“Take care of my dog.” That was the last thing Martinez said to me on that terrible day in Afghanistan, the day he died and I got shot and Elvis got depressed. Now here we are, me and the bomb-sniffing Belgian shepherd, home in Vermont. There are no enemies to find, no battles to fight, no wars to win.
Unless you count the rage of grief that threatens to consume us both. I’m supposed to be moving on, planning my future, getting a (new) life. But all I’m really doing is walking the dog. Well, I walk, and Elvis runs. Long treks through the Green Mountains. We set out at dawn every day, mile after mile through the Lye Brook Wilderness on a never-ending journey of remorse and regret.
It’s midsummer, and the forest is green and lush and thick with the chatter of birds and the skittering of squirrels and the faint cries of distant hikers. This week is the 4th of July holiday, and there are more people in our woods than ever.
Elvis and I hide out in the forest. He’s not fond of fireworks anymore. They trigger his PTSD. I don’t suffer from PTSD, and I’m fine physically, apart from an occasional twinge in my gluteus maximus where a bullet blighted my once perfect ass. My parents, lawyers to the core, want me to go back to school and become an attorney and join the family firm. My idea of hell.
There are only two disciplines I’ve ever loved: law enforcement and literature. I can’t picture myself as an English professor; academia seems too tame for me now. I was an MP in the Army, and I was a good one. But I can’t answer to the Army anymore. I’m not sure I can answer to anyone. Except for Elvis, who like it or not is my new boss.
He was Martinez’s dog. A handsome dog, all tawny fur and dark muzzle and curlicue tail. A sleek, elegant dog who could take you down in a minute. Smart and strong. I’m not sure he likes me much or trusts me much, but we’re stuck with each other.
I’ve got my pension and my cabin and part-time work helping my grandmother out at her veterinary clinic. I’m giving myself the summer to figure out what to do with my life. It’s been nearly a year now, and I still can’t face the future. Our future was supposed to be marriage and kids and a sweet little ranch house in Lockland, Texas, where Martinez was going to train dogs and handlers for the Army and I was going to teach English to high schoolers. That seems an impossible dream now.
We just keep on walking, me and Elvis, waiting for inspiration to strike. This morning there’s something different in the air. Elvis is distracted. The shepherd bounds off into the brush, and I follow him into a small clearing. He drops into a sphinx position. In Afghanistan, that meant he was alerting to mean explosives.
But this is Vermont. I don’t see any evidence of any bombs. I don’t see any evidence at all. The ground is not disturbed.
“Everything looks fine,” I tell Elvis. “Come on, let’s go.”
He looks at me, his triangular ears perked. I sigh, and I do what I was trained to do. I take out the duct tape I carry in my backpack always, as old habits die hard, and I tape off the area just in case. Maybe fireworks. Meanwhile, we’ll keep on walking. Elvis runs ahead again, and as we come into a clearing, we hear it, the sounds of a baby crying. We run towards the wailing.
We may technically be civilians. We may technically be retired. We may technically be walking wounded. But around that copse of sugar maples lies our next adventure, me and Elvis, a team whether we like it or not. And we’ll have help soon, in the form of game warden Troy Warner and search-and-rescue dog Susie Bear.
We’re on a new mission now. Somewhere, Martinez is smiling.
Give away: Have you ever rescued a dog? Leave a comment or a photo below for a chance to win an autographed copy of A Borrowing of Bones. U.S. entries only, please. The giveaway ends September 14, 2018. Good luck, everyone!
You can read more about Mercy and Elvis in A Borrowing of Bones, the first in a NEW mystery series from Minotaur Books.
Grief and guilt are the ghosts that haunt you when you survive what others do not. . .
After their last deployment, when she got shot, her fiancé Martinez got killed and his bomb-sniffing dog Elvis got depressed, soldier Mercy Carr and Elvis were both sent home, her late lover’s last words ringing in her ears: “Take care of my partner.”
