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Mercy Gunderson Mystery #1
No Mercy
On medical leave from the Army, Mercy heads home to her family ranch after the recent death of her father, having been away for 20 years. It's her responsibility to decide whether to sell the ranch or not, and she gets little help from her sister and nephew. After a dead body is discovered on her land, Mercy butts heads with the sheriff, Mason Dawson.
When another body is discovered, Mercy starts her own investigation into the deaths. As she unearths buried secrets, her life--and the lives of family members--are put in jeopardy.
When another body is discovered, Mercy starts her own investigation into the deaths. As she unearths buried secrets, her life--and the lives of family members--are put in jeopardy.
305 pages, Hardcover
First published December 21, 2009
25 people are currently reading
1177 people want to read
About the author
Lori G. Armstrong
21 books279 followersLori Armstrong is the two-time winner of the Shamus Award given by the Private Eye Writers of America and a New York Times bestselling author of contemporary western erotic romance, written as Lorelei James. Her books have won the Willa Cather Literary Award and have been nominated for the High Plains Book Award and the Daphne du Maurier Award. She lives in western South Dakota - See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/L...
Series
* PI Julie Collins
* Mercy Gunderson Mystery
Series
* PI Julie Collins
* Mercy Gunderson Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
October 28, 2020
Four stars for a book that works well as a mystery thriller and rises also to the level of literary fiction in several ways.
There's the psychological complexity of the first-person narrator, Mercy Gunderson, as her perception of herself and the other people in her life slowly expands and matures and as she is challenged to overcome her past. To the extent that she meets those challenges, she grows as a person and finds her place in the world, but there's also much that she can't overcome.
There's also a realistically drawn portrait of conflicts and alliances among a dozen characters with different trajectories that bring them onto the same scene and lead to death or painful injury for more than half of them. The mystery of three murdered teenagers becomes a tense thriller with a surprise in its aftermath that meets the criteria of classic tragedy.
There's a subtly graduated treatment of the impact of Lakota (aka Sioux) society, culture, and even language in the world of cattle ranchers in western South Dakota, reminiscent of what the Hillermans and Thurlos have done in Southwestern settings. The contrast between life on a large ranch and life on a nearby impoverished reservation is particularly well done.
And finally there's excellent, graphic description that made me feel I was actually there, seeing and smelling a unique natural landscape where high prairie blends into broken terrain between the Black Hills and the Badlands. The strong sense that this land is home yields the underlying theme of the story.
Literary merits aside, this is a riveting tale full of trauma both in the storyline and the backstory. Mercy Gunderson, 38, saw her mother kicked to death by a horse when she was a little child, and when she was older she saw her five-year-old sister play with a gun and accidentally kill another child. Then when she was nineteen Mercy got pregnant, miscarried, left the area, and joined the army. She went into covert operations as a sniper in different war zones (Iraq, Afghanistan) and, near the end of her 20 years, was wounded in the leg and eye. Now she has the option to retire or to reenlist for some other type of duty, and her father dies while she's hospitalized.
She's still covert, with a surface story for everyone back home, so when she gets out on medical leave and returns to the family's huge ranch in South Dakota, she can't tell anyone why she didn't come home for her father's funeral. Awkward is hardly the word for it. She picks up strained relations with the people she left behind, but--"I'd rather be skinned alive than talk about my feelings and failings."
At last she develops a good relationship with her teenage nephew Levi, and then suddenly he's murdered. In her view the sheriff isn't doing anything, and that propels her into action. Remember, Mercy can't count the number of "targets" she's killed in her army career. Now she has a new target, and she shares the inner conflict between her strong feelings and her ability as a successful sniper to suppress all emotion during a mission.
She gets support from Jake, the Lakota employee who's actually been running the ranch, and from Jake's grandmother Sophie the housekeeper. Mercy's own grandmother was a Miniconjou Lakota, but Mercy is too "white" for most of the Lakotas she deals with, and her nephew was similarly marginalized in the secret society of Lakota teenagers whose unknown adult leaders generate most of the mystery in this story.
We're getting too close to spoilers now, so it's time to close. I'll just mention that one of the most touching elements of this novel is the arc of Mercy's relationship with her baby sister Hope, Levi's mother. All in all, a remarkable reading experience.
There's the psychological complexity of the first-person narrator, Mercy Gunderson, as her perception of herself and the other people in her life slowly expands and matures and as she is challenged to overcome her past. To the extent that she meets those challenges, she grows as a person and finds her place in the world, but there's also much that she can't overcome.
There's also a realistically drawn portrait of conflicts and alliances among a dozen characters with different trajectories that bring them onto the same scene and lead to death or painful injury for more than half of them. The mystery of three murdered teenagers becomes a tense thriller with a surprise in its aftermath that meets the criteria of classic tragedy.
There's a subtly graduated treatment of the impact of Lakota (aka Sioux) society, culture, and even language in the world of cattle ranchers in western South Dakota, reminiscent of what the Hillermans and Thurlos have done in Southwestern settings. The contrast between life on a large ranch and life on a nearby impoverished reservation is particularly well done.
And finally there's excellent, graphic description that made me feel I was actually there, seeing and smelling a unique natural landscape where high prairie blends into broken terrain between the Black Hills and the Badlands. The strong sense that this land is home yields the underlying theme of the story.
Literary merits aside, this is a riveting tale full of trauma both in the storyline and the backstory. Mercy Gunderson, 38, saw her mother kicked to death by a horse when she was a little child, and when she was older she saw her five-year-old sister play with a gun and accidentally kill another child. Then when she was nineteen Mercy got pregnant, miscarried, left the area, and joined the army. She went into covert operations as a sniper in different war zones (Iraq, Afghanistan) and, near the end of her 20 years, was wounded in the leg and eye. Now she has the option to retire or to reenlist for some other type of duty, and her father dies while she's hospitalized.
She's still covert, with a surface story for everyone back home, so when she gets out on medical leave and returns to the family's huge ranch in South Dakota, she can't tell anyone why she didn't come home for her father's funeral. Awkward is hardly the word for it. She picks up strained relations with the people she left behind, but--"I'd rather be skinned alive than talk about my feelings and failings."
At last she develops a good relationship with her teenage nephew Levi, and then suddenly he's murdered. In her view the sheriff isn't doing anything, and that propels her into action. Remember, Mercy can't count the number of "targets" she's killed in her army career. Now she has a new target, and she shares the inner conflict between her strong feelings and her ability as a successful sniper to suppress all emotion during a mission.
