FBI special agent Mercy Kilpatrick has been waiting her whole life for disaster to strike. A prepper since childhood, Mercy grew up living off the land—and off the grid—in rural Eagle’s Nest, Oregon. Until a shocking tragedy tore her family apart and forced her to leave home. Now a predator known as the cave man is targeting the survivalists in her hometown, murdering them in their homes, stealing huge numbers of weapons, and creating federal suspicion of a possible domestic terrorism event. But the crime scene details are eerily familiar to an unsolved mystery from Mercy’s past.
Sent by the FBI to assist local law enforcement, Mercy returns to Eagle’s Nest to face the family who shunned her while maintaining the facade of a law-abiding citizen. There, she meets police chief Truman Daly, whose uncle was the cave man’s latest victim. He sees the survivalist side of her that she desperately tries to hide, but if she lets him get close enough to learn her secret, she might not survive the fallout…
An Amazon #1 selling author, Kendra Elliot has sold over 12 Million books and been on the WSJ best seller over a dozen times.
She grew up in the lush Pacific Northwest and still lives there with her family and two cats. She's fascinated with forensics, refuses to eat anything green, and dreams of living every day in flip flops. UPDATE: She now lives in flip flops and watches the sun rise over the ocean every day.
The MERCY KILPATRICK series: A MERCIFUL DEATH, A MERCIFUL TRUTH, A MERCIFUL SECRET, A MERCIFUL SILENCE, A MERCIFUL FATE, and A MERCIFUL PROMISE. IN THE PINES and AT THE RIVER are continuations of Mercy's and Truman's story.
THE COLUMBIA RIVER series. THE LAST SISTER. THE SILENCE, IN THE PINES, AT THE RIVER, and THE FIRST DEATH
The BONE SECRETS NOVELS: HIDDEN, CHILLED, BURIED, ALONE, KNOWN and VEILED (a novella)
The CALLAHAN & McLANE novels: VANISHED, BRIDGED, SPIRALED, and TARGETED. THE SILENCE continues Ava and Mason's story. THE LAST SISTER is Zander's story
She also writes the Widow's Island and Rogue River novellas with Melinda Leigh.
International Thriller Writers finalist, a three time Daphne Du Maurier winner, and a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice finalist.
This is my first book by this author. This is the first book in the Mercy Kilpatrick Series. It was so good, it kept me intrigued from the beginning to the end. I have been wanting to read this author for some time now and was so excited when I got this chance.
Mercy Kilpatrick ran away from her hometown, Eagles Nest, Oregon fifteen years ago and now comes back as a F.B.I. agent. She doesn't want her past to be known. Mercy is assigned to a case to help solve several murders.
A predator known as the Cave Man is murdering folks in their homes stealing a huge number of weapons and it is going down as a domestic terrorism event. Mercy notices a frightening connection to these murders that happened shortly before she ran away from home. Every mirror in the victim's houses has been shattered. This brings up a connection to earlier crimes that comes very close to exposing the secret that led to her getting out of town.
Mercy is a flawed heroine but she is very gutsy and stubborn in solving this mystery of murders. I really liked her a lot and there is also a romance brewing and can't wait to read the next one to see if it is still brewing. I loved the suspense and the twist. It was a very good page turner.
I want to thank Netgalley, Kendra Elliot and the publisher for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first book by this author. This is the1st book in the Mercy Kilpatrick Series and the first that I have read by this author, Kendra Elliot.
The plot dragged on a bit too much for me.....I felt bogged down with all this information about the "preppers".........hell, these are pretty weird characters........and the build up was so slow...slow. There was so much angst and secrets re: the small town people and Mercy's family.
Whilst I found Mercy Kilpatrick a difficult character to engage with, I did find the local police chief, Truman Daly a much more sympathetic character. He took his job seriously and cared about his townspeople. The romance between these two is almost nonexistent and there's a bit of a romantic interlude near the end of the book...but nothing amazing.
We are introduced to a lot of characters in this book, which is obviously to set up for future books.....I liked Eddie, Mercy's FBI partner, Rose, Mercy's sister and Kaylie, Mercy's niece.
Overall this was not a bad book and I am going to read the next book in this series and see how it progresses for me.
Eagle's Nest, Oregon contains a large community of preppers - people who stock up on food, water, wood, medical supplies, equipment, guns, and so on. They plan to to be ready for a catastrophe, which they call 'the end of the world as we know it.'
