Review: Very "Fair Game"
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 28, 2012
In Josh Lanyon's riveting, gay-themed mystery, "Fair Game" former FBI agent and now current history professor, Elliot Mills, finds himself wrapped up in solving the case of a missing boy, who is a student at a private Washington university where Elliot teaches. Because of his history as a Special Agent, Pauline Baker, the mother of the disappeared student, Terry Baker asks for Elliot's help in gathering clues as to the whereabouts of her missing son. Elliot reluctantly agrees to do so, only because Pauline is a family friend. Coincidentally, Elliot's former boyfriend, Tucker Lance is also assigned to Terry Baker's case, which stirs up resentful memories for Elliot, who despite his anger toward the hard-edged Tucker, is still attracted to him. As Elliot becomes more involved in the case, as well as the similar disappearance of another male student, Elliot himself becomes the target of a killer's vile cat and mouse game.Lanyon is superb at creating compelling, believable, and fully realized characters. Readers automatically connect with Elliot, a former FBI agent, who bitterly had to resign his position, after a brutal altercation with an assailant years ago left him with a severely damaged knee and the incapability to work in the field. Lanyon does a good job at illustrating Eliot's plight over the mundane routine of being a college professor and wishing he was still an agent. It does not help that his former lover Tucker is involved with the case, which means that Elliot is forced to interact with him, even though he does not want to. Lanyon also does a good job with the verbal matches between Elliot and Tucker. Both are strong, stubborn men, almost incapable of lowering their emotional guards and yet are irresistibly drawn to each other. It's very interesting to see the dynamic of their interactions change though the course of the novel, as the danger becomes more real.What makes "Fair Game" really work is that it really is a mystery. I've noticed in a lot of gay-themed mysteries, the stories are really just thinly-veiled romances with a very easily solvable mystery thrown in. "Fair Game" is actually a really involving, detailed, and intelligent mystery that will you really keep you guessing. Another thing that really shines about this book is the suspense works two ways: the reader is urgent to find out the identity of the villain (who was pretty surprising) and also the suspense of Elliot and Tucker's reconciliation. If you're looking for a good mystery, "Fair Game" is a great pick.Michael S. BookerAuthor of "Anomaly"