A Merciful Secret is the third book in the Mercy Kilpatrick series. Just like the other two, the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat until the bitter end. Kendra Elliot continues to write stories that draw you deep into the minds of the characters and really want to know why things are happening. Although I figured out who the killer was early on, I doubted myself until it got close to the end. There was a lot of information that made me think I could be wrong. The twists and turns kept coming.

The series focuses on FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick and her growing relationship with Eagle’s Nest Police Chief Truman Daly. And of course, there’s always a mystery to be solved when Mercy is involved. This time, she stumbles upon a little girl looking for help on the road in the middle of the night. The little girl leads her to a cabin in the woods where an older lady, the little girl’s grandmother has been stabbed multiple times. The woman eventually dies in front of Mercy. Consequently, Mercy makes it a point to figure out who the murderer was although it isn’t technically her investigation. The investigation takes on a life of it’s on as it seems to be connected to the murder of a high-profile judge. From there, the body count begins to rise but the suspect list doesn’t. The little girl’s mother seems to be in the middle of everything but the FBI is having trouble finding her. Oddly enough, trouble also seems to find the mother too. That’s about all that I can say without giving too much away.

A Merciful Secret was another well crafted mystery. The characters were well developed and I appreciated the fact that this was not a typical mystery. You get to see relationships develop during the course of the investigation which make you more invested in the main characters. Yet, there is still a lot about them that I would like to know. A Merciful Secret was very realistic and felt like it could really happen. I hope that there are more Mercy Kilpatrick novels to come.

FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick is not only a dedicated agent, she is also a 'prepper' ... a person who believes a catastrophic disaster or emergency is likely to occur in the future and makes active preparations for it, typically by stockpiling food, ammunition, and other supplies. Raised off the grid by her survivalist parents, this way of living is something very normal for her.

She has a cabin deep in the woods where she goes every chance she gets. It's in these woods where a young girl hails her and asks for help. Her grandmother needs help. She finds the girl's grandmother dying of multiple stab wounds.

Calling her Police Chief Truman Daly, they discover that a judge, miles away. was also killed in the same way. What is the collection between the judge and an elderly woman known as a with, complete with potions and spells?

This is the 3rd in a series of 4 books featuring Mercy Kilpatrick and Truman Daly. Although this one is okay as a stand alone, I highly recommend starting at the beginning. This has been a highly suspenseful series. The 4th book is due out June 2018.

The book is well written with a great plot and many credible characters. Categorized as a Romantic Suspense, this is much more suspense than romance. The suspense builds and builds until the surprising, explosive ending.

Many thanks to the author / Montlake Romance / Netgalley for the digital copy of this Romantic Suspense. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

This is my first Mercy Kilpatrick book but I'm so hooked. I cannot wait to go back and read the first two books.

A crazy web of secrets and pain and death. This book is both three tragic ending of lives and relationships and the beginnings of new ones.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mercy Kilpatrick was raised as doomsday prepper. Now she has broken away from her family,and works for the FBI. Even so she cant break all ties from her former world. In this instalment we meet Mercy driving back from her cabin in the woods. Its late at night and conditions are snowy, when she almost runs over a little girl called Morrigan. Thinking she has been hit Mercy finds out the blood isn't the little girls. It belongs to her grandmother Olivia. Morrigan begs Mercy to help her grandmother. They rush back to the cabin, and find Olivia barely hanging onto life. Losing too much blood from her mutilated body. Its not too long before another body is found with the same knife marks. The police are desperate to find Sabin the daughter of Olivia and mother to the little girl. As the reader learns all the pieces in the puzzle. It starts to look like Sabine is responsible for the deaths. Can the law unravel the past to find out what happened? Kendra Elliot did a fantastic job weaving all the elements together for a suspenseful read. Highly recommended for fans of romantic suspense.

I always know I’m in for a treat with a new release from Kendra Elliott. When I received an invitation from the publisher, via Net-Galley, I eagerly agreed to read and review the third book in her Mercy Kilpatrick series.

As with all of Ms. Elliot’s books, the characters are real and flawed, the plot is intriguing and there’s plenty of emotions running high. One of the things I enjoy most about her books is the suspenseful scenes. She has a way of keeping me on the edge of my seat from the first page until the last.

I love Mercy’s character and in each of these books, it only grows stronger. While she’s complicated and has a lot of pent-up issues, she never lets them hold her back. She’s fierce in her determination to be the best FBI agent possible and protects her niece like a mama bear.

Truman is a drool-worthy hero any woman will love, and I’m one of them. He’s an honorable, caring man, and he’s so patient with Mercy’s trust issues. He never lets anything rattle him, whether it’s a case or Mercy.

While the romance is secondary in A Merciful Secret, it’s still strong and adds a lot to the story. The suspense in this book builds as the tale of mystery and intrigue unfolds. Ms. Elliott does a fantastic job of keeping the true villain under the radar until the climax. I never suspected a thing.

There is a strong secondary plot interwoven throughout this book, intricately tied to the main storyline. Salome and her daughter were interesting characters and added a great deal. There is a huge surprise at the end, which really tied this one up exceedingly well.


If you enjoy a novel with plenty of high suspense with a great “who-done-it plot,” then you will absolutely love A Merciful Secret. I do recommend reading the other two books in this series before reading this book so you’ll fully appreciate Mercy and Truman. Happy reading!

Kendra Eliot’s new “Mercy Kilptrick” series continues with the latest release, “A Merciful Secret”, as Police Chief Truman Daly and Mercy Kilpatrick cruise into a relationship, taking care of her niece and slowly easing into mending fences with her family.

But then there’s never a day off for the law enforcement, as Mercy becomes a key witness in the murder of a little girl’s grandmother. With a similar related murder of a renowned judge, Mercy gets drawn into age-old secrets of the past of her hometown, and the consequences that follow the next generation.

“A Merciful Secret” is an intriguing and emotional story of a mother and daughter surviving a past that wants to kill them, a story riddled with secrets that tears a family apart, and a story that devastates Mercy’s very life and soul.

Keeping the dynamics of the Kilpatrick family in light, Kendra Elliot weaves another intense story of secrets and betrayal, pain and loss, death and devastation, even as she strengthens the relationship between Truman and Kilpatrick. I’ve always loved her prowess of developing a personal relationship, layer-by-layer, book-by-book

Received an ARC from Montlake Romance via Net Galley for an honest review.

I love books by Kendra Elliot and its always nice to read one that has the same characters in it. Lots of action, a great story line interspersed with some romance.

I really love this series featuring Mercy Kilpatrick, an FBI agent who owns a cabin that she maintains as a place she can live in and be prepared for any disaster thst may occur. On the way back into town from her cabin a little girl runs in front of Mercy's truck and leads her back to her home in the woods where her grandmother lays dying from knife wounds. With the help of her boyfriend, Police Chief Truman Daly, Mercy has vowed to find the murderer and keep this little girl safe! This is a very fast-paced, engaging story with a surprise ending. Highly recommend!

This is the third book in this series by this author. I always jump at the chance to read this author, you are always guaranteed a gripping read. This is definitely a fast paced read, hooking you from the first page. This author always brings you strong characters and this book is no exception. This story is full of twists and turns and plenty of suspense. I can't wait to read more from this author in the future.
Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book

A Merciful Secret is the third book in the incredible Mercy Kilpatrick series by bestselling author Kendra Elliot. A riveting, thrilling, suspense with a touch of romance that's a definite must read! It was a captivating story with complex characters, quirky humor, mystery, suspense, intense situations, and intriguing twists and turns. This emotional roller-coaster of a story will capture you right from the start, and hold you captive long after the last word is read. Another fantastic book by Elliot, and a great addition to this excellent series.

I absolutely love this book, and series! The plot was engaging and intriguing, the characters are easy to connect with, and the mystery and suspense aspects will keep you guessing until the very end. Elliot knows how to draw the reader in, while also making it feel like you're visiting old friends. I was surprised, but extremely happy, with the unexpected visit of a character from another of the authors series. It was an outstanding story, and I couldn't put it down until the very end. I'm looking forward to the next book in this incredible series.

Fast paced and chock full of adventure, equaled a very fast read and left a lot of room for the final twists that culminated in an edge-of-the-seat, nail-biting finale! Definitely recommended.

A Merciful Secret is a fantastic FBI mystery. The book has a great plot with well thought out characters and scenes. This book kept me on the edge of my seat. If you enjoy a good suspense I recommend this book

A Merciful Secret is the excellent third romantic suspense book in the Mercy Kilpatrick series written by author Kendra Elliot. Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for the advance copy.

Mercy Kilpatrick is no ordinary FBI agent. Raised by a family of doomsday preppers, her life's philosophy boils down to Be Prepared… for anything.

So when a terrified young girl stops her car on a deserted road through deep forests in the middle of the night, Mercy reacts a lot better than most in the situation would. At least, until the child leads her to an isolated cabin where an old woman is bleeding to death from multiple stab wounds.

Soon, Mercy is embroiled in a tangled web of murders, trying to figure out the connection between a retired Portland judge and an old backwoods woman all the locals say is a witch. And she needs to figure it out fast, before she joins the list of the killer's victims.

I loved this book. It's clearly not the first in the series but that wasn't an issue, as everyone appearing got just enough backstory for me to find them interesting rather than confusing, and the author never fell into the trap of infodumping. Mercy and her prepper philosophy was really fascinating, as was the mystery itself and the other characters introduced during the story. The final confrontation was absolutely gripping and my heart was in my mouth reading through it, not sure who would make it through in the end.

This is a terrific mystery/police procedural with a bit of romance thrown in. If you like genuinely strong women heroines, you’ll absolutely love this. Five stars.

A Merciful Secret – Kendra Elliott

Mercy Kilpatrick is an FBI special agent in rural Oregon. Raised in a very small town there, she remains close to her roots in her downtime, and is in the process of building a survivalist foothold deep in the mountains. As she’s leaving her mountain hideaway, she barely misses striking a child who comes dashing from the woods into the roadway, seeking help for her injured grandmother. Mercy finds a fatally injured older woman, who dies shortly after her arrival, despite her best efforts.

Meanwhile, three hours away, a similar death occurs, and the pathologist makes the connection due to the similarity in wounds. But who would want an old woman and a nationally renowned Judge with no apparent ties to one another, dead? And why?

So, begins Mercy’s next adventure. Despite being barred from the investigation due to her being a witness to a murder, Mercy inserts herself into all aspects of the case, with the help of fellow agent Ava, and boyfriend, chief of police Truman. As new clues are uncovered, and connections are made, yet another snowstorm is barreling in on Oregon, setting events in motion that will threaten all Mercy holds dear…

Kendra Elliott is quickly becoming one of my favorite new authors – her books are suspenseful, difficult to put down reads, and yet easily read – this one took me only a few hours – the perfect beach read!

A pair of ritual murders could expose Mercy Kilpatrick to something terrifying: her own past…
What would be the worst possible scenario be if a nuclear bomb went off and all the things you took for granted were gone? Well for Mercy Kilpatrick who had been raised by survivalists, had a pretty good grasp on what to expect. Even though she lived in the real world of electricity and cell phones when she abandoned her family fold to work as an FBI agent, Mercy still held true to past convictions. Namely, her secret survival retreat hidden away in the foothills should disaster ever strike.

Driving along the road from her own hide-away, Mercy was flagged down by a young child who urgently asked Mercy to follow her and help her elderly grandmother who was dying after someone attacked her. Chasing through the woods, Mercy found the hidden cabin and inside a woman who had been sliced to pieces yet was still alive. After summoning help, and trying to get the young child settled, the next day Mercy was told of another body that was slashed to death hundreds of miles away in the same kill pattern of the elderly lady.

The first two bodies - so different - an elderly woman and a city judge didn’t make sense but and thoughts turned to a ritualistic killing because of the same patterns in slashes. However, as more bodies seemed to be piling up, a pattern of links started to form as Mercy and the local police chief Truman Daly were inclined to think the serial killer was tying up many loose ends.

Bottom line: Fast paced and chock full of adventure, equaled a very fast read and left a lot of room for the final twists that culminated in an edge-of-the-seat, nail-biting finale! Definitely recommended.

Marilyn Rondeau

Mercy Kilpatrick was raised by parents who are survivalists. Her dad is very angry that she left them to become an FBI agent. However, her survivalist teachings stuck with her. She has a cabin in the middle of nowhere stocked with enough supplies to last for years. She is raising her teenage niece at her brother’s request before his death. On a trip back to town after visiting her cabin, a young girl runs out from the woods to flag her down. She takes Mercy to their cabin in the woods to discover the girl’s grandmother profusely bleeding from multiple knife wounds.

Truman Daly is the Chief of police and Mercy’s boyfriend. He is an easy going, protective, take charge kind of guy. He seems to just get Mercy, accepting her for who she is and not trying to change her. I liked his character.

Mercy’s family is a mess. Her relationship with her parents is strained. She is close to her sister Rose and is working to ensure her niece feels secure and loved. Her dad is a piece of work.

Mercy and Truman work with the FBI to track down the killer. This story was focused more on Mercy and Truman’s relationship with the murder mystery thrown in. I guessed the murderer and the twist before it was revealed.

I wish the blurb had indicated there were “witches,” white magic and a little supernatural thrown in. Not my genre.

This is my first book in the series but the third written. It definitely felt like I was jumping into the middle of the series. It would be best to read them in order. However, I am not inspired to go back for the first two.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher.

There's no harm in hoping for the best as long as you're prepared for the worst. - Stephen King

WARNING:
There might be spoilers from Books 1-2 in this review.

This is the third book in the Mercy Kilpatrick series and it's my favorite one so far. You don't have to read A MERCIFUL DEATH and A MERCIFUL TRUTH to enjoy this book but it will fill in spots and both are great books. So why not?

FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick grew up near Eagle's Nest, Oregon, raised by parents who are serious preppers, ready for any catastrophe that life might throw at them.

Mercy left home at 18 years old, shunned by her family, went to college and then joined the FBI in Portland, Oregon. But she ends up back in central Oregon, raising her niece and trying to trust enough to let Police Chief Truman Daly into her life.

This book starts out with Mercy leaving her prepper hideaway cabin and almost running over a young girl. She follows the young girl through the forest and finds the girl's grandmother in dire need of help.

This book centers around the grandmother, her daughter, and the granddaughter, all known locally as witches.

It was a story that kept me guessing most of the way through. I enjoy this author's writing style a lot. She amps up the danger and keeps you on the edge of your seat until the finish line.

I especially enjoy that this series is about the prepping lifestyle. Almost always when you read about preppers or survivalists it's in post-apocalyptic fiction. This series definitely has a new twist that keeps me coming back for more.

I received this book from Amazon Publishing through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read the book and leave an unbiased review.

A Merciful Secret is Book Three of Kendra Elliot's Mercy Kilpatrick series. I'm fairly new to this author so this is the first book in this particular series I have read and even though there were references to past stories, I followed along just fine. I do however, look forward to going back and catching up with the first two.

This story is light on the romance and heavier on the suspense but wowza did it ever pack a punch. Just when I thought I had it figured out, wham, the author hit me with a new twist. Great character development and a very intriguing plot kept me engaged from start to finish. Despite the romance taking a "back seat" I certainly felt the connection between Mercy and Truman and look forward to reading more about them in the future.

I have not read all of Kendra Elliott's books, but i have read a few,and each one like this book gets you hooked. The story is thrilling and full of suspense. You learn more about each character as you go through and become more attached, sometimes to have the rug pulled from under you. And i love the romance factor, its not an overriding part of the story but it gives the story something more than just finding the killer and it is another side of the story to keep you reading late into the night