Murder by Perfection

A Thorny Rose Mystery, Book 3

By: Lauren Carr

Narrated by: Mike Alger

Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

Perfection can be a fatal endeavor.

Frustrated with their busy schedules, Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday attempt to find togetherness by scheduling a weekly date night. The last thing Jessica Faraday expected for her date night was to take a couple’s gourmet cooking course at the Stepford Kitchen Studio, owned by Chef Natalie Stepford--the model of perfection in looks, home, and business.

When Natalie ends up dead and Murphy goes missing, the Thorny Rose detectives must peel back the layers of Natalie Stepford’s life to discover that the pursuit of perfection can be deadly.

©Lifetime Terri Lynn Zaleski (P)2018 Terri Lynn Zaleski

Carr is a master at writing mysteries!

MURDER BY PERFECTION is the third book in the Thorny Rose Mysteries, but it’s my first book in the series. The book does stand alone, but I suspect I would have been able to better keep up if I had read any of the prior books. But who am I kidding? Author Lauren Carr is a master at writing multiple story lines, including a giant cast of characters, and so much murder and mayhem that it’s nearly impossible to solve the mysteries. I tried! I failed! Ha!

Speaking of the characters -- with so many characters, I had to take notes to keep track of them -- not ideal when listening to an audio book, and I found that I had to frequently re-play sections when I wasn’t paying close attention. I might have fared better if I’d have been reading with my eyes instead of my ears; however, the characters are richly described and most have some aspect to their personality to make each memorable. And OH! There are characters to love and loathe and everything in between, and some of them have juicy secrets. There’s some seriously great drama going on.

I fear that jumping into the series with MURDER BY PERFECTION may mean some spoilers when (not if) I go back and start with book one. Even so, that’s a risk I am willing to take because I like these characters and the intricate webs Carr weaves within the story. MURDER BY PERFECTION kept teasing me along and guessing with who did what, to whom, and why!

ABOUT THE NARRATION: I first heard Mike Alger when he narrated one of Lauren Carr’s other books, Ice, and I thought his narration was perfect. In MURDER BY PERFECTION, I am not as big a fan. Though some of the male characters were excellent, some were not. And females – particularly when emotional – sounded silly, bordering on laughable. Alger’s pacing and delivery were great, but then around three hours in, he slowed down, so I had to speed-up the audio to 1.25x. I didn’t like the echo-effect that was used for scenes when a character was thinking. It felt cheesy, and then there were some timing issues where the narrator talked-over an echo sequence and words were clipped. I know how good Alger can perform, so seeing his name as narrator won’t deter me from giving him another try.

Thank you to iRead Book Tours and the author for providing me an audio download in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give.

That first fight!

Life is busy for newlyweds Murphy and Jessica and they have their first fight…then he goes missing! Jess calls in the cavalry…aka her FIL and Murohy’s twin. The case involves a stalker, a kleptomaniac, organ harvesters…so much more…you’ll really need to pay attention to keep up! Another great mystery.

This book contains several mysterious/ suspenseful situations in one exciting story!

Jessica’s and Murphy’s marital bliss is challenged with their separate life styles. After one heated argument, Murphy gets away from Jessica and the house on his motorcycle to “ follow a lead”. When Tristen goes with Jessica looking for Murphy a few hours later, what they discover is alarming.., Murphy’s father, Joshua is called

Awoke from sleep with a n all too real dream, Murphy’s identical twin brother does his farm chores, arranges for Poppy to take over until he returns. He then waits for his father to come. He knows Murphy is in trouble.

The Thornton’s, Jessica and Tristen along with the Phantoms all work together in solving the chain of mysteries to discover what happened to Murphy.

This gripping, fast paced novel contains the usual intrigue, humor, romance and adventure, which this author instills into her stories, including a deep intensity .

Narrator, Mike Alger, does an impressive job in his delivery of “ voices” and emphasis in key phrases and in stirring up one’s emotions in the various events.

Reader/Listener beware, contains some crude language and sexual references. Also, mentions graphically violent situations.

Great story and narrator

I have listened to a bunch of audio books from this author. This author has a really good narrator who does great audio work. Therefore, I really like "listening" to books from this author versus "reading" them myself. This is my favorite series from Lauren Carr. It features couple Murphy and Jessica. They keep things entertaining but at the same time, they are very relatable. Murphy may be high ranking in the NCIS but when it comes to Jessica; he will fight "rush hour" traffic to get pizza for dinner.

Murphy runs into Commander Ross Caldwell. He has not seen him in a while. Caldwell says that he has some very important information. Murphy stumbles upon Caldwell's dead body the next day. He was murdered. What is Natalie Stepford's connection to Caldwell? Before Murphy and Jessica can figure it out; Natalie is murdered. Things are really heating up in the kitchen.

I enjoyed this book. It had a really good storyline with some twists. There were many characters introduced in the story but I had no troubles keeping them straight. One person that put a smile on my face is Boris. Boris is Murphy's boss. He had a tough exterior but he would say things out of the blue at times that had me smiling and laughing a few times. Murphy and Jessica #togetherforever.

Murder has many faces

Murder by Perfection
Thorny Rose Mystery #3
By Lauren Carr
Read by Mike Alger

For Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday marriage is not a easy with their schedules conflicting. But they are determined to take time out for them - but when Murphy is given an assignment on "date night" Jessica is less than thrilled. Who wants to take part in a couple's cooking class instead of having a romantic date at home? But a murder investigation is riding on what Murphy can uncover.

