Echo Road
Authors: Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh
Reviewer: Sophia Rose
Rating: A+
What I’m Talking About:
A reading fan’s delight occurs when two of my favorite suspense authors decide to pool their talents and write a book bringing together two of their intrepid female detecting protagonists to solve a case together. What was it like having two of my favorite series crossing over for a big stakes serial killer case? In a word, fantastic!
Echo Road is the ninth entry in both the Mercy Kilpatrick and the Bree Taggert series by their respective authors. Neither series is good to read out of order because of all the personal and relationship developments going on throughout the series, but this one really would be tough since the reader is getting a merging of two series and writing styles.
Not surprisingly, Echo Road is an alternating narrative story: Bree, Mercy, the killer, and occasionally, one of his victims. The story opens in Upstate New York when Bree is called to a roadside body dump in the sweltering high heat of summer. Her investigation begins and almost from the start she is confronted by swarming reporters who know details that were not officially released and county politics when her boss puts the pressure on to close the case quickly because serial killers are bad for re-elections.
Meanwhile, across country in Oregon, Mercy gets called in with Evan Bolton to investigate the disappearance of a U.S. Senator’s daughter. The senator wants to keep it from the press as long as possible. They are frustrated by a lack of strong evidence leading to the girl’s whereabouts until a news story about two female murder victims across country catch Mercy’s attention. She goes with her gut and gets on a plane to slip into Sheriff Bree Taggert’s investigation.
Two strong and dedicated law enforcement workers with Bree in her local county sheriff’s role and Mercy repping the FBI were fun to see meet and figure out how to work as a team while the arrogant killer is trying to lead them on a merry messed up case for some time. I had my suspicions and I eagerly read through all the twists and turns to see if I got it right. Some wonderful sharp twists and turns with a breath-stealing climax at the end.
The combining of the two different series characters and their backgrounds was seamless and went so well. I was just as into Echo Road as all the past books from both series. The setting is mostly Bree’s neck of the woods and a county investigation, but I was excited to see the author’s note that they would consider writing more crossovers between their series. They do so well partnering on series as they’ve done it in the past for other series. Those who enjoy romantic suspense and thrillers should definitely give both these series a go.
My Rating: A+ Personal Favorite
Sophia Rose
About the Book:
When two cross-country cases collide, Bree Taggert and Mercy Kilpatrick join forces to catch a serial killer in an addictive novel of suspense by bestselling authors Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot.
During a vicious heat wave, a county maintenance worker stumbles upon two suspicious suitcases abandoned by the side of the road. Sheriff Bree Taggert responds to find two bodies stuffed inside the luggage. The press demands action. The community is on edge. Suddenly, Bree is at the center of a media firestorm.
In Oregon, a senator’s daughter goes missing. FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick agrees to keep the politically sensitive case on the down-low. When she finds a link between the disappearance and a double homicide three thousand miles away, Mercy takes the next plane out—and lands right in the middle of Bree’s double homicide investigation.
To save the missing girl, Bree and Mercy must work together to stop a killer who’s playing deadly games with the press and stirring up public rage. Hungry for notoriety, he dares Bree and Mercy to catch him before he kills again.
Release Date: July 2, 2024
Publisher: Montlake
Series: Mercy Kilpatrick #9; Bree Taggert #9
Genre: Suspense, Thriller
Format(s): hardcover (336 pages), paperback (336 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: won in contest
Purchase Info:
Amazon (affiliate link)
Reviews in the Series:
At the River by Kendra Elliot (Mercy Kilpatrick #8)