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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.
The guys go away for a fishing weekend, only to get caught up in the murder of a journalist investigating fraud at a timber company. Meanwhile, the ladies are spending the weekend in the presidential suite at a posh resort, where Jessica Faraday is to accept a lifetime achievement award for her late grandmother at a murder mystery writers conference. But before they have time to get their facials, they get wrapped up in their own real mystery when an up-and-coming author ends up dead!
Spunky Cameron Gates is tasked with solving the murder of Cherry Pickens, a legendary star of pornographic films, whose body turns up in an abandoned freezer. The case has a personal connection to her lover, Joshua Thornton, because the freezer was located in his cousin's basement. It doesn't take long for their investigation to reveal that the risqué star's roots were buried in their rural Ohio Valley community, something that Cherry had kept off her show business bio.
In Old Loves Die Hard, Lauren Carr continues the rags-to-riches story of Mac Faraday, an underpaid homicide detective who inherits 270 million dollars and an estate on Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. Mac is settling nicely into his new life at Spencer Manor when his ex-wife Christine shows up-and she wants him back! Before Mac can send her packing, Christine and her estranged lover are murdered in Mac's private penthouse suite at the Spencer Inn, the five-star resort built by his ancestors.
It was a hell of a long shot.... CIA assassin Fortune Redding is about to undertake her most difficult mission ever - in Sinful, Louisiana. With a leak at the CIA and a price placed on her head by one of the world's largest arms dealers, Fortune has to go off-grid, but she never expected to be this far out of her element.
As the owner of an estate sale business, Audrey Nealon knows a lot about art, antiques, and the unlikely places old people hide their treasures. But the shabby home of an elderly widow holds alarming surprises: street drugs in the silverware drawer, a trunkful of jewels in the attic, and the distinctive ring Audrey's mother was wearing the night she disappeared. Believing the truth will bring her peace, Audrey relentlessly pursues clues to her family's troubled history. But each fact Audrey uncovers drags her further away from the love she craves.
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.
The guys go away for a fishing weekend, only to get caught up in the murder of a journalist investigating fraud at a timber company. Meanwhile, the ladies are spending the weekend in the presidential suite at a posh resort, where Jessica Faraday is to accept a lifetime achievement award for her late grandmother at a murder mystery writers conference. But before they have time to get their facials, they get wrapped up in their own real mystery when an up-and-coming author ends up dead!
Spunky Cameron Gates is tasked with solving the murder of Cherry Pickens, a legendary star of pornographic films, whose body turns up in an abandoned freezer. The case has a personal connection to her lover, Joshua Thornton, because the freezer was located in his cousin's basement. It doesn't take long for their investigation to reveal that the risqué star's roots were buried in their rural Ohio Valley community, something that Cherry had kept off her show business bio.
In Old Loves Die Hard, Lauren Carr continues the rags-to-riches story of Mac Faraday, an underpaid homicide detective who inherits 270 million dollars and an estate on Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. Mac is settling nicely into his new life at Spencer Manor when his ex-wife Christine shows up-and she wants him back! Before Mac can send her packing, Christine and her estranged lover are murdered in Mac's private penthouse suite at the Spencer Inn, the five-star resort built by his ancestors.
It was a hell of a long shot.... CIA assassin Fortune Redding is about to undertake her most difficult mission ever - in Sinful, Louisiana. With a leak at the CIA and a price placed on her head by one of the world's largest arms dealers, Fortune has to go off-grid, but she never expected to be this far out of her element.
As the owner of an estate sale business, Audrey Nealon knows a lot about art, antiques, and the unlikely places old people hide their treasures. But the shabby home of an elderly widow holds alarming surprises: street drugs in the silverware drawer, a trunkful of jewels in the attic, and the distinctive ring Audrey's mother was wearing the night she disappeared. Believing the truth will bring her peace, Audrey relentlessly pursues clues to her family's troubled history. But each fact Audrey uncovers drags her further away from the love she craves.
After the recent death of her mother and the dissolution of her marriage, 30-something Eden Elliott is seriously in need of a fresh start. At the urging of her best friend, best-selling author Ami Pederson, Eden decides to embark on an open-ended trip to the picturesque village of Glenkillen in the Scottish Highlands, to do some hands-on research for a book of her own. But almost as soon as Eden arrives in the quaint town, she gets caught up in a very real drama....
