Mercy Carr runs in the Vermont woods almost every morning. The veteran of two tours in Afghanistan finds it the best way to move forward after losing her fiancé there. She runs with his dog, the bomb-sniffing Belgian Malinois, Elvis, another veteran suffering from PTSD. When Elvis finds a baby on the trail, state game warden Troy Warner and his own rescue dog, Susie Bear, respond to Mercy's call. But the baby disappears from the hospital before either Mercy or Troy can find the mother. Elvis is in the case for the long haul, though, because he also discovers bones and alerts the team to explosives. The two dogs and their handlers may be in over their heads in an investigation into murders, art, a possible terrorist group, and, of course, the missing mother and baby. VERDICT Comparisons may be made between Munier's debut mystery and Margaret Mizushima's "Timber Creek K-9" mysteries. A stronger read-alike is Julia Spencer-Fleming's mysteries featuring Rev. Clare Fergusson, another female veteran. The believable dogs, the touches of humor, the independent, determined Mercy, and well-crafted characters will bring readers back.-Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A retired military police officer and her adopted bomb-sniffing Belgian Malinois seek a new lease on life in rural Vermont.Following the death of Sgt. Martinez, her dog-handler fiance, in Afghanistan, Mercy Carr and Elvis, Martinez's dog, have moved back to Vermont to recover from their physical and psychological wounds. During a hike in the woods, they find a recently abandoned baby. Seeking help, they meet Game Warden Troy Warner and Susie Bear, his enormous Newfoundland-retriever mix. The chance discovery will lead to murder, mayhem, and romance. Mercy has marked off the area because Elvis acted suspicious even before his find. When the authorities check the spot, they find human bones, a skull with a bullet in it, and a handmade belt buckle that might help identify the remains. The baby's mother, Amy Walker, sneaks into the hospital and steals her baby, then turns up at Mercy's house. Her home life with an abusive stepfather has kept her on the run while Adam, the artist and activist who's the baby's father, has forced them to live off the grid. Mercy wants to help Amy keep her baby, but when she finds the stepfather murdered, things look bad for Amy, especially in the eyes of self-aggrandizing State Police Detective Kai Harrington, who, unimpressed by Mercy or Troy Warner, warns them off the case. The bones that alerted Elvis are most likely those of local troublemaker Wayne Herbert, whose mother and brothers are still enmeshed in many illegal enterprises. Determined to tackle Amy's problems and the possibly related case of Herbert, Mercy puts herself and Elvis in danger as they continue to hunt up clues with the help of a reluctant Troy, Susie Bear, and Mercy's grandmother, a well-loved veterinarian with many helpful contacts.A promising new series from a dog lover (Fixing Freddie: A True Story About a Boy, a Single Mom, and the Very Bad Beagle Who Saved Them, 2010, etc.) who naturally features several dogs as detective partners. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Retired military police officer Mercy Carr, the 29-year-old heroine of literary agent Munier's delightful first novel and series launch, and her bomb-sniffing Belgian shepherd, Elvis, are recovering in rural Vermont from the death of the man they both loved, Sergeant Martinez, who was killed in combat a year earlier in Afghanistan. During a hike in the woods, Mercy and Elvis discover a baby and contact the authorities. Fish and Wildlife game warden Troy Warner arrives with his search-and-rescue dog, Susie Bear, and the dogs detect human remains buried nearby. When the baby later disappears from a local hospital, Mercy and Elvis investigate, with sometimes reluctant assistance from Troy and Susie Bear. Munier (The Writer's Guide to Beginnings) allows the attraction between Mercy and Troy to develop organically, though the book falls prey to some typical first novel shortcomings, including a convoluted plot and implausible intuitive leaps. 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. Author tour. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

This mystery set in the Vermont woods over a Fourth of July weekend has timetable urgency, sensitive characterization, and a fascinating look into the training and care of search-and-rescue dogs. Retired army corporal Mercy Carr and Elvis, who served as an Explosive Detection Dog with Mercy and her deceased boyfriend, have a routine of walking the woods as a coping mechanism for grief and PTSD. On one such walk, Elvis leads Mercy to a baby just off the path; part of the mystery that ensues stems from the fact that the baby seems well cared for, but no mother emerges. A U.S. game warden and his own search-and-rescue dog start the search for the mother and widen it to a murder investigation when the dog unearths human bones near where the baby was found. Carr, with Elvis, joins the investigation. In this first in a new series, Munier is guilty of some overexplaining, but she has written an innovative, intriguing mystery with plenty of wit and crackling tension.--Connie Fletcher Copyright 2018 Booklist