Format: Kindle, 359 pages
Release Date: January 15, 2019
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Romantic Suspense / Thriller
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.
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.
A Merciful Fate is the fifth installment in author Kendra Elliot's Mercy Kilpatrick series. As the story opens, 18-year-old Ollie, who saved Eagle's Nest Police Chief Truman Daly's life in the previous installment and has become Truman's war, uncovers human bones while walking with his dog. He also finds small flat bags with First Interstate Bank on them. Something bad happened here. Thirty years ago, an armored car robbery turned deadly. The mastermind was captured and is serving his time in prison. Four conspirators vanished with a fortune.
One of them, it appears, never made it out of the woods alive. Rumors had the gang crossing the border into Canada, but if the bones are any indication, maybe the gang never even left the area. A link to the infamous Gamble-Helmet Heist has finally been established. Now, the case has landed on the desk of Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick, and it’s up to her to track down the other criminals and everything is pointing towards locals, people she knows being involved. Mercy requests assistance from retired Agent Art Juergen, lead investigator on the original case, to help her and her partner, Eddie Peterson, finally solve this decades-old case.
For Mercy Kilpatrick and her fiancé, Truman Daly, their investigation opens old wounds in Eagle’s Nest that cut deeper than they imagined. Just as Mercy starts re-investigating the robbery, a young tabloid reporter shows up in Eagle’s Nest asking questions threatening long-buried secrets. When her niece is shot by an unknown assailant, it’s clear to Mercy that somebody in this close-knit community is not who they seem to be and will do anything to stop the investigation.
Mercy and Truman must reveal them all to find the threat to their community and family. Some long held friends and neighbors are not who or what they seem. Some are still shattered by the heist. Some still have reason to be afraid. Some, it seems, are being targeted for reasons known only to those responsible. 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. Also, while Mercy and Truman are struggling to find answers, Mercy gets some good news thanks to Rose.
And then there's Mercy's father, who still hasn't forgiven her for leaving when she turned 18. His comments hit home. The people around Mercy seem to be injured or killed quite frequently. In most series, the main characters are injured or almost killed so often you wonder how they can keep recovering and working, but those around Mercy suffer this author’s wrath. This was the case with Kaylie. This was the case with her FBI partner. This was the case with Truman in the previous installment. This was the case with her brother in the first installment. How much is too much for Mercy, and Truman?
I am now 3 books away from finally finishing this story, and I can't wait to see what trials and tribulations the author has in store for Mercy and Truman in the next books. I adore Rose and am giddy with happiness at things that happen to her in this book. I think it's wonderful that Ollie and Kaylie are friends. Don't much care for Kaylie's on-and-off boyfriend. Mercy is tough and stubborn, as well as having a hard time opening up to others, but she also has a heart when it comes to protecting her own people. She's a solitary person now, thanks to Kaylie and Truman and Rose and even her sister Pearl, who has all but forgiven her for her brothers death.
