Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion

Welcome to our fourth Josh reread of 2022! This month we are focusing on books set during the fall and our choice reread is Mummy Dearest!

Feel free to start discussing as soon as you'd like, but if you haven't read it before, beware of spoilers in this thread!

it's been awhile since I've read this one, I'm in!

Same!

One of my favorite short stories.

I don't think I remembered to mention this, but I dropped the price down to $2.99 through Monday or Tuesday of next week.

https://www.amazon.com/Mummy-Dearest-...

I went looking for this one today. GR says I own the ebook, but my Kindle says I own the audiobook. So does Amazon proper. So, I will likely give it a listen, perhaps on my commutes. I've not listened to an audiobook since September. I need to get back into them!

Jordan wrote: "I went looking for this one today. GR says I own the ebook, but my Kindle says I own the audiobook. So does Amazon proper. So, I will likely give it a listen, perhaps on my commutes. I've not liste..."

Are you still in Patreon? Because it's a giveaway in Patreon. ;-)

Josh wrote: "Jordan wrote: "I went looking for this one today. GR says I own the ebook, but my Kindle says I own the audiobook. So does Amazon proper. So, I will likely give it a listen, perhaps on my commutes...."

Sadly, I left Patreon last year. But that's okay. I believe I'm going to stick with the audio I own. Though my library also has it if I wanted the ebook on Libby. :-) Or I really don't mind paying $2.99 for it. That's a drop in the bucket compared to most books these days. Gosh, I bought two hardcovers recently for $50!

My first reactions, now that I’m already halfway through the story:

1. Fortune is a dick, but improving very very slowly
2. Noah is a jerk, and not improving
3. I want Drew to eat something and very soon

I’m also quietly horrified by this Egyptian mummy that’s been stolen and not taken care of. It’s sad this sort of thing happens.

I don’t remember much of what happens in this, so I’m looking forward to finding out!

Not sure how I feel about Noah having dinner with Lionel just yet. I mean, there's nothing wrong with him having dinner with someone else while he's home alone. There's no reason why he can't have dinner with an ex. Sometimes ex's remain friends and it's okay.

Obviously, I know that this is not okay in this story. It's a romance, I know where it's going. But still, in the grand scheme of things, and because we don't know Drew's full history with Noah, it does seem as if Drew might be the one a little bit in the wrong. ... except that Noah keeps saying not nice things about him during their phone conversation.

I am a little annoyed that Frasure (sp?) asked Drew to dinner and for something else afterward, knowing Drew was seeing/lived with someone. That's a no-no in my book too.

Everyone's doing something not so Kosher right now. Sigh... lol

Aaaand we never see, or hear, from Noah again. Lol. I really wanted to be there when Drew broke up with him to see his reaction. I wonder, was that planned for book two?

The fade to black scene from a writer who doesn’t normally fade to black threw me for a bit, but I sometimes really appreciate those. It’s not a bad thing. Lol.

How is everyone else doing on this one?

Jordan wrote: "Aaaand we never see, or hear, from Noah again. Lol. I really wanted to be there when Drew broke up with him to see his reaction. I wonder, was that planned for book two?

The fade to black scene f..."

I'm going to start listening tomorrow evening. I'm nearly finished with three other books.

Yay!

I re-listened last night. I'm also going to reread the ebook. It's very well narrated, but I'd forgotten how Sean Crisden's voicing of Fraser kind of makes him sound like a big goofball, but ultimately a very thoughtful guy who's smarter than you might think.

The set-up for this one is clever, and it's fun to imagine how Josh might have continued the series. As this one ends we're left with a college professor who may or may not be looking into a new position at another school after he gets back to California, and a TV supernatural/urban myth detective who may or may not be in hot water with his producer for spending time and money on a project that he seems to have decided to abandon.

I appreciate how Fraser is careful to see that Drew is in possession of his faculties or at least not so drunk that he's beyond consent.

I'd guess that Noah did hear Drew break up with him and disregarded it as he tends to disregard a lot of Drew's concerns — or at least that Noah heard enough to cry on his ex's shoulder about it. Do any of you suspect that they were sleeping together again, and had constructed some rationalization as to why that was OK? ;)

Goodreads tells me I'd read this book back in 2014 and gave it five stars, but I couldn't find it anywhere on my computer or in my Nook cloud. So, thanks Josh for making it 2.99 so I could get it! Now I'm wondering--was it perhaps in an anthology somewhere, or one of those double issue mysteries with two books?

Anyway, reading it again reminded me it was a lot of fun. I disliked Fraser at first just about as much as Drew did, but as it evolved he seemed like a good guy, and yes honorable, with just a strange job seeking out weird crap. I think this would have made a good series, but maybe with lighter plots than we normally associate with the Josh Lanyon name.

I'd guess that Noah did hear Drew break up with him and disregarded it as he tends to disregard a lot of Drew's concerns — or at least that Noah heard enough to cry on his ex's shoulder about it. Do any of you suspect that they were sleeping together again,.."

Oh yeah, I took it for granted that he was at the ex's place for some "consolation."

