Book Review: A Merciful Fate by Kendra Elliot

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

A MERCIFUL FATE (Mercy Kilpatrick #5) by Kendra Elliot is the latest romantic suspense, mystery/suspense, FBI procedural, who cares what you call it, cannot put it down read featuring one of my favorite main characters! This is a series I recommend you read in order because each book builds on all of the characters’ relationships and secrets besides giving you new crimes and/or mysteries in each.

Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick is thrown into a notorious, decades old bank robbery when the skeleton of one of the robbers is found in a decaying cabin. The mastermind of the team was captured and put in prison, but the money and the rest of the gang seem to have disappeared into thin air. Just as Mercy starts reinvestigating the robbery, a young tabloid reporter shows up in Eagle’s Nest asking questions that are threatening long buried secrets.

Police Chief Truman Daly gets pulled into the investigation when the reporter is found dead in her car. Some of the people have secrets and are not who they appear in the Eagle’s Nest community. Whether they are related to the old robbery or not, they want them kept secret. Mercy and Truman need to reveal them all to find the threat to their community and family. Some long held friends and neighbors are not who or what they seem.

This series just keeps getting better and better. The old, unsolved robbery is an intriguing crime plot that builds the suspense and threat level at a rapid rate throughout the story. I was very surprised throughout the resolution. I love Mercy and Truman’s relationship and how Mercy is learning to navigate their relationship while balancing everything with her long held prepper lifestyle. All of the secondary characters are becoming fully fleshed out characters that I look for now in each book.

My only slight criticism of this series is that I believe Mercy’s father may have a point. Not his indifference or stubbornness, but the people around Mercy seem to be injured or killed quite frequently. In most series the main character is injured or almost killed so many times you wonder how they can keep recovering and working, but it is those around Mercy who suffer this author’s wrath.

That said, I highly recommend this series and Mercy! I always look forward to reading these books and catching up with all of the Eagle’s Nest community.

Feature Post and Book Reviews: Mercy Kilpatrick Books 1-4 by Kendra Elliot

Hi, everyone!

Hopefully by now you have all checked out my Feature Post for Kendra Elliot’s new book “A Merciful Fate” and entered the Rafflecopter giveaway.

This Feature Post and Book Reviews are to entice you to read the whole series! I LOVE Mercy and I highly recommend this series. Below you will find my reviews of Mercy Kilpatrick Books 1-4 by Kendra Elliot and the author’s social media info.

Happy Reading!

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RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

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. The balance between romance and mystery/suspense varies depending on the plot in each book.

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.

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RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

A MERCIFUL TRUTH (Mercy Kilpatrick #2) by Kendra Elliot is the newest book in this continuing romantic suspense/mystery/suspense series. I have been looking forward to reading more about Mercy!

FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick and her partner, Eddie have transferred to the Bend FBI field office. Eddie likes the wilderness of central Oregon over Portland and Mercy wants to be closer to Truman and her family. Mercy is getting closer to her sisters and mother, but her father and brother blame her for the violence and change in her family from book #1.

Eagle’s Nest Police Chief Truman Daly is investigating a series of small fires that he believes are being started by teenagers. When a barn is set on fire, everything changes when two county sheriffs are shot and killed when they respond. Arson has become murder. At the next fire the murdered body of an unidentified man is found at the scene. No one is talking and Mercy and Truman have no idea why these fires are being set or who is setting them.

As they investigate the unidentified dead man, Mercy’s niece is learning that the teenagers her new boyfriend is hanging out with are trouble and that her boyfriend is having second thoughts about working at his job on a large secluded ranch outside of town. There are rumors of many outside men coming to town and living on the ranch. Mercy’s brother is also somehow tied to the ranch and reciting a lot of anti-government hate rhetoric.

The closer Mercy and Truman get to the truth, long buried secrets are exposed and their personal danger escalates.

I loved Mercy in the first book and I am now hooked for good. Her character is so interesting. The balance between her life as an FBI agent and her hidden life as a prepper makes for very interesting reading. I love that Truman “gets” Mercy and her unique life and does not try to change her. Mercy’s family and all of the secondary characters are becoming more fleshed out and interesting. The plot builds in intensity and wraps everything up at the end. This book can be read as a standalone, but like so many other similar series, the relationships grow and change in each book as in real life, so I recommend reading them in order. This has become a must read series for me!

