G827 Book Review of Kill and Run by Lauren Carr
Author: Lauren Carr
ISBN: 9780692477151
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Part of a Series: A Thorny Rose Mystery
Type of book: Cozy mystery, rape, power, hiding, secrets, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Navy, Army, taking advantage of power and situation, murder, everyday life, present times
Year it was published: 2015
Summary:
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.
Before long, the case takes an unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the victims has a connection to his stepmother, Homicide Detective Cameron Gates. One wintry night, over a dozen years before, her first husband, a Pennsylvania State trooper, had been run down while working a night shift on the turnpike.
In this first installment of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, the Lovers in Crime join newlyweds Lieutenant Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday to sift through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can the detectives of the Thorny Rose uncover the truth without falling victim to a cunning killer?
Characters:
There are a whole lot of characters, thus I will cover only a few of them; Murphy Thornton is working in United States Navy and has recently married an heiress, Jessica Faraday. Murphy is either a vegetarian or pescaterian, enjoys healthy living and is also part of an elite team known as Phantoms. He also has a motorcycle and is determined to do the right thing. Jessica Faraday is the only daughter to Mac Faraday and is an heiress. She is dark haired with violet eyes, is also fascinated by psychology and can give extremely detailed analyses of people and also desires to get a Master's and has recently gotten certified to be a detective. Joshua Thornton is Murphy's father who is a widower and has five children. He has participated in both Navy as well as being an attorney. Cameron Gates is a homicide detective who has her own issues. The pets themselves are extremely memorable from the cat Irving who looks like a skunk and who doesn't get attached to people easily to Newman, Murphy's dog who loves TV and hates walks to Candi/Spencer/Blue who answers to all her names.
Theme:
Villains don't come from nowhere
Plot:
The story is in third person narrative from many characters' points of view, and the point of view does change often, but it didn't detract from the story. The characters are well drawn and feel human and complex, along with the animal critters that populate the pages. The story is a perfect balance of mystery as well as real life outside of mystery, and the characters are quirky, unique and very memorable. The reader will find themselves enjoying the characters and trying to figure out how the mystery connects and where it will next go. I did manage to guess a few things correctly, but the ultimate twist is not something I am able to guess. Also as well, the story focuses a lot on the difference between power and how institutions are set up to enable the hierarchy and who can get away and who cannot get away. Its sad that in 2017, a time when women should feel safe for being themselves, this story is still relevant to reflect how some things cannot be eradicated.
(From iRead Book Tours)
Buy the Book: Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble
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Meet the Author:
Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty 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, romance, and humor.
Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real Gnarly) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Connect with Lauren: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook
Opinion:
I honestly wish I had known about the author and her books earlier, but hey, better late than never. From time to time I enjoy reviewing mysteries, and while I like watching how it all unfolds, I often feel that the mysteries I have read are not what one would call relatable to ordinary people because either the characters lead fringe lives or perhaps all we see of the characters are the cases or mysteries they are involved in; we rarely if ever see their personal lives outside of mysteries. (For example, can anyone tell me what is Nancy Drew's favorite color or what music she likes listening?) thus I was prepared to feel a bit isolated from the characters and their situation. Boy was I wrong. Although the characters have high profile jobs and one of them is an heiress, I felt that I can relate to them, and I found them extremely likable, especially the animal critters. I loved that the author mixed in the intimate scope of their lives along with the mystery which made for an extremely addictive read. I also liked that the characters are a bit unusual because honestly, how often does one meet a man who is into healthy living and yoga as well as being a vegetarian? And how often does one meet an ambitious women that others depend on for psychology analysis or that has realistic reactions to situations plus with an addictive mystery that you can't quite figure out yet?
This is for iRead Book Tours
BOOK REVIEW TOUR SCHEDULE:
March 1 - Working Mommy Journal - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
March 1 - Within The Pages Of A Book - review of Kill and Run / giveaway
March 1 - Katherine Scott Jones - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
March 2 - Working Mommy Journal - review of Kill and Run / giveaway
March 2 - My Journey Back - review of Kill and Run / giveaway
March 2 - Within The Pages Of A Book - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
March 3 - Books, Dreams, Life - review of Kill and Run
March 3 - The World As I See It - review of Kill and Run / giveaway
March 3 - Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf - review of Kill and Run / giveaway
March 3 - Books, Dreams, Life - review of A Fine Year for Murder
March 6 - Christa Reads and Writes - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
March 7 - A Mama's Corner of the World - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
March 7 - Library of Clean Reads - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
March 8 - For Life After - review of Kill and Run
March 9 - Rockin' Book Reviews - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
March 9 - T's Stuff - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
March 9 - My Journey Back - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
March 9 - fundinmental - review of A Fine Year for Murder
March 10 - Jaquo Lifestyle Magazine - review of A Fine Year for Murder
March 13 - Olio by Marilyn - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
March 15 - For Life After - review of A Fine Year for Murder
March 16 - fuonlyknew - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
March 16 - Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
March 17 - Carol's Notebook - review of Kill and Run / giveaway
March 20 - Nighttime Reading Center - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
March 20 - Rainy Day Reviews - review of Kill and Run / giveaway
March 23 - The World As I See It - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
March 23 - Rainy Day Reviews - review of A Fine Year for Murder/ giveaway
March 24 - Books for Books - review of Kill and Run
March 27 - Svetlana's Reads and Views - review of Kill and Run / guest post
March 28 - Laura's Interests - review of Kill and Run / giveaway
March 29 - Pause for Tales - review of A Fine Year for Murder / author interview
March 30 - Laura's Interests - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
March 31 - Books for Books - review of A Fine Year for Murder
April 3 - Bound 4 Escape - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
April 4 - JBronder Book Reviews - review of Kill and Run
April 5 - Carol's Notebook - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
April 6 - Dab of Darkness - review of Kill and Run / giveaway
April 6 - JBronder Book Reviews - review of A Fine Year for Murder
April 7 - Mrs Mommy BOOKNERD'S Book Reviews - review of A Fine Year for Murder / guest post / giveaway
April 10 - Svetlana's Reads and Views - review of A Fine Year for Murder
April 10 - Elsie's Audiobook Digest - review of Kill and Run
April 11 - Turning the Pages - review of Kill and Run / giveaway
April 11 - Readers Muse - review of A Fine Year for Murder
April 12 - Turning the Pages - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
April 13 - Dab of Darkness - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
April 14 - Jessica Cassidy - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
April 14 - Elsie's Audiobook Digest - review of A Fine Year for Murder
TBD - Thoughts on Books - review of Kill and Run / giveaway
TBD - Thoughts on Books - review of A Fine Year for Murder / giveaway
4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
Thank you so very much for the wonderfully glowing review for KILL AND RUN! I am so glad you enjoyed this first installment in the Thorny Rose Mysteries. I am certain your followers will enjoy it as well.
ReplyDeleteAll of the Lauren Carr books are a good mystery with great characters. While there are a lot of characters in each book, there is a reference in the front of the book. But she's a great writer and I've enjoyed every book I've read... and I've read them all!
ReplyDelete