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A Mercy Carr Mystery #1
A Borrowing of Bones
The instant USA Today bestseller!The first in a gripping new series by Paula Munier, A Borrowing of Bones is full of complex twists, introducing a wonderful new voice for mystery readers and dog lovers. Grief and guilt are the ghosts that haunt you when you survive what others do not….After their last deployment, when she got shot, her fiancé Martinez got killed and his bomb-sniffing dog Elvis got depressed, soldier Mercy Carr and Elvis were both sent home, her late lover’s last words ringing in her “Take care of my partner.”Together the two former military police—one twenty-nine-year-old two-legged female with wounds deeper than skin and one handsome five-year-old four-legged Malinois with canine PTSD—march off their grief mile after mile in the beautiful remote Vermont wilderness.Even on the Fourth of July weekend, when all of Northshire celebrates with fun and frolic and fireworks, it’s just another walk in the woods for Mercy and Elvis—until the dog alerts to explosives and they find a squalling baby abandoned near a shallow grave filled with what appear to be human bones. U.S. Game Warden Troy Warner and his search and rescue Newfoundland Susie Bear respond to Mercy’s 911 call, and the four must work together to track down a missing mother, solve a cold-case murder, and keep the citizens of Northshire safe on potentially the most incendiary Independence Day since the American Revolution.It’s a call to action Mercy and Elvis cannot ignore, no matter what the cost.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 11, 2018
1317 people are currently reading
4398 people want to read
About the author
Paula Munier
27 books618 followersPAULA MUNIER is the author of the bestselling Plot Perfect, The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings, Writing with Quiet Hands, and the acclaimed memoir Fixing Freddie. The first novel in her mystery series, A BORROWING OF BONES (Minotaur, 2018) was inspired by the hero working dogs she met through Mission K9 Rescue, her own Newfoundland-retriever-mix rescue Bear, and her lifelong passion for crime fiction. In her fabulous day job as Senior Literary Agent and Content Strategist for Talcott Notch Literary, she represents many great writers. Her specialties include crime fiction, women’s fiction, upmarket fiction, MG/YA, high-concept SFF, and nonfiction. She lives in New England with her family, Bear, Freddie, and a torbie tabby named Ursula.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 783 reviews
November 28, 2019
What’s better than a book that involves one working dog? One that involves two! We have Elvis, a retired military dog with PTSD, whose pet parent, Mercy, is also retired military. Also, Susie Bear, a Newfie lab mix who works with her pet parent, Troy, a game warden. All four are great foundation characters for the series. It works well that Elvis was initially partnered with Mercy’s fiancé, who has died and Elvis and Mercy and still finding their way together.
The story involves a baby found in the woods and then explosives and a skeleton found nearby.
I listened to this book and it worked really well as an audiobook. It’s got a nice steady pace and the story is fairly straightforward. I appreciated that Munier allows Mercy to still be grieving over Martinez and doesn’t try to rush her into a new romance. And Mercy being a huge Shakespeare fan who quotes from his plays was just a neat touch.
I will definitely be checking out book two in this series.
August 12, 2019
Thank you, Kelly, for recommending this book to me.
The main character, Mercy Carr, is a former MP who served in Afghanistan. Her fiancé was killed in Afghanistan, and now back in Vermont, she has his K9 partner, Elvis. I could not avoid making comparisons to Barbara Nickless’s series featuring Sydney Rose Parnell, a veteran of the Iraq war who also lost her fiancé and has his K9 partner, Clyde. The plots are different, and in my opinion, the Nickless series is better written with more defined characters.
While I enjoyed this book, it does need some fine tuning. Here and there, a different word would have worked better and given a clearer meaning. Technically, the “black-throated warbler” the author mentioned and song described is incomplete; in Vermont there are two warblers with black throats: Black-throated Green Warbler and Black-throated Blue Warbler. Why not use the official name? The various mentions of Vermont merchandise and food brands felt too much like a commercial at times, but I suppose they did add flavor to the story, pun intended.
The pacing was a steady, even plod. There were several events that called for some urgency, but it never appeared. The budding romance between Mercy and the game warden, Troy, only reached friendship level with the touching of an arm or hand.
The main character, Mercy Carr, is a former MP who served in Afghanistan. Her fiancé was killed in Afghanistan, and now back in Vermont, she has his K9 partner, Elvis. I could not avoid making comparisons to Barbara Nickless’s series featuring Sydney Rose Parnell, a veteran of the Iraq war who also lost her fiancé and has his K9 partner, Clyde. The plots are different, and in my opinion, the Nickless series is better written with more defined characters.
While I enjoyed this book, it does need some fine tuning. Here and there, a different word would have worked better and given a clearer meaning. Technically, the “black-throated warbler” the author mentioned and song described is incomplete; in Vermont there are two warblers with black throats: Black-throated Green Warbler and Black-throated Blue Warbler. Why not use the official name? The various mentions of Vermont merchandise and food brands felt too much like a commercial at times, but I suppose they did add flavor to the story, pun intended.
