The Night Woods, Paula Munier
The Night Woods, Paula Munier
List: $26.99 | Sale: $18.89
Club: $13.49

The Night Woods
A Mercy Carr Mystery

Author: Paula Munier

Narrator: Kathleen McInerney

Unabridged: 11 hr 41 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/08/2024


Synopsis

"McInerney expertly sets the pace in scene after scene, driving listeners ever closer to the complicated answers at the heart of this mystery." —AudioFile on A Borrowing of Bones

The sixth Mercy Carr Mystery in which Mercy and Elvis must prove the innocence of a new friend accused of murder.

Record snow and sleet and rain are pummeling Vermont and a wild boar has escaped from an exclusive hunting club nearby—but that won’t stop a very pregnant and very bored Mercy Carr from hiking her beloved woods with her loyal dog Elvis. She’s supposed to be decorating the nursery and helping her mother plan the baby shower, but she’d much rather be playing Scrabble with Homer Grant, a word-loving, shotgun-toting hermit living deep in the forest. But when she and Elvis drop by Homer’s cabin for their weekly game, they arrive to find an unknown dead man—and no sign of Homer.

As they search the woods, Mercy discovers a patch of devastation that could only be left behind by wild boar. She’s relieved when Elvis tracks Homer, injured but alive. But Homer’s troubles are far from over, as he’s still the number one suspect and he remembers nothing of the attack. When another corpse with a link to Homer is found, Mercy is determined to help her friend, an effort complicated by the unexpected arrival of her young cousin Tandie, sent by Mercy’s mother to keep an eye on her until the baby is born.

As the floods worsen, Troy and Susie Bear are called out with all the other first responders, and Mercy finds herself alone at Grackle Tree Farm with a concussed Homer, Tandie, and Elvis. As waters rise and the wild boar rampages, Mercy realizes that the murderer is out there ready to strike again, this time much closer to home.

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books.

About Paula Munier

PAULA MUNIER is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A Borrowing of Bones, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. Blind Search also won a Dogwise Award. The Hiding Place and The Wedding Plot both appeared on several “Best Of” lists. HOME AT NIGHT, the fifth book in the series, was inspired by her volunteer work as a Natural Resources Steward of New Hampshire. Along with her love of nature, Paula credits the hero dogs of Mission K9 Rescue, her own rescue dogs, and a deep affection for New England as her series’ major influences. A literary agent by day, she’s also written three popular books on writing: Plot Perfect, The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings, and Writing with Quiet Hands, as well as Happier Every Day and the memoir Fixing Freddie: The True Story of a Boy, a Mom, and a Very, Very Bad Beagle. She lives in New England with her family and Bear the Newfoundland-retriever rescue, Bliss the Great Pyrenees-Australian cattle dog rescue, pandemic puppy Blondie, a Malinois rescue (much like Elvis in her books), and Ursula The Cat, a rescue torbie tabby who does not think much of the dogs.

About Kathleen McInerney

Kathleen McInerney has narrated numerous audiobooks by bestselling authors such as Emily Giffin, Danielle Steel, Jeffrey Stepakoff, Mary Kay Andrews, and Linda Castillo. Her narration of Just One Day by Gayle Forman won an AudioFile Earphones Award. In reviewing Mary Kay Andrew’s Ladies’ Night, AudioFile magazine said, “McInerney makes each of the characters distinct and recognizable and gives each the perfect voice, accent, and vocal mannerisms. Most enjoyable and well performed.” She has appeared onstage in New York and around the United States in both classical and contemporary theater. Her credits also include television commercials, daytime drama, radio plays, and animation voice-overs.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Sue on November 22, 2024

Too much. I have read all of the books in the series and loved them but not this one. Mercys actions were just so irresponsible and reckless for me to believe. Way too much going on towards the end of the book that had me saying stupid over and over. The whole Odyessey plot line was confusing.......more

Goodreads review by Jessica on November 04, 2024

I'm a big fan of the Mercy Carr series, but this was my favorite yet: smart, suspenseful, authentic, and layered. Paula Munier weaves themes inspired by The Odyssey cleverly into a page-turning plot full of atmospheric tension, in a beautifully rendered setting that is by turns cozy (I could practic......more

Goodreads review by Eileen on November 16, 2024

Mercy Does it Again I love this series, and I loved being reunited with Mercy, her wonder dog Elvis and the gang. In this complex tale set in rural Vermont, interwoven with references to Homer’s “Odysseus,” a pregnant Mercy investigates two seemingly unrelated murders. Exciting scenes build toward a......more

Goodreads review by Joanne on April 27, 2025

A delightful cozy thriller that melded multiple mysteries into an entertaining story. This is one of the “Mercy Carr” series and a new author to my shelf. Highly recommend for those looking for ex-military turned law enforcement, Vermont locals, and dog enthusiasts!......more


Quotes

Praise for The Night Woods:

"Munier excels at multiple storylines in character-driven mysteries. This follow-up to Home at Night has a complex story that weaves together The Odyssey with murders and an account of returning veterans, such as Mercy and Elvis, who experience PTSD." - Library Journal (starred review)

"Cerebral clues and high adventure combine in an exciting character-driven brain teaser." - Kirkus Reviews

"Could not put it down!" - Deborah Crombie, New York Times bestselling author

Praise for Paula Munier and the Mercy Carr series:

"The fifth Mercy Carr mystery (following The Wedding Plot) combines Halloween, a gothic house, two working dogs, and environmental issues in a superb mystery that emphasizes the search for home." ― Library Journal (Mystery Pick of the Month) on Home at Night

"A thrilling combination of physical and mental feats by human and beast." ― Kirkus Reviews on Home at Night

"Munier writes like a modern-day Agatha Christie, and her latest takes her storytelling acumen to a whole new level." ― Jon Land, Book Trib on Home at Night

Praise for the Mercy Carr series:

"Enjoyable... distinctive characters... This is a fine escapist fare for a hot summer day." ― Publishers Weekly on The Wedding Plot

"I love books where the story and the characters grow out of the place that they're set, and that couldn't be more true of The Hiding Place, which delivers a satisfying, twisty plot, an entertaining ensemble of locals and, of course, a pair of intelligent and heroic dogs." ― Ann Cleeves, New York Times Bestselling Author of the Vera and Shetland series

"[The] characters of both Mercy and Elvis are quickly developing into classics." ―Aunt Agatha's Bookstore

"There’s so much to praise here: Munier’s deep knowledge of the culture of hunting (especially the bow-and-arrow variety); her brisk, incisive characterizations; the way she maintains a taut line of suspense throughout; and, best of all, her portrayals of wounded yet still courageous pairs of humans and dogs. A not-to-be-missed K-9 mystery." ― Booklist on Blind Search

"The portrayal of working dogs will appeal to fans of David Rosenfelt and Margaret Mizushima. The blend of lovingly detailed setting and lively characters, both human and canine, makes this a series to watch." ― Publisher's Weekly on A Borrowing of Bones