Guest Reviewer Gnarly Talks About Crimes Past by Lauren Carr! Out October 16th!

Whew! Lauren Carr's Latest is so complex and filled with unending sub-plots, that I was just a bit overwhelmed, even though I am a charter member of Carr's Phantoms! So immediately, I thought of Gnarly! He was right there through the majority of the events in Crimes Past and I decided he was just the one who could highlight what readers might want to know... Welcome Gnarly!

Hi Everybody, it's great to be back here at Book Readers Heaven to share about the latest Mac Faraday book by my favorite author--especially since she made me the Star of this entire series!

First, I have to clarify that when the Cold Case in this book took place so many years ago, I WAS not working with Mac at the time! Rather I was helping his mother with her books! So, to put it gently, there wouldn't have been a cold case if I had been there...

Nevertheless, that case where newlyweds had been murdered right after their wedding ceremony, had never allowed Mac to get over it! Especially since he promised the bride's daughter that he would discover who had killed her mother...

And, now, Gina was getting married and he was so upset that he never solved the case...that he volunteered his lodge for the wedding and invited everybody who had been at that first marriage... Seriously, well, I wasn't too sure that was a good idea, but at least I'd be there to help this time!

First, I should tell some of you who may not have heard, I have been honored to be elected as Mayor of Spencer, Maryland.
With a giant statue and all the privileges that come with the title... And I don't think it will be a spoiler to let you know that I'll be conducting a wedding as Mayor. Ok, Mac stands in for some of my duties, saying the words over the Bible and rings, but it's by Mayor Gnarly's power that they will then be married. Only thing I can't tell you is who is also getting married! And what a surprise for all fans of this series!

Truthfully, I didn't sit in on the constant discussions and rehashing of the old case as all the visitors for the wedding sat around enjoying their free visit to a luxury hotel. Mainly because I had my own problem to deal with with--a neighbor's cat who happened to die when it attacked me... But I had a witness and then that cat disappeared! Maybe I didn't kill it but this neighbor was so mean and hated dogs, while she allowed her feral cats to roam free...there oughta be a law! Seriously why don't cats have to have 

licenses. Hmmm, now that I'm Mayor, I think I'll be talking to the Sheriff...soon.
I had friends working for me and one officer even moved in of her own time to surveil what was happening since we were all sure that the "lady" of the house was really causing the problems. Wow, was she shocked when she saw more than she had been watching for! Could it be...???

But first I had to get back to Spencer Inn for my Book Launch party - Yes I wrote a book, The World According to Gnarly, (Amazon doesn't have it yet, we checked...) with Mac's wife's doing a lot of the work for me...The books are flying off the shelves since I already had so many fans! And while we were signing books, one particular conversation with Mac and others who he worked with back then, had everybody arguing as a former cop got drunk and started rambling on about who had really done the dirty when the two cops got killed long ago. Somebody must have been listening...Soon that chain-smoker was upsetting everybody when he continued drinking and to smoke inside, including in his room! Hey, did you ever hear a commode blow up!?! Boy, was everybody scrambling when that blast went off! The smoker on the throne didn't make it...

I felt bad for Mac as he had to consider and think through who might have murdered the bride and groom who were now in the "cold case." But as he was talking with so many and hearing pieces and parts of conversations that had taken place, he even had to begin to suspect one or more of the officers for whom he'd been a mentor....and he had to start thinking about whether one in particular was dirty or not... And also whether there was more than one person involved with the murders... Either way, the next murder victim is Derringer, Mac's former friend he had mentored... Bummer... 

Well by that time, I knew I had to get into the thick of this investigation. Two of the former officers were now dead and there were many potential suspects, while the actual wedding was fast approaching, after which everybody would leave. I swooped in and dealt with things--so much so that even the bad guy had to admit he didn't know I could move like I did... Sure I might snooze a lot when I'm bored...but when I'm needed "on the job," and you are who I'm after, you'll see what I was trained to do!

Gnarly launched himself off of David’s back into the seat that Gabriel had just vacated. The dog took (the killer's) hand into his jaws, clamped down on it and the gun, and shook... screams of anguish filled the air. The SUV rocked back and forth during the battle that ensued until the officers opened the passenger door to allow both to spill out onto the road. Gabriel tried to roll over to see what was happening, but David kept him pinned to the ground. “What’s going on?”

