A Case of Christmas

by Josh Lanyon

Christmas on Catalina Island--it's just what the doctor ordered.Injured in the line of duty, FBI Special Agent Shane Donovan is longing for a few days of peace and quiet. Some nice meals, a couple of good books, and maybe a bottle of the best. No family, no friends, no fa la la la la...just a little time on his own to think things through.But an offshore storm, a geriatric treasure hunter, and the guy who dumped him without a word two years earlier are about to unwrap all Shane's carefully laid holiday plans.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Holiday, Contemporary, Christmas, Audiobook, Short Stories

110 pages, Paperback

First published December 13, 2015

About the author

Author 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.

Reviews

[Snjez · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice second chance romance novella with a subtle Christmas vibe. It didn't give me the feels like some other short stories by this author, though.

Enjoyable narration by Derrick McClain.

[Bitchie]

Sorry folks, I have to do this. I'm probably really dating myself here but THIS:




Will always be Shane Donovan to me!

[Ingie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review written December 28, 2016

3.3 Stars - A cozy short Lanyon with a light xmas feeling



Got this Josh Lanyon holiday novella as a Christmas gift from my very lovely GR friend Sofia last year (2015). Added the $2 WSfV audiobook (2:40 hours narrated by Derrick McClain) later on. A year, winter and Christmas once again and at last time for me to fully enjoy.

"Christmas on Catalina Island--it's just what the doctor ordered."

Not earth shattering in any ways but still a sweet novella. A second chance and a man to spend the holiday with. — Thank you Sofia, a JL novella always get me in a good mood.

I LIKE - sweet xmas kisses

[Bev · Rating 2 out of 5]

The narration was excellent, the story not so much. It just seemed to spin on it's wheels, going nowhere with nothing really happening at all. Not sure where or why Christmas came in to it because really, it could have been any time of the year. 🤷

I've read/listened to some cracking shorties this Christmas season, sadly this wasn't one of them.

[Otila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love Lanyon’s second-chance romances and this is no exception. I’m also always amazed at how much punch Lanyon’s short stories can pack. The story is fast-paced, has some great characters and, unlike some short stories, feels like a fully developed story. I loved the humor, the romance and the mystery. Well, it’s more like mystery “light” but I see it having potential for future stories.

If you enjoyed Icecapade and Lone Star, you can't go wrong with this one.

**Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Preeti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, I listened to another second chance Christmas romance novella by Josh Lanyon. This one was angsty with a few bits of fluff in between. And, just like most of JL's books, the audiobook narration was outstanding.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ohhhhhhh. Maybe... 2.5. Not my favorite Lanyon. I'm cool with 20kish stories, but this one felt even shorter.
I dunno. I liked it enough!

[Eugenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantastic narration! Ho-hum story..... 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I kept waiting for something to happen—this is Josh Lanyon! I thought there might be a mystery. Well, the mystery was that there wasn’t one.

Still, it was a sweet, second-chance Christmas story that focused on how humans talk themselves out of fully living but still hope for a full life.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Josh Lanyon’s A Case of Christmas is wrapped up in all the Lanyon bows and ribbons I adore—the dashes of mystery and FBI/police procedure and hopes of second chance loving. But the rainy Catalina setting and feel didn’t create the holiday-ish mood I was hoping for. *shrugs* Still loved spending time in a Lanyon world though.

Shane and Linus (aka not-Norton) get a second chance at what they lost the first time around, but only if they can find a way to forgive and open up their hearts again. I loved the back and forth high energy and hilarity at the beginning! Shane made me laugh out loud. Back and forth across the street! Haha….The swirl of anger, humiliation, left over longing, and the hole someone leaves in your life when they disappear is mixed right into the quiet, lonely holiday mood. A mood of maybes and second chances. The holiday season can be filled with melancholy and merriment and Lanyon is a master at capturing that mood mix on the page.

“Anyway, maybe you needed a little pain now and then to help you recognize and appreciate happiness when it was yours. To remind you not to give it up without a fight.”

This quick Lanyon read reminds us that we need to grab on to love when we find it. And hold on!

I need to read and re-read more Lanyon. I miss his words! I always love his words. :)

[Ninni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a second chance romance. With a little xmas as background. This author rarely disappoints and I'm happy to say it didn't happend this time either. No mystery - just a good story.

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story 4 stars
Narration 3.5 stars

This was my first “virgin” audiobook, I usually listen to stories I’ve already read, and the experiment went well, although I think I still prefer to experience a book by my own before listening to a narrator’s interpretation.

Derrick McClain did a good job, but he seems to have a slightly nasal tone sometimes and not a great range of voices.

I liked the story very much, it was a lovely, perfectly handled second-chance romance and it worked well as a short story. Although with those MCs, their jobs, their history and the secondary character and setting, I think it would have made a great full-length book, but that’s probably my greedy side talking.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feeelz. This had the feels and reminded me of how much I love Lanyon's short stories.

Ugh. Maybe it was my stressful weekend or maybe it's because this felt like Classic Lanyon but I really loved this story. I'm a sucker for a second chance romance and this had me all gooey and goo is always good.

It was just... Sigh. *hugs Nook * This was the perfect story to read before bed and the perfect way to remind me that I do love reading.

Anyway, maybe you needed a little pain now and then to help your recognize and appreciate happiness when it was yours. To remind you not to give it up without a fight.

[CrabbyPatty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rather liked this story, despite the disturbing lack of murder(s) (LOL). FBI Special Agent Shane and Norton met two years ago on Catalina Island, while Shane was waiting out an investigation into an arts crime case he had worked where he was suspected of some improprieties. Norton is an unlikely love interest - a beach bum / surfer dude with beads and Birkenstocks. Yet, something just clicked between Shane and Norton, something so perfect that neither man understood whatever the hell it was they had together.

Two years later, Shane returns to Catalina for Christmas, and once again meets Norton, who had left Catalina the day Shane was cleared of any wrongdoing without a word of goodbye. Shane interrupts a mysterious break-in at his cottage ...... and I imagine Norton and Shane find a dead body and must solve this mystery, as well as the mystery of their love. Alas, not the case.

What happens is a subtle unveiling of their attraction, the realization that neither could forget the other, and why. The only thing that distracted from the story, IMHO, was the strange "mystery" subplot, and again, no murders, darn it.

Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews

[Ami · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars rounded up

Uhm ... this short story is basically about two men who couldn't find it in themselves to TRY and TALK about what have happened. Like, they were making their own assumptions and conclusions ... and then lost the past two years because of it. Couldn't exactly feel SORRY for them about that (lame, lame excuse boys!) *shrugs*.

But at least this was less angst, less "making-me-want-to-die-with-feels" compared to usual Lanyon's second chance stories.

[Sun · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really would have loved this if there was more meat to it. The bones are all there.

I mean...FBI agent, second-chances love story, a possible sunken treasure...oh the possibilities!

But as it is, it's an intriguing read with interesting characters, a curious sub-plot, and a holiday happy ending. A decent-enough short story, but damn...I wish I HAD SOME MORE!

[Vanessa North · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute little reunion story. :)

[Mirjam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short sweet Christmas miracle story.

While recuperating from an undercover job gone wrong, Shane is stunned to see "not-Norton" is his across-the-street-neighbour.

Through recounting of an art theft and the way the met two years ago, it seemed that the two men have behaved like typical G-Man, not communicating and assuming to know it all.

In typical Josh Lanyon type, this has some mystery, lots of strong gut reactions, the interference of tight-well-meaning family, some making out sessions with a healthy dose of lust, this is the ... a supreme Christmas read!

[Pavellit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was cute, short and sweet Christmas pin-head, but with some other great author works under my belt, I expected more. Even its hinted at mystery did not help. The ending left me a little unsatisfied. Too neatly tied up. I was preparing myself to say "Josh Lanyon does it again with a mainstream whodunit", but I reserve the right to use it on another occasion because I still love Lanyon's writing and will continue to read her other books.

[Ije the Devourer of Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book of 2016!!

And a really good one to start with. This is a lovely novella with quite a simple story. It doesn't involve a major mystery but rather two people who are affected by an investigation in different ways and the way their relationship develops over time.

But there is so much more that the story alludes to and intriguing story threads for the future that left me hoping for much more. It is a lovely novella which bridged the old and new year for me with some lovely characters.

[Tess · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This second chance story definitely has a Josh Lanyon feel to it. Didn't feel any oomph factor though.

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet and heartwarming reunion story. Made me smile.

Thank you for the wonderful gift, my dear Sofia!

