Worte

by John Inman, Teresa Simons (Translator)

Die Welt der Schriftsteller, Leser und Rezensenten besteht aus einer eng verbundenen Familie von Freunden, Fans und Literaturfanatikern. In dieser Welt leben Milo Cook und Logan Hunter, angetrieben durch den Austausch von Kreativität und das Teilen von Geschichten und Ideen, während sie unentwegt ihre grenzenlose Liebe zu Büchern und den Worten genießen, die ihnen die Luft zum Atmen geben.

Doch manchmal treffen Worte ihr Ziel zu heftig. Und wenn das passiert, muss dafür zwangsläufig der Preis gezahlt werden.

Was für Milo und Logan als eine Zeit der neuen Liebe und zärtlichen, romantischen Entdeckungen beginnt, wird zu einem Wettlauf um ihr Leben und um das Leben aller Menschen, die sie kennen.

Wer hätte damit gerechnet, dass eine wunderschöne Sache wie geschriebene Worte zum Auslöser für Rache werden könnte? Und letztendlich … für Mord?

Genres: M M Romance, Mystery, Romance, Contemporary, LGBT

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 12, 2018

About the author

A Lambda Literary Award finalist and the author of over forty novels, John has been writing fiction for as long as he can remember. Born on a small farm in Indiana, he now resides in San Diego, California where he spends his time gardening, pampering his pets, hiking and biking the trails and canyons of San Diego, and of course, writing. He and his partner share a passion for theater, books, film, and the continuing fight for marriage equality. If you would like to know more about John, check out his website at----
http://www.johninmanauthor.com/John_I... or follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/john.inman.79

Reviews

[LenaRibka · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 stars

There is also the point to be made that just because you’re a reviewer, it doesn’t mean you’re always right.

Words is my second book by John Inman. My first book by John Inman was Sunset Lake, an excellent mystery novel : I read it almost in one sitting, really enjoyed it and was firmly determined to read more of John Inman’s works as soon as possible. I don’t know why I didn’t read anything by the author soon after my first book, but we all know how it is: there are simply too many good books in this world and not enough time for all of them. It is why I was delighted to have an opportunity to read his new mystery novel. Now I can only say, I am REALLY glad that my first book by John Inman was not WORDS. But here I can only quote John Inman himself (through one of his MC):

The best of writers sometimes publish works that might better have been left buried under a pile of Macy’s fliers on their desk than be thrust into the light of day.

Though I have to be fair: Words is not THAT bad, but my expectations were simply too high and it is difficult to hide a certain feeling of disappointment.

To write a NOT exciting review for this book is not easy. Usually I put more confidence in my opinion, but I feel extremely BAD to give it not more than 2,5 stars. No, not because I’m afraid to face the same destiny as those of internet trolls from Words, but just because WORDS, in a completely new way, has made me aware of authors (emotional) suffering due to negative reviews.

Nothing can kill a writer deader than a bad review. And in some cases literally.

There are many similar quotes in this book, no wonder, WORDS is a MM romance between a reviewer and a writer.

Milo Cook is a young writer of a gay romance, his previous books have done all right and the third book even better. Logan Hunter is a reviewer and a owner of a reviewer’s blog. Both VERY attractive and VERY lonely. As if they were made for each other. Logan steps in Milo’s single life in one of the most humiliating moments for the young author. He is already almost the entire day in the Andiron Bookstore in Coronado, California, and still hasn’t signed a single book and hasn’t met a single fan. The fact that Logan not just KNOWS who Milo is, but also already reviewed his books isn’t an obstacle for their acquaintance. They start to talk and are immediately drawn to each other. FROM this DAY everything goes VERY quickly.

*sigh* I try to AVOID these kind of books, contemporary MM romance on the insta-love basis is not my thing. I hoped to read a mystery book with a background romance. What I got was a boring love story with a background mystery with an unusual idea, no doubt, but not very credible.

What I missed in the whole story was a BIG surprise that is for me indispensable for a good mystery and for an emotional love story.

There was some interesting thoughts, they are for sure worthy of a serious discussion about how to review our books. Logan has the opinion that it is the craft of the writing a reviewer has to concentrate on, and not a personal likes and dislikes. That he as a reviewer can’t let his own preferences get in the way. I have another opinion on this case. I think that our preferences help us to chose the right book, but it is our personal dislikes and likes that defines a good and a bad book FOR US. And alone the writing is not enough to make a great book, many components must play together.

But in regard to the plot there is nothing new and unexpected. Two guys are nice, and they deserve to be happy, but their romance is lack of intensity, I have to admit that I wasn’t really interesting in their daily routine and struggled through many details and dialogues. And without giving anything away, the bad guys are easy to guess, their malicious motivations is maybe easy to understand but difficult to buy in this form.



I am probably the wrong person for this book. It has some interesting thoughts, the dynamic between a reviewer and a writer is comprehensible, the love story between Milo and Logan is a little bland and the mystery plays rather an accompanying role, but this book offers a platform for a lively debate.

"People don’t stop loving their favorite writers because of one or two bad reviews. They never have. And writers really do need to be a little more tough-skinned if they want to survive. There’s no other way to live the life they’ve chosen."

***ARC provided kindly by the publisher to GBR in exchange for an honest review.***

[Debra ~~ seriously slacking on her reviews ~~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Words, John Inman combines his light romance stories and his gruesome murder mysteries. As author Milo and book reviewer Logan embark on a new romance, there is someone out there picking off a certain type of reviewer; you know the type - the one-star Wendys who review 5 books a day and don't like any of them, those who review just to have a platform for their snark and biting criticism. Throughout the story there is also commentary on the relationship between writers and reviewers, how authors navigate the waters and deal with having their work dissected and critiqued and how they deal with other writers.

Milo and Logan make a sweet couple. Logan is a widower and although smitten with Milo, has some reservations about moving on, while Milo is more than ready to put his last relationship behind him. The two navigate the relationship waters without too much drama, although I felt things moved rather quickly on that front. The drama comes in the form of the murders getting closer to home. While I had an inkling of who might be involved, I wasn't completely right. John Inman always keeps me on my toes when it comes to the pool of potential suspects and this one was no exception. He also has a knack for the fast-paced, unpredictable and violent ending.