 “Our mayor is explaining his zero tolerance for crime policy,” David said.
!!!

Yes, it was one of my better moments, even though I'm not an active K9 officer all the time. But it sure has been fun to share about our new Mac Farraday book! And I know what you're going to say, so I'll do that for you too! It's a must-read for Carr's Phantoms and highly recommended for all mystery/crime procedure fans...and animal lovers too!

Good to see everybody again! And Remember ...

Gnarly

Hey Everybody! Gnarly's Here and Sharing Today's Review of Open Season for Murder by Lauren Carr!

Hi, everybody! It's great to visit Book Readers Heaven again--this time with Open Season for Murder by my friend Lauren Carr... She writes a series called "A Mac Faraday Mystery" that has become favorite books for thousands and thousands of people... Normally, I play a bit part bringing fun to all the other people at Deep Creek Lake (except when I have a little relapse...) but this time, I don't mean to brag,  I play a starring role! It's the tenth book in the series so I've worked my way into being at the right place at the right time.  You see, I've been trained to protect and serve...so you might say

that I was just doing my job... 

Actually, I learned a lot more than in this one video, not meaning to brag, but I once served in the Unites States Army... Carr always adds that they refuse to talk about my time there, but I'd be happy to share with anybody who is interested--after all, what's wrong with taking a few things that I'd thought might be  fun to play with... I was just borrowing them, not really stealing, you know...

Open Season for Murder:

A Mac Faraday Mystery

By Lauren Carr

Ok everybody, here's what happened... I was out on a routine run but got a little muddy, so, of course, I ran up to Mac and promptly left muddy paw prints on the front of his shirt...Geesh, I just don't understand why he doesn't like getting dirty like I do... But that's minor compared to what I had really done! I had found it!

David reached the grave first. Gnarly
had dug away enough to expose the leg
\and pelvis. "It's a body all right."
He grabbed his radio to put in the
call.
~~~

"What do you have there?" Up close, Mac saw that the object was not made of wood. Even from a distance, its dark color gave it the appearance of a stick. May realized that it was in fact, covered with dirt and discolored after having been buried for years. Wrestling it out of Gnarly's mouth, Mac wiped it off.

"David!" Mac turned around to hold up Gnarly's find to the police chief to see.

David trotted up the doct to get a closer look. Carlisle was directly behind him. "What is it?" he asked Mac.

"I think it's a femur." Before Mac could turn to ask Gnarly, the dog was racing back into the woods. "Follow that dog!"

The three of them chased Gnarly down the path, where halfway to Ashton's home, he darted off the path and up an incline. Over the hill, Gnarly zigzagged through a grove of trees until he came to a small clearing where they found that he had begun digging through rotted leaves and twigs, and a tarp that had been recently torn by a determined German Shepherd...

~~~

Well, I had done the important part so I moved away several feet and sat down to watch. I have learned that people get very concerned when a bunch of bones has been found--of course, I had known right away by the smell that it was human, so I still stood erect, watching while the police chief examined the grave--I never know when I might be called upon to do something else, you know!

Personally, I hate rules!

Now the woman that was there with Mac and the police chief immediately started yelling that it was "Ashton--But it has to be Ashton!" She even dropped to her knees and starting digging! Well I knew she would have to stop...those bones were now what they call...evidence... Well, I admit I continue to think of them as just plain bones. Once something major happens, however, I've learned that, suddenly, everything becomes official and there are a bunch of rules that must be followed.

For instance, this body was now part of what you would call a "cold case..." And then that woman said something that I thought was kind of funny--she told Mac to find the killer, even if it was...her! I admit I was confused--wouldn't she remembered if she had killed somebody?!

Ahwoof? You got anything I could crunch on, and some cool water? I could use a break before continuing...

While I'm on this tiny break, I'll give you a great scoop about the book! There's planning for another wedding! No, it's not me, but a certain young lady and I will soon become members, through marriage, of the same wonderful family... of the great family that Mac and I head up--at least that's how I like to think of how I fit into the Faraday family...

Oh, by the way, I got some extra snacks for adding the next plus for Book 
Readers Heaven in about now...but don't tell anybody, will you?! I'm always a sucker for sweet treats...

