I have read some of Kendra Elliot's books but this was my first from this particular series (#3 Columbia River/#7 Mercy Kilpatrick) and I will definitely be going back to read the rest. It definitely works as a stand alone but I want to read more about Mercy, Truman, and their unconventional family. There are a couple of storylines in this book that weave their way together and I loved seeing how they linked. There are also a few twists and turns to keep you engaged until the dramatic finale.

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

A very clever weaving together of what was at least three separate strands of the storyline. It took some accomplished writing too with the subject matters so different. The characters are on the whole a delightful lot
I must admit I’m a bit uncomfortable reading about some of the odd groups of Americans who choose to live off the grid and unnaturally suspicious of others but I blame trump not the author.
I’m giving a four star rating after very careful consideration. if I could have given four and a half I would have. I would definitely read more by Kendra Elliot and I have already recommended this one to some keen readers who I just know will love it.

I enjoyed this story which intertwined two different story lines. There is a treasure hunt that is causing chaos in the small town of Eagle’s Nest, Oregon as well as the missing parents and sibling to two young children living in the woods outside of town. How these story lines are linked kept me turning the pages.

Although I have not read any previous books in this series, there was enough information provided for clarity on each character. I really liked following the interfamilial relationships of both the more established family of Mercy and Truman as well as the new characters.

While I think this book is marketed as a romantic suspense, the romance part was very unassuming. Other than Mercy and Truman being a husband and wife team, there was very little ‘romantic’ interplay between them. They were too busy tracking down killers, finding missing persons and keeping order in their small town!

I was so happy too see Mercy again!!
In the Pines is the 7th in the Mercy Kilpatrick series and the third in the Columbia River series. A nationwide treasure hunt with a $2 million prize has people showing up in Eagle’s Nest disrupting the peace. Not just traffic calls and trespassing, but theft, fights and public shootings. And then, a murder. It’s true that greed brings out the ugly in people, as Evans thinks.
Meanwhile, a young boy comes to Truman’s office as his mother and baby sister have been missing for weeks. Mercy is called in since it’s a matter for the FBI. Turns out the family were preppers and the missing woman is Detective Evan Bolton’s long lost sister.
This story is really more of a collaboration. It focuses more on Police Chief Truman Daly, Mercy’s husband and Deschutes County detective Evan Bolton. There are plenty of red herrings and several twists. While one twist was pretty obvious, another was not. This is a quick read and one that kept me engaged throughout.
It’s always difficult for someone who has read all previous books in a series to state whether a book could work as a stand-alone. Elliott gives some background, but not excessive. Still I think it would work although new readers wouldn’t have the benefit of all of Mercy’s background, let alone her unique family structure.

A quiet, small town is overrun with treasure hunters from all over the world descend on it to find a $2 Million Dollar prize. Greed, murder, local secrets that have been buried for decades come to light, and neighbour against neighbour erupts. Sheriff Daly finds a murder and missing persons in his small town and calls in FBI agent Mercy Kilpatrick to help solve the mystery. A really great, entertaining read.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this copy. The review is solely my own opinion.

This is book #3 in the Columbia River series. Greed and family secrets collide in this twisty suspense filled ride with Mercy Kilpatrick having a starring role.
Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake Publishing for providing a copy of this book for review.

In the Pines is the seventh in the series, and though it might have been useful to have the background information on these characters, it worked perfectly well on its own.
The action takes place in a remote village, currently overrun by treasure hunters seeking to find the hidden 2million dollar prize they believe was left in Eagle Springs. A young boy comes to the price to ask for help as his mother and sister have gone missing. Bizarrely, the boy is a relative of a local police officer, but their identities were unknown after a falling out.
From start to finish it was clear that the two seemingly unrelated cases would prove to be inextricably linked. In the cold light of day you might mock some of the coincidences that are given, but this was a book that I was absorbed in and could not wait to see exactly how things panned out.
It certainly made me curious to read others in the series and I'm grateful to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this before publication.

In the Pines was such a fun read for me. That might seem strange, but I have spent some time on the real life treasure hunt I think this is base upon. I have read some in this series, but not all. I was a bit lost until I looked at my old notes. I really love this series now. The family ties that have been built in the last few books are so important to the story we have here. This is a solid but not overly memorable addition to the series.

