The Backlot Gay Book Forum discussion

Kill Your Darlings
By Josh Lanyon
Published by JustJoshin Publishing, 2025
Five stars

First off, as a longtime Josh Lanyon fan, I have to say what a pleasure it was to read her words and immerse myself in her characters again.

Second, this was very meta. Set in a mystery fiction writers’ conference in Monterey, California, the main characters are Keiran Chandler, an acclaimed editor with Millbrook House publishers; and Phineas Scott, his most important author, and, sometimes, lover. The meta part is that many of Josh Lanyon’s characters are also attending this conference, and aside from the plot itself, there is a running commentary on the state of fiction publishing in general and detective fiction in particular.

Despite the distractions of the various subordinate characters, I really admired the way Lanyon depicts the successful-but-lonely Keir Chandler, and his erstwhile friend-with-benefits Finn Scott. When a trauma from Keir’s distant past surfaces unexpectedly at the “Noir at the Shore” conference, his unraveling relationship with Finn moves front and center.

The double whammy of Keir’s longtime employer being sold out—and his own standing under the buyout being in question—combined with his failure with Finn; seems to offer nothing but a sad, failed future. Ironically, the added trouble from his past acts as an unanticipated catalyst.

As with Lanyon’s best stories, the muddled facts and confused emotions keep the reader on the edge of his seat. The fact that people from other books are hovering around observing and commenting on the whole narrative just adds to the enjoyable oddness of the whole thing. This is a master of detective fiction really having fun, and I found it every bit as much fun as the author must have.