Authors I've Been Meaning to Read - A Merciful Death by Kendra Elliot

At the beginning of the year, I made a list of authors that I've been saying I need to read and commit to reading at least one book by each of the authors in 2026.  Here's my thoughts on one of those books/authors.

Goodreads:  A Merciful Death by Kendra Elliot

Blurb:  FBI special agent Mercy Kilpatrick has been waiting her whole life for disaster to strike. A prepper since childhood, Mercy grew up living off the land—and off the grid—in rural Eagle’s Nest, Oregon. Until a shocking tragedy tore her family apart and forced her to leave home. Now a predator known as the cave man is targeting the survivalists in her hometown, murdering them in their homes, stealing huge numbers of weapons, and creating federal suspicion of a possible domestic terrorism event. But the crime scene details are eerily familiar to an unsolved mystery from Mercy’s past.
Sent by the FBI to assist local law enforcement, Mercy returns to Eagle’s Nest to face the family who shunned her while maintaining the facade of a law-abiding citizen. There, she meets police chief Truman Daly, whose uncle was the cave man’s latest victim. He sees the survivalist side of her that she desperately tries to hide, but if she lets him get close enough to learn her secret, she might not survive the fallout…

My Thoughts:  I really enjoyed this one.  Mercy grew up in a community and her perspective was really interesting.  I found the fact she couldn't put everything behind her even as she rebelled against some of the teachings authentic.  As well, the fact she really loved and missed her family - especially her siblings - added some depth to the story.  The mystery kept me hooked and I really enjoyed watching everything unravel as Mercy and Truman closed in on the truth.  The romance felt a bit unnecessary to me and like it was added in last minute to the plot.  It never took over the main storyline which I appreciated but I would have been fine with less of their thoughts about each other.  While the primary mystery was resolved there are a few plotlines in Mercy's personal life that will continue into the next book and I'm curious to see how things evolve.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)