Book Review: The Hiding Place (veterans, Vermont, dogs, murder mysteries)

 The Hiding Place: A Mercy Carr Mystery, by Paula Munier (Minotaur Books, 2021, 323 pages, $27.99)

Hot on the heels of A Borrowing of Bones (2018) (reviewed here) and Blind Search (2019) comes another Mercy Carr mystery, The Hiding Place (2021).

The Series

Mercy Carr, a former Army MP (military police) who deployed to Afghanistan, has returned to Vermont, sans fiance, a dog handler, who didn't make it back. Mercy is now confronted with mystery after mystery, along with her loyal sidekick, Elvis, her fiance's MWD (military working dog). Other characters include a lovely veterinarian grandmother with her main squeeze, and Mercy's two attorney parents in Boston who couldn't be more different from Mercy and her grandmother. 

Another Good, Fast, yet Long and Convoluted Read

Be sure to set aside enough time to read this book in a short period of time, since there are a lot of characters to keep track of. Or, take notes.

And thank goodness, this book is about the dogs - again, in this third book of the series. One, a Malinois/Belgian Shepherd, Elvis (similar to a German Shepherd), had been an MWD while the other, a rescue Newfie mix, Susie Bear, was trained in Search and Rescue (SAR) for his person, a fish and Wildlife Department game warden in Vermont and Mercy's main squeeze.     

Violence there is - an explosion. And more. A missing girl from long ago, never to be found - or can Mercy find her? Add a missing grandmother.

And Now, for the Story

Mercy's grandfather was murdered many years ago and now his murderer has escaped from prison down south fixing to travel north to take care of her grandmother, and not in a good way. Mix in Grandfather's partner on his death bed giving Mercy a cryptic message.

Plus another veteran who says Elvis the dog is rightfully his and he has come from Texas to claim him.

How on earth can all this tie together or, as in life, perhaps it can't. Read The Hiding Place to find out. And then read A Borrowing of Bones

and Blind Search

and you will be hooked. After that, Fixing Freddie (2010) will be like a walk in the park!

Come to the 75th Annual Howard County, Maryland, Fair! (Saturday)

 Come to the fair Saturday, the last wonderful day, at West Friendship in Howard County, Maryland (route 32 and 70) just outside Baltimore.

Print out these photos and try to find them at the fair. Eat lots of fun food, ride the rides, see the animals, buy some veggies to take home!

Find the veggie stands at the entrance and, when you leave, stop here again for local produce.

Colorful veggies

A dozen ears of Howard County corn for a five-spot

Next on the tour, check out the rides (these pictures were taken early in the morning before the crowds arrived and the rides were open).

A classic rollercoaster

Ride the rides!

And, the food! Eat early so you will have room for more! We had the ubiquitous corndogs and tried a bacon-wrapped hot dog.

A county fair favorite

A new county fair favorite

And, for desert, a piece of cheesecake on a skewer then dipped in chocolate! 

Cheesecake on a stick, dipped in chocolate

Take a break inside some of the buildings and see if you can find the indoor corn stalks, or ride a bucking bull, or look at prize-winning veggies grown by 4H-ers.

Can corn grow indoor?

Ride a bucking bronco

4-H exhibits

Can you find the walking french fry, or the super XXL Pepsi - and what would you do if life gave you lemons?

Super size your Pepsi

Bonus: Can the kids identify this? (below, middle)

And finally, how about a day at the races? Pig races, that is.

Here they are, rounding the bend, and 

And the race begins!

The race to the food bowl