She gets support from Jake, the Lakota employee who's actually been running the ranch, and from Jake's grandmother Sophie the housekeeper. Mercy's own grandmother was a Miniconjou Lakota, but Mercy is too "white" for most of the Lakotas she deals with, and her nephew was similarly marginalized in the secret society of Lakota teenagers whose unknown adult leaders generate most of the mystery in this story.
We're getting too close to spoilers now, so it's time to close. I'll just mention that one of the most touching elements of this novel is the arc of Mercy's relationship with her baby sister Hope, Levi's mother. All in all, a remarkable reading experience.
February 10, 2016
WOW!!! What a freakin' roller coaster this was. Mercy is hell on wheels and doesn't take any prisoners. Mercy Gunderson is back home on her family's ranch after a 20 year stint in the Army. Everybody thinks that she is on leave, but actually she is on medical leave after getting hit near her eye that affects her aim. For a career sniper this spells disaster. Mercy isn't dealing with it too well, drinking too much, fighting too much and not addressing important issues. When a dead teenager's body turns up on their propery, Marcy thinks it's an isolated incendent. But soon things escalate out of control for Mercy as another teenager's body turns up. This time it hits too close to home for Mercy to blow off.
Pretty soon Mercy feels that everybody is gunning for her, as she fights off land developers, backstabbing friends and a sexy cowboy turned sheriff. (Ok Mercy wasn't fighting Sheriff Dawson too hard.) Mercy continues to be stonewalled as she tries to sovle the deaths of three teens in an Native American community that isn't too trusting of anybody on the outside.
Mercy's story is extremely gritty and emotional and different from the Julie Collins PI stories and not as much humor and snark. There were moments in the book where I had to take a break, because things would get so intense in Mercy's world that I would have back off. Mercy was hard to like on one hand and then I wanted to give her a big hug. She was a woman who made her mark in a primarialy man's world. Now she was home trying to find a way to fill her larger-than-life rancher/sheriff dad's shoes. They were big shoes, but with guts and determination Mercy is going to make it. Love the series and can't wait to get the next one in the series. There is a thread of romance, but this is primarily a mystery.
Pretty soon Mercy feels that everybody is gunning for her, as she fights off land developers, backstabbing friends and a sexy cowboy turned sheriff. (Ok Mercy wasn't fighting Sheriff Dawson too hard.) Mercy continues to be stonewalled as she tries to sovle the deaths of three teens in an Native American community that isn't too trusting of anybody on the outside.
Mercy's story is extremely gritty and emotional and different from the Julie Collins PI stories and not as much humor and snark. There were moments in the book where I had to take a break, because things would get so intense in Mercy's world that I would have back off. Mercy was hard to like on one hand and then I wanted to give her a big hug. She was a woman who made her mark in a primarialy man's world. Now she was home trying to find a way to fill her larger-than-life rancher/sheriff dad's shoes. They were big shoes, but with guts and determination Mercy is going to make it. Love the series and can't wait to get the next one in the series. There is a thread of romance, but this is primarily a mystery.
July 1, 2015
Mercy is on medical leave from the Army and back home in South Dakota dealing with things after the death of her father. She has been an Army sniper doing missions in Iraq and Afghanistan but an injury has damaged her vision in her right eye. Now she has to deal with issues at home. Her younger sister is secretly dating a newcomer to town and is pregnant. Her teenage nephew is having conflicts with his mother and with the local Indian gang he wants to join but who isn't letting him in because he's not Indian enough. Local and not so local land developers are pressuring Mercy to sell.
When a young Indian boy is found dead on her land, Mercy is encouraged by the boy's mother to investigate. The mother doesn't feel that the new sheriff who was handpicked by Mercy's father is doing enough. When Mercy's nephew is also murdered, Mercy becomes determined to find out who caused his death despite the local sheriff telling her to back off.
Mercy is an interesting character with lots of anger issues who does a lot of hard drinking to deal with them. Despite being gone most of the last twenty years, Mercy has a network of friends in the area to help her investigate. She also has lots of guilt. She missed her father's funeral but isn't able to share that she was hurt and in the hospital at the time. She has a difficult relationship with the ranch foreman who was her boyfriend before she miscarried his baby and left home to join the Army. Her relationship with her sister is also difficult. They both had awful childhoods with Mercy seeing her mother kicked to death by a horse and her sister accidentally shooting a childhood friend. There is an awful lot of trauma going around.
This was a fascinating story well set in its place - the beautiful but desolate land in western South Dakota. Mercy was also a fascinating and complex character.
When a young Indian boy is found dead on her land, Mercy is encouraged by the boy's mother to investigate. The mother doesn't feel that the new sheriff who was handpicked by Mercy's father is doing enough. When Mercy's nephew is also murdered, Mercy becomes determined to find out who caused his death despite the local sheriff telling her to back off.
Mercy is an interesting character with lots of anger issues who does a lot of hard drinking to deal with them. Despite being gone most of the last twenty years, Mercy has a network of friends in the area to help her investigate. She also has lots of guilt. She missed her father's funeral but isn't able to share that she was hurt and in the hospital at the time. She has a difficult relationship with the ranch foreman who was her boyfriend before she miscarried his baby and left home to join the Army. Her relationship with her sister is also difficult. They both had awful childhoods with Mercy seeing her mother kicked to death by a horse and her sister accidentally shooting a childhood friend. There is an awful lot of trauma going around.
This was a fascinating story well set in its place - the beautiful but desolate land in western South Dakota. Mercy was also a fascinating and complex character.
November 23, 2021
Mercy Gunderson, a female Army sniper and Iraq veteran, has returned home to her father's South Dakota ranch. Her father, the local sheriff, recently died and she's the executor of his estate. Soon after her arrival, the body of a young Native American boy is found on the ranch. When the young boy's mother doesn't think the new sheriff is doing enough to track down the killer and asks Mercy for help, she refuses to get involved. When the next murder hits closer to home, Mercy decides to join the investigation against the wishes of the new sheriff.
The author's description of the desolate landscape of South Dakota and the portrayal of reservation poverty was realistically done. The plot moves along and there are several very painful scenes which which made it a grittier style that I originally thought when I started. Many of the elements of the story were predictable and it was easy to guess who the killer was. It was still an action packed story with a compelling new character. I'm interested in the character of Mercy, a female sniper, and her bouts with PTSD. I might get the next in the series to see what's in store for her as she starts her new life as a civilian in South Dakota.