I haven't read all 7 books in this series yet. But I'm planning to do so after I’ve just finished reading this twisted and engaging story.

It is well known that the author is one of my favourite out there and her books are always a must read or auto buy ones, even if I get distracted by others before I get to them.

A two million dollars hunting treasure brings in lots of trouble. People fighting and not even carrying for anyone else around them, things that will always get them into trouble. Some get so out of hand that they end up in murder. And here comes our detectives team and FBI investigating the said murder.

I found it so engaging, no need there, with quite a few unexpected twists for me and lots of high quality turns. The characters are so cleverly designed that I felt they were so good on the screen even but can't say who would play them though. Because it requires a lot of talent to bring them up to life, in my opinion.

If you are seeking a must read police procedural series with lots of intriguing moments, this one is for you.

🆓📖 Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

A murder, mystery, crime investigation in a small town - it has a pinch of romance, but only because the H/h, (Mercy and Trueman), are married and I think they shared a hug and a couple of smiles. So don't read it if you want a romance. There are multiple points of view, including detective Evan's.

The investigation was interesting and there were a couple of murders along the way with a few twists. This book is part of a series about these characters from when they first met, but this installment can easily be read as a stand alone. If you want to follow their complete story, then read from the beginning as I have. Available in kindle unlimited with free audio. I partially listened and read, plus I was also gifted this book a few months ago by NetGally and Montlake Romance, (my thanks to them), but I wanted to review it after I'd listened to the audio, which came out on publication date. The narrator is excellent and at 57% of listening I switched to reading to finish.

A very engaging, well written story and there are a lot of characters and red herrings to wrap your head around.

In the Pines is the 7th book in the Mercy Kilpatrick series and my third one by Kendra Elliot. I really like the way the author pays attention to the emotional side, family lines and family dynamics to counter-balance non-stop action and relentless pace.

A teenage boy comes up to police Chief Truman Daly, Mercy's husband, and tells him that his mother Bridget Kerr and his 18two-month-old sister Molly are missing. Bridget had gone to visit her brother whom the children had never seen or heard of. As there is a missing child involved and two minors left behind, Truman involves FBI ( Mercy) straightaway and Mercy quickly finds the children's uncle closer to home than anyone could have guessed. Bridget disappeared/ran away from her family fourteen years ago and her brother knew nothing about her whereabouts, her lifestyle or his nephew and nieces.
The case happens to coincide with a National Treasure Hunt that brings countless hopeful to Truman and Mercy's little town. The clues left by an eccentric millionaire are confusing and seem to lead to the pines around the town. Truman's son Ollie and Mercy's niece also have their theories and try to decipher enigmatic instructions. But, very soon it becomes clear that there are some very dangerous people involved and the hunt starts claiming lives.

In the Pines is fast- paced, action-packed, with an interesting plot -no wonder it kept my attention from the first page to the last one. There is something about treasure hunts and figuring out clues and linguistic puzzles that is bound to engage even the laziest reader. Having said that, it isn't easy to come up with challenging clues. Using homonyms is fun, of course, but I would have loved the hunt plotline to be more developped. It wasn't immediately clear how the cases were connected and at times I thought the link is going to be too tenuous. I should have trusted the author as everything makes sense in the end and all the loose ends are tied in.

I'm looking forward to reading more books from the series!

Another great instalment in the series with Mercy, Truman and their teams.
As usual, loads of action, intrigue and secrecy with several dead bodies appearing.

I guessed whodunnit quite early on, but it was satisfying to get it correct and follow the reasoning.

Recommended as well as the previous books in the series.

Love this series! This is an amazing addition to a great series. I love Mercy and so glad to see her on the hunt again. Love the twists and turns this story took. This is a finish it in one day kind of book. Great characters and really good villains. Cannot wait for the next book!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Montlake for my advance copy of #InThePines by #KendraElliot.
It’s great to catch up with FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick and Police Chief Truman Daly again.
These books take you to another world, set in a small town in Oregon, the story surrounds a treasure hunt.
Hundreds of people have descended on the town and tempers are running high.
In the midst of all this a young boy walks up to Truman to report his mum and young sister have been missing for over two weeks.
Can Mercy and Truman bring them home safe.
Brilliant story.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I LOVE THIS SERIES! Multiple crimes and a treasure hunt can’t dim newly married Mercys happiness. A missing persons case leads Mercy and Truman to a couple of prepper kids with secrets of their own. This story is filled with twists that will blow your mind.

