I quite enjoyed this suspenseful story of preppers and murder. The characters are interesting and well developed. I will be reading more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of A Merciful Silence by Kendra Elliot that I read and reviewed.
This was the fourth book in the Mercy Kilpatrick series and this series just keeps getting better. Elliot outdid herself with Mercy and and Truman's story in this book and I loved it. I also enjoyed the mystery in the book as well.
This series keeps building on itself with each book a bond even though they can be stand alone I would read the entire series from the start to get the entire feeling of what is going on with all the characters because they do show up in all books and have storylines that are ongoing.
I can't wait for the next book to see what happens next. I am giving this book five out of five stars.

Captivating book that never stops! This series is impeccable and I love it! Cannot wait to see the first book on the big screen!

Thank you to the NetGalley and the publisher Montlake Romance for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is the fourth instalment in the FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick series. The story begins with Mercy continuing to recover from a gunshot wound to the leg and working a case in which five skulls have been found after a mudslide. The secrets of a past generation threaten to expose a murderer in the present day. Did the same person kill both families or is this a new killer? Does the isolated lifestyle of the "Prepper" society make them an easy target for a murderer? As Mercy struggles to identify the family represented by the bones she wonders why no one has reported them missing, and then a second family is found in their home killed the same way Interesting perspective on the sovereign person assertions and how these individuals perceive their rights. The body count is high in this one and can lean towards a little gruesome in some parts.
Elliott does an excellent job of bringing out Mercy's conflict between her Prepper roots and her basic need to fit in with "normal" society. Mercy finally realizes that she needs to be honest with herself about her love for police chief Thurman Daly after he has two close calls with death in this book.
Overall, this was an excellent book with many levels of intrigue and suspense. I certainly hope there will be many more books in this series,

I received an arc from Netgalley. While I enjoyed the suspense of this book the love story was lacking for me. I like a book where the romance grows from the first meeting. The main characters were already a couple and maybe they had a start in a previous book from this author but it just didn’t grab my attention.

Love this author though!

4.5⭐
This was a brilliant read. That although a little slow to start, soon got going and then really grabbed hold and never let go. As it was full of danger, suspense and mystery. And so I had no idea who the killer was or if one of the main characters was going to survive. And whilst it lacked heat, the romance between Mercy and Truman was still there and I enjoyed how their relationship deepened as the story unraveled.
And I'm looking forward to reading more from Agent Kilpatrick in the future and definitely feel a Merciful Silence is the best of the series so far.

This book is a part of the series so in some aspects I was a bit behind the eight ball. I was not familiar with the previous cases and stories that led to this book. However, the author did a pretty decent job tying the characters together so that the story made sense for me.

This particular story features an FBI agent and her boyfriend who is the chief of police for a small town. The premise of the story was very intense and a bit creepy on its own. And then when bodies started showing up, the race was on.

Several scenes are extreme with raw grit and powerful detail. Plus, with several twists happening, you easily get caught up in the story. With the addition of the romance aspect, there is definitely some worries of the heart going on too, which make this read all the more intense.

The author has a fabulous talent for getting you right in the gut with the feels in all ranges of emotion in this book. Definitely one not to be missed! Now I have to grab some of her prior books in the series to catch up! Kendra Elliot is going on my must read list.

<a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2018/06/14/a-merciful-silence-by-kendra-elliott/" target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart</a>

Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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I was happy to continue the <em><strong><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/178669-mercy-kilpatrick" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercy Kilpatrick series.</a> </strong></em>This feels more  crime/ mystery suspense than a romance. There is kissing but the sex is mostly off page. I've enjoyed the world-building of this small town in a rural mountain area with many survivalists. The preppers are fascinating to me and cool; I love DYI and self-sufficient people.

I'm loving the continued development of the main characters.  There are members of Mercy's family and other townspeople who are involved very briefly. If you have not read the previous books, you would not know them or their personalities very well at all. But their parts are brief this time.  The focus is on Mercy and Truman, and the people involved in the current cases. There is a small tie in to the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/84391-bone-secrets" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Bone Secrets series</strong></em></a> in the forensic work.<strong> A Merciful Silence</strong> is primarily a police / FBI procedural looking into serial killer(s) and missing persons.

I really enjoyed the suspense and evidence collections, as well as the action scenes. The overall plot is not too complex but it is certainly kept me worried and engrossed.  I was pleased to read though the original plan was for four books, the series will have at least two more books!

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A Merciful Silence is book #4 in Kendra Elliot's Mercy Kilpatrick series. Once again this author has treated her readers to a story full of action and suspense; dealing with sovereign citizens, a forgery ring and brutal murders alarmingly reminiscent of murders that happened years ago. Mercy and Truman struggle with solving the murders especially since the man origianally convicted of the earlier murders is still in jail. There's also lots of scenes where we get to see the progress of Mercy and Truman's relationship.

There's lots to enjoy in this Mercy Kilpatrick book. So glad there will be more to come in the future.

