Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

Love, LOVE, LOVE this series and this book is just awesome. The mystery plot is fantastic and not having the baddie's POV just keeps the suspense building from beginning to end. Lost of twists and turns and no end of suspects and motives, just the way a really great mystery should be.

Nearly thirty years ago an armored car in Portland, OR was robbed. A guard was killed, a robber shot and captured. The remaining three robbers and their driver escaped with $2 million dollars. While on a hike in a remote area near Eagle's Nest, OR, the teenage ward of Police Chef Truman Daly, Ollie, and his dog, Shep, come upon a deserted, falling down cabin with a skeleton and empty money bags. At long last a link to the infamous Gamble-Helmet Heist has finally been established. And now there are three people with a real interest in the true facts of this case never coming to light.

FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick is assigned the cold case and taps retired Agent Art Juergen, lead investigator on the original case, to help her and partner, Eddie Peterson, finally solve this decades old case. For some people of this tight-knit community there are secrets they would have just as soon seen buried forever. When a tabloid reporter starts raising questions and turning over rocks, a killer crawls out. As the danger strikes too close to Mercy and her fiancé, Truman, they now have to face to possibility that someone they know is a murderer.

I’ve always loved romance, but romantic suspense has been my absolute favorite sub-genre of romance. Ever since reading Nora Robert’s Hidden Riches, romantic suspense has been my go-to choice for books. Don’t get me wrong...I do love several romance authors and will absolutely 1-click their books as soon as they are published...but romantic suspense is my jam (my 15-year-old hates when I say that so I’m saying it because he randomly reads my reviews and I love to embarrass him––but I digress).

I’ve read several Kendra Elliot books over the last few years and have loved each and every one. Some more than others. But what I love the most is the fact that she almost ALWAYS has me guess who the bad guy/gal is. It’s a game I play in my head to see if I can guess the whodunnit before the end of the book. I’m usually wrong with her books! And A Merciful Fate was no different. This book is the 5th book in her Mercy Kilpatrick series and it absolutely can be read as a stand-alone book. I have actually missed books 2-4 somehow and will be rectifying that mistake shortly. But I had no trouble figuring out character relationships or following the story at any point. If you’re a KU subscriber, all of her Mercy Kilpatrick books are in KU and you better believe I’ll be reading books 2-4 ASAP! Her books are always well-written, her characters are well developed and always evolving as life happens at the speed of light for them, and by the end of the series, the setting is so well developed, you kind of want to pack up and move to that town and live with those characters.

NICUnurse’s Rating: I have to give A Merciful Fate a full 5 stars because she had me guessing to the very end, and even then, she knocked me on my butt with the revelation/resolution! If you’re a romantic suspense lover, don’t miss this author’s books. Her writing truly does remind me a lot of my all-time favorite author, Nora Roberts. If you’ve never read romantic suspense and are thinking about giving it a try, you can’t go wrong with any Kendra Elliot book! So...what are you waiting for?! GET THIS BOOK!!

A Merciful Fate is the 5th installment in the Mercy Kilpatrick series and can be read as a stand-alone; which I should know because I jumped the gun on this series slightly and have read this book before the others. LOL! However, with that said, it was easy to pick up on the familial and group dynamics, the in’s and out’s they all were navigating in their everyday lives, as well as the overall continuing storyline thru the series and not feel lost. I will also say that after reading this book, I will definitely be going back to my bookshelf to grab books 1-4 to see how everything evolved. I truly enjoy Elliott’s work and writing style and have all the books in this series, I have just not made it to them yet in my ever growing ‘to be read’ pile. I must admit I am genuinely intrigued with Mercy’s character and her lifestyle and look forward to learning more about her. An FBI agent and a prepper?! Very interesting, indeed.

The characters in this story are fun, engaging and complex and the storyline well-written, intriguing and will keep you turning the pages. There is also a 30-year old bank heist mystery to unravel, multiple vandalisms with threats attached, friends with secrets, hidden agendas, a baby on the way, a wedding to plan, everyday life events to navigate and, of course, life and death situations to survive. This book is definitely full of excitement from the first page to the last. There is also a shocking twist that jumps out of nowhere and it is just wow! I am still shaking my head at that one; I did not see it coming. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series – I best get hopping and get started on the back reads. Ha!

*I received a copy of this book via the publisher, Montlake Romance, thru NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I love the Mercy Kilpatick series. I have enjoyed all five books in the series. Kendra Elliot can write a murder plot like no other. In "A Merciful Fate", Mercy is sent to investigate bones found in a secluded and rustic cabin. All indication is the bones is one of four men from a thirty year old robbery of two million dollars. This story is full of twists, turns and surprises. The killer is no one you will suspect. Great murder mystery and a must read.

Kendra Elliot is able to take a series and keep it fresh characters growing, developing and interesting without repeating the the story line.

The mysteries in each book have a way of pulling readers keeping them wondering what will happen next. A Merciful Fate is full of family, mysteries that have readers wondering who will be killed next and a twist some readers will see but most will be shocked.

The side stories are just as great as main mystery. This readers was up until 3 am in the having to finish the book in one sitting.