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RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

A MERCIFUL SECRET (Mercy Kilpatrick #3) by Kendra Elliot returns you to Mercy Kilpatrick’s world of rural central Oregon. This series gives you intriguing mystery/suspense plots and a view into the world of preppers, survivalists and anti-government sovereign citizens.

FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick is surprised at night on a rural road close to her hidden cabin by a young girl who flags her down from the side of the road. Mercy is led through the woods to a cabin where the girl’s grandmother is dying from multiple stab wounds. The Sabins, three generations of women; grandmother, mother and daughter have lived isolated in the woods and are rumored to be witches.

Mercy is later to learn a judge, hundreds of miles away is found slain in the exact same way brings her friend and fellow FBI agent from Portland to investigate both murders. Not one to be kept on the sidelines, Mercy along with Chief of Police Truman Daly insert themselves into the investigation. An old friend from Mercy’s high school days is implicated along with the daughter of the slain woman.

Rumors and secrets keep hindering the investigation until the explosive surprise climax.

This series just keeps getting better and better. The mystery plot in this third book is fast paced and the resolution was a surprise to me. This book also contains some flashback scenes from one of the suspects which add depth and understanding to her character and others. Mercy and Truman’s relationship takes a big leap after the climax of this story and I cannot wait to read more. I found it difficult to put this book down and I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series!

***

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

A MERCIFUL SILENCE (Mercy Kilpatrick #4) by Kendra Elliot is a cross between romantic suspense and mystery/suspense genres. Each book has a standalone mystery/suspense plot, but it also has a building romance involving the main characters of the series which may or may not be prominent in each story. The current book leans more towards being a police procedural with emotionally charged murders in the past and present with extremely high stakes for Mercy and Truman.

FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpartrick is called to the scene of a washed out road which exposes human skeletal remains. As she works to discover the identity of the remains, she remembers two families that were murdered in the exact same manner 20 years ago. The killer has always maintained his innocence and is still in prison. Copycat or has the wrong man been in prison all these years?

When the sole survivor of one of the old murdered families returns to town, Mercy is not sure what to make of the woman. She asks for Mercy’s help because she believes she is being stalked. Mercy feels she knows more than she is telling about that long ago murder. Is she somehow a part of the current murders or is she a lose end that needs to be eliminated?

As Mercy works her case, Eagle’s Nest Chief of Police Truman Daly has a unique traffic stop with a young man who shows illegal ID and claims to be a sovereign citizen. While jailed, he sends Truman a letter claiming he owns him 3 million dollars for an illegitimate arrest. Truman does not know whether to take this seriously or as a joke. These sovereign citizens do not want anyone interfering in their business. Truman and his police vehicle disappear and there is blood on the driveway.

I could not put this book down!

Mercy and Truman both go through so much in this book. Even as they are apart, it is the fight to get home to the other that gives them their strength. Mercy realizes no amount of prep can prepare her for everything. She learns it is OK to sometimes rely on family and friends. Truman’s love for Mercy is his strength and reason to continue on even when he thinks he cannot. This was definitely an edge-of-your-seat read with both cases having such high stakes.

I believe you should read this series in order as the characters grow and change in each book as in real life. I highly recommend this series. Mercy is a memorable character.

***

Author Biography

Kendra Elliot has landed on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list multiple times and is the award-winning author of the Bone Secrets and Callahan & McLane series, as well as the Mercy Kilpatrick novels: A Merciful Death, A Merciful Truth, and A Merciful Secret. Kendra is a three-time winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award, an International Thriller Writers finalist, and an RT Award finalist. She has always been a voracious reader, cutting her teeth on classic female heroines such as Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and Laura Ingalls. She was born, raised, and still lives in the rainy Pacific Northwest with her husband and three daughters, but she looks forward to the day she can live in flip-flops. Visit her at www.kendraelliot.com.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.kendraelliot.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKendraElliot 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KendraElliot

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6150778.Kendra_Elliot

Feature Post: A Merciful Fate by Kendra Elliot

Hi, everyone!

Below is the Feature Post for Kendra Elliot’s current release A MERCIFUL FATE (Mercy Kilpatrick #5). Included is an excerpt from the book, a book summary with info and social media links for the author . You will also see a Rafflecopter giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card and a digital copy of the book.

As you know, I would normally include my Book Review with the Feature Post, but I am on book #4 and I just cannot read these books out of order. The suspense/mystery in each book can standalone, but I just cannot skip ahead in Mercy and Truman’s lives. I LOVE these two characters and just cannot miss a minute of their relationship. My books review will be posted soon for this book.

