Customer Reviews

Old Loves Die Hard: A Mac Faraday Mystery

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Yes, Lauren, I picked up on the irony of Mac thinking he had to wait to payday to replace his grinding brakes... For those of you who did not read the first book in the Mac Faraday series, let me just share that Mac inherited tons of money from his biological mother. She had been a well-known and successful writer of mystery novels before she died. Earlier, she had arranged to meet her son, who had been adopted. Now, though he still was not used to not having to wait for a payday, he lived in a mansion, owned a nearby vacation spot...and Gnarly...

Yes, he came with the house...

Gnarly is a very intelligent German shepherd (tested, even!), knows sign language, which is used to save Mac's life in this novel...and a thief! Seriously, the hijinks of Gnarly is enough to make the book worth reading!

But Mac Faraday is all about mystery and he's right in the middle of it this time! Because his ex-wife and her ex-lover were murdered in a beautiful penthouse suite owned by, you guessed it, Mac! Christine had come to visit Mac at his new home and quickly proposed that they get back together! Of course, she was already drinking when she had arrived but when she entered the home that she could have once called hers, she had moved more quickly than she should have.

In addition to what she had done to him emotionally by leaving and living with Stephen McGuire, Mac had another reason for totally being turned off by his ex-wife's manner. Her name was Archie. She, too, came with the property he had inherited...

Realizing he had to do something to get her out of his home, Mac had taken her to Spencer Inn where he learned he had an entire floor just waiting for his use or for his guests. Readers see the security through which Mac goes to finally get Christine in and settled, with a warning not to leave the suite.

But even with all that security, by the next morning she was dead. And so was Stephen McGuire...

When lots of people, involved in politics, are part of the story, you should know it will be a whodunit that is more difficult to solve. There was no way to keep track of those who had a reason to kill Christine and/or Stephen McGuire. Was it political? Personal? Was it jealousy? After all, Christine had met Stephen and a beautiful woman in the lobby as they arrived and had caused an awful scene, with Christine trying to attack Stephen!

But forensics proved that Christine was not the killer...

Then during the investigation it was discovered that Stephen McGuire was not who he said he was and had robbed Christine of everything during their time together, including, apparently, money that had been sent to Christine from one of her sisters...

He also, however, had been putting together a set of files that could prove wrongdoing in a government office. Honestly, just about everybody, including Mac, hated the guy enough to want him...dead...

And guess what, Mac and the Sheriff travel to Morgantown, WV, as part of their investigation! I was hoping to meet them since I live not too far away, but...

Anyway, I hope future readers do better than I did on solving this one. If so, let me know how you figured it out! I was stumped, reading through to the conclusion before everything was finally explained. Carr's main characters in this series are really wonderful. I love the Spencer Manor life as Mac is discovering his stock of fine wines, etc., and Archie and he are becoming closer and closer. Add Gnarly and you have a true family setting...even if we hear Mac yell, "Gnarly, I'm going to kill you, you thief!" quite often.

I'm in for the long-haul on this series and I think you will be too...so check out my review of the first book, It's Murder My Son! Plan to get both books and have a great weekend with another mystery lover, the author, Lauren Carr! And Enjoy!

Book Received

From Author

GABixlerReviews

In this sequel to It's Murder, My Son (A Mac Faraday Mystery), we meet ex-homicide detective Mac Faraday again as he is settling into his new life, after inheriting millions from his birth mother, Robin Spencer, a famous mystery writer. He had only discovered who his mother was in adulthood, and is still reeling from the changes wrought by his new-found wealth.

So when his ex-wife Christine shows up (inebriated) at his new home, Spencer Manor, he is totally unprepared for her desperate plea for him to take her back. Apparently the lover she left Mac for has dumped her cruelly, and now she realizes what she had...and lost.

Mac takes her over to the penthouse suite at The Spencer Inn, where he hopes she'll sober up. He plans to meet her the next day for breakfast to talk.

But suddenly Mac's life spirals out of control when, the next day, he discovers Christine and her estranged lover, Stephen Maguire, murdered in the suite.