Still haunted by his wife's murder - and stained by the blood of avenging it - FBI special agent Hatcher McGee can't believe he's being teamed up with rookie agent Korine Davenport. She is his most guilty secret - the one-night stand who almost cost him everything. Korine has her own demons. As a child, she witnessed her father's murder, and she's spent her life waiting for the killer's return. She and Hatcher are both looking for closure, but the disturbing case that draws them together could be their last.
Amanda Graham inherited a rundown bed and breakfast, a starving cat, and some dead guy who's buried in her garden! What should've been a simple remodeling project and a new business in a small Oregon beach town winds up with her uncle named as the number-one murder suspect, a slew of odd neighbors and problematic townspeople, and Amanda wanting to just sit down and eat her weight in chocolate pie.
A Small Case of Murder is set in the quaint town of Chester, West Virginia, where everyone knows everyone, and there is never a secret that someone doesn't know. In such a small intimate village, how many disappearances can be left unquestioned? Following the death of his wife, Joshua Thornton moves into his ancestral home across country with his five children. While clearing out the attic, the children find a 34-year-old letter to their grandmother that implicates a local minister in an unreported murder.
In the seaside town of Lighthouse Cove, everyone knows the best man for the job is actually a woman - contractor Shannon Hammer. But while Shannon can do wonders with a power drill and a little elbow grease, her love life needs work. On a blind date with real estate agent Jerry Saxton, she has to whip out a pair of pliers to keep Jerry from getting too hands on.Shannon is happy to put her rotten date behind her, but when Jerry's found dead in a run-down Victorian home that she's been hired to restore, the town's attractive new police chief suspects that her threats may have laid the foundation for murder.
Spamming inboxes provides Baxter Cruise with easy money for tuition after his parents die. But then his hippie professor friend disappears and another is murdered, and Baxter's cozy world explodes. When a student asks for help on a project, Baxter discovers he's really working for a notorious cartel. As a lovely FBI agent hunts the professor's brutal assassin, every angle of her investigation points to Baxter. He's hiding something, but he's in far too deep to trust her with the truth.
Soon to be divorced Julia South never expected to be caught up in solving a murder, until she discovered the body of her cafe's most awkward customer. With a new smug Detective Inspector in town who underestimates her every move, Julia makes it her mission to discover the real murderer, before her village friends are dragged into the frame, and more bodies are discovered.
Attorney Dani Rollins is bullish in the courtroom - pushing judges and prosecutors to their limits in defense of the innocent. So when she meets Teddy Thorne, a mentally challenged teen accused of selling drugs, Dani knows she’s got this in the bag. She can easily settle the case with a couple of court appearances. But when prosecutors move for an adult felony conviction, Dani suspects Teddy’s being used as a pawn in a sinister game. As the case moves forward, Dani is certain the judge and district attorney’s office have motivations beyond the crime.
The last time anyone in Cottonwood County, Wyoming saw Sheriff's Deputy Foster Redus, he was bloody, cussing, and driving his pimped-out pickup into the November darkness. A week before Christmas, rancher Thomas David Burrell was arrested for the assault and charged with the deputy's murder, since neither Redus nor his truck had been seen since the Monday after Thanksgiving. The prosecutor later set Burrell free due to insufficient evidence, but with the whole county still suspecting him of the crime...
Meet Mike Daley. Ex-priest. Ex-public defender. And as of yesterday, ex-partner in one of San Francisco's most prominent law firms. Today he's out on his own, setting up practice on the wrong side of town. Then his best friend and former colleague is charged with a brutal double murder, and Daley is instantly catapulted into a high-profile investigation involving the prestigious law firm that just booted him. As he prepares his case, Daley uncovers the firm's dirtiest secrets.
Ten years ago, Summer Butler was television's most popular teenage sleuth. Since then, she's hit - what gossip sites just love to call - the gutter. Nearly bankrupt, betrayed, estranged from her greedy mother, and just about unemployable, she's coaxed into that desperate haven for has-beens: reality TV.
Northumberland, 1809: A beautiful young heiress disappears from her locked bedchamber at Linn Hagh. The local constables are baffled and the townsfolk cry "witchcraft". The heiress' uncle summons help from Detective Lavender and his assistant, Constable Woods, who face one of their most challenging cases.
