Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars
M/F Mystery, thriller
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Truman is a kind man, but he's suspicious of everyone and everything. He is running from a past that we are never really privy to – we only know that he thinks he's done awful things. When people in his district are murdered, the FBI comes in and helps him solve the cases. I wish that we knew more about him, as I felt that his character was kind of stunted. He seemed to follow a lot, be behind in the story and constantly be playing catch-up.

Mercy is the FBI agent with the most insight in the murder victims. After all, she grew up in this community of people who prepare for the worst. She has tried to hide the fact that she has this knowledge, has this compulsion to prepare. Going home is never easy and for Mercy it is even more difficult because she was forced to leave her family at a young age – she was outcast. Having to return and speak to family members who didn't reach out to her, to remember why she was cast out of her family is painful. However, it does give her some direction on why the members of the prepared community might have been targeted.

As for the resolution, it seemed almost rushed. You never really understood the dynamic of the community – only that the killer was deeply ingrained. You were privy to why they killed – their end goal, but not what happened after they were apprehended. I would have liked to see more of a story afterwards – does Mercy continue with her family? Maybe we'll see more in the next book.

Kendra Eliot’s new series, takes us into the little rural town of Eagle’s Nest, Oregon, where secrets are buried deep, and the residents are perpetual preppers, waiting for a disaster to strike…. living off the grid and off of the land.

Hometown to FBI special agent Mercy Kilpatrick, a series of murders brings her back to the town she had left fifteen years and a to family estranged with divided loyalties. Coming back to her roots is bittersweet but it also awakens a deadly serial killer gone quite throwing Mercy into the crosshairs of danger.

Thrown together with the local police chief Truman Daly to assist in solving the murders, Mercy and Truman drawn into a deadly game of missing weapons and possible terrorist activities. Working side by side, Truman admires the survivalist side of her even as she makes a place in his heart. But Mercy also has secrets buried deep in Eagle’s Nest that could break the fragile bond between her and Truman.

“A Merciful Death” is a brilliantly narrated thriller; Kendra Elliot keeps the plot tight and twisted until the very end. With great attention to the dynamics of the Kilpatrick family, she weaves an intense story of family loyalties, loss and pain, hope and faith and the nuances of a small rural town’s lifestyle and a great insight into the mentality of preppers and survivalists.

A great start to what seems to be another intense and captivating series; “A Merciful Truth” will follow “A Merciful Death”.

This is my first book by this author. This is the first book in the Mercy Kilpatrick Series. It was so good, it kept me intrigued from the beginning to the end. I have been wanting to read this author for some time now and was so excited when I got this chance.

Mercy Kilpatrick ran away from her hometown, Eagles Nest, Oregon fifteen years ago and now comes back as a F.B.I. agent. She doesn't want her past to be known. Mercy is assigned to a case to help solve several murders.

A predator known as the Cave Man is murdering folks in their homes stealing a huge number of weapons and it is going down as a domestic terrorism event. Mercy notices a frightening connection to these murders that happened shortly before she ran away from home. Every mirror in the victim's houses has been shattered. This brings up a connection to earlier crimes that comes very close to exposing the secret that led to her getting out of town.

Mercy is a flawed heroine but she is very gutsy and stubborn in solving this mystery of murders. I really liked her a lot and there is also a romance brewing and can't wait to read the next one to see if it is still brewing. I loved the suspense and the twist. It was a very good page turner.

I want to thank Netgalley, Kendra Elliot and the publisher for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to netgalley for the advance copy of "A merciful Death" in return for an honest review...
I have read all of Kendras books to date and i've givrn them them all 5⭐ ratings and i thought Kendra's books couldn't get any better but "A merciful Death" has proved me wrong!!! Its my favourite book to date I loved Mercy Kilpatrick's character and the whole story line and Truman Daly it was just an absolutely fantastic read that kept me guessing who the killer was right to the end (i got it wrong which made it even better!!!)
Mercy had left home at the age of 18 after an argument with her parents and covered up secrets and she had gone on to join the FBI now 15 years later her job has lead her back to Eagle's Nest to investigate a spate of murders and in the cpurse of her investigation she gets afraid they may uncover her dark secret from her past ....an absolutely thrilling book which will keep you up at night and guessing till the very last page and thirsting for more!!!!!!

Kendra Elliot is one of my favourite Authors and this book does not disappoint. A great story line and really likeable characters, lots of action and a love story too - what more could you want?

A Merciful Death was a very intriguing and well laid out mystery and suspense. The one problem that I had with it is that it was also supposed to be a romance. Generally, in the midst of all the gruesomeness and horror that comes with murder/mystery, the romance helps to lighten the mood and show that there is still love in the world. In this case, I didn’t really see that. There were some glimmers of hope and forgiveness but they didn’t exactly come from the relationship between the hero and the heroine.

The book focuses on a small town in Oregon called Eagle’s Nest that has been overwhelmed by a couple of murders that point to the existence of a serial killer. When former resident and current FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick returns after leaving home in shame 15 years ago, several old wounds are reopened. In addition, a secret from Mercy’s past provides some insight into the current investigation. As Mercy collaborates with local Sheriff Truman Daly, they attempt to deny their attraction to each other. More importantly, Truman starts to notice that Mercy is not being totally truthful with him. The longer that Mercy stays in town, the more she starts to regret having to come back to this town that she both loves and hates. Eventually, it seems that her return was necessary for her to find closure and a brighter future.

Kendra Elliot did a great job of telling a story that didn’t seem like the usual suspense. The characters were all very interesting and I truly felt empathy for what happened to Mercy years ago that had a profound affect on her and her entire family. It’s a testament to how important family is to everyone. I was also impressed by the fact that I had no clue who the killer was until it was revealed. Be advised that some of the story gets rather gruesome because there is kidnapping, rape, and murder. Some of which I didn’t feel really added to the story.

Having enjoyed the author's Bone Secrets series previously, I was eager to get my hands on this book! Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations.

Mercy herself was a difficult character to relate to. Much of what we learn about her is given in very stingy details, even when she is talking to estranged family members. We don't see much of her softer side, and she keeps a lot of secrets, which aids in the not knowing much about her situation.

Truman was a bit more open of a character. We know his motivations for actions, the tragedies in his past, and learn some of his aspirations for the future. We can also see his admiration for Mercy grow over the course of the book.

Unfortunately, it is the plot that gave me the major hang ups. The story felt drug out, and there wasn't much in the way of actual investigations, just conversations and "interviews". The romantic aspect was practically non-existent, and mostly one sided. The villain reveal was well done, as what few clues were given in the book did not give it away and I was guessing until the end.

However, it was the prepper aspect of this story that intrigued me. It was a bit of a look into that lifestyle and seemed well thought out and researched. It gave me more insight into a game I had been playing on my tablet!

Overall, the book was good, but I'm not sure I could recommend it as Romantic Suspense. Murder Mystery would definitely qualify, but I preferred the author's other series to this one. I am interested to see where things go, so I'll be on the look out for the sequel.

Kendra Eliiot is just mind blowing with her books. Merciful Death was a chilling 5 star rating! I mean I shivered and had to sleep with the light on when I would read late at night. I am addicted to these kind of stories. I usually review on romance and erotica genres. But holy wow! I just can not stop!

Mercy has been away from home for 15 years. Due to some recent murders that have happened back home in Lake Tahoe, she has to help solve them. So now she is back in her home town. Why? Well she is a FBI agent. Something happened when she was 18 and she left home and moved away to Portland. Mercy has to work with the chief Truman and wants to desperately solve this case before she is recognized...but that happens and now danger is nearby.

Truman has also been trying to get his life together. Even suffered for what it seems like a life time. He is relieved to get assistance with the FBI. Through the investigation, there is always someone watching. I mean I even felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up! It was eerily good. Truman finds himself connected to Mercy and only hopes, even with her secrets, that she will give them a chance. So yes readers, this is a true chilling suspense book with some romance going on! That is why I love Kendra books!

If you are looking for drama, suspense, and a chill factor...THIS IS IT! (Don't forget you get some romance in there too!) I will anxiously wait for the next hit made by Kendra. She rocks!

I'm glad I got to start this new series from the first book because it's shaping up to be another great one from Ms. Elliot. The characters, the plot, the twists and turns, the suspense, all of combines to make this story a gripping page-turner and I can't wait for the next book.

A small town in Oregon. A crime spree and the murders of two young women. Two young women with a huge secret. Fast-forward to fifteen years later and the same town is facing another spree but this time, the victims are older men and the only thing they have in common is that they were all survivalists. The new interim sheriff Truman Daly knows his department is not equipped to handle these investigations and he's not shy about calling in the big guns, especially because his uncle was the first victim and he'll do whatever it takes to bring his killer to justice and make his town safe again.

Enter FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick. Mercy is originally from that town but hasn't been back home since she left under a shadow fifteen years ago. Her connection to the town makes her the ideal person to run the investigation, but what she finds during her investigation may unravel the careful world she has built for herself and expose her for a fraud. Has a killer been hiding in plain sight all this time? Has Mercy's secret been the reason why he lay low for so long? Will her return put her back in his cross-hairs?