Over the next scintillating pages, we discover several possible suspects, many of whom had some kind of political connections to one another, and the thrill ride begins. The fun in this kind of story is trying to figure out who did what to whom, and how they did it; and just when you think you have it sorted out, there is another possible scenario playing out. Mac and his half-brother David, the police chief, work together to solve the case, discovering all kinds of secrets as dead bodies show up right and left.

We learn a lot more about the deceased victims, too, as Old Loves Die Hard (The Mac Faraday Mysteries) winds down to its thrilling conclusion. Along the way, we get to enjoy the interactions between Mac and his new love, Archie, and the antics of Gnarly the dog, who is a bit of a kleptomaniac.

I thoroughly enjoyed this continuing romp with Mac Faraday and those who share his life. I can't wait to see what author Lauren Carr will bring us next! Five stars.

(I read the ARC of this novel).

When a young intern to a high profile judge was found murdered, the case files and laptop he was carrying to his car were missing. The detective on the case was Mac Faraday.

Several years later Mac is retired and living on a beautiful Maryland estate after inheriting millions of dollars from his birth mother on the day his divorce left him with nothing. Six months after settling in, his ex-wife wants him back.

Mac quickly takes her to the Spencer Inn to his penthouse suite so that she can sober up. When he arrives at the suite the next morning to meet her for breakfast, he finds she and her lover were murdered sometime during the night. He is further shocked to find the lover has a number of Mac's old case files in his hotel room.

When clues to the murders start pointing to Mac as the chief suspect, his new friends gather around him to help him clear his name.

Old Loves Die Hard is the follow-up to Lauren Carr's first Mac Faraday mystery, It's Murder, My Son. She has gathered a group of enjoyable characters including a half-brother who is a cop on the local police force, a kleptomaniac 100-pound German shepherd named Gnarly, and a beautiful editor who has permanent rights to live in the guest house as long as she wants.

The fast-paced complex plot brings surprising twists into a storyline that leads Mac and his friends into grave danger. Readers are drawn into Mac's past, meet his children, and experience the troubling relationships of his former in-laws. New fans will surely look forward to the next installment in this great new series.

Old Loves Die Hard: A Mac Faraday Mystery

Old Loves Die Hard is the second book in Lauren Carr's Mac Faraday series. I reviewed the first book earlier - It's Murder My Son. Well, the second book is at least as good as the first! Mac's ex-wife comes shows up, wreaking havoc on the new life he's made in Deep Creek Lake; her death only increases the confusion.

Carr continues to write interesting characters. Some you want to get to know, some you probably don't. She keeps the plot twisting and turning so guessing the bad guy is quite a challenge. Mac's wry humor adds just the right seasoning to make a well-rounded mystery.

You don't have to read the books in order, they read well as stand-alones. However, I recommend it. Once you read either one of them, you'll want to read the other, so just get them both and clear your weekend!

*Disclaimer: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review.

I bought this book directly from the author at a book signing in Winchester, Virginia. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. What is especially great is that you are totally blindsided by who committed the crime(s). This is a great read and fun as well with Gnarly the dog taking a starring role. Lauren Carr is my new favorite mystery writer. I cannot wait to read her next book!

If you are a person who enjoys a good murder mystery, with bodies dropping everywhere, you will really enjoy Old Loves Die Hard. This is the second of the Mac Farraday series. In the first, he discovers that he has just inherited a huge estate left to him by his mother (who gave him up for adoption as a child). The estate comes with Gnarly - a hugely intelligent dog who misbehaves out of boredom; Archie, a beautiful woman living in the cottage, and David, a half-brother who is Chief of Police.

Just when Mac thinks that things have settled down at the estate following his last escapade It's Murder, My Son (Mac Faraday Mysteries), David shows up to confront Gnarly about stealing a bone out of a local store, and Mac's ex-wife shows up on his doorstep fully drunk and wanting to reconcile.

Not wanting to evict her later, or ruin his blossoming romance with Archie, he decides his best bet is to put her up at the Spencer Inn (a part of his new inheritance) and discovers that he has his own private suite at the inn as its owner. However, on the way into the inn, she runs into her ex-lover, the cause of her break-up with Mac and causes a scene, threatening to murder him.

