Say No More by Karen Rose
Mercy Callahan never thought she’d be able to talk about her past. When she arrives in Sacramento to make peace with her brother Gideon, and to help find the brutal cult that took away her childhood, she is finally ready to talk. But when Ephraim Burton – the man who made her life a living hell – follows her there, she realises she might never be safe.
Rafe Sokolov would do anything to have Mercy back in his life and would go to any length to protect her. But when it becomes apparent that Ephraim is more determined than ever to get Mercy back, even Rafe might not be able to stop the trail of destruction he leaves in his wake. As Ephraim draws near, it’s clear it’s not just Mercy who is in danger; those closest to her are firmly in his sights.
GUIDE
THEMES
This is the story of Rafe Sokolov and Mercy Callahan.
SETTING
Set in Sacramento, California.
SERIES
Book 2 of the Sacramento series which should be read in order.
Review
Say No More is the second novel in the Sacramento series which continues the story of the Eden cult and the effect it had on those who managed to escape its clutches. The story focuses on Mercy Callahan, the sister of FBI agent Gideon Callahan who featured in Say You’re Sorry, and her return to Sacramento to help her brother find the cult. Still haunted by her experiences, Mercy chose to leave Sacramento rather than rebuild her relationship with her brother but she is tired of running away and wants to bring the cult leaders to justice.
While at the airport, Mercy is almost abducted by Ephraim Burton, one of the cult leaders, who has recently discovered she is still alive. At the age of twelve, Mercy was forced into a marriage with Ephraim who was cruel and abusive but she managed to escape his clutches and he is determined to bring her back to Eden. Ephraim’s obsession leaves a trail of bodies in his wake which only adds to Mercy’s guilt but she has the support of Gideon and Rafe Sokolov who makes no secret of his love for her.
Mercy is determined to help her brother track down the cult and her memories are proving invaluable. The memories are extremely painful but Mercy begins to realise sharing them is a cathartic process which is helping her heal. Rafe, who is still recovering from the injuries he suffered in the previous book, makes Mercy feel safe and she realises her feelings for him are stronger than she anticipated. Rafe knows a lot about the cult from Gideon’s experiences but Mercy suffered in the aftermath of Gideon’s escape and her stories are particularly harrowing considering how much he loves her.
Rafe doesn’t come with the tortured past as most of Rose’s male protagonists as he grew up as part of a loving family and they are all still close. At the start of the novel, Rafe is dealing with the possibility his injuries may prove to be career ending and the loss of Mercy also contributes to his feelings of depression. However, Mercy’s return raises hopes they can build a future together and the rest pales into insignificance. As far as heroes go, Rafe is one of Rose’s less memorable ones but he is strong and stalwart.
The plot is quite a condense one as there is a lot happening but it never gets confusing and its complex layers make it more interesting than the first book in the series. Mercy is an interesting character who has extraordinary inner strength in spite of all that she has endured so it is satisfying watching her get her happy ever after.
