Paula Munier’s Mercy Carr mysteries just continue to get better. With the fifth one, Home at Night, Munier enters the world of gothic houses and Halloween settings. Of course, fans of the series will welcome the return of the dogs, Elvis and Susie Bear. But, it’s the eerie setting of Grackle Tree Farm that takes center stage.

It’s getting crowded in Mercy’s small cabin after her marriage to Troy Warner who adds Susie Bear to the mix that already includes Amy, a teenager mother with her daughter, Helena, and Amy’s boyfriend, Brodie. When Mercy learns Grackle Tree Farm might be on the market, she’s eager to take a look at the property. When she was in middle school, she accepted a dare to spend the night in the Victorian haunted house. Twenty years later, she’s ready to see it again.

Everyone in the area knows Euphemia Whitney-Jones’ poem “The Ghost Witch of Grackle Tree”. Jones’ family owned the property. Although the poet spend much of the year in Paris, she would return home to the property that held her secrets. And, those secrets were protected by Levi Beecher, the property’s caretaker for fifty years. Now, the house was on the market, the gothic manor Mercy Carr always wanted when she was a girl reading Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.

But, others have an eye on the house and its secrets, including Mercy’s great-uncle and the state’s only billionaire. They ask Mercy to be careful after she and Troy find a dead man in the house. But, they also want Mercy to keep an eye out for secrets. When she returns with Captain Thrasher, Troy’s mentor, she, Thrasher, and Elvis are ambushed. Thrasher is left in critical condition and Mercy is on crutches. But, that isn’t going to stop her from investigating the secrets that Euphemia Whitney-Jones left behind. She may have to contend with poets and local druids who clamor for attention, but she’s determined to find justice and truth for the woman who owned the property that Mercy covets.

No spoilers. Munier’s latest book combines local Halloween celebrations, a house and property with secrets, and an investigation into crimes of the present and past. But, Munier also deals beautifully with the environment as Troy Warner and co-workers deal with poachers, and threatened turtle species. Troy’s own investigation is an essential element in the story.

Home at Night also manages to encompass the question of home. What does home mean? Is it a place, a structure, the people and animals who surround us? Mercy, who is losing the cabin she loves, searches for answers in her heart.

Looking for a Halloween story with a spooky house? You can’t go wrong with Paula Munier’s Home at Night.

Home At Night – Paula Munier
Mercy Carr and her canine companion Elvis return for another unforgettable adventure!

It’s late fall in Vermont, and newly married Mercy & Troy are busily looking for a larger home to house their growing family, when Mercy learns that Grackle Tree Farm is going on the market. Once the home of a poet Euphenia Whitney-Jones, young Mercy and her then teen-aged friends were obsessed with the property and the potential “Ghost Witch of Grackle Tree’, an entity featured in the works of the poet. Despite long lived rumors of the house being haunted, Mercy is ecstatic at the thought of making the estate her home.

Mercy and Elvis head over to look at the home and run into Adah & Levi Beecher, long term caretakers of the old property. Mercy is certain they haven’t met, but Levi remembers her from a past encounter – and the duo assure her that this will be the perfect home for them. When Troy, Susie Bear and the realtor arrive, they go to tour the house - where Elvis and Susie Bear promptly alert to a body upstairs in the library of the old home, sprawled out on the floor; the only untoward sign being a dark fluid staining his teeth and face. Was this a suicide – or murder?

As they await the arrival of authorities, Mercy does her own sleuthing, finding her first clue that something is amiss at the old homestead. As she and Troy dig into the sad past of the long-deceased poet, they learn of a lifelong rift between Euphenia and her sister Maude over a man. An impromptu visit from her great uncle reveals more elements of the story – and the potential for there to be untold literary treasures perhaps secreted somewhere at the old estate…. But while Mercy searches for answers, others will do anything to keep them quiet…

This was another great installment into an already fabulous series and a perfect read for the upcoming Halloween series!! Love, LOVE Mercy & Elvis!! Do yourself a favor and give this series a try!!

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an objective review. Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!

Blog will publish on 10/12/2023

Home at Night, the fifth book in the Mercy Carr Mystery series by Paula Munier, quickly captures the reader’s imagination with a swiftly paced and darkly inspired mystery, one that transpired over years of deceit, jealousy, and envy. Rife with clever twists and turns, expertly positioned red herrings, corruption and murdering thieves, and a spectacular ghost story set in a supposedly haunted old centuries house.

Revolving around an age old poem, composed by a well respected writer, who entertained generations of children and compelled inspiring poets to seek her out as a mentor. Her death, shrouded in mystery, induces Mercy, Troy, Elvis, and Susie Bear to uncover the layers of a convoluted secret that compelled so many to make life altering choices that spiraled both dramatically and tragically out of control.

