Home at Night by Paula Munier

 "...The ghosts that stalk us are the secrets we cannot keep, the trespasses we cannot forgive, the truths we cannot bury. Grackle Tree Farm had held the poet's confidences close for decades. But after all these years of silence, now her secrets were coming to light."

 The plot:  Grackle Tree Farm has just come up for sale. Mercy Carr has loved that old Victorian manor since she was young, and she and Troy Warner need a larger house now that they're married. But when they go to check out the dilapidated house, Elvis (Mercy's Belgian Malinois) discovers a dead body in the library. The man appears to have been poisoned. In his pocket, is a letter dated 1942 from the famous poet, Euphemia Whitney-Jones, to a mysterious lover. Is it a coded letter leading to a hidden treasure? Is that what lead to the dead man's murder? Mercy and Elvis are on the case. 

My thoughts:  This is the fifth book in one of my favorite K-9 mystery series. I love Mercy and Troy and their two dogs, Elvis and Susie Bear! This one was especially fun because of the mystery's literary aspect. I enjoyed Mercy's hunt for the poet's hidden letters, all those old family secrets, and that cool Victorian manor that's rumored to be haunted. There are even Druids. And Mercy's and Troy's relationship just makes me happy. Great prose, well-layered and personable characters, awesome dogs, and a twisty murder investigation make this one a compelling and satisfying 5-star read. If you've never tried this series, I suggest you start with the first one, A Borrowing of Bones. It's excellent, too.

Happy Reading!