As the book opens someone has killed two preppers and stolen their weapons.
Sheriff Truman Daly, the nephew of a prepper victim, is determined to find his uncle's killer and calls in the FBI.
The Portland office sends Agents Eddie Peterson and Mercy Kilpatrick.
Mercy, an attractive thirtysomething woman, actually lived in Eagle's Nest until the age of eighteen. At that time a tragic occurrence caused a huge rift between Mercy and her prepper family. So Mercy left town never to return.....until now. Mercy is understandably anxious, knowing she'll see family members and old acquaintances in Eagle's Nest.
Before long another prepper is killed and broken mirrors at all the crime scenes link the prepper deaths to two rape/murders that occurred 15 years ago.
Mercy knows about these cold cases for two reasons: the teenage victims were schoolmates of her sister Pearl; and Mercy and her sister Rose were attacked around that time, probably by the same unknown perp (or perps).
Sheriff Daly and Mercy work together closely to solve the crimes. The sheriff is very attracted to Mercy and - noting that she's nervous and tight-lipped about some things - resolves to winkle out her secrets. Daly even follows Mercy when she takes a drive at night, to see where she's going. Mercy's a little angry at first, but this is a mystery/romance....so sparks eventually ignite. (Daly's behavior REALLY irritates me. What business does he have prying into Mercy's private affairs? IMO he should mind his own business!)😣
As the story unfolds we meet Mercy's mother, father, and siblings - some of whom are more conciliatory than others. Mercy also interviews various residents of Eagle's Nest including a mentally challenged man who's very helpful with the investigation.
Later on there's an abduction....and a frantic search for the victim.
For me, this book doesn't work. The incident that occurred 15 years before, which led to Mercy's voluntary exile from Eagle's Nest, was more than justified in my opinion. Mercy's father's hard-headed 'family first' attitude is irresponsible (to put it mildly). Mercy's brother does things that are not credible. Moreover, almost everything about the perp (who I hardly recalled as a character) is 'off': why he breaks mirrors; why he steals guns; why he abducted someone....I didn't buy any of it. Finally, the romance between Mercy and Daly was too treacly for me.😕
I understand this is the first book in a series, but I don't know if I'll read any more. That said, fans of romantic suspense might like the book better than I did.
FBI Mercy Kilpatrick and her temporarily assigned partner are dispatched to Eagle’s Nest, Oregon to investigate a series of deaths involving survivalists and weapons. Unknown to most of her colleagues, this is the hometown Mercy left 15 years ago after being shunned by her family for reasons unknown. And, her parents are “preppers,” too, the term given to survivalists who live their lives preparing for doomsday type events. She was raised in this atmosphere and mindset but hasn’t shed all she learned growing up. Police Chief Truman Daly teams with the FBI to investigate these cases, one of them close to his heart as his uncle was one of the brutalized victims.
I’ve had this series on my shelf for almost two years and agreed to read it after it was selected as a group read in one of my Goodreads groups. So, I began listening without reading the synopsis. The term “preppers” is a new one for me as I’d put the people who consider themselves as such under one umbrella, calling them survivalists. I gained a lot of insight here about how they operate and their cult-like nature. I won’t pretend that I understand the “why” any better but at least get how they are able to perpetuate the behaviors.
While I was interested in the investigation of the murders, I was much more intrigued by the mystery surrounding Mercy’s reasons for leaving her family and home. It proved to be the more compelling aspect of the story and eventually connects with the murders. The beginning moved more slowly for me until the focus shifted and things got very exciting. The second half moved rapidly and was hard to put down, too. Of course, there’s also a developing relationship between Mercy and Truman to keep things interesting. It’s subtle and doesn’t get in the way of the mystery elements but enough romance for me. The narrator was very good, handling an assortment of challenging characters extremely well. I’m glad I’ve got the audiobooks for the next four books because it was a great listening experience. I enjoyed this start to the series and am looking forward to the next stories.
FBI special agent Mercy grow up male dominant prepper family. Fifteen years ago was forced out of her home, left and made her way in this world. Investigating stolen guns and murders. Tragedy of what happened to her and blind sister Rose always in her mind. Rape and murders of Rose's two friends from fifteen years ago was never solved either. Depressing story.
FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick has been pegged to investigate a series of murders in Eagle's Nest, Oregon. This is her home town, where her parents and siblings still live ... although she hasn't seen or talked to any of them in 15 years, when she was forced to leave and told to never return.
