Let me start by saying that this is the first book in this series that I've read, and while it may be book five it can absolutely be read as a stand-alone, I'll be checking out books one through four once I have some time, it was just that good.

Now on to the good stuff, firstly it is the witchy season so any books that are witchy or paranormal are on my radar and this one hit a bullseye and is flipping fantastic.

From a dead body in the library to trying to make sense where there is none Home At Night is the perfect spooky season read.

If you're looking for a fun spooky sweater weather read look no further, this book is just so good. I'm having such a hard time trying to not post spoilers, please read this so we can talk about it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this e-book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Home at Night is the fifth book in Paula Munier’s Mercy Carr Mystery series. This story is set in October, about three months after book four, The Wedding Plot. Newlyweds Mercy Carr and Troy Warner are in the market for a larger home. He has sold his revamped fire tower and her lovely cabin is just too small for those in residence.

Getting a heads up that Grackle Tree Farm, once the home of famous poet Euphenia Whitney-Jones and the site of many of her famous poems, is going on the market now that the last family member has passed so Mercy and Elvis go to do an early viewing. The home had been the site of much sadness, beginning with the founding family, then in the Whitney-Jones family with the severe falling out of Euphemia and her sister Maude over Maude eloping with Euphemia’s fiancé Michael.

The homestead holds secrets, and those secrets are the cause of the body Mercy and Elvis find in the library upon their first walk through. This presents a new mystery for Mercy, Troy, and Thrasher to solve, that is until an armed assailant downs Thrasher and wounds Mercy. This is the story’s turning point and it only gets better from here!

Ms. Munier is a master of weaving these stories. The plot is tight and twisted, with new surprises at every turn. As the reader follows the trail, new and interesting characters, unsuspected diversions, and breadcrumb clues are embedded throughout the tale. As Mercy puts these clues together, sometimes needing to twist the puzzle pieces until they come together and click, the reader is on a breath holding ride. I very much enjoyed this book and I wholeheartedly recommend it!

I was captivated by "Home at Night" from the very first page. The story, set in a gothic haunted manor, offers a thrilling and cozy mystery that's perfect for the Halloween season. The characters are engaging, and the presence of adorable dogs adds a heartwarming touch. ♥️

🧩 This being the fifth book in the Mercy Carr series, I was pleasantly surprised that it worked well as a standalone. It's safe to say I'll be returning to read the previous installments in the future. The plot had me hooked, with its puzzles and mysteries that kept me eagerly turning the pages in search of answers. 🍿

🍁 For those who enjoy cozy police procedurals, this book is a must-read. The mention of cinnamon rolls in the story had me craving some baking, and I ended up making pumpkin pies while reading.

Thank you to Netgalley, Minotaur Books, and Paula Munier for providing this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a perfect October read. It is Halloween in Vermont and Mercy Carr and her new husband, Troy, need a larger place to live. What could be better than a centuries old manor with acres and acres of woods? I can feel the creepy music starting to play. When they go with the real estate agent for a showing of the house, they find a dead body in the library. This seems to be par for the course for Mercy. When they decide to make an offer on the house, that is when the situation heats up. Someone does not want them to buy this house, and they will kill to stop them.

You will receive a history lesson on the home and a poet who lived there. The name of the home is Grackle Tree Farm. I get this picture in my mind of a big two or three story home with big posts and darkness all around it. No thank you. The mystery is complex, and you will meet some strange characters along the way. My favorite characters are the two dogs, Elvis and Susie Bear. These two pups steal the show, and they are pretty handy to have around when you are in trouble. If you enjoy a good ghoulish, Halloween type of mystery, with great characters, you will enjoy this book.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I am always happy to read more of the Mercy & Elvis Mysteries series. It's very well developed in its world and characters. Mercy and Troy are married now and are looking for a bigger house. An estate which has been abandoned for a few years is going up for sale. It was the home of a famous poet. Mercy has enjoyed her works.

When they discover a body while touring the property, Mercy gets involved in the investigation. She finds all the prizes the thieves and killers wanted. The old garden / caretaker and his sister, who is also a poet, are all in for Mercy and Troy becoming the new family on the estate. Troy is a game warden and Mercy has a degree in wildlife management. They have a shared love of the outdoors, animals and plants.

More murders happen and more thieves try to find things at the estate. Mercy is totally in the heart of the investigation, even after being injured. She is knowledgeable enough about the poet and her works to figure out clues as to where things are hidden. Between poets, Druids, poachers and thieves, there is plenty of action.

Luckily, Elvis and Susie Bear are smart and help catch some of the perpetrators. Home at Night has such great layers of characters and events blended into an intriguing story. I hope to read more in this world.

The Mercy Carr mystery series by Paula Munier has a new fan in me! I loved the first book I read in the series (but not the first of the series) - Home at Night. It has a little bit of haunted house creepy, which is perfect for this time of year, a compelling personal story, and a bunch of interconnected mysteries to solve. Plus, there are many literary references - I think I'm in book love!

Mercy Carr lives in her hometown (after a stint with the military) with her new husband, two dogs, a cat, a teen mother, and the teen's adorable daughter. It's a houseful of wonderful characters who I just loved reading about. Mercy holds a lot of scars, but she's on track to fulfilling all her dreams, even ones she didn't realize she had.

When Mercy and Troy decide to buy the local haunted house, which has recently come on the market, they immediately find a dead body in a locked room of the house, and that's just the beginning of the body count and a complex trail to solve all of the mysteries before Mercy becomes a victim. What is it about the house that is leading to murder, and why? I loved the investigation's windy path, with many twists and turns and shocking revelations. It's fast-paced with loads of suspense and even some thriller moments.

I can't wait to read more books in this series!

This was a pretty good book! In fact I thought it was much better than the previous one. I loved the fall/Halloween theme. The mystery was good and kept me guessing to the end. I like Mercy, she’s smart, tough and a good mystery solver. Definitely looking forward to the next one in this series. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

A great addition to the series that will be just as good as a standalone! Munier has moved the story of Mercy, Elvis, Troy and Susie Bear forward - they buy a house and not just any house but the house of childhood dreams and nightmares that once belonged to a famous poet. There's a problem though because someone wants something that's in the house and they'll do pretty much anything including murder to get it. But what is it and who is it? No spoilers. As always, small things will hook back up in the story and you'll learn a bit (in this case about turtles). Elvis is a hero more than once and Marcy's grandmother keeps bringing cinnamon rolls. This is a nicely complex and twisty tale that's more than the usual cozy. And there's a wonderful surprise for everyone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Wonderful read- I'm very much looking forward to the next one.

Home at Night is the fifth book I’m the Mercy & Elvis Mysteries series. Mercy and Troy are newly weds and looking for a new home when they come across the Grackle Tree Farm that Mercy knows will be perfect. Making this their new home isn’t as easy as it seems when during their showing of the house Mercy comes across a dead body. Faced with another murder and the mystery surrounding it, Mercy and Elvis are on the case.

I have loved this series since I read my first book and this latest Halloween themed mystery is no different. This series is so well developed and I love the characters and the mysteries they get wrapped up in. I am usually more of a cozy mystery fan, but this series that seems to fall somewhere between cozy and full out thriller has me hooked. If you haven’t picked up this series yet, I definitely recommend if. In my opinion all of these books can be read as standalone, as well as part of the series. I really enjoyed this latest book and look forward to seeing what comes next for Mercy and Elvis!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

This is a great Halloween read. You’d think mystery fiction would be more littered with great Halloween reads, but there really aren’t that many. Munier also has a theme, as she always does, and the theme of this novel is “home,” the meaning of it and the finding of it. Her series centers on Mercy Carr, a veteran of the Afghan war, as is her dog, Elvis. The story opens with a young Mercy Carr encountering a ghost like figure at an old, abandoned house in town. The woman who had owned it was a well known poet, and one of her more famous poems is a Halloween verse for children.

The poem is the book’s opening epigraph, and Munier is nothing if not the epigraph queen. Each one in this novel relates to the concept of home. This is an aspect of her books that I truly appreciate. Fast forward to the future, and the newly married Mercy and her husband, Troy (and of course their dogs, Elvis and Susie Bear) are looking for a home as the one they are in has suddenly become too crowded. Living with them are Helena, a young woman Mercy took in, her baby, and her partner, Brodie. Mercy’s isolated cabin, built for her and her dog, is full to bursting.

