It's Murder, My Son

I had the pleasure of listening to and reviewing this book some years ago. And now it’s back with a new audiobook addition, this time narrated by Mike Alger (instead of Janean Jorgenson). It was so good to pick this book up again. The Mac Faraday mysteries are my favorites by Lauren Carr and I love this opening tale that introduces us to Mac, Gnarly, and Archie.

Mac Faraday receives the best news of his life on the toughest day he’s had yet. Just finalizing his messy divorce, he learns that his deceased birth mother who put him up for adoption has left him a fortune. Now Faraday has moved to Spencer Manor in an effort to connect with the mother he never knew. But murder lurks just around the corner and Mac puts his DC detective show more skills to use.

I’ve been listening to several Lauren Carr books recently and I love that they can be explored as stand alones. It was great to go back to Book 1 and see how things got started for Mac, how he met Archie, learned about his mom, and adopted Gnarly dog. While this isn’t my favorite book of the series, it’s a solid start to an entertaining murder mystery series.

Set in Spencer, Maryland, the Spencer Manor sits next to the lake in a gated community that harbors many secrets. Mac is new to wealth and he finds it takes some skills to navigate this new economic reality he’s landed in. It’s good that Archie is there to help him fit in. She was Robin Spencer’s assistant and lives in the guest cottage.

A few months before Mac moved in, a neighbor in the area was strangled to death. Katrina was a very charming woman who had a stalker. Of course, the husband Chad has to be cleared first but after 3 months, there are few clues to David (the local police officer) to continue on with the investigation.

I really enjoyed learning about David in this book. He’s Mac’s younger half-brother. The two have never met and it’s a bit awkward. Toss in David’s current problems with his boss, Chief of Police Roy Phillips, and David’s got a few reasons to be angry. Things get even more aggravating for the two experienced investigators when Phillips brings in his ‘expert’, a crime fiction author. Awkward, indeed!

Gnarly was the star of the show once again. He has his own insecurities and is something of a klepto. Mac has to learn about this the hard way and Archie does her best to keep Gnarly out of trouble. Of course, that all goes out the window when Gnarly turns up with a human skull. Good boy! Er… maybe not. Where did you get that? No! You can’t eat it! Here! Have my breakfast instead.

There are lots of characters in this novel and I sometimes had trouble keeping up with all of them. I think it could have been slimmed down a bit and the plot would have been less tangled. I also would have liked a bit more Archie. I feel she’s underutilized even though I know she comes into her own later in the series. Still, it’s an entertaining read and I’m glad I skipped back to this book to see how things got started for Mac. 4/5 stars.

The Narration: Mike Alger is at his best as Mac Faraday. I don’t think I could picture any other voice for Mac. Over all, this is one of his better performances. I like his voice for David as he does a great job of making him sound related to Mac but also younger. His voice for Archie is also well done. The pacing is perfect & there’s no issues with the technical recording. If anything, Alger could have a little more variation in voices. 4.5/5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. show less

If you have read any of my other reviews, you'll know that I love Lauren Carr's Mac Faraday mysteries. It's Murder, My Son is no exception.

Mac Faraday has just inherited millions from his mother who had given him up for adoption. Now, he is a retired police officer living it up. The ironic thing is that is exactly what his famous mystery writing mother's character, Forsythe did. Coincidence? I don't it especially when Mac finds himself solving a few murders and exposing many secrets of the town.

The characters in Ms. Carr's book are wonderful. I have to say, and I think others will agree, that Gnarly is the best. The German Shepherd saves the day even when he is being sneaky and less than honorable. Each character is unique with such show more depth and humor. Mac is down to earth. Arnie knows how to live the good life without being a snob. David is one you just want to hug and hope he is single. And the neighbors? I'd have killed them, too.

Did I figure out who the murderer was? Yes and no. The story was so well crafted with so many twists and turns that there was no one solution. There were many problems and many paths each one took. Absolutely loved it.

You cannot be bored with a Lauren Carr book. I'd kill for the next one. (Hope I don't encounter Mac Faraday along the way).

Note: This book was presented as part of a book tour with no expectation of a positive review. show less

This may be the first book in the Mac Faraday’s mysteries, but I have met the characters before and had to know how they came together.

Gnarly…uproariously funny and lovable Gnarly. Once you meet him, you will never forget him.

Lauren Car makes it difficult to figure out the whodunit, but what a wild ride to the conclusion. No question, Lauren is a master when it comes to mystery, suspense, police procedures and romance. Characters to die for, but you have to be careful who you fall for in her novels, they may not make it to the end.

Filled with humor and a canine that’s smarter than some people, Gnarly had me totally absorbed in his hijinks. Bodies galore, and even some old murders will be solved.

Can find no fault…give me more.

I show more voluntarily reviewed a free copy of It’s Murder, My Son by Lauren Carr.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com show less

A murder next door to Mac, earlier connected murders, a small town filled with wealthy, cunning residents, a detective who is now a millionaire and also the illegitimate son of a recently deceased mystery-writing author, Robin Spencer, make up part of the "crew" in this well-written, intriguing murder mystery. And.....we can't forget Gnarly, a huge German Shepherd who steals food from anyone he can, causes havoc in the neighborhood, and even helps find clues for the murder investigations.

