"Charming working dogs are the icing on the cake in this story, Vermont is as tough a character as Mercy, and Munier writes them with both intricacy and ease. Returning readers will celebrate this sequel; those new to Mercy and Elvis will be delighted...all will look forward to more." Library Journal
"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
"Munier’s affection for the dogs she depicts, as well as Henry’s sweet bond with them, will warm hearts. Readers will look forward to the irresistible Mercy and Elvis’s next adventure." Publishers Weekly
"An action-packed story of triumph over adversity." Kirkus Reviews
"Based on the true search-and-rescue of an autistic boy, this page turner will take you on a roller coaster ride through the worst of winterand human nature." Modern Dog Magazine
"'Blind Search' reads like a treatise on how to craft a thriller bursting at the seams with converging subplots without ever moving us to throw up our hands in exasperation. Indeed, we’re too busy using our fingers to turn the pages." John Land for Providence Journal
"Riveting." Concord Monitor
Praise for A Borrowing of Bones:
"Munier’s perfectly paced tale crackles with fast-paced dialogue and elegant descriptions that would make the likes of John Hart and James Lee Burke proud. But it’s her writing about animals, dogs in particular, that truly sparkles and distinguishes her from the pack." Jon Land, Booktrib
"Comparisons may be made between Munier's debut mystery and Margaret Mizushima's Timber Creek K-9 mysteries. A stronger read-alike is Julia Spencer Fleming's mysteries featuring Rev. Clare Fergusson, another female veteran. The believable dogs, the touches of humor, the independent, determined Mercy, and well-crafted characters will bring readers back." Library Journal (starred review and debut of the month)
"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." Publishers Weekly
"Finally, a suspense novel that combines my two loves: a thrilling police procedural, assisted by two fabulous working dogs. A one-sit read that will make you happy you did." Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Look for Me
"A compelling mix of hard edges and easy charm - I loved this book.” Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“A Borrowing of Bones is a nuanced nail-biter with a compelling quartet of crime fighters: two extraordinary rescue and rescued dogs and their human handlers." Hallie Ephron, New York Times bestselling author of You’ll Never Know, Dear
"This is why we read crime fiction! The immensely talented Paula Munier had me at page one with indelibly drawn characters in a heartbreaking, compelling and incredibly intelligent story. Plus, the greatest dogs on the planet. Fans of William Kent Krueger and C.J. Box will devour this terrific book." Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony, Mary Higgins Clark and Macavity Award-Winning Author
"Who let the dogs out? Paula Munier did, in a terrific new mystery thriller about two admirably resilient human characters and their smart, sturdy, resourceful canine sidekicks, who track a collection of murderous suspects across the glorious Green Mountains of Vermont. Come for the action and the mystery, stay for all the other pleasures of a novel that will keep you turning pages right up to the satisfying final passages." William Martin, New York Times bestselling author of Back Bay and Bound for Gold
"Paula Munier has that special gift for bringing fictional dogs to life, and she's just as adept with humans. I read this book in one sitting, and so will you. A Borrowing of Bones is a terrific mystery." Spencer Quinn, New York Times bestselling author
"Wow! I couldn’t put it down. (Warning: Don’t start this one at bedtime.) Paula is an artist. Her prose is breathtaking, the story compelling, the pace exhilarating. Truly, I loved it. A Borrowing of Bones is an exultant exploration of decency, honor, and patriotism. Beautifully crafted, thoroughly enjoyable." Jane K. Cleland, Agatha Award-winning author
"If you love dogs and mysteries, you have two reasons to love A Borrowing of Bones. Paula Munier's page turner is made even more memorable by her keen insight and love of dogs." Larry Kay, award-winning dog author of Training the Best Dog Ever and Life's A Bark
"An entertaining, escapist retreat." Shelf Awareness
"A novel that hooks the reader from the first page and begins a projected series, A Borrowing of Bones shines as a paean to veterans and service dogs." Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star
“This fast-paced and intoxicating drama immediately grabbed my attention and I was immersed in all aspects from plot-line to character development to the dialogue to just about everything. The author knows how to keep this reader involved by creating a complex and determine yet flawed heroine...” Dru's Book Musings, Best Books of 2018
2019-09-02
A boy who likes to wander and dogs that live to find the missing add up to an exciting adventure in rural Vermont.
Still mourning the death of her fiance in Afghanistan but comforted by Elvis, his bomb-sniffing dog, Mercy Carr has formed an attachment to Game Warden Troy Warner and his search dog, Susie Bear, who were her partners in solving a murder (A Borrowing of Bones, 2018). When she hears shots, Mercy tracks Elvis, who's vanished into the woods owned by Daniel Feinberg, her wealthy friend and neighbor. Feinberg's hunting party has found a large bear in the tree to which groundskeeper Gunnar Moe's pack of Norwegian elkhounds chased him. But Elvis has turned up something even more disturbing: a young woman with an arrow in her chest. The dead woman is Alice de Clare, an architect and weekend guest of Daniel's who's been working with his other guests—Blake and Katharine Montgomery, Caspar and Cara Farrow, Lea Sanders and Ethan Jenkins—on a project to renovate the Bluffing Bear Inn. Mercy's discoveries continue when she finds a pajama-clad boy in the woods who may be a witness to murder. The boy is Henry Jenkins, an autistic 9-year-old math genius who speaks little but knows much and finds the dogs calming. As Troy well knows, the woods are beautiful but menacing, occupied by the most dangerous beasts, human lawbreakers. Even so, Mercy believes that the killer is most likely one of Feinberg's guests, most of whom have been friends ever since they attended prep school together. Certain that the headline-seeking State Police detective will get everything wrong, Mercy and Troy use Feinberg's estate as a base for hunting the killer. Their most difficult task is protecting Henry, whose wandering is a danger to himself and the people and dogs who guard him.
An action-packed story of triumph over adversity.