Someone is killing survivalists in their homes and stealing their many weapons. Could this be a possible act of domestic terrorism? But the broken mirrors in each of their homes have been shattered, bringing to mind an unsolved mystery from Mercy's past.
Police Chief Truman Daly has a personal interest in these killings ... his uncle was one of the survivalists killed.
Working together, Truman and Mercy are trying to deny their growing attraction. Mercy is afraid that if she lets him get close, he will learn her secrets. Truman also comes with baggage of his own.
As they get closer to the killer, the killer is also targeting a new victim.. only it's not a survivalist he's after. His mind is on the one who got away years ago. And he's a lot closer to Truman and Mercy than they think.
I have read many of this author's books and never been disappointed. Her plots are well thought out, well written, with interesting characters that come to life. There's always an element of romance, but mostly left to the imagination rather than being explicit.
This is the beginning of a brand new series. There are no cliff hangers involved. Next book is A Merciful Truth due out later in 2017. I'm looking forward to it.
Many thanks to the author / Montlake Romance / Netgalley. The opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
I've read all of Kendra Elliot's books and was super excited to start her latest series. Once again, she didn't disappoint. Mercy Kilpatrick, the protagonist, first appeared in Targeted, the fourth book in the Callahan & McLane series. Mercy left her hometown 15 years ago and hasn't spoken to her family since. But now she is sent by the FBI to help the local police with their investigation into the murder of survivalists in the isolated community of Eagle's Nest, Oregon. Local police chief Truman Daly has a keen personal interest in the case, as one of the murdered men was his uncle. When Mercy finds some similarities to events that happened 15 years ago, she is forced to reconnect with members of her family and has to trust Truman with details of her life that she has kept hidden. I enjoyed the unique storyline about preppers, their mindset and way of life. The emphasis was on suspense, the romance light and believable because it unfolded gradually. Some unexpected twists. Overall, a great start to a promising new series.
An enjoyable start to a new series for me. Mercy is an FBI agent out of Portland Oregon. She’s sent to investigate a series of murders of preppers (survivalists) in Eagles Nest, a town where she grew up before leaving her family at age 18, never to return. Mercy’s family were also preppers. She’s a tough gal. She might not be in communication with her family, but their philosophy still colors her beliefs.
This one has everything I love - a decent plot with no improbably turns, good well developed characters, a bit of romance.
I listened to this and the narrator, Teri Schnaubelt, does a good job. I have already bought the audio version of book two in the series.
Mercy is an FBI agent called back to her hometown to investigate the murders of two preppers. She hasn’t been back home to Eagle’s Nest for fifteen years, hasn’t even had contact with her family since then. The hurt runs deep and it’s awkward explaining her relationship to Eagle’s Nest to her FBI partner and the new town sheriff. But solving the murders is her main focus. Mercy’s rattled to find similarities between the current cases and two previous murders from fifteen years back. Especially, since the attacks years ago are intertwined with a secret she’s kept and worried about all the years since.
While I doubt I’d ever do anything drastic, I found the prepper life fascinating! I’ve always loved the idea of being self-sufficient just in case disaster strikes. You never know when the zombie apocalypse is coming, lol! The philosophies as presented here almost felt religious. The people were devoted to their beliefs of being self-sufficient, and the idea that eventually governments and order as we know it will end. With the way things are going sometimes, it’s not such a far-fetched idea.
Mercy’s past is slowly revealed, and you can understand the hurt and resentment she feels. While she had doubts start to creep about the prepper philosophy while Mercy was a teenager, she probably wouldn’t have left the life had there not been a rift between her and her father. The fact that Mercy’s family backed her father’s decision and shunned her is a pain that cuts deep, but there’s a healing that starts when she faces her brothers and sisters now. There’s also a budding romance between Mercy and Sheriff Truman that I’m fully on board with! A Merciful Death was an exciting read and an excellent start to the series! A few twisty reveals, danger, and the mysteries of Mercy’s past kept me on the edge of my seat. I’m wondering about the next chapter of Mercy’s life with how it all turns out. I’ve already downloaded the audio copies of books two and three, excited to continue Mercy’s story!
Teri Schnaubelt’s performance was pleasant and low key. She did a great job with both male and female characters. I’d gladly listen to any book she narrates.
I have read a number of Kendra Elliot books and really like her writing style and A Merciful Death may just end up being my favorite book of hers to date. I started reading it this morning and had a really enjoyable day reading it.
I really liked all the characters (both good guys and bad guys) in this book. They felt real with real motivations - not that the bad guy's motivations were good but they felt realistic. I'm also really intrigued by the complexity of Mercy Kilpatrick's character. Her unusual background, her secrets and her obsessions, her strengths and her weaknesses. She's not perfect - good characters never are.
Mercy returns to her hometown after 15 years of being ostracized by her family. She returns as an FBI agent looking into the murders of "preppers", men who stockpile so that they are ready for the collapse of civilization. She isn't here to re-new her relationship with her family or to reveal a 15 year old secret, but as she looks into the current case she can't help seeing a relationship to the past. I really enjoyed the way this plot was developed and how the story was told. I also liked the way that Ms. Elliot wove into the story a man with Down Syndrome and a women who was blind. Again, I truly believe the best characters are not perfect.
I really, really liked that although there is a love interest between Mercy and police chief Truman Daly it takes a back seat to the murder plot. It has a "slow burn" development that I really appreciate.
This first book in the series is definitely a winner and the set-up for future books looks really awesome. I'm looking forward to book #2 in the Mercy Kilpatrick series. Thanks to Net Galley and Montlake Romance publishers for an ARC.
A MERCIFUL DEATH (Mercy Kilpatrick #1) by Kendra Elliot is the start of a new series that is a cross between romantic suspense and mystery/suspense. This type of series is always difficult to categorize for me, but it is similar to Melinda Leigh’s Morgan Dane series and/or Marie Force’s Fatal series which are must reads for me.
FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick grew up in rural Eagle’s Nest, Oregon in the shadow of the Cascade Mountains. Until the age of eighteen, Mercy was raised in a family of preppers. After a falling out with her father that had him disowning her, Mercy left town to build her own life. Her lifetime of being prepared for disaster has stayed with her though and is a necessary part of her life even though she hides it from her colleagues.
When there are a series of elderly male preppers murdered in Mercy’s hometown. What would normally be a local case catches the FBI’s attention when the preppers large caches of weapons are also stolen. This raises the possibility of domestic terrorism. Her FBI supervisor sends her and her partner to work with the nearby Bend office and local law enforcement.
Eagle Nest Police Chief Truman Daly is the nephew of one of the murdered men. Raised in the community only on summer breaks, he is just starting to be accepted in a community that has its own ideas about the government and police. As Truman works with Mercy on the murders, he learns of her family ties to the community and begins to suspect, she did not completely leave her prepper life behind.
Mercy discovers that these current murders are eerily familiar to two unsolved murders in the town’s past. With her sister now involved, Mercy and Truman must capture a killer who has been free in their community for much too long before her sister suffers the same fate.
Mercy is a wonderfully unique and flawed character. I find her so interesting and want to know much more about her and her family. Truman has his own interesting history and I hope this budding romance continues. He has his work cut out for him with such an independent heroine who does not like to share her secrets. The plot was interesting and tied in well with the older cases, but this is also why I gave this book four stars instead of five. I found Mercy’s brother’s actions not believable. (No spoilers, so you will have to read it and see if you agree.) Overall, a good start to this series and I am looking forward to reading the next book.
A Merciful Death by Kendra Elliot is the first in the Mercy Kilpatrick and Truman Daly series. It's definitely off to a fun thrilling start which I hope continues 🤞 Mercy (an FBI agent) returns home after 15 years of being away to investigate some murders, which also had some similarities to the big secret her , her brother and sister kept all those years ago. In the meantime she works with the local police department and meets Police Chief Truman Daly 😉 It's an easy read, very pacy and never lets up for a minute. I definitely recommend this 📖
FBI Spc Agt Mercy Kilpatrick was raised a prepper but she has kept her past a secret from all who know her. She moved away from Eagle's Nest and has had no contact with her family since. She has been called back there for a case assigned to her because she is from that area but she is not sure how her family will take seeing her again. It seems that someone is killing preppers and it may be tied into why Mercy left all those years ago. Great read. I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
Look. I'm not saying that guessing the who ruins a thriller. I'm just saying that if said-thriller can't offer unforgettable characters and a eery atmosphere I won't be able to shake, guessing the who early on is pretty fucking important. A Merciful Death has neither, and I'm so very disappointed.
