The Murders at Astaire Castle

Mac Faraday Mystery, Book 5

By: Lauren Carr

Narrated by: Dan Lawson

Never tell Mac Faraday not to do something.

Spencer's police chief, David O'Callaghan, learns this lesson the hard way when he orders Mac Faraday to stay away from the south end of Spencer's mountaintop - even though he owns the property. It doesn't take long for Mac to find out what lies on the other side of the stone wall and locked gate, on which hangs a sign warning visitors to Keep Out!

Topping the list of the 10 top haunted places in America, Astaire Castle is associated with two suicides, three mysterious disappearances, and four murders since it was built almost a century ago - and Mac Faraday owns it!

In spite of David's warning, Mac can't resist unlocking the gate to see the castle that supposedly hasn't seen a living soul since his late mother had ordered it closed up after the double homicide and disappearance of Damian Wagner, a world-famous master of horror novels.

What starts out as a quick tour of a dusty old castle turns into another Mac Faraday adventure when Astaire Castle becomes the scene of even more murders. Mac is going to need to put all of his investigative talents to work to sort out this case that involves the strangest characters he has run into yet - including a wolf man. No, we're not talking about Gnarly.

©2013 Terri Lynn Zaleski (P)2014 Terri Lynn Zaleski

ABSOLUTELY ASTOUNDING. LOVE THE PLOT.

Another hit from Lauren Carr. I like the plot. Exciting and intriguing. I like that the series continue with all the interesting characters. Mac Faraday and David, his brother continue to work together to help solve crimes. The love lives of the the brothers are also very interesting. There are lots of action and the antagonists are truly evil. Very good series!

Mystery & Suspense...with a Few Spine Tingles

If you could sum up The Murders at Astaire Castle in three words, what would they be?

Mysterious Twists & Turns

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mac Faraday. I think he's always my favorite character besides Gnarly, of course. He's rational, reasonable and has great character chemistry throughout the books.

Any additional comments?

Listening to the story gave the series a different voice for me. I have read a few of the Mac Faraday mysteries--and; unfortunately, I had voices in my mind for the stories as I read. In my mind, the narrator was female--and I had imagined "voices" for the many characters. The male narrator for this audiobook caused my imagination (and attention) to struggle for a while to settle into the story and even to accept the familiar characters. I listened for a couple of hours--and then listened again. Once I settled into the narration--I was able to focus more on the storyline. (And--this really has nothing to do with the storyline or the narration--it is purely me telling other series readers-turned-listeners that they may not, immediately, feel the same connections they have had to Carr's past stories.)

Carr combines her usual vivid mix of suspense with character interaction. The introduction leads readers to suspect a stronger paranormal spin than readers/listeners will encounter through the book. While the paranormal aspect is less than I had anticipated; readers/listeners will find typical Carr twists, suspense, and character dialogue as they move through the story. Listeners will need to focus on the story. The storyline seemed a little complicated at times. I am not sure if it was simply harder for me to focus on the spoken word--or if I wasn't devoting the proper attention while listening--but, I had to re-listen at times to keep the storyline and characters in order. The story is a good one--but, it did not seem to be as concise and coordinated as previous books in Carr's series.

Expect some chills. Paranormal aspects will rear their heads at times to give readers a few chills along the way. I do think these aspects are more spooky with the spoken narration than they would have been had I read them!

Would I recommend The Murders at Astaire Castle by Lauren Carr? I did like the story and I did enjoy listening to the narration. I don't think I liked this book as much as other books from Carr's series--but, I really wonder if I, personally, wouldn't have liked it more if I had READ it rather than listened..The storyline was a little more difficult to follow than in previous books--and the narration seemed to cause my attention to wander. I liked the story--and I did appreciate the spine-tingles from the occasional, paranormal angle--but, I think I really may have enjoyed the whole story more had I read it! If you are an audiobook fan--you will probably love it. For those "paper-page-holdouts", like I am, you may want to read the book instead!