The author's description of the desolate landscape of South Dakota and the portrayal of reservation poverty was realistically done. The plot moves along and there are several very painful scenes which which made it a grittier style that I originally thought when I started. Many of the elements of the story were predictable and it was easy to guess who the killer was. It was still an action packed story with a compelling new character. I'm interested in the character of Mercy, a female sniper, and her bouts with PTSD. I might get the next in the series to see what's in store for her as she starts her new life as a civilian in South Dakota.
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February 2, 2010Jackie says:
Lori Armstrong may just be the best mystery writer that you don't know about yet. She's got one series already (The Julie Collins series) and has been nominated for several awards, but so far she's flown below the popularity radar. No longer, at least if I can help it. No Mercy is the first book in the series featuring former Army sniper Mercy Gunderson who is one tough-n-tough woman who nevertheless fiercely loves her family. She is on medical leave back at their South Dakota ranch trying to keep things together after the body of a local teen is found on her land--and others begin to show up as well. Armstrong worked in the weapons industry for several years before becoming a full time writer, and is a 4th generation South Dakotan herself, so she's made Mercy very nuanced and believable. She's the kind of woman you want in your corner, and I guarantee after reading this first book, you'll be eagerly waiting for the next to spend more time with her. The author's love of the ranch lands of the west comes through crystal clear as well with her ability to vividly set a scene. You do NOT want to miss this book!
Lori Armstrong may just be the best mystery writer that you don't know about yet. She's got one series already (The Julie Collins series) and has been nominated for several awards, but so far she's flown below the popularity radar. No longer, at least if I can help it. No Mercy is the first book in the series featuring former Army sniper Mercy Gunderson who is one tough-n-tough woman who nevertheless fiercely loves her family. She is on medical leave back at their South Dakota ranch trying to keep things together after the body of a local teen is found on her land--and others begin to show up as well. Armstrong worked in the weapons industry for several years before becoming a full time writer, and is a 4th generation South Dakotan herself, so she's made Mercy very nuanced and believable. She's the kind of woman you want in your corner, and I guarantee after reading this first book, you'll be eagerly waiting for the next to spend more time with her. The author's love of the ranch lands of the west comes through crystal clear as well with her ability to vividly set a scene. You do NOT want to miss this book!
April 5, 2011
Ahh what can I say, the story is amazing, the author had a very hard time conveying it. Coming from someone who has been over seas and was in a position that was a "man's job" and seeing and dealing with things that no 18 year old kid (at the time) should ever have to see or deal with I related somewhat. Like many of us who suffer from PTSD some learn how to cope other turn towards the bottle. I know it happens, but not to everyone. Granted I'm not sniper so I can't totally relate. Anyway it was a good story, I'm not sure if it's Ms. Armstrong's first but it is the first in a series which sometimes can be difficult to start from what I'm told. I've gone back and forth if I want to read the next one, the story was good but the author was just very dry... I felt is gave a very unrealistic portrayal of women in male roles in the military. Not all of us had to be "defective" in a certain way and yes we did have to work harder to prove ourselves but it didn't mean losing our own female identity.
September 26, 2010
I can see why the author has won several awards. Her writing, characters, and pacing are superb.
After being injured in her tour of duty in Iraq, Mercy Gunderson returns home to her ranch in South Dakota. Her mother died years ago, her father recently passed away, her sister has problems with responsibility, and she hasn't spent any time with her nephew in years. Given her family life and the fact that the body of a dead Indian teenager has just been found on her land, Mercy's life is not without its share of problems.
As more dead teenagers continue to be found on her land, Mercy, the soldier, decides to do her own type of investigation.
Mercy is a strong personality--hotheaded, straightforward, and a woman who doesn't pull any punches.
Loved Mercy...loved the book. Finished it in one day.
After being injured in her tour of duty in Iraq, Mercy Gunderson returns home to her ranch in South Dakota. Her mother died years ago, her father recently passed away, her sister has problems with responsibility, and she hasn't spent any time with her nephew in years. Given her family life and the fact that the body of a dead Indian teenager has just been found on her land, Mercy's life is not without its share of problems.
As more dead teenagers continue to be found on her land, Mercy, the soldier, decides to do her own type of investigation.
Mercy is a strong personality--hotheaded, straightforward, and a woman who doesn't pull any punches.
Loved Mercy...loved the book. Finished it in one day.
September 1, 2023
South Dakota
Sometimes, authors' write their characters as almost superheros doing or saying things no real person would do. There are no consequences for their actions.
Mercy Gunderson is a Vet who had seen and done too much while serving her Country. She is sometimes bitter, selfish, self-centered or very opinionated. She is also a hot blooded woman who fiercely loves her Family, her land and her job in the military.
She is home, Stateside after the death of her father. She is there as the executor of her family's land. She is there to make some serious decisions that will affect her, her remaining family, and even her neighbors. Then, (as the synopsis says so no spoilers here) people begin dying...
I WILL be reading the rest of the series.
Sometimes, authors' write their characters as almost superheros doing or saying things no real person would do. There are no consequences for their actions.
Mercy Gunderson is a Vet who had seen and done too much while serving her Country. She is sometimes bitter, selfish, self-centered or very opinionated. She is also a hot blooded woman who fiercely loves her Family, her land and her job in the military.
She is home, Stateside after the death of her father. She is there as the executor of her family's land. She is there to make some serious decisions that will affect her, her remaining family, and even her neighbors. Then, (as the synopsis says so no spoilers here) people begin dying...
I WILL be reading the rest of the series.
January 30, 2011
I have only read romances so reading a mystery without romance was new to me. I loved it! I was not even 1/2 through this book when I went on amazon and bought the recently released Mercy Kill for my kindle. I will be starting it tonight.
I didn't want to like Mercy, but you can't help but feel for her and want to help her find out what's going on. No that she would want or need your help or sympathy, she'd probably kick your ass for offering.
And Dawson.....sighhhh...this may not be a romance with sex scenes, but if you are a fan of caring Alpha Males...Dawson will make you want him for yourself.
I didn't want to like Mercy, but you can't help but feel for her and want to help her find out what's going on. No that she would want or need your help or sympathy, she'd probably kick your ass for offering.
And Dawson.....sighhhh...this may not be a romance with sex scenes, but if you are a fan of caring Alpha Males...Dawson will make you want him for yourself.