Mercy is a very complicated and interesting character in many ways. Even as an eighteen year old, she was already showing that she was an independent and forceful personality, something that was not welcome in her community of preppers where the man is ruler of his domain and a woman was expected to be seen and not heard. While she left home, she did not live the lifestyle behind and she seems to have successfully built a life for herself that incorporates the best of both worlds. She's also very secretive and keeps a large part of who she really is shielded from everyone. Until Truman, who takes the time to dig deep and find her.

The instant attraction between Truman and Mercy (along with his stalkerish behavior) adds some levity to the story. Truman's steady and solid disposition is a perfect foil for the swirling emotions that Mercy hides beneath her calm facade and she in turn brings a no-frills perspective to the guilt he carries from his time at his former job. Together they form a strong and dependable team, which may not be sexy but is perfect for this story, this town and the two of them.

I am really intrigued by the survivalist mindset and being a copious consumer of news, this story bring close to home some not so far off incidents and also got me musing for a minute about my preparedness or lack thereof for the apocalypse:)

A MERCIFUL DEATH is well-written and well-researched, with multi-faceted characters and engaging suspense and I'm looking forward to more in this series.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of A Merciful Death by Kendra Elliot that I was able to read and review.
I really enjoyed this book that was the first book a new series by Kendra Elliot. Mercy Kilpatrick returns to hometown for the first time in fifteen years to investigate the deaths of a number of preppers in Eagle's Nest. Mercy grew up as a survivalists but was kicked out of her family at the age of eighteen and became an FBi agent and has not spoken to her family since. Now that she is back home to try to find out who is killing men who are living life that she knows so well and why this is her chance to try to fix things with her family and reconnect.
While looking into the deaths she notices something in the crimes that is linked to crimes that took place eighteen years ago and also played a role in Mercy's past. Are things not what they seem? Is there more to the crime then Mercy and the FBI are looking for?
With the help of the local Sheriff who Mercy is growing closer to everyday will she be able to catch a killer who is after these preppers and also after her or will he end getting away with murder again?
This was an excellent start to the series and I can't wait to see where it goes. I loved the how the chemistry between Mercy and Truman kept building up throughout the book and I can't wait to see where the two of them end up going in the series. I also liked how the story built and how you had no idea who the killer was until the end.
Mercy is such a complex character that you are not sure how to feel about her because you as a reader really can't get to know her except a little by little and that part of the book is also really cool. She has so many layers with her being a prepper it was almost like she was hiding it from the reader to so there is a wall there between her and the reader that is slowly coming down as the book moves on and I like that part of her as well. I can't wait for the next book!
I am giving A Merciful Death five out of five stars.

My mind is still spinning from this one! Mercy is a powerful woman, FBI agent, secret keeper and lonely soul. She has a past in the small community of Eagle's Nest, Oregon where she was raised. A tight knit town where preppers for the world's end is very common and expected. Men are being murdered and Mercy, along with her partner, are investigating. I felt like Mercy was my friend, because there were times she shared her past that brought tears as I couldn't help her. For a character to feel that real tells you what an outstanding storyteller Elliot has become. This series is going to be epic! I received an advanced copy and wrote my review voluntarily.

I was worried that A Merciful Death would end up being just like all Kendra Elliot and while it is very similar at the same time it is different.
Mercy isn't the perfect Federal Agent but she works hard to cover up her past. She is strong, fights for the right and believes in those she loves. Kendra Elliot gave readers a person who isn't damaged but struggles between the way she was raised and how she wants to live her life.

Kendra created characters who have flaws, are imperfect but are trying to do what is right with the knowledge they have. They struggle with the way they were raised and how they want to live their lives now. The family drama was very real. You could feel the family struggle with the dynamics create a real world feeling.
The mystery was a little questionable and at times not as believable as many other of Kendra Elliot novels but the dynamics of the individual characters and the real life struggles some of them face made this novel a 5 star read.
Advance Copy from netgalley

Fantastic read! Loved every minute of it! A terrific start to a new series!

Wow, Kendra has done it again.. This book was a real page turner, Merci is our main character but the secondary characters where brilliant.. I was holding my breathe on many occasion, and didn't work out the bad buy until a page before we found out, a fact I'm pleased to share as sometimes it's too easy.. Officer Truman gets my vote too he's a no nonesence guy with a soft heart, I loved the banter between him and Merci, I also hope Kendra will write more of any of the characters we met, as I will definitely be reading them, ... Thank you for the honour of letting me read your work...

OMG what a great read . I can't wait for more stories with Mercy . This book is full of twists and turns and heart wrenching at times . A must read . Highly recommend