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Book Details:
Book Title: Candidate for Murder by Lauren Carr
Series: A Mac Faraday Mystery (Volume 12)
Category: Adult fiction (18+), 410 pages
Genre: Murder Mystery
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: June 16, 2016
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!
"OMG! Carr is over the top and giving us an easy "10" with her latest, Candidate for Murder!...Don't just sit there thinking that this might be the book to try for Lauren Carr! I'm telling you right now it's a must-read for daring, adventure, crime-busting, high-level government criminal elimination." - reviewer by Glenda Bixler, Book Readers Heaven
"OMG!!! The best Mac Faraday...yet. Lauren Carr is a master storyteller who combines the humor of Janet Evanovich and the investigative skills of Patricia Cornwell. She is always at the top of my reading list." - review by Sherry Fundin, Fundinmental, As Eye See It
Book Description:
When the candidate is a dog, the election gets deadly.
It’s election time in Spencer, Maryland, and the race for mayor is anything but civil.
When the two major parties offer up a pair of thoroughly unpleasant candidates, Police Chief David O’Callaghan decides to make a statement — by nominating Gnarly, Mac Faraday’s brilliant and mischievous German Shepherd, to run for mayor.
What begins as a hilarious joke quickly turns deadly serious when Gnarly becomes the front-runner overnight. Suddenly, the campaign gets ugly. One of the human candidates ends up murdered, and all signs point to the canine contender.
With the entire town watching and political enemies circling, Mac Faraday and the gang must dive headfirst into a dirty election filled with long-buried secrets, dirty tricks, and at least one very determined killer.
Can they clear Gnarly’s name before the votes are counted — or will this be one election that ends in murder?
A witty, fast-paced Mac Faraday Mystery packed with small-town charm, sharp humor, and a German Shepherd who just might be smarter than the voters.
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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.
connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ X/twitter ~ pinterest ~ goodreads
Guest Post:
I Took the Election Personally. Then I Gave It to a Dog.
I am a small-town person. I grew up in one, I live outside another, and I set mysteries in them because everybody already knows everybody and still manages to be surprised. When I wrote Candidate for Murder, I was not trying to explain Washington. I was trying to survive a local ballot.
Spencer is arguing about what kind of town it wants to be. That argument is older than my series. Locals on one side, new money on the other, rules multiplying like lake weeds. The mayoral race should have been the place that argument got settled. Instead the parties produce two nominees David O’Callaghan would not trust with a spare key. He answers them by nominating Gnarly.
I wish I could say I planned the aftermath in a calm professional way. What I planned was the nomination. What I got was a campaign. A manager. Ads. A pensive photograph. Mac Faraday, who is not above asking whether anyone in the room remembers this candidate is a dog. And an opposition research file that reaches back to a war, a handler, and an accusation David’s little stunt was never meant to uncover.
That is the part I took personally, in the way writers do, which is to say I gave it to fictional people and then felt responsible anyway. Gnarly is fiction. The loyalty is not. I have buried one shepherd and I live with others, and I am not interested in a joke that treats a dog as a prop and a soldier’s death as a gag. The race can be absurd. The past has to be told straight, or the book is lying.
So if you pick this up because a German shepherd is running for mayor, you will get that. You will also get a murder, a police chief who started something he cannot call off, and a detective who will not let a classified rumor be the end of the story. It is book twelve. It is also a front door. Spencer will let you in without a reading list. Gnarly will not move his feet off the welcome mat. That, too, is policy.
Candidate for Murder
I Took the Election Personally. Then I Gave It to a Dog.
I am a small-town person. I grew up in one, I live outside another, and I set mysteries in them because everybody already knows everybody and still manages to be surprised. When I wrote Candidate for Murder, I was not trying to explain Washington. I was trying to survive a local ballot.
Spencer is arguing about what kind of town it wants to be. That argument is older than my series. Locals on one side, new money on the other, rules multiplying like lake weeds. The mayoral race should have been the place that argument got settled. Instead the parties produce two nominees David O’Callaghan would not trust with a spare key. He answers them by nominating Gnarly.
I wish I could say I planned the aftermath in a calm professional way. What I planned was the nomination. What I got was a campaign. A manager. Ads. A pensive photograph. Mac Faraday, who is not above asking whether anyone in the room remembers this candidate is a dog. And an opposition research file that reaches back to a war, a handler, and an accusation David’s little stunt was never meant to uncover.
That is the part I took personally, in the way writers do, which is to say I gave it to fictional people and then felt responsible anyway. Gnarly is fiction. The loyalty is not. I have buried one shepherd and I live with others, and I am not interested in a joke that treats a dog as a prop and a soldier’s death as a gag. The race can be absurd. The past has to be told straight, or the book is lying.
So if you pick this up because a German shepherd is running for mayor, you will get that. You will also get a murder, a police chief who started something he cannot call off, and a detective who will not let a classified rumor be the end of the story. It is book twelve. It is also a front door. Spencer will let you in without a reading list. Gnarly will not move his feet off the welcome mat. That, too, is policy.
Candidate for Murder
My Review:
I love love love Lauren Carr’s writing. I was so excited when I had the chance to read her Candidate for Murder. This installment from her Mac Faraday Mystery series does not disappoint. Even though it is part of a series, I believe readers can get by reading it as a stand alone. Though, I would highly recommend to reading the previous books as they should not be missed. I enjoyed catching up with Mac and his hilarious pup Gnarly. Gnarly is by far my favorite character in this series. This is one of those books that I look for in a story: action, adventure, mystery, suspense, and lots and lots of laughs. The mystery was not one I could have predicted. I was left wondering as to who did it until near the end. I love the mix of quirkiness thrown in from time to time to break down the tension.
I had the pleasure of listening to the audio version of Candidate for Murder. Once again C.J. McAllister does a wonderful job bringing this story and characters to life. The performance is superb.
I am giving Candidate for Murder a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who love a fun and entertaining cozy mystery that will make them giggle throughout. I am hoping to read more from the Mac Faraday Mystery series in the near future. I love this series.
I received Lauren Carr's Candidate for 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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