Tag Archives: murder mystery

“Candidate for Murder” and “Crimes Past” by Lauren Carr (2 Book Spotlight)


OMG! Carr is over the top and giving us an easy “10”  with her latest, Candidate for Murder!…Don’t just sit there thinking that this might be the book to try for Lauren Carr! I’m telling you right now it’s a must-read for daring, adventure, crime-busting, high-level government criminal elimination.” – reviewer by Glenda Bixler, Book Readers Heaven

“OMG!!! The best Mac Faraday…yet. Lauren Carr is a master storyteller who combines the humor of Janet Evanovich and the investigative skills of Patricia Cornwell. She is always at the top of my reading list.” – review by Sherry Fundin, Fundinmental, As Eye See It


 
Book Description:

It’s election time in Spencer, Maryland, and the race for mayor is not a pretty one. In recent years, the small resort town has become divided between the local year-round residents who have enjoyed their rural way of life and the city dwellers moving into their mansions, taking over the town council, and proceeding to turn Deep Creek Lake into a closed gate community—complete with a host of regulations for everything from speed limits to clothes lines.

When the political parties force-feed two unsavory mayoral nominees on the town residents, Police Chief David O’Callaghan decides to make a statement—by nominating Gnarly, Mac Faraday’s German shepherd, to run as mayor of Spencer!

What starts out as a joke turns into a disaster when overnight Gnarly becomes the front runner—at which point his political enemies take a page straight out of Politics 101. What do you do when you’re behind in a race? Dig up dirt on the front runner, of course.

Seemingly, someone is not content to rest with simply embarrassing the front runner by publicizing his dishonorable discharge from the United States Army, but to throw in a murder for good measure.

With murder on the ballot, Mac Faraday and the gang—including old friends from past cases—dive in to clear Gnarly’s name, catch a killer, and save Spencer!
 
 
Buy the Book:   
  Audible ~ Amazon
B&N ~ BookBub
Add to Goodreads
 

 
 


“With her usual panache, Lauren Carr blends the grittiness of murder(s) with a good deal of humor, the latter revolving largely around Gnarly and David’s Belgian shepherd, Storm, who would much rather be couch potato-ing than anything involving exertion.” – review by Lelia Taylor, Buried Under Books

Lauren Carr is one of the best authors I know who is able to combine humor and drama in one captivating and easy-listen story. Yes, you can listen to this one, narrated by Mike Alger. Mr. Alger has read several of Mac’s series, so he has the voices down, along with the variations and the tone.” – review by Merry Citarella, Mystery Suspense Reviews


 
 
Book Description:

It’s a bittersweet reunion for Mac Faraday when members of his former homicide squad arrive at the Spencer Inn. While it is sweet to attend the wedding of a late colleague’s daughter, it is a bitter reminder that the mother of the bride had been the victim of a double homicide.

The brutal slaying weighing heavy on his mind, Mac is anxious to explore every avenue for a break in the cold case—even a suggestion from disgraced former detective Louis Gannon that one of their former friends is the killer.

When the investigator is brutally slain, Mac Faraday rips open the cold case with a ruthless determination to reveal which of his friends is a cold-blooded murderer.

 
Buy the Book:   
  Audible ~ Amazon
B&N ~ BookBub
Add to Goodreads
 
 
 
 
Meet the Author:

Author Lauren Carr

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Thorny Rose, Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries, and Nikki Bryant Cozy Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across five fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor. 

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, and virtual book tour coordinator for independent authors.  

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. 

She lives with her husband, and two spoiled rotten German shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV. 

 

connect with the author: 
website  ~  facebook  ~  instagram ~ pinterest ~ bookbub ~ goodreads

 
 
 

 

 

 

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Cancelled Vows by Lauren Carr (Book Spotlight)


“The story moves at a rapid pace and has a bit of everything – romance, humor, and suspense with several other murders after the body is discovered. A few surprises along with the tension both at home and in New York. Carr does an excellent job of developing her characters and providing backstory while maintaining a quick pace. Well worth the sleep I gave up to get to the end.” – review by Christa Nardi, Christa Reads and Writes.