July 25, 2017
A page-turner featuring a tough main character who quickly earns sympathy. I'm a sucker for angst-filled heroines trying to find their place in the world. Great descriptions of setting. Well-rounded secondary characters. (Some strong language & adult descriptions)
May 4, 2010
First Sentence: In the arid summer heat on prairie range land, a dead body doesn’t so much rot as it becomes petrified.
Recovering from her wounds received in Iraq, Army sharpshooter Mercy Gunderson returns to the South Dakota ranch, left to her by her father. Her homecoming isn’t a restful one. Mercy’s sister and nephew have problems of their own, and she is being pressured to sell the ranch. The body of a young Indian boy is found on her property and his mother wants Mercy to find who killed him. Another death occurs and Mercy, feeling there is no one she can trust, sets out against escalating violence to find a killer.
Reading a new-to-you author is a bit of a crapshoot; sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Sadly, this was one of the latter.
First, there is a portent on page 22: “…I doubted my life could get more complicated or out of my control. Famous last words.” It’s a mystery! Of course things will get out of control. The foreshadowing is completely unnecessary. I might not have even minded so much had the author left off the last three words “Famous last words.”
Next we have the characters. There is very little character development in the true sense. We receive pieces of background information on some of the characters, but none of them ever feel real to me. Mercy is supposed to be this highly trained sniper who is good had her job because she can disassociate her emotions from the task. We never saw that. She, and many of the characters, would vacillate between being tough to being completely pliant. For someone who is the daughter of a former sheriff and spent over 20 years in the military, I never had a feeling of a code of honor with her; particularly when she does something completely illegal.
The plot was a case study in fabula interruptus. Whether with the scenes of suspense or sex, Armstrong takes you to the point where the circumstances become intense and then backs away. It feels as though she doesn’t know how to follow through and complete those scenes so she doesn’t; she fades to black and picks the story back up later. This isn’t a regency romance, after all.
I will give credit where it is due. Armstrong does establish a very good sense of place and, while elements of the climax were rather trite and predictable, the story still had some good suspense to it. I did identify one villain very early in the story, there was a twist and second villain I didn’t see coming at all.
In all, the problem comes down to the author’s overall writing style and voice. To say the author’s voice was erratic would be an understatement. Armstong does employ humorous sarcasm, which I enjoyed to a point, but much of the dialogue is overly strident, and her writing, overall, lacks nuance; there are no shades of gray.
I doubt I shall read more by Ms. Armstrong.
NO MERCY (Suspense-Mercy Gunderson-South Dakota-Cont) – Poor
Armstrong, Lori – 1st in series
A Touchstone Book, ©2010, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9781416590958
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Recovering from her wounds received in Iraq, Army sharpshooter Mercy Gunderson returns to the South Dakota ranch, left to her by her father. Her homecoming isn’t a restful one. Mercy’s sister and nephew have problems of their own, and she is being pressured to sell the ranch. The body of a young Indian boy is found on her property and his mother wants Mercy to find who killed him. Another death occurs and Mercy, feeling there is no one she can trust, sets out against escalating violence to find a killer.
Reading a new-to-you author is a bit of a crapshoot; sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Sadly, this was one of the latter.
First, there is a portent on page 22: “…I doubted my life could get more complicated or out of my control. Famous last words.” It’s a mystery! Of course things will get out of control. The foreshadowing is completely unnecessary. I might not have even minded so much had the author left off the last three words “Famous last words.”
Next we have the characters. There is very little character development in the true sense. We receive pieces of background information on some of the characters, but none of them ever feel real to me. Mercy is supposed to be this highly trained sniper who is good had her job because she can disassociate her emotions from the task. We never saw that. She, and many of the characters, would vacillate between being tough to being completely pliant. For someone who is the daughter of a former sheriff and spent over 20 years in the military, I never had a feeling of a code of honor with her; particularly when she does something completely illegal.
The plot was a case study in fabula interruptus. Whether with the scenes of suspense or sex, Armstrong takes you to the point where the circumstances become intense and then backs away. It feels as though she doesn’t know how to follow through and complete those scenes so she doesn’t; she fades to black and picks the story back up later. This isn’t a regency romance, after all.
I will give credit where it is due. Armstrong does establish a very good sense of place and, while elements of the climax were rather trite and predictable, the story still had some good suspense to it. I did identify one villain very early in the story, there was a twist and second villain I didn’t see coming at all.
In all, the problem comes down to the author’s overall writing style and voice. To say the author’s voice was erratic would be an understatement. Armstong does employ humorous sarcasm, which I enjoyed to a point, but much of the dialogue is overly strident, and her writing, overall, lacks nuance; there are no shades of gray.
I doubt I shall read more by Ms. Armstrong.
NO MERCY (Suspense-Mercy Gunderson-South Dakota-Cont) – Poor
Armstrong, Lori – 1st in series
A Touchstone Book, ©2010, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9781416590958
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April 20, 2013
When Mercy Gunderson was 18 she lit out of small town South Dakota like her pants were on fire and stayed gone (for twenty years) until forced to return by her father's death and her military injury. Mercy does not like the ranching life and hasn't decided to remain until someone starts threatening her family. When bodies start piling up on her property she doesn't trust the local sheriff to investigate and takes it upon herself to find out why teenage Indian boys are being murdered.
I like who dun it mysteries and that part of the book was interesting but Mercy has a major attitude problem and constantly goes looking for trouble. She's also an alcoholic so that really doesn't help things either. I didn't particularly like Mercy (nor any other character either). She is a major hardass and won't let anyone close to her. She was a top-notch sniper in the military so her gun(s) are always with her and she doesn't hesitate to use them. She's not exactly what I would call a heroine!
The only reason I read this book was because I needed something set in South Dakota. It's possible that I will read another Mercy book if I again need something set here but if not, I won't be returning to this pissant town.
I like who dun it mysteries and that part of the book was interesting but Mercy has a major attitude problem and constantly goes looking for trouble. She's also an alcoholic so that really doesn't help things either. I didn't particularly like Mercy (nor any other character either). She is a major hardass and won't let anyone close to her. She was a top-notch sniper in the military so her gun(s) are always with her and she doesn't hesitate to use them. She's not exactly what I would call a heroine!
The only reason I read this book was because I needed something set in South Dakota. It's possible that I will read another Mercy book if I again need something set here but if not, I won't be returning to this pissant town.
