"Wow - this is one INCREDIBLE novel that I could not put down.
It had me on the edge of my seat and I can honestly say that I never
saw the end coming. It was full of suspense, action but also humour
(done in a way that only Lauren can accomplish)." - 5-Star Review of THE NUTCRACKER CONSPIRACY by Working Mommy Journal
Join Us for This Audiobook Tour from June 8 to June 26, 2020! Book Details:
Book Title: The Nutcracker Conspiracy(A Thorny Rose Mystery #4) by Lauren Carr Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 388 pages Genre: Mystery Publisher: Acorn Book Services Release date: January 30, 2020 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!
Book Description:
Three years ago, the nation gasped in horror when the President of the
United States barely escaped an assassination attempt that left two
dead—the vice president’s wife and the attempted assassin. Even after
numerous investigations proved otherwise, conspiracy theorists argue
that the assassin was acting on orders from the CIA, FBI, and every
federal agency within a hundred miles of the capital.
Aspiring Author Dean Conway is the last person Lieutenant Commander
Murphy Thornton wants to spend his Saturday afternoon when they end up
at the same wedding reception table. While their wives tend to
bridesmaid duties, Murphy is trapped listening to Dean’s latest
work-in-project—completing the manuscript of an investigative journalist
who’d disappeared months earlier.
“She was number twelve,” Dean says.
“Twelve?” Murphy asks.
“Twelve witnesses connected to or investigating The Nutcracker shooting have died either in an accident or suicide.”
Two days later, Dean dies suddenly―but not before sending a text message to Murphy:
Lauren Carr is the international
best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Chris Matheson
Cold Case, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty-five 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, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and
humor.
A popular speaker, Lauren is also
the owner of Acorn Book Service, the umbrella under which falls iRead
Book Tours. She lives with her husband and two spoiled rotten German
Shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
According to Esquire, Pizzagate started in 2016 when Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager John Podesta's email was hacked, and the messages were published by Wikileaks. One of the emails, was between Podesta and James Alefantis, the owner of D.C.'s Comet Ping Pong. The message discussed Alefantis hosting a possible fundraiser for Clinton.
From there, someone got it in their head that the emails contained coded messages for a pedophile ring run by the leaders of the Democratic party. Within a few weeks, a pro-government media outlet in Turkey started tweeting the conspiracy theory using the hashtag #pizzagate.
And so the conspiracy grew and grew and grew until a 28-year-old North Carolina man, outraged that no one was doing anything about this pedophile ring operating out of the pizzeria, walked into the restaurant and shot it up.
How does an email about arranging a fundraiser for a political candidate grow into a world-wide conspiracy? Good question.
As a mystery writer, I explored how such a phenomenon can and does happen while writing my latest Thorny Rose mystery. The Nutcracker Conspiracy deals with a mystery surrounding a conspiracy theory. Surprise! Who would have guessed?
The Nutcracker Conspiracy, named after the ballet which the president is attending when there is an attempted assassination, is loosely based on the JFK assassination. This latest Thorny Rose mystery takes up three years later. Conspiracy theorists are convinced the attempted assassin did not act alone—but rather that the president’s cabinet had framed the alleged assassin in a failed coup attempt.
In my opinion, most people are skeptical of those conspiracy theories that are contrary to their own beliefs. Yet, they happily jump on board for those conspiracies that validate their agendas.
Several years ago, my late mother came to believe that the moon landing was faked. Distrustful of the government, this conspiracy fell in with her beliefs. Of course, the government would con the world in such a manner.
Likewise, another elderly fellow I know firmly believes that Nazi Germany was framed for the Holocaust. A world-wide conspiracy against Nazi Germany better serves his own personal anti-Jewish agenda.
Whether they be personal or political, agendas are like fertilizer to conspiracy theories. What starts out as a germ of truth, spreads like manure as those wanting the alleged infraction to be true spread the word. In the case of Pizzagate, it was an alt-right motivation to smear the left.
In watching the news, even recent events, I have observed that conspiracy theories take root from the tiniest of incidents, mostly coincidences, and grow like weeds. Over time, events that may or may not be connected to the original conspiracy get tossed into the mix. That makes it difficult to sort it out the truth from the fiction.
It’s been close to sixty years since the JFK assassination. A few hours after the shooting in Dallas, a police officer was shot and killed. Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald. Allegedly, Ruby had mafia ties. A witness to the assassination who swore he heard four shots was killed in a motorcycle accident four years later. An investigative journalist died six years later. Her manuscript about the JFK conspiracy disappeared. Those are just a few of the deaths that conspiracy theorists list as part of the government’s cover-up.
Of course, if the conspiracy theory gets grand enough, it can become laughably unbelievable.
Murphy Thornton laughs about The Nutcracker conspiracy when a writer claims that twelve people connected to the assassination attempt have died or disappeared—until two days later when the writer becomes number thirteen. When a friend is accused of the writer’s murder, Murphy and Jessica go to work unraveling the conspiracy to find out the truth about what had happened that night at The Nutcracker.
