Old Loves Die Hard

A Mac Faraday Mystery

By: Lauren Carr

Narrated by: James C. Lewis

Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Old loves die hard...and in the worst places.

In Old Loves Die Hard, Lauren Carr continues the rags-to-riches story of Mac Faraday, an underpaid homicide detective who inherits 270 million dollars and an estate on Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, from his birth mother on the day his divorce becomes final.

Mac is settling nicely into his new life at Spencer Manor when his ex-wife Christine shows up-and she wants him back! Before Mac can send her packing, Christine and her estranged lover are murdered in Mac's private penthouse suite at the Spencer Inn, the five-star resort built by his ancestors.

The investigation leads to the discovery of cases files for some of Mac's murder cases in the room of the man responsible for destroying his marriage. Why would his ex-wife's lover come to Spencer to dig into Mac's old cases?

With the help of his new friends on Deep Creek Lake, Mac must use all of his detective skills to clear his name and the Spencer Inn's reputation, before its five-stars - and more bodies - start dropping!

©2016 Terri Lynn Zaleski (P)2016 Terri Lynn Zaleski

Very entertaining!

This was a great book from start to finish. I'm beginning to like Lauren Carr's books alot.This story had a great plot, and good narration. A great read! 5 stars!

Great second book in series

I liked this book but wanted the back story from book one in the series. Since its not available in audio format I bought the kindle version for a big whopping $.99. Best dollar investment I could ask for. Since I prefer audio I used the text to voice feature on my Kindle. Sure makes me appreciate all of the wonderful narrators available through Audible!

I hope the rest of the series is as enjoyable as the first two books.

Murder makes a call when Mac's ex visits

Old Loves Die Hard
A Mac Faraday Mystery #2
By Lauren Carr

Mac Faraday's life is about to get a whole lot more complicated when his ex-wife "drops in" on his new life. Just over a year ago, his wife left him for the promise of a better life, one that had more money attached to it. And on the day his divorce from Christine was finalized, Mac inherited millions from his biological mother. And now she's back seeking a second chance. But Mac has moved on, and instead of inviting Christine back into his life, he puts her up for the night at the Spencer Inn. And now he is about to become suspect number one in her suspicious death and the murder of the man she left him for.

As Mac, Archie Monday, and the Spencer police force seek answers, more bodies start turning up. And there is an interesting and unexplained link to several past murder cases. And someone seems determined to keep Mac from discovering the answers he seeks, and they are more than willing to permanently silence his questions.

Now I enjoyed this book in the audio format, which was narrated by James C. Lewis. I found the narration to be well done, though I did play it back 1.4 times its normal playback speed. I listened to it at the pace I would have been reading it in print. At the default speed, this book comes in at less than 8 hours of listening - perfect for a week of commuting, exercise, or chores.

I do have to admit Gnarly is my favorite character - I just love all the antics and trouble he gets into. I mean, who wouldn't want to inherit a German Shepherd with a knack for committing crimes on a regular basis? And a dishonorable discharge in his past? Gnarly is a unique and memorable character who, in my opinion, makes the series what it is.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion, all thoughts expressed are my own.

An interesting story that will make you a fan.

I had not read anything by Lauren Carr before listening to OLD LOVES DIE HARD and I have to say that I am now officially a fan.

Her characters are complex and yet simple, they act like real people rather than characters in a book.

The fact that Mac's wife cheated on him and then asked for a divorce which then became final on the exact same day that he learned that he was to receive $270 million dollars along with a mansion and a thriving 5 Star Inn, feels like sweet justice.

Mac had been a homicide detective, and he never made much money, but he was good at his job and he loved it. Coming into massive amounts of money, anď quitting his job, he isn't really sure what to do with his time.

But, 'Old Habits Die Hard' and he finds himself once again investigating murders. The difference this time is because of who the victims are as well as where they were killed.

If you choose to purchase this audiobook, and I sincerely hope you do, you will fall in love with Mac Farady (just like I have."

I rate this audiobook as 4 out of 5 Stars. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Fun mystery - twists & turns keep you guessing!

Mac Faraday is a retired homicide detective who is trying to get accustomed to the estate, Inn and wealth that he inherited from his natural mother. The estate comes with his mother’s research and computer assistant, a beautiful young woman, Archie, and an unruly German Shepard, Gnarly. The two (Mac and Archie more than Mac and Gnarly) have a budding relationship which they are just about to explore when Mac’s inebriated ex-wife, Christine, shows up at the door wanting him back.

Mac takes Christine off to the Spenser Inn to sleep out the night. Before the next morning rolls around Christine and her ex-lover, the man she left Mac for, are found murdered. Mac would make a great suspect since his only alibi for the remainder of the night is Gnarly. Mac’s half-brother (and best friend) happens to be the local police chief. David must interrogate Mac but once he rules him out as a suspect, they tackle the investigation together. After all, the dead man had a handful of files form Mac's old cases with him and a list of names that is a mystery.

