A solid audio experience and a lot of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. There were a few interesting moments but for the most part this felt like a few other books I’ve read recently. Not bad, just not what I was hoping for.
I appreciate the alc from the publisher

Thank you Marcy McCreary and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Murder of Madison Garcia.
There were many secrets and lies seen throught this book.

I enjoyed the storyline of the book, however it was complicated at times. There was so much deception nd other smaller stories happening that at times I forgot there was a murder trying to be solved.

The characters were great, however there were so many it was hard to keep track of.

I found it hard to follow at times because there was just so much going on.
The details seemed to over explain at times and make the book drag where as in other instances I couldn't fully picture what was happening.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to an advanced copy of The Murder of Madison Garcia by Marcy McCreary. Interesting plot, decent character development, and a pace that held my attention. This is a solid read. #TheMurderofMadisonGarcia #NetGalley.

Marcy McCreary delivers a pleasant detective novel with "The Murder of Madison Garcia." Detective Susan Ford teams up with her father to investigate the murder of his best friend's granddaughter, who happened to call Susan the night that she died.

I did not realize initially, but discerned through reading this book that it is the second in a series. I did not feel that hindered my understanding of this book, though there may have been enough information about the first book in the second book that you wouldn't feel a need to circle back to the first book (hard to say if it's a spoiler for the first book without reading it).

I was lucky enough to review this book in audio format. I appreciated Rachel Fulginiti's reading of the story, right down to speaking as though congested when the main character had a sinus infection.

Thank you to Marcy McCreary and CamCat books for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

I was not a fan of this book, unfortunately. I usually love detective stories and this one held a lot of promise for me. The main character is in her 50s but she works this case with her 88-year-old father, blurring the lines of ethical conduct and not in an interesting way. Her father also continually criticizes her methods of working the case, which is interesting to me since he also has a history of being a detective and a lot of what he "knows" should be standard practice. She criticizes him for leaning on his gut instincts, but she also ends up doing that to some degree.

There's also a lot of familial drama that was outlined in the first book (which I admittedly have not read) that keeps coming up in this one and it wasn't engrossing to me at all. There's also a weird connection to the victim's family with Susan's father being friends with the victim's grandfather and even though the grandfather is technically a suspect, Susan's father wants to keep visiting his old friend for social visits. Early on in the story it was noted that Susan has a connection to the family because her parents know the victim's grandparents and she says she'll recuse herself if things get dicey, but she never does.

Sadly I found that I couldn't connect with any of these characters, and because of that, I didn't really care about what happened to them. In the end the book felt like a too-long episode of a standard police procedural without the usual hook to draw me in.

A dramatic twist in fortunes leads the detective to some alarming discoveries that can only be described as disturbing. Families and friends lives are pulled apart to reveal some worrying facts

The novel "The Murder of Madison Garcia" by Marcy McCreary is a great listen. It has a well-maintained pace and a witty tone along with a strong plot. The story revolves around Detective Susan Ford, who misses a call due to a cold and wakes up the next day to find out that the caller, Madison Garcia, has been found dead. With the help of her team and her father, retired Detective Will Ford, Susan unravels a complex web of interconnected relationships and personal history. Marcy McCreary's writing is powerful, with well-defined characters and a complex, engaging plot.

Book Title: The Murder of Madison Garcia
Series: Detective Susan Ford Book #2
Author: Marcy McCreary
Audiobook Narrator: Rachel Fulginti
Publisher: CamCal Books (Independent Book Publisher Association (IBPA)Members-Audiobook
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: March 28, 2024
My Rating: 3. 5 Stars
Pages 336

It's 2019 and New York's Catskill Mountain region is the setting of the latest case for Detective Susan Ford, who teams up with her father retired Detective Will Ford,
Susan Ford notices a missed call on her phone from a number she doesn’t recognize,

Twenty-eight-year-old Madison Garcia is found murdered in a borrowed car. Madison and her husband Rafael were raised in Monticello and had moved to Brooklyn.
The night of her murder, Madison had reached out to Susan, but the call went to voicemail.

I read the first in this series [book: The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon].
I liked the story but not a fan of the nasty language especially when I am listening to an audiobook.
Disappointed that the same thing happened with this story – true I was better prepared this time.
Once again I did like the story. Additionally, I liked narrator Rachel Fulginti.

