It's Murder, My Son (A Mac Faraday Mystery) [Kindle Edition]

Lauren Carr (Author)

Book Description

“An exciting mystery with plenty of intriguing and enigmatic characters,
It's Murder, My Son is not a read that should be missed for mystery fans.”
Midwest Book Reviews

“A Mystery Lover Must-Read in my opinion!” Glenda Bixler, Book Reader’s Heaven

“In It's Murder, My Son, Lauren Carr has provided a complex plot with a diversity of characters that blend so well with the mystery.” Connie Gregory, Connie’s Reviews

What started out as the worst day of Mac Faraday’s life would end up being a new beginning. After a messy divorce hearing, the last person that Mac wanted to see was another lawyer. Yet, this lawyer wore the expression of a child bursting to tell his secret, which would reveal Mac as heir to undreamed of fortunes, and lead him to the birthplace of America’s Queen of Mystery and an investigation that will unfold like one of her famous mystery novels.

Soon after she moves to her new lakefront home in Spencer, Maryland, multi-millionaire Katrina Singleton learns that life in an exclusive community is not all good. For some unknown reason, a strange man calling himself “Pay Back” begins stalking her. When Katrina is found strangled all evidence points to her terrorist, who is nowhere to be found.

Three months later the file on her murder is still open with only vague speculations from the local police department when Mac Faraday, sole heir to his unknown birth mother’s home and fortune, moves into the estate next door. Little does he know as he drives up to Spencer Manor that he is driving into a closed gate community that is hiding more suspicious deaths than his DC workload as a homicide detective. With the help of his late mother’s journal, this retired cop puts all his detective skills to work to pick up where the local investigators have left off to follow the clues to Katrina’s killer.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Lauren's dialogue is brisk, her setting beautiful and the addition of Gnarly is very clever...It's Murder, My Son is a delightful read and I look forward to more of Carr's Mac Faraday mysteries. --Connie Gregory, Connie's Reviews

I give It's Murder, My Son (Mac Faraday Mysteries) five stars...I'd award more if I could.--Laurel-Rain Snow, Laurel-Rain Snow's Creative Moments

The story takes hold immediately. There are enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. The writing style is easy and draws the reader in effortlessly. I am looking forward to the next book!--Ariel Heart, Mystery and My Musings Review

I couldn't put this book down! Lauren Carr develops the characters and weaves the details of the murder investigation into a complex storyline that keeps the reader relentlessly turning pages. She is skilled at teasing you into reading more. I finished the last page still wanting to read more! -- Kelly Carpenter, Kelly's Lucky You

No disrespect to Mac Faraday, Archie Monday, David O'Callaghan, Travis Turner or any of the multitude of good, bad and ugly characters populating Lauren Carr's It's Murder, My Son; but to me the most interesting character in the book is a lovable, mischievous, sneaky German shepherd named Gnarly.- David M. Kinchen, Huntington News

From the Author

Hello!

It's Murder, My Son, is my third mystery and the first installment of the Mac Faraday Mysteries.

I have set the Mac Faraday Mysteries on Deep Creek Lake, a resort area in Western Maryland. My family vacation there frequently. A few hours from Washington, Deep Creek Lake is a popular summer residence and vacation spot.

Between the variety of characters coming in from the city, and the small town feel created by the locals that live there year round, this mystery writer couldn't resist bringing the two together to see what happen when you throw in a murder.   

I'm sure you'll have as much fun reading It's Murder, My Son as I did writing it.

Best Regards,
Lauren

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 1958 KB
• Print Length: 288 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1452819432
• Publisher: Lauren Carr (June 23, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003TU1ZIO
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,944 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Waiting For Next in Series! August 9, 2010

By Glenda A Bixler VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Everybody by now knows that I thoroughly enjoy series, so it's no surprise that It's Murder, My Son gets a high recommendation from me! But first the storyline and characters have to have grabbed me! And they did!

