-brief) references to Sam & Jason 🥰
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of the book - this is my honest review :)
April 21, 2023
Romantic suspense novella, about true crime internet/podcast fandom with a rather perfunctory romance.
It seems to follow very closely a real life disappearance and felt (speculations might be unfair) like the author was trying to work out a theory on what happened, rather than tell the story about this couple. It has a lot of the true crime community, which I thought such an interesting theme, but the book felt too short for that. The book just ends when we get resolution about what happened, without nothing about the relationship or the crime "fandom" would react.
The romance part was almost clumsily inserted (he is gay, he is gay, they are interested in the same case, he gets threats, he is protective, sex scene, done) and pretty uncompelling to me. Josh Lanyon has written much better romantic suspense, IMO.
It seems to follow very closely a real life disappearance and felt (speculations might be unfair) like the author was trying to work out a theory on what happened, rather than tell the story about this couple. It has a lot of the true crime community, which I thought such an interesting theme, but the book felt too short for that. The book just ends when we get resolution about what happened, without nothing about the relationship or the crime "fandom" would react.
The romance part was almost clumsily inserted (he is gay, he is gay, they are interested in the same case, he gets threats, he is protective, sex scene, done) and pretty uncompelling to me. Josh Lanyon has written much better romantic suspense, IMO.
March 14, 2023
Overall book rating: 4
Audio book: N/A
Book cover: 4 Stars
Oh even when they are short, Josh Lanyon delivers.
I would really have liked this one to be longer but I'm
more than happy with what I got.
I just like the feel of her stories.
Feels like an old friend. Always welcome.
Audio book: N/A
Book cover: 4 Stars
Oh even when they are short, Josh Lanyon delivers.
I would really have liked this one to be longer but I'm
more than happy with what I got.
I just like the feel of her stories.
Feels like an old friend. Always welcome.
June 30, 2023
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
This is by far one of JL's best standalone novels. I was hooked from the start - I had to know what happened to Dierdre, and how the story would end. NOT giving anything away.
I really liked this story, the characters, the mystery, the relationship between the MCs, and the ending (even though it ends abruptly!!!) I was guessing right along with Skylar on what was going on. Highly recommend.
The story may seem like it starts slow but that is a deliberate build up to know the characters in play, and there are some tense moments in the beginning. There is also romance, but not insta-love, not even close. There is interest and certainly a desire to want to see more of each to see how things go.
What I LOVED and had no idea was going to happen, Jason and Sam from The Art of Murder series have off page cameos!!! It was awesome! Not giving away secrets as to why. :D
The blurb gives you just enough to know the basic premise of the story, but understand there is more going on.
4.25 stars (ending was too short! I would have loved to have seen just a teeny bit more.)
This is by far one of JL's best standalone novels. I was hooked from the start - I had to know what happened to Dierdre, and how the story would end. NOT giving anything away.
I really liked this story, the characters, the mystery, the relationship between the MCs, and the ending (even though it ends abruptly!!!) I was guessing right along with Skylar on what was going on. Highly recommend.
The story may seem like it starts slow but that is a deliberate build up to know the characters in play, and there are some tense moments in the beginning. There is also romance, but not insta-love, not even close. There is interest and certainly a desire to want to see more of each to see how things go.
What I LOVED and had no idea was going to happen, Jason and Sam from The Art of Murder series have off page cameos!!! It was awesome! Not giving away secrets as to why. :D
The blurb gives you just enough to know the basic premise of the story, but understand there is more going on.
4.25 stars (ending was too short! I would have loved to have seen just a teeny bit more.)
December 18, 2023
Silence is complicity.
I really enjoyed this. It was interesting, fun and had good humor; even annoying at parts but done purposefully, like with all the different people there a part of the media, etc. And, even with this being on the shorter side, I appreciated how the relationship between Rory and Skylar changed and grew. Rory is suspicious at first, of course, but he does quickly prove himself. Don't get me wrong, it is still pretty insta, but there is no "I love you," thank goodness. This is also more mystery than romance. Think the title is perfect for this.
They even *gasp* talk about things. I loved how Rory warned Sky with a quick "Light" before turning on the lamp! As someone with extremely sensitive eyes and reminding people all the time that I've known for years, I couldn't help but mention this and appreciate. xD
"I'd like all those things, but like I said, it's not easy to maintain relationships in my line of work. Especially romantic relationships."
"You know what? It's not easy to maintain relationships, especially romantic relationships, in any line of work. Relationships take time and effort and...generosity of spirit. And romantic relationships take all that times ten."
There was a point where I was very offended by how lightly the suicide theory is discussed so bear that in mind. Here's the quote:
The ending here was rather abrupt but I rarely mind those, and this was no different. I thought it very fitting. I would definitely like to see more of these two, though.
