Title: Words
Author: John Inman
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Length: 210 Pages
Category: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
At a Glance: John Inman doesn’t disappoint with Words. It’s an excellent read!
Reviewed By: Maryann
Blurb: The world of writers, readers, and reviewers is a close-knit family of friends, fans, and fiction fanatics. That’s the world Milo Cook and Logan Hunter reside in—thriving on the give and take of creativity, the sharing of stories and ideas, and forever glorying in their boundless love of books and the words that make them breathe.
But sometimes words can cut too deep. And when they do, there is inevitably a price to pay.
What begins for Milo and Logan as a time of new love and gentle romantic discoveries, becomes before it’s over a race for their lives and for the lives of everyone they know.
Who would ever suspect that an entity as beautiful as the written word could become a catalyst for revenge? And ultimately—murder?
Review: Twenty-eight year old Milo Cook is a fairly successful author. His books have done well—except for the latest. At a signing in Coronado, California, at the Andiron Bookstore, he’s ready to throw in the towel. No one shows up…but then his attention is captured by the tall stranger who comes in and heads right for his table.
Logan Hunter (aka BookHunter) is a reviewer who gave Milo’s latest book a good review for the Huffington Post. Logan certainly surprises Milo when he buys not one but two copies, and Milo is more than grateful. After some chatting, Logan invites Milo to grab a bite to eat, and in the course of their meal, they do some serious sharing about themselves. Before they go their separate ways, Logan asks if he can call Milo, but unfortunately, Milo forgets to give Logan his number. Milo heads home to San Diego, and Logan is heading back to New York with hopes of moving to California and trying to leave his heartbreaking memories behind. As Facebook becomes a distraction for Milo, he’s surprised when he gets a friend request from BookHunter. Logan reports good news, and he and Milo reconnect in California. As their relationship grows, Milo has to deal with his ex, and Logan is conflicted by decisions over both his deceased husband and Milo.
Back in the world of authors and reviewers, Milo is invited to the South Park Reading Club. With the recent murder of a reviewer, the session becomes somewhat morbid, focusing on the murder, which affects Milo. Milo is invited again to the reading club, and since more murders have occurred, Logan goes along and picks up on some startling information. As Milo and Logan start to look deeper into what’s been uncovered, little do they know it will put them in the path of a serial killer.
John Inman couldn’t have given a more realistic feel to this novel. I could picture Milo waiting for someone to show up to purchase a copy of his book and could feel the disappointment of no one showing up. As far as great characters go, I was taken in by Milo Cook. He’s a wonderful and humorous character. Logan is pretty sharp and a little more on the serious side, but Milo brings out the best in him. The chemistry between them was just right; throw in Spanky and Emerson, and it’s a sweet romance.
The murder mystery was suspenseful and plotted excellently. As I got deeper into the story, I only halfway figured who the murderer might be, but the author threw in a twist to give it that touch of surprise. I appreciated how John Inman explained the difference between eBooks and the appeal of having an actual hard copy of a book. He gives a really good look into authors, reviewers, readers, bloggers and trolls as well as the competition and criticism between authors and the harsh reality of reviews and the pros and cons of reading them. There’s a lot of food for thought in this novel, and I think it should be required reading for authors, readers, reviewers and bloggers.
John Inman doesn’t disappoint with Words. It’s an excellent read!
You can buy Words here:
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