The pacing was a steady, even plod. There were several events that called for some urgency, but it never appeared. The budding romance between Mercy and the game warden, Troy, only reached friendship level with the touching of an arm or hand.
September 18, 2018
There is a lot to love in this book.
There are dogs, characters you love, a well written story...did I mention dogs?
I love that the writer has written a mystery that for the most part has no guns (I sometimes think that writers who go to the gun show a lack of imagination).
It's not perfect. It's a little rough around the edges. The writer chose to devote the last chapter to explaining all the things which probably should have been revealed throughout the story. But it's so close to 5 Stars.
This author has managed to become a favorite in just one book and I can hardly wait to see where this series goes.
There are dogs, characters you love, a well written story...did I mention dogs?
I love that the writer has written a mystery that for the most part has no guns (I sometimes think that writers who go to the gun show a lack of imagination).
It's not perfect. It's a little rough around the edges. The writer chose to devote the last chapter to explaining all the things which probably should have been revealed throughout the story. But it's so close to 5 Stars.
This author has managed to become a favorite in just one book and I can hardly wait to see where this series goes.
October 4, 2021
A fair read, but one I thought would be better than it was.
First off, what's not to like about the two MC's? Both attractive young people with great back stories. Mercy Carr is a former MP, did a tour in Afghanistan, returned home with her fiance's Malinois shepherd, a wonderful, explosives-seeking dog with a touch of PTSD. Unfortunately, Mercy's fiance didn't return home; he died in Afghanistan.
The other MC is Troy Warner, Vermont game warden with a dog of his own, a rescue Newfoundland-retriever mix. Both MCs and both dogs are interesting, complex characters and they are the true strength of this book.
The crime/situation/puzzle at the center of the story? The deaths of two men, found stabbed. The disappearance, then reappearance, then re-disappearance of a young woman and her baby. All this against a rural Vermont background: trees and mountains, a small village setting, along with a strange 'artsy' colony out in the Vermont woods. Also, a billionaire with a fabulous art collection and Mercy's grandmother - a no-nonsense veterinarian who's always there to help. However...
There's too much descriptive detail in that if it ain't organic, natural and made-in-Vermont, we want no part of it. Every food or plate or shelf or item is described with brand name, color, how it's used, why it's used and as I'd be reading along, caught up in the story, there'd be five or six pages of making tea and eating carrot cake - and it all better be locally-sourced or there's hell to pay. Meanwhile, Mercy's dog has just been shot at and yep, we'll just go to bed and take no extra precautions because fer sure the shooter ain't coming back. Now a few spoilers...
But still a fair read and I bet many will just love this book, and if they do, it's because of the two, strong, central characters and their dogs. Too bad they got lost in a story that often didn't make a lot of sense.
Three stars,
First off, what's not to like about the two MC's? Both attractive young people with great back stories. Mercy Carr is a former MP, did a tour in Afghanistan, returned home with her fiance's Malinois shepherd, a wonderful, explosives-seeking dog with a touch of PTSD. Unfortunately, Mercy's fiance didn't return home; he died in Afghanistan.
The other MC is Troy Warner, Vermont game warden with a dog of his own, a rescue Newfoundland-retriever mix. Both MCs and both dogs are interesting, complex characters and they are the true strength of this book.
The crime/situation/puzzle at the center of the story? The deaths of two men, found stabbed. The disappearance, then reappearance, then re-disappearance of a young woman and her baby. All this against a rural Vermont background: trees and mountains, a small village setting, along with a strange 'artsy' colony out in the Vermont woods. Also, a billionaire with a fabulous art collection and Mercy's grandmother - a no-nonsense veterinarian who's always there to help. However...
There's too much descriptive detail in that if it ain't organic, natural and made-in-Vermont, we want no part of it. Every food or plate or shelf or item is described with brand name, color, how it's used, why it's used and as I'd be reading along, caught up in the story, there'd be five or six pages of making tea and eating carrot cake - and it all better be locally-sourced or there's hell to pay. Meanwhile, Mercy's dog has just been shot at and yep, we'll just go to bed and take no extra precautions because fer sure the shooter ain't coming back. Now a few spoilers...
But still a fair read and I bet many will just love this book, and if they do, it's because of the two, strong, central characters and their dogs. Too bad they got lost in a story that often didn't make a lot of sense.
Three stars,
October 10, 2024
This book has everything except the one thing it needs most. It has a beautiful young protagonist with a tragic past and a great dog. It has a love interest for the protagonist, who has a great dog of his own, and that dog is female, so even the dogs have a love interest. The protagonist, as I said, is young, "retired" from the army in her twenties, with a pension and sufficient accumulated savings to permit her to buy a nice house and live without a job. (Really?! In what universe?) The protagonist also has a grandmother whose vet practice extends across the state, but who somehow manages to bring her granddaughter a home cooked meal and home baked cake on pretty much a daily basis. You get the idea.
What the book lacks is a decent editor who might not only help the author to avoid some serious plot defects, but also phrasing like "the cat twiddled his whiskers", "like a warrior going to war" etc. And please, don't have the heroine reciting Shakespeare to herself while she is swimming across a lake in the dark in hot pursuit of a motorboat containing a murderer who intends to kill the baby who is also in the boat.
