All She Wrote

All She Wrote (2010/2017) Josh Lanyon

Christopher has canceled his weekend with X.J. to go help his mentor, who had a fall and needs help with her writing retreat–and discovering who is trying to kill her.

I wouldn’t exactly pronounce the silence dead, as I shoved the stack of papers aside and pulled my laptop out of the case, but it did feel uncomfortably like a pride of junior high school students was waiting to devour a stray substitute teacher.

Despite my initial not being sure about Christopher, I quickly came to like him very much.

I heard her out in silence. Well, for me it was silence. Close to silence. I hardly interrupted at all. For me.

“Christopher, would you kindly shut up?” Anna requested at last.

I happen to like money, so sue me— but not for all my money, please.

Although Christopher and X.J. had worked out their differences at the end of the last book, Christopher’s insecurities and the physical distance between the two seems to be allowing Christopher to let their relationship die.

I actually quite liked that this was the difficulty between the two–not a misunderstanding, but Christopher’s weakness and the fact that phone conversations don’t generally help couples work things out.

I also appreciate Christopher’s loyalty to the people he cares about. He’s a bit of a curmudgeon and rather anti-social, but he does like people–even if it’s only in small doses.

No one was in better position than I to know how easily shyness gets misread for arrogance or coldness or indifference.

It’s an interesting mystery, and I liked seeing Christopher and X.J. work things out.

I also particularly liked the ending, about which I can say nothing without giving things away.

Publisher: JustJoshin Publishing, Inc
Rating: 8/10

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