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The Delivery
Win a free print copy of this book!
0 days and 00:19:24
25 copies available
U.S. only
Freelance courier Mercury Carter races against time and across New England to rescue a trafficking victim in this new thriller from the author of The Mailman.
Merc Carter is not your typical deliveryman. A former postal inspector, he specializes in moving sensitive or dangerous packages—of all sorts—from point A to B. And sometimes he needs his gun to do so. Carter’s current mission leads him to Providence, Rhode Island, but his delivery is interrupted when he comes across a woman badly injured in a car wreck in the pouring rain. Then a man with a gun appears warning Carter away from the scene and Carter leaps into action, disarming the attacker and rescuing the crash victim.
Just as Carter thinks the danger has passed, he discovers a deeper mystery stemming from the crash, a deadly puzzle involving a memorable pair of grifters, a crooked ex-cop, stolen identities, human trafficking, and murder. And it appears that Carter’s next assignment will put him right in this conspiracy’s perilous center . . .
The follow-up to last year’s acclaimed hit, The Mailman, which launched the Mercury Carter series, The Delivery is a fast-paced, unpredictable thriller following a memorable protagonist whose resourcefulness is matched only by his quick wit and determination to never miss a delivery.
Merc Carter is not your typical deliveryman. A former postal inspector, he specializes in moving sensitive or dangerous packages—of all sorts—from point A to B. And sometimes he needs his gun to do so. Carter’s current mission leads him to Providence, Rhode Island, but his delivery is interrupted when he comes across a woman badly injured in a car wreck in the pouring rain. Then a man with a gun appears warning Carter away from the scene and Carter leaps into action, disarming the attacker and rescuing the crash victim.
Just as Carter thinks the danger has passed, he discovers a deeper mystery stemming from the crash, a deadly puzzle involving a memorable pair of grifters, a crooked ex-cop, stolen identities, human trafficking, and murder. And it appears that Carter’s next assignment will put him right in this conspiracy’s perilous center . . .
The follow-up to last year’s acclaimed hit, The Mailman, which launched the Mercury Carter series, The Delivery is a fast-paced, unpredictable thriller following a memorable protagonist whose resourcefulness is matched only by his quick wit and determination to never miss a delivery.
- GenresMystery
336 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 24, 2026
4685 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Welsh-Huggins
54 books143 followersANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS is the Shamus Award-nominated author of the Andy Hayes private eye series, the standalone crime novel "The End of the Road," and editor of "Columbus Noir." His short fiction has appeared in "Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine," "Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine," Mystery Magazine," the anthologies "The Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2021," "Mickey Finn 21st Century Noir: Vols I and III," "Paranoia Blues: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Paul Simon," and other magazines and anthologies. Andrew's nonfiction book, "No Winners Here Tonight," is the definitive history of the death penalty in Ohio.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Mercury Carter might be the only thriller protagonist whose entire brand is basically, “I deliver packages and occasionally fight criminals about it,” and honestly… I kind of love the commitment to that life choice. In The Delivery by Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Merc is a freelance courier for extremely sensitive packages, which is already a job description that raises questions. Like… what exactly are we delivering here, sir? Documents? Diamonds? Something in a mysterious briefcase that absolutely should not be opened under any circumstances?
And the man takes it very seriously. Merc Carter has never missed a delivery. This is not just a work statistic. This is a personality trait. This is a religion.
Now technically this is the follow up to The Mailman, which I have not read, and frankly Merc himself feels like the kind of guy who would nod politely at that and say, “That’s fine, we’ll proceed anyway.” The story drops you right into his weird little courier life without making a big fuss about it. He used to be a postal inspector, which is one of those real government jobs that sounds made up until you remember someone actually has to investigate suspicious packages. Now he runs his own delivery service for items that very much cannot go through FedEx without raising several federal eyebrows.
Everything is going smoothly until Merc is driving through Providence in a torrential downpour and comes across a brutal car wreck. A woman is trapped in the vehicle, badly injured, and while he’s trying to help, a guy with a gun shows up and says the thriller equivalent of “mind your business.”
Merc Carter, unfortunately, is physically incapable of minding his business. So naturally he disarms the guy, rescues the victim, and accidentally launches himself into a sprawling criminal mess involving grifters, a crooked ex cop, stolen identities, human trafficking, and a conspiracy that keeps expanding like a crime novel that drank three Red Bulls and started making new enemies.
Here is the thing I genuinely enjoy about Merc as a character. He is not built like a refrigerator with fists. This is not Jack Reacher wandering through a gas station parking lot like a human tank. Merc is a regular looking dude with glasses who likes baseball and cargo shorts and just wants to complete his deliveries in peace. The man will absolutely throw hands if necessary, but emotionally he is still a logistics guy who wants the spreadsheet of his life to remain neat and tidy.
And that’s where the book gets fun. Merc approaches problems like a guy assembling IKEA furniture. Step one, figure out what’s going on. Step two, solve the next piece. Step three, try not to get murdered before the instructions make sense. He’s logical, steady, and weirdly calm considering he keeps tripping over armed criminals like he’s walking through a very dangerous farmers market.
Now here’s where the chaos kicks in, because the plot starts stacking layers like someone building a conspiracy lasagna. Grifters, criminals, shady law enforcement types, victims caught in the middle, and a web that keeps stretching wider every time Merc pulls on another thread. Every now and then I had a moment where I paused and went, “Okay wait, who is this man and why does he suddenly hate Merc with the passion of a thousand suns?”
But honestly… I was still having fun. The audiobook helps a lot here because Peter Berkrot absolutely understood the assignment. His narration fits Merc perfectly. Calm, steady, slightly dry, exactly the voice of a man who could disarm an armed attacker and then immediately go back to worrying about his delivery schedule. Berkrot doesn’t overplay the action or chew the scenery, which actually works better because Merc himself is not a dramatic guy. He’s just relentlessly competent and stubbornly decent.
And that decency is really the engine of the story. Merc could have driven past that crash. He could have stayed out of it. But the man simply cannot ignore someone in trouble, even if it means stepping directly into a criminal mess that has absolutely nothing to do with the package he’s supposed to be delivering. Which, by the way, he is still trying to deliver. The man’s priorities remain extremely clear.
By the end I realized something about Merc Carter that I genuinely enjoyed. He’s not a chaos magnet in the traditional thriller sense. He’s a decency magnet. Trouble finds him because he refuses to leave people behind, and that makes him surprisingly easy to root for even when the plot is doing its best impression of a tangled phone charger in a backpack.
So yeah, I had a really good time with this one. A likable, unconventional hero, a mystery that keeps expanding in weird directions, and an audiobook performance that quietly holds the whole thing together. Four stars. I’d absolutely ride along with Merc Carter on another extremely questionable delivery route.
Whodunity Award: For The Most Stressful Delivery Route Ever Taken By A Man Who Just Wanted To Drop Off A Package And Go Watch Baseball
Huge thanks to HighBridge and NetGalley for the audiobook. Nothing says a relaxing listening experience like a delivery guy accidentally wandering into a conspiracy on his way to drop off a package.
And the man takes it very seriously. Merc Carter has never missed a delivery. This is not just a work statistic. This is a personality trait. This is a religion.
Now technically this is the follow up to The Mailman, which I have not read, and frankly Merc himself feels like the kind of guy who would nod politely at that and say, “That’s fine, we’ll proceed anyway.” The story drops you right into his weird little courier life without making a big fuss about it. He used to be a postal inspector, which is one of those real government jobs that sounds made up until you remember someone actually has to investigate suspicious packages. Now he runs his own delivery service for items that very much cannot go through FedEx without raising several federal eyebrows.
Everything is going smoothly until Merc is driving through Providence in a torrential downpour and comes across a brutal car wreck. A woman is trapped in the vehicle, badly injured, and while he’s trying to help, a guy with a gun shows up and says the thriller equivalent of “mind your business.”
Merc Carter, unfortunately, is physically incapable of minding his business. So naturally he disarms the guy, rescues the victim, and accidentally launches himself into a sprawling criminal mess involving grifters, a crooked ex cop, stolen identities, human trafficking, and a conspiracy that keeps expanding like a crime novel that drank three Red Bulls and started making new enemies.
Here is the thing I genuinely enjoy about Merc as a character. He is not built like a refrigerator with fists. This is not Jack Reacher wandering through a gas station parking lot like a human tank. Merc is a regular looking dude with glasses who likes baseball and cargo shorts and just wants to complete his deliveries in peace. The man will absolutely throw hands if necessary, but emotionally he is still a logistics guy who wants the spreadsheet of his life to remain neat and tidy.
And that’s where the book gets fun. Merc approaches problems like a guy assembling IKEA furniture. Step one, figure out what’s going on. Step two, solve the next piece. Step three, try not to get murdered before the instructions make sense. He’s logical, steady, and weirdly calm considering he keeps tripping over armed criminals like he’s walking through a very dangerous farmers market.