Kendra Elliot hammered A Merciful Silence! I would love to crawl around inside of her head for a little bit and see what is going on in there! These realistic, yet horrifying stories she comes up with blow me away! Twists and turns that I don't see coming and leave me yearning for more!

A Merciful Silence continues to follow FBI Agent, Mercy Kilpatrick, in a small Oregon town filled with preppers and sovereign citizens. Although sovereign citizens don't seem like a threat to general society their lack of respect for laws and paying taxes is quite terrifying to law enforcement, particularly Mercy and her police chief boyfriend, Truman. A Merciful Silence follows a couple of cases, from each Mercy and Truman's POV. Along with this we also get the point of view from our killer. I think that getting inside of the killers mind is my favorite part of Kendra's books. I love getting that inside look that we so often don't get. I love knowing the why behind their killing, even if it seems senseless to myself and everyone else. I love being put in their shoes!

The way the different cases intertwined in A Merciful Secret added a new level of suspense and intrigue because you don't know where one begins and one ends. We also get the added bonus of having characters from her Bones Secret series help with the investigation!

**Note: I believe that these stories could be read as standalones, but I recommend reading in order to fully understand the story**

Small towns are crazy! Eagle's Nest sounds like a lovely country town where everybody knows everybody and are probably related somehow. However, murdered families and missing people cause me to question how "cute" this town is. Mercy and Truman are tested again and their strength pulls them through. If you have read the other books you know Mercy's past and the tough blood running through her veins. The entire series reads quickly with intense action, smart commentary and witty characters. I've always thought the books would make a great serial for Netflix or Amazon. My review was written voluntarily and unbiased after reading a copy given through Netgalley.

Mercy & Truman are back in another exciting thriller. Mercy is still trying to recover from her last case, her leg is still healing and she is trying to rebuild her hideaway but she wants to do it all by herself and Truman isn't happy about it as it is meant to be their hideaway. Mercy has just been handed a new case skeletons have been found and it looks like they have all been murdered and the injuries are similar to other cases were the families were killed by a hammer to the head and all their teeth were smashed in. Is this a copycat or is the killer back in the area? The problem is that someone was convicted of the murders and is sitting in prison. Mercy knows that she needs to find the only survivor that made it out alive but can she give them any insight into the murder of her family. She has always maintained that she saw nothing but is she telling the truth?
Truman has his own problems with a missing brother and a new problem with the crowd that believe that they are all sovereign citizens and that they don't see themselves as US citizens and that they are allowed to do what they want. But what does this have to do with Mercy's case? But who is the killer and why target families with young children?Their cases are very much intertwined and it leads almost losing his life and Mercy realizes how much she needs him. Will Mercy get justice for the families that were murdered and will the sole survivor be able to live her life without fear? Another great book in the series never a dull moment. I really hope that Mercy can let go of her prepping ways and let Truman in more. They are a great couple that really deserve to be happy. I was lucky enough to receive a copy vis Netgalley & the publishing house in exchange for my honest review. You will not be disappointed.

Book Info
Paperback
Expected publication: June 19th 2018 by Montlake Romance
Original Title A Merciful Silence
ISBN 1503901319 (ISBN13: 9781503901315)
Edition Language English
Series Mercy Kilpatrick #4
Other Editions (3)
Source:Netgalley EARC

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BOOK BLURB


In the fourth book of the Wall Street Journal bestselling series, FBI agent Mercy Kilpatrick must unlock the mystery of a mass murder, and the secrets of its silent witness…

For Mercy Kilpatrick, returning to rural Oregon has meant coming to terms with her roots. Raised as a prepper, Mercy is now relying on her survivalist instincts to defend her town from the people the law can’t reach. But this time, an investigation calling up a dark past for her and police chief Truman Daly may be hitting too close to home.

A rainstorm has uncovered the remains of five people—a reprise of the distinctive slaughter of two families twenty years ago. Except the convicted killer is in prison. Is this the case of a sick copycat, or is the wrong man behind bars? One person might have the answer. The lone survivor of the decades-old crimes has returned to town still claiming that she can’t remember a thing about the night she was left for dead. As the search for the truth becomes more dangerous, Mercy fears that the traumatized woman may not have buried her memories at all. She might be keeping them a secret. And there’s a price to be paid for revealing them.

My Thoughts


Eagle's Bend, Oregon once again finds it's police force and FBI agent Mercy Kilpatrick embroiled in a crime scene.

Having to investigate the remains of five people after a torrential rainstorm was not on the agenda for police chief Truman Daly or Mercy either one. However fate has a sick sense of humor as once again the past comes knocking on their door and a vicious killer starts a new round of deaths.

Still recovering from being shot Mercy is at times hard pressed but still gives it her all in effort as she knows time is ticking down.

On top of that Mercy has to deal with personal loss as well and the hits just keep on coming when Truman himself becomes in danger.

The violence is graphic in this one as are the descriptions of the victims conditions at the time of their deaths, as are the crime scenes as well, and for some it may be a little much to handle but for me it just leant gravity to how heinous the murders committed were.

