Review, Guest Post, and Giveaway: Crimes Past by Lauren Carr

Book Details:

Book Title: Crimes Past by Lauren Carr
Series: A Mac Faraday Mystery (Volume 13)
Category: Adult fiction, 322 pages
Genre: Murder Mystery
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: October 16, 2018
Tour dates: Nov 12 to Dec 14, 2018
Content Rating: PG (mild violence and sexual suggestion)

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 former colleague’s daughter, it is a bitter reminder that the mother of the bride had been the victim of a double homicide on her own wedding night.

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

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Praise for Lauren Carr's books:

“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."

- Sherry Fundin, Fundinmental

"Lauren Carr could give Agatha Christie a run for her money!"

- Charlene Mabie-Gamble, Literary R&R

"Lauren Carr's books are never boring, that's for sure. They entertain, give us a good mystery to dig into, keep the reader guessing, give us a few good laughs and make us eager for the next book. Warning: Lauren Carr's series are addictive, so be ready to read more than just one book!"

- Laura Fabiani, Library of Clean Reads

"She is an amazing author that draws you into the story, makes you fall in love with the characters (they feel like family!) and keeps you guessing right to the very end."

- Working Mommy Journal

"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."

- Every Free Chance Book Reviews

To read reviews, please visit Lauren Carr's page on iRead Book Tours.

My Review:

Mac, Archie, David, and Gnarly the mayor dog are back again in this latest crime solving adventure where Mac Faraday comes face to face with a cold case that he had failed to solve sixteen years ago. Opening up with the crime and with Mac as a homicide detective in the past, we get the sense that a killer walked away scot free. Mac’s promise to the daughter of the victim may take a while to solve, but he is thorough in his job and he is determined not to break his promise.

What really stood out is that Mac knows all the suspects- as they are fellow detectives that he has worked with and has trusted with his life. I can’t even imagine the frustration and difficulty in looking at your brothers/sisters in law enforcement and wondering who could do such a cold-blooded double murder. In all of the twists and turns and different threads this story took, we do get our answers along with Mac, and a whole lot more. I am very appreciative of the Cast of Characters at the beginning of each book as that helps keep everyone on track in my mind amongst all the twists this story took.

I will say that there was one surprise in this story I was not expecting, one that deals with a character storyline, I am not sure how I feel about it. It was not anything bad, a nice surprise in one way, but I will miss another character due to this “revelation”, unless this said character gets a new story line. All in all this was another enjoyable romp with Gnarly and the gang.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel. I was not required to post a positive review and all of the views and opinions are my own.

Meet the Author:

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Now, Lauren has added one more hit series to her list with the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries. Set in the quaint West Virginia town of Harpers Ferry, Ice introduces Chris Matheson, a retired FBI agent, who joins forces with other law enforcement retirees to heat up those cold cases that keep them up at night.

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

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 three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

Ten Things You May Not Know about Mayor Gnarly

By Lauren Carr

Since Lauren Carr introduced him in It’s Murder, My Son, the first book in the Mac Faraday mystery series, Gnarly has become a fan favorite—which is one of the reasons this German shepherd was elected mayor of Spencer, Maryland.

With the release of Crimes Past, book thirteen in the series, let’s go back and take at look at some fun facts that you may have forgotten about Gnarly:

1)     Gnarly is a canine genius. In It’s Murder, My Son, Mac has Gnarly evaluated by a dog expert who determines that the German shepherd has reasoning and planning capability, which is why he doesn’t always listen to humans. As a result, he gets so bored that he looks to get into trouble.

2)     Gnarly is a kleptomaniac. When he gets bored, he plans and executes heists—just to see if he can get away with it. In Old Loves Die Hard, he walks into a supermarket, picks out a bone and walks out with it. As a favor to Mac, David pays off the store manager not to press charges.

3)     Gnarly is a West Virginian. He was born at Beck’s Kennels in Inwood, West Virginia. His parents still live there.

4)     Gnarly is lactose intolerant. Mac Faraday made this discovery shortly before Candidate for Murder.

5)     Gnarly was not in the first or even second draft of It’s Murder, My Son. While Mac Faraday had a dog, it was not become an actual character until a much later draft.

6)    Gnarly has a squirrel friend named Otis. Occasionally, he and Gnarly will have spats. In Old Loves Die Hard, Otis threw acorns at Gnarly, hitting David’s police cruiser. He also appeared in A Gnarly Christmas, Gnarly’s first short story, and brief appearances in other books.

7)     Gnarly was inspired by Lauren’s son’s Australian shepherd, which was given to him by a woman during halftime at a football game. Her big sales pitch: “You can keep him. He’s free!” The next day, the free puppy chewed through a $65 power cord.

8)     There was a real Gnarly. After the success of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, Lauren got a real German shepherd and named him Gnarly, after his fictional counterpart. He was kind enough to model for the fictional Gnarly’s campaign posters for Candidate for Murder and Lauren dedicated Candidate for Murder to him.

Sadly, the real Gnarly passed away of canine cancer six months after the release of Candidate for Murder. He was only four years old.

Two weeks after Gnarly passed, Lauren adopted his nephew Sterling, whose family had turned him into a shelter on the same day Gnarly passed. Sterling is now featured in Lauren’s Chris Matheson Cold Case mysteries.

9)     The real Gnarly could open doors—even doors with round door knobs like his fictional counterpart. For this reason, Lauren had to lock the door when she wanted Gnarly to stay outside. He never conquered picking locks. Most of Gnarly’s misbehaviors are based on real-life incidents involving Lauren’s dogs or dog stories supplied to her by fans.

10)   While the fictional Gnarly is un-neutered, the real life Gnarly was. A friend of Lauren’s wanted to breed Gnarly with her pure-bred German shepherd, but before the “wedding” could take place, Gnarly developed an unhealthy obsession with a footstool. For the sake of her sanity, Lauren decided to get Gnarly altered. Luckily, Lauren’s friend understood.

Enter the Giveaway!

Ends Dec 22, 2018

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