After 10 months of marital bliss, Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton are still discovering and adjusting to their life together. Settled in their new home, everything appears to be perfect...except in the middle of the night when, in the darkest shadows of her subconscious, a deep secret from Jessica's past creeps to the surface to make her strike out at Murphy.
When investigative journalist Dallas Walker tells the couple about her latest case, known as the Pine Bridge Massacre, they realize Jessica may have witnessed the murder of a family while visiting family at the winery near-by, and suppressed the memory.
Determined to uncover the truth and find justice for the murder victims, Jessica and Murphy return to the scene of the crime with Dallas Walker, a spunky bull-headed Texan. Can this family reunion bring closure for a community touched by tragedy or will this prickly get-together bring an end to the Thorny Rose couple?
I found this book to be an excellent standalone listen. It is part of a series, but totally independent (just has some same characters as other books in the series). The narrator did a very good performance. He added a lot of depth and emotion to the various characters. I enjoyed his delivery. I was surprised by some of the humor. I will definitely look for more books by this author and narrator. I was voluntarily provided with this review copy audiobook by the author, publisher, and/or narrator. My review is not a synopsis of the book, but rather my opinion of it.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Note: While this is Book 2 in the series, it works just fine as a stand alone.
Jessica Faraday is still having nightmares and unfortunately she’s acting out in her sleep and striking her new husband, Murphy Thornton. She needs answers as to why she does this. When their journalist friend Dallas Walker calls with some interesting news about the Pine Bridge Massacre, which occurred over a decade ago, Jessica starts to wonder if maybe she’s suppressed a memory from that night when her family was visiting the area. Now Murphy and Jessica return to Jessica’s family winery to hunt for clues. What they find stirs up Jessica’s memories.
I liked this book more than I did Book 1, Kill and Run. There were fewer family members to get mixed up and not much jurisdictional squabbling to keep straight. I was able to focus on getting to know Murphy and Jessica. In Book 1, Murphy had a definite role while Jessica was a minor character. Here, we get to meet her family and learn some history of the area as well. While I did feel that Jessica spent an inordinate amount of time frozen, crying, or freaking out, she eventually is able to struggle free of that and actually do something. She ends on a strong, healthy note by the end of this book.
The mystery is layered, which I loved. There are layers of motive from back then when a family was murdered. Then a few more layers have been added on over the years as blackmail and cover-ups come into play. I also liked this little side mystery involving some minor characters in the story.
Now about Murphy. He’s a Phantom, which is some sort of military special ops super secret silliness. This was brought up in Book 1 but didn’t really factor in, so I could ignore it. Now it gets more play here and I’m on the fence about it. He’s a trained, killing weapon, so you better not startle him… or drop hot tea on his pants. That seemed a little overdone to me. On the other hand, he’s a really great guy to have around in a pinch. I did like the straw trick.
Jessica’s recovered memories are sprinkled throughout the tale and sometimes they act as a deus ex machina to move the plot along. Not all the time, since the duo (and eventually Dallas as well) continue to find other clues. Jessica’s recovered memories were sometimes used well and sometimes I felt they were a little too convenient for the plot. Still, I was kept entertained by the uncovering of not only the previous crime but also of subsequent crimes.
What I really liked about this book is that it brought up some things about spousal abuse, like assumptions other people make. Jessica is having these horrible nightmares and she unknowingly acts out in her sleep, injuring Murphy more than once. In turn, he occasionally acts back without wanting to hurt her but just to stop her from seriously damaging him. In short, they both have marks but people only react to Jessica’s injuries (which I think is very realistic) without asking for details or checking Murphy for injuries. I liked how the story incorporated this nuance of culture.
I received a free copy of this book via iRead Book Tours.
The Narration: C. J. McAllister did a better job with this book. I was luke warm on his performance for Book 1 but I feel he really improved for this book. He definitely sounded engaged and his female voices were better. Though his voice for Jessica often sounded like he was talking with tight pursed lips, especially during the romantic scenes – and that put an odd image in my head. That could just be me. I liked his big Texan accent for Dallas.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Any additional comments?
