A Fine Year for Murder by Lauren Carr

About the book: (from the publisher) After 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 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 living near a winery owned by distant relatives she was visiting 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?

Buy the Book:  Amazon  ~ Add on Goodreads

About 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. She 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: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook

Genre: Fiction/Mystery

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My take: It’s hard for me to resist the promise of a good mystery, and this one contains many appealing elements: community secrets, family dysfunctions, a pretty East Coast setting, with an interesting potpourri of characters — all part of a most atypical blended family — as the detective team. Another big plus to me is that this mystery is relatively clean.

As mysteries go, this one seemed a bit slow in taking off — in part because it took so long to introduce the large cast of characters. Though I’ve not read many of her previous books, it appears this series joins together the characters from the author’s other series as well. Which is fun — just a little tricky to keep organized at first. But I eventually got it all sorted, and the plot is appropriately twisty. The main thing to take the story to a higher level would be adding greater depth to the characters. They all felt very familiar, though they’re likable enough (when meant to be).

I have enjoyed other Lauren Carr mysteries as audiobooks, and while I experienced this one as a reader and not a listener, I kept hearing a narrator’s voice in my head. Somehow, it feels like Carr’s books are meant to be listened to, so you may want to try this one in audio form.

Altogether, A Fine Year for Murder makes a fine choice for mystery lovers and wine lovers alike.

Thanks to iRead Book Tours for providing me this book free of charge. All opinions are mine.

After words: Have you read any of Lauren Carr’s other mystery series?

Giveaway: One winner will receive a $100 Amazon gift card. Open internationally. Ends April 22.

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