Beware the castle ghosts

This is the fifth book in the Mac Faraday Mystery Series, and the second book I listened to. Like ‚Old Loves Die Hard‚, this can be read as a stand-alone novel. All the characters and their connections are properly introduced, and although it is clear that we’ve moved on in time, I never felt I missed something.

In this book, the focus is more on David and his past, than it is on Mac Faraday. And David has an interesting past, a good deal of which is connected to the haunted Astaire Castle, a property belonging to Mac Faraday and of which the latter had been ignorant until now.

Strange things used to go on at the castle, and the moment Mac Faraday gets involved, the series of murders starts afresh.

It is all very mysterious, and once again, the ending is perplexing (good job that I’m not a private investigator). There’s even some paranormal activity, but it is believable, considering the whole circumstances.

I really like the characters of Mac Faraday, Archie, David, and the rest, but I absolutely love Gnarly.

He’s such a great dog, and all his antics grant some comic relief. I laughed out loud on occasions, I really pictured Gnarly doing what he did. In my eyes, he is readily the best character in this series.

Last week, I said I’d love to explore the area at Deep Creek Lake, but I’d give that castle a wide berth (fortunately, it is fictional).

Dan Lawson did a wonderful job at narrating the story. I have to say that I enjoyed this narration more than the one I wrote about last week. The characters were very distinctive, especially Hector, the Australian. I’ll certainly listen to other books by Dan Lawson, his take on the novel convinced throughout — as did the story. It drew me in right from the start and is a true page turner.

My thanks go to Laura Fabiani from iread booktours who provided me with a free copy of this great audio book.

Never tell Mac Faraday not to do something

Would you consider the audio edition of The Murders at Astaire Castle to be better than the print version?

Equally as entertaining and engrossing

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Murders at Astaire Castle?

When the men find themselves locked inside the castle

Which scene was your favorite?

What starts out as a quick tour of a dusty old castle turns into another Mac Faraday adventure when Astaire Castle becomes the scene of even more murders.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was enthralled

Any additional comments?

Never tell Mac Faraday not to do something.

Spencer’s police chief, David O’Callaghan, learns this lesson the hard way when he orders Mac Faraday to stay away from the south end of Spencer’s mountaintop—even though he owns the property. It doesn’t take long for Mac to find out what lies on the other side of the stone wall and locked gate, on which hangs a sign warning visitors to Keep Out!

Topping the list of the ten most haunted places in America, Astaire Castle is associated with two suicides, three mysterious disappearances, and four murders since it was built almost a century ago—and Mac Faraday owns it!

In spite of David’s warning, Mac can’t resist unlocking the gate to see the castle that supposedly hasn’t seen a living soul since his late mother had ordered it closed up after the double homicide and disappearance of Damian Wagner, a world-famous master of horror novels.

What starts out as a quick tour of a dusty old castle turns into another Mac Faraday adventure when Astaire Castle becomes the scene of even more murders. Mac is going to need to put all of his investigative talents to work to sort out this case that involves the strangest characters he has run into yet—including a wolf man. No, we’re not talking about Gnarly.

The Murders at Astaire Castle by Lauren Carr

If you could sum up The Murders at Astaire Castle in three words, what would they be?

Mysterious, Enjoyable, Wonderful

Who was your favorite character and why?

So Mac asked Hector to tour the old castle. David comes by following Mac and Hector. Mac gets out of the jeep and asked what David is doing. Now David commits to being with Mac and tries to protect Mac even though if he does not know if he will be able to.

Which scene was your favorite?

The author got me intrigued with what it happens at the beginning, but she really does with the wolfman. I could not wait to see what would happen. Who is Wolf man? She put a bit of a supernatural in this book and it a good book for the month of October. I come away with the fact that I wish to know more about this wolfman and whatever happens to him.

Fantastic!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The Murders at Astaire Castle is a fantastic, adventure (and murder packed!) audio book that you don't want to hit pause - you don't want to miss what happens next to Mac Faraday and Gnarly!

