The mystery wasn't gripping for me, but I was very caught up in the story overall. The MMC had a mindbogglingly daft moment or two, but on the whole I can still root for him. ( )

4.5 stars.

Here is where the series really picks up steam. This mystery is tricky, the relationship is just... problematic... I read it in two days because I needed to know what was going to happen. Which, y'know, is the point of a series.

Content Warning:

There are references to "crazy" and "mentally unbalanced" and the like, which years later you don't see nearly as much (and shouldn't).

This plot is research into and fears of Satanism, including off-screen past and present ritual killings. It's fairly factual, which is good, but there's one graphic scene our protagonist tries really hard not to look at, but fails.

There's also anger about the love interest not accepting his 'true nature' when it seems to me he is but makes a choice Adrien dislikes. The word not said is "bisexual." That was annoying, in this century. ( )

Because it has been almost a year since I read the previous one, it took me a little bit to fully get back into the swing of this series. Once I was there though, I didn't want to put the book down until I had finished.

Again, like in the previous books, I fell in love with Adrien. He's such a fantastic character, slightly geeky, but sexy, witty and great depth. Jake on the other hand...I never minded him (hell, who is his right mind could? Sexy, hot cop with loads of issues...) But I've changed my mind about him. I've decided that he doesn't deserve Adrien1 LOL.

The mystery that the story is based on is fun. Nothing truly shocking, or not at least a little predictable. But it's more than solid enough to keep you engrossed in this tale. And also, itching to start the next one! So now I'm trying to find time... ( )

We meet the amazingly annoying Guy Snowden and Lisa's new love Bill Daughten (sp?) and his three daughters. Also, a demon, wiccans, and a couple of Satanists, who quite willing to create havoc and outright murder for gain.

This is also the one where Jake's desire to be "normal" causes him to act like a complete and utter $#!^ to Adrien. ( )

This is my fourth or fifth reread of [b:The Hell You Say|669790|The Hell You Say (The Adrien English Mysteries, #3)|Josh Lanyon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327948537l/669790._SY75_.jpg|19427721] since I discovered Josh Lanyon in the fall of 2015 (and finished reading her entire backlist by Thanksgiving!). I must say it’s one of my favorite books in the AE series, next to [b:Fatal Shadows|1274861|Fatal Shadows (The Adrien English Mysteries, #1)|Josh Lanyon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1363734106l/1274861._SY75_.jpg|2815045]. And [b:Death of a Pirate King|4768530|Death of a Pirate King (The Adrien English Mysteries, #4)|Josh Lanyon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327948349l/4768530._SY75_.jpg|19427683]. And [b:So This is Christmas|31421768|So This is Christmas|Josh Lanyon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1476004243l/31421768._SY75_.jpg|52113307] LOL. I prefer mystery over romance, and this is a great one; Adrien put the pieces together before I did (which is unusual for me). My heart breaks for Adrien as he tries to rescue his employee, Angus, while Jake digs himself even deeper into the closet. This book shows the crumbling of Adrien and Jake’s somewhat tenuous relationship; expect to come out of it hating Jake, and needing to read the next one in the series immediately! . ( )