A priceless jeweled collar disappearing in the middle of an elite dog show is already the kind of theft designed to attract attention. In Best in Murder, however, Lauren Carr quickly gives Mac Faraday far more to investigate: two murders, a missing Irish Wolfhound, competing law-enforcement agencies, wealthy dog owners, fierce rivalries, and Gnarly in the middle of the resulting chaos. The fifteenth Mac Faraday Mystery brings the Spencer Inn into the high-stakes world of championship dogs, where carefully polished appearances make particularly useful camouflage for secrets.
Mystery
Release Date: October 13, 2026
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +)
Content Rating: PG-13 (Lauren Carr's books are murder mysteries, so there are murders involved. Occasionally, a murder will happen on stage. There is sexual content, but always behind closed doors. Some mild swearing (a hell or a damn few and far between). No F-bombs!
༺ ABOUT THE BOOK ༻
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.
"Pedigreed dogs, rich owners, cutthroat competition, enormous egos, several murders, a stolen diamond dog collar, a missing Irish Wolfhound show dog, a disgruntled cop, and a criminally inclined biker with a vicious poodle all come together in this tale. As each new element dropped in my lap, I was pulled in further until it was impossible to put the book down. I consumed it." - Marilyn R. Wilson, Book Reviewer and Author
༺ My review ༻
Carr delivers another fun mystery for readers. Lauren Carr has done it again with a mystery that starts out fairly straightforward—a stolen diamond dog collar at a prestigious dog show—then keeps getting bigger, messier, and much harder to solve. Plenty of suspects, more than one crime to untangle, and enough twists and red herrings that every time I thought I had it figured out, something sent me in another direction. That is one of the things I have always enjoyed about Carr's writing. She can create a very well-organized, complex mystery without making it difficult to follow, and she balances the murders and police work with lots of humor and antics so the story never becomes too dull. This time, putting Mac and the gang in the middle of a hotel full of show dogs, competitive owners, big egos, and some very expensive animals gives her even more opportunities for the kind of chaos and humor that make her mysteries so much fun to read.
Expect characters to love. After reading nearly all the books in most of Lauren Carr's series, these characters feel like old friends, and I always enjoy seeing who shows up and how the different series and relationships connect. Carr has built a pretty large fictional world over the years, but her characters still feel like real people—with families, friendships, disagreements, jobs, history, and plenty of personality. Of course, the four-legged characters are every bit as important, and Best in Murder gives them plenty of time to shine. A dog show is practically the perfect setting for Mayor Gnarly, Mac's wonderfully intelligent, mischievous German Shepherd. Gnarly has been one of my favorite characters for years, and watching him create trouble, act completely innocent about it, and somehow still help move the story along never gets old. Add an entire hotel full of dogs to the mix, and you can probably imagine how well-behaved our honorable mayor will be. The dogs have distinct personalities just like the humans, and Carr writes them like someone who genuinely knows and loves dogs rather than simply using them as accessories to the story.
Would I Recommend Best in Murder by Lauren Carr? I absolutely recommend Best in Murder, especially to anyone who enjoys a good mystery that makes you work a little for the solution but still leaves plenty of room for laughter along the way. New readers can enjoy the mystery as a standalone novel. Still, I think longtime readers get an extra layer of enjoyment from knowing the characters, their histories, and all those connections that have developed across Carr's different series. I've read nearly all of her books in most of those series, and I still look forward to another visit with Mac, Gnarly, and the rest of this crew. After fifteen Mac Faraday mysteries, I'm still happy to come back to Spencer, see what kind of trouble everyone gets into next, and try—and usually fail—to solve it before Mac does. Five stars from me, and I'm already looking forward to whatever Lauren Carr has planned next.
༺ bonus! Bonus! Bonus! ༻
Pre-order Best in Murder now and receive the exclusive bonus novelette Who Framed Michelangelo? — a complete Mac Faraday mystery featuring Gnarly and a very special Goldendoodle!
One Locked Cottage. One Framed Dog. Two Four-Legged Detectives on the Case.
When beloved local Frieda Selleck is found mauled to death in her locked cottage, all evidence points to her gentle, arthritic Goldendoodle service dog, Michelangelo. But Mac Faraday refuses to believe the obvious. With help from his irrepressible German Shepherd, Gnarly, Mac must prove the loyal service dog was framed for murder.
Just days before the glamorous Mid-Atlantic Classic Kennel Club Invitational descends on the Spencer Inn, Frieda—a sharp-eyed woman with a reputation for “psychic” visions—had handed Mac a sealed envelope containing clues to her own killer. Now, with doors locked from the inside, no signs of forced entry, and a hidden wall safe emptied of cash and gold, Mac and Gnarly race against time to uncover the truth.
Joined by an unlikely four-legged partner in Michelangelo, the canine detective squad follows a trail of family secrets, phony smiles, suspicious alibis, and a desperate climb down a steep wooded hillside. As the pieces fall into place, Mac discovers that even the shiniest “golden child” can hide a dark heart.
A fast-paced, twist-filled cozy mystery packed with humor, heart, and plenty of doggy mischief. Perfect for fans of the Mac Faraday series!
“Who Framed Michelangelo?” is an exclusive prequel short story set at the Spencer Inn the week before the events of Best in Murder (Mac Faraday Mystery #15, coming October 13, 2026).
༺ 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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༺ LAST WORD ༻
The polished world of Best in Show gives Lauren Carr an especially useful backdrop for a Mac Faraday mystery. Valuable dogs, expensive prizes, intense competition, and carefully protected reputations create plenty of reasons for suspicion before the murders even enter the picture. Add Gnarly's particular approach to investigation and a missing Irish Wolfhound to the stolen jeweled collar, and Best in Murder has the ingredients for a case where canine chaos and criminal motives are thoroughly intertwined. The accompanying Who Framed Michelangelo? bonus also gives readers a chance to visit the Spencer Inn through a separate mystery immediately before the new novel's events.
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