Lauren Carr Adds Another Winner With Latest Lovers in Crime Mystery, Real Murder

PROLOGUE--Friday the Thirteenth, February 13, 1976

Dolly's Gentlemen's Club, Newell, West Virginia

In the upper tip of West Virginia's northern panhandle, the tiny town of Newell has two claims to fame--Homer Laughlin China Company, whose wares are used in restaurants and fine dining all over the world, and the Waterford Race Track. Folks travel for miles to see the Thoroughbreds race for the  was a board houfinish line.

Off the record, Newell also had another claim to fame in the Ohio Valley. It was located a half mile off route 208, the first left beyond the race track--Doll's Gentlemen's Club.

On a lazy weekday afternoon, one would think that the huge white antebellum house with a wrap-around porch and veranda off the second story, all nestled behind two huge willow trees, was simply the grand home of a gentleman farmer.


Those not in the know would assume the young women living there were some lucky farmer's lovely daughters. The local law enforcement told people that the establishment was a boarding house for women--who happened to throw parties on the weekends...

The stereo was set to repeat
the song "Stairway to
Heaven" by Led
Zeppelin...

...killed in silence...

"Ava!" Bart tried turning the doorknow. The door was locked. As loud as they were, Ava should have been answering the door. Then he was worried. Had she overdosed? Did she even use drugs. He didn't know Ava well enough to know if she did.

He took the keys he had for the bedroom doors out of his pocket. As a guard, he had the keys in case any of the girls got into trouble with a client, or, as in this case, possibly had a medical emergency. He unlocked the door and forced his way inside. The lights were indeed off. The girls crowded in the doorway to see what was preventing Ava from answering the door. Bart flipped on the wall switch to bathe the room in light. ,In unison the girls screamed at a variety of hysterical pitches.

Real Murder
A Lovers in Crime Mystery

By Lauren Carr

Friday the Thirteenth: September 13, 1996

"It was twenty years ago today that West Virginia Congressman Roderick Hillard was killed when his private plane...crashed...

Joshua Thornton was in the midst of negotiating an argument between his twins, J.J. and Murphy, when a young man dressed in the uniform of a Hancock County Sheriff Deputy came calling... It was Mike Gardner and Joshua had not seen him for quite some time... He had come to ask for help... But Thornton was already scheduled and late getting ready to fly to Italy and had to regretfully tell him he couldn't help him through his murder case for a murdered prostitute. He was even on his way to meet with an informant...

And as he left with a strange car following him.  Thorton's stomach twisted, feeling panic that was immediately forcing Joshua to try to catch him, but both cars had disappeared...

That was the last time anyone saw Deputy Mike Gardner...

Sensing that his mistress
had had a rough day, Irving,
Cameron's Maine Coon cat,
leapt into her lap and
rubbed his face against her chin.

Joshua Thornton has remarried! Cameron is a homicide detective...and, apparently, they were "too hot" to wait, LOL, and had their wedding without inviting the children who lived away from home...Not a pretty thing to watch as one daughter comes home and immediately starts.. so much fun to watch all three of them! 

Cameron had been out on the job, been hurt--How? By jumping off a 2nd-floor fire escape directly onto the man she was chasing--and told to take two weeks off. Everybody knew that would not happen... 

Around the same time, a couple of kids were racing on the lake and one noticed that a car was in the water under where they were stopped! He realized it was a police car... Mike Gardner had been found--and declared dead in 2001!

Joshua Thornton knew one thing, he was going to work to find out what had happened to Mike!

One of the ways that was used to keep Cameron away from work was to invite her to a luncheon with several women. It was at that time Dolly Houseman who was also a neighbor of hers started asking her questions. While they were getting acquainted, Dolly mentioned her 8 girls...

And as they talked about Cameron being a detective, Dolly mentioned she needed a detective. Then went on to explain that one of her girls had been murdered...

Now Jan who had been the one to invite Cameron warned her that Dolly was quite old now...and that a real murder had not occurred...

But as Dolly further talked with Cameron, she shared that Ava had been the one who was murdered and that she had worked at Dolly's years ago when Dolly had been a madam with 8 girls in her stable! 

And then it was easy to make the connection between Dolly's murder of one of her girls and Mike Gardner's case of looking for the murder of a prostitute. Interestingly, when the questions began the police who had been involved indicated that nobody cared since she was just a hooker, but that certainly had proven to be a wrong assumption...

Especially when Dolly is murdered!

I had a small "inkling" regarding who the murderer was, but that was based on what I'd read rather than on any evidence that clearly led me to my conclusion...does that count? But there were certainly link after link, some of which were political since Dolly's had been known to host quite a number of business meetings before other pleasures...

There's a touch of underlying humor that I found totally entertaining, especially when Irving was involved... I can't include examples since I was unable to find a good sit-in for Irving. So just enjoy Hitler's lookalike for my contribution!