Over a half a century later, there’s still a huge debate about whether Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the JFK assassination or was he a patsy. Mostly likely, your opinion depends on if you trust or don’t trust your government.
The writer in me asks, “Suppose there is some truth to it?”
I have discovered that the truth is not always wholly black and white. Sometimes, you have to peel back the layers of lies, perpetuated by those who have their own agendas, to get to the truth at the core.
That’s what makes investigating a conspiracy both challenging and fun.
"Steps up several
levels into an exciting category all its own. It's thriller, cold case,
mystery suspense, and police procedural, all rolled into one exciting
novel. Set amidst the political drama that comes with Washington DC and
the Pentagon, a current multiple murder becomes a search years in the
past. With a young, hot lieutenant assigned to NCIS, and his beautiful
new wife, you have all the makings of a bestseller. Nicely done, Ms.
Carr!" - Review by Merry Citarella, Mystery Suspense Reviews
The Latest Best-Selling Thorny Rose Mystery Available Now!
Get Your Copy Today!
Join us for this tour from Jan 20to Feb 28, 2020!
Book Details:
Book Title: The Nutcracker Conspiracy(A Thorny Rose Mystery #4) by Lauren Carr Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 388 pages Genre: Mystery Publisher: Acorn Book Services Release date: January 30, 2020 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!
Book Description:
Three years ago, the nation gasped in horror when the President of the
United States barely escaped an assassination attempt that left two
dead—the vice president’s wife and the attempted assassin. Even after
numerous investigations proved otherwise, conspiracy theorists argue
that the assassin was acting on orders from the CIA, FBI, and every
federal agency within a hundred miles of the capital.
Aspiring Author Dean Conway is the last person Lieutenant Commander
Murphy Thornton wants to spend his Saturday afternoon when they end up
at the same wedding reception table. While their wives tend to
bridesmaid duties, Murphy is trapped listening to Dean’s latest
work-in-project—completing the manuscript of an investigative journalist
who’d disappeared months earlier.
“She was number twelve,” Dean says.
“Twelve?” Murphy asks.
“Twelve witnesses connected to or investigating The Nutcracker shooting have died either in an accident or suicide.”
Two days later, Dean dies suddenly―but not before sending a text message to Murphy:
"The plot was original, fresh and fast paced in spite of the
"traditional elements" employed which can normally be found in any other
thriller of this genre. The USP of this story would be its
unpredictability. When you think you have it all guessed up, the plot
would change its course keeping you hooked. There were a lot of suspense
twists and turns that kept the momentum up. Needless to say, the
writing was simply perfect. One thing that writer needs to be lauded for
is the humor she inculcated in the book. Minus those humorous parts,
the book would have been one serious read." - Reviewer: Book and Ink
Book Description:
Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally murdered
in a townhome outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions
surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers
together only to be killed.
Taking on his first official murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton,
USN, believes that if he can uncover the thread connecting the victims,
then he can find their murderer.
The case takes an unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the
victims has a connection to his stepmother, Homicide Detective Cameron
Gates. One wintry night, over a dozen years before, her first husband, a
Pennsylvania State trooper, had been run down while working a night
shift on the turnpike.
In this first installment of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, the Lovers in
Crime join newlyweds Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday to shift
through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can the detectives of the
Thorny Rose uncover the truth without falling victim to a cunning
killer?
"Mysteries, murder, danger, and memories that threatens their
lives keeps the action and suspense at a high level and even when the
answers are found, it left me wanting more." - Review by Sherry Fundin of Fundinmental
Book Description:
After ten months of marital bliss, Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton
are still discovering and adjusting to their life together. Settled in
their new home, everything appears to be perfect … except in the middle
of the night when, in the darkest shadows of her subconscious, a deep
secret from Jessica’s past creeps to the surface to make her strike out
at Murphy.
When investigative journalist Dallas Walker tells the couple about her
latest case, known as the Pine Bridge Massacre, they realize Jessica may
have witnessed the murder of a family while visiting family at the
winery near-by, and suppressed the memory.
Determined to uncover the truth and find justice for the murder victims,
Jessica and Murphy return to the scene of the crime with Dallas Walker,
a spunky bull-headed Texan. Can this family reunion bring closure for a
community touched by tragedy or will this prickly get-together bring an
end to the Thorny Rose couple?
Murder by Perfection is a wonderful read and a perfect to
escape from the challenges of a busy day. Danger, intrigue, humor, and
love all take their turn in this tale which will keep you reading into
the wee hours." Review by Marilyn R. Wilson, Olio by Marilyn
Book Description:
Beware: Perfection has a dark side!
Frustrated with their busy schedules, Murphy Thornton and Jessica
Faraday attempt to find togetherness by scheduling a weekly date night.
The last thing Jessica Faraday expected for her date night was to take a
couple’s gourmet cooking course at the Stepford Kitchen Studio, owned
by Chef Natalie Stepford―the model of perfection in looks, home, and
business.
