G1053 Book Review of Murder by Perfection by Lauren Carr

Name of Book: Murder by Perfection

Author: Lauren Carr

ISBN: 97891718620230

Publisher: Acorn publishing

Part of a Series: Thorny Rose Mystery

Type of book: Perfection, marriage, mystery, navy, cooking, relationships, hidden secrets, dark side of organ exchange, family secrets, addiction, nothing is at it seems

Year it was published: 2018

Summary:

Beware! Perfection has a dark side!

Frustrated with their busy schedules, Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday attempt to find togetherness by scheduling a weekly date night. The last thing Jessica expected for her date night was a couple's gourmet cooking course at the Stepford Kitchen Studio, owned by Chef Natalie Stepford--the embodiment of feminine perfection.

When Natalie ends up dead and Murphy goes missing, the Thorny Rose detectives must peel back the layers of Natalie Stepford's flawless life to discover that perfection has a very sinister dark side.

Characters:

Main characters include Jessica and Murphy as well as their family and siblings. I was pretty happy to see Joshua Thornton back in the novel and was glad to meet Murphy's twin brother J.J. There is also Tristan, Jessica's younger brother and yes, the dogs. Jessica is the resourceful and beautiful young woman who desires to attain a PhD degree and seems to be a complete opposite of her husband Murphy. Murphy is very interesting in that he is in the Navy as well as in special forces and cares deeply for eating healthy (vegan) and doing yoga. Joshua and J.J are best described as determined and loyal to their family. Tristan, despite him teasing Jessica constantly is also there for her during tough times.

Theme:

Perfection is a state of mind, it takes a village to save a family member and solve the crime

Plot:

The story is in third person narrative primarily from Jessica's point of view, although Murphy's father, Joshua and his twin brother J.J also make an appearance. (I do wonder if J.J might be getting his own spin-off series.) The struggles of marriage and of one partner going to school are realistic in my opinion because with college its more of survival and tryign to get through the day rather than focusing on the house. Let's hope that I will see more of my favorite couple soon in another book.

Author Information:
(From the book)

Buy the Book:
Amazon
Add to Goodreads
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!

Now, Lauren has added one more hit series to her list with the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries. Set in the quaint West Virginia town of Harpers Ferry, Ice introduces Chris Matheson, a retired FBI agent, who joins forces with other law enforcement retirees to heat up those cold cases that keep them up at night.

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.

​Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

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

Wow, 2018 will definitely be remembered by me as "Lauren Carr" year because by the end of the year, I should have reviewed four of her books, MURDER BY PERFECTION is both third in the series and third I have read and finished this year. Just like her previous books, this is an addictive and enjoyable read that is far more than just its label of mystery. There is focus on family, romance, and on being there for one another. Really makes me regret that I hadn't read the previous seventeen novels... I do wish that I could have spent more time with Natalie Stepford (Reference to Stepford Wives, I assume?) aside from just one night, and I also liked the message, that there is no such thing as perfection.  Really top notch storytelling and mystery solving.


This is for iRead Book Tours

BOOK and AUDIOBOOK TOUR SCHEDULE:

Oct 8 - Working Mommy Journal - review / giveaway
Oct 8 - Hall Ways Blog - audiobook review
Oct 8 - TFaulc Book Reviews - book spotlight
Oct 9 - Rockin' Book Reviews - review / guest post / giveaway
Oct 9 - Kristin's Novel Cafe - audiobook review
Oct 10 - Bound 4 Escape - audiobook review / giveaway
Oct 10 - The Autistic Gamer - book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 11 - Locks, Hooks and Books - audiobook review / guest post / giveaway
Oct 11 - Seaside Book Nook - audiobook review / giveaway
Oct 12 - fundinmental - review / giveaway
Oct 12 - Read and Review - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Oct 15 - The World As I See It - audiobook review / giveaway
Oct 15 - Laura's Interests - audiobook review / guest post / giveaway
Oct 16 - Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Oct 17 - StoreyBook Reviews - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Oct 17 - Dab of Darkness Book Reviews - audiobook review / giveaway
Oct 18 - Books for Books - review
Oct 18 - Truly Trendy - review
Oct 19 - Stormy Vixen's Book Reviews - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Oct 19 - Two Points of Interest - review / giveaway
Oct 22 - T's Stuff - audiobook review / author interview / giveaway
Oct 22 - Cheryl's Book Nook - audiobook review / giveaway
Oct 23 - Mystery Suspense Reviews - audiobook review / giveaway
Oct 24 - Jaquo Lifestyle Magazine - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Oct 24 - #redhead.with.book - book spotlight / giveaway
Oct 25 - Writers and Authors - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Oct 26 - Pause for Tales - review / guest post
Oct 26 - Nighttime Reading Center - review / giveaway
Oct 29 - Olio by Marilyn - review / giveaway
Oct 30 - JBronder Book Reviews - audiobook review / guest post / giveaway
Oct 30 - Library of Clean Reads - review / giveaway
Oct 30 - FUONLYKNEW - review / giveaway
Oct 31 - My Reading Journeys - review / giveaway
Nov 1 - books are love - review / author interview
Nov 2 - Jessica Cassidy - review / giveaway
Nov 2 - Rocksprings Crafts - review / author interview / giveaway
TBD - Svetlana's Reads and Views - review
TBD - Writers N Authors - audiobook review / author interview / giveaway4 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.)

Comments

  1. Lauren CarrNovember 12, 2018 at 8:26 AM

    Thank you so much for the fabulous review of Murder by Perfection. I am thrilled that you have enjoyed my mysteries. See you next time with Crimes Past!

    ReplyDelete

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