"[...]If you're a scumbag on the internet, you're a scumbag in real life. You just hide it better because you don't want to get punched in the face."
TW:
Also, agree with Mwanamali's review.
March 8, 2023
Typical high crime/
low swoon. Red herrings abound.
Wood chipper? Really?
low swoon. Red herrings abound.
Wood chipper? Really?
February 14, 2023
A group of murder podcast enthuiasts gather on the anniversary of the death of Deidrie, a 21 year old who vanished 20 years ago.
It was a good mystery, a long time in the build up to the solution and then a rather quick declaration of the killer.
It was a good mystery, a long time in the build up to the solution and then a rather quick declaration of the killer.
May 15, 2023
as far as short stories go for me this was good. i liked that romance didn't go too far and it wasn't even a romance, just a budding attraction and "who knows what will happen in the future"
the case itself was interesting since there are so many similar and unsolved ones and this plot (and all the dialogues between characters when they have their own versions and interpretations) was kind of one of the versions of what could happen to people who go missing and are never found
the case itself was interesting since there are so many similar and unsolved ones and this plot (and all the dialogues between characters when they have their own versions and interpretations) was kind of one of the versions of what could happen to people who go missing and are never found
November 27, 2023
Thank you so much to Mindless Elf Indulgence for the gift during the 2023 Secret Santa Book Exchange!
===
3.5 rounded up
Classic Lanyon--heavy on the murder-mystery plot, lighter on the romance. What we got of the characters and the romance I quite enjoyed, and though I'm not a true crime fan, I thought the plot here was interesting. The climax and ending felt a bit too rushed and neat--a common issue for me with Lanyon's books--but on the whole I enjoyed this one!
===
3.5 rounded up
Classic Lanyon--heavy on the murder-mystery plot, lighter on the romance. What we got of the characters and the romance I quite enjoyed, and though I'm not a true crime fan, I thought the plot here was interesting. The climax and ending felt a bit too rushed and neat--a common issue for me with Lanyon's books--but on the whole I enjoyed this one!
March 25, 2023
Amazing story that the author has based on the real life disappearance of a UMass nursing student. It was engaging and intriguing, with interesting side characters. Some sympatric, some quite interesting, but some downright annoying and pompous.
I had my own sleuthing ideas of the villain, but have to admit I was way off base!
For me this was a in-one-sitting-read, but I was disappointed to not read about Weber's downfall!
I did like how Rory's boss has a boyfriend named Jason, “There’s only one thing that makes my boss happy, and he’s spending the weekend with him right now.”
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
February 27, 2023
3 / 5 ⭐️‘s
"44.1644° North" by Josh Lanyon
This novella is inspired by the true crime disappearance of Maura Murray.
Skylar who has popular podcast and became fascinated with the decades-old disappearance of Deirdre Duncan travels to the small village in New Hampshire where she disappeared and attends the yearly vigil that is held for her.
The author does an excellent job of setting the scene and building suspense throughout the novel. There is also budding romance between Skylar and a guy he meets in the town but it isn’t the main focus.
Overall this was okay but the ending felt rushed.
This ARC was provided by the publisher via @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
"44.1644° North" by Josh Lanyon
This novella is inspired by the true crime disappearance of Maura Murray.
Skylar who has popular podcast and became fascinated with the decades-old disappearance of Deirdre Duncan travels to the small village in New Hampshire where she disappeared and attends the yearly vigil that is held for her.
The author does an excellent job of setting the scene and building suspense throughout the novel. There is also budding romance between Skylar and a guy he meets in the town but it isn’t the main focus.
Overall this was okay but the ending felt rushed.
This ARC was provided by the publisher via @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 2, 2023
3.5 stars
Pretty good. Too short imo but I liked the MCs.
I actually rounded it down because it annoyed me that the author took a dig at Murder, Mystery & Make Up Mondays. Just because a woman chooses to wear make & what’s considered more traditional feminine things doesn’t mean they’re stupid like they were portrayed in the book. Bailey is a great business woman & other women taking cheap shots doesn’t appeal to me. 👎
Pretty good. Too short imo but I liked the MCs.
I actually rounded it down because it annoyed me that the author took a dig at Murder, Mystery & Make Up Mondays. Just because a woman chooses to wear make & what’s considered more traditional feminine things doesn’t mean they’re stupid like they were portrayed in the book. Bailey is a great business woman & other women taking cheap shots doesn’t appeal to me. 👎
February 28, 2023
Loved This Book
As always Josh Lanyon’s unique and confident writing packs a punch and keeps you wondering to the end and that Prologue! It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end anticipating Deirdre fate.
