Kendra Elliot scores another hit with this first book in her new Mercy Kilpatrick series.

Set in the small town of Eagle's Nest in the rugged Oregon mountains, the story revolves around Mercy Kilpatrick, a woman brought up in the world of preppers...people who believe that you should be prepared for any disaster at all times.  Estranged from her family as a teen, she left home and put herself through college, eventually joining the FBI. A series of murders in her home town brings Mercy back; back to a town that houses secrets that she would prefer remain hidden. As more preppers are murdered, Mercy reluctantly joins forces with the town sheriff to hunt down the elusive "cave man", a local legend who they discover is to blame for more than just the current murders. 

A must read for all Elliot fans!

As always with her books it's fantastic!  She never disappoints!!

Overall, was very well written, it captivates the audience with intrigue, mystery and danger.  The character were strong and the story-telling pushed one's imagination. It was a typical story-line. I was enthralled from beginning to the end.  Look forward to reading more from this author.

I read a couple books by this author. I didn't love them and I wasn't sure if it was because of the characters or the writing. Unfortunately after reading A Merciful Death, I believe it is the writing that I didn't care for. I just don't seem to connect with them like I do in other books.
I won't totally rule out reading more books by this author but I probably won't be jumping up and down excited to read one.
I hope my opinion changes on her writing because I don't like to give bad or negative feedback. My mind will stay open on her future writing.

The main character grew up in a prepper family.  This caused me some hesitation as I read; I was afraid this would be a spoofish character or one portrayed foolishly.  I should have trusted the author.  Leigh has created a complex character who uses her unusual background to help her solve the murders occuring in the book.  Indeed, all of the characters are crafted in a believable way. 

The focus in this book is on the mystery, not the romance.  The relationship between Mercy and Truman, FBI Investigator and Police Chief, moves slowly and realistically.  

I plan to read other Leigh books as I understand Mercy's character originated as a secondary character in another series.  I look forward to more of Leigh's books.

Great new start to a series! I loved Mercy and Truman. This one was engrossing, and I loved the suspense!

Mercy Kilpatrick is an FBI agent who was raised off the grid as a prepare. Truman Daly has been chief of police in a small Oregon town for a few months. When his uncle is killed, Mercy is sent in to investigate. The murder took place in Mercy's hometown, where she hasn't been back for years. As she and Truman collaborate on the investigation, they start to develop feelings for one another.

This one was a great balance of romance and suspense. It was fast paced and fun to read. I can't wait for more in the series!

Outstanding! May be Elliot's best yet! Background subject isn't a familiar subplot, was very intriguing and interesting. Story kept a steady pace and kept me guessing! Loved it! *netgalley

This is a good novel that presents the world of the survivalists and preppers, people that prepare to survivive an apocalyptic event and I found it really interesting.

More than the investigation into the murder of 3 preppers, this is a story where the secrets of a family - Mercy Kilpatrick's family - are revealed and it's quite disturbing as is the ending. I found myself more interested in knowing what happened 15 years ago that led Mercy to abandon her family and town and never reached them for any kind of contact. Even the romance that's hinted at between Mercy and Truman took a secondary level of interest for me, but I'm very interested in reading more about them and see where they go now.

FBI agent Mercy Kilpatrick and Chief Truman make a good team. Someone's killing preppers and it has similarities to a past case that almost destroyed Mercy's family. Mercy was a chick I could get a coffee or cocktail with. She had feelings but isnt a push over & I like that. I can see many books in this series because there are great characters in this book.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

Didn't hate it, but didn't love it like some of her other books.  Mercy Kirkpatrick left at a young age after becoming estranged with her family.  This family were preppers, and now the preppers are being killed and she returns as an FBI agent involved in case, and they are similar to cold cases.  She has secrets, and a love interest Truman Daly, who is the police chief in charge and he would love to know these secrets.  As always unexpected stuff comes out.  Start to new series.

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

Mercy Kilpatrick is a special agent in the FBI. She is returning to her hometown Eagle's Nest with her partner Eddie. Someone has already murdered three preppers. A prepper is some one who lives off the grid and stocks up on things to eat and fuel and water. Mercy thinks that the massive amount of weapons that are stolen at each murder might have something to do with domestic terrorism. She meets police chief Truman Daley who is the nephew of one of the murder victims. He is going to work the investigation with Mercy because he wants the killer caught and brought to justice. Except for visiting in the previous summers he has only lived in Eagle's Nest for six months. Mercy basically tells Chief Daley it takes a couple of decades and plenty of family roots to be let into the inner circle of Eagle's Nest.

Mercy should know she grew up in Eagle's Nest, but something that happened fifteen years ago had her leave and be shunned by her family. When she stops into the local coffee shop her partner points out that the girl who is making their coffee looks just like Mercy. It is her niece who she doesn't know and her brother who is running the place. Both parties act like they don't know each other.

Mercy and Daley are working the investigation together. They are trying to figure out who and what murdered the three dead prepper's. These three murders have similarities to things that went on fifteen years ago. The three prepper murders link back to those past events. Special Agent Mercy and Chief Daley look as though they could be striking up a romance, They both have secrets and baggage that they are hiding and want to keep it that way. I am looking forward to the second book in this series.



Thank you to Net Galley, Kendra Elliot and the publisher for my ARC for an honest and fair review.

An FBI agent goes back to her childhood hometown to solve a series of murders that have one thing in common.  They were all survivalist and they all appeared to have been killed to get their stash of weapons.   As Agent Mercy Kilpatrick tries to fit the pieces together, her own secrets starts rushing through.  Now she's caught between the past and the present and a killer that remains on the loose.

A Merciful Death is steadily paced with a tone that borders on edginess.  A mystery suspense that would have readers clueless until the very end.  The characters of both Mercy and Truman are well developed, you get invested in their characters.  Add in a tightly woven plot and A Merciful Death will have you craving for more.

Montlake Romance and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of A Merciful Death.  This is my honest opinion of the book.

FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick was brought up by her survivalist parents, learning to live off the grid since her childhood in Eagle's Nest, Oregon.  A predator targeting the preppers from her hometown has brought Mercy back to the area and to the people that she has not seen for 15 years.  Due to Mercy's unique set of qualifications, she is the ideal agent to help get a handle on this case.  When Mercy comes face to face with her past, will she finally be able to put it all behind her?  Will the uneasy cooperation with the Police chief of Eagle's Nest, Truman Daly, help or hurt the FBI's search for the killer?

A Merciful Death was well paced and features a great main character in Mercy Kilpatrick.  Her strength comes through clearly, with her flaws making her human.  I am a big fan of police procedural/FBI thrillers and this book definitely delivers.  The book is suspenseful and keeps you guessing as to the identity of the perpetrator.  I look forward to reading the next book in the series, as I would like to see the evolution of Mercy into the future.  I would recommend A Merciful Death to readers who enjoy police procedural/FBI thrillers.

In Kendra Elliot’s newest novel “A Merciful Death,” Mercy Kilpatrick is an FBI agent who is sent to investigate the murders of three elderly men who have a common goal of preparing for a catastrophic event.  Mercy takes her job seriously, but the last place she wants to go is her hometown.  Mercy left home after a confrontation with her father and returning home and encountering her family is overwhelming, but she is a professional and when she sees a connection to a crime spree that occurred when she was younger she joins forces with Truman Daly the local chief of police.  Truman has a personal interest in the local murders because one of the victims was his uncle and the reason he has the job in Eagles Nest, Oregon. Truman and Mercy work diligently to solve the crime while they explore their mutual attraction in this fast-paced thriller that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat until the nail-biting climax.

this is the first book in a new series by this author. The author has an amazing way of bringing you fantastic characters, outstanding plots, lots of twists and turns and plenty of suspense, making this a very gripping story. I just couldn't put it down till id got to the end and then I was left wanting more and more. I cant wait to read more from this author in the future.  

Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book

Thank you for allowing me to review this book in exchange for an honest review. That's easy this is her best book yet. It kept my interest from the beginning, I wanted to know the whom and why of it. I like that it has romance and mystery. The main character Mercy is a tough FBI agent but also has a very vulnerable side and a secret she has tried to bury for 15 years. Mercy is assigned to go back to her home town to investigate the murders of harmless elderly preppers and theft of a large amount of guns. Truman  is the Chief of police whom she must work with. What will she do when she encounters bothers and sisters and parents she' was shunned from so long ago. Will they refuse to acknowledge her? Truman knows Mercy is hiding something but does it have to do with the case and why is her family estranged? What happened all those years ago?  Will she find who is doing the killing and could a secret she's held for all those years have saved them? Mercy must decide how much she can tell Truman and what is she to do about their mutually growing attraction? Great reads! Page turner you won't want to put down.

FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick is sent to help on a case in a small  Oregon town. Local "preppers" have been killed and their stash of weapons taken. It is the last place she expects to be sent, her home town. She left 15 years ago after a family incident, and hopes to keep her return quiet.  When she discovers a connection to these murders and two that happened years ago she knows her quiet return is not going to happen.  The local Chief is an outsider and is intrigued by what Mercy is hiding, a secret that could end her career. They work together to solve the case with a bit of attraction brewing.  Mercy's struggle with who she was and who she has become was the heart of the story for me and very well communicated.  I look forward to see how this character develops.

A Merciful Death
Mercy Kilpatrick, Book #1
Kendra Elliot
5 Stars

Synopsis:

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… (Goodreads)

Review:

The characters are well developed, well rounded and three dimensional.  Mercy is one tough lady.  She has had a rough childhood and she left home many years ago.  But she was able to make something of herself and she is one tough FBI agent.  When she is on a case, she does not back down and she will do whatever it takes to solve the case.  Truman, the police chief, also has a past that he is trying to overcome.  For him, the killings are personal because his uncle has been murdered.  He will do anything to find the killer and bring justice for his uncle’s death.  He knows that teaming up with Mercy will improve his chances immensely.  I enjoyed the interactions between Mercy and Truman, and we got more of an insight into their personalities through these interactions.  The secondary characters were also well developed and add another dimension to the story.

The writing styles flows smoothly and the book is an easy read.  The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book, I felt like I was seeing things through the eyes of a bystander.  The mystery was carried on well throughout the book and there were enough red herrings thrown in that I kept changing my mind about the murders.  

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted romantic suspense.  I have read many books by this author and they have all been top notch.  She is at the top of my list as a must read author.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.  I would like to thank NetGalley and Montlake Romance for the opportunity to read and review this book.