Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion

Josh chose this novel for our December 2020 read: Two Gentlemen Sharing!

Feel free to discuss it whenever you'd like, just be prepared for spoilers in the thread.

This is a title Josh has had for a long time but hasn't read yet. She is hoping it will be a gentle story similar to The Larton Chronicles, which we could all probably use right about now.

The book is unfortunately not available in digital format in some places, but used copies are available on these three sites if you haven't purchased a copy yet:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Two-Gentlemen-...

ThriftBooks: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/two-gen...

AbeBooks: https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Sear...

Happy reading!

Four chapters in and it's...quaint. :-D But honestly, I'm just so relieved to be able to focus on fiction again, I'm more than happy with quaint.

Josh wrote: "Four chapters in and it's...quaint. :-D But honestly, I'm just so relieved to be able to focus on fiction again, I'm more than happy with quaint."

Quaint sounds fantastic! :-)

KC wrote: "Josh wrote: "Four chapters in and it's...quaint. :-D But honestly, I'm just so relieved to be able to focus on fiction again, I'm more than happy with quaint."

Quaint sounds fantastic! :-)"

The pace is relentlessly relaxing. :-D

Josh wrote: "The pace is relentlessly relaxing. :-D"

Lol. Sounds like it's getting better and better! ;-)

Ooohhhh, I can’t wait!

I'm super excited to get to start this, probably tomorrow! Woot!

I started this, but it's really slow going. My brain went, "nano is over, but here's another story idea you must plot out asap!" lol.

Mymymble wrote: "I'm on my way - one chapter in. Very quaint. The house sounds like mine, though Queen Anne rather than George III.
It's hard work though. I've hardly read any books since March. I managed Busybody ..."

I'm struggling a bit too, but like you, Mymymble, I'm still having trouble reading anything right now.

Interestingly, I was watching THE RIVALS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, and I saw the particular episode was written by William Corlett. I'm pretty sure it's our guy!

I briefly switched over to and it was EVEN SLOWER. LOL. So I think I'll persist a bit with our holiday selection. :-D

I’ve been reading one chapter a night... and they’re really short chapters. Lol.

I am really enjoying this. Thank you Josh for recommending this. I haven't had problems reading this year thankfully. I really enjoyed the Larton Chronicles and this has the same feel to it.

I am still in the first few chapters, but slowly making my way through it!

Does anyone have a favorite character yet? And if so, why?

Do you have a character you dislike? What about them don't you like?

Bliss is my favourite so far and also Maggie. I think Maggie is hysterical and I always find that I laugh at her antics. I really like Bliss as well. I don't particularly like Lawrence but that might change if he does something heroic. It is a very entertaining story.

I dont like Doris the house cleaner at all!

Lol, Doris Day!

Yeah, Laurence needs to warm up or chill out! Maybe he’s jealous of Bless?

I have nearly finished. I have enjoyed reading this. It is very funny and reminds me of The Vicar of Dibley which is also set in a small village. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006...

I had to go into work today and I was looking forward to reading this on my lunch break... except that I forgot to bring my book! Oops. So, I’m still moving at the pace of a sloth. Lol. Maybe I should spend Christmas reading instead of binge watching something. That could be fun.

I have finished. I am glad I read it and thanks to Josh for recommending it. I laughed and laughed in quite a few places.

Ije the Devourer of Books wrote: "I have finished. I am glad I read it and thanks to Josh for recommending it. I laughed and laughed in quite a few places."

Oh yay!
I am now actively planning to read it on Christmas, when I can hopefully get more reading done and I'm looking forward to it. I've got a special chocolate chip cookie dough mix for making cookies that day and a new beeswax candle I just bought, so I'm going to make things nice and cozy and read! :-D

I really don’t understand Laurence’s conversation on their way to church. He’s contradicting himself and being extraordinarily mean. He needs strict boundaries, that man does!

I’ve finally reached the halfway point and yes, this is much better when read more than one chapter at a time. There are a lot of characters and I was beginning to forget who was who for a bit. But I managed to get through a fair bit today and it was really enjoyable. Hopefully I can get more read over the weekend.

I wish this wasn’t out of print, and that my library had a copy so I could recommend it through the queer fiction blog, but alas, I cannot. Oh well.

You can buy the electronic version if your library loans ebooks.

Pretty sure I looked on Overdrive’s Marketplace, but maybe I didn’t. I’ll have to check again on Monday when I get into work.

I don't know if it is on overdrive. I saw the electronic version on Amazon.

I know it’s on Amazon for UK buyers, but not forUS buyers. Far as I know, that’s the only place the eBook is available.

Yeah, this one is not available in Overdrive. And we don't buy out of print titles, so no can do. Sigh... oh well. I can always recommend it on GR and via my Instagram account, which I'm trying to use more for book recommending!

Okay, I confess I'm only about a third of the way through. I love the gently humorous, almost whimsical feel to it--the problem is not the book--but I keep falling asleep. It does make for peaceful dreams, I will say.

