Mystery at the Masquerade: An M/M Cozy Mystery

A lovely little addition to this quaint, ‘feels British’ series of whodunnits. Pure class!

This instalment in the Secrets and Scrabble series could be read as a standalone, but you’ll enjoy it more if you’ve read books 1 and 2, as the recurring characters are lovely to catch up with, even the peripheral ones. My favourite has to be Watson, who’s turned into a lovely not-so-little scamp, which JL’s Author’s Note mentions is based on her own Watson 😊

We get to see the ‘are they? aren’t they?’ something between Jack and Ellery develop, and in this tale, after the ‘no they’re not’ feel of book 2, I was pleased that things might be warming up. It was good to see Jack open up – these protags are adult males who actually talk to each other, rather than letting things fester. Yay for that breath of fresh air. But, the reveal was a sad one that was hard to read, hard for Jack to share and hard for Ellery to take in, though it explained Jack’s standoffish stance a little. I think it cleared the air between them and cleared a path to their eventual HEA.

Satisfyingly, at the heart of the book was another well-constructed murder-mystery, with Ellery and his friends coming together to try and solve it. It’s the kind of book that you want to read in one go because of how well written it is, and how classy it is; it has a very quaint British feel of Miss Marple to it. And despite the lack of that staple of MM tales, i.e. on-page sex, this is a sexy tale because it oozes class and because of the author’s gift with words and intelligent wit. Roll on book 4.

ARC from the author and NetGalley for my reading pleasure, but such a good tale that I bought my own copy!

Mystery at the Masquerade is the third book in the Secrets and Scrabble cozy mystery series by Josh Lanyon. Due out 28th Feb 2021, it's 219 pages and available in ebook format.

As a light and engaging series, this one is so appealing. Protagonist Ellery is drawn into murder and skullduggery again. That obviously puts the skids on his budding friendship/romance with the local island police chief, Jack who is on and off again. (Sort yourselves out, boys! Don't make me come over there).

Although this is the third book in the series, and I have admittedly read and reviewed the other two, I think it would work perfectly well as a standalone. The author is a technically adept writer and provides necessary backstory without info-dumping. The narrative is lighthearted, including an ensemble cast of oddball small-town characters. This is one I recommend without reservation to my cozy/romance/mystery loving friends.

There are some fairly silly and over the top developments and plot twists, but it's a village bookstore cozy, so it's really part of the whimsy. The "over the top" characters and dialogue were always on the right side of whimsical and charming and didn't shade over into annoying or yank me out of my suspension of disbelief, so it was a very fun read.  There's also the required slow-burn on/off romance subplot with the handsome lawman, again par for the course (although I -did- find myself wanting to bang their heads together because of stubborn wilful pride and intentional misunderstanding!).  The language is clean, the murder(s) are off screen and free from violence, there's no direct graphic sexual content; it's a well written and charming bookstore cozy. The author/publisher has taken pains to make it clear that the romance is between two men, so I won't mention that, but there's absolutely no content which would scandalize anyone's maiden auntie. This is pure escapist comfort reading, simple and fun. There's also no covid-19 in Pirate's Cove, Rhode Island, for which I'm grateful. Sometimes it's wonderful to just escape and live vicariously in the pages of my books.

Charming, diverting, and well written. I intend to seek out future volumes in the series. Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

This book was amazing. That is my review in a nutshell.

I am a big fan of this author, she always entertains me with her crime cases, but above all with her beloved characters. I love the dynamics of Ellery and Jack. There is drama but at the same time there are touching and funny moments.

Also, I love the dynamics with the secondary characters and this picturesque town that seems to have the worst luck in the world hahaha

It's so easy to imagine everything, to watch the characters move around Pirate’s Cove, especially to imagine Ellery getting into every possible trouble. That's why I love Josh Lanyon's storytelling so much.

This book was amazing. That is my review in a nutshell.

I am a big fan of this author, he always entertains me with his crime cases, but above all with his beloved characters. I love the dynamics of Ellery and Jack. There is drama but at the same time there are touching and funny moments.

Also, I love the dynamics with the secondary characters and this picturesque town that seems to have the worst luck in the world hahaha

It's so easy to imagine everything, to watch the characters move around Pirate’s Cove, especially to imagine Ellery getting into every possible trouble. That's why I love Josh Lanyon's storytelling so much.

This book has humor and enough action to keep you glued to the pages until the end.

I love a good whodunit and cozies are my preferred way to get my fix. I came across this book and the mask and title caught my attention, so I decided to try a new, to me, author. I'm so glad I did! A great setting, Halloween, a ghost hunt in an old cemetary, and a masquerade ball were the perfect background for this story with a load of suspects and red herrings.