Together the two former military police—one twenty-nine-year-old two-legged female with wounds deeper than skin and one handsome five-year-old four-legged Malinois with canine PTSD—march off their grief mile after mile in the beautiful remote Vermont wilderness.
Even on the Fourth of July weekend, when all of Northshire celebrates with fun and frolic and fireworks, it’s just another walk in the woods for Mercy and Elvis—until the dog alerts to explosives and they find a squalling baby abandoned near a shallow grave filled with what appear to be human bones.
U.S. Game Warden Troy Warner and his search and rescue Newfoundland Susie Bear respond to Mercy’s 911 call, and the four must work together to track down a missing mother, solve a cold-case murder, and keep the citizens of Northshire safe on potentially the most incendiary Independence Day since the American Revolution.
It’s a call to action Mercy and Elvis cannot ignore, no matter what the cost.
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Meet the author
PAULA MUNIER is the author of A Borrowing of Bones, as well as the bestselling Plot Perfect, The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings, Writing with Quiet Hands, and Fixing Freddie: A True Story of a Boy, a Mom, and a Very, Very Bad Beagle. She was inspired to write A Borrowing of Bones by the hero working dogs she met through MissionK9Rescue, her own Newfoundland retriever mix rescue Bear, and a lifelong passion for crime fiction. She lives in New England with her family, Bear, Freddie, and a tabby named Ursula.
Connect with Paula at paulamunier.com
All comments are welcomed.
I have never rescued a dog, although I do work our local animal rescue groups who do. I have 5 cats, all adopted from our humane societies, one who was abandoned in his carrier in the parking lot of the local Petsmart. I love the idea of this book and am looking forward to reading it.
I was holding my breath while reading this! This is going to be an edge-of-your-seat kind of book!
I have rescue animals, 2 cats and a dog. I have come to realize that they rescued me. They are always there for me, make me feel better, physically and emotionally. I cannot imagine my life without them.
Thank you for the chance of winning this book.
We’ve had several cats come into our lives and they gave us great happiness, particularly Midnight who went back and forth with my husband. I love reading books about rescue dogs, especially retired military.
Sounds like a winner. I’m really looking forward to this series. I am so happy to see that K-9 rescue books are burgeoning …
I’m so excited to read this book. Love the sound of it and will definitely tell my mystery book group about it. We have several dedicated dog rescue people. I haven’t rescued a dog, but I do have two rescued granddogs. Our daughter and son-in-law have had several. We have had rescued cats, but currently don’t have one.
I rescued a dog from lap dog rescue who is very special and smart. Bogie can sense, feel and understand everyone and knows whom to avoid and whom to trust. He is smarter than most humans and more sensitive. He has made my life worth living and gives me love, devotion and loyalty. When I was sick with life threatening and chronic diseases he was there for me throughout all the surgeries and treatments. Bogie is more than a rescue dog. He literally saved my life.
I have rescued a dog, Borvis, who is exceptional. Borvis can feel emotions. When my grandmother died he was aware of this tragedy as he behaved as if something dreadful had happened and curled up under her bed and stayed there. He missed her love and care. I knew that Borvis was exceptional being a small Newfoundland mix and chihuhua as well as terrier. His many unique abilities give me happiness and hope.
When our family was on vacation in Arizona we rescued a dachshund that was roaming loose around where we were staying. We asked everyone in the area if they knew who it belonged to and no one claimed him. Toby was covered in ticks and fleas. I remember my parents bathing it in a tub and working to remove the many ticks. A visit to the vet to be sure Toby had no illness and was otherwise okay was made. Toby traveled well from Arizona to Ohio and became our baby for many years.
We have a rescue dog named Jake, and he is wonderful and sweet — I hate to remember that he was mistreated. We think he is part wolf, because he is a hunter, and part horse, because he can leap like the Lipizzaner stallions.
Have not ever rescued a dog — several cats, though.
We rescued my childhood dog. She was awesome. Thank you for the chance to win.
