I can’t ever pass up one of Lauren’s books and this is the first in a brand new series!
Check out Ice. Watch the book trailer.
Enjoy my review.
And don’t forget to enter the awesome giveaway!
Ice
Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries #1
by Lauren Carr
Category: Adult fiction, 380 pages
Genre: Mystery, Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Cozy
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: February 26, 2018
Tour dates: April 2 to 30, 2018
Content Rating: PG (It’s a murder mystery and there is mild violence. Very mild swearing no F-bombs. No on-stage sex scenes.)
My Review
I started reading this at night and finally had to set it aside when my eyes got blurry. I woke up n the dark, around 5:46 A.M. and the booked popped right into my head. So, I turned on the light and started back up with it, devouring it in a couple of hours.
I’ve read other books by Lauren and shared reviews saying how much I loved her mysteries and her characters, both human and other. This was a brand new cast of characters and I had such a great time getting to know them.
Chris retired from the FBI. A man in his mid forties, he moved home to his mother’s farm to raise his three daughters after his wife was killed in a terrorist attack overseas. It works well for all of them.
The opening scene is a bit sad as Chris is spreading the ashes of his beloved german shepherd companion. Kind of bittersweet, but it doesn’t stay that way for long because a new dog enters the life of the family. Sterling is a two year old german shepherd who was recently retired from the police force after he was injured and his handler and fellow officer was killed. I had a feeling these two would help each other heal. What I didn’t expect was how Sterling would steal my heart. I confess he was the character I wanted most to read about. Lauren makes the non human character’s as much a part of her stories as their human counterparts. Some of Sterling’s quirks are hilarious. The scene at the casino was so fun. As was his penchant for country music. And what can I say, I’m a dog lover.
On to the mystery, or I should say mysteries, as there are several to untangle. From a couple of cold cases to recent murders, Chris is dragged back into law enforcement as a consultant and things get hairy. Lauren can create such great plots. You really have no clue who did what until right at the end. I did catch one bread crumb that turned out to be right. The rest, I couldn’t figure out the culprits til they were caught. One character I had hopes for didn’t go the way I wanted. Shows how the author can deliver such genuine characters, take you down so many false trails, and serve up the culprits in ways that keep you guessing.
A big bonus that Lauren does is supply a cast of characters at the beginning of the book. She details each one and also puts them in the order they appear in the story. Even the non human ones. It helps when you can’t quite remember who someone is. But even with so many characters, you easily become familiar with them and nothing slows down the reading.
I couldn’t find one thing to fault with Ice. It kept me riveted. I connected with and loved so many of the characters. Cracked up more times that I could count. Enjoyed the brushes with romance. And was very satisfied with how it was all wrapped up.
An exciting, superb new series and I can’t wait for more.
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Synopsis
The clues for a close-to-the-heart missing person’s case heat up when Chris Matheson starts chipping away at the ice on the cold case.
When Sandy Lipton and her unborn child disappear, the court of public opinion finds young Chris Matheson guilty. Decades later, the retired FBI agent returns home to discover that the cloud of suspicion cast over him and his family has never lifted. With the help of a team of fellow retired law enforcement officers, each a specialist in their own field of investigation, Chris Matheson starts chipping away at the ice on this cold case to uncover what had happened to Sandy and her baby and the clues are getting hot!
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Author Lauren Carr
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!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
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Follow The Tour
April 2 – Working Mommy Journal – review / giveaway
April 2 – Live To Read ~ Krystal – review / guest post / giveaway
April 2 – XoXo Book Blog – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
April 3 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – review / guest post / giveaway
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April 4 – Paulette’s Papers – book spotlight / giveaway
April 4 – Elizabeth McKenna Romance Author – book spotlight
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April 5 – Writers and Authors – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
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April 10 – 411 on Books, Authors, and Publishing News – bk spotlight / int / giveaway
April 10 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – review / giveaway
April 11 – Books are love – review / author interview
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April 12 – Nighttime Reading Center – review / giveaway
April 13 – My Reading Journeys – review / author interview / giveaway
April 17 – A Mama’s Corner of the World – review
April 17 – Lovely Loveday – review
April 18 – StoreyBook Reviews – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
April 19 – FUONLYKNEW – review / giveaway
April 20 – Mystery Suspense Reviews – book spotlight
April 20 – fundinmental – review / author interview / giveaway
April 23 – Two Points of Interest – review
April 24 – Svetlana’s Reads and Views – review
April 25 – Sefina Hawke’s Books – review
April 26 – The Book Drealms – review / giveaway
April 27 – Pause for Tales – review / guest post
April 27 – LadyJ’s Bookish Nook – review / giveaway
April 30 – Jessica Cassidy – review / author interview / giveaway
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Thank you so much for the fabulous review for ICE! I am thrilled that it kept you riveted and connected so well with the characters. I’m sure your followers will enjoy it as well! Here’s wishing each one good luck in the giveaway!
I’m still thinking about this book! You’re characters are so genuine. And I love cold cases. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read it. And I hope your tour is a huge success, Lauren!
I will be sharing mine tomorrow, so I read your great review. You are right about the critters, they do manage to steal the show for me too, though I love their humans too. 🙂 I always look forward to her next one!!!
sherry @ fundinmental
Yep, Lauren sure can create some fun characters and intriguing plots!
Oh, this sounds lovely! Gotta love a great dog character 🙂
Yep. All of her books have dogs and even some very unusual non human characters. They all have very distinct personalities too.
The mystery sounds really good but the dog totally seals the deal 🙂 I am so happy you enjoyed this one!
All of her books are really good and I love all of the non human characters!
I am so glad everyone loves the canine characters in my books. Just for your information, the handsome guy with the big ears in my picture is the real Sterling, who is just as goofy as the fictional one. He doesn’t play blackjack YET, but he does swing from tall trees.
I adore all of your characters but those furry ones really shine. They have such adorable personalities. I wondered about Sterling, I knew he was your real dog and wondered if he did any of things you mentioned in the book.
I wish more authors would do book trailers. I love them. 🙂
I love them too. I always look to see if a book has a trailer when I find new ones:)
This is the first time that I have heard about the Thorny Rose Mysteries, as well as the author. I am going to check this out.
I hope you check out her books. I’ve read from all of her series and love them!