FBI Mercy Kilpatrick and her temporarily assigned partner are dispatched to Eagle’s Nest, Oregon to investigate a series of deaths involving survivalists and weapons. Unknown to most of her colleagues, this is the hometown Mercy left 15 years ago after being shunned by her family for reasons unknown. And, her parents are “preppers,” too, the term given to survivalists who live their lives preparing for doomsday type events. She was raised in this atmosphere and mindset but hasn’t shed all she learned growing up. Police Chief Truman Daly teams with the FBI to investigate these cases, one of them close to his heart as his uncle was one of the brutalized victims.
I’ve had this series on my shelf for almost two years and agreed to read it after it was selected as a group read in one of my Goodreads groups. So, I began listening without reading the synopsis. The term “preppers” is a new one for me as I’d put the people who consider themselves as such under one umbrella, calling them survivalists. I gained a lot of insight here about how they operate and their cult-like nature. I won’t pretend that I understand the “why” any better but at least get how they are able to perpetuate the behaviors.
While I was interested in the investigation of the murders, I was much more intrigued by the mystery surrounding Mercy’s reasons for leaving her family and home. It proved to be the more compelling aspect of the story and eventually connects with the murders. The beginning moved more slowly for me until the focus shifted and things got very exciting. The second half moved rapidly and was hard to put down, too. Of course, there’s also a developing relationship between Mercy and Truman to keep things interesting. It’s subtle and doesn’t get in the way of the mystery elements but enough romance for me. The narrator was very good, handling an assortment of challenging characters extremely well. I’m glad I’ve got the audiobooks for the next four books because it was a great listening experience. I enjoyed this start to the series and am looking forward to the next stories.
Book Info
- Release Date: January 17, 2017
- Series: Mercy Kilpatrick #1
- Narrator: Teri Schnaubelt
- Audio Length: 10 hours, 36 minutes
- Publisher: Brillance Audio
Blue Mood Café 
Fab review, a good audible narrator is SO important.
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Thanks, Jules💜 No question that the narrator can make or break the reading experience.
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Well, this one sounds intriguing enough to add to my list to look out for.
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I do think you’d like this, Alexandra.
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I like that it focuses on Mercy’s story as much as the murders, which always adds another dynamic to the characters.
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I really enjoyed this series, hope you enjoy the rest 🙂
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Thanks, Cathy💜 That’s good to know!
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Great review! I haven’t read anything by this author. A few books have caught my eye, but I haven’t tried anything by her yet. Might need to change that soon. 😊
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Thank you, Darinda💜 All of her series are connected in some way but I didn’t feel like I was missing anything by not reading them in published order.
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I really enjoyed this series a lot. I read them in ebook. I love the prepper concept. It appeals to my planning and organization side. I also liked the way the romance was there but not the focus of the whole book. Wonderful review!
Anne – Books of My Heart
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Thanks, Anne💜 I didn’t realize you’d read this series. We’re doing a group read of it on Goodreads.
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Fabulous review and I want to read this one! Thank you!
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Thank you, Diane💜 This has turned out to be a really good series!
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I think Mercy’s story would really capture my interest too. I already want to know more about her just from reading your review!
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And this first book just touches the surface. So much more to explore!
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