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Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Review: A Merciful Death by Kendra Elliot


Publication Date: January 17th 2017 by Montlake Romance
Pages: 352
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

About the book: 

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…
My Thoughts:
Mercy is an FBI agent called back to her hometown to investigate the murders of two preppers. She hasn’t been back home to Eagle’s Nest for fifteen years, hasn’t even had contact with her family since then.  The hurt runs deep and it’s awkward explaining her relationship to Eagle’s Nest to her FBI partner and the new town sheriff. But solving the murders is her main focus.   Mercy’s rattled to find similarities between the current cases and two previous murders from fifteen years back.  Especially, since the attacks years ago are intertwined with a secret she’s kept and worried about all the years since.

While I doubt I’d ever do anything drastic, I found the prepper life fascinating! I’ve always loved the idea of being self-sufficient just in case disaster strikes. You never know when the zombie apocalypse is coming, lol!  The philosophies as presented here almost felt religious.  The people were devoted to their beliefs of being self-sufficient, and the idea that eventually governments and order as we know it will end. With the way things are going sometimes, it’s not such a far-fetched idea.

Mercy’s past is slowly revealed, and you can understand the hurt and resentment she feels.  While she had doubts start to creep about the prepper philosophy while Mercy was a teenager, she probably wouldn’t have left the life had there not been a rift between her and her father. The fact that Mercy’s family backed her father’s decision and shunned her is a pain that cuts deep, but there’s a healing that starts when she faces her brothers and sisters now.  There’s also a budding romance between Mercy and Sheriff Truman that I’m fully on board with! 

A Merciful Death was an exciting read and an excellent start to the series!  A few twisty reveals, danger, and the mysteries of Mercy’s past kept me on the edge of my seat.  I’m wondering about the next chapter of Mercy’s life with how it all turns out.  I’ve already downloaded the audio copies of books two and three, excited to continue Mercy’s story!

Teri Schnaubelt’s performance was pleasant and low key. She did a great job with both male and female characters. I’d gladly listen to any book she narrates.

4 Suns



13 comments:

  1. Sounds like there's a lot to sink your teeth into between the murders and Mercy's background with her family. The whole prepper philosophy definitely adds a unique aspect. too. Sounds like a great start to the series!

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  2. Glad this was a good start to the series, it does look promising!

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  3. Yay! Glad you enjoyed it, Rachel. I hadn't read much on preppers or had experience with the philosophies so this book really hooked me in beyond the thriller and her personal story. I enjoyed the narration-work, too.

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    1. Same here, Sophia Rose, but I found the prepper life fascinating. My son has watched so many YouTube videos in our family room featuring preppers, that I absorbed while cooking in the kitchen, that I felt a little familiar with some of the concepts, minus the guns, of course. But as a reader of many genres that feature incredible and dangerous futures, I can definitely appreciate the wisdom of being prepared for any kind of eventuality. :)

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  4. I haven't read many prepper books, but have had a bit of a dystopia apocalypse phase recently so can understand how having a few of those skills could be a good idea - just in case!

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    1. Same here, Stephanie. I haven't read any prepper books, just been exposed to some of the concepts when my son would watch YouTube videos featuring ways to generate your own power, water, and so forth. Like you, I've read several dystopian and apocalyptic stories that make me think being prepared is a good thing. It definitely can't hurt! :)

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  5. I love the sound of this one! Count me in. :)

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  6. This sounds really good! I have liked this author in the past but I have to say that the prepper angle is really calling to me with this one.

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    1. I've seen her mysteries around but I have to say that the prepper angle is what finally lured me in. I'm looking forward to continuing Mercy's story.

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  7. I never say no to a twisty reveal. I love those that you truly do not see coming or even sense and you are all whaaaat

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