Summary
Once upon a time there was a guy, a girl and a dog. Sergeant Martinez was the handler and Elvis was the bomb-sniffing Belgian shepherd. Mercy Carr was an MP. Martinez was her fiancé. A fire fight in Afghanistan left her with a bullet in her backside and a dog with PTSD, but without her fiancé. Mercy and Elvis had to try to put the pieces of their lives back together, so they went “home” to Vermont and Mercy’s old stomping grounds.
Days before the 4th of July, Elvis discovers a baby abandoned in the forest. Mercy and Elvis call it in and take the baby to the hospital. Then, the baby disappears.
Game Warden Troy Warner and his search and rescue dog, Susie Bear, help Mercy and Elvis explore the area for clues to the baby’s identity. Elvis finds hints of explosives. Susie Bear finds the bones.
Soon, the two law enforcement officers – one “retired,” and the other just trying to keep his job in the face of an egotistical State Police detective – and the two dogs are dodging bullets, corralling feral cats, and searching for clues to murder.
Review
This was fantastic! I loved Mercy and Elvis. They’ve lost so much, it’s tempting for them to withdraw and hide away from everything and everyone. But Elvis is ready to work again, and he’s found a partner in Susie Bear. And Mercy has a cop’s mind for clues and a determination to get to the truth no matter how much danger she might find. She’s determined to save the baby; the situation is all too familiar to her. Troy and Megan have a fun history and everyone is trying to match them up. The dogs are adorable together. The characters in this book are a treat! I hope this is the first of many stories with these characters. (The publisher’s website says this will be a series! They show a sequel coming in the fall of 2019.)
The mystery was great! And there were so many layers to it. Where’s the missing baby? Why was she alone? What’s the story with her parents? Why were there explosives in that area? Whose bones did they find? And those questions lead to others and to another dead body. And then another. I didn’t want to put the book down. I was eager to see all the pieces come together.
This will be great for mystery fans and for readers who love books with great dogs – and great humans. I highly recommend this one – it’s a treat!