A Merciful Secret

If you could call a thriller series that centres on grisly murders in a small-town full of survivalists a 'cozy and comforting' read, then the Mercy Kilpatrick series fits the bill. I have really enjoyed her books which were recommended to me after I enjoyed books by Melinda Leigh.

This series is a blend of suspense, family dysfunction and a bit of 'clean' romance that centres around Mercy Kilpatrick, who was raised off the grid by survivalist parents. She left home and became an FBI agent (much to the anger of her 'prepper' parents) and when she returns to her small town, she has cases to solve and familial dysfunction to deal with. 

In this third installment, Mercy is still trying to fit back in with her family but is waylaid when she's pulled into two grisly murders that may have a connection. What connection they have, Mercy isn't sure, but with the help of her boyfriend/chief of police Truman and fellow FBI agents, they uncover more than they bargained for.

This was a tense suspense read with a titch of supernatural and I like seeing Mercy's slow but believable reconnection with her family and appreciate that their friction wasn't fixed in the first book. The 'prepper'/survivalist theme continues as we see how Mercy's childhood still impacts her life and need for security.

I quite enjoy this series, and this is a great addition that blends a rural small town vibe with great character growth, a main character/couple you'll root for and some tense, nail-biting scenes t'boot.

Note: I recommend reading the first two books to fully understand Mercy's background and familial issues. 

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Kenda Elliot

Genre: Suspense

Series: Mercy Kilpatrick 3

Type and Source: ebook, personal copy

Publisher: Montlake Romance

First Published: Jan 18, 2018

Read: Oct 18-21, 2025

Book Description from GoodReads: A pair of ritual murders could expose Mercy Kilpatrick to something terrifying: her own past…

Raised off the grid by survivalists, Mercy Kilpatrick believed in no greater safeguard than the backwoods of Oregon. Unforgiven by her father for abandoning the fold for the FBI, Mercy still holds to her past convictions. They’re in her blood. They’re her secrets—as guarded as her private survival retreat hidden away in the foothills.

In a cabin near her hideaway, Mercy encounters a young girl whose grandmother is dying from multiple knife wounds. Hundreds of miles away, a body is discovered slashed to death in a similar way. The victims—a city judge and an old woman living in the woods—couldn’t be more different. With the help of police chief Truman Daly, Mercy must find the killer before the body count rises. Mercy knows that the past has an edge on her. So does her family. How can she keep her secrets now…when they’re the only things that can save her?