Another great addition to the series! This is the 3rd book in the Mercy Kilpatrick series but it can also be read as a stand-alone.

Mercy Kilpatrick is an FBI agent trying to repair the damage with her estranged family. Raised within a family of preppers, she has a soul-deep need to always be prepared in case of TEOTWAWKI, the end of the world as we know it. She has a secret cabin where she goes to stock supplies for an emergency. On her drive back home from the cabin, she almost hits a young girl that runs into the street that is desperately looking for help. Morrigan Sabin’s grandmother has been stabbed multiple times and Mercy helplessly watches her die. Hundreds of miles away, a judge has been found dead with similar stab wounds. Mercy is on the hunt to discover how the two deaths are related.

Excellent story with a great cast of well developed characters. While reading it, I wanted to go out and buy a couple of cases of water and canned food. I definitely recommend this very suspenseful thriller. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for supplying me a copy of Kendra Elliot's "A Merciful Secret" in exchange for an honest review.

It was a interesting novel that had me guessing till the end. It makes me glad that I don't live in a sleepy little town

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of A Merciful Secret by Kendra Elliot that I read and reviewed.
This was the third book in the Mercy Kilpartrick series and it starts with Mercy returning from her cabin and running across a child who needs help because her grandmother has been attacked in their home and it resembles the attack and death of a judge hundreds of miles away. Now it is up to Mercy and the FBI to figure out how these murders that seem to have no reason to be connect are.
This was another good book by Elliot and great addition to the Mercy Kilpatrick series that gets better with every book. As a reader you learn more about the Kilpatrick family dynamic and what is behind them and their prepper ways.
As for this story it was very intriguing and you had to keep guessing who the murder was and why they were after their victims. I am giving A Merciful Secret four out of five stars.

You can take the prepper out of the family circle but you can’t take the prepper out of the girl. Mercy Kilpartrick is an FBI agent who has a hidden cabin in the woods and is a secret prepper. On the way back from a late night visit to her cabin she almost runs over a child desperately seeking help for her dying grandmother.
Morrigan Sabin’s grandmother, Olivia, isn’t just dying, she has been slashed to death and Morrigan has been alone with her. Her mother, Salome, left before the crime and Morrigan doesn’t know where or for how long, or why.
The family’s isolation isn’t for the same reason as Mercy’s hidden cabin; the Sabins stay hidden because they are healers, herbalists and maybe other spooky things. They have been ostracized for generations, unless of course someone needs their help. Then they come sneakin’ ‘round that back door.
Mercy has been told in no uncertain terms that she is a witness, nothing else. Yeah, like she is going to listen, especially since a judge in Portland, OR has just been found murdered. The Judge has slash marks in the same pattern as Olivia Sabin. He also has family connections to the area. Since he is a federal judge, this brings the FBI into the picture. The murder also brings a welcome appearance of two characters from Elliot’s Bone Secrets series.
Mercy, along with her lover, Police Chief Truman Daly inserts themselves into the investigation of the two connected murders. Truman does so as local law enforcement who knows everyone, even the missing Salome, a fact he doesn’t wish to acknowledge. Mercy has her own personal connections to some of the suspects.
Mercy is a complex and conflicted character. How she made it into the FBI is amazing and would probably not have happened in reality. She has an absolute need for her secret cabin, dating back to her being raised by a family of preppers. Her upbringing is still an integral part of her, despite being banned from the family by her father. Mercy thinks she is prepared for any eventuality with her cabin, except for what really happens.
Mercy has been estranged from her family for eighteen years but recently has reestablished contact with some members. Her blind sister Rose still remains Mercy’s closest friend and relative. It is disquieting to read about Rose’s happiness with her pregnancy, even though the baby was conceived in a violent rape.
The information presented in the book about preppers, their communities and other survivalists is so fascinating. The mindset seems so stupid, or it did until recently. First thing Mercy does is check the morning news. Think about that for a moment. Think about N. Korea. Think about Hawaii and its recent scare. Who’s the crazy one?
Chief Daly is still a steady character, providing loving balance for Mercy. He continues to learn as much as possible about the unusual people of Eagle Rock and the surrounding area.
The more I read about Bend. OR or the fictional Eagle Rock, the more I want to move there. Right after I move for awhile to Three Pines and Virtue Falls. Elliot paints a picture of her settings that equals her unusual characters, both major and minor. Eagle Rock and its citizens is a whole ‘nother world.
Twists and turns abound in this book, just as they do on the mountain road to Mercy’s cabin. The story draws you in and keeps you guessing.
There is a hint of the supernatural in A Merciful Secret with a lovely scene between Mercy and Salome.
Of course A Merciful Secret can be read as a standalone, but then it would be like missing a visit with weird neighbors and catching up with them.
Thanks to NetGalley for and ARC in exchange of a fair and honest review.

