The Night Woods - (A Mercy Carr Mystery) by Paula Munier (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The sixth Mercy Carr Mystery in which Mercy and Elvis must prove the innocence of a new friend accused of murder. Record snow and sleet and rain are pummeling Vermont and a wild boar has escaped from an exclusive hunting club nearby-but that won't stop a very pregnant and very bored Mercy Carr from hiking her beloved woods with her loyal dog Elvis. She's supposed to be decorating the nursery and helping her mother plan the baby shower, but she'd much rather be playing Scrabble with Homer Grant, a word-loving, shotgun-toting hermit living deep in the forest. But when she and Elvis drop by Homer's cabin for their weekly game, they arrive to find an unknown dead man-and no sign of Homer. As they search the woods, Mercy discovers a patch of devastation that could only be left behind by wild boar. She's relieved when Elvis tracks Homer, injured but alive. But Homer's troubles are far from over, as he's still the number one suspect and he remembers nothing of the attack. When another corpse with a link to Homer is found, Mercy is determined to help her friend, an effort complicated by the unexpected arrival of her young cousin Tandie, sent by Mercy's mother to keep an eye on her until the baby is born. As the floods worsen, Troy and Susie Bear are called out with all the other first responders, and Mercy finds herself alone at Grackle Tree Farm with a concussed Homer, Tandie, and Elvis. As waters rise and the wild boar rampages, Mercy realizes that the murderer is out there ready to strike again, this time much closer to home"--

Book Synopsis

The sixth Mercy Carr Mystery in which Mercy and Elvis must prove the innocence of a new friend accused of murder.

Record snow and sleet and rain are pummeling Vermont and a wild boar has escaped from an exclusive hunting club nearby--but that won't stop a very pregnant and very bored Mercy Carr from hiking her beloved woods with her loyal dog Elvis. She's supposed to be decorating the nursery and helping her mother plan the baby shower, but she'd much rather be playing Scrabble with Homer Grant, a word-loving, shotgun-toting hermit living deep in the forest. But when she and Elvis drop by Homer's cabin for their weekly game, they arrive to find an unknown dead man--and no sign of Homer.

As they search the woods, Mercy discovers a patch of devastation that could only be left behind by wild boar. She's relieved when Elvis tracks Homer, injured but alive. But Homer's troubles are far from over, as he's still the number one suspect and he remembers nothing of the attack. When another corpse with a link to Homer is found, Mercy is determined to help her friend, an effort complicated by the unexpected arrival of her young cousin Tandie, sent by Mercy's mother to keep an eye on her until the baby is born.

As the floods worsen, Troy and Susie Bear are called out with all the other first responders, and Mercy finds herself alone at Grackle Tree Farm with a concussed Homer, Tandie, and Elvis. As waters rise and the wild boar rampages, Mercy realizes that the murderer is out there ready to strike again, this time much closer to home.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Night Woods:

"Munier excels at multiple storylines in character-driven mysteries. This follow-up to Home at Night has a complex story that weaves together The Odyssey with murders and an account of returning veterans, such as Mercy and Elvis, who experience PTSD." - Library Journal (starred review)

"The Night Woods is another illuminating novel in an outstanding series." - Oline H, Cogdill, South Florida Sun Sentinel

"Cerebral clues and high adventure combine in an exciting character-driven brain teaser." - Kirkus Reviews

"Could not put it down!" - Deborah Crombie, New York Times bestselling author

Praise for Paula Munier and the Mercy Carr series:

"The fifth Mercy Carr mystery (following The Wedding Plot) combines Halloween, a gothic house, two working dogs, and environmental issues in a superb mystery that emphasizes the search for home." ― Library Journal (Mystery Pick of the Month) on Home at Night

"A thrilling combination of physical and mental feats by human and beast." ― Kirkus Reviews on Home at Night

"Munier writes like a modern-day Agatha Christie, and her latest takes her storytelling acumen to a whole new level." ― Jon Land, Book Trib on Home at Night

Praise for the Mercy Carr series:

"Enjoyable... distinctive characters... This is a fine escapist fare for a hot summer day." ― Publishers Weekly on The Wedding Plot

"I love books where the story and the characters grow out of the place that they're set, and that couldn't be more true of The Hiding Place, which delivers a satisfying, twisty plot, an entertaining ensemble of locals and, of course, a pair of intelligent and heroic dogs." ― Ann Cleeves, New York Times Bestselling Author of the Vera and Shetland series

"[The] characters of both Mercy and Elvis are quickly developing into classics." ―Aunt Agatha's Bookstore

"There's so much to praise here: Munier's deep knowledge of the culture of hunting (especially the bow-and-arrow variety); her brisk, incisive characterizations; the way she maintains a taut line of suspense throughout; and, best of all, her portrayals of wounded yet still courageous pairs of humans and dogs. A not-to-be-missed K-9 mystery." ― Booklist on Blind Search

"The portrayal of working dogs will appeal to fans of David Rosenfelt and Margaret Mizushima. The blend of lovingly detailed setting and lively characters, both human and canine, makes this a series to watch." ― Publisher's Weekly on A Borrowing of Bones

About the Author

PAULA MUNIER is a literary agent and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A Borrowing of Bones, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. Blind Search was inspired by the real-life rescue of a little boy with autism. The Hiding Place debuted in March 2021. Paula credits the hero dogs of Mission K9 Rescue, her own rescue dogs, and a love of New England, where she lives, as her series' major influences