As always, good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway and you really have to get to know Mercy! Good reading!

***

Excerpt: A Merciful Fate by Kendra Elliot

“Sit.”

Mercy sat on a stool that was too high for the makeshift table. She didn’t care. They could sit on the ground and she’d be happy with Truman. Currently the home had plywood subfloors and open framing, but part of Mercy loved the empty, bare look; it promised that something fabulous was coming.

Fabulous and practical.

Truman leaned over and poured red wine in the plastic cup by her paper plate. She sighed and buried her nose in her cup. The fragrance was deep and bold, with hints of plum and smoke.

“Italy,” she mumbled into the wine.

“What?” asked Truman.

“I want to visit Italy. How does a honeymoon in Italy sound?”

A grin filled his face, and the sensation of butterflies fluttered up her spine.

Or maybe it’s the wine.

She took a sip of her wine as she studied his face. So familiar and dear to her.

A smile to stop traffic. Eyes that crinkled in happiness. Several scars that testified to his love of law enforcement. Her attraction to him was more than skin deep. She was in love with the person he was. He was a natural leader and easily commanded respect. His people turned to him, followed him, admired him. His natural sense of honor was a magnet for her.

No. It’s not the wine.

He gets me.

He understood how her mind worked, and they fit together like a couple of complicated puzzle pieces. She’d been painfully aware of her missing puzzle piece when he’d been taken away, chained by men planning to kill him, and then rescued thanks to Ollie. The two weeks when no one knew his fate had been the worst of her life. When he’d been returned to her, she’d known she couldn’t waste any more time.

He’d been of the same mind-set and had proposed.

“I’ll try Italy.” He dished spaghetti carbonara onto their plates.

“And what’s on your agenda for tomorrow?” he asked over the rim of his plastic cup. She perked up. “The bank confirmed the money bags are from the Gamble-Helmet Heist. And I have the go-ahead to visit Shane Gamble at the Two Rivers prison tomorrow.”

“What are your thoughts on the remains?” Truman asked. “Did the medical examiner get to them yet?”

“Yes. They spent the afternoon removing the remains, and Dr. Lockhart was going to start an examination tonight. The woman never takes time off.”

“Same could be said for you.”

“Only when I’m deep in a case.”

“I guess this means your weekends are booked for a while?”

Mercy sighed. “I know. The two of us are supposed to be working on the interior of this place … We’ll get it done at some point. It’ll have to wait awhile.”

A grin filled his face.

“What?” she asked.

“You’re not the same person I met last fall. Back then, if the cabin had been in the half-completed state it is now, you’d be climbing the walls with anxiety because your safety net wasn’t perfect.”

“You’re right,” she agreed. “I had a similar thought earlier, but nearly all my supplies are still intact, so it’d be rough living but doable. I can temporarily live with that for now. Especially with this case to distract me.”

His lips twisted.

“Jealous?” she asked with a grin. “It’s an amazing case, isn’t it?”

“It is. Considering there have been no leads for decades, and the robbery is practically modern folklore. It’s like a buried treasure hunt, and Ollie found the first clue.”

“Is Ollie okay after his morning?” she asked with a small wince. She’d nearly forgotten the teen had made the grisly discovery.

“He’s okay. I spent some time with him and he was very quiet, but I could tell he was processing it. He’s dealt with death before.”

“He’s been through a lot,” sympathized Mercy.

They silently ate for a few moments until he glanced up and caught her staring at him. Longing shone in his eyes, an appetite and craving that had nothing to do with food, and she struggled to find her breath.

How does he do that to me?

“You know,” he said, his voice low and tempting, “this place hasn’t been christened yet.”

Mercy blinked. “People do that to homes?”

Patience filled his features. “That’s not what I meant.” His brown gaze held hers.

“Ohhh,” she breathed as heat flashed through her.

“Dessert.” His smile was sinful, and energy pulsed between them.

She melted. “Yes. Dessert.”

***

About the Book

Title: A Merciful Fate

Author: Kendra Elliot

Release Date: January 15, 2019

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Summary

Raised by preppers, survivalist and FBI agent Mercy Kilpatrick has a deep-rooted need for a safe place. Her getaway in the Cascade Foothills is her secret. But when skeletal remains are unearthed—those of a murdered man linked to a notorious heist—Mercy realizes she isn’t the only one with something to hide.