This is a well written twisty thriller with an intriguing character in Mercy, an FBI SA with a, well, unconventional background. A "prepper," she's also in a relationship with Truman Daly, a police chief with a good heart and a lot of smarts. When she discovers a young girl and a dead woman, in circumstances that match the murder of a judge, Mercy also finds herself asking questions, even as she is supposed to be excluded from the investigation. Her friend and fellow SA Ava Mclean is brought in to help untangle the linkages. Secrets and lies, secrets and lies. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Try this for a fast and entertaining read.

The poison of certain secrets…

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

Though Mercy Kilpatrick is an FBI Agent her prepper upbringing is an inherent part of who she is and it was her internal need to check on her survivalist cabin that placed her on a dark road in the mountains around Bend, Oregon late one night where a lone panicked young girl dashes onto the road and Mercy almost hits her with her vehicle. The girl seeks help for her grandmother and leads Mercy through the woods, what she finds she’ll never forget, someone slashed an old woman repeatedly with a knife and she’s barely alive. In the moments before an inevitable death the old woman and the agent bond, it’s now given that Mercy needs justice for this woman even though she is relegated to witness status.

But who was this old woman? And where is the girl’s mother? Unknown to Mercy another death with a similar modus operandi has been discovered, in the city of Portland a well-known judge died from knife wounds, the slash patterns eerily similar to the old woman’s. What connects these two cases? Agent Mercy must solve the enigma of what an old woman who led a hermit’s life, who the locals called witch, and a judge with relatives in the area have in common. A secret long kept seeks the light of day, a secret that turned someone’s soul to darkness. With the help of Mercy’s significant other Police Chief Truman Daly and her FBI associates the past will come to light but the race is on to find the culprit, before there are more deaths, and the mother and child who vanished upon their reunion.

This book had great intrigue and suspense, from the opening pages the reader is drawn in to murder, mystery and secrets. The background plot of the life of preppers was fascinating, they prepare for the worst and considering today’s reality perhaps they have it right. The main protagonists, who had united previously, deepen their relationship finding a greater sense of solidity, Mercy faces more from her past as she investigates this case. The reader is also given the point of view of the young girl’s mother which added a dramatic spin and enabled us to feel compassion for the misunderstood woman. The many twists to the complex plot will have you guessing to the end.

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

4.25☆
This was a very enjoyable story. That had me gripped throughout. As there was plenty of suspense and I had no clue who the killer was until they were revealed. Which then led to a really exciting and edge of your seat conclusion. And anyone who is a fan of this series or just loves a good suspense filled story. With just a hint of romance should definitely check it out.

A Merciful Secret is a must read book for everyone who has read one story by Kendra Elliot.

This is the 3rd book in the series and readers can start with book 1 or book 3 either way the author is able to pull readers in and covers the last two book quickly without taking away from the current story.

A Merciful Secret is well paced story that is told from different points of view each one building hooking readers in keeping them wanting to know all the secrets everyone is hiding.

Kendra Elliot doesn't just focus on the current mystery but also each of the different characters personal lives. She brings in Characters from other series that will give fans of Kendra Elliot smiles.

The author doesn't those in wasted characters everyone has a purpose driving the story to the end.

This is a can't miss in the Mercy Kilpatrick series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Montlake for the Advance Copy

Craving a good mystery with heart I dove right into this one. Elliott gives us characters with personality, smarts, history and depth. Then there's the murder and Mercy has to be right in there with Truman, and her friend Ava from another series. It's a gripping and masterfully woven tale of deception, greed, spirituality and secrecy. I couldn't put it down, even read at the gym on the elliptical. Side stories with her sister Rose and mending her family ties give Mercy a very human and relatable quality. I highly recommend reading the series in order, a new crime per book but Mercy's story is continuous. My copy came through Netgalley and my review written voluntarily.

Two more months have gone by since Book 2 – winter has arrived in the Cascades, and Mercy has just spent a long night working at her beloved cabin, preparing for whatever disaster might come. As she starts the long drive home at 3 am (does she ever sleep?!), a frightened young girl jumps out of nowhere and leads her back to her own isolated cabin, where her grandmother is dying from a horrific knife attack. While at first it seems like an isolated incident, after it’s connected it to a similar but seemingly unrelated murder of a judge in Portland, the FBI is on the case. Was it the young girl’s mother, Salome? The judge’s son, Christian? And why does everybody know everyone anyways? (oh yeah, it’s a small town!) While the identity of the killer and the big “secret” was kind of obvious, I enjoyed the way Kendra Elliot pieced everything together, I’m still rooting for Mercy, and the end was pretty heartbreaking, so I must be invested in the characters.

Enjoyed catching up with Mercy and her family. Like the characters and their interactions. A fast paced thriller that kept me guessing till near the end.

NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4 1/2
Again I find myself immersed in the world of Mercy Kilpatrick. In A Merciful Secret Mercy finds herself the first person on the scene of a vicious knife attack that turns into a murder investigation.
But that is not the only murder that the small town of Eagle’s Nest has to deal with, one of the local resident’s father has also been killed up in the big city of Portland. The only connection between these two murders is that both are very similar in method.
But neither Mercy or Truman were prepared for the wild ride that these two murders were going to take them on. When all the questions are answered someone's hopes and dream will go up in flame.
Another wonderful book from Mrs. Elliot! I always love picking up a copy of her books. I really enjoyed seeing the connection between Mercy and Truman grow. These two are so perfect together and can work through anything as long as they are together!
I can’t wait to see what is next in this series.


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.

Kendra Elliott is one of my "go-to" authors for romantic suspense books. When I see her name on a new release I know I am going to get a first-rate gripping thriller which is well-written and maintains my interest throughout the story. A Merciful Secret which is book #3 in Kendra Elliott's Mercy Kilpatrick series is an excellent example of this author's fantastic writing skill set. This book has characters who are realistic and relatable to the reader. They have some character flaws, so not perfect unbelievable characters. In this book FBI agent Mercy Kilpatrick once again must use her excellent thinking skills and brave and caring attitude to solve a case. Mercy's love interest, Eagle's Nest Police Chief Truman Daly stays true to character as well. He must use all his skills to help support Mercy in her endeavers.

The author expertly describes her action scenes so that the reader feels involved personally in all the action. This is a fast-moving thriller which keeps the reader guessing until the end and doesn't let up so you keep turning the pages eagerly in anticipation of finding out who-done-it!

Thanks a million Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this book. This is the 3rd book in the series and it's definitely best to read them in order. What a page turner from beginning to end. It's so easy to identify with the characters. A must read.

I loved this book so much! There’s nothing like a mother’s love for her child. Most of us would do anything to protect them. There are a lot of intense moments in this book. Kendra Elliot is a master storyteller.
Received an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley.

Sucks you in immediately, wishing you had all that Mercy carried in her car! Mercy finds herself smack in the middle of another murder. The suspense is non- stop, riveting, trying to figure out who murdered Olivia and why. Such a wonderful series! Thank you Netgalley and Kendra for the advance read

A Merciful Secret is a suspenseful read, the third book in this ever evolving series, with a host of characters good and bad. Mercy an FBI agent almost runs down a distraught child who leads her to her grandmother who has been fatally attacked, a Judge who has no connections to the area or murdered grandmother is also fatally stabbed, with the exact same pattern of stab wounds. There increasingly appears to be many similarities leading Mercy to discover what is linking these heinous crimes.
The relationship between the police chief continues to grow stronger and we learn more of Mercys estranged family. With lots of twists, surprises and a hint of witchcraft and many secrets this is a book that is enjoyable and constantly keeps you on your toes guessing what is to come next.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for opportunity to review this book honestly.

I received an ARC from Netgalley. I have to say at first I had a hard time getting into the story but I am glad I stuck too it. Throughout the book the suspense was killing me and had me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

Truman and Mercy had quite the romantic connection and while They already had a relationship established at the beginning it didn’t deter from the story. I normally like to read about the relationship from the very start which you don’t get here but still an amazing book.

Another excellent book in this series .
FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick is still finding her way after returning to her home town after 18 years away. Most of her survivalist/prepper family ostracised her when she opted out of their lifestyle and joined the FBI . ....... but she has now unexpectedly found love with Truman Daly
Chief of Police Trueman Daly knows that to love Mercy , is to support and love her idiosyncrasies , she needs time, to take their relationship slowly .
Mercy has updated her isolated cabin and outbuildings , filling them with all that she would need in the event of a breakdown in society ........ her 'Prepper' upbringing is deeply ingrained .

Returning to Town in the early hours of the morning after a flying visit to her cabin , Mercy suddenly has to break hard to avoid hitting a young girl .........emerging from the woods ,covered in blood .
Desperate for help Morrigan guides Mercy through the woods to her Grandmother Olivia's cabin ,
but Mercy is unable to save Olivia ....... she dies within minutes from her many slashes/cuts .
The FBI take charge of the case as another body , that of Judge Lake , had been found with almost identical slashes the day before .
Mercy and Truman , whilst not directly involved , find themselves unable to leave the case to others and are drawn into a web of lie and deceit going back decades .
Where is Morrgan's mother , Salome ? is she the murderer ? or was she the intended victim?
Why are Judge Lakes sons unwilling to co-operate with the FBI and the Police in finding their father's killer ?
Who else must die ?
It takes all Of Mercy and Trueman's ingenuity , courage and love for one another to bring the murderer to justice , almost at the cost of their own lives .

I look forward to more books in this series which gives a glimpse into the lives of those that live on the edge of society , survivalists who hate the Establishment/Government and their desire to survive whatever the cost .
I was given an arc of this book by the Publisher and