Mac Faraday found out very recently that he was the son of a famous fiction writer! She had made arrangements to meet him once before she died and then left her entire estate to him. His mother had been involved with a married man, from the town where she lived so that Mac was finding out much about his roots when he moved into his mother's estate.

He also inherited a live-in companion of his mother's...she had been her friend and assistant during her career and now Archie, who lived, in a separate cottage on the estate, was finding that she was thoroughly enjoying having a man around; that is, this man! Mac had been a cop--inheriting had saved him from filing bankruptcy for several reasons...

Mac also inherited Gnarly!

But Gnarly, a German Shepherd, is not just a favorite pet that adds fun to the book. Mac is told that he is a genius, for a dog. You see, Gnarly just may have been "on the job..." Of course, his job was as he, himself, perceived it; in fact, he had been dishonorably discharged from the service because he didn't always obey his superiors (and now Mac!) Needless to say, I loved Gnarly!

In fact, it was Gnarly that started the whole investigation when he was observed chewing on a round object, which turned out to be a human skull...

Mac met his half-brother after that find; but neither Mac nor David said anything to each other, both wondering if the other knew that David's father was also Mac's. David had been first on the scene when the head was found.... And then Mac met Chief Roy Phillips, his father's resplacement. He had brought along Travis Turner, a novelist! Mac knew immediately that the Chief was suspect--mainly of being totally unprepared to handle a murder case, if he had to use the assumed expertise of a novelist! Especially when he paid no attention to the fact that Mac had more experience than anyone there...

It was already assumed that the head belonged to Katrina Singleton, a neighbor who had been missing for some time. Of course, her husband had died earlier, supposedly killed by a stalker after Katrina! With a couple more bodies discovered later, the need to figure out what was going on had everybody involved. But then David started rechecking earlier activities and he was fired by Chief Phillips!

Of course that didn't stop Mac and he from continuing their search--and soon what they discovered was going to blow the whole town open!

One of the items inherited by Mac from his mother was her journals. It was interesting to have her son follow the trail she had found and to pull items, such as a necklace, out of his own safe that was an important clue. There were also clues from her former books, as some of the things that happened were discovered to be methods of murder in her books. This whodunit has multiple murders, multiple murderers, and lots of suspects for readers to consider, And even in death, Mac's mother is showing him that It's Murder, My Son!

Lauren Carr has won a new fan with her first book. It will be fun to see what Mac and Archie face in the next Mac Faraday Mystery and to once again hear Mac shout, "I'm going to kill you Gnarly! Gnarly and I both know he doesn't mean it...Gnarly is just on the job... A Mystery Lover Must-Read in my opinion!

Thanks for Book Via
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G. A. Bixler Read more ›

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A MURDER MYSTERY AMONG THE WEALTHY.... August 8, 2010

By Laurel-Rain Snow "Rain" TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Synopsis:

Meet Mac Faraday. What started out as the worst day of his life ends up being a completely new beginning for this homicide detective. After a messy divorce hearing, the last person that Mac wanted to see was another lawyer. Yet, this lawyer looked very unlawyer-like, wearing the expression of a child who was about to reveal a guarded secret. This covert would reveal Mac as heir to fortunes undreamed of and would lead him to Spencer, Maryland, the birthplace of America's Queen of Mystery, with her millions, and an investigation that unfolds like one of her famous mystery novels.

Behind the gated community in Spencer, Maryland, lives Katrina Singleton, a multi-millionaire who thinks her good looks and charm make her untouchable. Soon after she and her husband, Chad, move to the lake she learns that life in Spencer is not all good. For reasons unknown, a strange man is terrorizing Mrs. Singleton. All indications point to the man, who claims he is "Pay Back," when Katrina is found strangled in her lake house. However, three months later the file on her murder is still open with only vague speculations from the local police department.

In walks Mac Faraday, sole heir to his unknown birth mother's home and fortune. Little does he know as he drives his new Dodge Viper up to Spencer Manor that he is driving into a closed gate community that is hiding more suspicious deaths than his DC workload as a homicide detective. With the help of his late mother's journal and two unsuspecting companions, this newly retired cop puts all his detective skills to work to pick up where the local investigators have left off to follow the clues to Katrina's executer....

