Patricia Briggs – Bone Crossed

The fourth book in the Mercedes Thompson series, published February 3, 2009.
Genre: urban fantasy
Cover: love it.



As a shapeshifter with some unique talents, ace car mechanic Mercy has had to maintain a tenuous harmony between the human and the not so human within the Tri-Cities of Eastern Washington on more than one occasion. But this time she may be in over her head.
Marsilia, the local vampire Queen, has learned that Mercy crossed her by slaying a member of her clan. Now she’s out for blood. But since Mercy is protected from the vampire’s direct reprisal by the werewolf pack – and her close relationship with its sexy alpha – it’s not Mercy’s blood Marsilia is after … it’s her friends’.


This book continues with the last few pages of the previous book, so no time has elapsed between them at all. Mercy is still suffering from the shock of being raped, and has accepted Adam as his mate. But he doesn’t want sex from her yet, he can wait until after she has had some counselling. Even if it is from her own mother who suddenly appears on her doorstep …
And she is not the only surprise visitor that evening …

Apparently Marsilia, the local vampire Queen, has found out that Mercy killed her loyal vampire André as they were planning to create more sorcerer-vampires. She could not let them do such an atrocity. And now Marsilia has punished Stefan for keeping it secret from her, and aiding Mercy. She has tortured and starved him, and sent him into Mercy’s home in the expectation he will kill Mercy as he is ravenous. But Mercy was not alone when it happened, and Stefan fed from Adam and some pack members instead. He tells Mercy to run.
And suddenly, an old schoolfriend visits Mercy. Amber tells Mercy she read about her ordeal in the paper, and as she remember Mercy once told her she could see ghosts, she asks for her help. Her house and especially her young son is being haunted, and her husband doesn’t believe it and wants to send the boy to some kind of boarding school.

Mercy does think something is fishy about this sudden invitation, and is not planning on going to Spokane at all. That is the territory of one very scary old vampire, who has been holding the city against all other vampires and supernatural creatures for decades. But when Marsilia starts targeting her friends and associates, almost killing one of their werewolves, she has no choice. As Stefan is kicked out of the Seethe, he decides to go with her, to try to keep her safe. There is no reason Mercy should attract the attention of The Monster, James Blackwood. But of course, the very first evening of her stay with Amber and her family, “Jim” is an important visitor. And when Mercy wakes up the next morning with bite marks on her neck, she doesn’t know what happened. Was it Stefan who fed of her, or Blackwood?

The little boy, Chad, is deaf and Mercy doesn’t know any sign language, but they still communicate well together. There really is a ghost in the house and he is targeting Chad. Mercy’s presence seems to make it worse though, and finally Amber’s husband, Corbin, takes his family to a hotel while they search for a priest to exorcise the ghost. And Mercy goes home, as her work in Spokane is done. The werewolves and the vampire Queen are negotiating some kind of peace treaty, and they are no longer in danger. Of course that is not all there is to it.
Some of Marsilia’s vampires are unhappy with her rule, and they want Stefan to help them dethrone her. But even though he has been broken and abandoned by her, he cannot go against his Mistress. Will there be a war between the vampires?

And of course, Blackwood does not give up on Mercy that easily, he takes her back as he has plans for her, long term plans …


This book certainly had some creepy elements in it. But I loved Mercy. Even though she suffers from panic attacks, and the dislike of some members of the pack who don’t like a coyote being made pack and as their alpha’s mate, above them in status, she is strong. She fights, she is loyal, and she wins. I love how she handles the men in her life, how she keeps a level head and protects her friends.
A nice mixture of vampires, werewolves and Fae in this book, and ghosts. Yes the creepy part had ghosts, and even a zombie.

A strong series, with great characters, both the main ones and the secondary ones. I never know what will happen next (of course I do, as I am re-reading this series) but I still am surprised at things I did not notice the first time.

10 stars.

© 2013 Reviews by Aurian