BLIND SEARCH is the second book in Paula Munier’s mystery series starring former Army MP Mercy Carr and her retired bomb-sniffing dog, Elvis.

When Elvis comes across the body of a female in the forest, Mercy secures the scene. The dead woman was a guest of Daniel Feinberg, a local billionaire who owns much of the land in this mountainous area of Vermont. The only witness to the killing is Henry, the young son of one of Feinberg's employees, Ethan Jenkins. Henry, who is autistic and loves math, refuses to talk about what he saw. Once he meets Mercy and Elvis, along with Troy Warner and his search-and-rescue dog, Susie Bear, he feels safe only with them. The two canines become his steady companions.

"In this delightful book, there are subplots and mysteries within mysteries galore, along with a touch of romance. Above all, there are dogs --- lots of dogs doing wonderful things..."

Troy and Susie Bear were introduced in the first book of the series, A BORROWING OF BONES. Troy is a game warden who, like Mercy, is very much at home in the Vermont woods. Their dogs become fast friends, and Mercy finds herself attracted to someone for the first time since her fiancé was killed in Afghanistan.

The local detective, a very obnoxious and overdressed phony named Kai Harrington, is irritated that Mercy and Troy are first on the scene of a subsequent murder, and he orders them to stand down. Neither chooses to listen, and Feinberg actually hires Mercy to investigate further and determine the identity of the culprit. Mercy does figure it all out eventually, at about the same time that readers do.

There's much to enjoy here. Aside from the main characters (and dogs), the supporting players are well drawn and fascinating, including the wealthy scion of a Vermont family whose friends from prep school are not all they appear to be, including the scion’s wife. The Vermont setting is also depicted in detail, making non-New Englanders want to become "peepers," as the visitors who come to see the autumn colors are called. Mercy's grandmother, Patience, is a veterinarian, and her calming presence helps keep her granddaughter’s life in order.

The plot is intricate, and at one point, Mercy visits the rather unusual prep school that most of Feinberg’s guests attended. She wants to investigate the history of this elite group of students who have remained friends decades later. Two guests end up being murdered --- one with a bow and arrow and the other with a crossbow. While the former requires considerable skill to handle, it's fairly easy to use the latter.

In this delightful book, there are subplots and mysteries within mysteries galore, along with a touch of romance. Above all, there are dogs --- lots of dogs doing wonderful things, like keeping children safe, following bad guys and finding a long-buried murder victim. Readers will look forward to the next installment for the chance to solve another mystery with Mercy and hear about the developments in her relationship with Troy and Susie Bear.