Paula Munier (Blind Search) delivers a tightly plotted adventure in her third Mercy Carr novel, The Hiding Place. March in Vermont may technically be spring, but the weather is still frigid--and treacherous. For former military policewoman Mercy Carr, this spring may be particularly so. Mercy digs into the cold case that haunted her long-dead sheriff grandfather and uncovers a nest of secrets.
Munier's story begins with an unwelcome surprise: an army vet who knew Mercy's deceased fiancé shows up claiming that Mercy's dog, Elvis, belongs to him. Mercy is devoted to Elvis, but the dangerous nature of her sleuthing work makes her wonder if the dog wouldn't be safer with someone else. When the man who shot her grandfather escapes from prison and Mercy's grandmother is kidnapped, Mercy must work with game warden Troy Warner and his dog, Susie Bear, to find her and crack the cold case before any more lives are lost. (As she's debating whether she should give Elvis up, the dog joins their rescue team, again proving his aptitude for the work.) They encounter a host of colorful personalities, including a salt-of-the-earth café owner and an elegant animal lover who may not be what she seems. While solving mysteries is often a way for Mercy to ignore her tangled personal life, this case forces her to confront her feelings about several tricky situations, including her relationship with Troy. Twisty and tense, with occasional heroics by the dogs, The Hiding Place is a satisfying entry in this series. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams