Book Review: A Fine Year for Murder by Lauren Carr @TheMysteryLadie @BooksbyAcorn @iReadBookTours

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Title: A Fine Year for Murder
Series: Thorny Rose Mystery Series #2
Author: Lauren Carr
Narrator: C.J. McAllister
Publication Date: February 6, 2017

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Purchase Links:
Audible // iTunes // Amazon

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A Fine Year for Murder
Thorny Rose Mystery Series #2
Lauren Carr
Narrated by C.J. McAllister
Acorn Book Services, February 2017
Downloaded Unabridged Audiobook

From the author—

After ten 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?

Nightmares or even normal dreams can tell a lot about a person, especially if they seem to be repetitive as in Jessica’s case. The fact that she strikes out at Murphy meant more to him than her at first but I was glad that he didn’t just dismiss what was happening. When they learn from investigative journalist Dallas Walker what might be the root of Jessica’s night terrors, finding out if she really did witness the murders becomes paramount and off they go with the unusual Dallas to do some after-the-fact sleuthing.

Jessica and Murphy visit her ultra-wealthy father, Mac Faraday, and it was a real pleasure to me to spend time with Mac and other family members and friends along with assorted pets that steal the show every time they step on the page. I hesitate to choose favorites because each one is wonderful but I do lean towards tv-obsessed couch potato Newman, Murphy’s Basset hound mix, and Mac’s German shepherd, Gnarly, at least this time. Added to the lighter side of things is the introduction of Nigel, Jessica’s and Murphy’s virtual butler, who is developing an attitude.

The extended Faraday-Thornton family has connections to the Riva family that owns the winery where the killing occurred and that’s why the young Jessica was there to see the teenaged Ava be so brutally murdered. The fact that she repressed the memories all these years isn’t at all surprising; the question is can she remember enough to help Sheriff Tim Taylor clear his friend’s name since it’s now clear to him, from a new discovery, that Curt Browning didn’t kill his sister, father and grandmother. To make things more difficult, there is a plethora of possible perpetrators and motives to muck it up, not to mention more unsolved crimes.

Jessica is no frail damsel in distress and she’s unafraid, if leery, to learn the truth about that frightening night. With a set of great characters by her side –or not– she will confront her demons and get to the facts. The reader who is not so familiar yet with these people will learn a lot about them in A Fine Year for Murder. Adding to that pleasure and a fascinating story, C.J. McAllister does a fine job with the narration and helps the listener distinguish between the players with little difficulty. I do want to mention that, although this is a pretty “clean” read, there are some very bad people and violent scenes that make this what I would call a traditional mystery, not a cozy unless you want to label it as cozy noir.

Next up, Murder by Perfection, and I can barely wait to get started 😉

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, May 2020.

About the Author

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

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.

​A popular speaker, Lauren is also the owner of Acorn Book Service, the umbrella under which falls iRead Book Tours. She lives with her husband and two spoiled rotten German Shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

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

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Follow the tour:

May 4 – Hall Ways Blog – series spotlight / giveaway
May 4 – She Just Loves Books – series spotlight / giveaway
May 4 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – series spotlight / giveaway
May 4 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – review of Kill and Run / giveaway
May 4 – Michelle L. Bloodworth – Goodreads – review of Kill and Run
May 5 – Michelle L. Bloodworth – Goodreads – review of A Fine Year for Murder
May 6 – Buried Under Books – review of Kill and Run / giveaway
May 6 – Michelle L. Bloodworth – Goodreads – review of Murder by Perfection
May 7 – A Mama’s Corner of the World – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 8 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
May 11 – Locks, Hooks and Books – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 11 – Jazzy Book Reviews – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 11 – Merlot Et mots –series spotlight / giveaway
May 12 – Laura’s Interests – series spotlight / giveaway
May 12 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – review of Murder by Perfection / giveaway
May 13 – Bookish Quest – review of Kill and Run / giveaway
May 13 – Blooming with Books – review of Kill and Run / giveaway
May 13 – Lamon Reviews – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 14 – Buried Under Books – review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
May 15 – Sefina Hawke’s Books – series spotlight
May 19 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – series spotlight / guest post / giveaway
May 19 – Rosepoint Publishing – review of Murder by Perfection / giveaway
May 20 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / giveaway
May 20 – Bookish Quest – review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
May 20 – Blooming with Books – review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
May 21 – Books for Books – review of Murder by Perfection
May 21 – La libreria di Beppe – series spotlight / giveaway
May 22 – fundinmental – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 25 – Buried Under Books – review of Murder By Perfection / giveaway
May 25 – T’s Stuff – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 26 – Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – series spotlight / giveaway
May 27 – Bookish Quest – review of Murder by Perfection / giveaway
May  27 – Blooming with Books – review of Murder by Perfection / giveaway
May 27 – Books for Books – series spotlight
May 28 – Bookish Quest – series spotlight / author interview/ giveaway
May 29 – Mystery Suspense Reviews – series spotlight / guest post
Jun 1 – Thoughts in Progress – series spotlight / giveaway
Jun 2 – Svetlana’s reads and views – series spotlight
Jun 2 – Kristin’s Novel Café – series spotlight
Jun 3 – Buried Under Books – series spotlight / giveaway
Jun 3 – Blooming with Books – series spotlight / giveaway
Jun 4 – Rosepoint Publishing – series spotlight / giveaway
Jun 4 –Splashes of Joy – series spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Jun 5 – The avid reader – series spotlight / giveaway

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Giveaway

Win a $50 Amazon gift card courtesy
of Lauren Carr, author of 
The Thorny Rose Mysteries.

Enter here.

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