Joshua and Cameron have not been married long, but their relationship is sweet, tender...and reveals they are very much in love...even though there are times when memories from the past will come to create a flashback of distraction. Carr has done an outstanding job in creating this romantic couple which certainly adds greatly to this reviewer's enjoyment...and as a bit of romantic suspense for readers to enjoy... I've been a fan since I read her first book; my guess is if you read one, you too won't be able to read just one! Try this one to begin the series...right now, I'm not sure which is my favorite of her series. Fortunately I don't have to choose! Enjoy!


GABixlerReviews

Lauren Carr fell in love with mysteries when her mother read Perry Mason to her at bedtime. The first installment in the Joshua Thornton mysteries, A Small Case of Murder was a finalist for the Independent Publisher Book Award. A best-selling mystery author on Amazon, Lauren created the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. It’s Murder, My Son, Old Loves Die Hard, and Shades of Murder, Blast from the Past , The Murders at Astaire Castle, The Lady Who Cried Murder, and Twelve to Murder have been receiving raves from readers and reviewers. Lauren is also the author of the Lovers in Crime Mysteries, which is located in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area, where she grew up. Dead on Ice features prosecutor Joshua Thornton with homicide detective Cameron Gates. The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also an independent publisher of both ebook and print books, spanning several genres, both fiction and non-fiction. A popular speaker, Lauren is frequently asked for advice about how to succeed as an author while running a business, cooking dinner, feeding dogs, and doing laundry. Authors in Bathrobes tells budding writers the truth about what it takes to be a successful writer today: determination, hard work, a dependable laptop, a full pot of coffee, comfy slippers, and a durable bathrobe. She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

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OMG! Linda Prather Flew Into Big-Time With Eternal Beauty!

“One more, sweetheart, and we’ll be finished.” He folded her hands across her chest, carefully arranging them to hide the missing fingers. “That’s perfect.” The camera’s flash lit up the darkness for a moment, illuminating her pale features. He crouched beside her and gently brushed her blond hair away from her face. “You can rest now. Your memory is forever preserved.” 
He placed the small digital camera in his pocket, stood, and reached for the tape recorder. A light breeze swept over the bow of the boat, and he closed his eyes. He’d stopped believing in God, but he still believed in Hell. And he was going to burn in Hell. Not because he’d killed her, but because he’d enjoyed it so much. He opened his eyes and glanced at the recorder. He’d taped every scream. Recorded every moan. His purpose had been innocent enough in the beginning. He’d wanted a reminder of the sins he had committed. But then something had broken. Needs had awakened. Darkness had descended on his soul. He had become the very thing he abhorred. And worst of all, he liked it. He pushed the play button and listened to her screams rise and fall. Desire swelled deep in his groin, intensifying each time a scream peaked. He licked his lips, yet he denied himself the pleasure of the sweet beauty of release. Later, he could watch the video, study the photos, and relive the excitement. Perhaps then he would allow himself the ecstasy of release, but only if it didn’t cheapen her memory. She didn’t deserve that. At the moment, reliving the feel of the scalpel in his hand and the rush of pleasure of severing the muscles one by one was enough. His gaze fell on the hands still delicately folded across her bosom. He’d had to discipline her. But she’d learned quickly, and the missing fingers did nothing to diminish her perfection. And she’d been so perfectly exquisite. Her hair was a golden halo, her skin soft as silk, and her body… 
If goddesses existed, they must have cringed in envy every time she walked by. But her eyes set her apart from the others. Beautiful, gleaming sapphires. That was why he’d kept them. If the process worked, he would use them. If it didn’t, he knew where to find an identical pair. He placed the recorder in his shirt pocket but left it running. His desire was gone, but something about her cries was soothing. They created a pleasant balm in the pre-dawn stillness. 
He reached for the Ziploc bag housing the remnants of his first experiments and opened it. Although each had been beautiful in her own way, they had had no ceremony, no words of beauty spoken over them. He had simply weighted them down with rocks, and with a simple flip of a switch, the cargo hold had opened, expelling the cold, stiff bodies. They were not worthy of a starring role, but their lives had not been totally in vain, as they would have been had he not taken them. Although they held no place of honor on his board, he had immortalized them. They would be remembered. Holding the bag over the side of the boat, he whispered, “I cast your eyes to the ocean.” He watched the white orbs flip and float on the waves. The screams on the tape tapered off into whimpers as the sun crested the horizon. He rolled the body to the edge of the boat and wound a rope around it. Then he secured the massive stone to the corpse and lowered the special-made railing. “You, my darling, have the starring role in Act One.” With a smile, he pushed the bundle overboard. “I cast your soul to the sea. ‘Do not be afraid; our fate cannot be taken from us; it is a gift.’” He’d memorized the verse for the occasion. Just for her. She had changed everything, cleared the fog from his brain, and given him a reason to live. Such beauty must be preserved...

~~~

Eternal Beauty:
A Catherine Mans Psychic Suspense

By Linda S. Prather

Linda Prather has found her niche, her rhythm--her thrust up the ladder of success with her latest, Eternal Beauty, and maybe even missed a couple of rungs... Prather kept me Riveted! On Edge, right to the realllly surprising ending that I would not have even thought to anticipate! Kudos to Prather for her characters in this series and her use of their talents!

http://www.netanimations.net/eyes.htm
Had to lighten this up a bit - pretty
scary to find 14 eyeballs!

Homicide Sergeant Jack Wharton stood on the beach, his gaze drifting over the bay as a team of officers scoured the sand and the edge of the water. Fourteen eyeballs. Fourteen eyes meant at least seven bodies. Maybe more.
Medical Examiner Emily Chan joined him. “How are the boys doing?” Wharton turned, giving her a weak smile.
“I don’t think they’ll be skipping school again for a long time. Officer Barnes took them home after he secured the beach and notified the Coast Guard.” He gestured toward the long line of onlookers behind the yellow tape.
 “Good thing too, or we’d have never found the rest of them.”
“They haven’t been in the water long. I’ve got them on ice, but I need to get them to the lab. Some are still frozen, but decomp will set in as they thaw. In a few hours, they would have withered to the point no one would ever have found them.”

. 