Josh Lanyon never disappoints, her writing is always immersive with compelling twists and turns, brilliantly gripping and a page turner. I always anticipate her next release.
This is a story of a family’s loss and uncertainty, all made worse by the insidious nature of social media, speculation and trolls and as the years pass with still no idea of Deirdre’s fate so the stories, speculation and lies grow. Deirdre’s father summed it up when he told Skylar “it’s hard to think of anything else. You can’t let it go. You have to go on and live your life, but you can never take a full breath again because that knife is in your chest.”
Skylar is a Professor teaching Criminology and has a very popular podcast. He became fascinated by the disappearance of Deirdre two decades ago and despite receiving death threats and coordinates to where Deirdre is supposed to be and not receiving any help or response from the police or FBI he decides, as someone seems to want him there, to attend this years vigil in the small village in New Hampshire where she disappeared.
It’s there he meets Rory and seems to take an instant dislike to him but very quickly worked out who or rather what Rory was and then took a longer look. The chemistry was definitely there and I loved the honesty between them.
Loved this book and highly recommend it.
As always Josh Lanyon’s unique and confident writing packs a punch and keeps you wondering to the end and that Prologue! It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end anticipating Deirdre fate.
Josh Lanyon never disappoints, her writing is always immersive with compelling twists and turns, brilliantly gripping and a page turner. I always anticipate her next release.
This is a story of a family’s loss and uncertainty, all made worse by the insidious nature of social media, speculation and trolls and as the years pass with still no idea of Deirdre’s fate so the stories, speculation and lies grow. Deirdre’s father summed it up when he told Skylar “it’s hard to think of anything else. You can’t let it go. You have to go on and live your life, but you can never take a full breath again because that knife is in your chest.”
Skylar is a Professor teaching Criminology and has a very popular podcast. He became fascinated by the disappearance of Deirdre two decades ago and despite receiving death threats and coordinates to where Deirdre is supposed to be and not receiving any help or response from the police or FBI he decides, as someone seems to want him there, to attend this years vigil in the small village in New Hampshire where she disappeared.
It’s there he meets Rory and seems to take an instant dislike to him but very quickly worked out who or rather what Rory was and then took a longer look. The chemistry was definitely there and I loved the honesty between them.
Loved this book and highly recommend it.
April 11, 2023
The book is based on an unsolved true crime/ disappearance of a woman in New Hampshire that the author wrote a fictional resolution of the case.
A lot of the stuff is the same as the original mystery so if you don’t like the real mystery you won’t like this
I do like romance between our two characters. I would read a book with them solving crime again
I always enjoy his mysteries and this one is no exception. Now on to the next one I haven’t read
A lot of the stuff is the same as the original mystery so if you don’t like the real mystery you won’t like this
I do like romance between our two characters. I would read a book with them solving crime again
I always enjoy his mysteries and this one is no exception. Now on to the next one I haven’t read
Read
April 20, 2023On the plus side, the novella does a great job conveying the appeal of true crime mysteries: the there-but-for-the-grace-of aspect of it, especially if there's some very familiar experience at the center of it, the eeriness of details never quite adding up (as they tend not to, life is a messy messy thing), etc. It's atmospheric and spooky in all the right places.
On the minus side, the conclusion did sound a bit hasty, and the romance was very much pasted on (and cast one of the MCs as highly unprofessional--starting a romance with the person you are currently tasked with protecting? ugh, iffy).
On the minus side, the conclusion did sound a bit hasty, and the romance was very much pasted on (and cast one of the MCs as highly unprofessional--starting a romance with the person you are currently tasked with protecting? ugh, iffy).
Read
May 20, 2023It was short, so short imo! I would've loved more of the relationship. I liked how it started, how it was effortless and how mature the MCs are. Also I liked the narration and the narrator voice. It was calming in a way!! It's a solid 3 stars. Good, but not great ... let's hope for a better continuation to the series!!
August 24, 2025
Ridiculously rushed plot, with motivations that made no sense. Why did X bother to send emails in the first place?
Ridiculously rushed relationship—meeting to LDR in 48 hours?
I get so fustrated with Josh Lanyon, because there is always something there that could have been worked into something so much better.
Ridiculously rushed relationship—meeting to LDR in 48 hours?
I get so fustrated with Josh Lanyon, because there is always something there that could have been worked into something so much better.
August 31, 2023
Slight but fun, this mystery novella is practically cheerful compared to much of Lanyon’s other work. The mystery is not terribly complicated, the true crime milieu is funny, and the one sex scene is a little confusing. I really like the main character though, and I would love to follow him through another mystery or two.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews