SAY YOU’RE SORRY (Sacramento #1, Romantic Suspense #22) by Karen Rose is an edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense with a hero and heroine who are both damaged and yet extremely strong and a twisted serial killer who is only discovered when he picks the wrong victim. Every page of this dense thrill ride kept me guessing, surprised, tense and turning the pages. I love Karen Rose books and I feel this is the best Karen Rose romantic suspense to date!
Daisy Dawson is the sexy female voice on the morning drive
radio show. Daisy involves herself whole-heartedly in her community and events
with her emotional support dog, Brutus always in her carry bag. Seven years sober
and away from her extreme upbringing on an isolated ranch, Daisy has done her
best to live a normal life, until the night she confronts a man following her
and her friend from AA.
FBI Special Agent Gideon Reynolds would normally have
nothing to do with a local attack, but one of the detectives handling Daisy’s
attack recognizes the design on a locket that Daisy ripped from her attacker’s
neck. It is the same design that he once had tattooed on his chest. This is the
first lead Gideon has to another who may have escaped the cult he was raised in
until his escape at age 13.
When Gideon meets Daisy, he is surprised by his reaction to
her. He has never disclosed his full past to anyone and yet he has the need to
tell it all to Daisy. Daisy and Gideon are immediately thrown into a maelstrom of
murders and as much as Gideon protects Daisy, Daisy will surprise Gideon with
how prepared she is to face these threats on her own.
Thank goodness this is the first book in this new Sacramento series because I want so MUCH more! There is so much happening on these 640 pages. You have a current serial killer to catch and then you have a secretive, perverted religious cult to learn about and find which will story arc into future books. Gideon and Daisy are absolutely brilliant together. All of the secondary characters are starting to take shape and you want to know all of their secrets, too. This is an amazing start to this series and I am anxiously awaiting more!
Thanks so much to Berkley Publishing Group and Net Galley
for allowing me to read this eARC. It was everything I am looking for in a
romantic suspense and more.
I am so happy to bring you this Feature Post on Erin Nicholas’ new book NICE AND EASY (Boys of the Big Easy #3). This entire series is smokin’ hot and makes you want to get to NOLA immediately to find one of these boys for yourself.
Below you will find the book blurb and an excerpt, my book review and all of the author’s contact information. There is also a link to get the first book in the series Easy Going for FREE.
***
Nice and Easy, an all-new sexy
standalone in the Boys of the Big Easy series from New York Times bestselling author Erin Nicholas available now!
A
hot firefighter who just wants to take care of her and her little boy? Sign her
up.
Moving
in with him and his little girl who already has a huge chunk of her heart? Very
nice.
Roommates
with benefits? Yes, please.
Convincing this take-charge alpha to let her take care of him too? That’s not going to be as easy.
Lexi could feel Caleb’s breath on her lips, and his
bunched muscles under her palm were hot and hard. She stared at his mouth. He
stared at hers. And she decided that if he wasn’t going to look at her breasts,
looking at her mouth like he was starving and she was a grilled BLT—his
favorite food in the world—was just fine with her.
Being compared, even in her own head, to a grilled BLT
might not seem sexy, but in her mind, it so was. Caleb devoured those
sandwiches. He’d do almost anything for one. He made sexy moaning sounds when
he first tasted them. And he’d proclaimed that hers were the best he’d ever
tasted. Yeah, put that way, along with the schnapps still coating her brain, it
was strangely sexy.
“Caleb.”
She watched his pupils dilate and his jaw clench.
Her hand went to the front of his shirt and she
bunched it in her fists, watching his eyes. He didn’t try to stop her. Then she
tugged, urging him forward.
And he came,
the hand next to her hip pressing into the mattress as she tipped her head to
one side. Their lips touched. Softly. Briefly. But she felt it all the way to
her bones. Heat, want, relief. She
suddenly had to have more. She made a
little almost-a-sob sound and licked her tongue along his lower lip.
“Lex.”
Her name was more of a groan than a word. It was the
sexiest thing she’d ever heard.
“Caleb,”she breathed.
Then the next
groan became the sexiest thing she’d ever heard. It was a combination of hunger
and resignation, and she felt like he’d just set her nerve endings on fire.
Suddenly, Caleb’s hand came up to cup the back of her
head, his fingers diving into her hair. And he took over.
His mouth opened over hers and his tongue stroked deep
and hot. Every glide of his tongue felt as though he was running a finger over
her clit. Some were firmer, some softer, some longer, some shorter, and her
need ratcheted up with each one.
She ran her hands over his chest to his shoulders and
up the sides of his neck, loving the hard muscles and the heat under her palms.
Then she slid her hands down his sides to the bottom of his shirt. She slipped
her hands underneath, moaning as she met hot, bare skin. He sucked in a quick
breath and she smiled against his lips, loving having an effect on him.
And suddenly she was on her back and Caleb was moving over
her. Her hands slid to his back, the muscles there bunching as he braced
himself above her, still kissing her like it was his job. Instinctively, she
slid her legs apart and he settled between them. The comforter was between
them, but she felt him hard and hot and deliciously heavy against her. The feel
of his cock pressed against her made her ache. She’d done that to him. She’d
made him hard.
Hallelujah.
***
Start the Boys
of the Big Easy series for FREE with Easy Going!
NICE AND EASY (Boys of the Big Easy #3) by Erin Nicholas is
another smokin’ hot contemporary romance which makes you want to travel down
south and try to grab one of these boys for yourself. This series is based
around a single parent group in NOLA and each book focuses on one of the
parents becoming a HEA couple. The books can be read as standalones per couple,
but the characters do help each other out and build on their relationships
throughout each book as in real life.
Lexi Scott is one of the younger members of the single parent
group. She has been living with her mom while attending nursing school and raising
her baby son, Jack.
Lieutenant Caleb Moreau is used to being in complete control
and in charge. He and his men save people from burning buildings. When his
sister and brother-in-law are killed in a car accident, Caleb is suddenly the
guardian of his little niece, Shay and joins the single parent group for
support.
For two years Lexi and Caleb have found that their hectic
schedules work for sharing the raising of their kids, but Lexi has always
wanted more. Caleb knows Lexi wants him, but he is afraid that she wants him
out of gratitude for all he does. When circumstances have Lexi and Jack moving
in with Caleb and Shay, these two are going to find out that they do not know
each other as well as they thought.
There is so much happening in this story. As in all of the
other Boys of the Big Easy books, Lexi and Caleb have their chance at romance,
but there is a little more going between with this couple. Lexi wants to be
dominated in the bedroom. Role playing, spanking and submission are included in
this romance. There are several serious scenes with Caleb trying to learn that
he cannot always control everything and Shay’s long-term prognosis to deal
with. This book is as hot and fun as it is serious and Erin Nichols balances it
all to perfection!
This author just keeps giving me more great stories and characters. I am looking forward to many more books in this series.
***
About Erin
Nicholas
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Erin Nicholas has been writing
romances almost as long as she’s been reading them. To date, she’s written over
thirty sexy, contemporary novels that have been described as “toe-curling,”
“enchanting,” “steamy,” and “fun.” She adores reluctant heroes, imperfect
heroines, and happily ever afters.
Erin lives in the Midwest,
where she enjoys spending time with her husband (who only wants to read the sex
scenes in her books), her kids (who will never read the sex scenes in her
books), and her family and friends (who claim to be “shocked” by the sex scenes
in her books).
JAKE’S REDEMPTION: THE ANGEL EYES SERIES PREQUEL by Jamie
Schulz Is a full length prequel to a new dystopian, western, sci-fi romance
mash-up series. This story pulled me in right from the first chapter. The
author brings you into a new world order in which females are in charge and the
institution of slavery has reappeared. All of the characters in this book have
survived the war, but some are much more damaged than others.
*WARNING: This book is written with authenticity to the sci-fi
story so there are triggers for more sensitive readers which include scenes of
abuse, torture, non-consent, rape and slavery.
Jake Nichols is trapped and enslaved. After two years of
torture and abuse by his sadistic owner, he is loaned out to a neighboring
fledgling rancher who needs his services as a builder. What he discovers is an
owner unlike his Mistress, who does not believe in cruelty and submission. He
begins to feel like the man he was before he was captured, but this is only a
temporary reprieve. As much as he dares to hope for a future on the ranch with
his new owner, he is afraid he must try to escape before he is returned to his
Mistress. Death would be better than returning.
Monica Avery has given up on finding love. She works instead
at sheltering those under her care from the harsh realities of this new
society. When Jake comes to work for her, she is intrigued by him. He wants
nothing to do with the females on the ranch, but he shows his caring nature
with his treatment of the children and his respect of those who work with him.
Monica wants Jake to care for her, but she knows he has been damaged and is
just starting to trust she is not like other females. Can she rescue Jake from returning
to a captivity that will destroy him?
As the slow burning romance between Jake and Monica grows,
you are introduced to a whole host of secondary characters. Ms. Schulz has done
a great job of world-building. I never felt bogged down by info or character overload.
Every scene was interesting and integral to the plot and world-building. This
is an emotionally charged story of a dark future where it does not seem females
learned their lessons from the past. If you are looking for an extremely well
written new story that is different from the norm, I can definitely recommend this
book to you. I am anxiously waiting for the next book in this proposed six book
series!
Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.
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.
Today’s Feature Post and Book Review is for Tracy Brogan’s MY KIND OF FOREVER (Trillium Bay #2). This blog post includes a message from the author, an excerpt from the book, my book review, the author’s social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway.
I know you are going to love Brooke and all of the entertaining and quirky characters of Trillium Bay. Enjoy this addition to the series, which can easily be read as a standalone and good luck on the Rafflecopter giveaway!
***
Guest Post:
The Risks (and Rewards) of Dating in A Small Town by Tracy Brogan
MY KIND OF
FOREVER is the second book in the Trillium Bay series set on a small island in
Northern Michigan, and tells the story of thirty-five year old Brooke Callaghan
who has just been elected as the youngest, and first female, mayor the town has
ever had. As the oldest of three sisters, Brooke is accustomed to taking charge
and bossing others around, but the stodgy, long-time members of the decisively
not-modern city council are determined to keep the status quo. In fact, the
only one who seems to take Brooke seriously is Leo Walker, the new bartender
whose reasons for being on the island are both short-term and known to him
alone.
Despite a
budding attraction to Leo, Brooke knows she needs to focus on mastering her new
job, especially when rumors of a jewel thief hiding out on the island begin to
circulate and the well-established rumor mills goes into overdrive. And
speaking of rumors, Brooke is more than a little concerned with what the
townspeople might say if they discover she and Leo are spending time alone.
Coming from such a small community, in this case a village with a winter
population of just six hundred people, people’s private lives rarely stay
private, and modest, pragmatic Brooke doesn’t like the extra attention.
Especially since a bad relationship from her past has left her overly cautious.
Although determined to prove to her neighbors and family she’s got what it takes to be a great mayor, with Leo’s encouragement, Brooke comes to realize she’s also entitled to address a few of the more personal aspects of her life, such as finding romance. But when things with Leo get rocky, she falls back into old patterns, believing that love is too elusive and not for women like her. Fortunately, the local community knows otherwise. They see the real Brooke, the one she thinks is hidden. They know her dedication and intelligence and worth, and they know she deserves to have it all. They know she deserves to have a forever kind of love. And so does Leo.
***
My Kind of
Forever Excerpt
“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” Leo said after everyone else had
left and I remained seated in the small meeting room holding my aching head in
my hands. “But it sounds like you have your work cut out for you.”
Wow. Did I ever. I’d just spent the past two hours listening to so-called adults
bickering about a litany of arbitrary topics. Should Polly’s Popcorn Shop be
allowed to sell day-old products? Could the street sweepers add five minutes to
their afternoon break? Who was going to play Santa during the Christmas Parade
if Harry didn’t come back in time? And the biggest topic of the day? Did
everyone see the awnings Tasty Pastries had put up, and who on earth had
approved that?
“It’s like they couldn’t even hear me talking,” I said, looking up
at him for a response, just to reassure myself that I was, in fact, speaking
out loud.
He picked up an empty glass with one hand while wiping a ring of
condensation off the table with a damp rag. “I’m not sure they could hear each
other talking. Seemed like a lot of monologuing without any listening.”
“But I had an agenda.” I shook my paper at him, now covered in
notes that I’d scribbled in the margins about all the other things I
wanted to discuss. Things I would have discussed if I could have gotten a word
in edgewise. The only one who didn’t interrupt me was my own father, but that’s
because he didn’t say anything the entire time. Not unusual for him, but I had
hoped to demonstrate a little more power over that cluster of clucking hens.
“They were worse than teenagers. I have so many great ideas, but all they care
about is the awnings.”
Leo wiped another spot off the table. “What ideas?” He gazed down
at me, and I noted how dark blue his eyes were. Depths-of-the-ocean kind of
blue. The kind of eyes that made every glance feel significant, even if it
meant nothing at all. A flutter of something long-forgotten tickled inside my
veins. Attraction. Followed by an immediate need to ignore it.
“Oh, all kinds of ideas.” I smiled tiredly and pushed myself up,
because it was nearly five thirty and the Palomino Pub would start filling up
with the evening crew pretty soon. “I’ll get out of the way now so you can have
the room for dinner guests.”
“Speaking of dinner,” he said, “I’m new around here, so I was
wondering, what restaurants do you like?”
“Oh, we have lots of great places to eat. All price ranges. The
Windemere Grill is right down on the corner. There’s the Imperial Hotel dining
room if you want something elegant. The Feast Well Bistro, Carmen’s Café, and
Tate’s Tavern on the Bluff are good, too. At the tavern, you can watch the sun
set behind Petoskey Bridge. It’s a great view. And for breakfast, I recommend
Link & Patty’s Breakfast Buffet. The pink piggy décor is a little much, but
the pancakes are the best.”
“Are you suggesting we have dinner and breakfast?”
His dark eyebrow arched just as the corner of his mouth quirked in a
ridiculously endearing fashion.
I pushed in my chair with an abrupt scrape. “Excuse me?”
“I was inviting you to dinner. You were inviting me to breakfast.”
That flutter of attraction multiplied even as my mouth fell open
for a second. I’m sure it was a great look on me. “I wasn’t. And you weren’t.
Were you?”
He laughed, and even though it might have been at my expense, the
sound of it sent a flush over my skin and a tingle to places that hadn’t
tingled for a very long time.
“I was inviting you to dinner, but not very well, apparently. I’ve
been on the island a few days, but I don’t know anyone here, so would you like
to have dinner with me?”
I was starving. And he was handsome. And new in town. And looked to be roughly my age. There was no history, no baggage, no reason to say no. But it had been so long since anyone had asked me out, it nearly felt improper. Everyone knew me around here. Everyone would know that we’d had dinner, and certainly everyone would have an opinion about it. And it’s not as if we could go someplace private because there was no place private on the entire island. And there was that issue of the flutter. I didn’t want to be fluttering. Fluttering led to heartbreak.
***
My Book Review
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
MY KIND OF FOREVER (Trillium Bay #2) by Tracy Brogan is a charming
contemporary romance. This cozy romance has an adult romance with no explicit
sex, an endearing and funny heroine, a handsome newcomer, a quirky island population
and a side mystery to be solved. This is the second book in this series, but it
can be easily read as a standalone.
Brooke Callaghan is the new mayor of Trillium Bay on Wenniway
Island. She is the first female and the youngest person to ever hold that
position. It is quite a change from her role as a school teacher on the island,
but she is excited about the challenge. Between her new job as mayor and dealing
with all the town’s characters and her own extended family, she does not want
to be attracted to this new, handsome stranger. Brooke wants forever, not just
a few weeks.
Leo Walker is a newcomer to the island and is hired as a bartender at the local pub. He is handsome, single and interested in Brooke. Leo says he is on the island for a break after the security company he worked for closed down and to write a book. There is definitely chemistry between Leo and Brooke, but he will not commit to staying on the island.
A strange private investigator shows up in Trillium Bay and
claims there is jewel thief hiding on the island, but Brooke knows of no new
islander except the new bartender. Rumors are all over town and everyone has a
different tale to tell. What will Brooke do when she discovers long held
secrets and the real reason Leo is on the island?
I loved Brooke and all of her family and friends. To have a friend that makes specialty pasties for dancers, a grandmother who wants to send the ashes of her exes up in fireworks and all the others island characters had me laughing several times throughout the story. This is a cozy romance with a mystery thrown in that surprised me with its resolution. I will definitely be looking for more to read from the entertaining Trillium Bay series.
***
About the Book
Title: My Kind of Forever
Author: Tracy Brogan
Release Date: January 22, 2019
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Summary
As the youngest mayor Trillium Bay has ever elected, Brooke Callaghan wants to prove she’s up to the challenge. She’s stepping out of her practical teacher flats and into her sister’s treacherously high heels…with disastrous results. But if she’s going to (literally) stumble her first day on the job, why not fall into the arms of a handsome stranger?
Leo Walker is a rarity on Wenniway Island. Not only handsome, he’s also single, funny, and—most importantly—interested in Brooke. Unfortunately, his reasons for being on the island are temporary, so in spite of the undeniable chemistry between them, he’s not a forever kind of guy.
When a private investigator arrives with news of a jewel thief hiding on the island, Brooke finds herself dealing with one kerfuffle after another, and Leo proves to be a delicious distraction. What does she really know about him, though? And the biggest question of all? Does this short-term romance hold the possibility of long-term love?
***
Author Biography
Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestselling
author Tracy Brogan is a three-time Romance Writers of America RITA finalist
for her Bell Harbor series. She writes fun, funny stories about ordinary people
finding extraordinary love, and she lives in Michigan with her two brilliant daughters
and their two intellectually challenged dogs. She loves to hear from readers,
so check out her website at www.tracybrogan.com.
You can also follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tracybroganwriter.
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!
***
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.
***
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!
***
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.
