Mercy and Elvis make a great team. This is the 5th book in the series but you can enjoy the story without reading the others. It’s Halloween season and spooky with lots of poetry not to mention murders.

# Home at Night
# 3/19/2024 ~ 3/21/2024
# 4.0 / 5.0

Wonderfully atmospheric cozy mystery. Paula Munier's descriptive prose appealed to the senses, immediately transporting me to New England in the fall. The author skillfully intertwines multiple mysteries into one masterful story. While this is the first book in the series I have read, there was enough backstory to read as a standalone. I really liked the heroine Mercy. Her past as a soldier has given her the skill and confidence to track a murderer. Readers will fall in love with her big quirky family. With a haunted house, ghostly appearances, lost letters and murder, readers will be engaged from the first page to the last.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher thorough Netgalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to the author Paula Munier, publishers Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of HOME AT NIGHT. All views are mine.

"He knew that all good things come to those dogs who wait." Loc.744

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. I love that Munier writes about wildlife management in this book, it's great info for readers. At this time of year, bird feeders attracted bears as well as birds. Which never ended well for the bears. Responsible Vermonters drew birds to their gardens with flora, not bird feeders. loc. 188

2. I love the role of poetry in this story, it functions sort of like a character. In that, it is somewhat metafictional in a creative way: Poets and poachers both preyed on the lives of others. loc. 1617 and “We’ll get them next time,” promised Gil. “Yes, we will. What is it with poachers?” “What is it with poets? This place is overrun with them.” loc. 1603

3. I have tried to read Joyce more than once with little success, and I adore the advice Mercy gives for handling his literature! " Don't try to understand it. Just let the prose Just wash over you. You'll get the gist." Loc. 935 How tongue in cheek! I'm actually going to try Joyce one more time and take this advice.

4. I like the access to the past the reader is provided through the letters. Not as forceful as a perspective or time jump, so a handy element.

5. The quotes about home at the beginning of each chapter are more than enchoyable. By the way, my favorite is: Home is wherever you leave everything you love and never question that it will be there when you return. —LEO CHRISTOPHER; loc 4784. The epigraphs introduce the chapters but also keep in the forefront of the reader's mind the book's theme, "home," and the role it plays not just in this novel, but in real and fictional stories just like it unspooling everywhere.

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. A lot happens in this book. There are no less than 4 subplots in this mystery that all compete with the central mystery. So the narrative gets weighed down in a few spots. The dialog even gets muddled, though fun and funny honestly, like here: “Poets and other crackpots,” said Brodie. “Not all poets are crackpots,” said Amy. “ They’re mostly geniuses.” “Like I said. Geniuses, poets, they’re all crackpots.” loc. 2349
Munier even addresses this in her Acknowledgements, where she thanks her editor: [I] got carried away— and it took my grounded genius of an editor, the incomparable Pete Wolverton, to drag me and my story out of revision hell and into your hands, dear reader. loc. 5060.

Rating: 🐕🐕🐕🐕 adorable pseudo-humans
Recommend? Yes!
Finished: Aug 22 '23
Format: Digital arc, Kindle, NetGalley, SMPI
Read this book if you like:
🦝 wildlife
🪶 poetry
🔪 murder mysteries
🔍 non-human sleuth
🤓 word games

I have been provided with a review copy of Home at Night from NetGalley for an impartial review. I was just drawn into this wonderful story and I just couldn’t get enough of it. It was just so easy to get lost in this great story. I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

Home at Night is book #5 in the Mercy and Elvis Mysteries Series by Paula Munier, though it could easily be read as a standalone. I have thoroughly enjoyed every book in this series and couldn’t wait to read Home at Night. Ms. Munier does a wonderful job of creating likable and relatable characters while weaving an intriguing mystery to solve. Mercy is a strong heroine with an ex-military background and her sidekick is a brilliant Belgian Malinois, named Elvis. Her romance with hubby, Troy is tactfully done, and I loved seeing the familiar characters from prior books. Home at Night is a cozy mystery set at Halloween in the fictionalized town of Northshire, Vermont. The story includes a creepy mansion, druids, and of course murder. A definite worthwhile read.

