Synopsis

One Collar. Two Dead. Total Chaos.

When a priceless platinum-and-diamond collar vanishes at the Mid-Atlantic Classic Kennel Club Invitational—Best in Show at the Spencer Inn, it looks like the ultimate high-society theft. But when two women connected to the glittering event are murdered in quick succession, the case explodes into something far more deadly.

Mac Faraday and his troublemaking German Shepherd, Gnarly, dive headfirst into the glamorous, cutthroat world of championship dog shows. Amidst perfectly groomed champions worth small fortunes, ruthless competitors, and million-dollar egos, the trail leads to a missing Irish Wolfhound whose value goes well beyond his blue-blood pedigree.

As tensions rise between Spencer PD and the county sheriff’s office, Mac’s team races to untangle a web of greed, betrayal, and long-buried secrets—all while the elegant resort descends into delightful canine chaos. With show dogs of every shape and size turning the Spencer Inn into their personal playground, Gnarly does what he does best: stir up trouble and sniff out the truth.
Fast-paced, laugh-out-loud funny, and packed with four-legged mischief, Best in Murder proves that in the high-stakes world of Best in Show, the biggest prizes come with the deadliest risks.

Amazon

This book will be released on 10/13/26. Preorder it today

Guest Post

How to Put a Vicious Poodle in a Murder Mystery and Still Mean It

People like to file my books under cozy, and I do not fight them in the grocery aisle. There are dogs. There is a resort town. Nobody is going to need a shower after the autopsy chapter.

But I do write murder. Real murder, not a fainting spell with a letter opener nearby. Best in Murder opens the way my books often do: something glittering on the surface, something ugly underneath. A championship show. A collar worth a small scandal. Two women who should have gone home. A missing Irish Wolfhound. And yes, a criminally inclined biker with a vicious poodle, because the universe has a sense of humor and I am not going to argue with it.

The trick—if there is a trick—is not choosing between funny and serious. It is refusing to use the funny as a trapdoor.

When a joke works in a mystery, it is character. Gnarly steals a scene because Gnarly would steal the scene. David’s desk chair squeaks because David would get the chair that squeaks. Mac walks into the Spencer Inn expecting to ask a few questions and walks out covered in dog hair because that is what happens when you let a German shepherd consult on a case.

When a joke does not work, it is the author waving from behind the curtain, begging you not to be sad. I try not to do that. Readers can tell.

Best in Murder has a lot of moving parts. That was deliberate. A dog show is already three mysteries stacked in a tuxedo: theft, rivalry, and ego. Add a county sheriff’s office that does not trust the town police, and you have enough tension to keep the poodle from running the book. The animals are the spice. The case is the meal.

I also have a rule about later books in a series. Book 15 does not get to coast on goodwill. If you have never met Mac Faraday, you should still be able to sit down, meet the man, meet the dog, and care who dies. The regulars will catch the family jokes. The new readers should never feel like they walked into the third hour of a movie.

That is harder than it sounds. It is also the only way I know to keep writing these people without turning them into a reunion special.

So if you pick up Best in Murder because you heard there is a dog show, good. If you pick it up because you like a police procedural that does not take itself to church, also good. If you pick it up because a reviewer said she consumed it and could not explain why she was laughing without spoiling the page, that reviewer and I should have coffee.

Just do not tell Gnarly I compared him to spice. He considers himself the main course.

About the Author

Lauren Carr is the author of over thirty acclaimed mystery novels, with more than half a million copies sold worldwide. Her fast-paced series—the Mac Faraday Mysteries, Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries, and more—blend twists, suspense, humor, and unforgettable characters (including clever German shepherds!).

It’s Murder, My Son organically hit #1 in Mystery on Amazon, and her books consistently rank in the Top 20 Police Procedurals in the US and international markets.

A popular speaker and publishing consultant, Lauren lives on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV, with her husband and three spoiled rotten German shepherds.

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