April 23, 2011
Lori Armstrong is a new-to-me author. More interesting, to me, she lives in Rapid City, SD, which is about 30 miles south of my hometown of Sturgis. This series is set on and near Pine Ridge Indian Reservation; although, it's not called that in the story . It was nice to be able to actually know the area.
Mercy Gunderson is a lifer in the US Army involved in covert operations in the Middle East. She comes home to the family ranch because of an injury, and shortly after her father dies. While she exhibits many characteristics of PTSD, these also allow her to investigate the murder of a young Lakota teen whose body was found on the ranch. Soon there are 3 more murders of teenagers, and all the bodies on found on her ranch. Add to this, the new sheriff who replaced her father, and a sister who is involved in a relationship about which Mercy doesn't feel quite right. Then there's Jake, the person who has run the ranch since her dad couldn't do it any more. Also, there's a club of sorts that's been formed by young Sioux purportedly to celebrate Sioux traditions but about which no one can really learn anything.
I really did enjoy this book. There is a 2nd in the series that I will read soon.
Mercy Gunderson is a lifer in the US Army involved in covert operations in the Middle East. She comes home to the family ranch because of an injury, and shortly after her father dies. While she exhibits many characteristics of PTSD, these also allow her to investigate the murder of a young Lakota teen whose body was found on the ranch. Soon there are 3 more murders of teenagers, and all the bodies on found on her ranch. Add to this, the new sheriff who replaced her father, and a sister who is involved in a relationship about which Mercy doesn't feel quite right. Then there's Jake, the person who has run the ranch since her dad couldn't do it any more. Also, there's a club of sorts that's been formed by young Sioux purportedly to celebrate Sioux traditions but about which no one can really learn anything.
I really did enjoy this book. There is a 2nd in the series that I will read soon.
March 31, 2011
Mercy Gunderson is home from the war, the war going on everywhere. She has spent the last 20 years in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, anywhere the Army needed a sniper. She grew up on the South Dakota plains, picking the heads of prairie dogs with her father. But he is dead now and Mercy is home to try and figure what to do with the Gunderson ranch, all 19,000 acres of it. Everyone in town wants to know as well, including the real estate agent and his employees. Then three bodies turn up on Mercy's land and she is sucked into a vortex, trying to figure out who are her friends and who are her enemies. Can she even trust the man her own father picked to fill his shoes as county sheriff? Lots of twists and turns as well as some lyrical descriptions of South Dakota. And the ending is quite a surprise!
February 1, 2019
Mercy Gunderson came back home to the South Dakota ranch for two reasons: 1) She was hit by shrapnel on her last army tour and she has a detached retina, 2) her father died while she was in the army hospital and she's the executor of the estate. Quite an estate it is too -- large five bedroom farmhouse and over 70,000 acres to the working ranch. The remains of a young Indian is found on the ranch. Her teenaged nephew was friends with the young man and he is resorting to juvenile delinquency to be initiated into the same club. No one messes with Mercy's family. You see she's been an elite sniper overseas for the last 20 years in addition to being a sheriff's daughter. Whoever is messing with her ranch and her family better look out.
The book had a western feel to it along with romance and mystery. Mercy is exactly the type of character I like -- seriously tough but vulnerable. She needs more character development. I would certainly look for more books in this series.
The book had a western feel to it along with romance and mystery. Mercy is exactly the type of character I like -- seriously tough but vulnerable. She needs more character development. I would certainly look for more books in this series.
October 29, 2019
There was no one here worth rooting for; least of all Mercy.
And I am beyond tired of books where women are:
1) whiny, needy, simpering pushovers
2) "tough gals" because they don't show and/or are completely devoid of human emotions
3) old ladies that have nothing better to do than meddle in their grown children's lives.
Jesus H. Women are far more complex than that.
And I am beyond tired of books where women are:
1) whiny, needy, simpering pushovers
2) "tough gals" because they don't show and/or are completely devoid of human emotions
3) old ladies that have nothing better to do than meddle in their grown children's lives.
Jesus H. Women are far more complex than that.
November 23, 2010
I am a little late in discovering this novel; it was suggested by a reader of our blog, Gelati’s Scoop. I am glad they made the suggestion. Let’s get right to the pertinent information on the novel, first the author, Lori Armstrong. ”Lori Armstrong is proud to be a fourth generation South Dakotan. Lori left the firearms industry in 2000 to pursue her dream of writing crime/mystery fiction. The first book in the Julie Collins mystery series, BLOOD TIES was nominated for a 2006 Shamus Award for Best First Novel by Private Eye Writers of America. HALLOWED GROUND was nominated for a 2007 Shamus Award and won the 2007 WILLA Cather Literary Award. SHALLOW GRAVE was nominated for a 2008 High Plains Book Award and was a finalist for the 2008 WILLA Cather Literary Award. The 4th book in this series, SNOW BLIND, was recently nominated for a 2009 Shamus Award for Best Paperback Original. Lori lives with her family in Rapid City, South Dakota.”
And now inside the covers of the novel: “This compelling if prosaically plotted saga of dysfunctional family life, racial tension and liberated-woman romance, the first in a new series from Shamus-finalist Armstrong (Blood Ties), introduces Mercy Gunderson, a U.S. army sniper who's one-quarter Minneconjou Sioux. The discovery of a dead Indian boy on Mercy's late father's South Dakota ranch complicates her return home on medical leave. (Retinal detachment threatens her military career, while wet-work mission flashbacks disturb her sleep.) Then there's Sheriff Dawson, who, as Mercy admits after he snags her nephew for burglary, raised my hackles and my interest like no other man I'd crossed paths with in the last decade. Mercy is as tough as an old army boot, with a vocabulary and weapons proficiency to prove it, but she's always had it bad for cowboys. This soft spot, along with her racial identity crisis and a piled-on assortment of family-related guilt trips, leads to a contrived gee-whiz conclusion.”
My thoughts on this are as follows:
-Excellent character in Mercy and her band of Indian friends on the rez and off.
-The setting is described brilliantly. She made me feel like I was sitting on someone’s front porch taking in all the action and local landscape.
-The narrative was strong and filled with confidence. Perhaps Lori Armstrong did some special things in her time in the arms industry, hmmm.
-Do Indians really like taco’s that much?
