Book Details:
Book Title: Murder by Perfection by Lauren Carr
Series: Thorny Rose Mystery Series (Volume 3)
Category: Adult fiction, 322 pages
Genre: Murder Mystery
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: May 31, 2018
Tour dates: Oct 8 to Nov 2, 2018
Content Rating: PG (mild violence and sexual suggestion)
Book Description:
Perfection can be a fatal endeavor.
Frustrated with their busy schedules, Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday attempt to find togetherness by scheduling a weekly date night. The last thing Jessica Faraday expected for her date night was to take a couple’s gourmet cooking course at the Stepford Kitchen Studio, owned by Chef Natalie Stepford―the model of perfection in looks, home, and business.
When Natalie ends up dead and Murphy goes missing, the Thorny Rose detectives must peel back the layers of Natalie Stepford’s life to discover that the pursuit of perfection can be deadly.
To read reviews, please visit Lauren Carr's page on iRead Book Tours.
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Another Win for Lauren Carr. Murder by Perfection was a great read. In is book 3 in the Thorny Rose Mystery Series. Which is a spin off of her Mac Faraday series. Mac's daughter Jessica and her husband Murphy Thornton are the stars of this series. I have to admit Lauren Carr always fills her books with so much going on you never have a chance to get bored and every book is different and never gets stale. I also love how her books are clean reads. I mean this book has murder, kidnapping, a sex kitten, but it is not graphic or filled with sexual content or even strong language.
In the book Murphy and Jessica feel like they are loosing touch with each other and decide on a weekly date night to get closer together. This is a great idea. My husband and I do this every Thursday night and have for 12 years now.
There are a couple of mysteries in this book. One morning Murphy is out running and hears a gun shot. He finds Ross Caldwell slumped in his car. Murphy of course call the police and is immediately stuck in the investigation to find out who killed him.
Anther mystery in the book is Natalie Stepford. She runs a couples gourmet cooking class. When she ends up dead, they all must figure out why. While investigation Murphy ends up missing. In order to find Murphy they must find out all of Natalie's dirty little secrets.
If you like, multifaceted mysteries and Lauren Carr this is a must read. I actually listened to the audiobook. Mike Alger does an awesome job with the narration as he has done with so many of Lauren's other books I have listened to. Between Lauren's writing skills and Mike's narration ther eis never a blah moment in the book.
Meet the Author:
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
Lauren Carr Author Interview
What would your main characters say about you?
There are two main characters in Murder by Perfection, Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton. An heiress, Jessica is Mac Faraday’s daughter. She would say that I was obsessive about my writing to the point of being a workaholic. The solution would be spend a weekend at a spa without any Internet or technology.
On the other hand, Murphy Thornton would say that I had a brilliant mind—after all, I am the creator of three mystery series. However, it would do me some good to work on becoming more disciplined—especially when it comes to health and fitness. Cut out the chocolate truffles and go to the gym more.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
Introvert. Most writers are introverts—that’s what makes personal appearances hard for many writers. That’s why I love virtual book tours. I can do the whole tour naked!
What is the most daring thing you've done?
Skydiving. I was nineteen years old and dating a great guy who had scheduled parachuting lessons for him and his buddy. Well, his friend backed out, so I asked to go. Thing is—I had never even been up in a plane before! When I told my mother, she said it was okay, but not to tell her what day I was doing it—instead, tell her that I was going on a picnic. So, a couple of days before the jump I asked her for eighty dollars for my picnic on Saturday.
On the day of the lessons, we have six hours of instruction before going up in the plane. Two hours was on how to jump and how to land. The next four hours was on what to do if something went wrong. One of the things they stressed was that when you hit the ground to stand up quickly so that they could see you were okay. If you don’t stand up, they’ll send out the ambulance.
So then, we went up in the plane for our jump. We were suited up with our parachutes and our reserve chutes and all of this equipment. Back then, I weighed about a hundred and ten pounds and I was wearing close to sixty pounds of chutes.
Then, we went up. Remember, I have never been in a plane before. I was more excited about that than the jump. Jon, my boyfriend, jumped out first. Then I jumped.
It was fabulous! I loved it. I could see Jon down on the ground waving and jumping up and down and I was waving back.
Then, I hit the ground beautifully and rolled just like they told us to do. And then … I couldn’t stand up because I was wearing sixty pounds of chutes and equipment. I remembered them saying that I needed to stand up. So, I’m rolling on the ground in the field like a giant turtle on her back trying to get to my feet. In the distance, I hear the ambulance racing across the field and Jon yelling.
By the time I stood up I saw about a dozen people and an ambulance racing across the field toward me.
Jon told me that the whole time he was running across the field he was trying to think of how to tell my mother that I did great … until I hit the ground.
It was five years later before I went up in a plane and actually landed in it.
What is the stupidest thing you've ever done?
Recently or over the course of my life? This morning I ate two bags of chocolate truffles while answering questions for interviews. Now I have a stomach ache.
What is your most embarrassing moment?
Telling my husband that I couldn’t meet him for lunch because I have a stomach ache from eating two bags of chocolate truffles.
What choices in life would you like to have a redo on?
Deciding between eating a nutritious breakfast and two bags of chocolate truffles.
For what would you like to be remembered?
For making everyone around me smile.
How long is your to-do list?
I don’t know. You need to ask my husband. He’s the one who makes it up and keeps track of it. I can tell you that I am horribly behind in it. At least, that’s what he told me before leaving this morning, at which point I decided to chow down on the chocolate truffles.
Lightning round:
Cake or frosting? Frosting!
Laptop or desktop? Laptop because I’ll write anywhere. Desktops are just too awkward to carry in a case with a shoulder strap.
Chevy Chase or Bill Murray? Bill Murray. Ghostbusters is one of my favorite movies.
Emailing or texting? Emails. I tend to send long wordy messages (the writer in me) and the keys for texting are just too tiny.
Indoors or outdoors? Indoors with central air conditioning. I have seasonal allergies with every change of season.
Tea: sweet or unsweet? Sweet, of course!
Plane, train, or automobile? Automobile—with me driving. My husband and son claim I’m a backseat driver.
What are you working on now?
On October 16, the thirteenth installment of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, Crimes Past will be released. It is available for preorder now.
It’s a bittersweet reunion for Mac Faraday when members of his former homicide squad arrive at the Spencer Inn. While it is sweet to attend the wedding of a late colleague’s daughter, it is a bitter reminder that the mother of the bride had been a victim of a double homicide.
The brutal slaying weighing heavy on his mind, Mac is anxious to explore every avenue for a break in the cold case—even a suggestion from disgraced former detective Louis Gannon that one of their former friends is the killer.
When the investigator is brutally slain, Mac Faraday rips open the cold case with a ruthless determination to reveal which of his friends is a cold-blooded murderer.
But wait! There’s more! I am currently working on the fourth Lovers in Crime Mystery, The Root of Murder. Look for this to be released in early 2019.
Enter the Giveaway!
Ends Nov 10, 2018
As always, it is fun to stop by for a visit and another great review! I am so glad you enjoy the Thorny Rose mysteries. Jessica and Murphy are a lot of fun. Here's wishing each of your followers good luck in the giveaway!
ReplyDeletebeautiful cover! I really liked the book trailer
ReplyDeleteI would love to read your book.
ReplyDelete