The characters in this book are absolutely wonderful. You will fall in love the minute you meet Mac, the new millionaire, and Archie, Robin Spencer's assistant. Gnarly is a little scary and mischievous, but he grows on you. The small town of Spencer show more seems to be a dream town, but it is a haven for infidelity, a corrupt police force, and a creative author's twist of having mystery writers as characters. The eccentric, well-to-do neighbors enhance the storyline and bring a special focus to the plot. Each character has a background that won't quit and a background that you will love.

Amusing, frightening, and unusual things do happen during the investigation that will keep your interest and keep you guessing until the last page. Just when you think you have the mystery solved, another character and more clues pop up leaving you still unsure. Lauren Carr is a master at and has a great knack for keeping you guessing. A great ending and lots of surprises make this book a treat for mystery lovers.

If you haven't guessed it yet, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and give a huge, "gnarly" 5/5 for IT'S MURDER, MY SON and an equally-sized thank you to Ms. Carr for allowing me the pleasure of this read.

Be on the Lookout for her newest book: SHADES OF MURDER show less

Lauren Carr's debut mystery novel, It's Murder, My Son, is an engaging and intriguing story. Carr introduces us to Mac Faraday, a divorced, retired police officer who inherits his biological mother's estate when she dies. As he struggles to accept that his mother was a rich, famous mystery writer and to embrace his new life as a wealthy man, he's drawn to the mystery surrounding a recent murder in his mother's upscale neighborhood. Gnarly, the German Shepard Mac inherits from his mother, was also the murder victim's dog. He often steals the show with his antics which also lead the clues to solve the mystery. The reader will want to shout at Mac to pay attention to what the dog is telling him. Gnarly and Mac make a great team. There's show more enough undercurrent of attraction between Mac and his mother's assistant, Archie, to leave the reader guessing where the relationship will go in future books. It's Murder, My Son has a few moments will clearly appeal to the dreamer in all of us. Mac's inheritance right after his messy divorce is one of them. As the book unfolds, the reader will come to like Mac because his vast inheritance seems to have little effect on his sense of justice and morality. In It's Murder, My Son, Carr immerses the reader into the lives of her well-developed characters and the secrets they're struggling to keep. show less

Now that I've finished it, it was a good mystery. However, there were way too many characters and I kept getting them mixed up until I printed out the character list for reference. The three leads and Gnarly, the dog, were great. An orphraned man inherits his wealthy birth mother's estate and discovers murder, mobsters and a dog who brings home a severed head. Mac, our new wealthy playboy, used to be a D.C. cop and can't leave the investigation alone while slowing falling for his mother's personal assistant who is now his permanent guest house resident.

Mac Faraday receives the best news of his life on the toughest day he’s had yet. Just finalizing his messy divorce, he learns that his deceased birth mother who put him up for adoption has left him a fortune. Now Faraday has moved to Spencer Manor in an effort to connect with the mother he never knew. But murder lurks just around the corner and Mac puts his DC detective skills to use.

I’ve been listening to several of the Mac Faraday books recently and I love that they can be explored as stand alones. It was great to go back to Book 1 and see how things got started for Mac, how he met Archie, learned about his mom, and adopted Gnarly dog. While this isn’t my favorite book of the series, it’s a solid start to an entertaining show more murder mystery series.

Set in Spencer, Maryland, the Spencer Manor sits next to the lake in a gated community that harbors many secrets. Mac is new to wealth and he finds it takes some skills to navigate this new economic reality he’s landed in. It’s good that Archie is there to help him fit in. She was Robin Spencer’s assistant and lives in the guest cottage.

A few months before Mac moved in, a neighbor in the area was strangled to death. Katrina was a very charming woman who had a stalker. Of course, the husband Chad has to be cleared first but after 3 months, there are few clues to David (the local police officer) to continue on with the investigation.

I really enjoyed learning about David in this book. He’s the legitimate child of Robin Spencer and Mac’s younger half-brother. The two have never met and it’s a bit awkward. Toss in David’s current problems with his boss, Chief of Police Roy Phillips, and David’s got a few reasons to be angry. Things get even more aggravating for the two experienced investigators when Phillips brings in his ‘expert’, a crime fiction author. Awkward, indeed!

Gnarly was the star of the show once again. He has his own insecurities and is something of a klepto. Mac has to learn about this the hard way and Archie does her best to keep Gnarly out of trouble. Of course, that all goes out the window when Gnarly turns up with a human skull. Good boy! Er… maybe not. Where did you get that? No! You can’t eat it! Here! Have my breakfast instead.

There are lots of characters in this novel and I sometimes had trouble keeping up with all of them. I think it could have been slimmed down a bit and the plot would have been less tangled. I also would have liked a bit more Archie. I feel she’s underutilized even though I know she comes into her own later in the series. Still, it’s an entertaining read and I’m glad I skipped back to this book to see how things got started for Mac.

I listened to this book for free with Kindle Unlimited. However, as of this posting, it no longer seems to be available.

The Narration: Janean Jorgensen was OK for this book. She does a decent Archie and she was really good at the jerk Chief of Police. However, most of the characters are men and she only had so many male voices that at times I had to pay attention closely to follow who said what. show less