Want to thank NetGalley and CamCal Audiobooks for this eGalley.
Publishing Release Date: March 28, 2024

I enjoyed this audio book! It was a police procedural style told from current investigation as well as from the perspective of the victim through her journal writings and I liked how it all came together. It was a pretty easy listen (no suspense) but I still found myself looking forward to the next time I could listen. I didn’t realize this was the second book in a series, but I appreciated that it stood well on its own. I even wanted to go back and read the first one but I’m not sure if the details shared regarding the first book spoil the ending. I was surprised by the ending and liked that all the loose ends seemed to be tied up. I look forward to more from this author.

An enjoyable police procedural. This book is quite well paced, with a lot of emphasis on the victim/motive.
Although it is the second in the series, it works well as a standalone. There are references back to the first book (which I have not read), I don't know how much of a spoiler these are to the first book if you read them out of order.
The narration of this book is very good. Each character has a distinctive voice so the story is easy to follow.

I listened to the audiobook of The Murder of Madison Garcia and loved it! The cast of characters were likeable and I liked seeing their development as the investigation into Madison’s murder continued. When you finally learn the origin of the murder plot, you’ll be shocked as to who is involved! I loved the family aspect of the book, and seeing the relationship between the father-daughter duo.

I enjoy this series. I stumbled on the first book last year, and it was one of my favorite finds. I enjoy the dynamic between Susan and her parents and the way the book primarily focuses on the investigation at hand without going too heavy-handed into the family drama, while still allowing the reality of their complicated relationships to underpin the advancement of the case. I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the earlier book, Madison Garcia herself is rather unlikable and voice as revealed through her journal entries graded on my nerves after a while - not the narration, but literally the words being spoken. Trudy Solomon was a much more sympathetic character and someone I found much easier to relate to. Still, the investigation was interesting with lots of well-developed side characters and twists and turns. McCreary does a great job crafting believable characters who are well developed and real, with just enough quirks and foibles to give an audiobook narrator around for their money. She did an excellent job with the narration here, as with the previous book, delineating characters and suspense nicely. It's a very cool series...

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Marcy McCreary, CamCat Books, and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Members’ Audiobooks for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

New to the world of Marcy McCreary, I became curious when this ARC landed in my lap and I devoured the series debut. McCreary has a great way of telling a story, using past and present segments to stitch things together into a tight package. When Detective Susan Ford notices a missed call on her cell, she is curious, but thinks nothing of it. It is only when she is called to the scene of a discovered body the next day that things get eerie. It is the same Madison Garcia who called her the night before. Now, with a case looming over her, Detective Ford will have to pull on all her options to solve the case and learn just what happened to Madison, as well as who might have wanted her dead. Marcy McCreary does well with this piece and kept me hooked until the final page turn.

Sick with a summer cold, Detective Susan Ford is soaking in the tub when she notices a missed call on her cell phone from an unknown Madison Garcia. Thinking nothing of it, she heads to bed and tries to sleep it off. It is only when she is called to the scene of a discovered body in a car the following morning that the name Madison Garcia appears again. This eerie discovery only spurs Detective Ford along to get neck-deep into the case.

Wanting to use the sharp brain of her father, Will Ford, Susan tries to get his insightfulness to solve the case. Will is a former homicide detective and has a knack for seeing things that others miss. The Fords soon begin to peel back the Madison Garcia story and discover many secrets that she had wanted to keep hidden. This includes suspected money laundering, which has a separate group of detectives poking around their own case. As Detective Ford makes the connections, the Garcia case takes on some larger importance and there are more who might have wanted her silenced. All these secrets coming to the surface had made some angry, and with Will’s connection to the family, albeit loosely, pressure is increased.

Discovering a journal discarded at the scene, there is evidence that Madison planned to reveal a deep secret to the world, but was killed before she could do so. Now, with a long list of possible killers, the Fords will have to find the one to blame, before others are silenced as well. McCreary keeps the intensity high with this strong piece of writing

Marcy McCreary impressed me once again with this piece. Juggling two timeframes, the story evolves and develops in great ways, leaving the reader with a few breadcrumbs as the murder investigation gains momentum. McCreary’s writing style keeps the story sharp as the narrative gains momentum and provides key revelations. The story never loses its quick development and there is no lack of possible pathways that things might take, offering up great options for solving the case. Characters provide a great means of getting to know more about the case and those who might be involved. Susan and Will Ford are key to the story, using some of their past experiences to bridge the previous novel to this one.