I've been enjoying the Mercy Carr Mystery series since the first book. Home at Night is the fifth book in the series with a Halloween in Vermont setting along with druids, poets and poachers.

There's a lot going on in this one and a few too many coincidences for me. Plus it was a bit much with how many times Mercy was hurt. While not my favorite in the series, it was still a solid mystery. I look forward to the next book with this engaging set of characters. Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy of this book.

Enjoyable mystery centered around an old home said to be haunted. I really liked the characters (and their dogs) and the Vermont setting. The story had action, suspense, and plot twists, but was maybe a little more complicated than it needed to be. This book is part of a series but I read it as a stand-alone and it worked fine.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

Another exciting entry into the Mercy Carr Series, or should it be Mercy & Elvis?
This time, after the events of the previous book, don't want to give spoilers here, Mercy is in the market to find a new home, and what better option than to make it a haunted house?
Except, some dead bodies turn in the way of her and the house, she must solve the mystery before she can close scrow!

This was another interesting installment in the series. I loved the spooky, haunted house elements of this book.The mystery was twisty and interesting; I was engaged throughout trying to figure out whodunit!

The thing I like most about the series are the characters of Mercy, Troy, and the dogs. I appreciate that Mercy and Troy’s relationship is progressing along with the series. There is one part of the story where miscommunication could have really bogged down the plot, and I am so glad the author took the straightforward approach.

This is book five of the Mercy & Elvis Mystery series, and it was definitely my favorite so far. I loved the atmospheric setting, and the poetry was a fantastic touch! It has mysterious Halloween haunted house vibes and felt like a treasure hunt.

The murder mystery was intriguing, and I adored seeing married life between Mercy and Troy. This series has really gotten interesting! I'm absolutely looking forward to the next addition.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I did not realize when I accepted a review copy of this book that it was the 5th book in the Mercy & Elvis Mystery series. However, even though I was jumping in at book 5, I was easily able to follow the story and characters.

This was definitely a great addition to my Spooky Season reading -- a rundown Victorian mansion, poachers and poisoners, an altercation with a masked intruder, a mysterious letter and a dead body.

I loved the setting, the characters and the plot. The story kept my attention from start to finish. The dogs were my favorite characters, of course! There were many plot twists and much sleuthing. Altogether, a great cozy mystery! Loved reading this during Halloween season, but would be great anytime!

I am definitely going to backtrack and read this series from the start!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St Martin's Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

I’ve enjoyed this book! It was my first in the series even though it’s book five. I’m hoping to go back and read from the start just because I did find it a tad confusing at times not having read the other books. Not that the story was confusing but more the characters and knowing who they are and all that. Overall I loved the storyline and the mystery!

"Home at Night" is the fifth in the Mercy & Elvis mysteries, but the first I have read and won't be the last. Mercy and Troy have married and are living in Mercy's cabin that is full to the rafters with people and animals. When she learns of a manor that she has loved since she was young has comeon the market she is overjoyed. Unfortunately that joy is overshadowed by the tragedy that is part of the history of that manor and when there is a murder she knows that she will have to solve this mystery to live happily in her dream home. Of course she will have the help of Elvis her dog and Troy and his dog Susie Bear. Will there be more tragedy and what about the "ghost"? A very satisfying read.
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC for me to read and review, which I do voluntarily.

Mercy Carr and her new husband are house hunting. It has to be big enough for the two of them, their search and rescue dogs, a cat, and a teenage mom with a baby whose daddy stays over more often than not (it’s a long story). There was one ideal house, but infighting with the sellers caused the deal to fall through. Now Mercy’s got her eye on a place no one else would want—Grackle Tree Farm.

When she was a teen, it was the local ‘I dare you’ house. The one friends would say, ‘I bet you can’t spend a whole night there,’ and most kids didn’t. It’s thirty acres of woods, wetlands, and a Victorian house to die for. Except that wasn’t meant to be literal, but the body in the library said differently.
That lead to rumors of a hidden fortune, the police captain shot and seriously injured, and Mercy on crutches. Plus, her dog Elvis had a few problems of his own.

It’s leaf peeping season and that means tourists. Add in the treasure hunters, costumed Halloween figures, and a masked murderer on a motorcycle, and Mercy more than has her hands full—and that’s before her mother gets involved in their house hunting.