Now you know how complicated mysteries can become when humans get involved! Mac and the Sheriff obviously immediately began to  investigate all the people that were involved at the time of the original murder decades ago. In the meantime, there's going to be a ball at the Inn! Yes, it had originally been started by my former mother, (and Mac's) so since Mac is now married, his wife has been planning to renew hosting of the Diablo Ball, which is really a disguise for charging rich people large sums of money for a dinner dance...and then have the opportunity to again be begged for more money during the evening! Such fun these humans have! But, even then, some unsavory characters made it more complicated but sending out phony invitations to the Ball and some real troublemakers started rolling into town!

And soon, we'll be setting up for my next big scene! Hope you don't mind I'm using one of my publicity shots with the sheriff's badge I received once for heroism...I get that type of recognition a lot. Anyway, let me tell you about the take down at the Ball!

Keeping hold of Gnarly's leash, Mac jogged to the other end of the corridor, which opened up into the reception and lounge area where a painting of Robin Spencer (my and Mac's Mom) hung above the mantel of a stone fireplace. Beyond Bogie...His hand flew up to point at their suspect. "Zernborg! Stop! Police!
It was only when Gnarly barked and charged, yanking Mac's arm out of its socket, that Mac remembered he still had the hundred pount German shepherd on his leads.
How Gnarly knew they were pursuing the man..., Mac didn't know. He was too busy trying to get back up onto his feet or release Gnarly from his leash in order to stop being dragged down the carpeted hallway...Bogie and Gnarly, barking up a storm, disappeared around the corner at the end of the hallway...Mac heard Gnarly's barking closing in as the German shepherd followed the scene...Mac reached the door and held it open in time for Gnarly to charge through....
There were three ways out of the kitchen--the back door to the loading dock where food supplies arrived, backup the stairwell, which Mac was blocking, and through the banquet room door into the ballroom filled with over two hundred guests...
Mac made his way passed a collection of cooks and servers frozen in fear and gazing pleadingly for him to help them. On the other side of the counter where they prepared the plates of hot foo, Gnarly was barking and snarling while a man yelled above the barking and a woman sobbing---"Call off the dog! Now! Or I'm going to kill her--I swear--I'll blow a hold right through her head!"
...Gnarly had him backed into a corner..."Gnarly! Stand down!" Bogie ordered. Instantly, Gnarly stopped barking and backed up. He didn't sit. Instead, he stood ready to poounce when Bogie or someone gave him the word...

!!!

"Grrrr! I still get excited thinking about that guy! He had grabbed hold of one of the servers and was using her as a hostage between me and him...Such a coward! Didn't he realize that I would work even harder to save her than if I was just going to bring him down! But, readers, you got to admit that it was a great scene--one of my best in all of the great books written by Lauren Carr. You know, she has some really amazing stories being published and I'm just proud that she took this tenth book to let me shine a little in the limelight! I must admit that I like playing this fantastic part in the greatest of adventures for the mystery series, according to my host's writer here at Book Readers Heaven. We've been going over every scene in which I appear, you know, since I am being spotlighted today! It's so wonderful to be fully appreciated for all that I do to help add writing canine adventure to the many talents of the series author!

Before Mac could return fire, a snarling bark came
from the woods followed by a series of gunshots and
a scream...
~~~

In fact, without giving anything more away, I'm even getting a chance to close with just a few minutes of the last scene where I catch the killer! Yahoo!

Gnarly's barking had stopped.

"Do you see him?" David called to Mac.

Mac shook his head. He couldn't see any movement in the trees and Gnarly was quiet. Experience had told him that when Gnarly was quiet, be afraid. Be very afraid!

~~~

Oh, I'm delighted to leave readers hanging! In fact, there are lots of scenes and trails you'll be following in this fantastic cliffhanger on to the ending! You'll never guess who the "main" killer is, 'cause there's so many other bad guys, like that crazy lady that had brought a gun--which I immediately confiscated--to the Inn to kill her cheating husband and her lover... Oops, I'd better shut up before I give away too much!

By the way, I've been told to tell you that this book comes very highly recommended by Book Readers Heaven and add that this was the most fun she's had since the last book Gnarly starred in...adding that I add so much to the flow of the mystery, while playing my part as a protector from all evil! 

GABixlerReviews

Cool, right?! Just need to say thanks for having me before we close..., ah..., cause it's party time right now! Friends come on in for the goodies! Let's Part!