fuonlyknew

Killer In The Band

A Lovers In Crime Mystery #3

by Lauren Carr

Genre: Mystery

My Review

This is the only series by Lauren that I hadn’t tried so I had to give it a go. I really enjoyed her others and had a good vibe about this book. And, as usual, I jumped into the series somewhere besides the beginning.

Not having read the books that came before, I was worried if I’d be able to follow this plot. No worries. I did just fine, as Lauren dropped in references to past events in the right places without slowing things down.

It didn’t take me long to recognize some of the characters. I checked, and sure enough, I’d met them before in Lauren’s Thorny Rose Series.

J.J. Thornton has finished law school and returns home for the summer to study for his bar exam. Staying at his father Joshua’s house is a bit awkward as he doesn’t care much for his step-mother, Detective Cameron Gates.

Things become contentious between J.J. and his father when he rekindles an old romance with Suellen. There’s some past history revealed about the earlier romance that explains Joshua’s disapproval.

Cameron convinces Joshua to mend fences after J.J. moves in with Suellen, and they pay a visit to the orchard and horse farm that Suellen inherited. Soon, the whole family is involved in running the ranch.

But a cold case that has haunted Cameron rears it’s ugly head and soon the killer’s crosshairs are pointed at J.J. It’s a race to solve the crime before more wind up dead.

As with her other books, the character list is large. For those who aren’t familiar with them, Lauren includes a list at the beginning of the book to help you. I still look at it now and then to get my bearings.

And there’s another cast of characters you’ll come to know. There’s Commanche, the abused horse saved by Suellen. And Captain Blackbeard, the beautiful stallion. Suellen’s family has kept his bloodline going for generations. Can’t forget Charley, the cranky rooster. He’s a force to be reckoned with and only seems to tolerate, Izzy, Joshua’s and Cameron’s adopted thirteen-year-old daughter. Numerous creatures, great and small, play large roles in this story. For you furry friend lover’s this is a huge plus. It was for me.

And I would love to meet someone like Poppy, the horse whisperer, or should I say animal whisperer. She seems to be able to communicate with animals and they adore and trust her.

I enjoyed the cold case scenario and the author threw in some surprises that I honestly didn’t anticipate. Kept the suspense and intrigue at a high pitch.

I’ve said it before and now I say it again, I flew through this book, dying to know the end, and not wanting it to end.

Loved it.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

Summer of Love & Murder

Joshua’s eldest son, Joshua “J.J.” Thornton Jr., has graduated at the top of his class from law school and returns home to spend the summer studying for the bar exam. However, to Joshua’s and Cameron’s shock and dismay, J.J. moves into the main house at Russell Ridge Farm, the largest dairy farm in the Ohio Valley, to rekindle a romance with Suellen Russell, a onetime leader of a rock group who’s twice his age. Quickly, they learn that she has been keeping a deep dark secret.

The move brings long-buried tensions between the father and son to the surface. But when a brutal killer strikes, the Lovers in Crime must set all differences aside to solve the crime before J.J. ends up in the cross hairs of a murderer.

Praise for Lauren Carr’s Mysteries:

“Lauren Carr could give Agatha Christie a run for her money!”

​- Charlene Mabie-Gamble, Literary R&R

“As always, Lauren Carr brings an action-packed story that is almost impossible to put down. Her mystery plots have so many twists and turns that I didn’t know if I was coming or going. And the action just didn’t stop from the very beginning till the very end.” – Melina Mason, Melina’s Book Reviews

Buy the Book:

Amazon  ~  Barnes & Noble

Author’s Bio:

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!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly 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 with Lauren: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook

Book Trailer:

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