Thank you to the Author, Netgalley and the publisher Montlake Romance for the advance copy of Kendra Elliot A Merciful Fate

A Merciful Fate is a very well written romantic suspense. I was pulled immediately into the plot and couldn’t quit reading. Suspense fans will not be disappointed. I received an arc from Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Mercy and Truman have stumbled along a decades old crime scene, thanks to Ollie's dog. Hopefully you've read the other books and remember Ollie, if not Elliot reminds you. This series is fast paced with an exciting mystery and deep small town history. I was really excited to see mention of my hometown of Paradise, most recently known for the Camp Fire. A brief mention but still important to me. Always a pleasure to read and disappointment to finish, looks like we could get more. My copy came through Netgalley, review written voluntarily.

Reading A Merciful Fate is like coming home and slipping into my jimmy-jams, robe and slippers, turning on the fire and gathering up the dog, throw and glass of wine.
This is absolutely not to imply the books in this, series, including A Merciful Fate are cozies. Au contraire, mes amies. This series has kept me on the edge of my couch and turning pages as quickly as possible. I still have not totally recovered from the last book A Merciful. Silence Of course these books can be read alone, Elliot does a good job of catching you up on the players.
I might not have read of any cop/FBI with a background as unusual as Mercy Kilpartrick’s, (outside of the realm of fantasy). Mercy is a secret prepper-actually the smartest kind to be. She was raised by prepper/survivalist parents until she broke away. I’m gonna quote myself, “You can take the girl out of the family circle but you can’t take the prepper out of the girl.” So she still embraces parts of the philosophy. The always be prepared part, just to an unusual degree.
Mercy is an FBI agent in love with and engaged to the local police chief, Truman Daly. When Mercy finds herself proposing a wedding trip to Italy its wonderful to see that Mercy is no longer a half bubble off plumb, but just a smidgen. Can y’all tell I’m fascinated by Mercy?
Okay now back to our regularly scheduled programming . Truman’s ward, Ollie, finds a skeletonized body in the woods. The body turns out to be a member of the Gamble-Helmet bank robbery gang which ended in one death, one arrest, four escapes and the money disappearing. The Gamble-Helmet crime became second only to the D.B.Cooper hijacking in myth and mystery in the Northwest.
Thirty years is a long time for people to re-invent themselves so Mercy finds herself eyeing long time friends in a different way. She is just not eying the right people.
Meanwhile, back in Eagle’s Nest, Truman is dealing with two, seemingly unconnected spates of vandalism.
I would have to say the complex plot, and the fascinating characters are evenly matched in A Merciful Fate. It was especially lovely to see so much of sister Rose, her FBI partner Eddie Peterson and young hero Ollie.
I know also that this sounded like a review of Mercy. But why not, there seems to be a competition between authors to make their cop/FBI agents as damaged as possible. Mercy fits into that category, but I think in just about the most interesting way.
Elliot could have done a bit better research about retired FBI agents. They are fully able to carry concealed weapons. No concealed weapons permit needed.
I still admire the way Elliot writes in such a respectful way about the prepper lifestyle. She makes it understandable, not a joke.
Elliot also has a fine way with her occasional metaphors, “ ...but an experienced reporter would dip him in batter, deep fry him, and then eat him for dinner”
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

When a thirty year old skeleton is discovered in an abandoned hut with a possible connection to a thirty year old bank robbery cold case all local law enforcement hands are on deck. Are the Incidents of random vandalism at the local inn and other businesses a distraction or just an unhappy coincidence. Certainly the murdered reporter and the brutalized retired school teacher must be related?

As the various threads of the story come together in the author's usual story telling style the answers will astound readers, they certainly did me. This is a great murder, mystery. I have not read the first book in this series but found the threads from Mercy's past an interesting twist to the overall story line.

A Merciful Fate was an extremely enjoyable, gripping story. That grabbed me from the very first page and never let go. Thanks to a storyline that had the perfect amount of mystery, suspense, and intrigue. Not to mention multiple threads that all come together brilliantly and included a thirty year old bank robbery, an attack on a retired teacher and vandalism at a local B&B. And I literally had no idea who was involved and whether FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick and her colleagues would survive long enough to find out.

Would thoroughly recommend.

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2019/01/09/a-merciful-fate-by-kendra-elliott/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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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.

<strong>A Merciful Fate</strong> is probably my favorite in the series so far, but it may be because I have come to love these characters. I do have to wonder how many people can die in a small town. Since there is a large prepper community, I'm NOT surprised with how many have secrets.

So much happens on a work and personal level for Mercy. At work, there is the new case which ties into an old bank heist. I did figure out one culprit without really trying.   There are also many acts of vandalism in town which may or may not be related to each other or this case. And then people are getting shot and some are dying.

Personally, Mercy is still dealing with the loss of her prepper cabin.  She has her niece living with her and is settling this into her world. Now she and Truman have Ollie working into their family life and routines, and Shep. Her father is still one cold fish. Her sister, Rose, is nearing the end of her pregnancy.  Mercy and Truman have yet to make their wedding plans.