I’ve really come back to reading mystery and suspense recently (I still mostly stick to romance where it’s mostly upbeat, and a guaranteed happy ending!), so I find books like this to be quite stressful… but in a good way!

I’m liking the FBI agent aspect quite interesting, and how Mercy works with local law enforcement (her BF), when a ton of people come to town after a big treasure hunt is revealed- after a rich reclusive guy passes and leaves instructions in riddles for where the $2 million can be found. However, the local and imported treasure hunters aren’t playing nicely, and the FBI skills need to be put to the test, along with some work to track down missing people connected with other familiar characters!

Very good writing and keeping us guessing as to what exactly was happening the whole way through, though some clues seem to be a bit too buried for my mystery reader brain. Overall, pretty darn good and I’ll go back and read the earlier books in the series!

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and Montlake, and this is my honest feedback.

A two-million-dollar treasure hunt has the entire town of Eagle’s Nest in an uproar. The town has been invaded by treasure hunters and although Police Chief Truman Daly expected trouble, he hadn’t planned on a murder. As he works the case, a young boy arrives to tell him that his mother and baby sister have been missing for weeks. Truman notifies his wife, FBI Special Agent Mercy Fitzpatrick, as missing children fall within her jurisdiction. As they continue their separate investigations, Mercy learns that the missing woman and child are related to one of their friends, Detective Evan Bolton. Evan hasn’t seen his sister in fourteen years and although he has continued to search for her, he wasn’t sure if she was alive. When they begin to believe that their cases may be connected, there is another murder, a man is found horribly injured and Mercy is attacked. A fascinating mystery that I was unable to put down. The continuing characters are so well-defined that you feel as if you are back for a visit with old friends. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

In the Pines by Kendra Elliot is the third book in the Columbia River series, and the seventh Mercy Kilpatrick mystery novel. Suspense, family and a murder mystery await you as treasure hunters invade their small-town.

FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick, her husband Chief Truman Daly and Detective Evan Bolton have their hands full as the town of Eagle’s Nest, Oregon, is overrun with treasure hunters.

I was so excited to see Mercy and Truman again. I confess I love this series and Elliot brought us all kinds of excitement from wee one’s in danger to murder.

A national treasure hunt for two million dollars has Chief Daly and his team busy. Businesses are overrun and tempers are high. He’s fielding calls from squatters on land to shots fired. When a young boy comes into the cafe’ claiming his baby sister and mother are missing, Daly calls in Mercy. The family is living off the grid and Mercy soon makes a startling discovery.

The tale that unfolds offered plenty of twists and the suspense increased when threats are made and a body is found. It was great to spend time with Mercy, Truman and even their children. We got to spend time with Detective Bolton as he deals with a murder-mystery and family issues.

Elliot’s stories are well-paced, and the mysteries proved interesting. She delivered plenty of suspense as Mercy found herself in danger. I don’t think I will ever grow tired of this series.

Fans of FBI romantic suspense, murder-mysteries, small-towns and preppers will love these stories from the realistic characters to the rural setting.

In the pines by Kendra Elliot.
Columbia River Book 3
Mercy and Turner are back. This time a young boy walks into the local café and claims his mother and baby sister have been missing for weeks, FBI special agent Mercy Kilpatrick investigates and exposes a disturbing twist in his story. Deep family secrets and lies that started sixty years ago have burst into the present, bringing with them deadly consequences.
Brilliant read. Love this author. Lots of action. 5*.

I possess the uncanny knack of finding books that are in a series and not know it.
A hunt for treasures. Missing parents. Two kids left alone who seem perfectly capable. A town overran with berserk fortune seekers.
Mercy and Truman have their hands full and the clues are piling up as the tension mounts.
I liked how it all was tied together with plenty of action.
I will be reading the earlier books.