Shades of Murder (Mac Faraday Mystery #3)

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Shades of Murder (Mac Faraday Mystery #3)

by Lauren Carr (Goodreads Author)

4.21 of 5 stars 4.21 · rating details · 48 ratings · 27 reviews

Question: What do you get the man with everything?

Answer: When that man is the heir of the late mystery writer Robin Spencer, retired homicide detective Mac Faraday, you get him cold case to solve.

In Shades of Murder, Mac Faraday is once again the heir to an unbelievable fortune. This time the benefactor is a stolen art collector. But this isn’t just any stolen work-of-a...more

Kindle Edition, 232 pages

Published May 7th 2012 by Acorn Book Services

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Sep 04, 2012 Glenda Bixler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-books

It seemed only right that I picked up Shades of Murder by Lauren Carr this weekend...

After all, one of the murders had taken place on that same weekend several years ago...

But, with the third Mac Faraday mystery, Carr has outdone herself and given us a double-whammy! Not only two murders, but two sets of investigators! I won't say it's the best because I love them all... And, don't get me wrong, I love Gnarly, who in this novel succeeds in preventing the theft of a valuable painting...

(Excerpt)"...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Rebecca Graf rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm so glad to have had a chance to read such great mysteries. Lauren Carr's Shades of Murder did not disappoint me in keeping up that trend.

A car accident. A murder. A stolen painting. A serial killer. Years after all occur, different investigators find themselves looking for the same person only to find more than they ever bargained for.

This was an excellent story with many storylines pulled together in a masterful way. What seems to be separate incidents becomes one with many participants. Ms...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Beatnik Mary rated it 3 of 5 stars

http://www.cozylittlebookjournal.com/...

Shades of Murder is a small book with a lot going on. There's Mac Faraday, a retired detective and son of a late mystery writer who has inherited millions in the past and is now inheriting a painting and a mystery to solve. There's Ilysa Ramsay, an artist who died mysteriously years ago and whose last painting was missing until Mac inherited it. Then there's Joshua Thornton, a prosecuting attorney who finds himself investigating the unsolved murder of a Ja...more http://www.cozylittlebookjournal.com/...

Shades of Murder is a small book with a lot going on. There's Mac Faraday, a retired detective and son of a late mystery writer who has inherited millions in the past and is now inheriting a painting and a mystery to solve. There's Ilysa Ramsay, an artist who died mysteriously years ago and whose last painting was missing until Mac inherited it. Then there's Joshua Thornton, a prosecuting attorney who finds himself investigating the unsolved murder of a Jane Doe #4. Oh, and there's Oliver Cartwright, the convicted rapist and murderer who insists he's not responsible for the death of Jane Doe #4 and wants Joshua to find her real killer. Confusing? Exactly.

I'm not usually a fan of books that start with a dramatis personae, or cast of characters. If an author wants to tease the readers with a few juicy details about the characters we'll be meeting, that's fine. It's like the literary equivalent of an amuse-bouche, that tiny mini appetizer before a meal. But if the list of characters and their descriptions is meant to be a shorthand, a reference list that the reader is meant to commit to memory or else refer back to while reading in order to know who everyone is, well that I find cumbersome.

Shades of Murder starts with a daunting cast list--two pages worth--filled with names I found completely unfamiliar as I had never read a Lauren Carr book before (I believe that both the characters of Mac Faraday and Joshua Thorton each have their own series). Whenever I see a list like this at the beginning of a book, I just hope that the writing is strong enough and that the character development is sufficient that I don't have to keep referring back to the front of the book to figure out what's going on. (This is especially true when I'm reading an e-book, as I'm still getting used to how to skip back and forth on my Kobo without losing my place. I'm sure some of you are thinking, "It's not that hard!" but bear with me, I'm an e-reader noob.)

Alas, for a very short book--only 120 pages or so on my e-reader, so more of a novella--I did find it very confusing. The large list of characters were all involved in disparate subplots that I found difficult to keep straight (they do come together in the end, but I was struggling to piece it together). On the plus side, each of the subplots is very interesting and had me hooked, but that just made me more annoyed that I couldn't always figure out what was going on. I think readers of previous Mac Faraday or Joshua Thornton books would find it easier to keep up, but as a first time reader I was hoping for more background information (and not just in the form of the cast list at the beginning). I found myself wishing that the book had been longer and that the stories had been told slower.

