Feature Post: A Merciful Fate by Kendra Elliot: Exclusive Excerpt plus Giveaway
About the Book
Title: A Merciful Fate
Author: Kendra Elliot
Release Date: January 15, 2019
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Summary
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.
Excerpt: A Merciful Fate by
Kendra Elliot
“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.”
Author Biography
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, as well as the Mercy Kilpatrick novels: A Merciful Death, A Merciful Truth, and A Merciful Secret. 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 she looks forward to the day she can live in flip-flops. Visit her at www.kendraelliot.com.
Social Media Links
Website: https://www.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
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