~~~

They had been skipping school, but when the boys found all those eyeballs, they knew that, whether they got in trouble or not, they had to contact the police.

Homicide Sgt Jack Wharton and ME Emily Chan were quickly on the scene; however, they knew this case was going to explode because they already knew that a local senator's daughter was missing. I guess it is no longer stereotyping when something is true?? But, of course, that Senator immediately moved in and began demanding, but even more troublesome, getting personally involved.  Soon the FBI were on their way, but neither of these police groups would be happy with how that senator got involved! For purposes of the story, however, it was expected, and therefore kind of fun to watch the interplay and not-so-polite exchanges, LOL. I loved the extra little twist regarding the change of attitude by Homicide Wharton toward Catherine and Rosetta as well...

As Dante says, “As one who sees in dreams and wakes to find the emotional impression of his vision still powerful while its parts fade from his mind — Just such am I, having lost nearly all the vision itself, while in my heart I feel the sweetness of it yet distill and fall.” That is my life now, my love. I shall keep the vision of our love alive. Within my heart, the sweetness of your vision shall never fade.
~~~

. 

Most of us recognize Dante's name and the type of writings he's known for. While I don't know enough to truthfully say it, I must at least acknowledge Prather's wonderful research and use of Dante's words as those often quoted by the fascinating rogue created, as well as her romantic letter writing on his behalf. While those dead might not be able to appreciate her efforts, we readers will enjoy this added touch to making  the villain a much more entertaining individual, even if really, really, insane...

If you have not read earlier Catherine Mans books, do check them out...As mentioned, though in the subtitle, Catherine is psychic and has been added to a special group of individuals who work within the FBI somewhat more freely because of what they do...

However, with this senator's involvement, there have already been threats of the group being disbanded, Catherine and others fired...

Also interesting is that Catherine seems not to be able to connect psychically on anything related to this case. Could it be because of the death of her grandmother and the subsequent desire of her grandfather, who by the way, adds much needed fun color to this dark suspense novel, to have Catherine take over? Take over what? You'll have to find

out by reading the book; but I will say that this is not the reason Catherine is not honing in on this killer...

Which is a problem, because HE is honing in on this beautiful blond woman himself!

But, in fact, Rosetta, who is one of my favorite characters, steals the show in this book, in my opinion. When I envision Rosetta, the quirky Garcia is my pick. And it this case, it doesn't matter that Rosetta is not blond because when the bargaining starts for the next victim, this guy is willing to "make due" if he can't have Catherine... But just wait until you see Rosetta in action! Wow, you go girl!

By now you probably have realized that the unidentified women are those that were ultimately found, nameless. Fortunately, in real life--and in the book--they were ultimately all identified and the families were notified.

Now, I just want to briefly comment on this author because many of you will recognize her as one of my favorites...I read and reviewed her first book, loved it, and have tried to keep up with her work from then on, although I don't know whether I've read all that she has available now.

This is fact, and purely from my opinion, since I have no personal knowledge of this writer, have never met her, etc., but in my opinion, the quality of the work from this author has definitely steadily improved with each of her books. This one, I believe, is her best!

And I'm excited now not only for her, but for all of you that take my word that you need to start reading Linda S. Prather. Now!

GABixlerReviews

Linda Prather. Born in Richmond, Kentucky, I grew up the youngest of six. Workers' Comp didn't exist when I was small, or at least not for my family and when dad was injured on the job he became virtually unemployable. I was eight at the time and remember the drastic changes in our lives. Dad became a "share cropper" for a local farm. For those of you unfamiliar with that term, it means raising crops for the farm owner in exchange for a place to live and a small percentage of the crop proceeds. My brothers, sisters and I would rise every morning at five a.m. to help mom and dad with the crops. School work was secondary to our afternoon chores. Still, even with all this I found time to read and fall in love with books. I've always wanted to write. specially mysteries. I love the twists and turns of a good mystery which leaves me guessing all the way to the end.
In the late 80s I became interested in metaphysics. I studied meditation, hypnosis, touch healing and a vast number of other "alternative" healing methods. My interest was sparked by my own experiences and the fact that my mother had just been diagnosed with cancer.
In the late 90s I received my Clinical Hypnotherapy Degree and began studying the effects of hypnosis on cancer and other terminal illnesses, as well as working with local doctors and hospitals on pain control of phantom limbs and fibromyalgia. My studies led to the development of the use of meditation and hypnosis with local support groups.