I was wondering what Drew would do for a job after this. Part of me wonders if he might join the show. Getting published just to keep a job always seemed so ... I don’t know, wrong, irritating, terrible? Lol. Boring, though maybe not if you really love your subject. I guess academia in general seems boring to me.

I’d love to know if Josh had a plan for Drew’s career going forward. It certainly doesn’t seem like a good idea to stay where he is after the current semester. And yet, it’s also cruel to make him leave for something not his fault, and part of me wants him to fight back and stick it out, prove himself, maybe.

Jordan wrote: "Not sure how I feel about Noah having dinner with Lionel just yet. I mean, there's nothing wrong with him having dinner with someone else while he's home alone. There's no reason why he can't have ..."

I totally agree about Noah having dinner with Lionel. At least in theory. But Drew's instinct is probably correct. That in the case of Noah and Lionel, having dinner is probably, inevitably going to be about more than breaking bread.

And of course it doesn't help that Lionel is openly antagonistic to Drew.

Jordan wrote: "My first reactions, now that I’m already halfway through the story:

1. Fortune is a dick, but improving very very slowly
2. Noah is a jerk, and not improving
3. I want Drew to eat something and v..."

Also, yes, about the preservation of the mummy. Yikes. The early years of archeology were a lot more like treasure hunting than protecting and preserving the past.

But, in fairness, it wasn't just on one side. Horrifyingly, at the time the mummy would have been acquired by the museum, ancient mummies were literally being burned in Egypt for firewood.

Karen wrote: "I re-listened last night. I'm also going to reread the ebook. It's very well narrated, but I'd forgotten how Sean Crisden's voicing of Fraser kind of makes him sound like a big goofball, but ultima..."

If they weren't sleeping together before, they would almost certainly be sleeping together by the end of that evening.

In fairness, Drew would have accelerated that (maybe inevitable) progression with his ultimatum.

Marge wrote: "Goodreads tells me I'd read this book back in 2014 and gave it five stars, but I couldn't find it anywhere on my computer or in my Nook cloud. So, thanks Josh for making it 2.99 so I could get it! ..."

The story was originally published through Samhain, so it's kind of possible, you lost it from your device when Samhain went under. I believe they gave everyone warning that would likely happen, but...

Jordan wrote: "I was wondering what Drew would do for a job after this. Part of me wonders if he might join the show. Getting published just to keep a job always seemed so ... I don’t know, wrong, irritating, ter..."

He wouldn't have been fired, but it would be a pretty uncomfortable situation unless everyone was ultra civil and mature about everything, Which... sometimes that happens, but it doesn't seem like Lionel was inclined in that direction. Although, if he won Noah back, he might be more gracious,

This remains one of those books that I always wish I had time to go back and write a sequel to. I had a lot of fun ideas for the next one.

Even I can't explain how some plans for books get so derailed.

Josh wrote: "The story was originally published through Samhain, so it's kind of possible, you lost it from your device when Samhain went under. I believe they gave everyone warning that would likely happen, but......"

Hmm, I think I got most of my Samhain books through ARe, and I believed I had those all backed up when THEY went under. But I've occasionally discovered instead of copying books from my computer to my reader, I just plain old moved them. Then when my old e-reader bit the dust, the book was gone from everywhere. Ah, first world problems!

Josh wrote: "Jordan wrote: "My first reactions, now that I’m already halfway through the story:

1. Fortune is a dick, but improving very very slowly
2. Noah is a jerk, and not improving
3. I want Drew to eat ..."

BURNED FOR FIREWOOD?!?!?!! Yow!

Josh wrote: "Jordan wrote: "I was wondering what Drew would do for a job after this. Part of me wonders if he might join the show. Getting published just to keep a job always seemed so ... I don’t know, wrong, ..."

Yeah, I wouldn't expect him to get fired. I guess it would be mostly uncomfortable. Maybe I'm projecting onto Drew. lol. I can't imagine wanting to stay working there, if I were in his shoes, but it also seems like his students really like him, even though we don't get to meet them. Maybe he'd stay for them and everyone would be an adult about it. I'll hope for that. lol.

Jordan wrote: "Josh wrote: "Jordan wrote: "My first reactions, now that I’m already halfway through the story:

1. Fortune is a dick, but improving very very slowly
2. Noah is a jerk, and not improving
3. I want..."

I'm trying to remember where I read that. Innocents Abroad maybe? Anyway, yes. Pretty shocking.

Jordan wrote: "Josh wrote: "Jordan wrote: "I was wondering what Drew would do for a job after this. Part of me wonders if he might join the show. Getting published just to keep a job always seemed so ... I don’t ..."

I think it would be very uncomfortable. While Noah might not be the spiteful kind, Lionel seems like someone who might not always play fair. And I think Fraser would be working hard to lure Drew over to the dark side. ;-D

Marge wrote: "Josh wrote: "The story was originally published through Samhain, so it's kind of possible, you lost it from your device when Samhain went under. I believe they gave everyone warning that would like..."

Everything is relative. ;-D

Josh wrote: "Jordan wrote: "Josh wrote: "Jordan wrote: "I was wondering what Drew would do for a job after this. Part of me wonders if he might join the show. Getting published just to keep a job always seemed ..."

While I was unconvinced in the beginning, by the end, The Dark Side sounds way more fun!