Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Home at Night by Paula Munier Series: Mercy & Elvis Mysteries #5
Published by Minotaur Books on October 17, 2023
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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It’s Halloween in Vermont, winter is coming, and five humans, two dogs, and a cat are a crowd in Mercy Carr’s small cabin. She needs more room—and she knows just the place: Grackle Tree Farm, with thirty acres of woods and wetlands and a Victorian manor to die for. They say it’s haunted by the ghosts of missing children and lost poets and a murderer or two, but Mercy loves it anyway. Even when Elvis finds a dead body in the library.
There’s something about Grackle Tree Farm that people are willing to kill for—and Mercy needs to figure out what before they move in. A coded letter found on the victim points to a hidden treasure that may be worth a fortune—if it’s real. She and Captain Thrasher conduct a search of the old place—and end up at the wrong end of a Glock. A masked man shoots Thrasher, and she and Elvis must take him down before he murders them all. Under fire, she and Elvis manage to run the guy off, but not before they are wounded, leaving Thrasher fighting for his life in the hospital, Mercy on crutches, and Elvis on the mend.
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.
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Above N Beyond by Tee O'Fallon Series: Federal K-9 #7
Published by Entangled Publishing on October 16, 2023
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Pages: 341
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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Getting locked up had been easy. But for K-9 Sergeant Jamie Pataglio, going undercover at a maximum-security prison—and infiltrating the Mancusco crime family—was the hard part. Now, six months later, Jamie’s been accepted as one of the mob’s own, and he’s walking out of the gates as a free man…and stepping into the criminal underworld. There’s only one small, gorgeous problem: Bella Bianco.
The Italian bistro used to be Bella’s pride and joy. Now it’s become a nightmare, where her violent family uses her restaurant as its criminal home base. Guilty by association. She needs to find a way out, and fast. The last thing Bella needs is an attraction to their newest “associate”—even if every moment alone with him leaves her breathless. It’s almost enough to make her reconsider her “no mobsters” policy…
They can’t trust each other. But if either of them ever wants to break free of their circumstances, they don’t have a choice. They’ll have to take down her family. And if anyone finds out they’re working together…they’re both dead.
I’ve read all the Federal K-9 series. Each of the guys and their dog work for a different federal agency but they know each other through K-9 training and some inter-agency operations. Above N Beyond is the final book in the series. Each book could be read standalone although the other guys show up in them.
Jamie is a sergeant in the Port Authority. He agrees to go undercover if they will parole his father early so he can get cancer treatment. He has to go in prison for 6 months to establish his badness to get in with the Mancuso crime family. It’s set up for him to save Tony Mancuso’s life. Tony and Jamie get out together and he starts working with the mobsters.
But Jamie is attracted to Bella who runs the bistro which is the base for their money laundering. He starts helping at the restaurant and they just become more attracted and involved. It’s very dangerous for them both. One of the other men has always wanted Bella so he hates Jamie. Jamie knows that when the criminal organization is taken down she will lose the restaurant which she has worked to build over the years.
Bella knows better than to get involved with any mobsters. It’s bad enough that her aunt and cousin, Tony, treat her like a servant and use the restaurant for their meetings. She wants to buy her aunt out but the aunt won’t consider it. So Bella is stuck with the criminals and could be convicted right along with them.
The situation is suspenseful. Jamie or Bella could be killed any time by the criminal family. Jamie’s father could die of cancer before he is able to get evidence for conviction so the FBI agrees to do a deal for his release. Bella could find out Jamie is a cop and never want to see him again. The tension was rock beating on me. It was a good ending with the other guys showing up for a party, to see them all again.
About Paula Munier
PAULA MUNIER is the author of the bestselling Plot Perfect, The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings, Writing with Quiet Hands, and the acclaimed memoir Fixing Freddie. The first novel in her mystery series, A BORROWING OF BONES (Minotaur, 2018) was inspired by the hero working dogs she met through Mission K9 Rescue, her own Newfoundland-retriever-mix rescue Bear, and her lifelong passion for crime fiction. In her fabulous day job as Senior Literary Agent and Content Strategist for Talcott Notch Literary, she represents many great writers. Her specialties include crime fiction, women’s fiction, upmarket fiction, MG/YA, high-concept SFF, and nonfiction. She lives in New England with her family, Bear, Freddie, and a torbie tabby named Ursula.
About Tee O’Fallon
Tee O’Fallon has been a federal agent for twenty-three years, and is now a police investigator, giving her hands-on experience in the field of law enforcement that she combines with her love of romantic suspense. Tee’s job affords her the unique opportunity to work with the heroic men and women in law enforcement on a daily basis. Besides writing, Tee loves cooking, gardening, chocolate, lychee martinis, and all creatures canine.
Tee is the author of the Federal K-9 Series and the NYPD Blue & Gold Series.
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 23-COYER
I love Paula Munier’s series! Mercy and Elvis are such great characters. I’ve got this one on hold already at my library…hoping it will come in soon. 😀
yes it’s a series I really love. The characters are well developed and there’s a love of books and the outdoors.
Great to see you advancing in your series reading and enjoying them, Anne💜
Thank you Jonetta. I always love the K-9 stories.
All the puppies!!!
Stories with dogs are best.
Above and Beyond sounds a little tense. I think I’ve read one book in the Mercy & Elvis series. Maybe? I think I’d like continuing on with it.
The Mercy & Elvis series is more layered and well developed in that the same characters are throughout all the books. Each Federal K-9 is new main characters and situations in each book. I like both but for different reasons.
I am sure that I would like both of these series. I hope that I can get to it someday. I am so glad that you enjoyed both of them.
Thank you Carole. I love my K9 stories and they seem easy to read for me.
I’ve recently started that K-9 series, and will continue just as soon as I can. I enjoy them.
I’m so glad to hear you are enjoying them.