[Ula'ndi Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall book rating: 3.5
Audio Book: Derrick McClain - 4
Book Cover: 4

Short and sweet. I really liked the idea of the story. ;-) I enjoyed it

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was probably closer to 3.5 stars rounded down. I love Josh Lanyon stories and while I maybe didn't love this one quite as much as I've loved some others it was still an enjoyable story narrated by Derrick McClain who does a rather enjoyable job of adding depth and emotion to this story and overall making it just a touch more enjoyable for the listener.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shane is returning to his holiday cottage on Catalina Island after having suffered a serious injury in the line of duty.

A few days off from work and away from his loving but overprotective family will do him good.

Too bad that he finds himself living next door to a guy he hooked up with two years earlier - a guy he could have loved back then, if only he hadn't vanished without ever getting in contact again.

Now that his lover from the past is back, Shane needs to face his old feelings again and find out what really happened two years earlier.

A beautiful Christmas short with Lanyon's typical set of brooding G-Men characters looking for love.

5 solid stars!

[LenaRibka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to thank three ladies for this reading pleasure:

Josh Lanyon for writing this Christmas short novel.😍

Katerina for bombarding my feeds with her updates of Josh Lanyon's books. I think she has read nothing except Josh Lanyon lately 🤔😉😀

And of course my dear friend Sofia for her Christmas gift (2 or 3 years ago?), I was at last in the proper mood for it!😊😘

[Giulio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely and sweet, a perfect Christmas read
Thank you Sofia!

[Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this story a lot. It's a pity is too short, I think it had the potential for a novel. It's an enjoyable Christmas read. My favourite so far among the Christmas readings I've saved to try this year.

[C.S. Poe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic nugget from Josh Lanyon that fits perfectly between longer reads. A second chance, pseudo-enemies to lovers, a dash of Christmas, a bit of humbug, and a curious and nosy neighbor on a fantastic West Coast island. A Case of Christmas, indeed.

Lanyon has always been particularly talented at writing second chance romances nestled in between the beats of the main plot and focus of a book. This isn't just a tricky maneuver to write, it's downright overwhelming, from an author's point of view. Lanyon will typically drop the reader into an established relationship, one that's already often gone the way of the dodo, with salty and hurt personalities clashing. And yet—the characters aren't just likable, they're lovable. And there's never not enough information that readers are grasping in the dark, and never so much as to overwhelm the senses either.

Her second chances are like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Just right.

We meet Shane Donovan on Catalina Island, a day or two before Christmas. He's an FBI agent just released from the hospital after an unfortunate incident on the Art Crimes Team, and he's looking to share that time with... no one. Not his mother, not his siblings, and certainly not the memories of Norton, a man he met on Catalina two years before that turned out to be nothing more than a lie. Or... he was. Until Shane reaches his cottage amidst incoming bad weather and there's Norton, stringing holiday lights on the cottage across the street. And then there's Hupert, the retired gent who makes matters worse (or better?) by hitting Shane with a golf cart.

In a mere 70 pages we're introduced to the characters of the story, understand their backgrounds, jobs, their desire for love and plight not-to-love, and given a feeling of hope in our heart and a skip in our step by the story's end. It's a lovely and very atmospheric novella that was so much fun to come back to years after my first read.

[Ulysses Dietz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Case of Christmas
By Josh Lanyon
Four stars

I’ve never been to Catalina Island, off the coast of Los Angeles’s multifarious sprawl. But, having read Ms. Lanyon’s latest novella, I yearn to visit.

FBI agent Shane Donovan uses his little Clarissa Avenue beach cottage on Catalina as a retreat when things get to be too much. Over family protests, he returns to the cottage a few days before a very rainy Christmas, just hours since being released from the hospital after a near-death experience at the wrong end of an antique sword. Lo and behold, the guy who’s just bought the cottage across the street is the same one who, it seems, played him two years earlier when he was being secretly investigated by unhappy clients of the FBI.

The same guy he thought he was falling in love with. Ouch.

This little Christmas novella is Ms. Lanyon at her sweetest and least pointed. It is not a big deal, but it includes all of her talents as a writer, telegraphing personalities and places with literary economy and emotional punch. It is wonderful to watch these two men stumble toward each other, as the author strips away macho pretense and shows us the wounded hearts beneath the professional veneer.

[Beebs · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5!

Two years ago, Shane was on leave from work having been accused of theft, he met up with a great guy and was hurt when Norton left without saying goodbye. This year, Shane is on leave again due to injury, he decides to stay at his holiday home because he just isn't ready to face the holidays, family and all the trappings.

When the first person he meets is Norton, he is not very happy. There follows a comedy of errors until both guys get over their pre-conceived ideas of what happened two years ago and when they finally get together it's really sweet.