The scrabble adult night games are a great theme for the title and I can't wait to see what the first two books are like and what the future holds for Ellery and Jack! If you are a cozy lover too, please give this series a try. It's a fresh change from the status quo and you'll find yourself enjoying a new author too!

This is my first time approaching a book in the 'Secrets and Scrabble' series and initially there were some plot references from previous volumes and mentions to several characters that I didn't understand. However, aside from the initial confusion, 'Mystery at the Masquerade' has a full story built around it, with a very interesting mystery, which immediately grabs the reader's full attention. It can therefore be read as a standalone, without worrying too much about not knowing the story of the previous chapters - although I admit that Ellery's world fascinates me a lot, so I would like to give the complete series a chance.

Also, I had never read anything by Josh Lanyon, but I found her writing style very pleasant, smooth and well structured. The world she created is extremely fascinating, and all the pirate references are delightful. The author is really good at inserting many curious and funny details in the context, giving the reading a very pleasant momentum of humor.

"There were enough gowns and elaborate wings amd frock coats and breeches for three more 'Pirate of the Caribbean' sequels."

The whole atmosphere of the book is overall so warm and cozy, the descriptions suggestive and exquisitely detailed; is like being wrapped in a dreamy blanket during the whole reading. I really, really love this kind of storytelling.

"Just because Jack was in a chatty mood, just because his voice was slightly drowsy and warm and sort of... affectionate, just because Jack was kind-of-sort of sounding like a boyfriend, was no reason to jump overboard. Jack had been as clear as a guy could be that he did not want a relationship."

To conclude with the characters, I got pretty invested in them, expecially Ellery and Jack (and the lovely and cute Watson, of course). Ellery has the makings of the perfect aspiring-detective protagonist, with a good investigative spirit and the right amount of courage to fully embark on the investigation.

"He smiled at Jack, and Jack smiled back with the funniest, sweetest expression. A look Ellery had never seen on Jack's face."

OMG these two. They drove me crazy throughout the entire reading. The tension between them is so palpable.

"The subdued kitchen lighting gave everything a soft, golden sheen. Ellery studied Jack's face in that gentle light. It was a handsome face, yes, but also a good face, a kind face. A face he would like to keep in his life."

And the ending... so sweet and tender. Can't wait to see more of this lovely series and its precious characters. Josh Lanyon has my stamp of approval all over her work!

Final rating: 4,5 out of 5.

4.5 stars

This is the third book in the Secrets and Scrabble series by Josh Lanyon.

This was a great book. I loved the male protagonist since you don’t normally see that in cozy mysteries. He was a bit of a reluctant sleuth even though Jack accused him of delving into situations and getting himself in danger without thinking.

There have been a bunch of burglaries in the area and Ellery runs across the gang going home one night and gets chased into an ice house.

Then during a masquerade ball the body of an unlikeable gent is found in the cemetery during their ghost hunt. Talk about spooky.

This is a pretty short mystery, a little over 200 pages, but it really packs a punch. This is definitely a series I want to continue to follow.

If you aren’t aware, this has a M/M romance on and off all the way through the book. There is nothing inappropriate and it is basically just kissing.

If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

"Mystery at the Masquerade" is wonderful. I've loved each and every single one of the books in this gripping cozy mystery series, but I think this one was my favourite.
This time around Ellery, our favourite failed screenwriter and actor turned bookseller with a knack for solving murder mysteries (and for getting conked on the head), has to deal with a Masquerade, hidden tunnels and crypts, a tangle with Pirate's Cove oldest and most prestigious family, and Jack Carson, who can't make up his mind about whenever he and Ellery should remain just friends.
I loved every single bit of it. Ellery shines, as always: one of the things I love most about amateur sleuths stories (and Josh Lanyon's in particular) is the MC's tendecy to casually happen upon murder scenes and corpses without even trying and the results always leave me doubled over in laughter. Ellery is no different but he actually does try to be careful at times, so that was refreshing to see: one of the things I adore about him is his reluctancy to actually act like an amateur sleuth, even though fate (and half the village) are convinced he is. I also loved Jack quite a lot too. I won't spoil, but you'll see some new sides of him and get some insight into his heartbreaking past. He and Ellery have tons of chemistry, a delicious slowburn romance, and a lovely friendship: I cannot wait to see what will happen next. The other characters were equally lovable and wacky as usual, but Nora deserves a special mention: I love her, so damn much.
The murder mystery at the core of this book was gripping and twisty and very interesting and the atmosphere was even more pirate-y than the previous books. I loved it.
I'm so looking forward to reading the next installment.