I really enjoyed the read and look forward to adding Mercy to my rotation of characters to read and follow. Life on range and the rez doesn’t sound easy, but give it a little Mercy and it makes it easy to visit.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
And now inside the covers of the novel: “This compelling if prosaically plotted saga of dysfunctional family life, racial tension and liberated-woman romance, the first in a new series from Shamus-finalist Armstrong (Blood Ties), introduces Mercy Gunderson, a U.S. army sniper who's one-quarter Minneconjou Sioux. The discovery of a dead Indian boy on Mercy's late father's South Dakota ranch complicates her return home on medical leave. (Retinal detachment threatens her military career, while wet-work mission flashbacks disturb her sleep.) Then there's Sheriff Dawson, who, as Mercy admits after he snags her nephew for burglary, raised my hackles and my interest like no other man I'd crossed paths with in the last decade. Mercy is as tough as an old army boot, with a vocabulary and weapons proficiency to prove it, but she's always had it bad for cowboys. This soft spot, along with her racial identity crisis and a piled-on assortment of family-related guilt trips, leads to a contrived gee-whiz conclusion.”
My thoughts on this are as follows:
-Excellent character in Mercy and her band of Indian friends on the rez and off.
-The setting is described brilliantly. She made me feel like I was sitting on someone’s front porch taking in all the action and local landscape.
-The narrative was strong and filled with confidence. Perhaps Lori Armstrong did some special things in her time in the arms industry, hmmm.
-Do Indians really like taco’s that much?
I really enjoyed the read and look forward to adding Mercy to my rotation of characters to read and follow. Life on range and the rez doesn’t sound easy, but give it a little Mercy and it makes it easy to visit.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Shelfari & Linkedin. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, and the Gelati’s Scoop Facebook Fan Page. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; We will see you tomorrow. Have a great day. http://www.gelatisscoop.blogspot.com
August 13, 2017
A very satisfying read. Introducing Mercy Gunderson: flawed, brave, conflicted and compelling. She is a beautifully drawn character, and carries this first installment of the series. While this is a mystery, the complex and multiple themes and issues make, in my opinion, a literary story as well. Armstrong portrays the bleak life of a Reservation's poverty and hopelessness in an arresting atmosphere, and page-turning plot. Vulnerable, young Indian men are confronted with prejudice and boredom, betrayed by their leaders and elders. We are all aware of the seemingly cursed legacy of the Kennedys, so the multiple tragedies of the Gunderson family are not unbelievable, and create overwhelming problems for the characters.
I was seduced by Mercy. Far from one dimensional, the first person narrative reveals her attraction to firm-bodied cowboys, her fondness for whiskey and mint flavored tobacco (yikes, I have never encountered a woman who chews), fighting and assassin-prone solutions to criminals. She is a study in contrasts, cold versus feeling, narrowed sight versus insightful. Mercy is an enigma to the town, friends and neighbors unaware of what she did in the Army or why she has come home. Her best friend is unsympathetic. Mercy struggles with her identity, as white and Indian, her place as both a strong and competent covert ops sniper, on medical leave after being wounded in the Mideast, and a compassionate caring and doubting daughter, sister, aunt, who is the executor and leader of a 75,000 acre struggling ranch in South Dakota. There she faces the racial tensions of white and Indian cultures, corrupt land developers, family issues, murder, and her own fears and failures. She fled the cloying closeness of community and family shared tragedies for a sense of freedom. Now she returns to a place to which she belongs, something that the refugees of Afghanistan didn't have. She sees new possibilities in the ranch.
In the whole, however, this is story about loss: loss of freedom, loss of family, loss of competency and sight, loss of jobs, loss of dignity, loss of place and ultimately, loss of life. I was slack-jawed at the twist in the end. I am so looking forward to the second in this saga, to see how Mercy grows over the course of her life changes.
I was seduced by Mercy. Far from one dimensional, the first person narrative reveals her attraction to firm-bodied cowboys, her fondness for whiskey and mint flavored tobacco (yikes, I have never encountered a woman who chews), fighting and assassin-prone solutions to criminals. She is a study in contrasts, cold versus feeling, narrowed sight versus insightful. Mercy is an enigma to the town, friends and neighbors unaware of what she did in the Army or why she has come home. Her best friend is unsympathetic. Mercy struggles with her identity, as white and Indian, her place as both a strong and competent covert ops sniper, on medical leave after being wounded in the Mideast, and a compassionate caring and doubting daughter, sister, aunt, who is the executor and leader of a 75,000 acre struggling ranch in South Dakota. There she faces the racial tensions of white and Indian cultures, corrupt land developers, family issues, murder, and her own fears and failures. She fled the cloying closeness of community and family shared tragedies for a sense of freedom. Now she returns to a place to which she belongs, something that the refugees of Afghanistan didn't have. She sees new possibilities in the ranch.
In the whole, however, this is story about loss: loss of freedom, loss of family, loss of competency and sight, loss of jobs, loss of dignity, loss of place and ultimately, loss of life. I was slack-jawed at the twist in the end. I am so looking forward to the second in this saga, to see how Mercy grows over the course of her life changes.
October 28, 2022
Ranching in South Dakota is far from easy. Mercy Gunderson knows that as well as anyone. The ranch she owns has been in her family for more than a century. She took some shrapnel in her leg and eye while serving as a sniper in Iraq. She’s home on leave trying to figure out what to do with her life. She knows she doesn’t want to become a desk jockey or an instructor. Beyond that, she’s not sure.
Depending on her for support to a great degree is her fragile sister, Hope. Hope inadvertently shot and killed her friend when the two were five years old, and she has needed mothering and protecting since. Mercy, too, saw brutal death as a child when a horse kicked her mother to death. Mercy blames herself for the accident. Her dad, Wyatt, recently died as the book begins, and Mercy was in a hospital recovering from her injuries at the time of his funeral.
She’s a hard drinker and hard to get to know. She prefers it that way on both counts. You don’t want to mess with her unless you’re ok coming up worse off for trying.
An Indian teenager dies at the hand of a killer who snapped his neck, and it happened on Mercy’s land. It looks like the new sheriff, Mason Dawson, isn’t interested in solving the murder of a dead Indian. The kid’s mother seeks help from Mercy. Figuring Mercy’s army experience would make her a good investigator, the woman pleads for help. Mercy isn’t sure she wants to get involved, but that all changes when her nephew, Levi, Hope’s only son, dies presumably at the hand of the same killer that took the other young man’s life.
