Synopsis

When the candidate is a dog, the election gets deadly.

It’s election time in Spencer, Maryland, and the race for mayor is anything but civil.

When the two major parties offer up a pair of thoroughly unpleasant candidates, Police Chief David O’Callaghan decides to make a statement — by nominating Gnarly, Mac Faraday’s brilliant and mischievous German Shepherd, to run for mayor.

What begins as a hilarious joke quickly turns deadly serious when Gnarly becomes the front-runner overnight. Suddenly, the campaign gets ugly. One of the human candidates ends up murdered, and all signs point to the canine contender.

With the entire town watching and political enemies circling, Mac Faraday and the gang must dive headfirst into a dirty election filled with long-buried secrets, dirty tricks, and at least one very determined killer.

Can they clear Gnarly’s name before the votes are counted — or will this be one election that ends in murder?
​
A witty, fast-paced Mac Faraday Mystery packed with small-town charm, sharp humor, and a German Shepherd who just might be smarter than the voters.

Amazon * Audible * B&N

Interview with Lauren Carr

Give us the story in four sentences, no spoilers.

It is election time in Spencer, Maryland, and both human candidates are awful. Police Chief David O’Callaghan nominates Gnarly, Mac Faraday’s German shepherd, to make a point. The point becomes a campaign, the campaign becomes a lead, and then one of the human candidates turns up dead. Mac and the rest of the household have to clear the front-runner before somebody decides a dog can be guilty of murder.

What made you put a dog on the ballot?

Spite, which is a reliable plotting tool. David looks at the two nominees, decides the town deserves better, and fills in Gnarly’s name. I thought the scene would embarrass the politicians and end. Spencer had other plans. When a joke gets a campaign manager, a slogan, and poll numbers, you stop treating it like a joke.

Gnarly has run for office and been accused of worse. Why does he hold a series together?

Because he is not cute. He steals, he ignores orders, and he has a record. Readers forgive him for the same reason the town does: the people around him love him on purpose. That love is in the writing. If I only used him for punch lines, the murder accusation would feel cheap. If the reader already believes David would nominate him, they will believe David would burn the town down to defend him.

How do you write an election without writing a lecture?

I keep the stakes local and the arguments selfish. Speed limits, clotheslines, who the lake belongs to. National politics makes a mystery soggy. Two bad neighbors and a body do not. Whenever a character started explaining How America Works, I gave the line to someone who wanted to win, not someone who wanted to teach.

Mac Faraday is the series lead, but he is not the one who files the paperwork. Did regulars mind?

A few missed him in the first chapters. Then the book handed him a fight that is personal: the story that Gnarly killed his handler. That is not a subplot Mac can wave off from a deck chair. The structure is David lights the match, the town pours on gasoline, Mac walks into the smoke. Everyone gets a job.

What did you have to get right about small-town campaigns?

Signs. Rumors. The person who is suddenly everyone’s best friend. And the speed of a lie. Spencer is small enough that a whisper about a military record can lap the lake before lunch. I did not need a consultant. I needed a town where everybody already knows everybody, which is the only kind of town I know how to write.

Where is the humor allowed to stop?

At the body, and at the handler. The campaign can be ridiculous. Campaign ads, a pensive photo, Mac asking whether anyone remembers this is a dog. The murder is played straight. So is the accusation buried in Gnarly’s service. I will let a reader laugh at a slogan. I will not let them laugh at a coffin and pretend I meant them to.

You write several series. Why does this one keep coming back to Deep Creek Lake?

Because the lake keeps misbehaving. Spencer has locals, weekenders, an inn that has seen too many weddings, and a police department that should have quiet winters. I can bring old friends through without moving the furniture. Candidate for Murder is book twelve. The furniture still has teeth.

What should a tour host tell readers who are new?

Start here if you want. Or start at It’s Murder, My Son if you like doors that open at the beginning. Either way, do not wait for a political science credit. It is a mystery. The front-runner sheds.

Anything you want left off the review?

Who dies, who lied about the Army, and whether Spencer actually elects a German shepherd. The last one is fun to argue about before you open the book. It is less fun if I settle it here.

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.

Website  ~  X/Twitter ~  Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads