Review: Real Murder

ABL Review At-A-Glance

• Title:  Real Murder (Lovers in Crime #2)
• My Rating: 4
• Genre:  Mystery, Suspense
• Author:  Lauren Carr
• Format:  audiobook
• Publication Date:  May 28, 2014

Synopsis

When Homicide Detective Cameron Gates befriends Dolly, the little old lady who lives across the street, she is warned not to get lured into helping the elderly woman by investigating the unsolved murder of one of her girls. “She’s senile,” Cameron is warned. “It’s not a real murder.”

Such is not the case. After Dolly is brutally murdered, Cameron discovers that the sweet blue-haired lady’s “girl” was a call girl, who had been killed in a mysterious double homicide.

Meanwhile, Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Thornton is looking for answers to the murder of a childhood friend, a sheriff deputy whose cruiser is found at the bottom of a lake. The deputy had disappeared almost twenty years ago while privately investigating the murder of a local prostitute.

It doesn’t take long for the Lovers in Crime to put their cases together to reveal a long-kept secret that some believe is worth killing to keep undercover.

My Thoughts…

So, I’ve been lucky enough to get the chance to review this entire series even though it began years ago.  It’s particularly exciting because I don’t have to wait years to read each sequel.  It’s a lot like Netflix through my audiobooks, I get to binge listen.  Listening in this way makes remember the details from book to book much easier.

This installment was very interesting in its construction.  There are multiple murders inside this storyline spanning decades, showing the cultural differences years can make in solving a crime.  When a prostitute and her client are murdered in a brothel, the police barely attempt to solve the crime because no one interested in justice for these victims.  In the present day, however, the victims jobs and recreations are of less concern than a killer running free.

The way in which these murders are woven into the lives of our lead characters is intricate and well thought out.  Bringing in some of the drama from the previous novel, Joshua and Cameron continue their teamwork to solve a very personal crime to Josh.  Luckily, there skill and relationship seem up to the challenge.

I love the personal touches Lauren Carr always puts into her work.  The bright and colorful animal characters bring heart into any situation.  She loves to use food to anchor time and events, which is exactly what most people do.  We gather around food and use it to comfort and support each other.  In this particular series, an ice cream sundae is the star, and each time it is talked about, I’m jealous that I can’t get one in real life.

Conclusion

If you enjoy mystery or crime novels, you should be reading Lauren Carr.  She’s a great writer, with good stories and even better characters. 

*Special thanks to Lauren Carr, Acorn Book Services, and iRead Book Tours for a copy of Real Murder in exchange for an honest review.