[Sue bowdley · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK it's no secret i'm a firm fan of John Inman....I've loved all his books i've read so far...This one is another favourite I think.....Milo the writer and Logan the Reviewer...A disgruntled killer getting rid of trollers.......I tried to guess who was doing it but I was very very wrong......I loved how this was done...An easy read.....Milo and Logan fell for each other pretty damn quick but that's never really bothered me in books.....No full on sex scenes either, and that doesn't bother me either....I love how Mr Inman does his books whether they horror or not......There's always some humour in there...Another great book to add to my collection x

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

3.5 stars

By choosing to mix both the lighthearted, snappy romance for which he is known, with a more serious and bloodthirsty mystery, author John Inman stumbled for the first time I can recall. Neither story line got the page time it deserved and the romance between Max and Logan actually slowed down the overall feel of the novel. It left me slogging through the long-winded passages where the two main characters discussed their feelings in order to experience more of the tense murder mystery plot I really enjoyed. I never got a true sense of the connection that the author was trying to create between Max and Logan. I was surprised when Logan went full in with Max after what felt like a very short time of self doubt and guilt over betraying his love for Jerry. In the end, mixing these two genres left both story lies incomplete and rushed—something I have never seen in a John Inman novel before.

Words tried really hard to deliver a light hearted romance and a bloody suspenseful mystery in one novel. Unfortunately, each aspect of this book felt a bit neglected and unfinished. Inman is an excellent writer, but his latest novel, Words, is not the best example of the incredibly rich and satisfying stories this author creates.

Read Sammy’s review in its entirety here.

[CrabbyPatty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boy, it's got to be the daydream of many a writer to imagine their most toxic noxious critics silenced in any number of horrible ways. In Words John Inman gives us a tender M/M romance coupled with a killer focused on blogger/reviewer/trolls who habitually give books one or two star ratings, while ripping the authors from limb to trembling limb.

Milo and Logan meet cute and sweet during a book signing where author Milo sits in a deserted bookstore as book reviewer Logan stops by, purchases a few books, and buys Milo a burger. Logan is mourning the death of his husband Jerry a year earlier, and Milo is recovering from a disastrous romance with philandering Bryce. The two men find themselves very much in strong "like" which develops into a rather tender romance with loads of steamy sex (much of it alluded to rather than extensively detailed on page) and oodles of chemistry, plus two cute dogs.

Interspersed with the romance is the POV of "the traveler" killing book reviewers in single-wide trailers and dilapidated farm houses filled with overflowing kitty litter boxes. Imagine mean-spirited reviews written with greasy fingers on ancient Dells and plenty of gaudy rings and muumuus and you'll get the idea of the type of lonely blogger/reviewers the Traveler is targeting.

As the book progresses, Milo and Logan are pulled into the murder/mystery (and I thought I definitely knew who the killer was .... but was wrong) and after a prolonged final scene, the murderer is revealed and the HEA commences.

I liked the romance between Milo and Logan, although the pacing feels very slow as they fall into love at first sight and there is little tension or surprise in their relationship throughout the book. Also, each man is described as being in their late twenties (Milo is 28 and Logan is close in age) but seemed older to me - perhaps in their late 30's? - based on their conversations and interests. Just a few small niggles.

However, the murder/mystery is overwrought and the hapless reviewers read like caricatures, IMHO, while the murderer is too lightly developed. The two subplots of the book - romance and murder - are an unlikely pairing and feel shoe-horned together rather naturally fitting together into one cohesive story. I would give the romance 4 stars, and the murder/mystery 2 stars, resulting in a 3 star rating for Words.

I've enjoyed several John Inman books in the past (most recently, The Hike and Laugh Cry Repeat) and definitely look forward to reading more, but Words was a miss for me.

People don’t stop loving their favorite books or abandon their favorite writers because of one or two bad reviews. They never have. And writers really do need to be a little more tough-skinned if they want to survive. There’s no other way to live the life they’ve chosen.

I received an ARC from Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review.
Review also posted at Gay Book Reviews - check it out!

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars- Wasn’t quite what I was expecting going in

I’ve had this author on my to-read list for a number of months now, but never found the time to read his works before now. When I happened across the blurb for Words, I knew I wouldn’t be waiting any longer. I love a good romantic suspense and the unique premise of a murderer targeting harsh critics made it one I couldn’t miss. While I did enjoy the story and liked the easy romance between Milo and Logan, it wasn’t until the final chapters that the excitement and suspense ticked up enough to fully capture my attention.

First and foremost, Words tracked the romance between author Milo Cook and book reviewer Logan Hunter. Their meeting and initial attraction was cute and the romance sweet with an uncomplicated feel to it. And yet things felt rushed. Although timeline wise it made sense, I never really felt or witnessed that growing chemistry and it ended up giving off an air of insta-love. Beyond the romance, Words acts as a sort of commentary on the topic of authors, reviewers, and social media’s impacts on those oft love/hate dynamics. While this was interesting and brought up plenty of noteworthy points, the leisurely pace of the bulk of the novel made it easy to step away from the book and I wasn’t overly compelled to pick it up and see what happened next. That said, the conclusion was exciting and I enjoyed how it all played out. Perhaps I was expecting too much mystery and suspense from the start, but Words ended up being less intense than I envisioned after reading the blurb and that ultimately meant I was a little disappointed.

Reviewed by Annie from Alpha Book Club

[Annika · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Inman sure knows how to set the tone of a book. I was immediately drawn in by his words and the atmosphere he created from that very first descriptive page. It had me turning the pages to find out what happened next. Words is set in our world. The world of authors, readers and reviewers. The world of books and book lovers. Only there is something sinister going on under the surface, reviewers across US are murdered and no one knows who or who's next on the list.

There are two parallel story lines to follow in this book; the thrilling and at times gruesome one told by the serial killer targeting and killing their victims and the more quiet love story between Milo and Logan an author and a reviewer.

We first meet Milo when he's holding a book signing for his latest book, only the signing isn't going to well there's not a reader in sight. Logan hunter is starting over after losing his husband a year earlier. Moving to a new town at the other side of the country he hopes to escape the memories and move forward with his life. Rushing to a book signing by one of his favourite authors he never expected them to form an instant friendship or for it to develop into something more.

Their romance was a quiet one. It grew from a formed friendship. It's not a hot and heavy, don't get me wrong there's plenty sex to be had, but it's not detailed or explicit, nor is it fade to black. You just have to use your own imagination of what was going on in the sheets.

The parts that were told from the killer's POV had me almost biting my nails. And I'm far from a nail biter, so that should tell you something. You could feel the hatred radiating from the Traveller and made you count your blessings you were not on their target list. Inman had me at the edge of my seat, waiting in suspense for what was going to happen next, who was the next target and would the culprit ever be caught.

There were a few things that I really found refreshing about this book. The story line hasn't been told to death already. Sure the romance or murder mystery plot has been told before (but what story hasn't, as this book clearly stated in the beginning; there are only seven unique plot lines). However the deliverance of the plot is unique; there is no melodrama for the sake of it, no TSTL moments or amateur sleuthing to catch a serial killer, no miscommunications or misunderstanding. There's just two people muddling through life, through the twists and turns and emotions of lives well lived. Sure Milo's and Logan's romance isn't effortless or without it's struggles, but what they were going through were things you'd expect a widower and a slightly mistrustful author to go through.

