As soon as I read the title with its clever play on words, I cracked a smile. Carr has delivered another twisty and complex mystery in her fourth book in the Chris Matheson Cold Care Mystery series!
Book Title: Chris Crossed Murder by Lauren Carr (A Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery #4)
Category: Adult Fiction, 422 pages
Genre: Murder Mystery, Books in a Series
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: Feb 22, 2023
Tour dates: Feb 22 to March 31, 2023
Content Rating: PG (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:
It proves to be a Christmas to remember when the Matheson family receives the horrendous news that Chris Matheson’s body has been found in the woods near an international airport.
Everyone is stunned—especially Chris Matheson.
The mystery deepens when they discover the victim has Chris’s federal agent badge and appears to have been investigating one of his old cases.
The Geezer Squad’s latest case is not only a whodunit but who-got-dun. Is this a case of mistaken identity? Was Chris the intended victim? If not, then they must identify the murder victim to find his killer.
With Christmas days away, join the Chris Matheson and the Geezer Squad as they race to piece together the clues to their most puzzling case yet.
My Review:
Reviewed by Laura Fabiani
As soon as I read the title with its clever play on words, I cracked a smile. Not only is the title a good pun but this novel is the fourth book of one of my favorite series, the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries. Once again, Lauren Carr creates a good mystery within a mystery. How she can keep it all straight makes me marvel. For readers, the list of characters at the front of the book is helpful, especially for this one where there are also multiple aliases!
An unidentifiable body is found with Chris Matheson's federal agent badge on him. Who is this person and why does he have Chris's ID on him? As they dig deeper, they discover the body is somehow connected to one of Chris's cold cases, the murder of a young actress named Sky Belmont. The Geezer Squad gets busy looking for leads and using their know-how to help Chris solve this mystery. Carr ties all the loose ends by the end of the story except one unlikely escape that was never explained, but then again this is fiction. I loved the way it ends though! I suspected it because I caught on to some clues, and it was clever as a twist.
Of course, as in all her stories, the animals have their star moments. Sterling, Chris's service dog was a great detective. Chompers cracked me up. I'm still trying to warm up to Helen, Chris's wife. She annoys me with her sarcastic remarks and the snatching of papers out of Chris's hand on more than one occasion. I would have liked a quick review of the members of the Geezer Squad since it's been a while I read the last book. Apart from these small things, this was another entertaining read from a fun series.
I hope Carr has another book in the works with more cold cases to solve for Chris and his Geezer Squad. If you're looking for a mystery series with good themes of friendships, family, and team spirit, this is a good one. Start from the beginning, it's worth it.
Here are my reviews for the first three books in the series:
Disclosure: I bought a copy of this book and also chose to participate in this tour. I was not compensated, nor told how to rate or review this product.
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Meet the Author:
Selling over half a million books worldwide, Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Thorny Rose, Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries, and Nikki Bryant Cozy Mysteries—thirty titles across five fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!
Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.
The owner of Acorn Book Services and iRead Book Tours, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, and virtual book tour coordinator for independent authors.
Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions.
She lives with her husband, and two spoiled rotten German shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
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Enter the Giveaway!
Ends April 7, 2023
Thank you so much, Laura, for the wonderful review for CHRIS CROSSED MURDER. I am so glad that you enjoy the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries. I am certain your followers will enjoy them as well. Here's wishing each one luck in the giveaway for the $75 PayPal and the Granny Bella Cookies.
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