When both she and the lover turn up murdered in Mac's suite the following morning, Mac becomes a prime suspect.

Like her previous novel, Lauren Carr interweaves several potential scenarios for the murders and their causes, throws in a few more murders to keep things interesting, and leaves the reader wondering until the end who did what and how will it all work out.

I love having Gnarly as a part of the story, since when things grow too intense, he is always there to provide a little relief. I should mention that poor Gnarly is a former Army Dog who was "dishonorably discharged," unfairly, I believe, since he probably would have done well if he were given a human job, but just didn't do well following orders of humans who were less capable than him.

Gnarly proves his worth again in this novel, showing more intelligence than all of the other characters in knowing who is good and who is evil.

Another great read!

The second novel in the Mac Faraday series, Old Loves Die Hard, is a wonderful mystery novel involving the murder of Mac Faraday's ex-wife. Carr has again created an action packed suspense novel, bringing back the beloved characters of Mac Faraday, Archie, police Chief David O'Callaghan, and the ever-mischievous Gnarly. I absolutely loved the many twists and turns within the novel, keeping me on the edge of my seat as the story unfolded. Carr's superb characterization causes the reader to feel like they're a part of the story, as if the characters are close friends. I really enjoyed this novel, especially as Carr continues to surprise me at every turn within her stories; I never saw the ending coming, and I highly recommend this series to any reader looking for a great murder mystery with wonderful characters, lots of suspense, and endings that will leave you reeling. Four stars.

"We did have a good marriage," she choked out. "If I hadn't made that one mistake--" Clasping her arms around his neck she tried to kiss him.

While diving backwards to dodge her lips, he released her hold on his neck. "You threw me out of my own home." He folded her hands in her lap.

"You were always such a gentle man." Each word came out slowly and deliberately in her effort to appear in control.

"Funny," Mac said, "that's not what your lawyer told the judge."

"Stephen told him to say that." Her tears fell anew. "If he hadn't seduced me - he made me all these promises and told me how you didn't treat me right and how I deserved so much better than our little house in the suburbs with its little lawn and...He said that I deserved so much more and that he could give it all to me because I deserved more..." She tried to make her smile as becoming as possible in her condition. "What about us?"

"There's no us, Christine."

"You can't abandon me like this Mac," she cried. "I've lost everything. I've got nothing. When Stephen left..." She broke into heavy sobs. "Oh, Mac..." She collapsed into his lap.

Mac Faraday is Christine's ex-husband. She left him for greener pastures that have now turned brown due to no more money on her part. Stephen Maguire promised Christine the stars but when her money ran out, so did Stephen.

The divorce virtually put Mac on the streets. Christine was awarded their home and everything that went with it. But, to Mac's surprise, he inherited his birth mother's estate and everything that went with it. In other words, Mac went from being dirt poor with nothing but a policeman's salary to becoming filthy rich and retired. Now, Christine wants another chance.

When Christine appeared at Mac's door, she had had more than enough to drink and he knew he couldn't just put her out on the streets in her condition so he decides to put her up in the penthouse of the five-star hotel that was part of his inheritance. His plan was to deal with her the next morning after she sobered up. What he didn't expect was to find not just Christine, but also Stephen-dead in his own private quarters of the hotel.

Old Loves Die Hard was a jewel to read. Mac is the perfect ex-policeman turned wealthy character. Archie, the computer whiz that lives in the guest house, is taking on a more personal role in this Faraday Mystery. But my favorite character has to be Gnarly the Kleptomaniac dog. Gnarly was actually a member of the military that was given a dishonorable discharge for reasons unknown to Mac.

Old Loves Die Hard has everything...murder, suspense, politics, action and humor. As the plot of the story takes you back into the past, I feel the ending will come as much a surprise to you as it did to me. Author Lauren Carr, hooked me with It's Murder My Son so I'm asking her to "Please keep this series going!"