All in all, though, saying that "I wish this book had been longer" is not exactly a bad thing. The story and the characters are great, it's just that this particular book felt like a condensed version of their tale.

Disclaimer: I received a digital galley of this book free from the publisher from NetGalley.com. I was not obliged to write a favourable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
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Jun 17, 2012 TAMMY CUEVAS rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thriller

Ilysa Ramsay is an artistic genius who has just unveiled her latest masterpiece. The police are summoned when she is found in her studio, bludgeoned to death, and the painting has been stolen. Flash forward to a decade later, and the stolen painting has been willed to Mac Faraday. Mac decides to take another look into the case. At the same time, a convicted serial killer has a strange request: he wants someone to solve the one murder attributed to him that he did not do.

"Shades of Murder" was a...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Mindy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: http-www-blogger-com-home-pli-1

Have you ever had one of those moments where you had put down a book to do something and when you came back to it you were completely lost? That happened to me while I was reading this book. You see there are two murders, but one story. Two investigations, leading … well I’m not telling you that, you’ll have to read for yourself. Anyway I had to run an errand right when the story shifted from the first murder to the second murder and I got a wee bit confused since the murder I came back to was...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Rhonda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shades of Murder a Mac Faraday Mystery by Lauren Carr
5 Stars Shades of Murder is a great mystery story that takes place with more than one set of detectives investigating a case and how it all melds todgether. It kept me guessing all the time. I did guess a small part but no where near guessing all that went on. This is my first Mac Faraday Mystery and I think I am going to buy some of Lauren Carr's other books today. Thier were no sex scenes they showed the couples together but thats all maybe...more Shades of Murder a Mac Faraday Mystery by Lauren Carr
5 Stars Shades of Murder is a great mystery story that takes place with more than one set of detectives investigating a case and how it all melds todgether. It kept me guessing all the time. I did guess a small part but no where near guessing all that went on. This is my first Mac Faraday Mystery and I think I am going to buy some of Lauren Carr's other books today. Thier were no sex scenes they showed the couples together but thats all maybe a kiss or waking up alone. I really like that at the beginning the story she has cast of characters, who they are. So if you forget who that person was you can flip to the front and be able to place the character. Which I did at one point. The first story took place at Deep Creek Lake, Maryland sept 6,2004 with David O'Callaghan as one of the Officers who worked the case before it went cold. He is now chief Police. Ilysa Ramsay was the victim and married to a rich rocket scientist that had a lot of defense contracts. Mac Faraday's just inheirted a painting that was stolen when Ilysa was murdered and sold to a fence to a Mob boss. So Mac wants to solve the cold case. Mac's half brother is David. Everybody is excited about the painting showing up thats leads to some clues to what happened the night of the murder. Joshua Thronton Hancock was asked to go to a prison to help a serial killer Oliver who was found guilty of 6 women's murder but everyone thinks it was 7. Oliver wants to do some good before he dies. He wants Mac's help to solve who victim #4 was and who murdered her because no one was looking thinking. Because everyone believes he killed her. Mac believes him and will do it for victim #4. Mac who is on vacation he is a proscuter asks for files on victim #4 but Lieutenant Sherry Bixby does not want him to look into it. far as she is concerned its a closed case and kicks him out. Detective Cameron Gates who worked the case slipped him the files behind Sherry's back and was willing to work to solve it they never did believe it was Oliver but a copycat. Cameron sees something that helps open that cold case up. Thier are a lot of unanswered questions in all 3 cases that become opened and lead to other questions. Its a fun mystery like the characters and the animals that are a hoot too. I want to read more books like this one soon. I was given this ebook to read in exchange for honest review from Netgalley. 05/15/2012 PUB Acorn Book Services (less)

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May 31, 2012 Fran rated it 5 of 5 stars

The name is Gnarly. I am a really great German Shepherd who lives in a mansion. Not bad for a dog. The guy who lives here is a millionaire several times over but I have the run of the place and usually do my own thing. I was dishonorably discharged from the United States Army but that really has no bearing on this story but I thought you might want to know before hear it from someone else. Living with Mac Faraday is definitely great because you never know what’s going to happen, who is going to...more

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May 22, 2012 Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Can two completely different murders in different places and years apart be connected? That is the question that the Spencer Police Department and Mac Faraday have to figure out. On the surface, it appears like a simple case of a murdered artist. That is, until you look beneath the surface where you find another murder years earlier. Could as they say.....a picture is worth a thousand words be a clue in the revealing of the murderer and other shady dealings?

