The Snow Lies Deep
(A Mercy Carr Mystery #7)
by Paula Munier

Amazon / B&N / Apple / GP / BB

The latest thrilling installment in the bestselling Mercy Carr mystery series

Mercy and Troy are looking forward to baby Felicity’s first holiday season, and they’re determined to make it a Christmas to remember. At Northshire’s annual Solstice Soirée, hosted by Northshire’s finest and funded by Mercy’s billionaire pal Feinberg, Amy’s little girl, Helena, is sitting on Santa Claus’s lap. She’s telling him she’d like a Bitty Baby doll just like little Felicity when the bearded man leaps up, thrusts the toddler at her mother, Amy, and staggers away from the festivities. He disappears into the woods. By the time Elvis and Mercy find him, Santa Claus, aka the town mayor, is lying on his back, dead. A yule log made of oak sits on his chest, burning bright, a beacon of light on the darkest day of the year.

This strange murder is the first of a series of similar Solstice-themed killings targeting the town’s most prominent citizens. Beloved family friend Lillian Jenkins, the grande dame of Northshire, could be next. Mercy, Troy, and the dogs must team up with Thrasher and Harrington to capture The Yuletide Killer before he strikes again, this time far closer to home.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Fascinating how even the most undomesticated female turns into Martha Stewart once she has a baby.

All you need to start a religion in this country is three founding members, a mission statement, and a bank account. Can you believe that?

“I’d hate to have to take matters into my own hands.” Edith sounded like she would be thrilled to take matters into her own hands.

In Orlov’s experience, there were three kids of untrustworthy women: the pushy ones, the sneaky ones, and the pushy, sneaky ones. The pushy, sneaky ones were the worst.

“Love, lust, loathing, and loot,” said Tandie. “The Four Ls of Murder.”

My Review:

I’m a late bloomer with this series, and I may have been a bit daft to jump in at book seven, but the story had strong legs and was more than able to stand alone. This wily author provided brief glimpses of their backstories, which tantalized and piqued my interest to pick up the previous installments. The writing style held an interesting balance of the sleuthing required to solve an unusual murder, holiday preparations, colorful characters, amusing observations, and an eccentric fringe religious group tossed in for an extra twist.

About the Author

Amazon
Goodreads
Website
Facebook
BookBub
Instagram

PAULA MUNIER is the author of the bestselling Plot Perfect, The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings, Writing with Quiet Hands, and the acclaimed memoir Fixing Freddie. The first novel in her mystery series, A BORROWING OF BONES (Minotaur, 2018) was inspired by the hero working dogs she met through Mission K9 Rescue, her own Newfoundland-retriever-mix rescue Bear, and her lifelong passion for crime fiction. In her fabulous day job as Senior Literary Agent and Content Strategist for Talcott Notch Literary, she represents many great writers. Her specialties include crime fiction, women’s fiction, upmarket fiction, MG/YA, high-concept SFF, and nonfiction. She lives in New England with her family, Bear, Freddie, and a torbie tabby named Ursula.