Cry Mercy (Mercy Hollings) [Mass Market Paperback]

Toni Andrews (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2009 | Series: Mercy Hollings

I just want a normal life...even if I'm not entirely sure I'm human.

My name is Mercy Hollings and I'm a successful hypnotherapist in Balboa, California. The problem is, my good fortune is dependent on a dark secret. I can make people do whatever I want using telepathy, a power I call "the press." And that ability has hurt some people I never wanted to hurt, so I try to keep it under wraps.

I also try to keep people at a distance...at least, I used to. Recently a group of fearless characters broke through my self-imposed walls and became my friends: Sukey, my receptionist-turned-P.I.; Tino, a Chicano gang leader; Hilda, a wealthy society widow; Grant, a retired millionaire--and Sam, my sexy-as-hell ex-boyfriend.

But with friends comes drama. Tino has inadvertently led me into the dark world of gang violence, and Sukey has pushed me into searching for my biological parents, the only people who can finally tell me who--or what--I really am.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Mira; Original edition (June 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778326489
• ISBN-13: 978-0778326489
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,056,876 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cry Mercy by Toni Andrews, June 3, 2009

By 

jjmachshev "jj" (Grovetown, GA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Cry Mercy (Mercy Hollings) (Mass Market Paperback)

I like Toni Andrews 'Mercy' series and her latest "Cry Mercy" had me glued to the pages. This isn't really a romance, per se; there are romantic elements, but this is essentially the story of a woman with unusual abilities living her life. Her differences and the reactions of people in her past have caused her to close herself off. Recent experiences though, have brought her into contact with people-some with special talents, some without-and she's learning that EVERYONE is different in some way. So although this series so far has centered on her growing talents and her struggle to use them without abusing herself or others, for me it's just a fascinating series of stories about someone struggling to be themself and be happy...and find love of course.

Mercy works as a hypnotherapist, very convenient since she has the ability to 'push' her wishes on others. Her work gives her the opportunity to use those talents to help others and keep the talent from escaping her control. Recently, she's noticed some changes in her talent and that's not necessarily a good thing. She's also become involved with a group of 'friends', very different for the loner Mercy's always tried to be. But now having friends means trying to help them, and somehow Mercy has become involved in trying to save a friend and his younger brother from continued life in a gang, but to do that she'll have to use her 'push' in ways she's never tried before. Mercy also delves into her past; trying to discover more about her birth parents and prove, once and for all, if she's really human...or something more.

If you've not read any of the Mercy books, I wouldn't suggest beginning here--you'll miss alot of the changes in Mercy's life that make each book so engrossing. Toni Andrews' style of writing works well as Mercy tells her story in the first person and let's us peer inside her mind and her struggles in using her ability without crossing the moral boundaries she's set for herself. That personal touch of being inside Mercy's head is part of what makes this such an 'unputdownable' series. Like I said, not exactly your normal romance. More of a fantasy with light romantic elements, mystery, and some action. Or maybe just the story of an unusual woman...or you could always read it and decide for yourself!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highest recommendation, June 18, 2009

By 

Catherine Winterfox (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cry Mercy (Mercy Hollings) (Mass Market Paperback)

In this third installment of the excellent Mercy Hollings series, Mercy, a psychic who can "push" people to do her will, faces her 30th birthday, a startling revelation about her ruined childhood, and dangerous confrontations with street gangs.

Tino, leader of a powerful local gang, has been trying to go straight with the help of some of Mercy's friends. To finally release himself from the Hombres Locos, he must negotiate a delicate deal with not only his own gang, but the leaders of several other gangs in the region. He recruits Mercy to help him "hypnotize" the other leaders into agreeing to his terms that will free not only him, but his reluctant little brother.

Andrews is a master of teasing out little bits of information on the long arc (Mercy's origins), and giving us a great story for the immediate arc. None of her characters are dull, and Tino is one of the best. In Cry Mercy, we learn about Tino and his family, meeting some interesting new faces along the way.

Mercy's integration into "normal" life-a life with friends-continues, as she reluctantly accepts a 30th birthday party from Sukey, and quietly deals with Sam's continued presence in her life. She has been forced to trust some, and is learning to trust others.

I continue to be absolutely taken with this series, and cannot recommend it highly enough.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gritty, surprising and human (even if the hero thinks she's not), May 20, 2009

By 

Rhonda Lane "http://www.thehorseyset.net" (Connecticut USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cry Mercy (Mercy Hollings) (Mass Market Paperback)

If you're skittish because you know that Toni Andrews is a romance author and that you "don't read romance," then get over it because this is a good book for you.

CRY MERCY is a story about a loner who's not anymore. It's gritty, got some dramatic jolts and will make you laugh.

It's also about the efforts of a gang leader working to go straight.

This is the first book I've read in the Mercy Hollings series. I didn't feel lost at all when I dropped into Mercy's world.

Now I'm eager to read the first two books in the series.