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.

I've never read anything by this author, but a cozy Halloween mystery caught my attention. I haven't read the prior books, and this did make sense on its own. There are enough twists to keep readers engaged. The pace is appropriate for the genre, and the characters are likeable.

This is the first Mercy Carr book I’ve read, so I had a little catching up to do. I learned that Mercy had been a soldier and her husband was currently a game warden. Each has a side-kick dog. Mercy’s dog is Elvis, and Troy’s dog is Susie Bear.

In this book, Mercy’s childhood and adult dream home comes on the market. It is a run-down Victorian home once owned by a renowned poet. This Vermont property happens to have an intriguing name, Grackle Tree Farm.

This becomes the perfect setting for a Halloween story of murder, secrets, puzzles, and even poachers.

Kirkus Reviews sums it up perfectly:
“ A thrilling combination of physical and mental feats by human and beast.”

My Concerns
I don’t read many cozy mysteries, so I’m not familiar with the typical writing style. But at the beginning of this story, I found the writing to feel like that of a young adult book. At one point I even checked. Nope. Adult cozy mystery. So did I click with the writing style: no, but I got used to it. And, honestly, the more I read the better the sentence structure.

Final Thoughts
If the writing style works for you, and it definitely got better for me, you will discover a great story. The characters show growth, and it's a setting that is perfect for the season. And, of course, a plot with a twist or two always finds its way into my heart.

I recommend this cozy.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Mercy is a child the first time she sees the witch at Grackle Tree Farm. Years later Mercy is married and she has the opportunity to purchase the Grackle Tree Farm. Will she see the witch again?
Thanks to NetGalley to the ARC and to the publisher Minotaur Books.

I am not a big poetry person. But I do like old houses and this book has a fabulous old house. Old places have stories and this old stories are intriguing. I like the twists and turns this old house has. The main characters are interesting and so well connected. This is an enjoyable read with plenty of twists, turns, deaths and discoveries to make it a good book.

Halloween in Vermont, a haunted house; what good be better than that! Mercy and Troy, along with their dogs have found a new home. Little do they know what awaits them there. Perfect for a spooky season read. Great setting and awesome characters.

October 18, 2023
Thank you to St. Martins Press and Minotaur for my complimentary ARC and to MacMillan Audio for my complimentary audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Home at Night is the 4th book in the Mercy and Elvis series. It may be read as a stand alone. Enough back story is given in order to enjoy the story, but personally, I wish I had read the previous books.

Mercy and Troy, along with their dogs, make a great team. I enjoyed the Halloween setting and the mystery surrounding Grackle Tree Farm.
There is quite a bit of murder and mayhem in the small Vermont town, it was hard to keep everything straight. It felt there was just too much going on and I didn’t like being pulled in so many directions m, sadly I started to lose interest.

I did enjoy all the Home quotes at the beginning of the chapters Eventually all the loose ends are tied up and the mysteries are solved.

I paired the audiobook with the Arc and found it to be slow moving. I had just finished listening to another book this narrator had read (Christmas) and I felt her voice didn’t match well this mystery/thriller. Again just my personal opinion. She did a wonderful job with all the voices. I finally stopped listening and just read the book.

A perfect Halloween read set on an historic farm in Vermont full of dead poets, a mysterious letter, a rundown Victorian mansion, and a murder victim in a library. What more could you want for an October mystery?

Paula Munier’s Home at Night is the fifth book featuring retired military soldier Mercy Carr and her dog Elvis. This easily can be read as a standalone book. I didn’t actually realize it was part of a mystery series until I look up the author partway through to see what else she has written.

Mercy has just recently married her now-husband Troy Warner and the two were set to purchase an old Vermont lodge when the real estate deal fell through. They wouldn’t mind except Troy has already sold off his old fireman’s tower and Mercy’s beloved cabin is getting a bit too crowded for their found family—which includes Mercy, Troy, a teenager Mercy took in named Amy and her daughter Helena, and Amy’s boyfriend Brodie. Not to mention Mercy and Troy’s large and loveable dogs, Elvis and Sugar Bear.

At the prodding of her mother, Mercy and Troy go visit an old Vermont farm that isn’t even on the market yet to see if they might be interested. Grackle Tree Farm has a lot of history—it was previously owned by a famous poet, Euphemia Whitley-Jones. Not only is she a favorite poet of Mercy’s from her teen years, but Mercy has a small bit of history herself with the property when she accepted a dare to spend the night there in her teen years. When she and Troy arrive, they are greeted by 30 acres of beautiful forestry land, a pond, a rundown Victorian mansion, and a place they already know they want to call home.

But before they can fully tour the property with the realtor Jillian, they discover that a charming library holds more than books—there is a dead body on the floor.

