I don’t know the last time a mystery made me sob, but Paula Munier managed it with The Hiding Place. The third Mercy Carr mystery is a compelling, emotional story; emotional for both Mercy and the reader.

Military veteran Mercy Carr had a falling out with Vermont game warden Troy Warner, so they’re not currently working together on investigations. She and her dog, Elvis, answer a dying man’s request for a visit. August Pitts was a deputy when Mercy’s grandfather was sheriff, and she blames him for not showing up in time when her grandfather was shot and killed. But, he asks two things of Mercy. Find “the girl”, Beth Kilgore, who went missing twenty years earlier. And, take his golden retriever, Sunny, because he’s afraid his sister will just dump her at a kill shelter.

Mercy can easily handle stealing a dog. But, when Troy’s boss tells her the man who killed her grandfather broke out of prison and might be heading north to find her grandmother, Patience, it’s not easy to deal with. And, Patience is uncooperative and doesn’t want to talk about family stories. Even when Elvis saves Mercy and Patience when a bomb explodes at the front door, Patience doesn’t want to talk.

Troy and his search-and-rescue dog Susie Bear are investigating the murder of a wildlife biologist, but the head of the Major Crime Unit surprises him, and asks him to work with Mercy. He and Susie Bear are always willing to team up with Mercy and Elvis. At the moment, it’s only Mercy who doesn’t want to discuss their issues. But, once they’re forced to question witnesses and try to deal with Patience, they may find a way past their problems. Now, the foursome is investigating the cold case of a missing abused young woman while they look for men who are threatening Patience. Mercy has one more problem, though.

Elvis’ original military handler shows up, wanting to claim the dog. Elvis and Mercy helped each other through their PTSD after Martinez, Mercy’s fiance and Elvis’ handler, was killed in Afghanistan. Now, Mercy doesn’t want to surrender the dog she’s grown to love.

I have to add a note here for all the librarians who will read this book. Munier shows a great deal of respect for librarians, libraries, and First Amendment rights. My favorite line from the entire book? “Reading is subversive.”

Munier’s The Hiding Place is a fast-paced action novel. It’s frightening at times, but it’s also emotional. Munier is going to have to up her game to top this outstanding mystery.

Paula Munier’s website is https://paulamunier.com/

The Hiding Place by Paula Munier. Minotaur Books, 2021. ISBN 9781250153074 (hardcover), 336p.