Even with some disbelief at the quantity of incidents in a small town, this was a fun, fast read.  With all the gun violence these days, it might be very realistic, especially around preppers who are independent, anti-government NRA types.  Many characters are quite well-developed.  I just enjoyed reading.

Received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Kendra Elliot has done it again.......written a fantabulous book about Mercy Kilpatrick. Death, revenge, bank heists from years ago - you will find it all in this wonderfully written story. After reading the first books in this series and now this newest one I feel as if the characters are friends. Everyone who likes a mystery will love this book. Enjoy! 📚

I had a hard time getting into A Merciful Fate, the 5th book in a series, by Kendra Elliott. After reading the description it sounded like something I would enjoy but maybe I need to start at the beginning. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC and the chance to give my opinion! Kendra Elliot does it again with her latest installment in the Mercy series. Interesting characters that you care about and enough mystery and mayhem it keeps you fully invested and deaf to the world around you until you turn that last page! I highly recommend this series and this author!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of A Merciful Fate by Kendra Elliot that I read and reviewed.
This was the fifth book in the Mercy Kilpatrick series and even though it was not my favorite it kept the series going and it fit in very well. I do like Mercy and the rest of the characters I just did not love this book as much as the others for some reason.
However, this book was packed full of action and suspense. Maybe the idea of a thirty year old bank robbery just is not my thing and when the people behind the robbery were unveiled it was a shocker for me. Overall, this is a very good read and I can’t wait to see what Mercy is up to in her next book.
A Merciful Fate gets four out of five stars.

Thanks Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC.

I'm a huge fan of this series and couldn't wait to read this new installment.
You can't go wrong with Kendra Elliot, and as always the plot is gripping and pacey with plenty of suspense and surprising twists and turns till the exciting end.

I wholeheartedly recommend this novel and the entire series for fans of high quality thrillers.

FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick is back and this time she faces many dangers as she investigates a decades old armored car robbery that stunned the entire country. Skeletal remains of one of the four armored car robbers who got away are found in a derelict cabin in the woods not far from Eagle's Nest, Mercy's hometown. The ringleader of the robbery was shot during the heist and is in jail doing a life sentence and has consistently stymied police when asked for information. The two million in cash the robbers got away with was never found. The FBI did an exhaustive investigation after the robbery and also followed-up new leads over the years with no success. The investigation is reopened after the discovery of the skeletal remains verify that this was one of the robbers. Mercy is designated the lead investigator. But someone doesn't want the investigation to go forward. There are threats, vandalism and shootings. Mercy Kilpatrick won't let any of these things stop her. With her fiance Eagle's Nest Chief of Police Truman Daley and other FBI agents from her office Mercy follows the clues to a surprising conclusion of the case.

A Merciful Fate by Kendra Elliot is the fifth book in her Mercy Kilpatrick series. This author's vastly creative mind takes the readers through many twists, turns and surprising revelations in this book. The plot is spot on and the story flows with continuous fast-paced action. The main characters, Mercy and Truman are both strong, compassionate and dedicated. The reader was introduced to many of the secondary characters in previous books in the series as was eighteen-year-old Ollie, Truman's ward. Kendra Elliot highlights Ollie in this story and I really liked how she handled the trials and tribulations of this character. This is a standalone book but I think the reader would enjoy the story even more by going back and reading the earlier books in the series.

A Merciful Fate is Book 5 of the Mercy Kilpatrick series by Kendra Elliot. While every story so far in this series has been great and there is a bit of a backstory that continues along, I do think a person could easily jump in mid-series and not feel overly lost. Personally, I'm just finding the time to grab the first 2 books in the series and I've been following along just fine.

I've enjoyed every story I have read by this author but I must say, this is absolutely one of the BEST yet! It kept me on pins and needles the entire time. The suspense was riveting and I was certainly thrown for more than a few loops. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I snuck in a chapter every chance I could get.

I received an arc from net gallery and am voluntarily reviewing this book.

This was the best one yet from Kendra Elliot. I thoroughly enjoy the suspense and a lot of it I did not see coming and I'm really good at predicting most suspense thriller. Mercy stumbles upon a case 30 years in the making involving a bank robbery and missing money. The people involved blew me away because I never saw it coming. I don't want to give away any spoilers but this one was awesome and the ending definitely made me smile. Glad to see Ollie doing so well and involved with society

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of A Merciful Fate in exchange for an honest review. A Merciful Fate is the 5th book in the Mercy Kilpatrick series. Mercy was raised in a survivalist family and left to pursue a career with the FBI, which was not welcomed by her family. When she returns to her hometown of Eagles Nest, she reunites with her old boyfriend,Truman Daly, who is now the police chief. Thirty years ago, an armored-car robbery turned deadly. The mastermind was captured and remains in prison. Four conspirators vanished with a fortune. One of them, it appears, never made it out of the woods alive when bones are found in an abandoned cabin. It becomes clear to Mercy that someone in their community is connected to the heist and is not who they appear to be.
Great story complete with bank robbers, tabloid reporters and plenty of intrigue. Elliot always comes through with a well-written, captivating mystery.