Now, for the part that I didn't particularly enjoy about this book. At times it felt a bit on the preachy side to me. There was just a little too much about the evilness of reviewers, how reviewers destroys author careers and so on and authors are portrayed like almost flawless people that can do no wrong. I do think that this is a difficult topic to write about. Authors and reviewers need each other, we are interdependent. At the same time there is a line that divides us. Don't get me wrong trolling and trashing isn't okay by any means (no matter who you are and what you are writing about), but it's far from everyone that partakes in this kind of behaviour. There are bad apples on both sides and sadly they give everyone a bad name and a wary outlook on the written word. While I agree with the overall message I believe Inman was aiming for; respect of each other it fell a bit short in the deliverance and was just on this side of preachy.

I love the way Inman writes, he has a beautiful way to craft his books and he makes the stories come alive, to the point where you can almost touch on the atmosphere he's created. And while this might not have been my favourite book by him (I don't know if anything can beat Sunset Lake), it was still a very good one and well worth the read.

A copy of this book was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Mathilda Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

»Worte« von Inman hat alles, was für mich eine gute Geschichte ausmacht. Der Plot, die Charaktere, die Erzählweise – es stimmt alles und ich war nach ersten Anlaufschwierigkeiten echt begeistert.

Milo und Logan sind ein tolles Paar und die Szenen mit dem Mörder, vor allem die Auflösung am Ende, die ich absolut nicht erwartet hatte, sowie Milos Gedanken rund um das Thema Schreiben und seine Arbeit als Schriftsteller, fand ich großartig. Trotzdem gebe ich der Geschichte nicht die volle Punktzahl, weil mir bis zuletzt irgendetwas gefehlt hat. Ich kann nicht mal den Finger darauf legen, denn immer, wenn ich den Reader in die Hand nahm, habe ich mich richtig gut mit der Story unterhalten.

Das Problem dabei war nur, dass es mir nichts ausgemacht hat, die Geschichte auch mal tagelang liegenzulassen, und ich weiß nicht warum. Sie hat mich aus irgendeinem Grund nicht so mitgerissen, wie ich das von Geschichten gewohnt bin, die ich kaum aus der Hand legen kann.

Schade, denn ich mag den Autor bzw. seine Storys wirklich gerne, aber dieses Mal hat es irgendwie nicht gepasst.

Eine Leseempfehlung gibt es trotzdem, allein schon für Milo, denn er nimmt die Autoren- und Leserschaft immer wieder herrlich unverblümt aufs Korn und dabei wahrlich kein Blatt vor den Mund. Ich habe mich in ihm und seiner Meinung mehr als einmal wiedergefunden.

[The Novel Approach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twenty-eight year old Milo Cook is a fairly successful author. His books have done well—except for the latest. At a signing in Coronado, California, at the Andiron Bookstore, he’s ready to throw in the towel. No one shows up…but then his attention is captured by the tall stranger who comes in and heads right for his table.

Logan Hunter (aka BookHunter) is a reviewer who gave Milo’s latest book a good review for the Huffington Post. Logan certainly surprises Milo when he buys not one but two copies, and Milo is more than grateful. After some chatting, Logan invites Milo to grab a bite to eat, and in the course of their meal, they do some serious sharing about themselves. Before they go their separate ways, Logan asks if he can call Milo, but unfortunately, Milo forgets to give Logan his number. Milo heads home to San Diego, and Logan is heading back to New York with hopes of moving to California and trying to leave his heartbreaking memories behind. As Facebook becomes a distraction for Milo, he’s surprised when he gets a friend request from BookHunter. Logan reports good news, and he and Milo reconnect in California. As their relationship grows, Milo has to deal with his ex, and Logan is conflicted by decisions over both his deceased husband and Milo.

Back in the world of authors and reviewers, Milo is invited to the South Park Reading Club. With the recent murder of a reviewer, the session becomes somewhat morbid, focusing on the murder, which affects Milo. Milo is invited again to the reading club, and since more murders have occurred, Logan goes along and picks up on some startling information. As Milo and Logan start to look deeper into what’s been uncovered, little do they know it will put them in the path of a serial killer.

John Inman couldn’t have given a more realistic feel to this novel. I could picture Milo waiting for someone to show up to purchase a copy of his book and could feel the disappointment of no one showing up. As far as great characters go, I was taken in by Milo Cook. He’s a wonderful and humorous character. Logan is pretty sharp and a little more on the serious side, but Milo brings out the best in him. The chemistry between them was just right; throw in Spanky and Emerson, and it’s a sweet romance.

The murder mystery was suspenseful and plotted excellently. As I got deeper into the story, I only halfway figured who the murderer might be, but the author threw in a twist to give it that touch of surprise. I appreciated how John Inman explained the difference between eBooks and the appeal of having an actual hard copy of a book. He gives a really good look into authors, reviewers, readers, bloggers and trolls as well as the competition and criticism between authors and the harsh reality of reviews and the pros and cons of reading them. There’s a lot of food for thought in this novel, and I think it should be required reading for authors, readers, reviewers and bloggers.

John Inman doesn’t disappoint with Words. It’s an excellent read!

Reviewed by Maryann for The Novel Approach

[Antisocial Recluse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmmm...am I taking my life in my hands reviewing a book about a killer targeting reviewers? This premise was irresistible with a well-executed (pun intended!) narrative alternating between viewpoints from Milo the author, Logan the reviewer and a killer seemingly wreaking vengeance over bad reviews. John Inman takes more than a few tongue-in-cheek jabs at the writing community, reviewers and bloggers whose opinions can often influence the success of a book. There’s also a very tender romance when Milo, a moderately successful author meets Logan, a reviewer who is well respected in his field. .

Logan is mourning the recent loss of a partner when he meets Milo, recovering from his breakup with Bryce, who has a critical part within the story. The variety of emotional conflicts really bring the characters to life. I was continually amused by the humor in dialogues between Logan and Milo, offering gentle sarcasm, snark and witty banter. There’s black humor from the killer in his observations of his victims. The suspense plot underpins the excellent, slow building romantic relationship, the the narrative populated with intriguing characters from the literary circles they move in.

I am giving Mr. Inman some strong side-eye for the depiction of a female author of gay romance and not so subtle commentary on the prevalence of exaggerated descriptions of sex in some books. I can’t entirely disagree either! I really liked the way his love scenes had just enough erotic wording to set the scene yet allow imagination to fill in the details. Not so much fade to black as perhaps fade to...grey? The murder scenes are a little gruesome but the victims don’t inspire much sympathy. I can happily recommend this story for its deft satire with a great balance of romance, thrills and suspense.

