Saving Mercy

Abbie Roads

Apr 2017 · Sourcebooks, Inc.

About this ebook

He's found her at last...only to lose her to a nightmare
Cain Killion knows himself to be a damaged man, his only saving grace the extrasensory connection to blood that he uses to catch murderers. His latest case takes a macabre turn when he discovers a familiar and haunting symbol linking the crime to his own horrific past—and only one woman could know what it means.

Mercy Ledger is brave, resilient, beautiful—and in terrible danger. The moment he sees Mercy, Cain knows he's the one who can save her. He also knows he's beyond redemption. But the lines between good and evil blur and the only thing clear to Cain and Mercy is that they belong together. Love is the antidote for blood—but is their bond strong enough to overcome the evil that stalks them?

Praise for Race the Darkness (Fatal Dreams #1):
"Dark and delicious." —Kerrelyn Sparks, New York Times bestselling author on Race the Darkness
"Spine-tingling..." —RT Book Reviews
"Roads blends high-action romantic suspense with the paranormal to tell a love story." —Booklist

Ratings and reviews

I voluntarily received an ARC of Saving Mercy by Abbie Roads in exchange for an honest review. Holy crap! That is all I could think for several minutes after finishing Saving Mercy. Abbie Roads is a magnificent artist and story teller and she has blown my mind once again. I am constantly amazed at how she manages to combine so much pain and darkness with immense amounts of love to form her books. Mercy and Cain are both so damaged and have been dealt a hand in life that no one should ever have to deal with and their pasts have intertwined to connect them in unimaginable ways. Seeing them struggle to deal with their tragic childhoods while facing new horrors kept me from putting this book down until I had read every last word. Saving Mercy left me with the worst book-hangover I've had in a long time. I tried to start another book the next morning, but it just wasn't an Abbie Roads book.

A twisted romance full of dark allure. I was hooked on the connection between Cain and Mercy. Both of them had been tormented by the same man, Cain's father - who had murdered Mercy's family and slit her throat but left her alive and who had tried to turn Cain into a replica of himself through torture and repetition. The twisted part? Cain looked like his father. While Mercy saw emotion in Cain's eyes that kept them distinct for her, it felt a tad taboo it a delicious way. Because who would understand you better than someone who shared in your pain? There's a few understandable stumbles surrounding Cain and his father's resemblance and I liked that. It couldn't be a smooth sailing situation. On a more specific relationship note - Man, those two can scorch a page with their sexual chemistry. There aren't a ton of sex scenes in the book, but Abbie Roads made every one count. There's something to say for the introductory scene of Cain using his connection to blood. It was vivid and just wow...definitely sets the mood for the book. Cain had a love-hate relationship with blood that I feel deepened him as a character. He had this constant push-pull with where he is and where he was at as a child. I loved how Mercy was able to see past Cain's appearance and to the real him. I think she gave him something that he desperately needed, proof that he wasn't his father and would never be him. She was self-sacrificing and undervalued her life yet continued to fight for her sanity. My one complaint was who the killer turned out to be. There were so many great setups for it to be anyone *spoiler* that it almost felt like a letdown for it to be Cain's father. His brutality was emphasized more than his intelligence so it felt a little forced and kind of blind siding that he was somehow temporarily escaping when there were so many other great leads and no hint of him being the possibility.*end spoiler* Overall, a great blend of romance, connection, and thrills - with a thread left hanging to set up for book 2. Be prepared for blood!

This book has given me a major dilemma because now I just can't figure out which Abbie Roads book is my favorite! Saving Mercy absolutely blew my mind with it's twisted story of murder, obsession, and tortured characters. It's a story that will mess with your mind more than you can even prepare for, and you'll love the whole entire experience. Cain Killion, son of serial killer Adam Killion, now works with the FBI using his ability to relive crime scenes to help solve cases. When a case hits way too close to home near the 20th anniversary of his fathers killings, he's sucked back into the Killer Killion world. And he needs Mercy Ledger's, the only surviving victim of his fathers and current resident of a psychiatric hospital, help to solve the most recent murders. "A girl could get used to having a big, strong man carrying her around." "A guy could get used to having a beautiful lady to carry around." The telling of this story is something I would compare to reading Stephen King or watching Criminal Minds. It was that intense and thrilling to read, and I didn't put it down once I started. When you think you know everything, and have it all figured out, Ms. Roads is right there to prove you wrong and blow your mind yet again. Honestly, this book should come with a warning for those with heart issues because I felt like I was going to have a heart attack from all of the suspense being thrown at me. Cain was a character that I wish was real just so I could find him and comfort him. Life had thrown so much his way and he was barely holding on to his sanity. Then Mercy was brought to his life and with her an evident change to his character. The development between these two character was something you don't read about everyday and it had me tearing up for them both. I fell for them both and they now have a special place in my heart. The bottom line is if you don't read this book I'm not sure I can be your friend anymore. Saving Mercy now has the spot of my 2017 favorite read and I really don't think anything else is going to be able to take that titled away from it. Saving Mercy Playlist: The Kill - Thirty Seconds to Mars The Sound of Silence - Disturbed Bury Me Alive - We Are The Fallen Wrong Side of Heaven - Five Finger Death Punch Psycho - Muse Sorrow - Flyleaf Rot - Lacey Sturm

About the author

Abbie Roads is a Miss Brightside mental health counselor by day, but a lover of dark and dangerous things at night. She writes paranormal romantic suspense, always giving her characters the happy ending she wishes for all her clients. Her novels have been finalists in numerous RWA contests, including the Golden Heart. Race the Darkness was named a Publishers Weekly Top 10 Fall Romance for 2016. Abbie lives in Columbus, OH.