The Snow Lies Deep: A Mercy Carr Mystery

In Munier’s captivating seventh case for former Army corporal Mercy Carr and her retired bomb-sniffing Belgian shepherd, Elvis (after The Night Woods), Mercy tackles a string of murders that hit uncomfortably close to home. At the outset, the sleepy town of Northshire, Vt., is gearing up for its annual Winter Solstice Soiree. On the night of the party, the event’s Santa Claus—Lazlo “Uncle Laz” Ford, who also reluctantly serves as Northshire’s mayor—fails to show up. Concerned, Mercy and Elvis go sniffing around town, only to discover a gruesome scene in the woods: Uncle Laz’s dead body, hollowed out and stuffed with a flaming yule log. That turns out to be merely the first in a string of gruesome murders that plague picturesque Northshire before the holidays, which a determined Mercy discovers might have something to do with mild-mannered Uncle Laz’s secret past. Munier begins by hitting familiar small-town mystery beats, then ups the stakes with unexpected twists and hints of international intrigue. The results will keep even longtime fans of the author on their toes. (Dec.)