Cover Image: A Merciful Fate

A Merciful Fate

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Over thirty years ago, there was an armored car robbery. There were said to be five people involved. Only one was ever caught and sentenced to prison which was Shane. The others vanished without a trace along with the money. Now years later, out in the backwoods, a body has been found, and it looks like it is connected to the armed robbery case. Mercy who is now an FBI agent and her partner Police Chief Truman is on the case as they set out to identify the dead body. Doing this means re-opening old wounds as they head to the prison to talk to Shane. It looks like someone else is in town knows more about the case than they are letting on as a tabloid journalist Tabitha turns up asking questions.
Meanwhile, in this small town, there are also a few cases of vandalism occurring, is this all connected or something entirely different? As Mercy and Truman start to dig deeper, it seems that a few people in town might want the truth to remain hidden as they have created new lives for them and their families. Also as more victims start to pile up and one of the last calls is Mercy's father, it looks like she may have to pay her estranged father a visit. Can Mercy and Truman solve the case of the century before more people are injured or worst killed? Find out in another fast-paced mystery by Kendra Elliot. Also, I quite liked the cover of this book with the beautiful woods scenery. The Mercy Kilpatrick series is also a good read if you love strong female leads.

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Mercy Kilpatrick is back in action! The fifth novel of the series, A Merciful Fate, takes a new turn as a 30-year-old unsolved bank robbery is once again under investigation. Kendra Elliot shakes up the small town of Eagles Nest with surprises ranging from good to shocking.

Two cases of vandalism and a skeleton discovered in an abandoned cabin set up the mysteries of this story. Throughout the story I had to reset what I assumed with each new fact presented. Not knowing whether the cases were related, and if they were, how, was what kept me reading long into the night. It was like the answers were within my grasp, but then something either diverted my attention or caused me to second-guess myself. I loved it!

After five novels in this series, Mercy has finally made a place for herself in the place she grew up. Her relationship with her father is still rocky, but there's still time for mending. A wedding is in the horizon and Mercy and Truman are stronger than ever. I'm enjoying learning about the new addition to the cast, Ollie. His character has been like a breath of fresh air and I loved that he's played an essential role in both A Merciful Silence and A Merciful Fate after coming seemingly out of nowhere.

Next in the series is A Merciful Promise. I can't wait to see what's next for the residents of Eagle's Nest. The series up to this point has been intriguing and the perfect balance of suspense and romance.
*ARC provided in consideration for review*

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A great enjoyable read kept my attention from start to finish and I’d recommend reading it the author had a way with words that had me hooked can’t wait for more

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Another suspenseful mystery set in the prepper world…

This is the fifth book in the Mercy Kilpatrick series that can be read as a stand-alone.

A young man takes a leisurely walk in the woods with his dog In the Pacific Northwest and happens upon an old cabin after his dog brings him a human bone and then leads him to where it was found, this cabin harbors the skeleton of a murdered man and empty money bags. A thirty-year-old cold case will reopen with the finding of this evidence. An armored car robbery had been committed by five men, a guard was murdered but not before he shot one of the burglars, the mastermind of the heist, who still remains in prison. Two million dollars and four men simply vanished with no leads until now and FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick has been assigned the case. When a tabloid reporter comes to town seeking information on the found bones, information supposedly kept from the public, and their possible connection to that past robbery, and is murdered Mercy knows the answer to the past lies close to home.

While Mercy is preoccupied, her fiancé, Police Chief Truman Daly is working two cases of vandalism against women that differ in the details yet the victims became friends after moving to town years ago and they have unknown pasts. Coincidence? Most in law enforcement don’t believe in the concept. Are these cases related to each other? Could they relate to Mercy’s case? Truman and Mercy have learned that the prepper world hides many secrets, in this part of the country people live off the grid and disavow the government so anything can happen. Does anyone really know their neighbors?

This was another suspenseful mystery that easily held my attention with a surprise twist at the ending. These characters are compelling and having followed the series there is much character growth that not just the main protagonists’ exhibit, with each experience that they go through they learn and become stronger individuals for realizing what is of true importance.

An advanced reading copy was obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.

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NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4
Another wonderful read by Ms. Elliot. I always enjoy a good suspense book that keeps me guessing. Just when I think I know what is going to happen I am lead down a different path.

A Merciful Fate is heavier on the mystery suspense then the romance. I honestly think this might have been one of my favorite Mercy books. I really enjoyed the mystery, the emotions and the love between Mercy and Truman.

I can’t wait to see what is next for Mercy and Truman. While I would love for them to finally have some downtime and live a nice boring life. But I want more Mercy books.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Montlake Romance
in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

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Book Info
Paperback
Expected publication: January 15th 2019 by Montlake Romance
Original Title A Merciful Fate
ISBN 1503903303 (ISBN13: 9781503903302)
Edition Language English
Series Mercy Kilpatrick #5
Other Editions (3)
Source:Netgalley EARC

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BOOK BLURB


In the next book in the Wall Street Journal bestselling Mercy Kilpatrick series, there are no such things as little secrets…

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.

My Thoughts


When a skeleton is accidentally discovered in the woods outside Eagle's Nest it is determined to be a member of the group who committed a thirty-year-old armored-car robbery.

Unfortunately for Mercy and Truman this discovery sets off a chain of events that neither one expected or of course were prepared for.

Who is responsible for the successive fallout following the remains identification becomes the couples number 1 priority, especially when things turn deadly for Mercy once again.

Mercy Kilpatrick is truly coming into her own as a sympathetic character to others rather than only thinking of her own self and her own needs as she has in the past.

Although in this book there are different protocols in place the edgy and sometimes dark areas which are explored in the story still grab the reader as effortlessly as previous 4 books have done.

For me there is a lot of growth in many areas for the main characters with room for more to come in future books.

The mysteries surrounding the crime investigations were at times transparent to this reader as I managed to correctly interpret clues sooner than our intrepid FBI agent and her fellow Law Enforcement personnel.

However, that being said there are still many ways for Mercy to still be a character I want more from in the future as she and Truman still have a wedding ceremony to come.

[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

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So very many layers to this story. Mercy is FBI, Truman is local Chief of Police...you wouldn't think they would work well together - ahhh, but here you would be wrong. They are engaged and by the very nature of their jobs they listen and offer ideas on each other's cases. Add to that a body found which is possibly linked to a federal crime of 30 yrs ago and you can see where they have to work together.
This book takes in and uses the point-of-view of more than 4 different characters. It is very well done so that the reader had no doubts about whose POV is being used during any one scene. Good job, on a difficult task. My only draw back is some of the more gruesome bits. No horrific descriptions, but I don't really care for it when nasty things happen to the innocent and there are a few different such incidences in this book.
The layers of the story were very well done, from one scene to the next you couldn't tell which crime pertained to which villains. Again, good job. I thought a few times that I had figured it all out...but for once I was wrong. I didn't have it figured out until the chapter in which the crime was solved. I like books that surprise me and Kendra managed to do that a couple of times.
If you are looking for a cozy, bloodless, mellow mystery, this book may not be for you. However...if you are looking for a well written mystery with characters who are far from perfect, then this book should be on your reading list.

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I love this series and A Merciful Fate was a great read! Suspenseful and intriguing,

I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery of the story, but also the relationships that are new and those that grow deeper. Mercy and Truman were the sweetest and sexiest in this book than any other. Ollie is a sweetheart. Rose and Nick, etc.

Love this series!

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This is book five in this series, I hope you started from the beginning just to get more out of the story and in this one we tend to get reunited with some from the other books. We have a story we they find the skeletal remains from 30 years ago someone who was involved with a bank robbery. Mercy is investigating the remains while Truman is involved in a case where two woman were harassed and they do not know who it is. I tried to figure it out and I wont tell you if I got it or not, but encourage you to grab a copy and try to figure it out..Enjoy!

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A Merciful Fate was a great read! The mystery was fast-paced and not boring at all. It had me guessing until the very end.

Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake for an advanced copy for an honest opinion

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A Merciful Fate is the 5th installment in the Mercy Kilpatrick series. Up to now I have liked Mercy but I didn't love her. Just a matter of not being able to relate to a prepper, I guess. But this story really connected with me and I am once again totally in love with Kendra Elliot. I've read everything she's written and I'm pretty sure all of them received a 5 star rating. Maybe one or two 4 stars... maybe. I highly recommend this book (series) to anyone who loves mystery, doesn't have to have everything you read filthy but also don't have to have it squeaky clean either. As always, I can't wait to see what Mercy gets up to next.

Many thanks to Montlake Romance, NetGalley and Ms. Elliot for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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An outstanding fifth book in the FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick series by Ms. Elliot. A cold case is the next investigation for Mercy when human remains are found in an abandoned shack. Found with the body are empty cash bags from an armored car robbery that happened thirty years ago. Four of the five robbers escaped along with two million dollars. A guard was killed and the one robber who was shot, at the scene, has been in prison since that time. Do the remains belong to one of the robbers? This will be an involved and comprehensive mystery as little by little Mercy and her team work to uncover clues from so long ago. Meanwhile, Mercy’s fiancé, Police Chief Truman Daly of Eagle’s Nest, is investigating his own cases as two separate women in the town are the targets of vicious vandalism. Mercy begins to suspect that their cases may be connected, but that would mean that someone in their small community is hiding a criminal past. When Mercy questions the lone robber in prison, this brings more questions than answers. Ms. Elliot weaves her mysteries in such a way that you follow along…think that you may know what is going to happen…then are surprised to find out that you were wrong all along. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to give an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

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With this being number five in the Mercy Kilpatrick series, it’s beginning to feel like reuniting with old friends. I consistently like this series and the characters.

I will say, I’m a mystery, not a romance oriented gal, so sometimes the romance portion comes on a little strong for my taste. But it is refreshing to have a female main character whose personal life is not in pieces.

This time the story involves the found skeletal remains of someone involved in a bank heist that occurred 30 years earlier. A parallel storyline involves two women being harassed by an unknown vandal. Mercy is investigating the first; Truman the second. Both both issues are being tracked by an internet tabloid reporter. The pace here is fast and the plot is suspenseful. I had my suspicions and it was fun to see if they were right. A great ending!

Keep it up Ms. Elliot. I’m already anxiously awaiting book six.

My thanks to netgalley and Montclair Romance for an advance copy of this book.

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This story begins when Ollie's dog Shep finds a bone when the two of them are out on a wilderness walk. Ollie is quick to call Truman who alerts the county cops. When it is discovered that the bones are with some empty bank bags, Mercy is called in - bank robbery being a federal crime.

Suspicions are quickly confirmed that the body was probably one of the Gamble-Helmet killers. There was an armored car robbery some thirty years earlier in which one of the guards was killed and one of the robbers shot and left at the scene. However, the other four robbers and the $2 million they stole disappeared without a trace. Now it appears that one has been found and has likely been dead since very shortly after the robbery.

Shane Gamble is the one robber that was caught. He has been in prison since the robbery and will be there for the rest of his life since he killed another prisoner inside. Mercy goes to see him to see if he can shed any light on the new discovery. However, Gamble is a game player and sees no reason to do anything but mess with Mercy's mind.

Meanwhile, other things are happening in town. There have been incidents where a couple of the locals - Sandra who runs the B&B and Bree who is an English teacher - have reported vandalism. Both women have sort of shady pasts. Sandra reinvented herself when she came to town ten years earlier after a past with an abusive husband. Bree's secrets are more deeply hidden

When a young female reporter from a tabloid shows up wanting more information about the newly discovered body, Mercy wonders how she found out about the discovery and wonders what she is trying to find as she interviews many people in town including Bree and Sandra. Things get even more confusing for Mercy and Truman when the reporter is found murdered.

Because the Bend FBI office is small, Mercy is glad when Art Juergen is called in. He is retired now but was deeply involved in the original Gamble-Helmet Heist and is an expert on what was done and who was looked at. Mercy has worked with him before and liked him. He, Mercy and her partner Eddie are shot at and Eddie hit while they are pursuing some information from Victor Diehl who could be a witness. Art kills him when he almost gets the drop on Mercy and Eddie while Mercy is trying to treat Eddie's wound. Things get even more complicated when Mercy learns that two of his recent phone calls were to her semi-estranged father Karl.

As Mercy continues to try to find out what happened to the other robbers, she begins to have questions about some of the new friends and neighbors that she has met since she came back to Bend. Then her niece Kaylie is shot and Bree is assaulted in her home and the investigation really heats up.

This was a fast-paced enjoyable mystery with engaging characters and a well-developed plot. I love Mercy and Truman's relationship and I love the way Mercy is letting more people into her life. I like that the story begins and ends with Ollie who is one of the new people in Truman and Mercy's life.

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Mercy is back! Another great installment in this series! After reading another book in this series I feel like Mercy, Truman, Rose and the rest of the characters are all family. You get so involved in not only the story line but your connection to the characters gets stronger as you get more involved in their lives. It's like a tv show that you have to watch every week to see what is going on in there lives. That is a testament to great writing the author has the ability to wrap you into the book and keep you reading all night. I liked the very different story line of the armed robbery it isn't the usual found a body then catch the murderer story. Kudos Thanks to Kendra Elliot for another great Mercy story and keep them coming . I have not been disappointed in any book in this series. Love it!

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The plot and characters work together seemlessly to a logical yet surprising conclusion
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review

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Wow, you’d never guessed how much a small city could hold secrets. For years. Ones that revealed only through chance, and determine law officers. A set of bone incidentally found set series of events all would never guessed could happen. Well, aside from people who directly involved of course. Cryptic enough?

So, this book contained cold case of robbery gone wrong, people’s past that so unexpected, steady growing relationship between Mercy and Truman, and between those around them. There’re everything for everyone. I loved the mystery and the suspense, I loved to see how mature Mercy and Truman relationship was, and I both loved and hated the ending. It really broke my heart. As Mercy thought in the book “there’s no win in this situation”. This series was getting better by each book, but after 5 books I’d guess Ms. Elliot might will end it soon. I would be sad to see it end, though I always think it’s best to end a great series on great notes.

I was provided a complementary copy by the author / publisher through NetGalley, but this in no way influenced my thoughts or opinions.

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When the skeletal remains found in a remote cabin are identified as belonging to one of the perpetrators in the unsolved thirty year old Gamble-Helman armored truck heist, the FBI are brought into the investigation. With the help of Eagle’s Nest Police Chief Truman Daly her fiancée, Mercy begins to delve into the mystery, knowing that trying to solve a thirty year old crime would be an enormous feat. As the investigation progresses more problems arise, petty vandalism, the murder of a tabloid reporter and it’s up to Mercy to try and connect the dots. Fast paced, well defined characters, a storyline full of twists and turns and an unbelievable ending this book is a must read.
Thank you NetGally, Montlake and Kendra Elliot for the opportunity to review this book.

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4.5/5.0
If one is looking for a fantastic mystery/suspense series this one is the one to pick! In this installment, Mercy lands in the middle of a 30-year-old cold case when Ollie, her fiance’s ward, stumbles upon an old cabin with a man’s bones inside and a bullet hole in the skull. The story is classic and riveting mystery at its best with a surprise twist at the end that will shock even the best slueths out there!

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This is a twisting mystery, full of intrigue and secrets that are interwoven within a notorious cold-case. The action, tension, deception and twists will keep you glued to the page, and the character development is brilliant. Mercy is one of my all time favourite characters, her tenacity, intelligence, strength and vulnerabilities are realistic and you can not help but be drawn to her. I love how Truman continues to break down her barriers, and the quiet, reserved loyalty and intelligence of Ollie. The relationships between Mercy, Truman, Kaylie and Ollie are heartwarming and I have loved watching them grow and develop throughout the series. This is a great story that once started you won’t be able to put down till it’s done.

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