What the book lacks is a decent editor who might not only help the author to avoid some serious plot defects, but also phrasing like "the cat twiddled his whiskers", "like a warrior going to war" etc. And please, don't have the heroine reciting Shakespeare to herself while she is swimming across a lake in the dark in hot pursuit of a motorboat containing a murderer who intends to kill the baby who is also in the boat.
September 30, 2018
3.5.stars
This is what it felt like to engage with the world, to care what happened next, and to whom. This was dangerous. But this was living.
This is a promising start to this new series. It's not great but it wasn't bad either. It's set in and around Northshire, Vermont and features Mercy Carr, a retired M.P. from the Army, and Elvis, the bomb sniffing dog she inherited from her fiance who was killed in combat. It's been a year since that loss, a year since Mercy returned to her hometown to heal and to figure out what to do with the rest of her life. When she and Elvis stumble across a baby on one of their usual, morning hikes it brings them into contact with Fish & Wildlife Game Warden Troy Warner and his search and rescue dog, Susie Bear. It also kicks off a mystery that, for personal reasons, Mercy just can't let go.
The mystery itself felt a little convoluted at times and Mercy made some interesting leaps of logic on more than one occasion but it's the characters who really shine and who make you want to spend more time in this woodsy environment. Both Mercy and Troy are utterly down-to-earth and likable and their canine companions, Elvis and Susie Bear, steal the show. I'm sure that there is a romance in the making here but it looks to be a slow burn one, which is just how I like it. On that note though, I have to say that I'm not wild about Mercy's living situation at the end. In any event, I'm looking forward to reading the second book when it comes out and I hope for a better, tighter mystery.
P.S. If game wardens really have to put in this many hours on the job, they deserve a big raise.
This is what it felt like to engage with the world, to care what happened next, and to whom. This was dangerous. But this was living.
This is a promising start to this new series. It's not great but it wasn't bad either. It's set in and around Northshire, Vermont and features Mercy Carr, a retired M.P. from the Army, and Elvis, the bomb sniffing dog she inherited from her fiance who was killed in combat. It's been a year since that loss, a year since Mercy returned to her hometown to heal and to figure out what to do with the rest of her life. When she and Elvis stumble across a baby on one of their usual, morning hikes it brings them into contact with Fish & Wildlife Game Warden Troy Warner and his search and rescue dog, Susie Bear. It also kicks off a mystery that, for personal reasons, Mercy just can't let go.
The mystery itself felt a little convoluted at times and Mercy made some interesting leaps of logic on more than one occasion but it's the characters who really shine and who make you want to spend more time in this woodsy environment. Both Mercy and Troy are utterly down-to-earth and likable and their canine companions, Elvis and Susie Bear, steal the show. I'm sure that there is a romance in the making here but it looks to be a slow burn one, which is just how I like it. On that note though, I have to say that I'm not wild about Mercy's living situation at the end. In any event, I'm looking forward to reading the second book when it comes out and I hope for a better, tighter mystery.
P.S. If game wardens really have to put in this many hours on the job, they deserve a big raise.
June 16, 2018
A Borrowing of Bones is a solid thriller with some fresh characters. This is a good start to a series, especially for an animal lover who likes a quick thriller.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Paula Munier for the advanced copy for review.
Full review can be found here: https://paulspicks.blog/2018/05/06/a-...
Please check out all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Paula Munier for the advanced copy for review.
Full review can be found here: https://paulspicks.blog/2018/05/06/a-...
Please check out all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog
November 17, 2018
Mercy Carr and her Belgian Malinois, Elvis, are out on their usual hike in the remote Lye Brook Wilderness when Elvis sniffs out a very unusual finding. A baby abandoned near a shallow grave filled with human bones. U.S. Game Warden Troy Warner and his search-and-rescue dog Susie Bear responds to Mercy's 911 call. Who left the baby there, and who's in the shallow grave?
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!
August 18, 2018
Ok, so I’ve just finished my 2nd feel-good book in a row – it must be the four-legged characters that have such wonderful roles in the stories. A Borrowing of Bones (Mercy Carr #1) by Paula Munier is an outdoorsy, mystery, that includes murders, art, a missing mother & child, great M/F leads, Shakespearean quotes, and two of the best dogs around. The combination of the human leads and their dogs made the story fun. I also felt that Mercy’s grandmother Patience as the vet and awesome cook played a part in rounding out that feel good feeling.
The chemistry between Troy and Mercy is strong (and could lead to more in future books), the love and respect between the dog handlers and the dogs is very apparent. The characters are well written, the storyline is solid, leaving no dangling omissions in the plot, but does bog down for a little bit in my opinion , but picks up quickly as it draws to the exciting conclusion.
This was a great beginning to what I hope will be a series featuring many of the current cast members.
I wish to extend my thanks to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, the author Paula Munier and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for an honest review.
The expected publication date Sept 11, 2018.
For me, this was a 4 out of 5-star read.
