Dark Mercy

November 12, 2012
FBI special agent Mercy Gunderson gets her sternest test yet as her high-octane third adventure (after 2011’s Mercy Kill) finds the former Army sniper still adjusting to her new job, her romantic relationship with Sheriff Mason Dawson, and the one-quarter Minneconjou Sioux blood that makes her technically but not truly part of the tribe. Escaping the boredom of training sessions in Rapid City, S.Dak., Mercy begins her first murder case after 17-year-old Arlette Shooting Star, the niece of the Eagle River Reservation’s tribal president, is found stripped and staked through the heart. Mercy’s questioning of her superiors soon relegates her to doing research in the tribal archives, but this menial task leads her to uncover a string of possibly related deaths, setting the stage for a confrontation with a ruthless psychopath. Shamus-winner Armstrong continues to flesh out her singularly strong if conflicted heroine in this satisfying series entry. Agent: Scott Miller, Trident Media Group.

November 1, 2012
Romance author turned thriller writer Armstrong continues to chronicle the adventures of former Army sniper turned law enforcement officer Mercy Gunderson in the latest tale set in western South Dakota. Mercy served a couple of tours in combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, but now she's home fighting crime and her own demons. Part American Indian, Mercy works alongside FBI Special Agent Shay Turnbull to resolve the murder of Arlette Shooting Star, the niece of the newly elected tribal president. But the stars refuse to align for Mercy and Shay, and soon, there's a second body to add to the first one. Tiptoeing through the peculiar dance required to investigate crimes involving the reservation and its residents, the two agents spar with tribal police as well as Mercy's live-in love, Sheriff Mason Dawson. Meanwhile, there's no love lost between brand-new cop Mercy and the more experienced Shay, either. As Mercy's life grows more complicated, so does the case, with Mason's son, Lex, joining them on the ranch and twist after twist piling up the suspects. Armstrong has a knack for presenting a strong sense of place and deftly brings readers onto the reservation to expose them to a culture and way of life that most will find virgin ground. She also has a way with dialogue, spicing both Mercy's inner and outer voices with humor and a sense of irony. What doesn't process, though, is her counterintuitive behavior as a cop. Mercy, and on at least one occasion, Shay, allows suspect after suspect to rough her up. Instead of tough, quirky and her own person, Mercy comes across as someone in need of a good psychiatrist and as lacking in moral character. While Armstrong's writing is spot on, the book suffers from the incorporation of reams of unexplained back story, which leaves the reader to puzzle through multiple references to past events.

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January 1, 2013

Gruesome murders on South Dakota's Eagle River Reservation confront novice FBI agent Mercy Gunderson. Though recently enrolled as a tribal member, Mercy is unfamiliar with some customs and beliefs. This, in addition to conflicts with tribal and county law enforcement officials as well as with her agency coworkers, leaves Mercy in a state of confusion and turmoil. Nonetheless, her determination, attention to detail, and gut instincts lead Mercy to discover how the killings of three women are related. Clues lead to an unexpected culprit who has Mercy pegged as his next victim. She'll need to use the nerves of steel and discipline that made her a top army sniper to evaluate the evidence and escape the killer in this action-packed mystery. VERDICT Armstrong's third series outing (after No Mercy and Mercy Kill) is a gritty who-done-it that will appeal to mystery readers who enjoy contemporary Western settings.--Patricia Ann Owens, Illinois Eastern Community Coll., Mt. Carmel

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2012
In her first two books (No Mercy, 2010, and Mercy Kill, 2011), Mercy Gunderson, a U.S. Army sniper, returned home to South Dakota, took over the family farm, went toe-to-toe with the local sheriff, and solved a couple of mysteries. Now she's an FBI special agent working her first case, investigating the death of the niece of the Eagle River Reservation's newly installed tribal president. As expected (at least by readers of the previous two Gunderson novels), Mercy jumps in with both feet, soon coming to the realization that there's only one way to catch this killer: hunt him down. The novel, like Mercy herself, is two-fisted and hard-edged, with an affable demeanor that hides a chilling darkness. We can't help liking Mercy, even though she has some seriously troubling aspects to her, and Armstrong, who also writes the gentler Julie Collins mysteries, is a deft plotter, keeping Mercy (and the reader) in the dark until she's ready to pull the curtain and let the light in. Another solid entry in this promising new series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)