Ilysa Ramsay, a famous artist and wife...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Heidi Gonzalez rated it 3 of 5 stars

First I want to say - what is with the cover art? This doesn't even resemble what the painting is supposed to look like and it just looks creepy.

Okay I'm not going to go on my cover art rant again, moving on. This book is a quick read with fun quirky characters. Mac Faraday's dog Gnarly is by far one of the most entertaining as the kleptomaniac dog whose personality is as large as he is. The runner up was Irving the skunk look-a-like cat who scares most people and is the constant companion of D...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shades of Murder was a lot of fun to read! I can only imagine the rest of the Mac Faraday Mysteries in the series are too, as well other Lauren Carr titles.

I'm an animal lover and an even bigger dog lover. I really enjoyed reading about Gnarly the dog's antics and Irving the skunklike cat. Believe it or not, they meet and become like best friends -- while their owners fall in love. How romantic! (That's the basis for another Lauren Carr series though. Look for it -- I will be!)

Multiple murder an...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Cindy McDonald rated it 5 of 5 stars

Okay, what do you get when you mix together a klepto German Shepard, a cat that looks like a skunk, and a stolen piece of art? Hmmm...A Lauren Carr mystery, of course! And this one is a real piece of work. Mystery writer Lauren Carr writes two series: the Joshua Thorton mystery series and the Mac Faraday mystery series. In her latest release, SHADES OF MURDER, she has brought these two detectives together to solve several murders and has thrown in some romance to add some sizzle.
This is a whodun...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Biblophile rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books, mystery-thriller

The third in an outstanding mystery series. Mac, Archie, and Gnarly the dog, are extremely likable and the mystery is always intriguing. Hope there are more to come in this series.

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Apr 04, 2013 Harry Lane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lauren Carr writes delicious stories that happen to be mysteries. In this book of the Faraday series, she continues to develop the characters so that you feel you could know them. She conveys a strong sense of place. And while the action is fast and furious, it is leavened with a healthy dollop of humor. Another winning entry in a great series.

As an aside, I had asked my library to get this book for me. They tried, but weren't able to find a copy they could borrow for me. However, they advised...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Laurel-Rain rated it 4 of 5 stars

Two unsolved murders, a stolen painting, and assorted detectives on a collision course as they all search for clues brings together an intriguing cast of characters in Shades of Murder: A Mac Faraday Mystery.

In the beginning, Mac is stunned by another "inheritance," a stolen painting; its appearance at his front door also raises interesting questions about the artist, who was murdered a few years before. The painting had supposedly been stolen at the time of the murder.

What do Mac and his sideki...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Debdatta Dasgupta Sahay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-copy

Mac Faraday, a retired homicide detective, inherits a fortune. As a part of his inheritance, he gets his hands on a painting that has a murder attached to it. Of course he cannot walk away from something so intriguing and gets involved in long cold case. You see, Ilysa Ramsay had gifted the world this piece of masterpiece a decade earlier. The same day she was found dead in her studio and the painting had gone missing.

On the other hand, Joshua Thorton, a JAG Lawyer and a detective, Cameron Gate...more Mac Faraday, a retired homicide detective, inherits a fortune. As a part of his inheritance, he gets his hands on a painting that has a murder attached to it. Of course he cannot walk away from something so intriguing and gets involved in long cold case. You see, Ilysa Ramsay had gifted the world this piece of masterpiece a decade earlier. The same day she was found dead in her studio and the painting had gone missing.

On the other hand, Joshua Thorton, a JAG Lawyer and a detective, Cameron Gates set out to solve a murder case that’s widely believed to be the work of a convicted serial killer. They however have reason to believe that in this particular case the victim was attacked and murder by a copycat.

Soon the separate worlds of Mac, Joshua and Cameron collide as their investigation leads them to one murderer who is willing to kill again to keep things under wraps.
The first thing that stands out in this book is the fact that there are two separate investigations involving two very different detectives – Mac Faraday and Joshua Thorton. It was definitely genius to put these two together as they have as many different shades amongst themselves as the murders in the plot. Then there are the other characters – a whole lot of them actually. Thankfully, the author had provided a list of the ‘Cast’ of the story at the very beginning and that made it much easier to keep track of who is who in the story. Ilysa Ramsay is an interesting character. She seemed as elusive as a character as the motive behind her murder. Then her family is quite as interesting – it seemed like they never really cared about her – putting them all on the top of the suspect list. Then there’s an FBI Agent, a serial killer, a security in charge and forensic technician. And oh let’s not forget Gnarly, Irving and Admiral!