*An ARC was provided by the author, publisher or promotional service and I have chosen to publish a fair and honest review for Jessie G Books Reviews blog*

[Sophisticated Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worte verletzen mehr als ein Messer,
denn ein Messer kann verfehlen,
doch ein Wort trifft immer.

Milo ist eigentlich ein relativ erfolgreicher Autor, seine Bücher haben sich gut verkauft bis auf das letzte. Bei einer Signierstunde in Coronado trifft er Logan, einen Rezensenten namens BookHunter, der sich gleich zwei signierte Exemplare unter den Nagel reißt, obwohl der das Buch bereits rezensiert hat, und danach Milo zum Essen einlädt. Beide verstehen sich auf Anhieb gut und sind auf einer Wellenlänge. Sie wollen sogar in Kontakt bleiben, doch haben sie vergessen die Nummern zu tauschen. Aber im Zeitalter der sozialen Netzwerke kein Problem – Hunter schreibt Milo einfach eine Facebook-Nachricht und die beiden treffen sich erneut.

Als sich die Beziehung der beiden vertieft müssen sie sich auch ihrer Vergangenheit stellen, vor allem Hunter, der seinen Ehemann verloren hat und der innerlich zerrissen ist zwischen seiner Vergangenheit und Milo. Und nicht nur das, denn die Welt der Literatur wird erschüttert, da ein Serienmörder sein Unwesen treibt und Rezensenten ermordet. Milo und Hunter ahnen nicht wie nah er ihnen ist.

Ich denke, mittlerweile ist es kein Geheimnis, dass ich John Inmans Bücher liebe. Worte bildet hierbei keine Ausnahme. John Inman schafft es realistisch die Welt der Autoren und Rezensenten bzw. Blogger darzustellen. Ebenso die Charaktere, die in diesem Buch auftauchen.

Es gibt hier eigentlich zwei parallele geschichten, die zeitgleich erzählt werden. Einerseits das Treffen und Zusammenfinden von Milo und Hunter, andererseits die Geschichte rund um den Serienmörder und seine Opfer. Und am Ende fügt sich beides in eines zusammen, was ich wirklich toll fand.

Milo hat mein Herz vom ersten Moment an erobert. Ich habe mit ihm gelitten, als er bei der Signierstunde auf Leser wartete und niemand gekommen ist – bis dann Hunter durch die Tür tritt und somit auch in sein Leben. Milo hat das Herz am rechten Fleck, ist sympathisch und hat einen tollen Sinn für Humor. Man merkt, wie viel ihm das Schreiben und einfach das ganze Drumherum bedeuten.

Hunter fand ich auch toll, sympathisch, bodenständig und man merkte mit jedem Wort wie sehr ihm die Literatur am Herzen liegt und mit wie viel Respekt er Bücher und dessen Autoren behandelt. Ihm und Milo bei ihren Gesprächen zuzuhören war toll und erfrischend, vor allem da ich es so gut nachvollziehen konnte.

Die Liebesgeschichte zwischen den beiden entwickelt sich eher langsam, auch wenn die beiden sehr schnell Gefühle füreinander entwickeln. Die Chemie stimmt und man freut sich mit den beiden. Schön fand ich auch, dass die Sexszenen nicht zu explizit waren, man konnte selbst seine Phantasie spielen lassen, was auch gut zu den beiden gepasst hat.

Toll fand ich auch den Einblick in diese Literaturwelt, in der Worte auch oft etwas zerstören und verletzen können. Vor allem in Hinblick auf Trolle, die alles und jeden zerreißen nur im des Zerreißens Willen. Dennoch brauchen Autor und Reviewer einander und ich denke, wir alle wissen, dass so ein Austausch immer respektvoll und nicht persönlich sein sollte. Natürlich wird es immer schwarze Schafe geben, und zwar auf beiden Seiten, aber der überwiegende Teil wird an einem harmonischen, respektvollen Miteinander arbeiten.

Der Plot rund um die Mordfälle war gut gemacht und ich habe bis zum Schluss – und die Wendung am Ende habe ich definitiv auch nicht kommen sehen – gewusst, wer der Mörder ist bzw. sein könnte. Es blieb wirklich spannend bis zuletzt. Man hat gefiebert und war schockiert, wie kaltblütig der Mörder teilweise vorging. Und es wurde gezeigt, dass das Internet oft mehr Schein als Sein ist, wie oft man sich selbst anders darstellt als man eigentlich ist. Und dass man denkt, man könne im World Wide Web alles machen ohne mit Konsequenzen rechnen zu müssen.

Alles in allem war ich wirklich begeistert und konnte das Buch vor lauter Spannung und Mitfiebern nicht mehr aus der Hand legen. Daher gibt es von mir eine klare Leseempfehlung.

[Risa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worte ist wieder eine Story von John Inman, die mich voll und ganz überzeugen konnte.

Zur Handlung.
Bei einer misslungenen Signierstunde begegnen sich der Schriftsteller Milo Hook und der Literaturkritiker Logan Hunter. Beide sind Single, Milo hat sich kürzlich von seinem fremdgehenden Freund Bryce getrennt, Logans Ehemann ist vor ca. einem Jahr tödlich verunglückt. Die beiden mögen sich auf Anhieb und entwickeln schnell Gefühle füreinander. Anfangs hat Logan noch ein schlechtes Gewissen, da er seinen Mann sehr geliebt hat, doch Milo kann sein Herz erobern.
Während die beiden Männer sich immer näher kommen, erschüttert eine Mordserie die Szene. Jemand scheint Rache zu üben und berüchtigte 1-Sterne-Rezensenten zu töten. Das erste Opfer kennt Milo sogar persönlich, denn es ist die Ehefrau einer guten Freundin von ihm. Während beide noch rätseln, wer dahinter steckt, kommt der Täter ihnen immer näher.

Es passiert mir nicht oft, dass mich ein Buch vom ersten bis zum letzten Satz begeistert. John Inman hat es mal wieder geschafft. Bei Worte hat mir einfach alles gefallen, die Thematik, der Aufbau und die Spannung vom Anfang bis zum Ende. Auch Milo und Logan als Paar konnten mich überzeugen. Mein erster Verdacht, wer der Mörder ist, hat sich letztendlich als Irrtum herausgestellt, auch da konnte mich der Autor erneut überraschen.

Für dieses Lesevergnügen vergebe ich 5 begeisterte Sterne und eine Leseempfehlung.

Mein Dank geht an Dreamspinner Press für das erhaltene Rezensionsexemplar.