The ongoing development of plot points provide a great deal of intrigue. There is the central Madison Garcia murder that must be solved, but the backstories of the victim, as well as some of the potential suspects keeps the strong on point an full of twists. There is a need for these to keep tensions high and the unpredictability a key point throughout the reading experience. As Susan Ford shows her mettle, she exemplifies just how keen she is to solve the case and work her position effectively. I am eager to see that Marcy McCreary has yet another book to be published, as this is a great series and I need more to whet my appetite.

Kudos, Madam McCreary, for this gripping story that balances past and present effectively.

I’m usually disappointed in a book where a diary or a discovered stash of letters conveniently appears but this was the exception that proved the rule. An original approach to Madison’s journal was not an easy ruse but rather a clever ploy.
I enjoyed all the characters and the narrator did an excellent and very convincing job in particular her managing to genuinely sound like she had a rotten cold.
So a great plot, interesting characters all read beautifully made this a big hit for me.

Listened and enjoyed – The Murder of Madison Garcia by Marcy McCreary.

Thank you to NetGalley for my audio advance copy.

I didn’t know when I started listening that this is book 2 in a series featuring Detective Susan Ford but you can quite easily read/listen to it without having read the first book.

Susan wakes up one morning and finds she has a missed call from an unknown number. Being a detective she is curious and does a trace to see who it belongs to – someone called Madison Garcia.

When arriving at the police station she is called in to investigate a murder. A woman has been found murdered sitting in her car at the lake. Turns out its Madison Garcia. Who is she and why did she phone Susan?

The story is told from Susan’s point of view as well as diary entries from Madison leading up to the day she was murdered. We find out that Madison had a long held secret she wanted to confess. What was the secret and who wanted it kept quiet?

This is the first Marcy McCreary book I’ve read and I like her writing style. I usually prefer faster-paced mysteries so this was a little slow for me, but it flowed nicely with a strong plot and interesting characters. I enjoyed the dynamic between main character Susan and her father.

This book is the second in a series. I didn’t read the first one but this definitely works as a standalone, in my opinion. I liked it enough that I’m planning to go back and read the first book in the series.

3.4 stars rounded down to 3.

The Murder of Madison Garcia
(Audiobook format)
Thanks to Netgalley for this eARC.

Decent mystery, a bit hard to keep track of everything going on, so many characters hard to keep all the moving parts in view.

Certain parts of this novel were VERY well-written, for example the dialogue and clever observations, such as, "everyone's heads turned to him at once, like in the old EF Hutton commercials". Perfect, I can "SEE" that. However, beware of dated references, readers in their 20's or 30's will have no clue what you are talking about.

There are other great examples.
I enjoyed the main character's relationship between her and her parents, and how she attempted to bring them back together after a bit of dishonesty came between them.

The research regarding money laundering was impressive, but almost too detailed for my limited interest in the subject. However, I loved the level of detail regarding investigation details.

Randomly , I found SOME details lacking regarding descriptions (of objects, the character descriptions were excellent). Readers need to visualize scenes using our imagination (which draws us into the story). For example, rather than writing " there were four magnificent statues" (or artwork or whatever it was) describe the artwork (so your reader can SEE them in their imagination, we can decide if they are magnificent or not). Words such as "comfortable" "funky" or "trendy" do NOT help me visualize a scene, as the words are too general and what one thinks of when they see these words is likely different for each reader. For me, general words like this do not trigger my imagination, but detailed descriptions do. Let us "see" a magnificent chandelier by telling us the unique shape of the crystals, how the light reflects through them, etc.

I loved the description of the guy nicknamed Pencil (great details regarding why he was given the nickname), I could easily visualize this character. There were other very clever witticisms I greatly enjoyed.

Three stars, I hope this writer keeps writing, she has solid writing "chops" this one is so close to great.