3 of my 4 furchildren are rescues. A 4lb little pom was being dumped in a rest area about 5 years ago and I witnessed it and took him home with me. a 10 year old pom mix who was severely abused has been with me 8 years now. And a little chiweenie I found in a dumpster who was only 2 months old and is now 5. I love my babies!!!
I love rescue dogs. They are the best. Our first was an older farm dog in Iowa who had been abandoned. Scruffy was a gem. Next was a border terrier mix, Boo. He died a couple of years ago but he still has my heart. Now we have Jack, a Jack Russell mix I adopted for my father-in-law. When my fil died and mil moved to a senior care home Jack joined us. He is a rascal.
This book sounds good. I love Bear! And I love that you are involved with dog rescue. Rescued dogs are the best. They seem to love you even more because you rescued them.
When I was a kid we had an older blind poodle my aunt found wandering in her yard. She couldn’t keep it because her dog wouldn’t let another dog in the house
Once when we lived in Southern California, I was walking down our street and heard dogs crying. It was a sound that broke my heart. I went to the neighbor’s house and told them when they got home. It turns out that they had complained about the barking but no one would come out to help. They didn’t know at the time what the situation was. The owners were away. One dog had escaped and the other two were missing him and also wanted out. Plus it was very hot out. It turns out that the owners had left food and water for the dogs for a three day weekend but the water had turned over or evaporated. Luckily, the neighbor had a dog and she offered to watch over the other three dogs and she found the escaped dog. She was going to have a stern conversation with the dogs owner. Who leaves dogs in the yard for 3 days in 90 – 100 degree heat? No new water until their owners came home. I was irate. I have owned cats but not dogs. The series sounds exciting. I love animals.
I adopted a special needs puppy, she had deformed back legs. She never let that stop her from doing anything or climbing the stairs. We had ten great years together and I still miss her.
We’ve taken in a couple of stray dogs & cats & have also adopted from shelters.
This sounds really interesting. Dogs have always been a big part of my life. I rescued one dog that jumped in my backseat at a gas station. Had Sammie for 21 years. Then another dog was abandoned when her family moved. She roamed my neighborhood for about a year or more (most before I lived there). People were scared of her, but she was just a big baby. She was also in love with my Sammie. They are both gone and so is my service dog Rufus. I was not sure I would be able to have another dog, but I think Rufus and Sammie had other ideas. Tyler rescued us when we rescued him from a local dog rescue. He is the best of both of those amazing dogs. Thank you for the chance to win.
I was married before I got my first puppy, and Muffin was the sweetest dog ever. One fall night I took her for a walk and when we were almost home, she insisted on investigating the bushes by the corner. Much to my surprise, Muffin more or less pulled out a puppy who was mostly golden retriever with huge paws. No collar. No ID. Surely this beautiful dog belonged to someone. I finally convinced Muffin to go home and I didn’t look back. We got to our house and I burst in to tell my husband about the dog when I realized Muffin had stayed on the porch. I opened the door and there she sat with the golden puppy a few feet away. If she could have talked, Muffin would have said, “She followed me home. Can we keep her?” It didn’t take much to convince us and add the puppy (Aggie) to our home. I have always wondered if she was dumped because of those huge feet! Turns out she was small for a golden, and so smart that she never had an accident in the house! Thanks for the opportunity to be included in a chance to win your book and reminisce about a wonderful dog that we were able to rescue!
I rescued a dog – we discovered the former owners had moved away and left him behind.
My mom had a rescue dog who was scheduled to be euthanized the day after Mom adopted her. She was a mix of Sheltie and Springer Spaniel, and pure love. As one of my sisters said “ Sadie knew she was put on this earth to love and be loved.” She would hover over the grandchildren when they were learning to walk, and would bark if they fell, as though she was calling for help!
I’ve helped reunite a few lost dogs with their owners. Many of my pet cats have been rescues and I have fostered cats for the Fayette Humane Society, where I am still a volunteer.
i’m willing to give this book a try…….
thank you for the giveaway…..
**** WINNER ****
A Borrowing of Bones is Kay
Congratulations!