Even with all this, something was missing in my life. I wanted to write. No, actually I needed to write. In the mid 90s I joined a group called Green River Writers in Louisville, Kentucky. The next five years contain many of my fondest memories of being a part of a group of authors. Critiquing and being critiqued. Learning to hone a craft that isn't simply putting words on a page. I combined my love of mysteries with my love of metaphysics. The payoff? In 2005 I submitted my first novel, The Gifts, A Jacody Ives Mystery to Echelon Press, a small trade publisher. After several months of nail biting and walking the floor I was offered a contract to publish. Wow!
I believed The Gifts to be a good book, but my readers amazed me even more when it took 2nd place in the Preditor's and Editor's contest for best novel of 2006 and was nominated for The David Award. Reader requests resulted in my writing a prequel, Sacred Secrets, which has now been released by Amazon Digital.
Research into the third Jacody Ives Mystery led to my studies in the paranormal research field, as well as my becoming a Paranormal Investigator. I'm currently working on the 3rd and 4th Jacody Ives Mystery as well as a suspense novel and legal thriller.
Some questions I'm asked: Q) Do I believe in ghosts/spirits? A) Yes, I do. Q) Are you psychic? A) I
believe everyone is psychic.
Have questions: Please feel free to contact me at : admin@prather-author.com

Collaborative Novel, Rubicon Ranch: Riley's Story Presents Complex, Creative Mystery...

www.rubiconranch.wordpress.com

Rubicon Ranch:
Riley's Story

A Collaborative Novel

Lazarus Barnhill, Nichole R. Bennett, Eric Beetner, J. B. Kohl, Pat Bertram, J. J. Dare, Christine Husom, Deborah J. Ledford, Nancy A. Niles






I must have been one of the few individuals whose time did not permit watching and/or participating online as this book was written. Nevertheless, I was still surprised that it had not been reviewed! Wow, you need to check it out now while it's only 99 cents for Kindle! Actually, the group is now writing their third novel, so I probably won't ever catch up with this prolific group...

First of all, a collaborative novel meant one thing to me--continuity. Would the story read as if it were written by only one author. Yes! In fact, I was amazed how well it did, so I'm guessing maybe one author acted as editor as well...but that really doesn't matter for readers!

Interestingly, the group decided to write as the characters in the story, so that it is only when that character is involved, do you have the chapter announcement indicate whose POV this chapter will relate to. It seemed unusual, but didn't disrupt the story in any way. Think Columbo and consider that each of the characters are being interviewed and, of course, suspected...LOL

For murder...

And, believe me, it would take a Columbo-type investigator to follow and figure out this case. One thing for sure, when you have a collaborative novel, you will never want for the number of suspects needed to keep the story weaving and bobbing right in front of your head, and readers thinking, stop, I need to think through this! Actually, it is really quite fun! Ok, I have to say fun because I didn't have a clue--that must be what happens when you've got a whole group working to ensure the mystery will not easily be solved!

Or Maybe we need Miss Marple for this mystery since we have someone who can play the part right at the Ranch!

Melanie stopped by an overturned sofa, pointed the camera, and clicked the shutter. How could she ever fool the publisher? He’d know immediately that these photos came from someone without artistic vision. A horn beeping in the distance caught her attention. A white SUV slowly traveled along a narrow road, following two massive dogs. Whenever the dogs strayed too far afield, the horn sounded, and the creatures loped back to the vehicle. She snapped a photo of the scene, then headed for the rocky trail that would take her to the other side of the knolls. 
A man and woman jogged by in tandem, he running heel to toe, she running toe to heel. Melanie photographed their footprints so she wouldn’t have to look at the couple. Is this the way the rest of her life would be? Alone, trying to avoid the pain of seeing people in pairs? Keeping her gaze on the trail, she climbed the knoll. When she reached the top, a faint breeze stirred her clothes, and she could feel the coolness of her drying sweat. She lifted her head and jutted out her chin. I can do this. She’d never understood the lure of photography, but now, snapping image after image of the desert and the distant hills, she could appreciate how much simpler and cleaner the world appeared when seen on the screen of a camera. 
Some of the photos actually seemed passable. She really could do this. She turned around to get shots of the trail she’d just climbed and saw a glint of metal reflecting the sun. She squinted. What was that? A television? She found herself smiling—her first smile since Alexander died. She scrambled back down the trail. 
The television console had been dumped a long time ago judging by the creosote bushes that had grown up around it, but footprints leading to the box suggested it had been visited recently. She took several shots from the trail, about fifteen yards from the television, then moved closer. The television had no screen, and she could see that something had been stuffed inside. A doll? 
She crept closer. Ten feet away, she stopped to take another photo, and the truth washed over her. Not a doll. Crammed inside the cabinet was a child, a girl, her eyes half-eaten by some desert predator. A scream of rage gathered in her chest, but the only sound she made was a whimper. No! Not more death! Feeling tears gathering behind her eyes, she sucked in air and blew it out. It would be hard enough dealing with the cops without blubbering like a fool. When she got control of herself, she called 911, told the dispatcher where she was, who she was, and why she was calling. After stowing the cell phone in her pocket, she took another photo of the dead girl, then stepped back to get a wider view of the scene.

