Books On Board
series Reading Order

Mercy Kilpatrick Books in Order

6 Books
2017 – 2019 Published
Jump to reading order
Affiliate links: We may earn a commission on purchases made at no extra cost to you.
Reading order

The Recommended Mercy Kilpatrick Reading Order

For the best reading experience, you should follow the publication order of the Mercy Kilpatrick series. While each mystery is self-contained and wraps up by the final page, Mercy's personal life, her evolving relationships with her estranged family, and her romance with Police Chief Truman Daly develop continuously across the books. Reading out of order will spoil major emotional beats and life changes for the recurring characters.

The Core Reading Path

  1. A Merciful Death (2017) – The novel that introduces FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick as she returns to her hometown of Eagle's Nest, Oregon, to investigate a series of survivalist murders.
  2. A Merciful Truth (2017) – Mercy is caught in a conspiracy involving an anti-government militia and a series of devastating arsons.
  3. A Merciful Secret (2018) – Mercy investigates ritualistic murders that expose long-buried town secrets and test her trust in those closest to her.
  4. A Merciful Silence (2018) – A cold case involving human remains found on a local ranch forces Mercy to dig into Eagle's Nest's dark history.
  5. A Merciful Fate (2019) – Mercy and Chief Truman Daly investigate a series of armed robberies and a local murder that hits close to home.
  6. A Merciful Promise (2019) – Mercy goes undercover inside an extremist survivalist group, bringing her prepper upbringing and federal career into direct, dangerous conflict.

Continuing Mercy's Journey: The Columbia River Series

After finishing the core Mercy Kilpatrick books, you shouldn't stop! Kendra Elliot transitioned Mercy and Truman into her broader Columbia River series, where they return as the primary protagonists in two key installments. To follow their story chronologically, insert these books after the core series:

  1. In the Pines (Columbia River Book 3, 2022) – Mercy and Truman investigate a bizarre series of murders in Eagle's Nest linked to a high-stakes, competitive national treasure hunt hidden in the Oregon wilderness.
  2. At the River (Columbia River Book 5, 2024) – Now married, Mercy and Truman tackle a cold case involving missing teenagers that resurfaces when a true-crime podcaster is murdered in their jurisdiction.

The Cross-Author Crossover Event

  1. Echo Road (2024) – A thrilling crossover novel co-authored by Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh. This book brings together Mercy Kilpatrick and Leigh's popular sheriff protagonist, Bree Taggert. The duo teams up in Oregon to stop a deadly serial killer. While written to be enjoyed as a standalone, reading it after the core Mercy series and their Columbia River appearances provides a much richer appreciation of Mercy's personal growth.

The Broader Kendra Elliot Universe: How Mercy Fits In

Kendra Elliot's romantic suspense novels exist in a shared universe set primarily in the Pacific Northwest. Characters frequently cross over, and entire series act as spin-offs. If you want the ultimate, comprehensive experience, here is how Mercy Kilpatrick connects to the rest of Elliot's work:

The Callahan & McLane Connection

The Mercy Kilpatrick series is a direct spin-off of the Callahan & McLane series (which includes Vanished, Bridged, Spiraled, and Targeted). FBI Special Agent Ava McLane and Oregon State Police Detective Mason Callahan lay the groundwork for the law enforcement dynamics seen in Mercy's books. In fact, Ava and Mason return as the main characters in the Columbia River novel The Silence (Columbia River Book 2), which the author considers an unofficial fifth installment to their original series. You will appreciate the law enforcement cameos in Mercy's books much more if you read Callahan & McLane first.

The Bone Secrets Connection

Even earlier in the timeline is the Bone Secrets series (starting with Hidden). Mason Callahan actually starts out as a recurring character in the Bone Secrets books before getting his own series with Ava McLane. If you want to trace the absolute beginning of this shared Oregon universe, starting with Bone Secrets is highly recommended.

The Columbia River Ensemble

The Columbia River series serves as a grand reunion for Elliot's characters. While Mercy and Truman lead books 3 and 5, other books in the series follow characters you will recognize from previous series. For example, Callahan & McLane's Zander Wells is the protagonist of Book 1 (The Last Sister), and Detective Evan Bolton (a recurring character from the Mercy Kilpatrick series) takes the lead in Book 4 (The First Death) and Book 6 (The Next Grave).