The next morning Mercy is visited by her great-uncle Hugo Fleury and a billionaire named Daniel who sometimes hires Mercy to assist with investigations. Hugo shares that when he was stationed in Europe during his time in the army, he attended a party at the French estate owned by Euphemia Whitley-Jones. Hugo and Daniel have heard that an old letter is rumored to be hidden somewhere at the Vermont farm.

The rumor is the letter is a love letter, and Mercy shares that she had recently learned of the rivalry between Euphemia and her sister over a man who died and whose body was never found. However, when she had visited the farm, Mercy observed a memorial to a Captain Michael Emil Robillard on the grounds, and Hugo confirms that the captain had been engaged to Euphemia when he and her sister eloped.

Euphemia was left heartbroken while Robillard and her sister Maude left together. But after Robillard’s death, Maude (Euphemia’s sister) discovered a love letter from Euphemia hidden in his bag. The sisters never reconciled and neither was ever known to have a child.

Despite the dark history of the farm and the dead body, Mercy and Troy still want to purchase the property. But it seems they aren’t alone—there are other developers, non-profits, and a mysterious possible heir of Robillard’s who all want the farm as well. Solving the murder would certainly help move along the sale of the property.

As Mercy and Troy tackle the case, looking to understand who the murder victim is and why he was murdered (as well as who committed the act), things become more dangerous. Someone wants to keep them away from Grackle Tree Farm and the secrets it holds.

The mystery is compelling—not only the mystery of the current murder that has occurred at the farm, but also the historical mystery of Euphemia the poet and her heartbreak. Mercy and Troy aren’t the only ones interested in the secrets that may reside at Euphemia’s farm, every poet in the state of Vermont seems to be after any hidden treasures that may exist at the property.

The story is fall of Halloween and fall vibes that set the perfect tone for the story. Throughout the book are quotes and references to the theme of what determines a home (not just a house). While Mercy is struggling at the idea of leaving the cabin that has been her home for many years, she’s also looking to create a new home with her husband and her found family.

The mystery is compelling without being too dark. Munier’s writing style adds an element of fun to a darker topic. The mystery is central to the plot, but throughout I also grew to love Mercy, Troy, and many of the supporting characters. Mercy is a unique heroine with her military background. She’s not someone we would normally see in a cozy mystery, though I’d argue this book fits into the more serious end of the genre.

The settings are a standout in this book. Not just the farm, but the mansion itself, Mercy’s cabin, and the grounds. Munier writes with very descriptive language so I could envision the scenes vividly.

A cozy mystery that is more serious overall and less kitschy, while still avoiding anything overly graphic or too dark—this is an outstanding mystery made all the better by the Halloween setting!

I enjoyed this book immensely and you had me at the dogs Mercy and Troy work with. And their names, Elvis and Susie Bear, I mean come on. It was a little slow to start, but it became interesting a few chapters in, The mysteries and story unfolded at a perfect pace that made it feel realistic. However, that does not include how many times Mercy was hurt since she made a couple of stupid decisions, but especially one time, when you're asking yourself WTH. I had no idea this was the fifth book in the series! It was so well-written that I didn't have a clue and was able to follow along without wondering about the past. Now, I'll go back and read every book in the series, that's how much I liked everything about it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Who can resist a cozy mystery set during the Halloween season coming out in October? Certainly not me! Although this is not the first book in the series, this is the first one I have read. I am also a sucker for canine companions so that was an added bonus. Although still very much a cozy, I felt like this was a more "serious" murder mystery and really enjoyed that aspect. I will definitely go back to book one and read the series from the beginning. I would recommend to mystery readers and fans of spooky reads. Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Grackle Tree Farm was the home of poet Euphemia Whitney-Jones and her sister Maud until there was a falling out between the sisters. When Effie died the estate was left to Maud and controlled by a trust that would not allow the sale of the property until Maud’s death. It has been deserted and deteriorating for years and rumored to be haunted. Her recent passing has made the old Victorian manor available at the perfect time or Mercy Carr and her new husband Troy. They are living in Mercy’s cabin along with a young mother that they have taken in, her child and their two large dogs, Elvis and Susie Bear. Elvis retired from the military with Mercy while Susie Bear is a trained search and rescue dog that works with Troy. Mercy could not wait to tour the house, but did not expect to find a body in the library. Rumors of hidden secrets have brought out treasure hunters. When Mercy is asked to search the house with the assistance of a police captain they come under attack, wounding them both. Elvis comes to the rescue but it will not be the last attack and there will be more deaths before Effie’s secrets are revealed.