The house they decide on, naturally, is the old haunted house met in the first chapter. It seems to be an utter wreck, out in the middle of nowhere, but it feels right to Mercy and Troy and they makes arrangements to buy it, despite finding a dead body in the library during their house tour. The house is as full of secrets as you can imagine, and there are mysteries upon mysteries, including letters or manuscripts the poet may have left behind her.

Mercy and Troy, along with trying to find out who killed the man in their library (not to mention trying to discover who he might be), are also trying to find these hidden gems. Every other poet and Druid in Vermont seems bent on the same task, and the isolated house is the scene of much more drama before the story is over.

Munier is a fun storyteller. Her books always read much, much faster than I intended, and this one was no different. I raced to the finish. Along the way Mercy takes a bit of a beating, but she’s stubborn and relentless and with Troy and Elvis at her side she doesn’t give up. The books are kind of a yin and yang – cozy, but also action adventure.

The cozy side of the books involves food – cinnamon rolls, lasagna, cheeseburgers. Everything you shouldn’t eat but can truly enjoy on the page. There are lots of cozy elements: comfortable characters with a sturdy support system of family and friends, a charming small town, and even the dogs. If Elvis, a Malinois who worked through a war with his former master (and Mercy’s dead boyfriend) isn’t so cozy, Susie Bear, Troy’s newfoundland, is. She’s furry, friendly, and cheerful, providing comfort to everyone she meets. The worst thing Susie Bear might do is sit on you.

Not so cozy is the action-adventure side of things, which includes more violence than a usual cozy, as well as a good amount of suspense. The story telling, action, and some of the complex and darker themes are less cozy, which in this novel involve a long family feud, poaching, and general deception. This book is what I think of as a “dark cozy.”

Whatever slot of the genre they fall into, though, the books are simply a blast. This one is full of Halloween atmosphere down to a corn maze, a possible ghost sighting, a creepy scarecrow, and flocks of grackles. An irresistible read, as always.

A beautiful old Victorian manor once owned by a renowned poet is up for sale. Empty for years, local legend says the place is haunted. It has seen its share of tragedies, but Mercy and Troy want to buy it anyway. They need the space to accommodate the family they have taken in and love the surrounding land. But they and their realtor discover a dead body inside the house, which isn't the first death on the premises. Undeterred, Mercy looks into the murder and finds the house holds secrets worth dying for and perhaps a hidden treasure.

Atmospheric and vividly depicted, this story had ghosts, bohemian poets, treasure hunters, and Druids, and it all takes place the week of Halloween! Alongside these spooky season vibes are complex and layered mysteries that intertwine for an intriguing whodunnit.

I enjoyed the author's writing style, and this was skillfully plotted and paced to drip clues for both the current and old mysteries that Mercy investigates. I thought it was going in one direction, but some surprise twists were in store, and I was kept guessing and engaged through to the satisfying ending.

Mercy is ex-military, and her dog Elvis, a former K-9 officer, is always by her side. I liked Mercy. She is intelligent, resourceful, and capable, and her background makes her a plausible sleuth. Her connection to her new husband, Troy, is heartwarming. The secondary characters are all very likable, and the whole cast comes across as relatable. Even though this is book five in the series, it is the first one I have read, and I was still very invested in the characters. I will be going back to read the previous four books because I have been missing out!

Great storytelling, engaging characters, amazing dogs, spooky Fall vibes, suspense, danger, and intriguing puzzles to solve made this a great read for me!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press Minotaur Books for the gifted ARC.

Well paced, great characters, good mystery. I got the tingles in a few places; the writing was dynamic and fluid and the characters well developed and believable. would recommend for fans of Caroline Mitchell

Going into this I had no idea this was the fifth book in a series. However, I had no trouble following what was happening and definitely plan on reading this series from the beginning.
I loved Mercy and Elivs along with Tom and his lovely canine companion. I loved their relationship; some of the side characters were compelling as well, so I really can't wait to go back to the start of this series and see how everyone met.
The current murder and past mystery surrounding Grackle Tree farm, and the poet who once lived there was compelling and completely sucked me in from the first page. The story was full of suspense, and so many twists and turns that constantly surprised me keeping me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what could possibly happen next.

Home at Night is book 5 in the Mercy & Elvis Mysteries series by Paula Munier.

