Wednesday, January 16, 2019

A Merciful Fate by Kendra Elliot Blog Tour


In the next book in the Wall Street Journal bestselling Mercy Kilpatrick series, there are no such things as little secrets…

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.


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Book 5
Buy Links

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~  Available with KindleUnlimited  ~




“Sit.”

Mercy sat on a stool that was too high for the makeshift table. She didn’t care. They could sit on the ground and she’d be happy with Truman. Currently the home had plywood subfloors and open framing, but part of Mercy loved the empty, bare look; it promised that something fabulous was coming.

Fabulous and practical.

Truman leaned over and poured red wine in the plastic cup by her paper plate. She sighed and buried her nose in her cup. The fragrance was deep and bold, with hints of plum and smoke.

“Italy,” she mumbled into the wine.

“What?” asked Truman.

“I want to visit Italy. How does a honeymoon in Italy sound?”

A grin filled his face, and the sensation of butterflies fluttered up her spine.

Or maybe it’s the wine.

She took a sip of her wine as she studied his face. So familiar and dear to her.

A smile to stop traffic. Eyes that crinkled in happiness. Several scars that testified to his love of law enforcement. Her attraction to him was more than skin deep. She was in love with the person he was. He was a natural leader and easily commanded respect. His people turned to him, followed him, admired him. His natural sense of honor was a magnet for her.

No. It’s not the wine.

He gets me.


He understood how her mind worked, and they fit together like a couple of complicated puzzle pieces. She’d been painfully aware of her missing puzzle piece when he’d been taken away, chained by men planning to kill him, and then rescued thanks to Ollie. The two weeks when no one knew his fate had been the worst of her life. When he’d been returned to her, she’d known she couldn’t waste any more time.

He’d been of the same mind-set and had proposed.

“I’ll try Italy.” He dished spaghetti carbonara onto their plates.

“And what’s on your agenda for tomorrow?” he asked over the rim of his plastic cup. She perked up. “The bank confirmed the money bags are from the Gamble-Helmet Heist. And I have the go-ahead to visit Shane Gamble at the Two Rivers prison tomorrow.”

“What are your thoughts on the remains?” Truman asked. “Did the medical examiner get to them yet?”

“Yes. They spent the afternoon removing the remains, and Dr. Lockhart was going to start an examination tonight. The woman never takes time off.”

“Same could be said for you.”

“Only when I’m deep in a case.”

“I guess this means your weekends are booked for a while?”

Mercy sighed. “I know. The two of us are supposed to be working on the interior of this place… We’ll get it done at some point. It’ll have to wait awhile.”

A grin filled his face.

“What?” she asked.

“You’re not the same person I met last fall. Back then, if the cabin had been in the half-completed state it is now, you’d be climbing the walls with anxiety because your safety net wasn’t perfect.”

“You’re right,” she agreed. “I had a similar thought earlier, but nearly all my supplies are still intact, so it’d be rough living but doable. I can temporarily live with that for now. Especially with this case to distract me.”

His lips twisted.

“Jealous?” she asked with a grin. “It’s an amazing case, isn’t it?”

“It is. Considering there have been no leads for decades, and the robbery is practically modern folklore. It’s like a buried treasure hunt, and Ollie found the first clue.”

“Is Ollie okay after his morning?” she asked with a small wince. She’d nearly forgotten the teen had made the grisly discovery.

“He’s okay. I spent some time with him and he was very quiet, but I could tell he was processing it. He’s dealt with death before.”

“He’s been through a lot,” sympathized Mercy.

They silently ate for a few moments until he glanced up and caught her staring at him. Longing shone in his eyes, an appetite and craving that had nothing to do with food, and she struggled to find her breath.

How does he do that to me?

“You know,” he said, his voice low and tempting, “this place hasn’t been christened yet.”

Mercy blinked. “People do that to homes?”

Patience filled his features. “That’s not what I meant.” His brown gaze held hers.

“Ohhh,” she breathed as heat flashed through her.

“Dessert.” His smile was sinful, and energy pulsed between them.

She melted. “Yes. Dessert.”




Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars
M/F thriller

This is a fast-paced story where it is very helpful if you've read the previous books in the series.

In this book, Mercy and her crew are up against a 30 year old crime. When a bank heist goes south, it will take everyone in the town to figure out what happened.

I loved how involved this book makes the reader. You want to cheer for someone, but because you're unsure who to cheer for, you end up skeptical of everyone.

Elliot didn't disappoint with the twists and turns in this book and I highly recommend reading this. It grabs you from the start and doesn't let go until the very end. I hope there are more to come!


Mary Jo☆☆☆☆
This series just gets better and better.

Ollie has found a skeleton and Mercy and others suspect it could be related to an old unsolved bank robbery. One of the gang is in prison, but the other four accomplices disappeared without a trace.

Not only is Truman trying to help Mercy figure who died in that remote cabin long ago, he's also trying to solve the new spate of vandalism that is happening over at Sandy's inn. Sandy isn't being very helpful as to who may behind it, until she realizes that unless she's honest, her whole life will come tumbling down around her.

Bree is also having problems. Someone tagged her car and barn with "Xs" and her son, Lucas, is furious. Truman at first thinks its related to Sandy's cases, but something doesn't quite fit.

Mercy is doing her best to keep the investigation moving regarding the old bank robbery, but it’s getting harder and harder to do. Her partner, Eddie, is shot while trying to interview a potential witness. Art, the former lead investigator on the case and now retired FBI agent, is being investigated as she shot the man who shot Eddie. And everyone else around her, has the flu.

When Mercy's niece is shot, Mercy is inconsolable. One of the things she prides herself on is being prepared but after Eddie's shooting, she didn't restock her med bag. Feeling foolish and helpless, she turns to the one person who has never let her down – Truman.

I truly enjoyed this book and can't wait to see where book six takes us next.


Sarah☆☆☆☆☆
After five books, this series is quickly becoming addictive. Mercy’s creepy backwoods community gets both stranger and more familiar with each story and this one kept me guessing right to the end.

This book starts slowly. A long dead skeleton. Graffiti. As always, Truman and Mercy’s cases overlap, and things start to escalate. I love the way this story only gets more complicated as Mercy and Truman uncover tiny pieces of information that link together to create bigger truths. And I love that it took me a long time to figure out Mercy’s case in this story. The ending of this story had me on the edge of my seat – I honestly couldn’t put it down.

When I think of Oregon, I think of Portland and hipsters. I think of a liberal corner of the US with values more similar to Canada or Europe than the American South. This series, with its preppers, independent citizens, and fugitives, is eye opening to say the least. I’m beginning to feel like I know the characters in Mercy and Truman’s community but there are so many secrets to keep track of. I love the contrast of small town charm and creepy backwoods nuttiness. And I love that it’s often impossible to tell them apart. I love how Mercy attempts to balance her professional role and her small town prepper upbringing.

I really love this series. On a basic level, the books are well plotted and well written crime thrillers. But there are lots of great crime thrillers. It’s the wonderfully complex characters and the overwhelming sense of place that makes the series special.


Also Available in the Mercy Kilpatrick Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
~  Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

For reviews & more info, check out our A Merciful Death post.


Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
~  Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

For reviews & more info, check out our A Merciful Truth post.


Book 3
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
~  Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

For reviews & more info, check out our A Merciful Secret post.


Book 4
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
~  Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

For reviews & more info, check out our A Merciful Silence post.




Kendra Elliot has landed on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list multiple times and is the award-winning author of the Bone Secrets and Callahan & McLane series and the Mercy Kilpatrick novels. Kendra is a three-time winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award, an International Thriller Writers finalist, and an RT Award finalist. She has always been a voracious reader, cutting her teeth on classic female heroines such as Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and Laura Ingalls. She was born, raised, and still lives in the rainy Pacific Northwest with her husband and three daughters but looks forward to the day she can live in flip-flops.

Connect with Kendra

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Google+  ~  Instagram



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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of A Merciful Fate (Mercy Kilpatrick #5) by Kendra Elliot to read and review for this tour.

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