When Natalie ends up dead and Murphy goes missing, the Thorny Rose
detectives must peel back the layers of Natalie Stepford’s life to
discover that the pursuit of perfection can be deadly.
Lauren Carr is the international
best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Chris Matheson
Cold Case, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty-five 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, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and
humor.
A popular speaker, Lauren is also
the owner of Acorn Book Service, the umbrella under which falls iRead
Book Tours. She lives with her husband and two spoiled rotten German
Shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Recently, a book blogger sent an email which read, “Lauren, you have been averaging two to three murder mysteries a year—all of them best-sellers! This year, you have released three books. Do you ever get writer’s book?
Actually, I have had writer’s block while writing my third book. Between drafts of It’s Murder, My Son, the first Mac Faraday Mystery, I spent a year staring at my laptop. I was completely frozen.
At that time, I had left my publisher because they did not have a paperback division. It is very hard to sell a $26 hardback when you’re an unknown. Ebooks were still being discovered back in 2010. Getting rejection after rejection, my search for a publisher specializing in mass paperbacks was going nowhere.
After a full year of staring at my laptop, I threw up my hands and walked away. I actually announced to my family that I was giving up writing for good. I spent the next month doing volunteer work, going to lunch, and working out at the gym.
Suddenly, I was back at the laptop rewriting It’s Murder, My Son. Notably, this draft included the beloved canine character of Gnarly (my most popular character), who had not been included in the previous drafts.
Of course, my family reminded me that I had said I was giving up writing for good, to which I responded that I was going to return to writing, but this time, I was going to self-publish. If my books sold—fine. If not, that was okay because I was going to write what I wanted to write and for no one else.
Ironically, a month later I received an offer from a traditional publisher. I turned them down. It’s Murder, My Son made it to #1 in mysteries on Amazon.
Since that time, I have never had any trouble writing—except for that time Gnarly drooled all over my laptop and it shorted out. As a matter of fact, I literally finish one book and go right into the next one. Last week, Killer Deadline, my first installment in the Nikki Bryant Cozy Mysteries, was released and I am already a quarter of the way through the first draft of Came Upon a Midnight Murder, the next Mac Faraday Mystery. Mentally, I’m already working on the plot for the next Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery. That’s the Geezer Squad, in case you don’t know.
What was the secret to getting over writer’s block?
American poet William Stafford offers this advice to poets who suffer from Writer's Block: "There is no such thing as writer's block for writers whose standards are low enough."
This sounds terrible at first. "What? I'm supposed to write junk? I need to write the great American Novel! I'm better than that!" No, Stafford is not encouraging writers to produce garbage. He is suggesting, however, that it's easy to take yourself too seriously.
When I walked away, when I stopped trying to impress literary agents and publishers and decided to write what I want for myself, my writer’s block went away, and I am now the happiest writer in the world.
Now, almost thirty books later, I am still writing for myself. Yes, I do check out reviews and I love to read emails from readers about how they love Gnarly and how much they enjoy Nikki Bryant, or asking what is next for Chris Matheson and the Geezer Squad.
When that rare reader takes offense by a certain turn I have taken in a plot or how they perceived a certain character, or an unintended message written between the lines, I may listen to their opinion, but in the end I make the final decision based on what I want to write, because—
I write for myself.
When teaching a class about writing, I open and close with a warning to the writers not to give into the temptation to rewrite the latest best seller in hopes of cashing in on the latest trend—like all those zombie books that have hit the market in the last few years.
As tempting as it may be, even if you self-publish, then once again, you find yourself writing for someone other than yourself—stretching and straining to meet someone else’s standards.
The truth is … gradually readers have been discovering the previously undiscovered treasures produced by independent authors. It’s a huge library in cyberspace. So, even when an author’s writings don’t meet the desires of the most popular marketing demographic, he or she can still find a niche audience who will appreciate his or her story on his or her own terms.
Believe me, it is much more fun writing what you want and love to write.
The Nutcracker Conspiracy is the fourth and latest installment to Lauren Carr’s Thorny Rose Mysteries. I have read the previous books in the series and this one does not disappoint. It is by far my favorite of the series. I love how Miss Carr is able to throw in humor in addition to her murder mysteries. I love trying to figure out “who done it” and every time, she throws me off. I hardly every predict how it all ends. That is what is so great about her books. She is so clever coming up with these mysteries.
The Nutcracker Conspiracy catches up the perfect couple and investigative team, Murphy and Jessie. Murphy starts investigating the cold case murder of the Vice President’s wife. Witnesses of the murder have, also, have died mysteriously. Murphy teams up with Dean, a writer, to find out the truth behind these deaths before more become victims. There were so many twists and turns within the pages that I would never had seen coming. Mixed in the suspense, there were some sprinkles of humor that kept me reading. I had no problem to continue reading from front to back in one sitting. It is so very good.
I am giving The Nutcracker Conspiracy a very well deserved five plus stars. I am hoping there will be another release from the Thorny Rose Mysteries in the near future. I am ready to give up these fun characters. I highly recommend this one for readers who enjoy a good suspense filled cozy mystery.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
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