Combine the fast-paced action of a political thriller with the elements of a police procedural, then add a healthy dose of humor and big personalities of a cozy mystery, and you get the first book in Lauren Carr’s Thorny Rose mystery series, Kill And Run. Set within the District of Columbia within the halls of the highest military leaders, this novel will appeal to die-hard mystery fans. I found the characters engaging, the writing well-done, and the mystery puzzling indeed. I did have a few suspicions that played out within the pages of the book, but Carr added a few surprises I didn’t see coming. All in all, this one is a very satisfying mystery read.

Newlyweds Jessica and Murphy have settled into a familiar routine that, while not exactly conventional, works for them. But murders past and present put them both on the firing line. They, along with members of their family, dig deep into murders of five women with the Army as their only connection. With threats within and without the military complex coming at them, they are determined not to be deterred from discovering and bringing to justice those who are guilty.

With its D.C. setting, Kill And Run has a great political feel. Readers will love the behind-the-scene glimpse into the workings of the Pentagon. The secret (and fictional?) Phantom team lends a cloak and dagger element that I loved. There are plenty of shady characters to deal with, and the reader needs to pay close attention to keep up with the tangled web of threads connecting them. Corruption abounds at the highest levels, and the Russian mob is involved! Murphy and Jessica are extremely likable, as are the minor characters that fans of Carr will recognize. But if this is your first foray into Carr’s crime stories, don’t worry. I jumped right into this newest novel and series with no confusion. The narrator does a great job of bringing the story and its characters to life.

Kill And Run is a fun addition to any mystery library.

Content Rating: Kill And Run is rated PG-13 and contains murder scenes. There is also violence associated with military assignments. The book contains sex scenes which are not overtly explicit. There is a little profanity.

Recommended.

Audience: adults (see content rating above)

To purchase the audiobook, click HERE.

(Thanks to iRead Book Tours for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )

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. ( )

Kill and Run by Lauren Carr Laura Carr has really done it again to me. The story had me going from the start of who guessed the murderer. Her written catches you and grabs your attention and keeping entertained and wondering. Murphy some how get on to this murder case by being sent down from NCIS.
 
How Murphy's stepmother Cameron and his wife Jessica get in the middle of it is beyond it. They start to go from one crime scene to another. Murphy is called in and I wonder what's going to happen to them it is all up in the air. Surprises and twists waiting at every turn of the pages.
 
You get pulled in and can not be pulled back out. We meet a young girl that is left behind that is connected to five murders in Washington, D.C. Where a murder that happens thirteen years before and what happen to that person come to light. Who is behind it all? Military seems to be hiding something that they seem not to want to come out. You will never be able to figure it out until it all revealed at the end. ( )

Five women and counting… Who killed them and who’s next?

Lieutenant Murphy Thornton is assigned the case and at first finds no connection between the five murdered women. As he digs deeper, he finds iffy connections and one huge one that rocks many back on their heels.

After reading Three Days To Forever from The Mac Faraday Series, I was so excited to read this book. The Thorny Rose Mysteries are a companion series. I bumped into many of my favorite characters and this one features another fun couple.

Murphy and his new wife, Jessica, are still adjusting to married life, when all of a sudden their home is over run with guests.

Jessica’s brother, Tristan, needs a place to stay while having his place repaired after it was flooded. He brings his beloved pet, Monique, under heavy objections and much negotiation. For those of you unfamiliar with her, she’s a tarantula about the size of a dinner plate!

Now, that makes three people along with a giant spider, Murphy’s TV watching mixed breed dog Newman, and Jessica’s Shetland sheepdog, Spencer/Candi. Jessica calls her Spencer. Murphy calls her Candi. She answers to Candi.

When a connection is found between one of the murdered women and the cold case murder of State Trooper Nicholas Gates, his widow, Cameron Gates, their step-mother, comes to stay at the Thornton household.

Now, there are four people, a tarantula, and two dogs. Cameron adds to the furry mix with her opinionated Main Coon cat, Irving. She looks like a skunk, all black with a white stripe down her back from her head to the tip of her tail.

One more stray is added to the household. Izzy (Isadora Crenshaw). the young teenage daughter of one of the murdered women is brought to Murhpy’s and Jessica’s home under police protection. She’s wise for her age and quickly becomes a part of the gang. She also has a special affinity, seems to communicate with the herd of animals. They all adore her, even Monique.

Now there are five people, a giant spider, two dogs, and a large cat. How much more can one house hold.

So many connections must and do lead to deadly shootouts, stalkers, conspiracy, and cover ups.

The action is intense, the mysteries keep you engaged and eager to see how they connect, and the characters, both human and furry, keep you laughing and gasping.

The author includes a bio of each of the characters, including the animals, at the beginning of the book. I’d recommend you read them first. It just takes a few minutes and makes it so easy to follow and connect with them throughout the book.

This can easily be read as a stand alone book, but I’m betting you’ll be wanting more about Lauren Carr’s characters and will be grabbing more of her books. ( )

Laura Carr has really done it again to me. The story had me going from the start of who guessed the murderer. Her written catches you and grabs your attention and keeping entertained and wondering. Murphy some how get on to this murder case by being sent down from NCIS.

How Murphy's stepmother Cameron and his wife Jessica get in the middle of it is beyond it. They start to go from one crime scene to another. Murphy is called in and I wonder what's going to happen to them it is all up in the air. Surprises and twists waiting at every turn of the pages.

You get pulled in and can not be pulled back out. We meet a young girl that is left behind that is connected to five murders in Washington, D.C. Where a murder that happens thirteen years before and what happen to that person come to light. Who is behind it all? Military seems to be hiding something that they seem not to want to come out. You will never be able to figure it out until it all revealed at the end. ( )