So what is better than a psychological thriller – well, when you are a psychological thriller fan? A western themed psychological thriller when you are from Texas!!! When Victor reached out for me to Alpha this one, I was so excited ready to start jumping for joy just from his brief description to me about it. I love all things western, and for my reading pleasure, all things psychologically thrilling! I must say, this was a different style of writing for Victor Peter with the western theme, but by golly, he did it justice! I have been sitting on this review for a bit waiting for the release date and am thrilled to present it to you now!

Gravesend Mercy is set for release September 1, 2025 so make sure to get it preordered now in order to start reading it as soon as it releases!!!

Gravesend Mercy

~ Victor Peter

When a dedication in a book hits home this strong, it reinforces the fact that I already knew, this is going to be a must read on my TBR. But to be given the opportunity to Alpha this one, I am speechless (OK, anyone who knows me knows that is a bold face lie, but I am honored):

To the mean girls, the mad women, and the ones they tried to break.

To the broads who got called bitches just for speakin’ plain.

To the hellraisers who buried their soft spots so deep they damn near forgot where they left ‘em.

To the ones who stitched themselves shut and kept swinging’ anyway.

This book’s for every woman who was told to sit down, smile sweet, and die quiet.

I hope you didn’t.

And if you did – next time, take one of the bastards with you.

~Mercy Delacourt

I will state, and it should be apparent, that I don’t condone the last sentence however, I do condone the not being quiet, the standing up for yourself and being true to yourself.

What a strong and powerful statement made by Peter! I was left NEEDING to know what came after that, no patience or time to waste, I started reading immediately and couldn’t put it down until my tablet whacked me in the face as I dozed off reading.

After the dedication we move on to the Preface, which again, hooked me. The statement, “I’m here to be heard,” by Mercy Delacourt resonated deeply inside me, connecting me to the story in a personal manner at this point.

Gravesend Mercy focuses on Mercy Delacourt (FMC) and the burdens she carries within herself. Scarred on the inside as well as the out, she believes herself to be broken beyond fixable. She once again, from background we learn about her, finds herself smack dab in the middle of chaos. When Belle is kidnapped right in front of her, Mercy feels an obligation to rescue her but Jonah Vane isn’t going to make that an easy task. Enlisting the help of old and new friends, she encounters outlaws and even worse, men who think what they are doing is justified.

Will Mercy fall victim to Jonah and his group of religious zealots? Will she rescue Belle in time and thwart off the oncoming danger herself and those around her? Or does justice, whose version doesn’t really matter at this point, even exist any longer? Will Gravesend crumble in on itself or be restored to a functioning town?

Peter introduces us to a host of characters in Gravesend Mercy, all playing the support to Mercy Delacourt. These supporting characters help develop and evolve her character allowing us to see exactly who Mercy is from the beginning. From her strengths to her vulnerabilities, she is a likeable, relatable character that will have you cheering her on while at the same time cursing her wanting to know WTF she is thinking.

Mercy’s character goes through a deep evolvement period – from caring what happens to her and masking her emotions to giving people a peek in at what the real Mercy is like while caring about others. You can actually feel these emotions pulsing off the pages as you quickly become addicted to the story as you are compelled to keep on reading just to find out what is next.

I can honestly see Mercy saying something along these lines: Shoot first, save your ass, take out the threat, ask questions last. It came to me while I was jotting down notes from the book to write this review and made me giggle enough that I felt obligated to share with you all in hopes that it makes you at least smile a little.

Ambiance is clearly a priority with Peter. Gravesend Mercy is vividly described – you feel it’s overwhelming presence around you while reading. From describing the aftermath of a blood soaked rage scene, the “hiss” when whiskey is poured on an open wound and even the horse and how the sweat built up on its skin after being rode hard.

Gravesend Mercy is a quick-paced read leaving you fulfilled yet wanting more. Readers are kept fully immersed and engaged until the very last sentence. Transitioning could be smoother, during some chapter to scene changes it was a bit rough. Overall it doesn’t affect the story itself as long as you can keep characters and happenings straight in your head.

Peter mastered misdirection for sure in Gravesend. At one point, I had to backtrack in the book because I knew it led me to believe one thing yet once I reached this certain point, I was confused only to realize I was totally off basis with my conclusions. With the number of twists and turns in this one, you might experience a slight neck ache from ping-ponging back and forth.

If you are looking for a sassy, strong willed, bada$$ chic with a western vibe and a blood vendetta, then Gravesend Mercy is definitely the book for you. I’ve read it twice already before publishing this review and can tell you it is definitely worth every minute I spent reading!

And remember, “Here’s to the ghost of Gravesend, may she ride with a devilish grin.” ~Rosalie

I would like to thank Victor Peter for entrusting me to Alpha Gravesend Mercy in exchange for my honest review. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation by the author, present, or future for my review.

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