12 years previously there is a witness to a murder who is put into the witness protection scheme.
Back to the present, and mobster Tommy Cruze is out of jail determined to kill the witness.
Mix that were a few more murders and we have Farady back investigating the killings. ( )

Note: Even though this is Book 4 in the series, it works just fine as a stand alone.

Set in Spencer, Maryland in the Deep Creek Lake gated community, retired DC cop Mac Faraday is about to be hip deep in organized crime and federal protection agents. Tommy Cruze is out of prison after several years and his search has finally turned up the witness that put him behind bars. He’s come to Spencer to hunt her down.

This was a great addition to the series. We finally have something more to Archie Monday than her efficient nature and love of pink. She witnessed a serious crime many years back and had to testify and then go into federal protective custody. That meant saying goodbye to her entire past and becoming the personal assistant to Robin Spencer, a renowned mystery writer and Mac’s true birth mother (who gave him up for adoption). Now all that has to come out and Mac’s both a little hurt that Archie hadn’t told him before and also feeling very protective of her, as two of Cruze’s men have already made an attempt on her life. Lucky for Archie, she took the time to become a proficient shot.

Things get even more convoluted when a poisoning occurs at a dockside cafe where a woman and her daughter, who also happen to be in federal protective custody, work. Leah and her young daughter Sari move into the big Spencer Manor for protection while all this gets sorted out.

Randi Finnegan was a fun addition to the story. Mac’s half-brother David O’Callaghan has caught the eye of the federal agent but Randi isn’t sure he’s interested at all. She’s prickly and not a beauty and she knows it. So she focuses on the job and she’s good at it. I liked the potential of something blooming between these two.

There’s potentially another murder at a B&B. Initially, it looks like a very sick woman stumbled and fell down the stairs, but Mac and David look deeper. Yet another death occurs outside of a restaurant in town and the police have to consider if this one is linked to Tommy Cruze and his second in command. Indeed, it seems Spencer is full of killers this season!

Mac, Archie, and David have their hands full untangling this one! I really enjoyed watching them dig down to the roots of these cases and figure out which were related and which weren’t. Meanwhile, Gnarly was keeping the little girl Sari company. This was so sweet and so cute that it was almost too much. Like a sweet lemonade, sometimes the sugar can just be too much. Luckily, those scenes were sprinkled throughout the story so it wasn’t a turn off.

I received a free copy of this book via iRead Book Tours.

The Narration: Dan Lawson rocked this book. There have been a few narrators for this series and Lawson is my favorite so far. He has a really good range of voices, his female voices are believable, he does the little kid Sari really well, and he even has believable accents (both foreign and regional). I was impressed with his performance on this book. ( )

In Blast from the Past by Lauren Carr, character Archie Monday's past connection to the mob is catching up to her in Spencer, Maryland, which is located on Deep Creek Lake. Her testimony helped convict Tommy Cruze, head of a major East Coast crime syndicate. She is a participant in the FBI’s Witness Protection Program. Now Tommy is out and he's after Archie - thus the title: Blast from the Past. Mac, Gnarly (Mac’s German shepherd), David O’Callaghan (Spencer police chief), and Randi Finnegan (U.S. Marshal) are all scrambling to protect Archie and figure out why the body count appears to be rising and who, exactly, is putting out the hit orders on all these people?

It is a fast paced, humorous mystery that will appeal to anyone who enjoys a light hearted mystery and dogs. I appreciated that Carr includes a complete cast of characters at the beginning of her novel. Carr's Mac Faraday Mysteries include: It's Murder, My Son; Old Loves Die Hard; and Shades of Murder. Blast from the Past is the fourth book in the Mac Faraday mystery series.

While I've mentioned the previous three books in the series, this was my first Mac Faraday mystery and I didn't have any problem following the action. If you like following a series from the beginning you might want to check out the first three books, though, because I'm sure there are things I missed because I didn't have the complete back story.

Blast from the Past is a well developed story full of intrigue that moves at a brisk pace. The characters are interesting, the villains varied, and the action is as quick as the humor. I have a feeling any of Lauren Carr's mysteries would be pleasurable distractions, as well as entertaining. (I got a big laugh out of the high-priced assassins named Hillerman and McCrumb.)

very highly recommended
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Acorn Book Services and Netgalley for review purposes.
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This is fourth Mac Faraday book from Lauren Carr and an exciting one, too. They can be read as stand alones, but I think they should be read in order. And this book will certainly be an eye opener.

One note for Mac regarding Gnarly, his Shepherd, get over it. LOL When you find the right groomer you stay with them.

Archie is driving Gnarly to the groomers for his super dog grooming when he notices a police car following her. Having lived in the area for some time she is aware of police procedures and it's staff, and is on high alert. She reaches for her hidden "pink" pistol shoots the mobsters posing as the police. Spencer Manor, the home that Max Faraday has inherited from his mother, along with her millions and a five star inn, goes on high alert.

On a hunch Randi, the U.S. Marshall handling Archie's witness protection program and David. Spencer's police chief, check out the secretary of the Marshall office and get involved in a shootout and find the secretary brutally murdered. Then the owner of a B&B is found dead at the bottom of her steps. What with a small police force, Mac is asked to investigate this suspicious death. Then a shoot out at a local coffee shop has really gotten things in a state of major confusion.

It's bad enough to try and investigate all the murders, but to add to the mess, what ones are related and how and who has jurisdiction over what and trying to avoid stepping on any ones toes?

Everyone is still talking to each other and the only not happy is the murderer. A well plotted out story with interesting characters to keep the reader turning the pages.

There's even a little romance and humor, too. Let me not forget another hero, Gnarly. It's always fun to read about Gnarly and being owned by a Westie, I think Carr has done a very good job of portraying Gnarly habits.

Looking forward to the next book, for sure.



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Mac Faraday returns with the usual trouble just around the corner. Lauren Carr takes this new mystery into the past life of Archie Monday, formally known as Kendra Douglas, who witnessed a mob murder when she was young and has been in witness protection since. Now the mob has found her and they aren’t going to leave her alive for a second time. Eventually there are three murders to solve and the trouble comes trying to link the common thread or are they unrelated. Never fear though, Mac and his half-brother, David O’Callaghan, are on the job along with Archie and Gnarly, the German Shepard. Archie doesn’t want to relocate so she ends up just moving in with Mac (they were eventually going to do that anyway). David is already living in the mansion and when Marshall Randi Finnegan ends up there also to help protect Archie sparks fly between them. Even though there is many different plot lines running around I didn’t feel like it was confusing, just had me constantly wondering who did it.

The thing with Carr’s mysteries is she always injects some good humor. I have grown to absolutely love Gnarly. He is a stand out character and should have his own book. Another great aspect of her mysteries is that fact that you will always be kept guessing. You have all the clues but there are a few wrenches thrown in that keep you from tying them together until Carr is ready for you to. I recommend any of the Mac Faraday novels for all mystery lovers.

(I received this book from the author at no charge and in no way influenced my review) ( )