 

“‘Cancelled Vows is loaded with twists and turns and red herrings that will leave you guessing all the while you are flipping pages to find out what happens next. Take the phone off the hook and make yourself a big bowl of popcorn because once you get started you will not want to put this book down until you actually finish. This is a great murder mystery that is going to keep you guessing. I look forward to the next adventure.” – review by Vic’s Media Room.


 
 
Book Summary:
 
Police Chief David O’Callaghan and Chelsea Adams’ wedding day is fast approaching. Unfortunately, at the last minute, David discovers that there is one small problem to be taken care of before he can walk down the aisle—divorce his first wife!

Lauren Carr takes fans of the Mac Faraday mysteries to the Big Apple in this nail biting adventure. In Cancelled Vows, David, Mac, and Gnarly, too, rush to New York City to dissolve David’s marriage to an old girlfriend—and he’s got five days to get it done. When murder throws up a road block, it is up to David’s best man, Mac Faraday, and Gnarly, K9-in-waiting, to sort through the clues to get David to the church in time!

 
Buy the Book:   
  Audible ~ Amazon
B&N ~ BookBub
Add to Goodreads
 
 
 
 
Meet the Author:
Author Lauren Carr

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Thorny Rose, Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries, and Nikki Bryant Cozy Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across five fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!
 
Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor. 

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, and virtual book tour coordinator for independent authors.  

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. 

She lives with her husband, and two spoiled rotten German shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV. 

 
connect with the author: 
 
 
 

 

 

 

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

Three Days to Forever by Lauren Carr (Book Spotlight)


“Three Days to Forever is a fast-paced thriller that solidifies Carr’s standing as a major force in American fiction.” – review by David Kinchen, HuntingtonNews.net

“I am, bottom line, amazed at the giant step that places Carr comparable to significant authors whose name slips off our tongues like, for instance, Nora Roberts. Watch this author–she’s moving quickly to where her goals are headed… Three Days to Forever has to be, in my opinion, the best of her best! Get it!” – review by Glenda Bixler, Book Readers Heaven


 
 
Book Summary:
 
In this latest Mac Faraday Mystery from best-selling mystery author Lauren Carr, readers will embark on a rollercoaster adventure with old friends (including the Lovers in Crime team of Prosecutor Joshua Thornton and Homicide Detective Cameron Gates), but also meet new ones as Mac Faraday’s daughter Jessica Faraday and Joshua Thornton’s son Murphy Thornton join the team in the race to get the love birds to the altar!

With three days left to the year, Deep Creek Lake is hopping with holiday vacationers and wedding guests pouring into the Spencer Inn for Mac Faraday and Archie Monday’s huge wedding ceremony which is being touted as the social event of the year.

But droopy flowers and guests who failed to RSVP are the least of Mac’s and Archie’s problems when a professional hit squad hits Spencer Manor to send the groom, Joshua Thornton, Archie’s mother, and Gnarly running for their lives.

With time running out to the big day, Mac Faraday and Spencer’s small police force have to sort through the clues to figure out not only who has been targeted for assassination, but also who is determined to stop everything … FOREVER!

 
 
Buy the Book:   
  Audible ~ Amazon
B&N ~ BookBub
Add to Goodreads
 
 
 
 
Meet the Author:
Author Lauren Carr
 

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Thorny Rose, Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries, and Nikki Bryant Cozy Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across five fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor. 

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, and virtual book tour coordinator for independent authors.  

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. 

She lives with her husband, and two spoiled rotten German shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV. 

 
connect with the author: 
 
 
 

 

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

“A Wedding and a Killing” and “Open Season for Murder” by Lauren Carr (2 Book Spotlight)

“Five Stars. A Wedding and a Killing has lots of action, suspense, murders, mysteries and humor.” – Review by Rhonda Laney, readalot

“There is actually a mystery within a mystery in Carr’s new book. It’s a tangled, twisting adventure that adds more dead bodies along the way. Carr’s characters are lively, her plots complex, there is always just enough humor to set a lighter tone.” – Review by Allene Reynolds, Mystery and Me


 
 
Book Description:

When Mac Faraday decides to do something, there’s no stopping him … even murder!