My Thoughts:

From the beginning moments of this exciting mystery, I felt a connection with each of the characters as they were introduced. Who doesn't dream of inheriting millions from someone--anyone? To discover an unknown birth mother who is famous and rich must be everyone's dream.

But even if you're one of those people who doesn't dream of riches, imagine yourself plunged right into the midst of a murder mystery, almost before you unpack your bags. If you're a former police detective, accustomed to solving murder mysteries, you might just believe you've landed in an exciting land of adventure--one that really gets your juices flowing.

As I rapidly turned the pages, I was constantly trying to figure out who did what, and also wondering about the motives. Uncovering the motives was a gradual revelation, which is how I like my mysteries to unfold. With a whole canvas of possible suspects to examine, I kept busy trying to figure things out until the very end.

A mystery story that focuses on mystery writers is an intriguing twist, which I enjoyed. What writer doesn't love reading about other writers? In the midst of all this mystery, a little romance tugs away at our main hero; in the end, he just might get the girl of his dreams.

So who among the residents of this very high-end community might have killed Katrina? And how did the killer access her home without triggering the alarms? What other residents are keeping very big secrets, especially secrets that could totally destroy their lives? And what role does a German shepherd named Gnarly play in the story, and how does he help bring evidence to light?

These and other questions intrigued me and kept me reading late into the night. I give It's Murder, My Son (Mac Faraday Mysteries) five stars...I'd award more if I could. Read more ›

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars High Society Mystery July 5, 2011

By S. M. Fatta

Format:Paperback

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved mystery books. When I was in junior high school, I read the Nancy Drew series. I just loved reading all the while trying to find out what happened. Mystery books have a way of keeping me glued to the pages, I just can't wait to get to the end.

In It's Murder, My Son, you will find mystery, murder, drama, and high society! I enjoyed the different characters and different personalities. There were definitely some wild people, but they made the story interesting. I found myself laughing at how some of the characters portrayed themselves, especially in public! I suppose people with money think they can treat people as they see fit. It's so very sad to see that some people are even capable of acting they way they do. Even though Mac Faraday comes into a huge windfall, he never loses sight of his values and character as a person.

Mac will learn who his friends and allies are. His first friend is Archie, who helps show him the ropes of his new house, and that of his family connections.

I could feel a connection right away with Mac because of his character. He reminds me of my husband in that he wants to do the right thing and figure things out. My husband would always stay true to himself and to his character because that's just who he is. Like Mac, he doesn't let others judge him with the things we have or don't have, or even what we wear.

Money may buy material things, but does it buy family, love, and friends?

More About the Author

Lauren Carr fell in love with mysteries when her mother read Perry Mason to her at bedtime. The first installment in the Joshua Thornton mysteries, A Small Case of Murder was a finalist for the Independent Publisher Book Award.

Lauren is also the author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. It's Murder, My Son, Old Loves Die Hard, and Shades of Murder, have all been getting rave reviews from readers and reviewers.

Dead on Ice introduces a new series entitled Lovers in Crime, in which Joshua Thornton will join forces with homicide detective Cameron Gates.

Lauren is currently working on the next Mac Faraday Mystery (Blast from the Past, coming Dec 2012) and Lovers in Crime Mystery (coming Spring 2013).

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This spring, two books written by independent authors will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.

She lives with her husband, son, and two dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Visit Lauren's websites and blog at:
E-Mail: [e-mail]
Website: http://acornbookservices.com/
http://mysterylady.net/
Blog: Literary Wealth: http://literarywealth.wordpress.com/


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lauren.carr.984991
Gnarly's Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/GnarlyofMacFaradayMysteries

Lovers in Crime Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/LoversInCrimeMysteries?ref=ts&fref=ts

Twitter: @TheMysteryLadie