Book Tour: Best in Murder (A Mac Faraday Mystery #15) by Lauren Carr
Book Details:
Book Title: BEST IN MURDER (A Mac Faraday Mystery #15) by Lauren Carr
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +)
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: Oct 13, 2026
Content Rating: PG-13 (Lauren Carr's books are murder mysteries, so there are murders involved. Occasionally, a murder will happen on stage. There is sexual content, but always behind closed doors. Some mild swearing (a hell or a damn few and far between). No F-bombs!
"Pedigreed dogs, rich owners, cutthroat competition, enormous egos, several murders, a stolen diamond dog collar, a missing Irish Wolfhound show dog, a disgruntled cop, and a criminally inclined biker with a vicious poodle all come together in this tale. As each new element dropped in my lap, I was pulled in further until it was impossible to put the book down. I consumed it."- Marilyn R. Wilson, Book Reviewer and Author
Book Description:
One Collar. Two Dead. Total Chaos.
When a priceless platinum-and-diamond collar vanishes at the Mid-Atlantic Classic Kennel Club Invitational—Best in Show at the Spencer Inn, it looks like the ultimate high-society theft. But when two women connected to the glittering event are murdered in quick succession, the case explodes into something far more deadly.
Mac Faraday and his troublemaking German Shepherd, Gnarly, dive headfirst into the glamorous, cutthroat world of championship dog shows. Amidst perfectly groomed champions worth small fortunes, ruthless competitors, and million-dollar egos, the trail leads to a missing Irish Wolfhound whose value goes well beyond his blue-blood pedigree.
As tensions rise between Spencer PD and the county sheriff’s office, Mac’s team races to untangle a web of greed, betrayal, and long-buried secrets—all while the elegant resort descends into delightful canine chaos. With show dogs of every shape and size turning the Spencer Inn into their personal playground, Gnarly does what he does best: stir up trouble and sniff out the truth.
Fast-paced, laugh-out-loud funny, and packed with four-legged mischief, Best in Murder proves that in the high-stakes world of Best in Show, the biggest prizes come with the deadliest risks.
One Locked Cottage. One Framed Dog. Two Four-Legged Detectives on the Case.
When beloved local Frieda Selleck is found mauled to death in her locked cottage, all evidence points to her gentle, arthritic Goldendoodle service dog, Michelangelo. But Mac Faraday refuses to believe the obvious. With help from his irrepressible German Shepherd, Gnarly, Mac must prove the loyal service dog was framed for murder.
Just days before the glamorous Mid-Atlantic Classic Kennel Club Invitational descends on the Spencer Inn, Frieda—a sharp-eyed woman with a reputation for “psychic” visions—had handed Mac a sealed envelope containing clues to her own killer. Now, with doors locked from the inside, no signs of forced entry, and a hidden wall safe emptied of cash and gold, Mac and Gnarly race against time to uncover the truth.
Joined by an unlikely four-legged partner in Michelangelo, the canine detective squad follows a trail of family secrets, phony smiles, suspicious alibis, and a desperate climb down a steep wooded hillside. As the pieces fall into place, Mac discovers that even the shiniest “golden child” can hide a dark heart.
A fast-paced, twist-filled cozy mystery packed with humor, heart, and plenty of doggy mischief. Perfect for fans of the Mac Faraday series!
“Who Framed Michelangelo?” is an exclusive prequel short story set at the Spencer Inn the week before the events of Best in Murder (Mac Faraday Mystery #15, coming October 13, 2026).
Meet the Author:
Lauren Carr is the author of over thirty acclaimed mystery novels, with more than half a million copies sold worldwide. Her fast-paced series—the Mac Faraday Mysteries, Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries, and more—blend twists, suspense, humor, and unforgettable characters (including clever German shepherds!).
It's Murder, My Son organically hit #1 in Mystery on Amazon, and her books consistently rank in the Top 20 Police Procedurals in the US and international markets.