I was immediately engaged with the story and the suspense is ratcheted up at each turn of events.
This is a compelling, well written story, and the characters all of the them were very well written even the dogs.
Paula Munier is a very talented writer. Her descriptive writing and descriptions pulled me into the story right from the very beginning.
The writing flowed smoothly she kept me hanging onto her every word.
The mystery in this book was well plotted and moved along at a steady pace. Keeping me engaged.
I will most definitely be checking out the previous titles in this series.

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

Thank You NetGalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This was the first book I've read by Paula Munier. I enjoyed the mystery quite a bit. I thought it was really well done because I didn't figure it out right at the beginning.

Home at Night may possibly be my favorite of the Mercy and Elvis series. It brings Mercy, Troy, their dogs (Elvis and Susie Bear), a haunted house, poetry, murder mystery and Halloween all together in the same 352 pages.

Each chapter starts with a short passage about the word ‘home’. It just so happens, the newly married couple, Mercy and Troy are looking for a new home to move into with their dogs, cats and roommates. Mercy thinks she has found the perfect house at the Grackle Tree Farm. Well, it was perfect until she happened upon a dead body when she was getting a tour of the house. Trust Mercy to stumble on it. Or, and this may be more accurate, trust Mercy’s dog Elvis to sniff out the trouble.

Mercy and her husband Game Warden Troy are launched into a mystery that may be over a century in the making. The old Victorian structure was once home to a famous New England poet who left behind secrets that need unravelling. When the house goes on the market, the crazies come out, including poets, druids and fortune seekers.

The Halloween season setting is perfect to showcase an old, possibly haunted, house. The atmosphere is creepy enough for a mystery, but light enough for a Mercy Carr story. As always, my favorite characters are the dogs. Elvis and Suzie Bear just don’t let anyone get away with anything!

Look for pets and poems, crimes and crows, and a torrent of twists and turns before Mercy and Troy catch the culprit in this hauntingly appealing mystery.

Through NetGalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book. My review is my honest opinion.

You just know. I'm only a little into the first chapter and I know this is going to be a fantastic book. I was looking for a Halloween read that wasn't a horror and a friend recommended this book. It is a mystery and part of a series where I had never read the author. But, despite those drawbacks I decided to give it a go. A lot of times when you drop into an established series you feel lost. That is not the case here. Past history and established characters, but this story brings you right in and makes you feel right at home. Home. Home is a theme throughout the book and plays a major role in the story. Lots of different paths that finally led to the resolution of the current murder and a murder in the past. Loved the setting of Vermont in the fall, I really want to visit and see the area, even though the locals don't care much for "leaf peepers" like me.

Mercy Carr's family has outgrown her cabin and now she has an opportunity to own a 150-year-old Victorian Manor with a haunted past and 30 acres of woods and wetlands. And a childhood connection for Marcy. Crackle Tree Farm calls to Mercy at least until her dog, Elvis, finds a dead body in the library. But even that doesn't put Mercy off.

The house is steeped in something that calls out to Mercy and with a murder to solve, she is all in. What secrets does this house hold that are worth killing for? The original family who built the house suffered a tragic loss. Another family had a world-famous poet who died mysteriously. A letter found on the dead man leads everyone to believe there may be a treasure hidden in the house. When Mercy and Captain Thrasher are attacked at the house, is just makes Mercy more determined to get to the truth.

My thanks to the Publisher and the Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

I don’t think this was bad, it just wasn’t for me. It did have a great atmosphere. I prefer reading the first book in a series that has the same characters first, even if they can be read as a stand-alone.

This is the perfect autumnal read! Leaf peepers, trick-or-treaters, poets, and druids all descend on Troy's and Mercy's part of Vermont. And murder. Secrets come to light. And there are plenty of surprises. Don't miss this book!

Perfect timing for a fantastic book. Halloween in Vermont with ghostly sightings at Grackle Tree Farm. Mercy and Elvis, her Malinois, with Troy, her new husband, and Susie Bear, his Newfie, are not the only ones crowded into her small cabin in need of new digs. Despite the body they find there and the ghost witch, they become enamored with Grackle Tree Farm. But there seems to be more happening there, it's teeming with treasure hunters, Druids and poachers. Intriguing mystery with engaging characters.