Paula Munier's "The Wedding Plot"

Paula Munier is a literary agent and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A Borrowing of Bones, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. The sequel Blind Search, inspired by the real-life rescue of a little boy with autism who got lost in the woods, was followed by The Hiding Place in 2021.

Here Munier dreamcasts an adaptation of The Wedding Plot, the new Mercy Carr mystery:

Dreamcasting The Wedding Plot is a fun exercise because it means finding actors not only for my series heroine, Mercy Carr, but also for her extraordinary family, all of whom are gathering together at a luxe resort in Vermont for her grandmother’s wedding. The ultra-glam extravaganza is thrown off course by missing persons, family feuds, and murder, not necessarily in that order. Everyone is hiding something, and it’s up to Mercy to save the day—and the bride and groom—before it’s too late.

For Mercy, I’d choose Rose Leslie from A Game of Thrones, another strong and passionate redhead who’s not afraid to fight the good fight, no matter the cost. Mercy served in Afghanistan as a soldier and a military policewoman; she’s a warrior, and Rose Leslie knows how to play a warrior.

When I write Grace, Mercy’s chic, perfectionist mother, I always see my own mother, as played by Cate Blanchett. Which means she’d be a brunette, but just as formidable.

Mercy’s beloved grandmother Patience is a veterinarian adored by most all creatures, both two-legged and four-legged. Wise and wonderful, Patience is Mercy’s Obi-Wan, the person she turns to for counsel as well as comfort. She’s everything a woman in her early seventies should be—just like Meryl Streep.

Troy Warner, the game warden trying to win a place in Mercy’s heart forever, is a good guy through and through. Someone like Alan Ritchson from Reacher would be perfect.

Last but not least, while I was writing The Wedding Plot, my father died unexpectedly. The Colonel was an officer and a gentleman, and I grieved terribly for him. But I had a deadline to meet, so I did the only thing I could do and continue on: I wrote him into the book. My dad became Mercy’s great-uncle, and on the screen only an actor like Robert Duvall could do him justice. If only….

PS: If you’re wondering who’d play the dogs, they’re right here in my living room: Blondie, our Malinois rescue, is as fierce and smart and athletic as Elvis; and Bear, the Newfoundland retriever mix who, like Susie Bear in the books, is The Friendliest Dog in the World.

Visit Paula Munier's website.

Coffee with a Canine: Paula Munier & Bear.

My Book, The Movie: A Borrowing of Bones.

My Book, The Movie: Blind Search.

My Book, The Movie: The Hiding Place.

Q&A with Paula Munier.

--Marshal Zeringue