The chemistry between Troy and Mercy is strong (and could lead to more in future books), the love and respect between the dog handlers and the dogs is very apparent. The characters are well written, the storyline is solid, leaving no dangling omissions in the plot, but does bog down for a little bit in my opinion , but picks up quickly as it draws to the exciting conclusion.
This was a great beginning to what I hope will be a series featuring many of the current cast members.
I wish to extend my thanks to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, the author Paula Munier and NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for an honest review.
The expected publication date Sept 11, 2018.
For me, this was a 4 out of 5-star read.
December 11, 2019
I think one of the reasons I liked this book as much as I did is because it was a nice change of pace from the last two books I read, which were rather dark and depressing. (The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Bone Yard) I didn't find A Borrowing of Bones to be particularly suspenseful or dramatic. In fact, the plot was a bit convoluted and there were sooo many implausible intuitive leaps. BUT! Ohhh ... the DOGS! I totally fell in love with Elvis (a Belgian Malinois Shepherd who is a former bomb-sniffing dog and has PTSD) and Susie Bear (a rescue Newfoundland-mix, trained to be a search and rescue dog). I especially liked the touches of humor in this book and found myself chuckling aloud a couple of times. Will I read the next book in the series? YES!!
May 21, 2018
I think this has the potential to be a really good series. However, when comparing it to similar books/series of the same genre and theme, most notably the Alex Kava Creed series, I can honestly say it doesn't measure up. There was something missing. It didn't pull me in or keep me excited; I found myself able to put it down several times over the last few days. I didn't feel that urge of "I have to know what happens". I really just wanted to finish it to see how it ended. I will give the next in the series a chance, as I said, it does have potential.
Thank you #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the eARC.
Thank you #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the eARC.
January 16, 2019
This excellent debut, and first in a series, follows former MP Mercy Carr as she deals with the grief of losing her fiance while caring for his bomb-sniffing dog Elvis. The story line in this well-plotted novel keeps the pages turning, but what will bring you back for the next in the series are the characters, especially canines Elvis and Susie Bear, who are given prime time on the page without being cloying or unrealistic. If you love dogs - real dogs - you'll love this book.
The setting, beautiful Vermont, doesn't hurt either!
The setting, beautiful Vermont, doesn't hurt either!
January 17, 2020
4.5 stars
July 21, 2019
I really enjoyed this!
Mercy Carr is a former MP (military police), medically discharged home to Vermont after surviving a terrorist attack in Afghanistan that not only killed her fiancee, it gave his service K9 the canine version of PTSD. She successfully fought for and won the right to keep the dog, the very charming Malinois named Elvis, and now they are learning to traverse life together without the one they both loved. It's during one of their walks in the woods that they discover an abandoned baby - and Elvis alerts to explosives. With the help of her grandmother, the town veterinarian, and a handsome game warden named Troy and his search-and-rescue Newfoundland named Susie Bear, they work together to track down a missing mother and solve a cold-case murder.
I liked that Mercy isn't perfect. She makes some mistakes, mainly because she's still unable to make the full transition from military policewoman to civilian. She's also still grieving the loss of her fiancee, and learning to forge a new bond with his military K9 Elvis. (I absolutely fell in love with Elvis and Susie Bear!) There's some slight foreshadowing of a possible romance down the line with Troy, but again, she's grieving. She's not in any way ready to move on. And while Troy and Susie Bear do play a large part in the story, this is mainly Mercy and Elvis's book, which I loved too.
I've already pre-ordered book two. 5 stars
Mercy Carr is a former MP (military police), medically discharged home to Vermont after surviving a terrorist attack in Afghanistan that not only killed her fiancee, it gave his service K9 the canine version of PTSD. She successfully fought for and won the right to keep the dog, the very charming Malinois named Elvis, and now they are learning to traverse life together without the one they both loved. It's during one of their walks in the woods that they discover an abandoned baby - and Elvis alerts to explosives. With the help of her grandmother, the town veterinarian, and a handsome game warden named Troy and his search-and-rescue Newfoundland named Susie Bear, they work together to track down a missing mother and solve a cold-case murder.
I liked that Mercy isn't perfect. She makes some mistakes, mainly because she's still unable to make the full transition from military policewoman to civilian. She's also still grieving the loss of her fiancee, and learning to forge a new bond with his military K9 Elvis. (I absolutely fell in love with Elvis and Susie Bear!) There's some slight foreshadowing of a possible romance down the line with Troy, but again, she's grieving. She's not in any way ready to move on. And while Troy and Susie Bear do play a large part in the story, this is mainly Mercy and Elvis's book, which I loved too.
I've already pre-ordered book two. 5 stars
March 28, 2020
Because I read so many series with K-9 dogs, a Goodreads recommendation popped up with this series. I hadn't heard of Paula Munier before but I'm happy to read this series.
Mercy Carr, former military police officer, takes care of her fiancee's bomb sniffing Belgian shepherd dog, Elvis, who suffers from canine PTSD. Mercy and Elvis normally walk miles per day in the Vermont Mountains. Elvis finds an abandoned baby in the woods.