In Old Loves Die Hard, Lauren Carr continues the adventure of Mac Faraday, retired detective and heir to a fortune, with a story that weaves together past and present. Carr crashes Mac's past into his future just as he's getting comfortable with his new role in life. Carr explores how the past created the present and how one can never run from one's own life experience in this murder mystery where Mac finds himself a suspect in the murders of his ex-wife and her former lover. Threads of identity theft, deception, betrayal, ambition, and a warped sense of justice drive the characters in Old Loves Die Hard. Carr creates characters who are neither all bad nor all good causing the reader to be unsure whom to trust and whom to suspect. In one moment the reader may find themselves rooting for someone's innocence and in the next hoping that same someone is guilty. She creates interpersonal dynamics that are at once complicated and simple. Old Loves Die Hard draws the reader into the characters, their motivations for their actions, and their ability to seemingly not see what they don't want to see. In an investigation that on the surface seems simple, the motivation behind the murders in Old Loves Die Hard complicates the investigation and keeps the reader wanting to know more.

Yes, Lauren, I picked up on the irony of Mac thinking he had to wait to payday to replace his grinding brakes... For those of you who did not read the first book in the Mac Faraday series, let me just share that Mac inherited tons of money from his biological mother. She had been a well-known and successful writer of mystery novels before she died. Earlier, she had arranged to meet her son, who had been adopted. Now, though he still was not used to not having to wait for a payday, he lived in a mansion, owned a nearby vacation spot...and Gnarly...

Yes, he came with the house...

Gnarly is a very intelligent German shepherd (tested, even!), knows sign language, which is used to save Mac's life in this novel...and a thief! Seriously, the hijinks of Gnarly is enough to make the book worth reading!

But Mac Faraday is all about mystery and he's right in the middle of it this time! Because his ex-wife and her ex-lover were murdered in a beautiful penthouse suite owned by, you guessed it, Mac! Christine had come to visit Mac at his new home and quickly proposed that they get back together! Of course, she was already drinking when she had arrived but when she entered the home that she could have once called hers, she had moved more quickly than she should have.

In addition to what she had done to him emotionally by leaving and living with Stephen McGuire, Mac had another reason for totally being turned off by his ex-wife's manner. Her name was Archie. She, too, came with the property he had inherited...

Realizing he had to do something to get her out of his home, Mac had taken her to Spencer Inn where he learned he had an entire floor just waiting for his use or for his guests. Readers see the security through which Mac goes to finally get Christine in and settled, with a warning not to leave the suite.

But even with all that security, by the next morning she was dead. And so was Stephen McGuire...

When lots of people, involved in politics, are part of the story, you should know it will be a whodunit that is more difficult to solve. There was no way to keep track of those who had a reason to kill Christine and/or Stephen McGuire. Was it political? Personal? Was it jealousy? After all, Christine had met Stephen and a beautiful woman in the lobby as they arrived and had caused an awful scene, with Christine trying to attack Stephen!

But forensics proved that Christine was not the killer...

Then during the investigation it was discovered that Stephen McGuire was not who he said he was and had robbed Christine of everything during their time together, including, apparently, money that had been sent to Christine from one of her sisters...

He also, however, had been putting together a set of files that could prove wrongdoing in a government office. Honestly, just about everybody, including Mac, hated the guy enough to want him...dead...

And guess what, Mac and the Sheriff travel to Morgantown, WV, as part of their investigation! I was hoping to meet them since I live not too far away, but...

Anyway, I hope future readers do better than I did on solving this one. If so, let me know how you figured it out! I was stumped, reading through to the conclusion before everything was finally explained. Carr's main characters in this series are really wonderful. I love the Spencer Manor life as Mac is discovering his stock of fine wines, etc., and Archie and he are becoming closer and closer. Add Gnarly and you have a true family setting...even if we hear Mac yell, "Gnarly, I'm going to kill you, you thief!" quite often.

I'm in for the long-haul on this series and I think you will be too...so check out my review of the first book, It's Murder My Son! Plan to get both books and have a great weekend with another mystery lover, the author, Lauren Carr! And Enjoy!

Book Received

From Author

GABixlerReviews