~~~

Melanie Gray acts as the investigator--just because she's nosy? I don't know, but there always seems to be at least one individual living somewhere who, when a murder occurs, turns out to be inquisitive enough to ask the questions. She's there on site, knows many but not all the residents, and doesn't mind putting herself out there, even when, yes it could be dangerous. Ahhh, otherwise, there'd be no cozies for we fans!

Besides, she found the body of the little girl and would not soon forget it, especially since she had also recently lost the love of her life and was still trying to adjust to a life without him. And so, a sheriff has to come into the picture, right? Actually, there were three cops in the area who made up an interesting group that I think you will enjoy.

Rubicon Ranch was somewhat enclosed but fairly far from any town. Most of the occupants were artists and some not too friendly. Individuals moved in and out through a central management arrangement... So it was natural to assume that whoever did this was an occupant of the community...one of the neighbors! Unfortunately, it could even be another child...

 A day did not go by that Dylan McKenzie did not think about the lyrics to Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall.” His mother had given him nightmares telling him stories about how the large companies were poisoning the environment. “Someday even the rain will be made up of poisonous, toxic chemicals,” she’d told him. “And it will fall on everyone and cause horrible diseases and painful deaths.” She spoke of the future violence to come when children carried weapons and fought in the streets. He’d once read the lyrics, but it had been like a Rubik’s cube to his young brain and he’d latched onto his mother’s wisdom and had turned Bob Dylan into his own personal idol and prophet. 
As he grew older he began to wonder why nobody stopped the chemical companies, why the people of his mother’s generation were so intent on peaceful solutions, when obviously they didn’t work, and why did they spend so much time smoking pot and wiling away the days when so much work needed to be done? Flower Power. What a cop out that turned out to be. Fear and intimidation were the only ways to get people to do what you wanted. 
He had learned that much from his dad, who’d once been a flower child himself, but had since learned the real ways of the world. He’d seen his dad push people around and noticed how they backed off and let him get his way. Dylan knew the shame of letting his dad intimidate him. But he’d always just been a kid. The day would come when the old man wouldn’t be pushing on him anymore. I’ll show you, Dad, like I showed that silly kid, Riley.

Funny, when you think of places located far away, you'd never think of Facebook in connection with it, yet there was a connection that had been found and noted...a family had created a page for their daughter who had been taken... and then they had received a response... Were the parents of the dead child guilty?

Obviously that was a lead, but as questions start, there seemed to be many people in this community who had secrets--secrets they didn't want to share! So, of course, Melanie Gray had to figure out how to gather their information much more courteously... LOL

Seriously, I believe this mystery is well worth your time. I had read a number of the authors so I knew the writing would be great! The individual life stories of the "suspects" were especially interesting as we learn about them... I'm just happy I thought to get a copy even though it took me so long to read it! Highly recommended!


GABixlerReviews

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Lauren Carr's A Small Case of Murder Brilliant Mystery

