It’s a busy day in Eagles Nest, OR, when a young teen comes to the local diner looking for some help and finds Police Chief Truman Daly. He tells Truman that his mother, Bridget Kerr and baby sister Molly are missing and have been so for two weeks. He tells Truman that he was told if she didn’t return within a certain amount of time, that he was to go for help. His father is recently deceased. All he knows is that his mother was looking for her brother. But he doesn’t know who his uncle is or where his mother may have gone. With a young child missing, Truman immediately notifies Mercy.
As Theodore leads the duo on a very roundabout path to his home nestled in the woods, they meet his younger sister Charlotte and quickly recognize the signs of ‘peppers’ – a survivalist family – no computers, no phones and minimal interaction with the townspeople. As they gently search the house for clues to Bridget’s whereabouts, they find a small cache of pictures hidden. Though the pictures are several years old, Mercy recognizes someone in the pictures – a friend from a nearby Sherriff’s department.
A quick visit to Detective Evan Bolton reveals some astonishing news – Bridget, is actually Bethany – Evan’s sister, who’s been missing for fourteen years. Evan is stunned, and immediately joins the investigation as he prepares to meet his niece and nephew. As the children bond with their uncle, they begin to confide in the group – including a startling fact about their father.
Meanwhile, a recently deceased millionaire has reportedly hidden a treasure and his attorney has posted a cryptic poem that will ultimately lead one lucky individual to the cache. As a result, Eagle’s Nest has been flooded with tourists, all hoping that the mountainous region may be guarding the prize. With the treasure hunters come other problems, with Truman and his team fielding frequent calls for fighting, trespassing and finally murder.
As the team works to find Bethany, Truman is seeking a killer in his rural town, all while the hunt is on to find a valuable treasure…
First, I just have to say that I was ecstatic to see Mercy & Truman returning to print!! Her character became very near and dear to me as I worked through her ‘Merciful’ series, originally slated to end after six novels. Apparently, I was not alone in that sentiment as I read her Acknowledgements page and I am thrilled that there will be more of Mercy and crew forthcoming!! I love these books!!
That being said – as always, this was a great read! Don’t pick it up until you have the time to read it cover to cover – it’s that good (as they ALL have been!!! )
I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley & Montlake in exchange for an objective review. Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!
Tropical Delusions...... 