Not wanting to wait until their big day to start their life of wedded bliss, Mac Faraday and his lady love, Archie Monday, decide to elope to the little church where his ancestors had all married—along the tranquil shore of Deep Creek Lake. However, before they can say, “I do,” the sanctuary erupts into chaos when Gnarly finds a dead body in the church office.

As they dive into the investigation, Mac and his team discover more questions than answers. What kind of person walks into a church and shoots a man for no apparent reason? How do you solve the murder of a man who has no enemies in the world? Which of the seemingly kind-hearted church members is really a cold-blooded killer?

Then, there is the all-important question, how long do Mac Faraday and his lady love have to wait to get married?

PLUS: SPECIAL BONUS FEATURE: THE GNARLY REHABILITATION PROGRAM (A Gnarly Mystery Short): Bert and Ernie learn the hard way that crime does not pay when they dog nap Gnarly.

Buy the Book:   
  Audible ~ Amazon
B&N ~ BookBub
Add to Goodreads
 
 

 
 
 

 
“There’s lots of drama, crimes, murder, and laughter that surrounds the Diablo Ball. As usual, Gnarly is in the middle of everything. Hated to have to keep putting this down. I loved reading Open Season for Murder.” – review by Rhonda Laney, readalot

“Mac Faraday does it again! I loved every minute!” – 5-star review by Texanne

 

Book Description:
“It’s Ashton. Robin, it’s me, Ashton.”

Spring is in the air. In Deep Creek Lake, the burst of blossoms on the trees has the effect of a starting pistol in the race to get the resort area ready in time for the seasonal residents return to Spencer, Maryland.

This year, the Spencer Inn, Mac Faraday’s five-star resort, has the added duty of preparing for the Diablo Ball, an annual benefit event that used to kick off Deep Creek Lake’s summer season. The exclusive gala has drawn in A-listers from across the country—including suspects and witnesses connected to Ashton Piedmont, a young woman who had disappeared while skinny dipping in Deep Creek Lake five years earlier—days after the last Diablo Ball.

Intrigued by a mysterious phone call from a young woman claiming to be Ashton, retired homicide detective Mac Faraday can’t resist diving head first into the cold case. But he’s not the only one. Someone behind the scenes has gone to a lot of trouble to bring Ashton Piedmont’s friends and enemies to the Diablo Ball—which promises to be a gala event to die for!

 
Buy the Book:  
  Audible ~Amazon
B&N ~ BookBub
Add to Goodreads
 
 
 
 
 
Meet the Author:
Author Lauren Carr
Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Thorny Rose, Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries, and Nikki Bryant Cozy Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across five fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!
 
Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.  

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, and virtual book tour coordinator for independent authors.  
Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. 
She lives with her husband, and two spoiled rotten German shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV. 

 
connect with the author: 
 
 
 

 

 

 

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

“The Murders at Astaire Castle,” “The Lady Who Cried Murder,” and “Twelve to Murder” by Lauren Carr (3 Book Spotlight)

“So much fun to read!  The castle seemed foreboding. The rumors of the ghost dog, werewolves, and more made more plausible in light of the murders. Is it enough to make even detectives reconsider?  Is it all about the missing book or is the real motive money?” – review by Mystery Suspense Reviews

The Murders at Astaire Castle is a page-turner that resounds with Halloween season chills and thrills, along with plot twists as jagged as the shoreline of Deep Creek Lake.”  review by David Kinchen, Huntington News

 


 
 
Book Description:

Never tell Mac Faraday not to do something.