It's such a perfect set up for a murder! Why oh WHY can there not be a murder? :-P

Oh yes! There should have been a murder! It would have been even more entertaining especially with all those characters.

OMG! I was thinking the very same thing the other day! It soooo needs a murder!

Then again, I'm also listening to Adrien English at the same time. I think one of these will not get done by New Years... but I'm not sure which. lol. But I would like to spend all of New Year's Day reading this. I think that would be another relaxing way to spend a holiday. So, that might be a thing I do!

And I know exactly who my first victim would have been. :-D

But there would be a high body count in this book, let's face it. :-D

Josh wrote: "And I know exactly who my first victim would have been. :-D"

Who? I have about 3 people I would kill off very quickly :)

Yes, please! Who would you want to murder here?

The first person to go would be the house cleaner and prehaps her sister. Both of them must have upset everyone in that village!

I’m in agreement! Doris Day has got to go. After all, she double dipped her own finger into someone else’s rice pudding! That alone would be cause for murder, never mind all the other terrible things she’s done.

The question is... who do you think would do her in first? I assume there’d be a line, but who would be first in that line?

The Colnel's wife!

Ije the Devourer of Books wrote: "The Colnel's wife!"

Ha! That's exactly who I was thinking about too when I asked that. But at the same time, I'm not sure she's got it in her to do it.

Then again, I still have over ten chapters to go, so anything could happen with her! lol. I thought for sure I'd have the book done by the end of the weekend at the most. Oh well. I'm still enjoying it though.

And I'm horrified for some of those characters that Carlotta's brother has just returned thanks to Maggie and Laurence. *facepalm* lol.

Finally finished it at midnight last night! And wow, that was a twist ending I didn't see coming! but I liked it.

I was trying to think about other characters I'd want to see murdered, but by the end, only Doris (and maybe her sister, but mostly just Doris) deserved the ax. and yes, apparently Rosemary does have it in her to commit murder.

I would really like to explore her relationship with Phyllis more. That could have potential for it's own book, I'm thinking.

It was a good twist. I think Rosemary would be a good murderer but I would like her to get away with it and disappear into the sunset with Phyllis. Another good murderer would be the ballerina. I have forgotten her name. No one would suspect her of murder because she was so fragile.

Ije the Devourer of Books wrote: "It was a good twist. I think Rosemary would be a good murderer but I would like her to get away with it and disappear into the sunset with Phyllis. Another good murderer would be the ballerina. I h..."

Yes, I would love for Rosemary to escape with Phyllis too! I really feel that relationship is beautiful. I wish we'd seen more of it. She showed more oomph at the end than I had suspected, but I'm really glad that came through. I just want to know more about her husband and what he was going through.

I think Lavinia was the ballerinia. She had less contact with Doris though. I'm not sure if she could have done it. But you're right, no one would suspect her!

Ije the Devourer of Books wrote: "The first person to go would be the house cleaner and prehaps her sister. Both of them must have upset everyone in that village!"

Yes to Doris.

The other two I would throw a ton of suspicion on first. The Major or whatever his name was.

And then, finally, Lawrence.

And then, sadly, Maggie would have to be my killer.

:-D :-D :-D

Josh wrote: "Ije the Devourer of Books wrote: "The first person to go would be the house cleaner and prehaps her sister. Both of them must have upset everyone in that village!"

Yes to Doris.

The other two I w..."

Okay, wait... Maggie is your killer? What is her motive? I must know!

The Brigadier I wanted to do away with in the beginning, but when I had reached the end I completely turned that notion around and I felt really bad for him and I don't actually want harm to come for him. I want him to be happy!

Jordan wrote: "Josh wrote: "Ije the Devourer of Books wrote: "The first person to go would be the house cleaner and prehaps her sister. Both of them must have upset everyone in that village!"

Yes to Doris.

The ..."

:-D :-D :-D

I'm handicapped by not finishing the book. I'd have to tweak everyone's motives and backgrounds!

I do usually start with deciding who my killer is and then working backwards. :-D

Josh wrote: "Jordan wrote: "Josh wrote: "Ije the Devourer of Books wrote: "The first person to go would be the house cleaner and prehaps her sister. Both of them must have upset everyone in that village!"

Yes ..."

I mean, yes, I think if you were writing the book from scratch, yes, you could work your way backwards. That makes a lot of sense, actually. lol.

You need to finish the book!!!!! :-D

Maggie would make a great murderer because she is such a dizzy person. No body would think she was capable of planning and carrying out a murder.

Ije the Devourer of Books wrote: "Maggie would make a great murderer because she is such a dizzy person. No body would think she was capable of planning and carrying out a murder."

Point. :-P

Ije the Devourer of Books wrote: "Maggie would make a great murderer because she is such a dizzy person. No body would think she was capable of planning and carrying out a murder."

Exactly. And we know she is emotional and passionate.