This novel was intense, full of mystery and suspense. You need to give the audio book (and I am sure the novel as well) your full attention. There are lots of murders and information that you can easily miss if you are not paying full attention. I found myself going back at some points to ensure I had key figures right (editors, authors, etc..). The story evolved in such a way that I did not expect! What began as a superstition that you thought was easily solved, turned into a cycle of past murders that prompted a new set of murders! Just when you think the story can not possibly make another twist, it did! It was very well written and thought out. The ending was nothing what I expected but was incredible. It literally blew my mind!

Gnarly (you have to give such a cute character some love!), was his usually spunky and hard working dog! He makes me laugh with his antics (garbage dump diving) but is such a hard working, intelligent partner. He played a big part as usual in this novel.

The Murders at Astaire Castle was an intense, suspenseful murder mystery that you will truly love! It is a definite must read.

Another terrific story from Lauren Carr!

The more I read of this author, the more I enjoy her. Amusing novels with solid mysteries that always include numerous suspects and bodies alike. The twists and turns this time take us to a haunted castle, unsolved old murders, a missing writer, a mysterious wolf, and more. It’s exciting to explore the castle while trying to figure out who might be the killer. Great fun!

See if you can piece the puzzle together to find a killer. You’ll have fun doing it. Ms. Carr is very clever at hiding the guilty party until the end.

Looking forward to seeing more of Lauren's books on Audible.

You can read the entire review on Mystery Suspense Reviews.

Murder haunts the mountain & it has returned

The Murders at Astaire Castle
A Mac Faraday Mystery #5
By Lauren Carr
Narrated by Dan Lawson

Astaire Castle is to be feared - it is haunted and it is the site of several murders, suicides, and unexplained disappearances. And Mac Faraday owns it. And unfortunately Mac Faraday is determined to explore this mysterious and forbidden castle. He's been warned and that's the worst way to keep Mac from doing something dangerous.

But when Mac explores this foreboding construction on Spencer's Mountain he is not ready for the newest string of murders that are about to become part of the lore of Astaire Castle.

Does the past have any bearing on the present murders? Or is Astaire Castle truly haunted? A ghost, a wolf man, a shape-shifter, a black widow, a full moon, and Gnarly - this will be one Halloween that no one in Spencer will soon forget.

The opening of The Murders at Astaire Castle is creepily scary, perfect to listen to in the dark, which I did not realizing just how perfect this was for setting the mood for a scary night up. Then the story shifts to the present day and the seemingly normal day-to-day life of Mac Faraday in Spencer. The search for a missing elderly woman leads to Mac learning of his unknown castle and Gnarly being his thieving, helpful self.

With a wide range of characters there are plenty of suspects unless one believes the rumors that the murderer is not of human variety... And I might suggest another location for vacations other than Spencer - it can be dangerous to your health.

My favorite scene is when Mac is dreaming about bologna and Gnarly is helping himself to it out of the refrigerator. It is quite memorable and I think Mac needs to have real hard look at his late night snacks if he gets these kinds of dreams.

The narrator does a fine job moving the story along with his reading. The various characters have discernible voices that differ from the story narration.


I was provided a review copy of this audiobook by the author in exchange for my honest review.

Great Story!

I loved this story and I also was a huge fan of narrator as well.

I received this book free of charge from the author or publisher.

Another Gnarly Story

Where does The Murders at Astaire Castle rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would have to say that The Murders at Astaire Castle ranks among the top five audio books I have listened to so far. The narrator Dan Lawson did an amazing job pulling me into Lauren Carr's mystery.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character would have to be Gnarly. Gnarly is a canine character who brings a lot of laughs into this book and the Mac Faraday Mystery series. I love the fact that he is realistically written and yet still very personable.

Which scene was your favorite?

My favorite scene in the Murders at Astaire Castle would have to be the first time the characters become aware of the wolf man. I liked the addition of a supernatural element to the mystery.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

For me the most moving part was when all of the pieces of the puzzle started to come together in my head as I started to solve the mystery for myself. I really loved the moment of suspense between coming up with my own theory and finding out what really happened.