Kill and Run

A Thorny Rose Mystery, Book 1

By: Lauren Carr

Narrated by: C.J. McAllister

Length: 11 hrs

Publisher's summary

Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally murdered in a townhome outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers together only to be killed.

Taking on his first official murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton, USN, believes that if he can uncover the thread connecting the victims, then he can find their murderer.

Before long, the case takes an unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the victims has a connection to his stepmother, Homicide Detective Cameron Gates. One wintry night, over a dozen years before, her first husband, a Pennsylvania State trooper, had been run down while working a night shift on the turnpike.

In this first installment of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday sift through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can the detectives uncover the truth without falling victim to a cunning killer?

©2016 Terri Zaleski (P)2016 Terri Zaleski

Highly entertaining filled with suspense

Any additional comments?

This is a book full of surprises that keeps your attention as the author plays out the plot giving you a highly entertaining listen. I thought it was really well written that is fast paced filled with action and mystery. I did guess who was pulling the cords a little over half way through but I have been wrong before. I didn’t know the how or why until near the end. The author does a great job at keeping you entertained and guessing. This is a very fast pace thrilling read that goes back for years and ties into Murphy wife’s first husbands killing that everyone thought was an accident. As you first start to listen you think oh what a sweet wonderful cop and listen in horror as the action unfolds. The author skips ahead a few years and the book takes off leaving you with your mouth hung open thinking oh my Lord a time or two. The author gives you a ton of surprise along the way with some shocks as well. You will find monsters and still more monsters controlling everything from women to a career with one person behind it all trying to take the world on to get what they feel they deserve. As the end comes you will be left with shocks and surprises that will leave you with your mouth hung open.

Mr. McAllister I thought did a wonderful job with the character voices he really put emotion into them never leaving you guessing who was talking or what they were feeling. I thought his normal voice where he was just reading didn’t come across as easy or as natural as I thought it should. I did feel all in all he did a wonderful job at keeping me pulled in and entertained. You could really feel the emotions he put into the read. I did not hear any background noises or any places where the audio was higher or lower than any place else on the audio. If any breaks were taken I could not tell. I felt he gave a clear and clean listen that really pulls in the listener. His male voices were just as great as his females you had no trouble knowing who was talking or what they were feeling. I had no trouble picturing what the author wanted me to as he narrated the book. I do look forward to listening to more of his work.

The author gives you so many wonderful characters it is hard to pick my favorite. I would have to say my heart really went out to Cameron and Lizzy the most. Just wait until you meet Monica and the part she plays. Your heart may change on this little dear..that is all I can say. As the book takes off with 5 women dead and the why, who and what keeps you in surprise you are pulled in and left on the edge as more people’s lives are at stake you are left wondering who will be left a live if any. I loved the plot and the characters. The mystery was outstanding as well as the thrills and holding your breath to see what happens next. As the mystery builds and suspense takes over it was an audio I couldn’t put down. I found things to do around the home so I could listen longer. This is filled with action never a dull minute as the chilling mystery unfold leaving you wanting to get your hands on one person for all he put so many through. I had no trouble visualize the scenes as they came to life for me leaving me at times in shock at how far one person would go and what they would do. The title really fits this story it all started with a kill and run as the author takes you through the paces of one man and his career to get to the top. This book was really thought out giving the reader/listener a highly entertaining listen. I am so looking forward to more work from this author. If you love a little mystery, with lots of action and a little romance this is the thriller for you.

Deeply engrossing and Fast paced

Would you consider the audio edition of Kill and Run to be better than the print version?

Each version has its own benefits and can be enjoyed. It is nice to be able to do other things as I listen to the story, altho often I found myself concentrating on the details.

What other book might you compare Kill and Run to and why?

Several crimes entangled in connected ways that draw various family members deeper into danger and into each other's lives in ways no one would imagine when combining families.

Which character – as performed by C.J. McAllister – was your favorite?

It took me a while to become accustomed to the different character voices, but C.J. found his stride quickly and made them all enjoyable

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wish I could have, but it is long enough it took me several days and car trips to listen to it all.

Awesome

Absolutely love Lauren Carr. Love the way this series intermixes with Max Faraday. Also love the characters, including the animals

Whoa! Loved it!