Mercy and Troy are a loving trouble whose relationship has developed throughout the series. It is Elvis and Susie Bear, however, who will steal your heart. They not only sense danger when it is near, but Elvis also provides protection and comfort during Mercy’s recuperation. They are also helped by Levi, the estate’s caretaker. A man of few words, he takes a while to warm up to people, but he senses that Mercy and Troy are the right people to take over the estate. Halloween is approaching and Paula Munier not only gives the reader witches and murder, but also a village in Vermont fully decked out for the holiday, including a HOWLoween parade of pets led by Elvis and Susie Bear. This mystery is an absolute delight. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Minotaur for providing this book for my review.

This is the first book I read of Paula Munier. I was happy to find out this book was fine to read as a standalone but now that I have read this one I can't wait to read the ones before it. I fell in love with Mercy and Troy. I also loved their dogs. You know a book will be good when animals are involved. I loved reading this book this book in the fall. I can't wait to read more of Paula's books. I definitely recommend this book!


Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for allowing me to read this ARC in advance for my honest opinion.

Home at Night is the fifth book of the Mercy Carr series. Mercy Carr is a female soldier who returned from Afghanistan with her K-9 partner. She is now married to a park ranger who has his own dog that accompanies him. They live in Vermont.
The story starts with Mercy as a child accepting a dare to spend a night in the local haunted house. There is a legend of the Ghost Witch of Grackle Tree who is supposedly seen there. The legend is also connected to the owner of the property, a famous poet. Even after Mercy runs into the witch, she decides that she loves the old house with or without ghosts.
The story starts in current time with Mercy married to Troy and they share Mercy’s cabin with a young woman and her child. They start their search for a larger home as the old mansion with Grackle Tree is put on the market. Everything is fine until a body is found in the library.
While Mercy and Troy investigate the murder, the reader is introduced to many of the locals. Mercy is asked to search for something hidden by the previous owner and while doing so with Troy’s boss, they are attacked. The boss is shot, and Mercy gets shot in the foot.
Now everyone wants to know what is going on, so Mercy and Troy follow the clues that eventually lead them to a killer.
This was an enjoyable read. The description is rich. You can almost see, and smell fall in Vermont. The characters are well developed. There is plenty of action to keep the story moving forward. If I had any complaint, it might be that there was too much going on. I sometimes felt like I needed a minute to catch my breath. This is an interesting story especially for anyone who loves dogs.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries. Once you have read it, you may need to check out this author’s backlist.

This book hooks you on the first page and doesn't let go. It's full of twists and turns and will keep you guessing until the end. It's the perfect read for the spooky season.
I received a complimentary copy from St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Mercy thinks she has found the perfect house for her and her new husband. Only thing is, it is said to be haunted by ghosts of missing children and poets. So, you would think she would change her mind when one of her dogs, Elvis, finds a dead body in the library. But, no! She wants the house more than ever.

I loved Mercy! She does not back down and she has a smart head on her shoulders. Plus, she is a huge dog lover. And the dogs play a big part in this book.

This is not as creepy as I like for my fall reads…but it has a creepy house and I am all about a good old haunting…well maybe it is not THAT haunted but it sure has a history. I enjoyed the history surrounding this house and the mysterious letters and, of course, the family drama! Can’t have family drama without a lot of ancient secrets…and this tale is full of secrets!

I am very familiar with the narrator, Kathleen McInerney. She is one of my favorites. She has the perfect intonation, especially when things get a little intense!

Need a good fall read with a creepy house…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

When mercies grandmother patient shows up in the Anna banana she is coming with good news Grackle Tree Farm is up for sale and she has even better news mercy has first dibbs and grandma has made her an appointment in 30 minutes. This is why mercy finds her and Elvis heading to the Home little does she know however there’s already two men there one is there trying to hide things the other is they’re trying to uncover what’s hidden and by the time mercy gets there in murder will have taken place and to think she was worried about it being haunted! After the letter mercy finds in the dead man’s pocket she thinks she may have an inkling of what’s going on but when uncle Hugo and his best buddy the billionaire show up she knows she has no idea. Before it’s over hear about parties thrown in France attended by Artist family inheritance disputes a love triangle someone will be shot but before it’s over mercy learns that will be another member of the family and I’m not talking about the four-legged variety. I love these books I love mercies family I love these mysteries so to say whether I love the book would be an understatement and did I mention how much I love uncle Hugo he is a man who has done it all and yet he seems so underrated I love that about him this was a great mystery and one any cozy mystery thing and will love it’s a little longer than the normal cozy mysteries I’ve read and if you do read this one you can read it as a standalone but it is a much fuller story Efron in order. This is a book I highly recommend I want thanks Saint Martin’s press and Net Galley for my free Ark copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Home at Night by Paula Munier is a wonderful October read.

* Book is in a series but reads well as a stand alone
*Murder Mystery set during the Fall season
*excellent character work and dialogue use