But Murphy goes missing and the gourmet cooking instructor is brutally murdered. With time ticking down Murphy's father Joshua and his twin brother JJ soon join Jessica and Tristan as they comb through clues. Is Murphy's disappearance related to the murder he was investigating? And even more troubling who could take down a Phantom?

This is one who-dun-it that will leave you wondering just who did what to whom. This is the first that I've read anything in which JJ was more than a mention and some of the scenes with him are quite entertaining. And one just can't help but be amused whenever Nigel is in a scene - the Thornton/Faraday "butler".

This is not a cozy mystery or a gentle read and is most definitely in the PG category for violence and suggestive scenes. But if your taste in books runs towards mystery, suspense, and murder you will devour this book! There are suspects aplenty and a few characters that one just can't help disliking. The narration is well presented by Mike Alger. There is no drag and it progresses at a good pace for the 8-1/2 hour reading, good for a long commute or just eye-resting listening enjoyment.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Awesome series!

loved it all Laurens works are super great reads.
Check put all of them. I love all the characters and how they crossover in rhe series.

Awesome Story, Awesome Narration!

I read the book before I listened to it, and both are excellent, but I loved the audio more. Mike Alger brings to life the various characters, and conveys the emotions so well. I loved the twists in this book, and never saw some of them coming! Lauren Carr definitely weaves an awesome mystery. I like how the path is not obvious, nor are all characters what they seem. The disappearance of Murphy was very unexpected and pivotal. Jessica did an amazing job of holding it together. I love how the author is able to add some great humor into the book as well. I think this is my favorite of the Thorny Rose Mystery books to date. I requested this review copy audiobook and have voluntarily written this review. This book is a standalone listen and a continuation of the series.

Another Terrific Entry!

4.5 stars

Murphy and Jessica lead hectic lives but he’s more than willing when an old Navy friend asks to meet him, hinting that he wants to talk about something shady. Just as Murphy is arriving, he hears a gunshot and finds Commander Ross Caldwell dead in his car. NCIS is quick to respond and Murphy, even though he’s a witness, is soon deep into the investigation but no one can foresee what they will begin to unearth, beginning with the disappearance of the HHS representative Ross was planning to see.

Various bits of information lead them in several directions including to what may be criminal activities in a private clinic but it’s the kidnapping of Murphy that brings the extended Faraday-Thornton family into the mix and Jessica’s brother, Tristan, along with JJ, Murphy’s twin brother, become particularly important to the entire investigation. Jessica carries out her part, somewhat haphazardly, in the ransom negotiations but it’s the brothers who play critical roles. Before all is said and done, a tangle of leads unravel more than one sinister plot with plenty of paths for the investigators—and readers—to follow.

As can be expected by anyone familiar with Lauren Carr’s work, the suspense and tension are lightened by side moments with pets like Newman, a Basset hound mix who brings new meaning to the sobriquet “couch potato” and who has learned how to operate the remote to watch his favorite tv shows. Adding to the fun is Nigel, an AI created by the techno-geek Tristan; Nigel runs the Faraday-Thornton mansion and is a whiz with research. Nigel has become my latest fantasy, not to mention the mansion and all the nifty toys the very wealthy couple enjoy. There’s also a hilarious scene involving JJ and some phone calls that had me chortling out loud 🤣

Having come to love Mike Alger’s narration in other books by Ms. Carr, I was very glad to hear him again and, while I wasn’t so thrilled with a couple of enhancements, for lack of a better word, they didn’t detract in any way from my enjoyment of the audio version of this book.

Love The Thorny Rose Series!

Escape into this terrific mystery

Terrific, complicated story with favorite characters included make for a wonderful read/listen once again. Jessica and Murphy are young newlyweds facing changes that are increasing tension between the two.

So when Murphy disappears the fear for his safety is strong and multilayered. Especially since he had discovered the body of his friend before. To find Murphy, they must find the murderer, but then another body is found.

As we’ve come to expect from Lauren Carr’s excellent novels, the killings increase, along with the suspects. You’ll find many twists in this one, some misleading us (along with the investigators). Who and why will be revealed clue by clue.

First, they must find Murphy.

I received a copy of the audio version of this book as part of the virtual tour hosted by iRead Book Tours. You can read my full review and learn more about the tour at Mystery Suspense Reviews.

Great addition to the series

I chose to listen to this book after receiving a free audio copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

I have read several books by Lauren Carr including Kill and Run  and A Fine Year for Murder in which Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton are the main characters so I was looking forward to listening to this book. Thorny Rose Mysteries contain some of the same characters as the  Mac Faraday Mysteries. Mac Faraday is Jessica’s father so reading these mysteries are like a continuation of those. They all fit together and are fun to read.

I like Lauren Carr’s writing style. It’s easy to follow and she doesn’t get bogged down with lengthy descriptions. The dialogue is especially enjoyable. There are quite a few characters in this book, as in the other Thorny Rose Mysteries but they’re easy to keep track of because I know so many of them from previous books. If I were a new reader, I'd probably have to keep a list of them in order to not get confused.

Murphy and Jessica have only been married about a year but now that she's in school, they're having a rough time trying to find together time. When Murphy is picking up pizza for dinner one night, he runs into an old buddy and they decide to meet the next morning because his friend wants to talk to him about something. Just as Murphy gets to the park, his friend is shot and killed. Suddenly, he and Jessica are embroiled in mystery and murder. And then Murphy disappears. Will they find him in time?

The narrator does a good job narrating the story.  He has a good voice for narrating and does a good job with clarity and pace.

Murder by Perfection is a page turner and is another fine whodunit that will keep you guessing and I recommend it to anyone who likes a good mystery. It will also stand alone without reading the previous books, but I suggest reading the books in order.