Thirty years ago, an armored-car robbery turned deadly. The mastermind was captured. Four conspirators vanished with a fortune. One of them, it appears, never made it out of the woods alive. For Mercy and her fiancé, Police Chief Truman Daly, their investigation opens old wounds in Eagle’s Nest that cut deeper than they imagined. Especially when a reckless tabloid reporter draws fresh blood. It’s clear to Mercy that somebody in this close-knit community is not who they seem to be.

Some are still shattered by the heist. Some still have reason to be afraid. But which one will kill again and again to hide three decades of secrets? To land this case, it’s up to Mercy to unmask a familiar stranger before someone else dies.

***

Author Biography

Kendra Elliot has landed on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list multiple times and is the award-winning author of the Bone Secrets and Callahan & McLane series, as well as the Mercy Kilpatrick novels: A Merciful Death, A Merciful Truth, and A Merciful Secret. Kendra is a three-time winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award, an International Thriller Writers finalist, and an RT Award finalist. She has always been a voracious reader, cutting her teeth on classic female heroines such as Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and Laura Ingalls. She was born, raised, and still lives in the rainy Pacific Northwest with her husband and three daughters, but she looks forward to the day she can live in flip-flops. Visit her at www.kendraelliot.com.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.kendraelliot.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKendraElliot 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KendraElliot

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6150778.Kendra_Elliot

***

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Book Review: Fatal Promise by Angela Marsons

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

FATAL PROMISE (D.I. Kim Stone #9) by Angela Marsons once again has an intriguing and thrilling series of crimes that need resolution, but this addition to the series also is heavily character driven as the team deals with the personal impact and upheaval from the previous book. NOTE: This book picks up almost immediately from the conclusion of Dying Truth (D.I. Kim Stone #8) and should definitely be read in order.

Kim has just had the cast removed from her broken leg and wants to get what remains of her team back together and get to work. She refuses to let her therapy and psychological evaluation slow her down when the brutally murdered body of Dr. Gordon Cordell, from her last case is found in a wooded park. She and Bryant have to uncover if this murder is tied to their last case or is this something new? When the bodies start adding up, they know they have a serial killer that needs to be stopped, but Kim is not her usual self and it is causing problems between herself and Bryant.

While Kim and Bryant are in the field, Stacy is also working a case of her own regarding a missing teen while dealing with a new team member in the desk across from her.

Kim, Bryant and Stacy are all working to solve their cases which are always full of twists and intrigue. This book though also has to deal with the tremendous grief from the last book for the characters as well as the readers. Kim returns to Ted, her therapist since childhood and we learn how she deals with her emotions. Bryant feels hurt over Kim’s silence while she is out on sick leave. He understands it, but it still causes friction between these two longtime friends. Stacy bottles up her grief and it affects her home life as well as being combative with the new member of the team. Ms. Marsons does an amazing job of dealing with each character’s individual grief and explaining Kim’s unique psychological make-up. The readers also get a look into the home life of the newest team member and why he is determined to stay and work to fit in with this team.

This book in the series is everything I was hoping for from this author and more!

Thanks very much to Bookouture and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC. This is an amazing series and cast of characters that I want to continue to read long into the future.

Book Review: Storm Rising by Sara Driscoll

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

STORM RISING (FBI K-9 Book #3) by Sara Driscoll is another exciting addition to the FBI K-9 series. This book has Meg Jennings and her search and rescue Labrador retriever, Hawk once again embroiled in a fast-paced plot that starts as a search and rescue after a hurricane and turns into a crime thriller involving human trafficking and the underage sex-slave trade.

In the wake of Hurricane Cole, all hands are on deck for rescues around Virginia Beach. Meg, Hawk and all of her FBI team members are sent to help search for survivors. Lt. Todd Webb is sent to assist as a paramedic/firefighter so they ride down together. As they are out together, Webb spots an overturned van in a creek bed. They rush to check it out and find two young girls tied to their seats dead. Meg and Hawk take over and search for anyone who might have escaped the van.

Hawk finds Emma, a runaway entrapped in a sex-slave ring. The case is turned over to Special Agent Walter Van Cleave, but due to Emma’s connection to Meg and Hawk, he asks for their help. Van and Meg join forces and soon realize that this case is much more complicated than a small-time syndicate. This case will take Van and Meg into the lives of powerful, influential people who all believe they are above the law.