[Lorenzo Adduci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un killer freddo e spietato, pervaso da un particolare senso di giustizia; una storia d'amore dolce e intensa che nasce e si sviluppa attraverso la passione per la scrittura; un mondo letterario che sa unire e avvolgere con calore i suoi scrittori, lettori, recensori, ma che deve fronteggiare schegge impazzite che sembrano voler solo irridere quella passione. Sono questi gli ingredienti di “Parole” di John Inman, un romanzo avvincente e romantico, pregevole nel suo stile accurato che lo pone a un livello qualitativo superiore alla media.
Protagonisti della storia d'amore sono lo scrittore Milo Cook e il recensore ed editor Logan Hunter, il luogo del loro incontro una libreria di Coronado, una penisola nella baia di San Diego in California, lo scenario di quasi tutta la vicenda narrata. È un momento particolarmente deprimente per Milo, seduto a un tavolo della libreria per il firmacopie del suo ultimo romanzo con un deserto di lettori intorno, un momento che viene rinfrancato dall'arrivo dell'affascinante Logan, che conosce molto bene le opere di Milo, avendole recensite favorevolmente nel suo blog, e non lesina complimenti allo scrittore invitandolo a pranzo. Dall'attrazione iniziale nasce un legame di amicizia da cui scaturisce un sentimento sempre più profondo.
Come ho accennato sopra, un elemento che contraddistingue questo romanzo è lo stile preciso e accurato che dà vita a una scrittura elegante, fluida, solida, capace di descrivere in modo suggestivo e poetico i luoghi che fanno da sfondo alla narrazione, cogliendo i dettagli importanti senza dilungarsi eccessivamente e intersecandoli con le sensazioni dei protagonisti:
“Nel grigiore del crepuscolo, mentre il sole sprofondava oltre l'orizzonte, la scia infuocata della nave ritornò bianca. Attorno a loro alla fine cominciò a calare l'oscurità e i lampioni tornarono in vita, scacciando le ombre. […] In qualsiasi altro giorno, e in compagnia di chiunque altro, lui avrebbe potuto rammaricarsi di veder fuggire quelle ombre. Avrebbe potuto apprezzare l'anonimato che offrivano”.
L'autore ha cesellato abilmente i protagonisti mostrandoli, attraverso i punti di vista alternati in terza persona, in tutte le loro sfumature di carattere: difficile non rimanere colpiti dall'ironia a tratti pungente di Milo, che spesso viene sovrastata da una dolcezza disarmante e da un solare ottimismo, nel tentativo di nascondere un'ansia sociale con cui deve combattere da anni. Allo stesso tempo è assai improbabile non rimanere conquistati dalla generosità a volte malinconica di Logan che vuole ricominciare a vivere, ma deve lottare contro i sensi di colpa verso chi è andato via dalla sua vita. Due caratteri che si fondono dando vita a un insieme di amore, sostegno reciproco e dolce e giocosa sensualità.
La loro vicenda si alterna alle immagini di un inquietante serial killer nella cui mente lucida e perversa il lettore viene catapultato attraverso un lungo e contorto peregrinare: questa singolare figura viene tratteggiata in modo volutamente ambiguo, ma lasciando trasparire una fredda razionalità quasi disturbante, in una scia di mistero che accompagna la sua missione purificatrice del mondo letterario contro chi utilizza le parole in modo distorto. Una missione che inevitabilmente finisce per aver impatto sulla serenità di Milo e Logan e di chi li circonda.
Molto interessante e attuale è la rappresentazione che l'autore dà dell'ambiente letterario, un luogo di scambio culturale e di incontro tra persone di età e ceti diversi, uniti dal solo amore per la lettura:
“Il gruppo sembrava coprire l'intero spettro sociale, andando dai danarosi ai poco abbienti, dai giovani agli anziani, e passando per quelli nel mezzo. Come sempre, era la loro devozione alla lettura ad averli messi assieme. Lo status sociale non aveva niente a che fare con quell'interesse. Quello era un aspetto di chi amava i libri che gli dava sempre speranza per la specie umana”.
Il punto nodale del romanzo sono, comunque, le “parole”, il modo con cui vengono usate per giudicare i romanzi letti, quelle recensioni che a volte possono aiutare lo scrittore a crescere e migliorarsi, ma altre volte possono ferire profondamente e distruggere intere carriere. Il messaggio importante che l'autore sembra voler far trasparire è la necessità del rispetto del lavoro letterario altrui al di là dei gusti personali. E su questo aspetto i punti di vista di Milo e Logan convergono nettamente:
(Milo) - “Nulla poteva distruggere uno scrittore in maniera più letale di una cattiva recensione. E alla lettera, in certi casi. Lui sapeva di una povera anima che aveva bevuto una bottiglia di varechina dopo una recensione particolarmente crudele, il che, dal suo punto di vista, era spingere la sensibilità artistica un po’ troppo oltre”
(Logan) - “Qualcuno ha messo un sacco di sforzi nel realizzare il libro che stanno facendo a pezzi, e non ha nessun senso strappare il cuore all'autore solo perché a un recensore non piace il modo in cui il libro è stato scritto”
“Parole” rappresenta, dunque, una perfetta commistione di suspense, romanticismo, lucida analisi dell'ambiente letterario, in grado di coinvolgere l'attenzione del lettore fino all'ultima pagina e che si pone a buon diritto tra le mie letture preferite.

[El Ma · Rating 4 out of 5]

4* - 4.5*
https://elmaliest.de/worte-john-inman...

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by DreamSpinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.**

Well, this book! Author Milo meets reviewer Logan at a failed author event. Milo is instantly attracted to Logan, or his legs, at least. They have dinner and enjoy their time getting to know each other. The first half of the book is really spent on the developing relationship between the two men and getting to know them. It seemed a little slow, but it really was the story of two men sharing their past, themselves and finding love. Both characters were really likable and seemed nice.

But while there’s this nice love story unfolding, there’s this other storyline of murder happening. I don’t want to give a lot away regarding this storyline because I found it a little terrifying and a little hilarious. I thought the plotline with the murders was very creative, well done, and may give pause to some people. ;) I did not figure out who the murderer actually was. When everything all comes to a head, I thought I knew who it was and the story seemed to support that but then there was an unexpected person that changed that.

This was an entertaining murder mystery and romance. It seemed like insight into the author’s world and scandals that happen in the world of books. There were a lot of issues all included in this book and I think there may be some satisfying results for many. This is a book you need to read. I was going to get into all the reasons but that gives away too much of the happenings, so just know that you need to read this!