Spencer’s police chief, David O’Callaghan, learns this lesson the hard way when he orders Mac Faraday to stay away from the south end of Spencer’s mountaintop—even though he owns the property. It doesn’t take long for Mac to find out what lies on the other side of the stone wall and locked gate, on which hangs a sign warning visitors to Keep Out!

Topping the list of the ten most haunted places in America, Astaire Castle is associated with two suicides, three mysterious disappearances, and four murders since it was built almost a century ago—and Mac Faraday owns it!

In spite of David’s warning, Mac can’t resist unlocking the gate to see the castle that supposedly hasn’t seen a living soul since his late mother had ordered it closed up after the double homicide and disappearance of Damian Wagner, a world-famous master of horror novels.

What starts out as a quick tour of a dusty old castle turns into another Mac Faraday adventure when Astaire Castle becomes the scene of even more murders. Mac is going to need to put all of his investigative talents to work to sort out this case that involves the strangest characters he has run into yet—including a wolf man. No, we’re not talking about Gnarly.

Buy the Book:   
  Audible Amazon
B&N ~ BookBub
Add to Goodreads
 

 

 

 

I recommend this book to all mystery lovers! The Lady Who Cried Murder was another heart-stopping thriller! While the mystery and the road to it’s solution was amazing, I truly enjoyed the cast and characters (they feel like family)! Another great hit and I look forward to reading the next installment of Mac Faraday and his gang and what kind of drama they end up in!” – review by Debbie Hill, Miss Book Lovers


 
Book Description:

Fame comes at a price. Some pay with their privacy. Others pay with their pride. Khloe Everest paid with her life.

Determined to get her pretty face in front of the cameras, Khloe Everest fakes an abduction only to make a grand entrance in the midst of a press conference held by Spencer’s Police Chief David O’Callaghan.

Three years later, after failing to catapult her notoriety into a long-lasting celebrity, Khloe Everest returns to Spencer upon her mother’s sudden death and seemingly finds another weapon to propel herself into the spotlight. Unfortunately, someone kills her before she can make this entrance.

In Lauren Carr’s sixth Mac Faraday Mystery, Mac and his friends come up against reality stars, politicians, has-beens, and wannabes. Mac also finds himself face-to-face with an old foe from his past who had managed to escape arrest during their last encounter. Now, Mac sees that his adversary has only become more powerful, and dangerous, with the passage of time.

Intent to not let this killer escape again, Mac and his friends need to put all of their talents together to put a stop to a cold blooded lady killer.

 
 
Buy the Book:   
  Audible ~ Amazon
B&N ~ BookBub
Add to Goodreads
 
 
 
 

 
 


Twelve To Murder is a clever blend of comedy, mystery, and sappy love story. Lauren Carr does a good job of moving the quirky storyline along nicely with an abundance of witty dialogue.  And you have no idea who the good guys are and who the bad guys are until the end.” – Review by Every Free Chance Book Reviews.

“This suspenseful book was filled with twists, turns, and lots of action! The Mac Faraday series is an amazing read for a mystery lover, but Twelve to Murder can stand alone if you have not read any other books in its series. Lauren definitely knows how to bring you into the story and leaves you wanting more!” – Review by Debbie Hill, Miss Book Lovers


 
 
Book Description:

Two people are brutally murdered in their summer place on Deep Creek Lake. Suspected of the murders, former child star and one-time teenybopper idol Lenny Frost takes innocent bystanders hostage in a local pub and demands that Mac Faraday find the killer. Can Mac save the hostages and himself from the wrath of the enraged has-been by piecing together the clues in less than twelve hours, or will it be a fatal last call at the stroke of midnight?

 
 
Buy the Book:   
  Audible ~ Amazon
B&N ~ BookBub
Add to Goodreads
 
 
 
 
Meet the Author:
Author Lauren Carr
Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Thorny Rose, Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries, and Nikki Bryant Cozy Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across five fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!
 
Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor. 

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, and virtual book tour coordinator for independent authors.  
Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. 
She lives with her husband, and two spoiled rotten German shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV. 

 
connect with the author: 
 
 
 

 

 

 

2 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized