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!
My Review
Candidate for Murder
is another great addition to Lauren Carr’s already existing works. Focusing on Gnarly the loveable, very smart
German shepherd owned by Mac Faraday who is back home and into his usual antics
like stealing other people’s food and just being a dog. The town of Spencer is in its political
season and the prospects for Mayor are slim pickings. Running for mayor is the current mayor, Bill
Clark and Nancy Braxton, wife of a famous NFL quarterback, and the hopeful for
the first woman mayor of Spencer.
However, like real life, politics is a nasty thing to be a part of and
to witness. Police chief David O’Callaghan
(Mac’s brother) has had enough of this vicious, horrible display of human beings;
so he decides to put Gnarly on the ballot just to stir the pot. Never in his wildest dreams did he realize
what would come of that one fateful decision.
It seems the rest of the town of Spencer is also tired of
the usual politics and Gnarly is like a breath of fresh air. This election becomes so popular it captures
the nation. However, just because Gnarly
is a dog doesn’t mean his opponents will go easy on him. No, in fact they actually go looking into
Gnarly’s past and are successful in finding skeletons in his closet. What?!
Yep, now it is up to the gang to find out what happened that has Gnarly’s
military record sealed from his service in Iraq.
There is a lot going on in this story from spies to murder
old and new, nationwide and worldwide.
It was really nice to have Murphy and Jessica back for this adventure as
well. Lauren Carr expertly weaves this
story so that everything adds another delightful layer to this suspense novel
that even though danger abounds, still has lightheartedness to it. I found this story- though fiction- mirrored
a lot of what our country is going through currently.
This is an adult novel and there is some language sprinkled
throughout. Nothing explicit.
I received a copy for an honest review through
iRead Book Tours and the opinions are my own.
Author's Bio:
Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries. The twelfth installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series, Candidate for Murder will be released June 2016.
Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real Gnarly) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Giveaway
Thank you so much, Pause for Tales, for the wonderful review of CANDIDATE FOR MURDER. So glad you enjoyed it. Here's wishing each of your followers luck in the giveaway. #Vote4Gnarly and you could win a FREE KINDLE!
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