Rating: 4 stars

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recensione in ANTEPRIMA
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4.5- Voto
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«Tuttavia,» disse lui, in pratica discutendo con se stesso, «se un libro fa schifo il recensore dovrebbe dirlo, giusto?»
«Sì,» rispose Logan. «Ma non devono per forza essere crudeli al riguardo. Qualcuno ha messo un sacco di sforzi nel realizzare il libro che stanno facendo a pezzi, e non ha nessun senso strappare il cuore all’autore solo perché a un recensore non piace il modo in cui il libro è stato scritto. E c’è anche da considerare che solo perché sei un recensore, non vuol dire che tu abbia sempre ragione. Lascia un po’ di margine nelle tue valutazioni. Dai allo scrittore il beneficio del dubbio, e non massacrarlo tentando di scoraggiare i futuri lettori. Per metterla giù semplice, sii gentile.»
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Le persone che come me amano libri e le recensioni si ritroveranno a casa fra le pagine di questo libro. Spesso infatti ritroveremo i personaggi a serate di club di lettori in compagnia di autori, più o meno noti, e i libri hanno una parte importante nello svolgersi della storia, anche se tutto viene portato all’eccesso. Il primo impatto è quanto meno avvincente, vi troverete subito a osservare un assassino che si appresta a colpire la sua prima vittima, e ogni tanto ci ritroveremo a osservarlo mentre con metodo porta avanti quella che considera una missione. In un secondo tempo facciamo la conoscenza di Milo, uno scrittore abbastanza noto, che sta vivendo una brutta giornata, almeno finché al suo firmacopie, piuttosto disertato, non si presenta Logan, un uomo molto affascinante che oltre che in pubblicità lavora anche come recensore sul suo Blog. È una simpatia immediata quella che provano, Logan ha sempre apprezzato il suo modo di scrivere, e Milo ha bisogno di svagarsi un po’ dalla scrittura del suo ultimo lavoro. La loro amicizia ben presto si trasformerà in una bella storia, che li vedrà, però, finire coinvolti nei disegni del nostro killer. E fin troppo presto ci renderemo conto che a volte le parole possono ferire e fare del male molto più di qualsiasi arma.

Milo è uno scrittore emergente, i suoi primi libri hanno avuto un buon riscontro di pubblico, e lui riesce a vivere del suo lavoro. Nel suo passato, un amore finito nel momento in cui ha pubblicato il suo primo titolo, e da allora vive con un vecchio cane, Spanky, preso al canile, pigro, invadente, ma molto affettuoso. Logan invece si è appena trasferito e sta cercando un appartamento, l’anno prima ha perso la persona che amava e ha sentito il bisogno di cercare un ambiente che non gliela ricordasse continuamente. Ama il suo lavoro, leggere libri lo appassiona, e non è mai troppo critico o crudele nelle sue recensioni. Incontrare Milo, da una parte risveglia in lui desideri che credeva spariti per sempre, ma dall’altra gli sembra di tradire l’uomo che amava, Jerry, un insegnante elementare dal dolce sorriso. Anche se il loro innamorarsi sembra procedere forse troppo velocemente, la loro coppia funziona ed è molto facile affezionarsi a entrambi. Il loro rapporto è davvero molto dolce e il sesso è lasciato all’immaginazione del lettore, più che descritto. Durante la lettura avremo modo di conoscere più da vicino altri personaggi come Bryce, ex di Milo. Ma l’unico veramente intrigante è quello che viene dall’autore chiamato il Viaggiatore, ovvero il nostro Killer che ogni tanto vedremo all’opera, sempre però mascherato. E solo verso la fine, se leggete con attenzione, forse avrete qualche sospetto su chi possa essere.

La scrittura dell’autore è molto bella e ricca, a volte piena di ironia, altre molto più delicata, e riesce a essere convincente nella parte suspense, che spesso permea i suoi libri. Ho letto tutti i titoli che sono stati tradotti di questo autore e ho sempre trovato molto bello come riesca a esprimere al meglio la tristezza della perdita di una persona amata. Il dolce rimpianto di un amore perduto, gli scrupoli del ritornare alla vita, i ricordi dei momenti felici, è in questo modo che anche Jerry riesce a essere un personaggio, pur apparendo solo nei Flashback di Logan. Ma ho trovato anche molto interessante alcune frasi di Logan riguardo proprio le recensioni, pensieri in cui mi sono ritrovata perché li ho spesso fatti anch’io. Come si debba essere cauti nell’esprimere un giudizio impietoso su un libro, perché è sempre un’opera in cui l’autore ha infuso tempo e passione. E che ciò che io reputo poco interessante qualcun altro lo può considerare bellissimo. Leggere un libro è sempre un’esperienza personale e bisognerebbe non dimenticarlo mai, ricordandosi che le parole possono fare davvero del male.

Anche se forse avrei preferito che le cose procedessero più lentamente nella coppia Milo e Logan, è un libro che si legge davvero con piacere, amo lo stile dell’autore, che ho scoperto da poco, ma che continuerò a seguire perché riesce sempre a emozionarmi. Inoltre, le spruzzate di suspense delle sue trame rendono la lettura ancor più avvincente.
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Lucia63 - per RFS

[Reading Rainbow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quanto pesano le parole nella vita di ognuno di noi? Quando parliamo con i nostri amici o i nostri familiari, ricordiamo a noi stessi che la comunicazione è un bisogno vitale? Riusciamo a capire e a farci capire? Manifestiamo un'idea con cura e attenzione? Perché le parole sono piene di forza: ci trasportano in mondi lontani, ci fanno vivere nuove avventure e sperimentare nuovi amori, ci mettono nelle condizioni di conoscere e imparare.
E sono proprio le parole il centro del nuovo, bellissimo libro di John Inman in uscita il 22 gennaio per Dreamspinner Press — le parole che esprimono odio e amore, felicità e tristezza, ammirazione e disprezzo. E che faranno anche incontrare Milo e Logan, i due protagonisti del romanzo

Recensione completa su: https://bit.ly/2T0Hw1P

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this book, I'm terrified to say anything bad about it. Good thing I really enjoyed it.

[Love Is All Around · Rating 5 out of 5]

Voto: 4.5
RECENSIONE A CURA DI FRANCESCA
Venite a leggerla sul nostro blog!

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rounded up to 3.5.

I’m not sure, exactly, what the premise of the book is. On one hand, it is the story Milo and Logan, writer and reviewer. Milo is working on book number four, enjoying life, doing the occasional book signing and attending book club meetings in his area. Logan has packed up and moved from NYC to San Diego to escape the dreary winters (I don’t blame him) and meets Milo at a book signing. They hit it off, but Logan is carrying the emotional scars of losing his Husband in a car accident and isn’t certain he can move forward in a relationship.

Or, is this a story about being a reviewer vs a troll; to be honest, respectful, and considerate when writing reviews and don’t just slam authors for baring their souls with the written word? That to be a reviewer you must set aside your bias’s about “liking” the story, and write critically? Which touches on the difference between a reviewer and writing an opinion.

Or…is this a story about being a writer, the tedium of having to sit at poorly advertised book signings, the struggle to put words on a page, while getting bombasted at book groups for things outside one’s control? That being a writer means you will have to accept the good, bad and ugly reviews when your “baby” is sent off into the larger world and a good writer will rise above the flotsam of commentary and criticism?

And there is a murder mystery woven throughout. So, there's that too.

Milo and Logan’s story was sweet. The connection with someone you feel at ease with, each coming at writing from a different angle creating a common interest, the guilt of moving on after the death of a spouse and dealing with a difficult ex-boyfriend. All this set against the background of a murder-mystery…BUT! Not one they were trying to solve. Which was an interesting and unique way to go about it.

I did feel the dialog about being a good reviewer or a good writer came across much as a professor would address a class. It was almost as if the author was frustrated with reviewers/trolls and needed a way to get the message across.

Yes, I note the irony here. But I also don’t consider this a review so much as my opinion of the book. In my humble opinion, a reviewer is someone who gets paid, ie, the New York Times book reviews. Otherwise it's an opinion, like this is.

Two notable detraction's in the book, and this is my upper Midwest upbringing showing, where a foot of snow in one storm is considered “an inconvenience”. It is very unlikely a taxi in NYC would put on chains during a snow storm. And, Avis car rental is NOT going to have chains in the trunk for a car rented in Indiana – who knows where that rental originated? You’re lucky if there’s a spare tire and jack in the trunk. Chains are used primarily in the mountains, not the Midwest.

Otherwise, I thought that this was a well written, thought provoking book with a very sweet romance and a couple of cute dogs.

Review is cross posted at Gay Book Reviews
A copy of the book was provided by the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

[Natosha Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow talk about a book with twist after twist. John Inman wrote a book that left me questioning just who is the killer. I know I found myself several times saying please don’t let it be this person or there is no way that it can be that person. In the end when the killer was revealed, let’s just say I was truly shocked. And I will say this as well, the killer is not revealed till the very end.

Milo is an author. He loves writing and when he is writing he can definitely lose his self in it. At a book signing that by all standards is not going well at all, in walks a man that truly blows Milo away. This man is beautiful beyond words in Milo’s eyes and when he finds out who the man is, he is even more in awe of him.

Logan is a reviewer. He has made it a profession for himself and prides himself on his honest and caring reviews. If he does not like an author he finds that he does not even want to post anything about it because he does not want his negative impression to impact others on whether they will read the book or not. He is one of those reviewers that knows not everyone’s opinion is the same on a book so if he has nothing nice to say, he just does not say anything at all.

When Logan finds out that one of his favorite authors is doing a book signing near by, he decides to go and have his latest book signed by him and meet him in person. Little does he know at the time, this will be the person that helps him to learn to live again after losing his husband a little over a year ago.

As Logan and Milo get closer to one another, there is something sinister happening in the reviewer/author world. There is a psychopathic killer on the lose targeting reviewers that have less then nice things to say about books that people are publishing. After the first murder, no one really questions the motive behind it. But as more and more reviewers turn up murdered, fear starts to radiate the writing world. And worse yet, no one knows who the next victim will be nor do they have a clue who the murderer might be.

Can Milo and Logan find a way to stay out of the spot light enough to keep themselves safe as they build a life together? Is there a chance that one of the murderer has another target in mind already and the target is closer to home then anyone expects? Who is the killer and how is the killer linked to Milo and Logan? Could the killer be one of them?

This was such an incredible read. I set down and read this book in less then two hours because once I started it I could not put it down. John Inman did a truly incredible job on this book. This is definitely on my highly recommended read.

Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review

[Lena Grey · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Words -- so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.” ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne, The American Notebooks, 1848

Milo, of 'Words' by John Inman, sits in a bookstore signing, bemoaning his recent single state caused by a cheating boyfriend. No one seems interested in him or his books and he's getting discouraged. As he is about to give up for the day, a tall, handsome man comes into the shop. They begin a conversation and the man buys a copy of Milo's book and asks for an autograph which Milo gladly provides. The man introduces himself as “Book Hunter”, a famous reviewer, Logan Hunter.

After chatting for a while Logan offers to buy Milo lunch. Milo and Logan talk shop about the writing and reviewing business which Milo loves. Logan tells Milo that he's moving to his city from New York. Logan tells Milo that his lover, Jerry, died a year ago. He needs to make a new start; too many memories. Milo tells him about Bryce, his ex who was anything but faithful. After their sharing session, they go their separate ways, hoping to see each other again. They try to take it slowly but fail miserably. Soon, they want to be together all the time.

As Milo sits at the computer, he gets a message from a friend, Lillian, whose wife, Grace, has been murdered. Grace was a book reviewer and was very unpopular because of her negative reviews, in which she bordered on being cruel. Grace's death seems like a fluke, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, yet everyone speculates about why she was killed. When there's another murder in the reviewer community, the murders are taken more seriously. When the third murder takes place, the community panics. They want to know who the murderer is and they want them brought to justice.

As horrific and graphic as the murders are, comparatively speaking, Milo and Logan's courtship is endearing and down-to-earth. They have both been hurt but weren't damaged beyond repair. They just needed the right person, at the right time, to achieve the happiness they deserved. I loved their banter, their passion, and, of course, their dogs. The mounting suspense created is brilliant and, even though the book hints that it's always the person whom you'd never suspect, in this instance, that rings true. John does such a good job of throwing out red herrings that I was completely surprised by the ending. Thanks, John, for all the thrills and chills and, especially, for supporting all of the good reviewers out there.

NOTE: This book was provided by Dremspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

[Ahiku · Rating 3 out of 5]

When it comes to John Inman, I come to love his horror themed books the most. His funnier stories are great, too, but to me there's nothing that beats "Willow Man" (Okay, there's "IT" by Steven King... ;D) or "The Boys on the Mountain". The last one was amazing but also traumatized me a bit, so I wasn't able to reread it yet.

Well, the murder mystery parts of this story weren't less gruesome and brutal than the boy murders on the mountain. (Even though I think nothing can beat the gruesomeness of Bobby's death. Still not over it.)

This time though, I couldn't quite enjoy the book. At the beginning, it sounded a bit like whining in book form. Those bad, bad reviewers who dare to give bad reviews all have to die! I can't agree that trolls deserve to die, but I'm also not a published author whose career was ruined by this kind of stuff so far. I think, an honest review - even if it's not a "WOW EVERYTHING IS SO GREAT 5*****" review - can be very helpful. Maybe there's something that's bothering me (so I point it out), but it's exactly what another person is searching for, because this is just their thing! Everyone is different and likes different things.

So, I like gay romance and murder mysteries...and I get both in this book. I like the romance part and that there's enough sex that I can imagine (I have to be honest, I rarely enjoy long sex scenes, but I like it when I get a little bit and can imagine the rest), so that was just great the way it was. I liked both characters and I also liked that there's no big misunderstanding or something like miscommunication that tries to destroy their relationship. I really like that they get together and stay together without much (relationship) drama. :) I mean, there's still the murderer running around, so there's enough drama already.

The murder case was interesting, even though most characters involving this one were really caricatural (especially the women... seriously, John Inman... do you have some issues with elderly ladies?). It took away from the tension a bit and tbh the weakness of the victims was a bit implausible to me, too...

While I get that an old man in a wheelchair might be an easy victim, the other two women didn't even try to fight back. Especially the corpulent one, who definitely had an advantage about someone as skinny as the murderer. Besides, she definitely thought her murderer was male. I just didn't buy this part of the story.

It's not a bad book, definitely not. But I know he can pull of better plots and story-lines.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Questo romanzo regala emozioni, appassiona e ti fa credere in tutto quello che vuole tanto è scritto bene. Considerando l'argomento trattato e avendo come protagonisti scrittori e recensori, non sarebbe stato tanto bello se non fosse stato scritto con tale maestria.
Si narra la bellissima storia di un amore romantico, tanto dolce e leggero da aprire il cuore anche a chi un cuore non ce l'ha, in alternanza ad una serie di omicidi giustificati da quanto le parole possano ferire.
Entrambe le storie, che ovviamente si vanno ad intrecciare, hanno una propria anima e potrebbero tranquillamente appartenere ognuna a romanzi diversi. Eppure, amore e odio, insieme, regalano la perfezione.
I personaggi sono descritti benissimo: il loro background, particolare quanto intenso, li ha resi quello che sono oggi, più reali che mai. Credo che in molti possano identificarsi in almeno uno di loro, pur avendo fatto scelte diverse.
Durante la lettura si da anche parte della soluzione al mistero: in un thriller o un giallo, l'assassino è sempre chi non ti aspetti. Preparatevi a sorprendervi. Io non ci avrei mai preso: ero convinta di tutta un'altra storia, perché non viene dato nessun indizio, se non l'affermazione di cui sopra.
È stato bello leggere questo romanzo e confesso che non lo volevo finire, per paura che dopo mi sarebbe mancato qualcosa. E così è stato...
Words entrerà sicuramente a far parte della mia top 10!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a reviewer, as well as something of a writer, and friend of many authors of various genres, the concept of this book was attractive to me. While romance, especially lifestyle romance, is not the main genre I review, I enjoyed the gentle, and at first shy, handling of this budding romance.
The addition of an older dog did add to the book's star potential.
The conditions/status of the residences of writers vs reviewers made me smile. Based on that, I guess I am more a reviewer in lifestyle.
Twin plots tangle in this novel. Milo and Logan must overcome hesitations and trust issues to find true happiness. Perhaps karma also plays a role. Meanwhile, across the country, notorious negative reviewers are turning up murdered. In writing and literary communities people are talking about how the murders are connected and what they mean. Some feel the killer's actions have justification.
So in contrast to the sweetness of new love, we have a gritty and tarnished aura of madness and murder.
Sadly, it is by doing what one believes is the right thing that life becomes more dangerous.

Nicely penned and dangerously thrilling, I am glad I accepted this book to review via Librarything.

[Maryann Kafka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another great mystery and a lot to think about for authors and reviewers.
John Inman couldn’t give a more realistic feel to this novel. I could just picture the author himself waiting for someone to show up to purchase an autographed copy of his book and the disappointment of no one showing up. As far as great characters go, I was just taken in by Milo Cook. He was just a wonderful and humorous character. Logan Hunter is pretty sharp and a little more on the serious side but Milo brings out the best in him. The chemistry between them was just right, throw in Spanky and Emerson and it’s a sweet romance.

[Cathy Brockman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Words is a very unique story. It’s written in an unusual perspective with it being both Logan a reviewer, and Milo an authors view. We get a take on both men’s job, a good romance plus an added bonus of a mystery person’s view.
Logan is still in mourning over the loss of his husband, Milo is in the aftermath of a bad breakup neither men looking for a relationship or love.
The romance itself was interesting and sweet but mix in the murders of reviewers and the story heats up in a nonsexy way as well.

If you like Authors, reviewers, sweet romance and a bit of mystery/suspense with a twist this is for you.

[Emmaali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Questo scrittore mi piace sempre di più, è bravissimo nel descrivere i sentimenti e le situazioni. È stato bravissimo nel non farmi azzeccare l’assassino e mi è piaciuto tantissimo come i due protagonisti si sono innamorati.

[Heather York · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm sitting here trying to decide how to start my review for John Inman's WORDS and I realize that a book blogger reviewing a book about murdered book reviewers with authors as possible suspects, well it sounds like I'm about to tell a bad joke😉😉. Well, there's no bad joke here. WORDS is a brilliant blend of romance, danger, and mystery that I couldn't put down.

I haven't read any of the author's full-on romances yet, I'm sure they're brilliant and one of these days I'll check them out, but he does danger, death, and destruction just so beautifully that I'm slowly working my way through his backlist's darker side first. WORDS may not be as dark as John's The Boys on the Mountain or as creepy as The Hike or as disturbingly possible as Nightfall but it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out the killer of the trolls masquerading as reviewers. As a book review blogger I find it very disheartening that the trolls out there who claim to be reviewers have followers so I wasn't exactly crying over the victims in this book😉. That's okay though because sometimes a book is even better when the reader doesn't sympathize with the victim, that's not to say I was rooting for the killer.

As for the main players in this story of murder and mayhem, Milo and Logan. Author and reviewer. Is their connection too insta-love? Not for me, sometimes people just click and Milo and Logan definitely clicked. Neither one of them is probably in the best place to be looking for love, Milo still regrouping from a breakup and Logan still mourning his husband but fate always finds a way. There may be very little angsty drama in the way of their relationship but the murders bring enough to the table to make WORDS all twisty and turny.

When it comes to mysteries I'm even more cagey when it comes to spoilers so I won't say too much about this part of WORDS. I will mention that I was completely and totally unsure of who was doing the trolls in right up until a page or two before the big reveal. I've said it before and I'll say it again, mysteries have been a part of my life for nearly my whole 45+ years on this earth in either film or book form, it's always been my favorite genre of choice so there are very few that really knock me sideways as to the whos, whats, and whys. I'm not being immodest or saying I have great detective skills its just that I've read or watched pretty much every scenario out there. So when a mystery like WORDS comes around I relish it and don't soon forget the greatness of the build-up.

Once again John Inman has proven he is delightfully delicious when it comes to danger, death, and destruction, with just the right blend of mayhem and romance. WORDS is a definite must for mystery lovers.

[Vince Burr · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing thriller by an amazing author!