A cozy mystery at its BEST! This book has strong characters with strong voices, which was blended perfectly with the quick plot and developing story. I felt like I was never really certain which way the story was going to go...which was awesome! I feel like listening to the book really allowed me to be part of the action, being there along side the characters. I have never read/listened to Carr before and I am certainly going to be diving into more of these wonderful character driven books.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I chose to listen to this book after receiving a free copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. I have read several books by Lauren Carr including Kill and Run in which Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton are the main characters so I was looking forward to listening to this book. Before the Thorny Rose Mysteries, I read several Mac Faraday Mysteries. Mac Faraday is Jessica’s father so most of the characters in these books feel like old friends.
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 but they’re easy to keep track of, although that may be because I know so many of them from previous books.
Poor Jessica Faraday is having nightmares which turn out to be repressed memories. Her nightmares are getting more disturbing and violent so she and her husband Murphy Thornton decide to go to the town where she may have witnessed a murder when she was 10 years old. What they find are some disturbed people and despite several twists, they’re able to solve the mystery. But they come across so much more in the process.
The narrator, C.J. McAllister, does a great job narrating the story. He changes his voice just enough so that I could tell who was talking, which I imagine was a challenge with so many characters. He has a good voice for narrating and does a good job with clarity and pace.
This is definitely a book that will keep you guessing and I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a good mystery. It will also stand alone without reading the previous books, but the Faradays and their friends and family are great!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Would you listen to A Fine Year for Murder again? Why?
I am not sure if I would want to listen to it a second time or not because while I greatly enjoyed the book I don't feel like I missed anything that would require a second read through.
What was one of the most memorable moments of A Fine Year for Murder?
For me the most memorable moment of A Fine Year for Murder was at the beginning when investigative journalist Dallas Walker tells Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton about the Pine Bridge Massacre. That is the moment that set the couple on the case as Jessica seems to have suppressed memories of the massacre.
What about C.J. McAllister’s performance did you like?
C.J. McAllister’s performance of A Fine Year for Murder: A Thorny Rose Mystery, Book 2 was particularly well done. C.J did a great job with the character's voices and the voice tone really set the scene for the the book perfectly.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
This was a book that if I did not have to worry about eating or sleeping that I could have easily listened to in just one sitting. However since it was a ten hour book I listened to it in about five two hour sittings. That was honestly difficult as I hated putting down the headphones.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Jessica Faraday, daughter of a retired homicide detective, is recently married to Murphy Thornton, son of a former JAG lawyer, and a naval officer himself with some series skills and hidden assignments. Jessica is having nightmares that have been persistent since a childhood trauma and are causing her to strike Murphy while they are sleeping.
Jessica and Murphy attend a family bar-b-que where investigative journalist Dallas Walker is describing a cold case she is investigating that is known as the Pine Bridge Massacre – a brutal killing of a family. Suddenly Jessica realizes that she witnessed the death of the young girl but has been suppressing the details.
Murphy and Jessica decide to take a second honeymoon at Pine Bridge to investigate the old murder. Dallas, a lanky, gorgeous red-headed Texan, will come in as a rich journalist to the fancy plantation resort on the other end to town.
Murphy gets to meet Jessica’s cousins, the nice ones and the decidedly not nice ones. The newlywed’s appearance in town immediately stirs up trouble especially when their dog digs out a half-buried skull near the old crime scene. Secrets begin to unravel and there are some very unhappy, and dangerous murderers who want the Thornton’s out of town – one way or another.
This story moves along well as Ms. Carr weaves through the details of another mystery full of corruption and murder. It is fun to follow Jessica and Murphy as they uncover clues and speculate on the facts and motives. Murphy’s training gets him into a bit of trouble. I enjoyed the inclusion of the pets and a new ‘family’ character, a computer assistant named Nigel. The author includes some surprises and twists then neatly wraps up the loose ends.
This is the second mystery in the series and I enjoyed both. (See review of Kill and Run.) They are easy to follow with likeable characters whose interaction adds to the engaging storylines. I recommend this to readers who like a fast paced, light in tone (but not light in danger) mystery.
Audio Notes: C.J. McAllister does a nice job with the narration. The voices are given appropriate accents and tones and the pacing is handled to keep the characters distinct and the story moving. I enjoyed the listening experience which made this move more quickly for me.
I received this title for book tour review. My rating 4.25.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
What did you love best about A Fine Year for Murder?
