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 … depressed, soldier Mercy Carr and Elvis were both sent home, her late lover’s last words ringing in her ears: “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.
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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
A compelling mix of hard edges and easy charm – I loved this book.
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.
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.
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.
It’s been a few days since I finished reading this and it’s still following me around. Mercy, a vet, and her bomb-sniffing dog, Elvis, are recovering from their wartime injuries, physical and mental, when they uncover human bones and an abandoned baby while hiking in the woods. And their lives are changed forever. Who knew there was so much going on in Vermont? No small wonder it was nominated for an Edgar. I can’t wait for their next adventure.
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.
Can’t remember why I wanted to read this other than my usual interest in small New England towns and hunky law enforcement officers. But I really enjoyed it. Interesting characters with military backgrounds, fun community, and a complex mystery that keeps you guessing even if it seems a bit piled up by the end. Some nice unresolved sexual tension. And two working dogs, if you’re into that. (I’m not, especially, but it was fine.) Flatlanders, beware — this is a VERY Vermont story, and you might get mildly insulted if you’re not one of the few, the proud, the native — and/or locally grown or produced. After a while I was waiting for a Darn Tough Socks product placement, but it didn’t come. I plan to read the next one and see if it shows up. 🙂
A plot-twisting mystery peopled by interesting characters in a vividly described setting. What else could a reader want? Well, dogs for one. It has dogs. Rich literary references? Straight to the top: Shakespeare. Cultural undertones? Art, as in sculptures and paintings. Romance? A subtle touch of that too. Somewhere in the world I’ve never been? Yep, Vermont described with such clarity that I could see those scenes.
Did I mention dogs? The dogs are the heart of this story–Elvis and Susie Bear, can’t wait to play with them again.
A Borrowing of Bones is the first book in a new series by author Paula Munier. Mercy Carr, US Army MP, has retired to be near her caring grandmother after an ambush and fire fight in Afghanistan that left Mercy wounded and her fiancé, Sgt. Martinez, dead. She now lives in a cabin on a small piece of land outside of Northshire, VT, with Martinez’s PTSD suffering explosive detection dog, Elvis.
Now working her way back towards normalcy, Mercy and the Belgian shepherd rehab with long daily walks in the Vermont woods, especially on the trail to Lye Brook Falls. On a late June day, Elvis makes some unexpected discoveries; first a baby girl left upright in a hiking backpack and then he alerts to explosives.
Responding to Mercy’s 911 call is Vermont Fish and Wildlife Game Warden Troy Warner and his search and rescue Newfoundland mix, Susie Bear. After taking the infant to the local hospital, Mercy accompanies Warner back to where the discoveries were made and she had marked the areas using duck tape. When they arrive the two dogs are sent to search following the scent from a baby blanket. They seem to be off task and playing until it is discovered that they have found what appears to be human bones.
With medical examiner Dr. Darling on site with her crew to sift for bones, the wait was long. But when the ME discovers the skull of an adult male that has obviously been shot in the head, the beginnings of an intertwined plot that brings together murder, Vermont First secessionists, artists working in art trouve, an art heist, and a most unexpected mastermind.
This is a fast paced mystery pairing two dedicated law enforcement officers seeking answers to what has been and what can be prevented. This is the beginning of a new series that I look forward to reading as this page turner was a treat. I very much enjoyed this book and do recommend it!
An absolutely terrific, fast-paced mystery set in the mountains of Southern Vermont. The characters were fresh and very human with strengths, weakness, and in some cases troubled pasts. The details about dog handling, police work, and PTSD were well done and never got in the way of the story’s forward motion. I highly recommend this for any reader who enjoys rural settings and mysteries that are tense and suspenseful without being overly violent and grisly.
Clear your schedule because this is a book to read in one sitting. Wonderful characters, both human and canine, the perfect setting, and a plot like a speeding train make for a can’t miss read.
Intriguing / Mercy Carr along with K9 Elvis –
I absolutely loved this book. I read book 2 first, but that was not a problem. This first book filled in more of the background on the two main characters (and their dogs). Very fast read. I did not want to put it down. Great plot and well solved mystery.
‘A Burrowing of Bones’ is an engaging suspense novel. A former military police officer, Mercy Carr, and her former bomb sniffing dog, Elvis spend their days recovering from PTSD hiking in the Vermont wilderness. When Mercy finds an abandoned baby along the trail and Elvis alerts to nearby explosives, it is the only the tip of the iceberg of a web of lies, deceit and murder. A good read.
Great read
If you love dogs, Shakespeare, and detective work; why then you will love A Borrowing of Bones. Mercy Carr is former military police trying to heal emotional wounds as well as physical in Vermont. The hook is set early on when Mercy and her bomb-sniffing dog Elvis discover traces of explosives and a baby deep in the forest. The pages are filled with characters from billionaires to bureaucrats and wardens to artists. The plot twists and turns as Mercy tries to solve the crime, come to terms with loss, and is tempted by burgeoning love. Pressured by her parents to attend law school and join them as attorneys, Mercy ruminates upon why she chooses not to: “Mercy was struck as always by how harmless they seemed when encountered outside the courtroom, just your average middle-aged American marrieds of means whose benign appearance completely hid the sharks that lurked beneath the surface”. To quote the bard, Mercy is suggesting that “I had rather be a dog, and bay at the moon, than such a Roman”. More than anything else, the story is about the special bond between humans and canines. If you love a rural Vermont setting with a complex character and dogs, this mystery novel is for you!
A Borrowing of Bones is a wonderful start to a new series of mysteries. Mercy and Elvis may be down but they aren’t out by any stretch of the imagination. I loved watching them solidify into a team. Mercy is smart and stronger than she knows. I really liked the terrific cast of supporting characters and really look forward to visiting again.
Interesting and somewhat different.
Great characters, fast paced action. looking forward to the next book in the set!