A popular speaker and publishing consultant, Lauren lives on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV, with her husband and three spoiled rotten German shepherds.
Assigned topic: the review that launched Best in Murder.
Every so often a review lands in my inbox and I can hear the reader tapping the page.
After Shadow of Murder came out, one of those notes said, in so many words: lovely book, Lauren, but where was Gnarly? I wanted more of the dog.
Fair. Completely fair. Gnarly has been stealing scenes since It’s Murder, My Son. He has run for mayor. He has been accused of crimes he did and did not commit. He has an opinion about everyone who walks through Spencer Manor, and he is usually right. If a reader finishes a Mac Faraday mystery and feels shortchanged on German shepherd, I have not done my job.
So I asked the only question that mattered: how do you get more Gnarly without turning the book into a picture calendar with a murder stapled to the back?
A dog show.
Not a cute little park-day agility class. Best in Show. The Mid-Atlantic Classic Kennel Club Invitational, held at the Spencer Inn, which is already the most overqualified hotel in western Maryland. Champions worth small fortunes. Handlers who have not slept. Owners who talk about bloodlines the way other people talk about stock portfolios. A platinum-and-diamond collar that should never have left the safe. And one missing Irish Wolfhound whose value has nothing to do with his haircut.
Drop Gnarly into that, and you do not have to invent mischief. Mischief arrives on a leather lead and demands a grooming appointment.
I will confess something that will not surprise anyone who lives with shepherds: I did not have to stretch to write the four-legged chaos. I live on a mountain in Harpers Ferry with a pack that believes the house is a shared custody arrangement. They do not care that I have a deadline. They care that someone opened a bag of something interesting in the kitchen. Gnarly is fiction. The attitude is research.
What I did have to invent—and this is the fun part—was the collision. Mac Faraday still thinks like a homicide detective, even when he is standing next to a judge’s table and a standard poodle with a better stylist than I will ever have. David is trying to keep order in a county that has developed an unfortunate habit of collecting bodies. The Inn is full of people who smile for the cameras and lie in the hallway. And Gnarly, who has never once read a kennel-club rulebook, treats the whole event as his personal playground.
That is the premise of Best in Murder in one sentence: give the dog the room he asked for, then lock the doors.
I know some readers worry that a dog-show mystery will go soft. I write murder mysteries. Someone dies. More than one someone, if I am being honest, which I try to be except when I am plotting. The rhinestones do not cancel the crime scene. They just make it louder.
If you are new to Mac Faraday, you do not need fourteen books of homework. You need a retired detective, a resort town that cannot stay quiet, and a German shepherd who has never met a situation he could not make worse and then solve. If you have been with us since the beginning, you already know Gnarly does not share the spotlight. He rents it out and keeps the deposit.
The reader who asked for more Gnarly may regret the request when the Spencer Inn starts sounding like a kennel at feeding time. I do not. I took the note. I booked the show. And I let the dog off the lead.
Best in Murder is out October 13. Pack a lint roller.
My Review:
Lauren Carr has become my go to for when I am looking for an entertaining mystery. Her A Mac Faraday Mystery series has been one of my top favorite series. It was an honor to have the opportunity to read the newest and fifteenth installment called, Best in Murder. I have come to the conclusion that my favorite Lauren Carr is always the most current one I have read. It is so hard to choose! I loved catching up with Gnarly and Mac Faraday once again. This duo always has a way making me giggle throughout their stories. This time around they are having to solve a mystery at a kennel club dog show. I was often wondering of who done it. Once I think I knew what had happened, a twist is thrown in and I was left guessing again. I thought it was a great book to read and a perfect way to spend a cold, rainy day. Loved it.
I am going to give Best in Murder a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who love to read fun filled mysteries, especially those that involved our beloved canine friends. I really am hoping there will be more to come from A Mac Faraday Mystery series for several more years. Mac has become like family for me. I can not wait to see what else Lauren Carr has in store for this clan in the future.
I received a paperback copy of Lauren Carr's Best in Murder from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
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