The state of Oregon is home too many preppers or doomsday groups. Our protagonist, Mercy Kilpatrick grew up in the tight-knit prepper community of Eagle’s Nest, Oregon. A disagreement with her father, caused her to cut-ties with her family when she was eighteen.
Mercy knows the small-town and folks in Eagle's Nest. Their dislike of outsiders and the government make her the perfect agent to investigate.
When a series of murders involving preppers occur, it raises alarms with the FBI. Could someone be planning a domestic terrorist act?
This was a clever story that pulled me in from the beginning. We have several story lines woven together, but the investigation was the primary focus. Twists and reveals kept me guessing until the end. Only after the killer was revealed did I see the foreshadowing and clues peppered throughout the story.
Threads involving Mercy, and her estranged family, were well developed, and added to the overall suspense. I found the prepper lifestyle fascinating. Insight into preppers and the inner workings of their community kept me engaged.
Mercy has secrets that the author slowly revealed allowing the reader to better understand her motives. The local sheriff, a newcomer by small-town standards assists in the investigation. Mercy's partner and the Bend FBI field office added to the investigation and added believability. A low-key romance develops with the promise of things to come but was a minor thread compared to the first two.
A heart-pounding investigation and interesting characters made this an entertaining read. Elliot, a seasoned author pens books set in the Pacific Northwest. She brought the landscape, characters and small-town to life. I cannot wait to devour the next book, A Merciful Truth. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
Mercy returns back to her home town as an FBI agent to work on a crime but when she gets there the crime seems to mimic an old crime that happened when she was in her teens. The only problem is Mercy hasn't been back since she left home when she was 18 years old and her siblings have a secret so she will have to confront them. Things start to come together and there are other things start to come out as well will this ruin what Mercy has build? Well you would need to read it to find out. LOL. Not a bad start to the series. Will have to continue to see what happens next.
I love this series. It just has that magic that immediately clicks. Love the characters, love the stories, love the concept. Love them so much that I'm going to reread them all.
Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.
The Kendra Elliot books I've read have all been suspense with the emphasis on building a realistic romance. "A Merciful Death" is no different. Somehow you just know, from the first pages, that a book is going to be good. This book is good. It's refreshing to have a H/h who don't fall into insta love/lust on first sight. This romance unfolds gradually, and the main characters get to know and respect each other.
Mercy is an FBI agent sent to assist in the investigation of three murders where large amounts of weapons were stolen too. She left Eagle's Nest 15 years ago and never looked back. Now she has to face not only her past, and her secrets, but a murderer.
Truman has been the Chief of police in Eagle's Nest, Oregon for only 6 months. His reclusive uncle was murdered and his cache of weapons stolen. Truman is not going to back away from this case until the murderer is found.
Preppers, Sovereign Citizens and Militants are some of the groups that occupy the area around Eagle's Nest and they all like their weapons. All the victims were known Preppers. These are fiercely independent people who take exception to the government telling them what to do. But someone in their community is a part, yet apart. A murderer stalks these people and it may not be for the first time.
TEOTWAWKI: The end of the world as we know it - the scenario the victims in A Merciful Death have been stockpiling supplies for in case the worst should happen.
A Merciful Death is the first in a series featuring FBI Agent Mercy Fitzpatrick. She and her partner, Eddie Peterson, have been sent to Eagle’s Nest, Oregon, to assist local law enforcement in investigating the murders of several survivalists, a.k.a. preppers. Someone has murdered the men in their homes and then stolen weapons from the victims. With large numbers of weapons going missing, there is fear that someone is preparing some type of attack - possibly an act of domestic terrorism. They are aided by the Eagle���s Nest police chief, Truman Daly, whose uncle is one of the murder victims.
Having grown up in Eagle’s Nest and having a family full of survivalists, Mercy is very familiar with the area and with the prepper lifestyle. It's not a happy homecoming for her. Fifteen years ago, she left Eagle’s Nest after a rift with her family and she has not been back to the town nor has she spoken to anyone in her family since. Things are tense for Mercy as she works the case, running into members of her estranged family as well as other people from her past. Her bright spot is her blind sister, Rose, who is happy to have Mercy home though it’s not all sunshine as they have a shared trauma from their childhood and being together again awakens some old ghosts.
As the investigation progresses, Mercy starts to see similarities to a series of murders from the past - from when she was a teenager. Has a murderer from the past come back or is it a coincidence? Is someone stockpiling weapons for a domestic terrorism event or is someone acting on something more personal as motivation?