www.inspiredbythis.com

"J.J. tapped Murphy on the arm. “I guess we better start cleaning out that attic if we want to put our room up there.” 
"Before his sons could ascend the stairs to go up to the top floor, Joshua asked, “By the way, while we were gone this morning, did you find any skeletons up in that attic that I should know about?” 
"He knew the monumental task before them when he had consented to the twins rooming in the attic. From where she sat in the living room’s window seat looking out onto the rolling front lawn, 
"Tracy answered his question by handing him a stack of letters tied with the pink ribbon. “They seem to be letters your parents sent to each other while your dad was in the Navy.” 
"Joshua studied the writing on the envelopes. When it came to his parents, he had vague memories of a young couple very much in love. Tracy handed him the unopened envelope. “There’s one letter that  wasn’t opened. It’s from Virginia Avenue right here in Chester...”  
"He noticed the post date: May 8, 1970. Struck by the date, he dropped back into the recliner. He studied the handwriting on the envelope. J.J. noticed the color drain from his father’s face. 
“What’s wrong, Dad?” “This was mailed the same day my parents died.” Tracy caught her breath. “The same day they died? I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t realize.” “That must be why the letter was never opened,” J.J. said... 
"Dear Claire, Tomorrow I’m leaving for Philadelphia. Would you believe I got a singing gig at a real club? Things are really looking up. Anyway, I tried to call you but Frieda told me that you and Johnny are on a second honeymoon in the Grand Canyon. You two must be serious about giving Josh a little sister. 
"Remember that dead body we found in the Bosley barn? How could you ever forget? His face is seared into my mind. Well, I saw him today in Reverend Rawlings’s office. I went there to talk to the reverend and Marge and Al about the music for their wedding, and there was his picture on the wall. It was a picture of Reverend Rawlings and Sheriff Delaney and some other guys in army uniforms. Reverend Rawlings said it was a picture of him and some of his buddies from the Korean War. That’s why Sheriff Delaney said we lied. Our body and them were all war buddies. It was him. I’m positive. Tell Johnny and see what he thinks. I tried to call Ricky Pendleton about it, but since he moved to Youngstown I don’t have his phone number. Maybe Johnny has it. I’m sure Johnny will be able to make sense out of all this. 
"Call you when I get back. Peace & Love, Lulu P.S. Good luck on that baby sister for Josh."

~~~

A Small Case of Murder

By Lauren Carr

I have previously shared info on Carr's Mac Farraday Mysteries which I loved, so I was surprised somewhat to go backwards to her Debut novel and find that her other series with Joshua Thornton is even better! Or, should I say different... Mac Farraday is funner...yeah, I know that's not a word, but it's what I want to say...

Perry Mason (TV series) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“We?” Joshua objected, There’s no ‘we’ here. 

I’m not saying I disagree with you. This 

evidence means that we’re dealing with a very

dangerous man here. I don’t want you kids

asking questions or stirring up trouble.”

He made his point by dropping the folder onto

the top of his desk and slapping the laptop

shut.

 “Ah, come on, Dad,” J.J. said. 

“You’ve investigated conspiracies and 

brought down serial killers. This is nothing

compared to that.” He held up his forefinger

and thumb to symbolize a miniscule

quantity. “For you, 

this is a small case of murder.”

~~~

Note: Actually, the title "could" be

considered a clue for readers...

This novel is one of the best mystery novels I've ever read--and that's a lot of 'em! The concept is brilliant, because you don't really know what is happening until you're well into the book. Joshua Thornton comes across like both your favorite private investigator as well as the superb lawyer that he actually is--Perry Mason and Paul Drake merged into one??? Get the picture? Because I want you to realize that if you are a reader that tries to solve the case as the evidence is presented, I can guarantee you that you will NOT have a chance! Yes, that's a challenge to all of you who believe you are good at solving mysteries..
.


Even when Carr gave us the most obvious clue--well I didn't even realize it... I kept popping around from one to another until, I sat, like the others in the room, as Joshua Thornton placed each piece of evidence together for his audience and all the pieces were tied together. Wow, ingenious story! Now, we don't get to know the characters as well in a mystery like this... This is NOT a cozy. It is pure puzzle presentation and solution and the characters exist to present facts. On the other hand, each of the characters had a specific reason for their lives in the book and I thought they were played well. Even as I got to some fairly close guesses, I never got close...so, what that means is that it is hard to provide too much information about this book less I give away relevant clues!

I might mention that this particular series has greatly evolved from this first book, perhaps responding to comments from readers. My guess is that the characters will be further developed, which will cause readers to become more involved... Still, for an intricately woven mystery, it would be hard to beat this one.