This book made the three that came before it seem like a distant dream. It was the most brutal of the series but also the greatest leap for Mercy's characters personal evolution. From a woman whose very being shouted keep away Mercy has slowly opened herself up little by little to relationships that she never wanted or allowed herself to form for many years.

I am so happy that this book turned out to not be series end and even happier to have had the privilege provided by Montlake Publishing and NetGalley to read this uncorrected ARC copy early.

Thank you both and most of all thank author Kendra Elliot for her efforts in creating these characters and bringing them to life for readers in this very enjoyable and fascinating series.

So looking forward to what comes next.

[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.

Two thumbs up! Another excellent thriller by Kendra Elliot. I love all her books and couldn't wait to get my hands on the next book in the Mercy series. If you love a good mystery thriller filled with suspense and a little romance, read this book. Now we need the next one in the series!

Two encompassing cases…

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

The rains in Oregon have been brutal and the ensuing landscape changes uncovered the bones of five people. The manner of death is reminiscent of murdered families that occurred twenty years ago, the perpetrator was apprehended and remains in prison though the convicted man continues to claim his innocence. The recent bones found are not decades old so FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick must ascertain whether someone is mimicking those old murders or the wrong person was imprisoned. This enigma becomes more pertinent with the discovery of a missing family in the area. Could the bones be them?

While Mercy works this case, Police Chief Truman Daly gets his first taste of dealing with the Sovereign Citizens, a group sometimes associated with domestic terrorism, they live off the grid and use the words of the law they don’t believe in to distract and confound, and to hide nefarious activities. Truman will rue the day one crossed his path. Two investigations running concurrently do not appear to intertwine. Or do they? The twists and turns in the plot will have you wondering. To complicate matters the only survivor of the old murders, a child at the time has returned to town. Is this coincidence or not?

Due to the loss of her cabin on a previous case, Mercy’s prepper upbringing is in the forefront of her mind, without that safety net she feels unprepared and anxious. It’s being rebuilt with improvements but until it’s done she’ll be on edge and it’s affecting her relationship with Truman, the man she’s in love with. She continues to keep the prepper part of herself separate as a protective mechanism and Truman feels the lack of inclusion. Their connection will be tested greatly by current events and epiphanies will follow for both of them. Mercy is also still recovering from a gunshot wound to her leg.

This fast-paced story captured my attention quickly, these intriguing, compelling characters drew me in; an FBI agent with prepper beginnings and how she handles the mix now back among the world she grew up in and the family that shunned her. Truman’s love is steady, true, and patient. There’s a good blend of mystery, suspense, and continuing romance. The main characters suffered wrenching heartache in this story, each exhibited growth from what they experienced due to the dark nature of the cases.

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

This was a great romantic suspense book. I loved the characters and the twists and turns! I can’t wait for the next book.

5 Stars!! Awesome. I love the Mercy and Truman series, and this story doesn't disappoint. I live in Washington State so I can definitely connect with the terrain and setting. A great and interesting mystery, with good characters that you look forward to reading about. It will have you burning the midnight oil to turn the pages, yet trying to savor every word, so it doesn't end.

The latest in the Mercy Kilpatrick series returns to form. I had been less impressed with book three, which was too heavy on romance and a little light on mystery. But book four is a solid police procedural. Heavy rains have led to the discovery of five skulls, all bashed in the temple and front teeth. The state of the skulls is similar to crimes committed over 20 years. Crimes that were supposedly solved with the murderer in prison.

A secondary story concerns Sovereign Citizens, those folks who think they’re beyond the limits of US laws and taxes. Eagle Rock is home to quite a few folks that lean towards anti-government sentiment. Even getting them to cooperate with a murder investigation is difficult.

Mercy’s anxiety is back in force with the loss of her cabin in book three. And everything happening here tests her both physically and mentally. This is one series I think it’s important to read in order. Elliott does not spend her time rehashing as much as some other series’ authors.

This is a fast paced book that had me on the edge of my seat. I was glad to see that while this was initially meant to be the last book in the series, there will be more. I’ve come to enjoy Mercy and Truman too much to want to leave them now. And I’m hoping that Ollie, a new character introduced later in the book, makes more of an appearance in book five.

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

Thank you Kendra Elliott for this awesome series. Thank you Montlake and NetGalley for the opportunity to receive this arc. I voluntarily leave my review. Everyone should know about this series! This can be read as a stand alone. I would recommend reading the other three so you see how far our Mercy Kilpatrick has grown., so you understand her background and understand her strength and courage. This is darker Mercy tale, but handled with taste. This is suspenseful, thriller, intrigue, romance.. I ached for Mercy, I hurt for Truman, I was completely sucked into the red herring of who it was. I enjoyed Brita, such strength! What can I say about Ollie.? I am so thrilled there will be more Mercy books. I want to watch her and Truman grow.. I want to see how Mary copes with her baby and Kaylie explore all life has to offer. I want to see Ollie learn to thrive in his new world. Kudos to Kendra Elliott. More please.

A very enjoyable read which was full of twists. Great to catch up with these characters and read about what's happening in their lives.