Ms Munier has crafted the perfect cast of characters, with dynamic, yet relatable personalities, and a lively dialog teeming with banter and repartee that keeps the reader engaged. Each story in the series has built a momentum that maintains the genuineness to the Mercy Carr mysteries…and creates the anticipation to be able to lose one’s self in another riveting adventure in the near future.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by NetGalley and the Publisher. I am voluntarily submitting my honest review.

great story i loved the gothic vibes the haunted house the spooky characters.. i enjoyed it thank you for letting me read the arc. I loved it so much i couldnt stop turning the pages. 5 stars

Mercy and Troy, now recently married, are ready for more space. There are five people, two big dogs and a cat now in the cabin. When looking at the famous Grackle Tree Farm house, Mercy's dog Elvis finds a dead body. The property was owned by a famous poet and it seems some mysteries were left behind. The body found had a letter from that poet in their pocket. This leads to more questions than just who is this dead body and were they poisoned? Did the poet truly die by suicide or was she murdered as well? Things start to unravel when it seems more than one group is interested in finding more letters and real danger lurks around every corner.

Absolutely was delighted reading this book! I have not read all of the series, but was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to be able to go in with little information as the book clearly goes over things. The author did a fantastic job writing this book! There were so many mysteries happening that were all connected to one another. This is a wonderful cozy mystery set in Vermont during Halloween. I highly recommend this book!

I love this series! This new book is so good! I stayed up late just to finish it. I was so captured and involved in the story. This Ella's so good!!
I just reviewed Home at Night by Paula Munier. #NetGalley
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Mercy & Elvis and their cohorts are back! Picking up where we last left these characters, we find newlyweds, Mercy & Troy in search of a home. The best candidate for this home is a supposedly haunted house on Grackle Tree Farm that might even hold more secrets than anyone originally thought. With a dead body, hidden letters, poems with hidden meanings, and quite a few questionable characters, Mercy & Elvis have their work cut out for them to solve the mysteries of Grackle Tree Farm and trying to stay alive in the process. This is the fifth book in the series and I’m still obsessed with these characters and their stories.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley for this ARC.

Home At Night by Paula Munier (Mercy Carr #5) 5 stars

Another outing for Mercy Carr and it takes place during Halloween. Mercy and Troy got married last year in “The Wedding Plot” (Mercy Carr #4) and they are house hunting. Their offer for a lodge type house got derailed by feuding heirs so it’s back to the listings. However, they have just found out that the home of a celebrated poet is going on the market and they get a chance to peek first. Unfortunately, they find a dead body. This is not a promising start for a newly minted family; what follows is several mysteries that come to light. Did the poet die by suicide or was it murder? Is there some kind of buried treasure in the house or around the property? Does poaching endangered wildlife have a connection to the property? Mercy is asked to assist in finding any hidden treasure; can she finds the answers before becoming the next victim?
I absolutely loved this book. Mercy, Troy, Elvis and Susie Bear are back and in rare form. The mystery was engaging and some happy news was revealed in this book. I literally can’t wait for the next book in this series. If you’ve read all the other books, you will be happy with this one.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for this ARC.

After their surprise wedding in the previous book, Troy and Mercy are trying to combine their households, but just can't seem to find the right place. When they hear about a local "haunted house" going on the market, it's worth a look. Of course, they hadn't counted on the dead man in the library or the mystery surrounding the previous owner's death. Throw in a conflict between some druids and the local poets, and it turns into an enchanting tale. This may be my favorite Mercy Carr book yet!

Thanks to St Martin's Press for access to a digital ARC via NetGalley.

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. This is the fifth in the series, and you really need to read from the beginning to understand the relationships. I like this series and how the characters have developed as both humans and animals. You can feel the chemistry between Mercy and Troy and Elvis and Sadie as they grow in their relationships. Mercy and Troy are now married and are trying to find a big enough house for five humans, two dogs, and a cat. They had already sold Troy’s place and thought that they had found the perfect house, but it fell through. Mercy discovers from her grandmother that the Grackle Tree Farm is up for sale and thinks it might be the perfect place for them. They contact the realtor, and Mercy and Troy go out to see it. While they are there, they stumble on a dead body. Now the fun begins, and the mystery starts as to why the person was killed and what was behind the clue that he had in his pocket. Follow Mercy, Troy, Elvis, and Sadie while they try to solve this mystery. I highly recommend this book and the series. Pick up a copy and sit back and enjoy.

This fifth book in the Mercy Carr series has Mercy and Troy embroiled in the world of poets, wild turtles, Druids, Halloween traditions, a few murders, plenty of mystery, and a possible ghost. It’s complex and detailed, had me guessing with its many twists, and kept me entranced from the beginning. I highly recommend this whole series! The books wouldn’t have to be read in order, but it’s more fun that way as there is an underlying story of Mercy and Troy’s relationship.

Home at Night is another hit from Munier. No-one includes dogs in the solving of mysteries the way that she does.
This book has it all - characters I am invested in, murders galore, poetry, wilderness, halloween and a haunted house.
I couldn't put it down. Read it in a day.

I can't wait for the next one