Title: Winter
Series: The Haunted Heart
Author: Josh Lanyon
Spiciness: Slightly Spicy
Release Year: 2013
Pages: 156
Trigger Warnings: Mentions of suicide, PTSD, depression, grief
What is it?
Sadly, this is the first book in a series unlikely to ever be finished. The worldbuilding definitely left me wanting more, especially the mystery of who Flynn really is.
Who’s it about?
Flynn is a haunted (both literally and figuratively) young man who’s taken over cataloging his deceased uncle’s antiques collection. Formerly called the Museum of the Arcane, the old house that Flynn inherited is full of strange items, though the most strange (so far) is the haunted mirror that Flynn unearths.
Kirk is an ex-army ranger who’d been renting a room from Flynn’s uncle. He allows himself to be drawn into the mystery of the mirror and, with Flynn, investigates the tragic story of the Louisianan ghost that haunts the mirror.
Why do I like it?
I’m a fan of Josh Lanyon in general and this is one of my favorites of hers. The mystery is interesting and complex. The worldbuilding leaves me wanting more. There’s a haunting tone to the book that carries the literal haunting in the story. I wish the rest of the series would eventually get written, but Josh has no plans to continue it.
Quotes:
“See, that’s what I like about you, Kirk. You don’t pull your punches.“
He asked seriously, “Do you want me to pull my punches?”
I didn’t have to think about it. “No, I don’t.”
He gave me a grim smile. “And that’s what I like about you, Flynn.”
— banter between Kirk and Flynn from Winter
