[I received a free, electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
On a walk in the woods, a very pregnant Mercy and her dog Elvis discover a dead man in the home of their friend Homer. And they find Homer and his bloodhound in the woods, and Homer is gravely injured.
Then a wealthy landowner goes missing during a forest hunt with some of his guests. And Mercy – or Troy – receives an ominous, threatening note on the door of their home.
Mercy’s family and friends would like her to hunker down and wait for the baby, going as far as assigning her a teenaged “keeper.” But she’s determined to help Homer find the truth of what happened to his murdered friend.
Review
I enjoyed this 5th book in the Mercy Carr series. Mercy and Elvis are great, as always. I enjoyed how the author worked things to let Mercy be Mercy while also acknowledging her pregnancy and how that would impact her usual investigating.
One of my favorite things about the book was how Mercy honestly deliberates about her preparedness – and even suitability – for parenting. It felt so vulnerable and so honest. And also so true to the character.
Troy and Mercy are delightful together – as usual. He is protective and concerned while never asking or expecting Mercy to be someone she is not. It’s a beautiful partnership/relationship. The addition of Tandie, the teen, to the core group was a treat! I’ve said many times how much I love an amazing child or teen character, and Tandie fits that same feature I have loved in other things.
Series fans should totally pick this up to stay up on Mercy’s story. The mystery is good – twisty! – but it took a backseat for me to the baby/pregnancy deliberations and the group dynamics which I loved. Newcomers should really start the series from the beginning to get the most from this.
Rating: ♥♥♥♥*
*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read