Murder, corruption, embezzlement, family drama, fraud, and ghosts. How much more can you pack into one story? Well this one has all the twists and turns that Lauren Carr is know for and then some. When Jessica and Murphy head out to solve a mysterious death at her families winery and hotel more than just bodies are dug up. This is the second installment of the Thorney Rose Mysteries. Old favorites like Spenser, the dog, and new favorite characters like Nigel are seamlessly embroidered into this rich mystery. I found my self alternately laughing and hanging on the edge of my seat. I whole heatedly recommend this story to new fans and old of Lauren Carr.
What does C.J. McAllister bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
I actually listened to this as an audible book. If you haven't tried audible.com you really should. Listening to books has not stopped me from reading them on my kindle or actual paper books. But an Audible book is great when you spend a lot of time driving or if you are riding on an airplane. Also Audible gives you a free one month trial so you have nothing to lose.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Lauren Carr’s mysteries are always captivating. This one lives up to expectations! Love her books are now available in audio, with narrator, C J McAllister. Great Job!
Jessica Faraday-Thornton begins having nightmares when a reporter starts investigating a cold case. The dreams are so realistic that she and husband Murphy Thornton decide to go to the winery where the murder took place. The winery owned by members of her family.
As memories surface, the danger rises, putting their marriage—and their lives—at risk. Missing women, a suspicious hotelier, childhood friends, a woman in white…The two newlyweds must find answers before more die.
As always Lauren combines mystery and humor, with a bit of romance added in for good measure. The plot is twisty, the characters likable, the animals lovable, and the mystery complicated. Don’t miss this one!
You can read my full review at Mystery Suspense Reviews. I received this book as part of the iRead Book Tours virtual tour.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Jessica Faraday witnessed a whole family being murdered 15 years ago but has suppressed the memories. Now in the present she has started to have nightmares about that night and is starting to remember bits and pieces of those memories she suppressed. Poor Murphy is catching the brunt of it as she is attacking him during her nightmares.
Dallas Walker is an investigative reporter. Her newest story is about the Pine Bridge Massacre. As she tells Murphy and Jessica about it they come to the conclusion that Jessica did actually witness the murders.
Jessica and Murphy head to Pine Ridge to solve the murders and to help Jessica with her suppressed memories and so Murphy can get a good nights sleep without Jessica trying to kill him.
Lauren has done it again with this book. I really loved all the twist and turns in the investigation. Every time I kind of thought I had it figured out, a new twist would come along. There are actually a couple of mysteries in the book. It is a very fast paced book. I couldn't stop once I started this book. I really enjoy Lauren Carr's books. I liked the Mac Faraday series and I really enjoyed the 1st book in this series as well. I love how she keeps the same characters and also adds to the list with each book. I like how she crossed over some of the characters from the Mac Faraday series.
I did listen to the audiobook which was given to me as art of a book tour promotion.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
This is the second book I’ve listened to by Carr. I liked the first book but think I enjoyed this one more. The plot twists kept me wondering and I feel like we got to know more of the characters in this book. The narrator did a good job. His performance was pretty smooth and natural.
Any additional comments?
This is a superbly written book, which might initially seem to be a simple horror thriller but emerges to be far more than that. Nothing 'simple' here. The characterisations of the main protagonist, including a couple of dogs, is cleverly insinuated. Conversation is realistic, sometimes trivial and away from the plot itself, just like real life. There is a large cast, both in the small town but also in the family left behind, including the lazy, fat Bassett hound, Newman, and the house security, housekeeper scum research assistant AI Nigel and his inventor, brother Tristan. The whole is a convoluted mystery thriller and very amusing as situations develope, extend and unravel. Not just one mystery here - there are several and each laps against the next. This really is a plot of many parts which keeps the reader guessing, gasping and, often, giggling. Not quite the usual horror thriller but never over the top comedy, either. Great combination.
Narrator C.J.McAllister adds to the fun with a great reading, pace perfect to the story and with good individual and easily recognisable voicings of the characters. His conversations are natural, the people living, real. I especially enjoyed his performance as Nigel.Altogether, a different and very enjoyable book and I will definitely be looking out for others written by Lauren Carr or narrated by C.J.McAllister.
Recommended especially to all who don't mind losing the plot sometimes. My thanks to the rights holder of A Fine Year for Murder, who generously and freely gifted me a copy without any expectations of return, via Audiobook Boom. It surprised me and I loved it.