"When he turned around in his seat to hand the plate to the family in the pew behind him, he noticed a girl dressed in a skimpy shirt with baggy pants slung so low on her bony hips that it was a mystery as to how they kept from falling down to her ankles. Her poker-straight hair, bluntly cut at her jaw, was the color of a new copper penny. The girl dressed in black had come in at the back of the church and made her way down the aisle at the far side of the sanctuary. 
"The father of teenagers, Joshua thought he was incapable of being shocked by anything done in the name of fashion. He realized that his assumption was wrong when he laid his eyes on the girl making her way to the altar. Joshua saw under her midriff top the scales of a black snake tattoo draped across her stomach. The snake wrapped itself around her body, up her back, over her right shoulder, and across the front of her throat. The serpent’s head, his mouth open in mid-strike, rested on her left shoulder. 
"His concentration directed at the song he was playing on the keyboard, Tad didn’t notice her glassy gaze fixed on him. The girl with the snake caused a stir amongst the congregation. All eyes were fixed on the visitor. Was she going up to the pulpit to plead for the reverend to save her from the serpent that had taken control of her body? 
"Joshua saw beyond the body art to notice her hand in her shoulder bag as she moved in the direction of his cousin. A family consisting of three generations took up the pew between him and the girl with the snake. He didn’t have time to go around them. 
“Excuse me,” he said repeatedly while squeezing his way in front of the seven people blocking his path. The grandmother with a purple hat perched on top of her gray head sputtered when she lost her balance and landed on her rump in the pew. 
“Joshua Thornton, didn’t they teach you manners at that academy? I never.” He recalled when the elderly woman had once complained to his grandmother about him being “mouthy”. 
"The girl pulled her hand out of the bag to reveal a hand-gun. She aimed it at Tad. “She has a gun!” Tad took the pastor down onto the floor in a full body slam. 
"Joshua heard the roar of the congregation in his ears when he dove like a player racing for home plate. In midair, he caught her arm and thrust the gun towards the ceiling. When they hit the floor, the bullet discharged from the barrel and struck one of the hanging lamps to send a shower of glass down onto the congregation. The bullet flew upward until it planted itself into one of the oak panels high above them. "
                                                                                                                    ~~~

Joshua has just brought his family--five kids and a huge dog-- back to his home town. He's a recent widower and is still having trouble adjusting to being alone and a single parent, especially when they get into their new home and realize there's much to be done to adequately meet their needs...like at least two more bathrooms!

Quick to give his cousin, the town doctor, a mild reprimand about not telling him how bad a condition the house was in, Tad MacMillan chuckled as he told him that he didn't say anything because he wanted all that was left of the former doctor's records and the way to get them was to buy "as is..."

Tad is an interesting character diversion since he has a bad background of drinking and drugs and...women...He is now clean and has been accepted by the town as a responsible member of the community as well as doctor, but this novel actually begins with a body that was found, then lost, about 35 years ago, soon after Joshua's parents had been killed in an accident. Because of that, an old letter was discovered about the missing body...

Of course, the kids were gung-ho to try to solve this "cold case!" Actually, Joshua was too... He had retired from JAG to be able to spend more time with his family, but he was already finding it hard not to be involved with his routine work...

But the first incident that piqued Joshua's instincts was when a young woman walked into church, took aim at Tad and then tried to kill Joshua when he jumped her. The fact that Tad was being stalked and getting emails from Vicki, who turned out to be the granddaughter of a minister of another church, was icing on the cake! The minister in question was suspected of being a drug lord in the area--along with a number of other questionable actions. But nothing was ever proven. This had been going on since Joshua had once lived in town and he still remembered going to school with the man's son, who was now the town's prosecuting attorney.

But then Vicki was killed... And in the same room, they also found a woman with whom Joshua had once been involved... No matter what, Joshua was going to be involved! Finally, he was appointed as a special prosecutor for these murders...

Everybody was suspected! And Josh's kids had made new friends and they talked about the old body that had never been found...Yep! those kids went on their own...and yes, they did find it--but were almost put in jail! LOL

What they found on that body really set the investigation into gear...

Lots more happens in the book and I was following every word as I finished the novel, happy to have every answer I needed provided by the author. In fact, I loved how it was ended--that is, for that "small" case that only a puzzle lover could solve. Joshua Thornton is a formidable opponent of any criminal. After this one, I'm not sure future cases will even come near--but I hope I get the chance to find out...Some great books from Lauren Carr since this one! Soooo many books; sooooo little time, folks! Mystery Lovers Alert for this one!


GABixlerReviews

Lauren Carr fell in love with mysteries when her mother read Perry Mason to her at bedtime. The first installment in the Joshua Thornton mysteries, A Small Case of Murder was a finalist for the Independent Publisher Book Award. A Reunion to Die For was released in hardback in June 2007. Both of these books are in re-release.

Lauren is also the author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. The first two books in her series, It’s Murder, My Son and Old Loves Die Hard have been getting rave reviews from readers and reviewers. The next book in this series, Shades of Murder, was released May 2012.

Lauren’s sixth book, Dead on Ice, will be released in Fall 2012. Dead on Ice will introduce a new series entitled Lovers in Crime, in which Joshua Thornton will join forces with homicide detective Cameron Gates.

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This spring, two books written by independent authors was released through the management of Acorn Book Services.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes. If you would like Lauren to speak to your group or at your conference, please feel free to contact her.

She lives with her husband, son, and two dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
Visit Lauren’s websites and blog at:
Acorn Book Services Website:http://acornbookservices.com/

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• July 2013 Guest Blog from Lauren Carr
• Guest Post from Lauren Carr - June 2013
• Guest Blogger: Author Lauren Carr

Whole Lotta Trouble Leads to Whole Lotta Fun...