Before this ends, someone murders a teenage Indian girl because she talked to Mercy about a secret warrior society into which Levi sought to join at the time of his death. Even Mercy’s life is on the line, and you’ll stay closely involved with the book to the epilogue.
There are literary components here. Armstrong’s descriptions are memorable and vivid.
Depending on her for support to a great degree is her fragile sister, Hope. Hope inadvertently shot and killed her friend when the two were five years old, and she has needed mothering and protecting since. Mercy, too, saw brutal death as a child when a horse kicked her mother to death. Mercy blames herself for the accident. Her dad, Wyatt, recently died as the book begins, and Mercy was in a hospital recovering from her injuries at the time of his funeral.
She’s a hard drinker and hard to get to know. She prefers it that way on both counts. You don’t want to mess with her unless you’re ok coming up worse off for trying.
An Indian teenager dies at the hand of a killer who snapped his neck, and it happened on Mercy’s land. It looks like the new sheriff, Mason Dawson, isn’t interested in solving the murder of a dead Indian. The kid’s mother seeks help from Mercy. Figuring Mercy’s army experience would make her a good investigator, the woman pleads for help. Mercy isn’t sure she wants to get involved, but that all changes when her nephew, Levi, Hope’s only son, dies presumably at the hand of the same killer that took the other young man’s life.
Before this ends, someone murders a teenage Indian girl because she talked to Mercy about a secret warrior society into which Levi sought to join at the time of his death. Even Mercy’s life is on the line, and you’ll stay closely involved with the book to the epilogue.
There are literary components here. Armstrong’s descriptions are memorable and vivid.
April 20, 2022
Read for a geographical challenge. It provided a sense of landscape and culture of South Dakota, so it satisfied my requirements for that. As for the rest of it?
I normally find “hot mess” protagonists appealing, but Mercy comes across as more sociopathic than she does anything else. I realize there are many ways to experience both grief and ptsd, but as someone with a lot of experience with both, I still couldn’t connect with her, and it’s hard to finish a book when you don’t like the main character.
Some of the other characters had potential. Unfortunately they didn’t get much development/ page time. And white people writing characters who are “a quarter Minneconjou Sioux” make me itchy. (I looked. I know there are white-passing members of Indigenous peoples, but I couldn’t find any interviews or other information indicating that Armstrong is one of them. She might live close enough to a reservation to have a valid perspective, but it’s as a white person and not a tribal member.)
Aspects of the mystery were obvious, but the pacing was decent. The author is inconsistent with some details in a way I find frustrating. For example, Mercy sprains her ankle and is walking with a cane, but a day or two later is somehow navigating across the desert just fine and counting on being able to outrun someone who might be a threat.
Content warnings for heavy alcohol use/abuse, drunk driving, multiple instances of assaults and threatening behavior (almost entirely by the protagonist towards others), dismissive attitudes towards psychiatric diagnoses/care, a pro-military, pro-assassination pov, and lots of use of firearms. (Perversely the book has positive queer characters, I think in the libertarian sort of “it’s none of my business, plus these men are tough enough to kick anyone’s ass so they’re okay.”)
I normally find “hot mess” protagonists appealing, but Mercy comes across as more sociopathic than she does anything else. I realize there are many ways to experience both grief and ptsd, but as someone with a lot of experience with both, I still couldn’t connect with her, and it’s hard to finish a book when you don’t like the main character.
Some of the other characters had potential. Unfortunately they didn’t get much development/ page time. And white people writing characters who are “a quarter Minneconjou Sioux” make me itchy. (I looked. I know there are white-passing members of Indigenous peoples, but I couldn’t find any interviews or other information indicating that Armstrong is one of them. She might live close enough to a reservation to have a valid perspective, but it’s as a white person and not a tribal member.)
Aspects of the mystery were obvious, but the pacing was decent. The author is inconsistent with some details in a way I find frustrating. For example, Mercy sprains her ankle and is walking with a cane, but a day or two later is somehow navigating across the desert just fine and counting on being able to outrun someone who might be a threat.
Content warnings for heavy alcohol use/abuse, drunk driving, multiple instances of assaults and threatening behavior (almost entirely by the protagonist towards others), dismissive attitudes towards psychiatric diagnoses/care, a pro-military, pro-assassination pov, and lots of use of firearms. (Perversely the book has positive queer characters, I think in the libertarian sort of “it’s none of my business, plus these men are tough enough to kick anyone’s ass so they’re okay.”)
October 2, 2017
Mercy Gunderson loves to blow the heads off prairie dogs. She's also the perfect killing machine, chews tobacco and can drink, cuss, and fight like a man. What's not to like? Well, despite the fact that she loves Native Americans (the good ones) she seems not to know much history. So Mercy proudly states that the Gunderson family has owned their humungous South Dakota ranch since 1890.... um, isn't that the year of the Wounded Knee massacre? Doesn't that ranch land actually belong to the Lakota, who are now reduced to working for her? And, didn't her distant Native ancestors tell Mercy that the Prairie Dog Nation actually saves the environment by aerating the soil with their burrows?
But let's give Mercy a break - she's suffering from PTSD. It's a lot harder to blow the heads off human beings - no, wait a minute - it's not, because "terrorists" are worse than prairie dogs. Or are they? The problem with perfect killing machines is that they are not critical thinkers. Like, a curious person might ask, "Why do people all over the world seem to hate the United States?" Could it be because the US likes to back dictators and help corporations steal other nation's resources? But Mercy actually prides herself on mechanically doing her job. Which is only to shoot. Do yourself a favor and read Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz's book, "The Indigenous People's History of the United States," instead of "No Mercy." It's a much better story, if you're the type who likes to think.
But let's give Mercy a break - she's suffering from PTSD. It's a lot harder to blow the heads off human beings - no, wait a minute - it's not, because "terrorists" are worse than prairie dogs. Or are they? The problem with perfect killing machines is that they are not critical thinkers. Like, a curious person might ask, "Why do people all over the world seem to hate the United States?" Could it be because the US likes to back dictators and help corporations steal other nation's resources? But Mercy actually prides herself on mechanically doing her job. Which is only to shoot. Do yourself a favor and read Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz's book, "The Indigenous People's History of the United States," instead of "No Mercy." It's a much better story, if you're the type who likes to think.
November 24, 2020
A warrior, brought low by injury and PTSD, returns to her family's ranch in South Dakota after 18 years.
Mercy Gunderson, former black ops sniper, doesn't want to be there and is hitting the bottle a little too enthusiastically.
She's racially mixed, Native American and European, but increasingly finds that she doesn't fit well with either population - in fact people in general seem to annoy her, in particular the new Sheriff, Dawson (who replaced her recently deceased father).
Young people start dying and the deaths are somehow connected both to the ranch and to a new Lakota tribal group for young people. Mercy gets drawn in.
This is a fine book which is both a murder mystery and an exploration of a life plagued by ghosts. At times Mercy seems slightly off the rails but, given her PTSD, sudden 'freedom' from military precision, and being plunged into a life she once ran from, it is understandable.
Mercy Gunderson, former black ops sniper, doesn't want to be there and is hitting the bottle a little too enthusiastically.
She's racially mixed, Native American and European, but increasingly finds that she doesn't fit well with either population - in fact people in general seem to annoy her, in particular the new Sheriff, Dawson (who replaced her recently deceased father).
Young people start dying and the deaths are somehow connected both to the ranch and to a new Lakota tribal group for young people. Mercy gets drawn in.
This is a fine book which is both a murder mystery and an exploration of a life plagued by ghosts. At times Mercy seems slightly off the rails but, given her PTSD, sudden 'freedom' from military precision, and being plunged into a life she once ran from, it is understandable.
October 10, 2024
Mercy Gunderson, an Army Ranger is back from Iraq to Bury her father. For the better part if twenty years,she has been deployed to sandland. For someone who just want to escape from her home un South Dakota, the army make good sense. Coming back stateside and rekindle with the rural life in a seventy-five thousand acres of ranch is not easy for her couple with dealing with her needy sister Hope.
When they found the dead body of boy in her land, questions are being asked of Mercy. With many suitors clamoring for her to sell her land, this is an unwanted attention. To make matter worse, her nephew Levi was found murdered turning a personal tragedy into a nightmare. This time, she is determined to dig into his killing with or without the sheriffs Dawson who also has his own agenda. Things turns ugly when a third body was discovered at her doorstep as deep seated wound was open from past griviences start to surface that lead to more deaths. Who will it be next? Will Mercy survive?
When they found the dead body of boy in her land, questions are being asked of Mercy. With many suitors clamoring for her to sell her land, this is an unwanted attention. To make matter worse, her nephew Levi was found murdered turning a personal tragedy into a nightmare. This time, she is determined to dig into his killing with or without the sheriffs Dawson who also has his own agenda. Things turns ugly when a third body was discovered at her doorstep as deep seated wound was open from past griviences start to surface that lead to more deaths. Who will it be next? Will Mercy survive?
August 3, 2019
I picked up this book, having never heard of the author before, as part of a book challenge I'm doing with friends that requires a book written by an author with the same initials as you. I was so excited when I found this book because not only did it fit my requirement it was recommended for readers of some of my other favorite authors, including CJ Box. I agree whole-heartedly with that recommendation. I also loved that the main character is such a strong female. There were so many things going on in this book that there wasn't a single wasted moment. The plot and the characters were all so well written: how have I never heard of her before? I can't wait to read the next book in the series and see where the characters go from here. I found a new series!
March 3, 2017
Really enjoyed this book, Mercy is home from her Army career to tend to her family and family ranch, after her father's death. She is the responsible one, taking care of her adult sister and teen nephew. The body of a teen turns up on the family ranch and the story takes off from there, putting Mercy in a race to figure out who is behind all of this, before more bodies start piling up...
Mercy is "Special Forces" and has to keep this on the low down, while trying to figure out if the new sheriff, who took her dad's place, is loyal and trustworthy to the local people. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Another great book by Lori Armstrong.
Mercy is "Special Forces" and has to keep this on the low down, while trying to figure out if the new sheriff, who took her dad's place, is loyal and trustworthy to the local people. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Another great book by Lori Armstrong.
May 30, 2017
I liked this book from the get go. It's nice to see that there are books out there where the characters feel real and that not everything in life has a HEA.
I can taste Mercy's pain as she tries and fails to find out where she fits into the life she has been left with. No one, not even she understands who she is and what she wants from life. Whilst the sheriff maybe the answer to one side of life I'm not sure if he is the right person, but then her dad voted him in, did he know what she needed, did he know more of what her army role entailed? Lots of questions for me..... damn good book and I'm off to read Mercy Kill the next book in the series!
I can taste Mercy's pain as she tries and fails to find out where she fits into the life she has been left with. No one, not even she understands who she is and what she wants from life. Whilst the sheriff maybe the answer to one side of life I'm not sure if he is the right person, but then her dad voted him in, did he know what she needed, did he know more of what her army role entailed? Lots of questions for me..... damn good book and I'm off to read Mercy Kill the next book in the series!
May 23, 2019
I think this book has some interesting plot twists. I don't know my history like some reviewers do about the Native Americans. However, even if I did, I realize it is a book and things can be incorrect and it not change the story line. It is a work of fiction, which has a license to make things up. My biggest problem was the language. I can see where some is possibly needed for context, but all of it is not necessary. I am unsure if I want to continue reading this series because of it. I actually listened to the audio book. I purchased it on a road trip. I had never heard of this author. Overall, I enjoy it.
February 5, 2018
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. There's a good mystery here, and the tension between white/Indian is reminiscent of Tony Hillerman. But there's also a lot of cowboy and military thrown in. The protagonist left her family's ranch to become an Army sniper; she returns home with all the baggage you would imagine. At times it felt like Armstrong was trying a bit too hard to prove her bona fides - lots of name dropping over boot and belt brands, country singers, and guns - but there are some intriguing characters lurking underneath.
October 29, 2023
"I had a feeling I might have a knack for investigating." LOLOL
I mostly liked about a third of this novel. The setting was compelling, and it took guts for Armstrong to choose the victims she did. But holy crap was Mercy a Cool Girl who drank too much because no one knew the shit she'd seen. Ugh. And she was a terrible investigator to not know right away, like I assume most readers did, who done it. This would have worked much better as a family drama than pretending that it was some sort of PI mystery novel. And yet! I'll probably read the second one.
I mostly liked about a third of this novel. The setting was compelling, and it took guts for Armstrong to choose the victims she did. But holy crap was Mercy a Cool Girl who drank too much because no one knew the shit she'd seen. Ugh. And she was a terrible investigator to not know right away, like I assume most readers did, who done it. This would have worked much better as a family drama than pretending that it was some sort of PI mystery novel. And yet! I'll probably read the second one.
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