What to Know Before You Start: Setting & Themes

Before diving into Mercy's world, it helps to understand what makes this romantic suspense series stand out from the crowd:

The Prepper Subculture

Mercy Kilpatrick was raised in Eagle's Nest, Central Oregon, by a staunch survivalist father who prepared his family for the end of the world (TEOTWAWKI). Striking out on her own at age eighteen after a traumatic family tragedy, Mercy joined the FBI—creating a massive ideological rift. She keeps her "prepper" knowledge and habits (like her Get Out Of Dodge bag) hidden from her federal colleagues, but she must constantly rely on those survivalist instincts to solve cases and survive in the rugged wilderness.

Central Oregon's Rugged Landscapes

Elliot uses the real-world geography of Central Oregon and the Cascade Mountains to set a tense, atmospheric mood. Eagle's Nest is a fictional, isolated town where distrust of the federal government runs deep. The landscape itself—dense pine forests, freezing rivers, and isolated mountain ranches—functions as a character, presenting as much of a threat to Mercy as the criminals she pursues.

The Romantic Balance

While the mysteries deal with dark themes like serial killers, militia conspiracies, and ritual murders, the core relationship between Mercy and Eagle's Nest Police Chief Truman Daly provides an emotional anchor. Built on mutual respect, patience, and shared trauma, their romance progresses naturally from professional partners to husband and wife, offering a tender contrast to the gritty investigations.

Standalone vs. Continuity: Can You Read Out of Order?

Each book in the Mercy Kilpatrick series features a self-contained crime, investigation, and resolution. You won't find yourself hanging on a cliffhanger regarding the identity of a killer. However, the overarching character arcs, family reconciliations, and relationship progressions are strictly linear. For example, Mercy's gradual reconciliation with her estranged family, her struggle to be accepted back into her prepper hometown, and her path to marriage with Truman Daly are major plotlines that span the entire series. Reading A Merciful Fate before A Merciful Death will spoil the resolution of her family estrangement and ruin the slow-burn romance. Therefore, we highly recommend reading the books in order.

The Authors' Collaboration: Melinda Leigh & Kendra Elliot

Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh are frequent collaborators and close friends, often writing novellas together, such as the Rogue River, Rogue Vows, and Rogue Justice series. While those novellas do not feature Mercy Kilpatrick, their collaborative writing culminated in the crossover novel Echo Road (2024). In this book, they bring their respective main characters together. Bree Taggert, a sheriff from upstate New York, travels to Oregon, where she meets FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick. The collaboration highlights how well both authors' universes blend, providing fans of both series with a satisfying intersection of their favorite heroines.

Frequently Asked

QDo I need to read the Callahan & McLane series before Mercy Kilpatrick?

No, the series stands perfectly on its own. However, reading Callahan & McLane first is recommended because characters from that series make appearances and cameos in Mercy's books.

QWhat is the prepper lifestyle mentioned in the series?

Mercy Kilpatrick grew up in a survivalist family in rural Oregon. They lived off-grid, stored years of food, and prepared for "TEOTWAWKI" (The End of the World As We Know It). Mercy's knowledge of this lifestyle is a key tool in her investigations, although it clashes with her career as an FBI agent.

QAre the Columbia River books featuring Mercy Kilpatrick necessary to read?

If you want to follow Mercy and Truman's story, yes! While they are part of a different series (Columbia River), books 3 (In the Pines) and 5 (At the River) are direct continuations of their lives, showcasing their marriage and new investigations.

QWhere does the crossover book Echo Road fit in the reading order?

Echo Road can be read as a standalone, but chronologically it fits best after you have completed the core Mercy Kilpatrick books and her appearances in the Columbia River series (specifically after At the River).

QIs Eagle's Nest, Oregon, a real town?

No, Eagle's Nest is a fictional town created by Kendra Elliot. However, it is heavily based on the real geography, culture, and survivalist communities of Central Oregon and the Cascade Mountains.

QWho is Truman Daly in the Mercy Kilpatrick series?

Truman Daly is the local Police Chief of Eagle's Nest. He becomes Mercy's professional partner in her investigations and eventually her romantic interest and husband. He represents the stable, community-minded contrast to Mercy's estranged prepper family.