Awesome read. The story was suspenseful and beautifully woven. I love how it all came together and kept me guessing all the way to the end.

“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.”

Good Police Thriller

Detective Cameron has a new husband, yet still question the death of her first. The combined families with Joshua and those problems.Her stepson is investigating the murder of women. Excellent beginning to this new series. The narrator had an excellent voice for this police thriller.
Given audio for my voluntary review and my honest opinion

Darned good murder mystery!

Author Lauren Carr is well known as one of many independent publishing successes. I believed based on what I heard that she wrote chick lit and chick lit is what I expected when I purchased this book. Maybe it is, but it is also excellent mystery; I very much enjoyed Kill and Run. This is a well written novel with well developed and likable characters and an excellent plot. I'll definitely listen to more of her novels. Narration is excellent.

A Serial Killer is on the Loose..

Any additional comments?

I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that the book was well written that was

filled with action and mystery.

I was guessing until the end which made the story line a good mystery on a rainy day.


C.J. McAllister did well with the narration.

Note:
"This audio book was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange

for an unbiased review."

Good Book

What did you love best about Kill and Run?

The past got to be laid to rest

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I knew who the monster was. Very early in the story. I loved the chaos that I insued within the family. But I love it when it takes the whole book to figure out the bad person.

Any additional comments?

I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.

Young Izzy steals the show!

Set in modern day Washington D.C., a serial killer has just taken out five women. As Murphy Thornton digs into it, more possible victims are discovered as the pattern becomes clear. He will need the help of his stepmom Cameron Gates to untangle this mess!

While there were plenty of things I liked about this book, I often felt that I needed two maps – one for the family tree of all the relatives involved in this story and the second for all the different military and state police groups involved. Basically, I could tell that our main characters had to be very careful of stepping on toes no matter what they did.

Now that I have that little criticism out of the way, here’s the good stuff. I really liked how deep this mystery went. There were plenty of people involved and the events span years. Now there’s a young girl, Izzy, in danger. She was a real treat, being the animal lover that she is. I was on the edge of my seat sometimes hoping things would work out ok for her.

There’s a little romance here as there are a few couples involved in solving the crime. Murphy, who is working with the NCIS, and his wife Jessica Faraday are newlyweds and still figuring out some of their longer term goals. Incidentally, Jessica is related to the main Faradays in Carr’s other mystery series – The Mac Faraday Mysteries.

Cameron Gates, a police detective, lost her first husband to a hit and run many years ago. She since has remarried to Joshua Thornton (a JAG lawyer), Murphy’s dad. As that hit and run is revisited, Cameron and Joshua are drawn into this mystery as well. Cameron and Joshua have their own mystery series that I am sorely tempted to check out – Lovers in Crime Mysteries.

With this talented cast, we need equally devious and dedicated criminals to make a good story and Carr doesn’t disappoint there. A string of rapes is soon connected to certain men rising in the military. Now some of those women are dead. There’s a killer on the loose who is also a sexual predator. It was pretty intense towards the end complete with car chases.

I liked that not every thing came out all rosy. The true villains at the hear of it got most of what they deserved but the good guys didn’t get all they asked for. I like how that reflects life sometimes. With yet another generation of this tangled family setting up for a love match, I had the distinct feeling the author was prepping us for another spinoff mystery series. Hooray!

I received a free copy of this book via iRead Book Tours.

The Narration: C. J. McAllister did an OK job. The narration started off pretty bland but got better throughout the book. At first, the narrator sounded a bit bored but later on he seems to get into the story and the narration picks up. Also, from the voice acting I thought Murphy was much older and then his dad Joshua is brought into the story and Joshua’s voice sounded about the same or younger to me. The ladies voices were distinct and a somewhat feminine. He did do a really good job with young Izzy.

Great Mystery!

I love it when an author starts a new series based on a side character of another series. Lauren Carr has masterfully created Thorny Rose Series by bringing together Lovers in Crime and Mac Faraday characters. I really like this insight into Cameron Gates (Joshua Thorton's wife) and her dead husband, and how things tie into some cold cases. Kill and Run is full of unexpected twists, incredible imagery, some humor, and satisfaction of having the crimes solved. CJ McAllister did a great performance with this book. I love his distinguishable character voices. I will definitely listen to more books by this talented author and narrator.