Game Warden Troy Warner begins to investigate this case. His partner is Susie Bear, a Newfoundland retriever mix. As Troy, Mercy, Elvis, and Susie Bear return to the scene, they find bones near where the baby was found.
There's good character development with Mercy and Troy. As the story progresses, readers learn much about Mercy. She is a wounded veteran whose fiancee was killed and she promised to care for his dog. Her grandmother Patience is a veterinarian.
Troy, as a game warden in Vermont, handles many law enforcement duties. We learn of his lonely lifestyle and see inklings of a possible future romance with Mercy. There are several bodies in this story that he and Mercy can work together to figure out whodunit.
I have never found a book with working dogs that I didn't like. Same with this one. It's a great book for animal lovers as there are a lot of cats as well as the two main character dogs. I will have no problem reading more books in this series.
Mercy Carr, former military police officer, takes care of her fiancee's bomb sniffing Belgian shepherd dog, Elvis, who suffers from canine PTSD. Mercy and Elvis normally walk miles per day in the Vermont Mountains. Elvis finds an abandoned baby in the woods.
Game Warden Troy Warner begins to investigate this case. His partner is Susie Bear, a Newfoundland retriever mix. As Troy, Mercy, Elvis, and Susie Bear return to the scene, they find bones near where the baby was found.
There's good character development with Mercy and Troy. As the story progresses, readers learn much about Mercy. She is a wounded veteran whose fiancee was killed and she promised to care for his dog. Her grandmother Patience is a veterinarian.
Troy, as a game warden in Vermont, handles many law enforcement duties. We learn of his lonely lifestyle and see inklings of a possible future romance with Mercy. There are several bodies in this story that he and Mercy can work together to figure out whodunit.
I have never found a book with working dogs that I didn't like. Same with this one. It's a great book for animal lovers as there are a lot of cats as well as the two main character dogs. I will have no problem reading more books in this series.
August 20, 2022
Eh, this mystery was "just ok", leaning downwards toward "I didn't like it". I picked it up because it was about a woman with a former military K9 dog, so I thought that would be interesting. It also featured a Vermont game warden, so that was also a perk.......Unfortunately I just didn't find the story or the writing to be very good.
This reminded me a LOT of the Mike Bowditch series by Paul Doiron (about a Maine Game Warden), in that the main character, Mercy, was like a picture of perfection in a way that felt like author-insertion-fantasy. Like, she's one of those "not like other girls" women because she was in the military, so she's not "girly" and barely knows how to wear a dress. Of course, she's still very attractive, with striking red hair. She's an excellent shot and a gifted investigator, but she's also sophisticated with her knowledge of Vermont history and Shakespeare. Very similar to Mike Bowditch, with his extensive knowledge on all things fish and game, but also antiques and Thoreau. Both characters are basically perfect in every way...except for the ability to follow orders and stay out of things, of course.
Oh yeah, my god, the Shakespeare. Seriously, the further this book went on, the more I rolled my eyes at the constant Shakespeare references. The main character has been obsessed with Shakespeare since high school, and regularly quotes "the bard" in her everyday speech. Like, WHO TALKS LIKE THIS? I mean, I've been around a lot of people, and I even work in a library, and I have yet to meet a person who just quotes Shakespeare in the middle of a conversation. If I did, I'd probably give them one of those stiff, polite smiles until they left. Of course, when she meets a teenage girl, this girls ALSO happens to be crazy for Shakespeare and knowledgeable enough to fold down a page as a future clue for Mercy to find. Even Troy, the game warden, recognized many of her quotes. Yeah, plenty of people read and enjoy Shakespeare, but to find such a concentration of enthusiasts felt extremely contrived and just annoying.
Likewise, everything about Mercy and Troy was sooooo quaint. Troy lives in an old fire tower that he converted to living quarters. Mercy's home is full of cutesy antiques and hand crafted finds. And, of course, every single thing they consume is a local Vermont brand. Like, if you want a who's who of local Vermont companies, just thumb through this book and write them all down. No one just "has a beer", nope they're holding a Heady Topper. No one just has plain old cheese or pie or wine or bread or anything without us being told the name of the store where it came from or the local company that made it from Vermont-only ingredients. WE GET IT. This constant name dropping also reminded me of the Mike Bowditch books, and it was just as annoying. Like, was the author paid for product placement, or is this the best way to "set the scene" for the Vermont locale?
Side note: as a former animal control officer, the cat rescuing scene was completely laughable to me. Just catch 30+ outdoor cats by tossing a few treats into a cardboard carrier, and those kitties will just walk right in without a fuss. Of course.
I'd comment on the mystery itself, but honestly by the time we were getting to the end of the book I was just reading to get it over with. The unbelievably quaint main characters and the cartoonish villains (who literally wore ski masks and were called "bad guys" at one point) were just too much for me, so I barely cared about the mystery itself. There were too many instances where characters did things that were foolish or nonsense, and other times they had brilliant connections that were just too implausible.
This reminded me a LOT of the Mike Bowditch series by Paul Doiron (about a Maine Game Warden), in that the main character, Mercy, was like a picture of perfection in a way that felt like author-insertion-fantasy. Like, she's one of those "not like other girls" women because she was in the military, so she's not "girly" and barely knows how to wear a dress. Of course, she's still very attractive, with striking red hair. She's an excellent shot and a gifted investigator, but she's also sophisticated with her knowledge of Vermont history and Shakespeare. Very similar to Mike Bowditch, with his extensive knowledge on all things fish and game, but also antiques and Thoreau. Both characters are basically perfect in every way...except for the ability to follow orders and stay out of things, of course.
Oh yeah, my god, the Shakespeare. Seriously, the further this book went on, the more I rolled my eyes at the constant Shakespeare references. The main character has been obsessed with Shakespeare since high school, and regularly quotes "the bard" in her everyday speech. Like, WHO TALKS LIKE THIS? I mean, I've been around a lot of people, and I even work in a library, and I have yet to meet a person who just quotes Shakespeare in the middle of a conversation. If I did, I'd probably give them one of those stiff, polite smiles until they left. Of course, when she meets a teenage girl, this girls ALSO happens to be crazy for Shakespeare and knowledgeable enough to fold down a page as a future clue for Mercy to find. Even Troy, the game warden, recognized many of her quotes. Yeah, plenty of people read and enjoy Shakespeare, but to find such a concentration of enthusiasts felt extremely contrived and just annoying.
Likewise, everything about Mercy and Troy was sooooo quaint. Troy lives in an old fire tower that he converted to living quarters. Mercy's home is full of cutesy antiques and hand crafted finds. And, of course, every single thing they consume is a local Vermont brand. Like, if you want a who's who of local Vermont companies, just thumb through this book and write them all down. No one just "has a beer", nope they're holding a Heady Topper. No one just has plain old cheese or pie or wine or bread or anything without us being told the name of the store where it came from or the local company that made it from Vermont-only ingredients. WE GET IT. This constant name dropping also reminded me of the Mike Bowditch books, and it was just as annoying. Like, was the author paid for product placement, or is this the best way to "set the scene" for the Vermont locale?
Side note: as a former animal control officer, the cat rescuing scene was completely laughable to me. Just catch 30+ outdoor cats by tossing a few treats into a cardboard carrier, and those kitties will just walk right in without a fuss. Of course.
I'd comment on the mystery itself, but honestly by the time we were getting to the end of the book I was just reading to get it over with. The unbelievably quaint main characters and the cartoonish villains (who literally wore ski masks and were called "bad guys" at one point) were just too much for me, so I barely cared about the mystery itself. There were too many instances where characters did things that were foolish or nonsense, and other times they had brilliant connections that were just too implausible.
April 11, 2022
I'm going to give the book 4.5 stars as I liked it enough. I liked the characters. Instead of one dog there was two. I like the way she writes.
Funny how writing reviews on a book I think makes you more critical. Instead of just riding the wave of the book, we look for flaws in the currents. Some might say the book meanders a bit, but I see that as just ebb and flow of things so you try not to make things obvious and you can pause to learn a little more about the characters.
An example of writing I liked, but also the thing that bothered me:
“But the most striking thing about him was the Buck hunting knife that stuck out of his chest, right under his left nipple, the fatal bulls-eye of a dark red blood blotch that stained his T-shirt with death.”
Sorry, who would leave a knife sticking in someone's body? I get it if you picked up a butcher knife at the location, but a buck knife would probably be what someone owned, and hard to believe you would leave it behind. But it is poetic and visual, so ok, I will go with it.
You could also tell the writer is a 'word nerd' as the main character is describes. And Ms. Munier has fun adding passages from Shakespeare to the story. That worked for me.
So overall, liked the book and the story and I would like to read more books in this series. I am trying to read a lot of mysteries in order so my memory will be fresher when I try to think of what might be my favorite mystery with a dog. I like this better than the two mysteries I read right before this one, but I am thinking I still like Robert Crais better. Anyway, I always want to talk about what people think are the best books with dogs, and at this time what the best mystery with a dog book is, so if you have an opinion, please let me know your top favorites.
Funny how writing reviews on a book I think makes you more critical. Instead of just riding the wave of the book, we look for flaws in the currents. Some might say the book meanders a bit, but I see that as just ebb and flow of things so you try not to make things obvious and you can pause to learn a little more about the characters.
An example of writing I liked, but also the thing that bothered me:
“But the most striking thing about him was the Buck hunting knife that stuck out of his chest, right under his left nipple, the fatal bulls-eye of a dark red blood blotch that stained his T-shirt with death.”
Sorry, who would leave a knife sticking in someone's body? I get it if you picked up a butcher knife at the location, but a buck knife would probably be what someone owned, and hard to believe you would leave it behind. But it is poetic and visual, so ok, I will go with it.
You could also tell the writer is a 'word nerd' as the main character is describes. And Ms. Munier has fun adding passages from Shakespeare to the story. That worked for me.
So overall, liked the book and the story and I would like to read more books in this series. I am trying to read a lot of mysteries in order so my memory will be fresher when I try to think of what might be my favorite mystery with a dog. I like this better than the two mysteries I read right before this one, but I am thinking I still like Robert Crais better. Anyway, I always want to talk about what people think are the best books with dogs, and at this time what the best mystery with a dog book is, so if you have an opinion, please let me know your top favorites.
December 15, 2018
A very enjoyable book. All of the characters were very well written, but for me the two dogs were the highlight of the book. Mercy’s dog is Elvis, a retired explosive sniffing dog who did his work in Afghanistan. The second dog is Susie Bear, a search and rescue dog belonging to Troy, a Vermont Game Warden. Both dogs are truly amazing.
Another character is Patience, the lovable town vet, who happens to be Mercy’s grandmother.
I highly recommended this book to all dog lovers and mystery lovers. The book has a well rounded cast of characters and two lovable, loyal dogs.
Just an added footnote here, I find, in just about every book I read, a little tidbit of information that I did not know. In this book I learned about Munchkin cats, particularly Magpie Munchkins. Having never heard of this breed of cat, I found them both interesting and fascinating.
Another character is Patience, the lovable town vet, who happens to be Mercy’s grandmother.
I highly recommended this book to all dog lovers and mystery lovers. The book has a well rounded cast of characters and two lovable, loyal dogs.
Just an added footnote here, I find, in just about every book I read, a little tidbit of information that I did not know. In this book I learned about Munchkin cats, particularly Magpie Munchkins. Having never heard of this breed of cat, I found them both interesting and fascinating.
July 14, 2018
I really enjoyed this debut with a former servicewoman and her dog, who both are suffering from PTSD. Elvis, the dog, was trained by Mercy's fiance, who died in Iraq, one year before the setting of this book. Speaking of setting, this book also introduces the reader to Vermont, which seems to be beloved as a character too. Mercy meets a Game Warden, Troy and his dog, Susie Bear, and this foursome is a formidable group. They catch the bad guys, and have an excellent ending. Hopefully they will have another mystery to solve soon!
Mercy's a really cool character, and is willing to expand her horizons and her heart. It's a good book with a good main character.
Mercy's a really cool character, and is willing to expand her horizons and her heart. It's a good book with a good main character.
September 3, 2019
Mercy Carr is a retired MP. She is back home in Vermont with Elvis, a bomb sniffing dog who worked with her fiance. Her fiance died in action and Mercy has ownership now of the traumatized dog. They are learning to be partners. She and Elvis are out for a walk in the Vermont woods. They discover a baby who they rescue and take to a hospital.
Several bodies are found. Mercy and Elvis team up with Troy who is a fish and game warden who also has a service dog. Troy is warned several time to stay out of the investigations as he is not a policeman but Mercy keeps pulling him in. His job is in jeopardy because he goes along with Mercy to protect and keep his eye on her. Mercy is tenacious and very good at solving puzzles. She solves crimes before everyone else does.
It was a good read. I liked the characters and the location. Looking forward to reading the next book.
Several bodies are found. Mercy and Elvis team up with Troy who is a fish and game warden who also has a service dog. Troy is warned several time to stay out of the investigations as he is not a policeman but Mercy keeps pulling him in. His job is in jeopardy because he goes along with Mercy to protect and keep his eye on her. Mercy is tenacious and very good at solving puzzles. She solves crimes before everyone else does.
It was a good read. I liked the characters and the location. Looking forward to reading the next book.
August 25, 2022
I really enjoyed this 1st book in Paula Munier's "Mercy & Elvis Mysteries" series!
February 4, 2021
Mercy is a veteran, and she and her late fiance's military working dog, Elvis, have just moved back to Vermont. She is shocked when she and Elvis find a baby on one of their woodland walks. The baby is taken to a hospital and disappears. Mercy and local game warden, Troy, find that this is connected to some shady characters who live nearby, and when someone breaks into Mercy's home and shoots at Elvis, things get even more serious. Great series for any dog lover who enjoys a good mystery.
February 9, 2019
3 stars for the dogs, the rest of the book literally did nothing for me. I hate giving bad reviews I want to like every book I read but we all know that is never going to happen. With that being said I wont read the next in the series even thought Elvis was the book.
May 31, 2022
Two-haiku review:
Baby left in woods
Dog finds, then finds skeleton
Bad guys in forest
Really liked this one
Deep and complex characters
Interesting plot
Baby left in woods
Dog finds, then finds skeleton
Bad guys in forest
Really liked this one
Deep and complex characters
Interesting plot
April 28, 2023
3.5 rounded up. Enjoyed this quite a bit. Loved Elvis and Susie Bear. The mystery was good and I enjoyed Mercy’s character arc. Look forward to book #2.
September 11, 2018
I've quickly become hooked on mysteries featuring working dogs-- especially military or police dogs. I think it's because the bond between human and dog is so strong and because the dog's capabilities are extraordinary. When I learned of this first Mercy and Elvis mystery, I knew I had to read it, and the only thing I can say now is that I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
A Borrowing of Bones is fast-paced and well-plotted, with a mystery that keeps readers guessing. Munier also makes her Vermont setting come to life, so much so that I wanted to book the next flight there. Not only do you get a feel for the lifestyle of the people living there, you can also do a bit of fantasizing since the main characters have what would be to me dream homes. (Mercy and Elvis in a perfect cabin deep in the woods complete with a fireplace and a wall of books, and Troy and Susie Bear in a converted fire lookout tower.)
However, the characters of Mercy, Elvis, Troy, and Susie Bear are what really matter. Mercy has a lot of sharp edges and bad memories. With the special bond between Martinez and Elvis, she's always felt like an outsider, as though the man and his dog were a closed circuit. She's got a lot to work through, and Troy quickly discovers that it's going to be a challenge to get to know her. I also liked the fact that Elvis has canine PTSD since most people probably aren't aware that dogs can suffer from it. Yes, compared to Mercy and Elvis, Troy and Susie Bear are big softies, so this is a relationship that's going to be fun to watch develop.
If you like fast-paced, intriguing mysteries in vivid settings that are filled with multi-faceted characters and wonderful working dogs, I strongly recommend that you get in on the ground floor of the Mercy and Elvis series. A Borrowing of Bones is a winner.
A Borrowing of Bones is fast-paced and well-plotted, with a mystery that keeps readers guessing. Munier also makes her Vermont setting come to life, so much so that I wanted to book the next flight there. Not only do you get a feel for the lifestyle of the people living there, you can also do a bit of fantasizing since the main characters have what would be to me dream homes. (Mercy and Elvis in a perfect cabin deep in the woods complete with a fireplace and a wall of books, and Troy and Susie Bear in a converted fire lookout tower.)
However, the characters of Mercy, Elvis, Troy, and Susie Bear are what really matter. Mercy has a lot of sharp edges and bad memories. With the special bond between Martinez and Elvis, she's always felt like an outsider, as though the man and his dog were a closed circuit. She's got a lot to work through, and Troy quickly discovers that it's going to be a challenge to get to know her. I also liked the fact that Elvis has canine PTSD since most people probably aren't aware that dogs can suffer from it. Yes, compared to Mercy and Elvis, Troy and Susie Bear are big softies, so this is a relationship that's going to be fun to watch develop.
If you like fast-paced, intriguing mysteries in vivid settings that are filled with multi-faceted characters and wonderful working dogs, I strongly recommend that you get in on the ground floor of the Mercy and Elvis series. A Borrowing of Bones is a winner.
September 7, 2018
I wish this book had never ended! This book is my perfect Mystery! The handsome Game Warden, the retired female M.P., with her bomb-sniffing dog, Elvis! Witty, fast-paced dialogue, in-depth character analysis, I wanted to live there, meet these people, help with the hunt for the killer! Great ending, everything a great mystery book should be! It will be in the top 25 of Best Books this year on my blog! I cannot wait for the next installment! Please hurry! I am madly in love with Troy, and his rescue search dog, Susie Bear! Mercy, a strong, Patriotic, feminine, female, role model!
I highly recommend!
Carolintallahassee
I highly recommend!
Carolintallahassee
December 24, 2023
3.0 I love dogs and dog stories, so this audiobook gets points for that. Kathleen McInerney is a good narrator. I don’t agree that someone who loved their child would leave them in the woods the way the baby in this story was found. The Shakespeare quotes didn’t really suit the story and were a little too frequent. The Othella incident was totally unrealistic and annoying. There were other parts that stretched credibility as well. I enjoyed this enough to listen until the end to find out what happened and especially because of the dogs but I'm not sure I would not read/listen to another of this author’s books.
December 27, 2018
Very enjoyable first in a new series--the dogs really shine, and the humans are appealing too.
January 1, 2019
4 stelle e mezza
Quattro ottimi protagonisti: due umani e due simpatici cani. E un mistero che non sono riuscita a risolvere: fino all'ultimo pensavo che lo scopo del misterioso cattivo fosse uno che si è rivelato completamente sbagliato! L'autrice è stata brava a mescolare continuamente le carte e la soluzione era abbastanza complessa (alla fine ne avevo capito solo una minima parte). Un finale coi fuochi d'artificio, adatta all'ambientazione durante le festività del 4 luglio (e la lettura di metà del libro nella giornata di San Silvestro...). Spero che ci saranno dei seguiti a questa storia perché mi sono affezionata ai personaggi.
Quattro ottimi protagonisti: due umani e due simpatici cani. E un mistero che non sono riuscita a risolvere: fino all'ultimo pensavo che lo scopo del misterioso cattivo fosse uno che si è rivelato completamente sbagliato! L'autrice è stata brava a mescolare continuamente le carte e la soluzione era abbastanza complessa (alla fine ne avevo capito solo una minima parte). Un finale coi fuochi d'artificio, adatta all'ambientazione durante le festività del 4 luglio (e la lettura di metà del libro nella giornata di San Silvestro...). Spero che ci saranno dei seguiti a questa storia perché mi sono affezionata ai personaggi.
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