This is book five in the series, several reviewed in KRL. Mercy is a strong woman, able to stand up to her grandmother’s gentle bossiness and her mother’s strong-arm tactics. Troy is the perfect husband for her with his love of dogs, the outdoors, and of course, her. The mystery is multilayered and complex, with clues scattered throughout to challenge readers.

This is a series I look forward to reading each year. It’s like a visit to friends whose lives are more exciting than your own.

I loved this cozy mystery. It had a good amount of characters and suspense. This was my first book in the series but I will definitely be going back to the beginning. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Paula Munier for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Home at Night. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I didn’t realize this was a series. I’ll have to go back and read the other books. I loved the plot of this book. The Victorian mansion sounded amazing and I was excited for the spooky vibes. The first half of the book was really fun for me. I started to lose a little interest when I realized it wasn’t quite what I thought it would be. I thought there would be more with the Victorian house and fixing it up. There was a lot more melodrama than I thought there would be. It seemed like a lot was happening to Mercy with getting hurt and everything. The surprise was a little annoying with the interrupting other people and not being able to come out and say it. But overall, it felt like a cozy mystery. I would check out other books by this author.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys small town mysteries!

I enjoyed this cozy mystery with the Halloween setting. This was my first Mercy and Elvis mystery but I thought it was fine to read as a standalone. We're given a bit of background on Mercy and she's described well enough that I got to know her without reading all the others. I loved the relationships between Mercy, her fiance and their dogs. The mystery had me intrigued from the start. I loved the addition of poems and stories of the past at Grackle Tree Farm. Overall an entertaining read, especially for dog people.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

On Halloween Damien has dared Mercy to go to the old empty house once owned by a famous poet she loved (Euphemia Whitley-Jones). The home h supposedly has ghosts. Damien thinks Mercy won’t go. She does goes and meets someone who might be a ghost. Does she meet a ghost? In the next chapter, Mercy is married to Troy. They lose their cabin and must find a new home which hopefully be larger. As they have two large dogs, one cat and Amy and Helena, a young teenage mother and baby that Mercy had met during a case and decided to take them into her home. The young mother has a boyfriend, Brodie who practively lives there too. Mercy and Troy meet at the old home with the real estate salesperson. The salesperson has them go into the library to find a dead body! Who did it? Mercy wants to find out who did it. Will she be able to find the killer?

Reading this mystery was a wonderful surprise for me as I had not read any of the previous book.. The novel is full of twists and turns. The novel talks about what a home is. The mystery was compelling to read with its touch of humor. I kept wanting to know more!

Halloween 2004, Grackle Tree Farm, the infamous haunted house of the famous poet Euphemia "Effie" Whitney-Jones, has unwanted visitors.

Mercy Carr isn't afraid of no ghosts, but she's not backing down from the dare to enter the house to see the ghost witch that is known to make an appearance this time of year. The encounter Mercy experiences centers around the living, where she passes out. In her hurry to flee after waking up, she runs into the witch, who returns her book with a gift.

Years later, Mercy is married to Troy and takes in a teenage mother, Amy, her daughter Helena, and Brodie, Amy's boyfriend, along with three furry friends living in a cramped cabin.

Grackle Tree Farm will be on the market, and Mercy and Troy are given first dibs to see the house. A perfect home with lots of room!

A tour of the home takes a disastrous turn when Elvis leads Mercy and Troy to a room where the door is locked. Once inside, they discover a dead body. A mystery surrounded the man found inside the 150-year-old house, but there are more secrets to uncover.

This is my first book by this author, and although this is the fifth book in the series, I had no problem following the storyline. I found all aspects of the story to be engaging, and I loved Elvis and Susie Bear.

I received an advanced reader's copy and voluntarily read and reviewed this book.

Home at Night by Paula Munier
This a book in the Mercy Carr series. It would probably be hard to try to read this book as a standalone since there are so many ongoing characters including all Mercy’s large group of family and friends and a lot of new characters added in for this specific story. It is very atmospheric for Halloween, creepy and slightly spooky with poets, Druids, and several poisonings, lots of strange
and unlikely events. Also, Mercy is in the midst of having some big changes in her personal life. I wonder about how this will affect future books.