I enjoyed the hassle and craziness provided by Mac’s ex-sisters-in-law and a law colleague and wife of the estranged lover and a Judge, all of whom show up wanted something from the deceased’s possessions. They add color to the investigation as David and Mac try to locate the mysterious woman who was caught on camera entering the suite but never leaving.

The story moves along well with humor, action and intrigue. The romance is on a slow simmer while Mac copes with his children and the loss of his ex. It is nicely handled. This is the third book I have listened to from this author. I recommend Ms. Carr for easy, fun cozy mysteries.

Audio Notes: James C. Lewis does a decent job with the narration. He does not necessarily try to create a voice for each character but he still conveys the nature of the personalities. I’m sure these mysteries would read well in print/ebook but I really enjoy the ability to listen to them in audio.

I received the audiobook for tour review.

Awesome listening time

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

I have read a few of Lauren Carr’s book and I love them! Eventually I will review them all! Old Love’s Die Hard is book two in this series, and another awesome book from Carr, and I enjoyed seeing Mac Faraday in a twisted case to take on. But this time it involves Faraday himself, when his wife shows up and she and her lover are found murdered in his personal Suite. Now that’s one for the books. How will Faraday get out of this one? 

I loved following this story, with its many ups and downs and the many twists and turns as the story unfolds. Carr creates the best characters that really grow on you as you keep reading. I love that this is a series, because I get to read about some of the same characters in several books! But I have to say my favorite character is Gnarly, Mac’s Dog. I love this K-9 and love following his journey as he stays right with his owner. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll stop here. And I’ll tell you, if you love a good cozy murder mystery, this is an awesome choice for you.

I review the audio version of Old Loves Die Hard and enjoyed it so much. Jim C. Lewis does such a fantastic job reading this book. His voice is smooth and just the voice you want to listen to for the hours it takes to read a book. If you enjoy listening to books instead of reading them, this is the one you want to listen to.

I do want to say, you might want to check out the first book in A Mac Faraday Mystery, It’s Murder My Son. But either way, these books can be read as a stand alone too! 

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

A great cozy mystery

I read one of the later books in this series in 2020 and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to be accepted on this group of book tours. I really love the author's writing style, and I was excited to jump back into this universe.

Mac Faraday is one of the few enjoyable detective leads I've read. Starting back this early into the series made me like him even more actually. It really showed how much he's grown as a character from the beginning of the series.

Lauren Carr writes great cozy mysteries that I highly recommend!

I received a gifted copy of this book via iRead Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.

Lauren Carr is amazing

Lauren Carr is becoming one of my favorites. Her writing is well rounded. The characters have back stories, there is humor, and there is suspense. You will want to jump right into the next book wen you finish this one!

A good mystery

This was my first Mac Faraday novel, as well as the first novel by Lauren Carr. It is not the first book in the series, but I had absolutely no trouble following the plot, because all the characters are properly introduced, and their background is sufficiently explained, so I never felt that I missed something because I didn’t know the previous books, yet.

The story is a mystery until the very end; there are many twists and turns, and I never saw it coming. It was convincing, too. We have a great character-building here, the characters aren’t just black or white, but everything in between, most of them have something to hide, so we have lots of suspects.

I wasn’t too sure about the dog, it has a special ability which seemed odd, if not impossible, but then who knows what a well-trained, intelligent dog is capable of. I have since done a bit of research, and apparently it’s not all that abstract after all. I absolutely loved the dog’s antics, in those moments, he seemed to be one clever dog-like dog.

I’m now curious about the area, and I’d really love to see it for real one day. The story drew me in from the start, and kept me listening; and I look forward to listening to others in that series.

The narration was good and easy to listen to. Although there isn’t much in the way of different timbres, dialects, or accents, and all the characters sounded more or less alike to me, I didn’t really have problems following who said what, so there must have been variations after all, but they certainly weren’t overdone.

Another Good Mystery

I chose to read this book after receiving a free audio copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

I have read several books in the Mac Faraday series and they all stand alone and they're all good mysteries. Old Loves Die Hard is full of mystery and action with a little humor on the side. It is the second book in the series and I enjoyed learning how Mac and Archie got together. I also liked learning the history of some of the characters in the series.

I like Lauren Carr’s writing style because it’s easy to follow and she doesn’t get bogged down with lengthy descriptions. The narrator, James Lewis, has a great voice to listen to. He has good timing and a pleasant voice.

I have read and listened to several of Lauren Carr's books. I've decided that for some reason, I like listening to the Mac Faraday books more than reading them. I haven't figured out why yet but maybe I will after I listen to the next one. I definitely recommend Old Loves Die Hard. If you like mystery, intrigue, and action, it’s for you