The plot is really intriguing as it brings together two worlds and three murders. With more twists and turns than you can even start to expect, the plot keeps you on the edge and guessing. There’s a lot of mystery, drama, some humor and even a little bit of romance in this novel making it an all-round well balanced novel and an interesting and entertaining read.

I think I will just have to pick up the other books in the Mac Farraday & Joshua Thorton Series and hope that there’s more to come.(less)

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Jul 20, 2012 ABookVacation rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a rollercoaster of a ride! I’ve read the other two Mac Faraday murder mysteries, and I’ve got to say, Carr does a phenomenal job writing enticing murder mysteries that keep the reader guessing throughout. Like her other novels, I wasn’t able to come close to guessing the culprit until it was spelled out for me by Faraday himself. And what an awesome mystery! There were so many twists and turns, I had a great time trying to figure it all out.

Gnarly, Faraday’s cleptomatic German shepherd...more

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Nov 25, 2012 Amy Sperry rated it 5 of 5 stars

The style of this book brought back fond memories of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries. A super sleuth escapade where two mysteries tangle together and then unravel at the end for the big reveal. The addition of former prosecuting attorney Joshua Thornton and detective Cameron Gates to the mix is a welcome one. A fresh story line added into the well constructed world of Mac Faraday. Hopefully this won't be the last time Mac and his gal Archie Monday get a little help from their new friends...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Jacqueline Seewald rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lauren Carr’s Shades of Murder is a complex, complicated mystery with multiple sleuths. These sleuths come together from her previous mystery novels. If you are a fan, you will
particularly enjoy this book. It holds many surprises, a fine entertainment for mystery readers.

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Mar 31, 2013 Jeanie Jackson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, mystery-and-suspense

This series gets better and better. More action, fewer coincidences, fun twist, turns and serious intrigue. I know Carr has a series about ex Jag lawyer Joshua Thornton but I had never read them. I will be checking into them since meeting him in this book.

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Dec 30, 2012 Liz Howard rated it 3 of 5 stars

Quick read. The only thing I didn't like is that Carr had an FBI agent speak in slang. Agents are educated men and women who would not speak like that.I know it's not that earthshaking but it did bother me.

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Mar 24, 2013 Black Butterfly rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: MYSTERY LOVERS

Recommended to Black Butterfly by: AMAZON

Shelves: comedy-romance, mysteries

I LOVE THIS SERIES. GNARLY IS GREAT AS USUAL! CAN'T WAIT TO READ BLAST FROM THE PAST.

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May 05, 2013 Robbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

Liked this one. Not quite as good as "It's Murder My Son", but worth reading

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Oct 10, 2012 Jeanne O'donnell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very interesting characters and plot. Was free on kindle

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Feb 08, 2013 Mary-Frances rated it 4 of 5 stars

So cute, love the animals - good mystery, a fun read!

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Oct 23, 2012 Caroline Gabel rated it 5 of 5 stars

really enjoyed this mystery. and am looking for more now.

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Aug 11, 2012 Sue rated it 5 of 5 stars

great mystery to read!

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Nov 01, 2012 Elisabeth Zguta rated it 5 of 5 stars

An Original Who Done It

Shades of Murder followed the ‘who done it format’ but the story was very original. So many possibilities, great characters and last minute twists kept me entertained to the end. Lauren does a great job conveying the action scenes and giving the characters depth. Best of all was Gnarly! Read the book to see what I mean.

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Jul 17, 2012 Louisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Oh, great murder mystery, very complex, and excellent writing! Loved it!

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May 09, 2013 Elaine marked it as to-read

Shelves: kindle

May 04, 2013 Lolah marked it as to-read

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About Lauren Carr

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.

Lauren is also the author of 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, have...more

More about Lauren Carr...

Books by Lauren Carr

It's Murder, My Son (Mac Faraday Mystery #1)

Old Loves Die Hard (Mac Faraday Mystery #2)

A Small Case of Murder (Joshua Thornton Mystery #1)

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Shades of Murder (Mac Faraday Mystery #3)

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