Overall, I liked A Merciful Death. I found the prepper aspect of A Merciful Death to be intriguing. I’ve never read anything or seen anything in depth about preppers. It’s an interesting topic. The pacing and writing are good. The characters are well-drawn. Both Mercy and Truman are likeable characters with baggage and an attraction to each other. Mercy, though, is not always the most sympathetic character. The tone is dark at times and there are some Debbie Downer moments. I think Eddie could have used a little more “screen” time as it were to add a lighter presence but he is pretty much pushed to the periphery as the story progresses. Mercy’s family is infuriating, especially her father and her oldest brother, Owen. I did find the reveal to be not very satisfactory and the events following it are a bit over the top and drawn out.
That said, I think it’s definitely a good start to a new series.
A Merciful Death is the first book I've read by Kendra Elliot. It's the first book in the Mercy Kilpatrick series.
I love it when I find a new series I enjoy. But then my heart sinks when I discover that it only has two books and the third isn't due out for another six months. But I digress.
Mercy Kilpatrick is an FBI Agent from Portland, Oregon. She is called to her hometown of Eagles Nest to investigate the murder of a few "preppers."
What are preppers, you ask? They are a network of people who prepare for when disaster strikes. Why would the FBI be interested in such cases? For starters, the killer has stolen all of their weapons from the crime scenes.
As Mercy and police chief Truman Daly investigate, they discover a small connection to two previous murders from 15 years ago. And the more those two crimes are looked into, the closer Truman Daly comes to finding Mercy's big secret. The secret that has caused her family to shun her and her reason for leaving Eagles Nest.
I enjoyed this book. There were a few parts I had trouble tying together, but that may have been due to my distracted reading. Or listening as the case may be, I listened to A Merciful Death with Audible.
I especially enjoyed Mercy's character. She was staring and hardened due to her past and her career choice. But she was soft and vulnerable too.
My favorite character, however, was Truman Daly. Police Chief of Eagles Nest. He is not native to Eagles Nest but spent summers with his uncle in the past. He is the epitome of a nice guy. He develops a soft spot in his heart for Mercy, and they work well together.
A Merciful Death is not as twisty as I prefer a book to be. But the story was well paced, enjoyable and entertaining. 4 sweet stars for A Merciful Death. Thank you, Kendra Elliot.
I was worried that A Merciful Death would end up being just like all Kendra Elliot and while it is very similar at the same time it is different. Mercy isn't the perfect Federal Agent but she works hard to cover up her past. She is strong, fights for the right and believes in those she loves. Kendra Elliot gave readers a person who isn't damaged but struggles between the way she was raised and how she wants to live her life.
Kendra created characters who have flaws, are imperfect but are trying to do what is right with the knowledge they have. They struggle with the way they were raised and how they want to live their lives now. The family drama was very real. You could feel the family struggle with the dynamics create a real world feeling. The mystery was a little questionable and at times not as believable as many other of Kendra Elliot novels but the dynamics of the individual characters and the real life struggles some of them face made this novel a 5 star read. Advance Copy from netgalley
Prepping: a life philosophy. Removing yourself from being dependent on others. It is a form of self reliance. An ample supply of canned goods, batteries, salt licks, and paper goods were just a few of the items needed. And an abundant amount of weapons.
After 15 years away, FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick returned to her hometown: Eagles Nest, Oregon. Except it wasn’t for visiting; it was her job. Someone was murdering preppers. And one of those men was the uncle of a local police chief, Truman Daly. ~~~~~
I am ashamed I did not start this series until now. It was recommended by my GR friend Luli. (Thank you!) The setup was patient that even the savviest reader will be caught in the story's unusual premise. It was a procedural with a twist that left me eager for more.
As expected in the first story of a series, the initial groundwork was laid. There were apocalyptic undertones. Numerous secondary characters reared their heads or offered advice. I can only assume I will see most of them in future books.
Some readers complained of too much information with regards to preparing for the world’s end. Or it was too depressing. I never felt that way. I enjoyed Mercy’s working relationship with Eddie. I am looking forward to seeing more of Truman. And Mercy’s family? I know some of them will return. Though I correctly guessed the villain about halfway through, I thought A Merciful Death was a challenging mystery.
Enter the Cascade Mountain Range, the wild and beautiful land of the All American Prepper.
If you’ve never seen one of their reality shows they are best described as something between misogynistic libertarian culty gun nuts and solarpunk nature loving hippies.