My name is Richard Wannamaker. After retiring from the IRS, I decided to write a story about my roller-coaster life as a cost accountant. Enclosed please find my 500-page autobiography, a volume I have fondly entitled Journal Entry—
get it?   
Tallie winced. She got it, and about twenty others like it on her desk every week. Reams of paper containing stories utterly inappropriate for the mystery and romance fiction lines for which she acquired. It wasn't that she didn't admire the man for creating the tome, but if he'd researched Parkbench Publishing at all, he would have known they weren't looking for autobiographies. And that she wasn't a Mr., but a Miss.
 Miss— as in unmarried and unlikely to be in the near future. If only Richard Wannamaker had been on her mother's Christmas card mailing list, he'd have been privy to that tidbit, courtesy of her mother's annual Blankenship Bulletin, complete with pictures, favorite family recipes, and news. This year's headline:
YES, OUR BEAUTIFUL, SUCCESSFUL DAUGHTER IS STILL SINGLE!
It was almost February and she was still recovering from that one.
Tallie sighed and forced her attention back to the cover letter in her hand.
~~~

Whole Lotta Trouble

By Stephanie Bond

Want to take a break and sit down with a fun book about book publishing? This is one you'll enjoy...at least I did!  Tallie works for a small agency but has recently been outgunned by another editor, known as Scary Kara...who promised the author's agent, Jerry Key...much more than Tallie, shall we say?

Tallie had been given the job of editing the new manuscript for the top author of the agency. Her boss, Ron Springer, the executive editor, then left on an extended time away from the office, but told her he would be in touch. Tallie had met with Gaylord Cooper, had managed to get him to accept her in place of Ron, who had always edited for Cooper in the past, and then politely refused to meet with Jerry later.

Jerry was met by Kara as he was going down the elevator...and just like that, Tallie had lost the account. With Ron out of the office, there was nothing she could do.

Of course, the fact that there was only one copy of the manuscript led to problems...Yes, can you imagine a writer only making one copy of his new book, for which he had been given a high 6-figure advance?!!!

And, no copies were to be made while it was in the hands of the publishing company!

Seems Gaylord Cooper was continuously certain that somebody was out to sabotage his work...

But was he just eccentric or was there something behind it?

In any event, that precious manuscript was still in Tallie's hands, even though it was no longer hers to protect!

Tallie's best friend was not really the one she could share her frustration with--she had once dated Jerry Key and both knew she was still a little in love with him. Still, Tallie had to talk to somebody! But Felicia had her own problems with Jerry since two of his married writers were fighting and somehow Jerry seemed to be in the middle of whatever was going on...

But as they were talking another young woman stopped by their restaurant table.  She wanted to talk to Tallie about her company possibly doing a print version of an ebook she was now working on. When she started to talk about the story, however, it soon became apparent that Felicia recognized the story! Uh Oh! As they talked, the name Jerry Key came right into the middle again...

Source: boston.com via Julien on Pinterest

The door to the spa opened and out strolled Jerry Key, blond, tall, and fashionably thin, a man bag over his shoulder for his 
gadgets. The man prided himself on owning the latest and  greatest electronic equipment, from phones to laptops to stereos. He had teased Felicia about her penchant for retro, 
from her vinyl collection and the old turntable she played them  on to the big-button land line phone in her bedroom. 
As always, her pulse rate increased at the sight of him, doubly so with the anticipation of confronting him. She stood and screwed the lid onto the bottle of caffeinated water. 
She was stowing the bottle in her purse when she realized that someone had joined Jerry on the street—a woman. Frozen, she watched as the two embraced, then shared a full-on kiss. Their meeting, it seemed, wasn't accidental. Felicia removed her sunglasses and bumped her nose against the window, flabbergasted.  It couldn't be. But if the woman's long red coat wasn't enough to prove it was Suze Dannon pressed against him...

Well, these three women decided to put Jerry in the spot...they played off of his sexual activities and called to arrange a special date...so that when they got to his hotel, he was already naked and blindfolded! They then tied him up further, took his picture and sent it to his entire mailing list... Wow... that was...cruel???

Only thing is, though, their plan to have the maid find him and let him loose didn't work... and when they did find him the next morning, he had been... murdered...

Oh yes, there's lots more, including Tallie having a blind date with a man from her home town!

A lost manuscript that Tallie may or may not have eft in a taxi, a scene of a crime, or just about anywhere else...

A late idea about why her boss and the author could not be found, and what was so important about a manuscript...

Actually, the last part of the book blew me away... Never would have saw it coming and still wonder... Let me know what you think about what was really happening. That is, besides the fun, the crazy email pictures going "viral"??? (Probably!)

Hey, check this one out!


GABixlerReviews

Stephanie Bond has written over 60 novels for publishers such as Bantam, St. Martin's Press, Avon/HarperCollins, and Mira Books. She currently writes a humorous mystery series called BODY MOVERS, and romantic comedies for Harlequin Books. She is best known for writing steamy books that make readers laugh out loud. Read on to find out more about Stephanie's childhood and how she became a writer. http://www.stephaniebond.com/about.html