Hopefully this review has some useful suggestions. Of course, this is an ARC, a strong edit can EASILY raise this book's rating a star or two (often the case with Advanced Release novels). Even with an editor, get some strong (and honest, friends, not family) pre-readers, this is a GOOD book, that could have been made even BETTER, with honest input and a few small changes.

Having worked as a writer and editor for my entire career (decades) I am disappointed when an editor doesn't add the "polish" that they should add to a story, when the content isn't "tightened up".

However, we are getting to read these pre-release, an honor that I thoroughly enjoy!

Edits might still be coming (I will watch for the book:s release and revisit this review post-, release, as I enjoy the author's stye and sense of humor).

The narrator was a perfect fit, an expressive professional, she made the numerous individuals easier to keep track of by fleshing out audibly their unique personalities.

AUDIO BOOK EXCELLENCE IN WITTY AND COMPELLING MURDER CONUNDRUM

What would you do for someone who you love—lie, cheat, steal…murder? Is there anything too great that you wouldn’t sacrifice to protect them—even laying down your own life for them? For as the Bible reminds us, there is no greater love than this.

That’s the killer of a question driving the action in the provocative new fiction (or morality tale) by Marcy McCreary, “The Murder of Madison Garcia—A Ford Family Mystery.”

In “Murder,” readers learn that advertising copywriter Madison Garcia, the wife of successful hedge fund manager, Rafael, is found stabbed to death in a borrowed car, hours away from her home on property that she inherited after her parents died when she was a teenager.

Was Madison a victim of a random wrong place / wrong time burglary with collateral damage murder? Or could this be a scary parked car killer-on-the-loose crime?

Worse, was this actually a targeted attack on Madison? If so, why would anyone want to hurt pretty, successful, wealthy, and happily married Madison?

That’s one of the overarching questions that the detectives sleuth in resolving this mystery. Their investigation examines who would want Madison dead and why, as well as what the killer would benefit from her death?

Furthermore, forensic experts reveal that the stab wounds Madison received were jabbed in very strategic locations on the body—locations that appeared premeditated to guarantee both death and minimal blood splatter. Conclusions—was the murderer a medical professional or just a very skilled killer?

Furthermore , throughout the investigations, Rafael remained in the crosshairs of police. The surviving spouse is always a prime suspect, right? However, did Rafael have a motive for her killing and an alibi for the time of Madison’s murder?

Read this terrific book or listen to the fabulously narrated audio book of this witty, yet complex police procedural mystery, “The Murder of Madison Garcia—A Ford Family Mystery,” for a quirky tale of love, chaos and its aftermath.

The dialogue driven pacing of “Murder” makes it an ideal audio book format for listeners. In addition, audiobook narrator Rachel Fulginiti creates an exceptional range of voices as she depicts each character with distinctive personalities and finesse.

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Marcy McCreary, and Publisher CatCam Books, an imprint of Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Audiobooks for this advanced listening audiobook copy for review.

The Murder of Madison Garcia by Marcy McCreary is a fantastic listen and no doubt an equally brilliant read. The pace was maintained throughout with a surreptitious wit that accompanied a strong storyline and well-balanced dialogue and prose

The premise is simple, but the resulting novel so very much more. Susan Ford is a Detective who misses a call one night die to being asleep with an atrocious cold. The next day, she wakes up with all intentions of taking a day off work. However, she receives another call asking her to go directly to a crime scene where a young woman has been found unalived in a car next to a lake in Monticello, New York, very, very unalived.

Joined by her fantastic team of side characters, Detective Ford returns to the precinct, only to discover that the woman in the car was Madison Garcia, the woman who tried to call her the previous night, and thus a web is spun, of interconnected relationships and personal history. To this end, Susan aims to team up with her father, retired Det. Will Ford, but this in itself has it's own obstacles and intrigues

Marcy McCreary writes a powerful narrative from a strong foundation with well defined characters. The interconnectivety matrix is complex yet linear enough to follow without being able to predict what comes next.

Rachel Fulginiti is a brilliant narrator with varied and strong nuances that suit every twist and turn of this novel. It really amplified the drama of the writing in this outstanding audiobook.

Thank you to Netgalley CamCat Books, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), the author Marcy McCreary and narrator Rachel Fulginiti for this epic ALC - My Review is left voluntarily