Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Echo Road by Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot Narrator: Teri Schnaubelt, Christina Traister
Series: Mercy Kilpatrick #9, Bree Taggert #9
Published by Brilliance Audio on July 2, 2024
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Length: 9 hours, 20 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible
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.
The Bree Taggert series and Mercy Kilpatrick series are much loved favorites of mine. With both series, I have read the ebooks instead of the audio for the previous books. I was thrilled to try out the audio version and see a crossover with two favorite characters and their series.
We got both Bree and Mercy’s points of view at times. The story combines a kidnapper / serial killer who is from Bree’s area but has a victim from Mercy’s area. I was kind of shocked because I always thought both authors wrote all their stories set in the Pacific Northwest in Washington or Oregon. Echo Road made me realize Bree Taggert, Morgan Dane, and Scarlett Falls series are set in upstate New York.
The authors set a good pace with plenty of action and smart characters. The characters, for me, are well-developed because I have read 8 books about each before now. I always read a series in order. You could read this as a standalone, but you would miss a great deal of the development of these two characters and their support circles. Some of the side characters you wouldn’t know, but that adds to the overall world.
We also get some chapters from the point of view of the villain. He has a lot in common with many sexual predators who think they are smarter than everyone else and deserve to be in control and are especially derogatory and controlling to women.
I really enjoyed all the aspects with the family and relationships, the investigation, the politics and press. I highly recommend both series. Echo Road is a treat for fans with a new relationship between Bree and Mercy.
Narration:
The narrators are the same as from their regular series. I was comfortable with their performance even though I sort of had my own voices in my head since I have always read the ebooks. The narration added to the emotional tone and enhanced my enjoyment. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip : HERE
About Kendra Elliot
An Amazon #1 selling author, Kendra Elliot has sold over 5 million books.
She grew up in the lush Pacific Northwest and still lives there with her family and three cats. She’s fascinated with forensics, refuses to eat anything green, and dreams of living every day in flip flops.
About Melinda Leigh
Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh is a fully recovered banker. A life-long lover of books, she started writing as a way to preserve her sanity while raising her kids. Over the next few years, she learned a few things about writing a book. The process was much more fun than analyzing financial statements, and she decided to turn her hobby into a career. Melinda’s debut novel, SHE CAN RUN, was nominated for Best First Novel by the International Thriller Writers. She is a RITA® Award Finalist and has earned three Daphne du Maurier Award nominations, two Silver Falchion Awards, and a Golden Leaf.
Melinda holds a 2nd degree belt in Kenpo Karate. She’s dabbled in Arnis stick fighting, studied Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and taught women’s self-defense. She lives in a messy house in the suburbs with her husband, two kids, a couple of shelter dogs and two rescue cats who clearly run the show. With such a pleasant life, she has no explanation for the sometimes dark and disturbing nature of her imagination.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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- Sunday Post – 8 December 2024 @kimbacaffeinate @readingreality - December 8, 2024
- Read A Series in a Month Challenge November 2024 Results @AndrewMayne @OhSusannahJones #BrillianceAudio @Limabean74 #BerlsS #SeriesinaMonth #LoveAudiobooks #KindleUnlimited🎧 - December 7, 2024
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 24-COYER
I love both of these series, too! I just finished reading the latest Bree Taggert mystery and am looking forward to checking out this fun crossover. 😀
I was very happy to get it!
I love both series, but have always read them in ebook so I missed that this came out on audio. No worries at all that I’ll love it with both being favorite series.
I’m sure you will love it. It was not in eARC on Netgalley but it is on Amazon for Kindle when released and in KU with audio.
I don’t enjoy Melinda Leigh’s books as much, there just okay for me, but I love Mercy Kilpatrick so I’d like to read this sometime.
Interesting. I am especially fond of the Morgan Dane series and the Bree Taggert books.
This is the book I’ve been waiting for! So glad it lived up to expectations💜
I loved it because these are favorite characters. It was interesting as my first audio for either series. But I enjoyed it.
Ooooooo fun!
This was a really fun crossover between 2 series I really love.
I like when the authors give you a bit from the villains point of view. Glad you enjoyed this one!
It expanded characters from two series I love.