Unable to find her way in their society Mercy Kilpatrick left at 18 and has been sent back 15 years later as an FBI Special Agent.
This series starter was high on setting, medium on mystery, and low on romance. I will continue with the hope of this leveling out and adding action. 3.5 stars.
This was a good start to a new series - one in a familiar genre, though it plays with the tropes in some interesting ways.
Ever heard of preppers? They've been brought to the world's notice through such imaginatively titled shows as "Preppers" - most often portrayed as people who prep for the end of the world via backup power systems, food/weapon stockpiles, and usually a healthy dose of paranoia.
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Mercy Kilpatrick comes from one such family, one of many in a small Oregon town, though she left as a teenager and is coming back for the first time as an FBI agent investigating a murder. Funnily enough, she's a little nervous about her reception, now that she's working for the government that's so mistrusted.
This was, as mentioned, an enjoyable version of a familiar genre. There is an element of romance, though it's pretty minor and mostly relegated to the background. I especially liked the lack of poking fun at preppers - there's an emphasis on the organisation and management required to be ready to live through a governmental collapse or similar. It's not all shiny, detatched-from-reality optimism though - hoarders exist and are called out.
Overall, a more in depth and measured procedural than I thought I was getting into. I'll be continuing this series!
The existence of preppers has always fascinated and saddened me in equal measure. I've never read a book featuring this culture, so the entire premise was interesting and fresh. The writing was easy to read, the MCs were easy to like, the mystery/suspense was just the right amount of creepy, and the romance was sweet. I'm so happy that I found another author who has a lot of books to go through. :)
I really enjoyed this book. This is the first book in the Mercy Kilpatrick series and my first read from this author. It was a compelling read and I could not put the book down.
In a small rural town in Oregon, Mercy Kilpatrick grew up as a prepper. A prepper's life is centered on being prepared for TEOTWAWKI. The end of the world as we know it. After conflict with her family, Mercy was shunned from the family and forced to leave. Fifteen years later, preppers are being killed in her home town. FBI special agent Mercy is put on the case and returns home where she is forced to face secrets that she tried to keep buried.
The whole survivalist mindset is new to me and I was intrigued. When I think of a prepper, I think of a paranoid crazy person. The story was interesting, fast-paced and kept me wanting more. The characters are well-developed and likable. Looking forward to reading the second book in the series.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Montlake Romance for supplying a copy of Kendra Elliot's "A Merciful Death" in exchange for an honest review.
Before I really delve into this review, I need to tell you that I'm in the minority with my feelings on this book. Almost 1800 people have read this book as of right this moment and it's rated at almost 4.5 stars. So my one star rating is ... not common.
After I finished this, I was a little surprised to find out that this was a romantic suspense. I mean, I must have known that at some point because I picked this book and romantic suspense is my favorite genre. But I completely forgot and this book didn't remind me with how it was written. I didn't get romance ... at all ... I mean there were parts ... but this wasn't the kind of romantic suspense that I'm used to, maybe.
Or I guess it could be the fact that this book couldn't keep my attention. That's not a good thing. I shouldn't look forward to putting the book down. And I did. A lot. Now this book wasn't badly written, it just read very dry to me. The conversations were extremely stiff and almost robotic. The further I got into the book, it wasn't just the conversations that I found dry. It became everything. And once that hit ... it was all downhill from there.
I didn't enjoy even one portion of this book. I didn't like Mercy or Truman and I couldn't have cared less what happened to them in the past or what was going to happen to them or if they were going to get together or what happened with the case that they were working on. This was just not a good fit for me this time.
* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *
FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick has been sent to a small Oregon town to help the local law enforcement with their investigation into a series of murders. Three older men who were survivalists have been murdered in the last three weeks. A stash of weapons has disappeared from each of the murder sites. Police Chief Truman Daly is glad the FBI is helping search for the killer. His uncle was one of the victims. Truman has hit a dead end with the investigation.
Mercy grew up in this small town, but left when she turned eighteen. She has not had contact with her family in fifteen years. Truman finds Mercy and her past just as big of mystery as the recent murders.
This book is full of appealing characters. The mystery of Mercy's past is just as much a storyline as the prepper murders. Both mysteries had me turning the pages. There is a romance storyline which I'm sure will pick up in the future books in this series. I'm happy with the first book in this series and can't wait to read the next book. My rating: 4.5 Stars.