Once again, this author had me completely engrossed in her plot and characters. Meg and Hawk make an amazing team. It is interesting to learn about the training and abilities of all the dogs on this FBI team. Meg, Cara, Webb and McCord are becoming quite the human team. Meg’s family and friends all have roles to play after the hurricane and I love to see how they have become more fleshed out as the series has continued. I hope to see more of Emma in future stories, also.

This book can be read as a standalone, but the relationships of all the main characters continues to grow and you become more attached with each book so I recommend reading them in order.

Thank you very much to Kensington Books, Sara Driscoll and Net Galley for allowing me to read this eARC.

Book Blitz and Book Review: The Doll Collector by Joanna Stephen-Ward

 

 

Hi, everyone!

Today is my turn on the book blitz for THE DOLL COLLECTOR by Joanna Stephen-Ward. Below you will find a book blurb, my book review and the author’s info.

This book was not exactly what I was expecting. It starts out with you following a truly despicable and twisted serial killer, but then it twists into something else. At times darkly funny, sometimes sinister and at times I had to put it down. I believe this will be one of those books everyone will have differing opinions about when they are done.

***

 

Book Blurb:

Murders that look like accidents. An accident that looks like murder.Book 

A couple and their young son burn to death in a house fire.

A girl dies from a nut allergy.

A woman falls under a train during the rush hour.

An accountant falls down the steps to his basement.

Their deaths appear to be accidents but Gloria knows they were murdered because she murdered them. And every time Gloria kills she buys a doll.

But how many dolls will she need to keep her satisfied?

When Gloria takes a room as a lodger her behaviour starts to spin out of control. Gloria wants love and happiness and friendship and she will do anything she can to get what she wants…

***

My Book Review:

RATING: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

THE DOLL COLLECTOR by Joanna Stephen-Ward is a psychological thriller that is twisted and not exactly what I was expecting. You start by following a despicable and vile serial killer, but then the story twists.

Gloria is a jealous, amoral, and sadistic serial killer. If she believes you have more than her, criticize her or just don’t agree with her, you could end up dead and a doll purchased in your honor to add to her collection. She has been evil since she was a child.

Maurice takes Gloria in as a boarder to help with his rent. Maurice does not realize who he has let into his home and Gloria’s delusions have her believing she has finally found a man to love her. But Maurice has secrets of his own and he finds himself becoming more desperate as each situation escalates.

This book started out as I was expecting from reading the blurb, but it quickly turned into more of a psychological thriller with an intertwined second plot-line with more despicable characters that are the cause of Maurice’s secrets and problems. Maurice was pathetic and not in any way heroic. Gloria was emotionally twisted and evil. There are times when I had to put the book down because Gloria and some of her actions disturbed me that much and yet there were also few times when the writing was darkly humorous.

I had a difficult time rating this book. Gloria is a killer to remember and her demise has a twisted justice to it, but then Maurice’s story goes on for a second plot-line resolution. Another ending is added where the second plot-line characters come out ahead or are served justice, but the two endings feel disjointed. I also had a problem with the doll collection. It was a great idea, but I felt it was not utilized enough times by Gloria during the book.

This is a book that I liked, but it had flaws for me. I do believe there will be a lot of discussion/opinions revolving around this book and characters.

***

About Joanna Stephen-Ward:

Joanna Stephen-Ward was born in the Australian outback, and grew up in Melbourne. Her school days were spent dreaming about being an opera singer or a writer. To the exasperation of her parents and teachers she spent her final year sitting at the back of the classroom writing a novel set in WW2.

When she left school she went to an opera school where she was taught drama, movement and language pronunciation and had small roles in the workshop productions. She was not good enough to become a professional opera singer, but the seeds of her novel Vissi d’arte were sown.

She left Australia and spent a year travelling around Europe and the UK. While working in outpatients for the NHS she met Peter and they married in 1985. They lived in Richmond Surrey and she worked at The National Archives, an enthralling place for anyone interested in history or crime.

Having been brought up as a lonely only child, she was astonished to discover in 2010 that she was one of eight children. She and her sister had last been together on a verandah in the outback when they were babies. They had a joyous reunion in Cornwall in 2012.

Joanna has written seven novels and is working on her eighth.

 

Joanna’s Social Media Links:
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/joanna.stephenward
Twitter https://twitter.com/OperaLover12 @ OperaLover12
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3020049.Joanna_Stephen_Ward

Blog https://outbackwriter.blogspot.com