4.5 stars.

The murder mystery aspect of this book was easily 5 stars. The story involves a cold case with 20 and 30 year old deaths, and contemporaneous murders in Or. A very small sheriffs station in calls in help from the FBI and the investigation ensues.

The romance aspect of the book I give 4 stars. There wasn't really enough interaction between Adam and Rob to warrant the ending, or the feelings between them.

I would be very interested in reading a sequel, but this book is from 2015 and as far as I can tell is a standalone.

Who knew the remote Oregon town would turn out to be the serial killer capital of the Pacific Northwest? Adam Darling is an FBI agent sent to determine whether the remains discovered are linked to a prolific serial killer. It seems unlikely that the case is connected - but he does connect with one of the deputies while he is in town.

Rob Haskell is a local sheriff's deputy - who moved to the small town for a different kind of life. He's pretty much (as far as he knows) the only gay man in town. He feels a strong connection to Adam - but never expects to see him again. When Adam returns after a murder rocks their small town - he and Rob start working together to figure out just what is going on.

Both Rob and Adam have a lot of baggage to work through - even as things heat up all around them with murders and suspicious actions of all the people around them. I loved how Rob was all in with Adam - but Adam seemed to not know quite what to do with their relationship - but just kept going with it.

I definitely recommend this one to fans of romantic suspense. I think this book does a great job of keeping you on the edge of your seat - both with the relationship between Rob and Adam and the mystery.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly, it was quite a disappointment for me and less than I expected from a book written by Josh Lanyon. It’s a pity as the book has lots of potential, maybe simply because of the fact that Lanyon can write. Even the prologue itself immediately creates an atmosphere that the reader can feel. It was a pleasure to read the book when it comes to language and the imaginary of a cold, remote town somewhere in Oregon. The characters were likeable enough to get me interested in the plot and the mystery, which was the biggest part of the plot, started in an interesting way.

The novel was interesting and well done up to around the half of it. Then I really don’t know what had happened, it seemed that the deadline were chasing and the author had to finish the book urgently, killing the plot, the romance and to a huge extent – the sense of the novel. It’s not that I need explanation to everything, some part of the mystery can stay unresolved and I would be fine with it (and I mean the reasons, the “why.”) It has to all come together, however, with the rest of the plot. The crime story part was deeply unsatisfying. Probably I could forgive it, as I don’t read these stories for the mystery part in the first place. The whole investigation is, for me, something for the characters to do while we get to know them and while they are falling for each other. Here the two characters were never fully fleshed out, their relationship was nicely developing and then did a somersault and well… Some of their backstory also hinted to be much more than it appeared in the end. As if the author had a different idea in the beginning but then had to stop abruptly and came up with a rushed, dissatisfying ending.

I had my problems with Adrien English’s series but those books were masterpieces compared with Winter Kill. And Winter Kill could have been great, but sadly it was a disappointment in the end. Still really nicely written and not that frustrating, just making you only shrug in the end, not to mention the inconsistencies.

Josh Lanyon’s Winter Kill is a fun romantic suspense set in rural Oregon. FBI Special Agent Adam Darling and sheriff’s deputy Rob Haskell work together to solve a series of murders, and in the process, fall in love.
I enjoyed this book a great deal. Adam and Rob are different enough to be interesting together, and their friction points as a couple feel realistic. The shift from a one-night stand to romance feels, for the most part, believable, although as with many romance novels, it’s never quite clear why the characters find each other perfect/irresistible/the perfect complement. The investigation is interesting and more developed than in many romantic suspense novels. The ending felt rushed, but overall, it was still satisfying. As always with Lanyon’s books, the prose is beautiful, and the characters are deeply human.
Recommended for Lanyon fans in particular and romantic suspense readers in general!

Winter Kill by Josh Lanyon
The Art of Murder Series

GREAT story…and evidently the first in a series that is, hopefully, as good as this book was! Couldn’t put it down once I started reading!

What I liked:
* FBI Agent Adam Darling: professional, focused, intelligent, dealing with the fallout of an assignment that had a bad outcome, has goals, somewhat guarded, someone I wouldn’t mind having as a friend
* Deputy Sheriff Robert Haskell: left the big city for small town police work, dedicated to his community, savvy though protective, not always able to see evil where it might lurk, a good man.
* Watching the relationship develop between Adam and Rob
* Feeling that Adam and Rob were good together and had a future together as a couple
* Sheriff Francesca McLellan “Frankie”: top dog at the Nearby Sheriff’s department, knows her town and her staff, a good leader, intriguing woman
* Small town setting with quirky intriguing characters
* The plot, writing, and character development
* The police procedural aspects of the story
* The creep-factor of the evil crimes being perpetrated
* How the evil was unearthed and sussing out who was behind the murders
* That there was a HEA for the main couple
* That the cases were tied up and the story complete when the book ended.

What I didn’t like:
* Exactly who and what I was meant not to like
* The senseless murders and loss of innocent lives

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and JustJoshin Publishing Inc. for the ARC – This is my honest review.

Five Stars