Now here’s where the chaos kicks in, because the plot starts stacking layers like someone building a conspiracy lasagna. Grifters, criminals, shady law enforcement types, victims caught in the middle, and a web that keeps stretching wider every time Merc pulls on another thread. Every now and then I had a moment where I paused and went, “Okay wait, who is this man and why does he suddenly hate Merc with the passion of a thousand suns?”
But honestly… I was still having fun. The audiobook helps a lot here because Peter Berkrot absolutely understood the assignment. His narration fits Merc perfectly. Calm, steady, slightly dry, exactly the voice of a man who could disarm an armed attacker and then immediately go back to worrying about his delivery schedule. Berkrot doesn’t overplay the action or chew the scenery, which actually works better because Merc himself is not a dramatic guy. He’s just relentlessly competent and stubbornly decent.
And that decency is really the engine of the story. Merc could have driven past that crash. He could have stayed out of it. But the man simply cannot ignore someone in trouble, even if it means stepping directly into a criminal mess that has absolutely nothing to do with the package he’s supposed to be delivering. Which, by the way, he is still trying to deliver. The man’s priorities remain extremely clear.
By the end I realized something about Merc Carter that I genuinely enjoyed. He’s not a chaos magnet in the traditional thriller sense. He’s a decency magnet. Trouble finds him because he refuses to leave people behind, and that makes him surprisingly easy to root for even when the plot is doing its best impression of a tangled phone charger in a backpack.
So yeah, I had a really good time with this one. A likable, unconventional hero, a mystery that keeps expanding in weird directions, and an audiobook performance that quietly holds the whole thing together. Four stars. I’d absolutely ride along with Merc Carter on another extremely questionable delivery route.
Whodunity Award: For The Most Stressful Delivery Route Ever Taken By A Man Who Just Wanted To Drop Off A Package And Go Watch Baseball
Huge thanks to HighBridge and NetGalley for the audiobook. Nothing says a relaxing listening experience like a delivery guy accidentally wandering into a conspiracy on his way to drop off a package.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Being a Good Samaritan drops him into a criminal mess
Once a postal inspector, now Mercury Carter is a freelance deliver of....things. If someone needs to get something, or someone, important or sensitive from point A to point B, as long as it isn't illegal Merc is the guy to whom you should turn. If he says he will deliver your package, he will, regardless of the obstacles. He has just finished a job in Boston and is in Rhode Island one rainy night headed for his next delivery when he sees a car that has crashed. He stops to help the woman trapped inside, and that's when things go off the rails. Another vehicle stops and the driver gets out and threatens Merc with a gun, telling him to leave the scene and not look back. Before he knows it Merc is involved in the search for a young addict whose parents thought she was dead until her ring surfaced during the confrontation at the car crash scene, as well as discovering a group that is dealing deadly fentanyl-poisoned drugs and a couple who are about to pull off a major scam. Merc has never failed to make a delivery, but will this case break his perfect record?
The Delivery is a clever and briskly paced thriller, the second in a series featuring the offbeat but likable protagonist Mercury Carter. From the moment Merc stops in the pouring rain to help a fellow motorist he finds himself pulled further and further away from the pleasant delivery assignment he was about to complete and into a quagmire of thugs, drug dealers, and con artists whose various unsavoury schemes have become intertwined. He is resourceful, more MacGyver than superhero, and tenaciously works to follow through on the assignments he has accepted. In this case he is trying to find a young woman who has struggled with drug addiction and is caught up in the world of prostitution and human trafficking, wanting to ease the anguish her parents are feeling, and his task becomes more complicated by the moment, Despite the dark elements, there is enough humor injected to keep the story from becoming overly grim. It is a solid read, though perhaps not quite as surprising as the preceding title (where the reader didn't quite get a handle on exactly who Merc was and what he did till they were well into the story), I found it an entertaining read that kept me intrigued and turning pages from the get-go. It can be read easily as a standalone for those who haven't read the earlier book "The Mailman", while those who have read it will enjoy the latest installment as will readers of James Byrne, Lee Child and Mark Greaney. My thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers/Mysterious Press for allowing me access to the book in exchange for my honest review.
Once a postal inspector, now Mercury Carter is a freelance deliver of....things. If someone needs to get something, or someone, important or sensitive from point A to point B, as long as it isn't illegal Merc is the guy to whom you should turn. If he says he will deliver your package, he will, regardless of the obstacles. He has just finished a job in Boston and is in Rhode Island one rainy night headed for his next delivery when he sees a car that has crashed. He stops to help the woman trapped inside, and that's when things go off the rails. Another vehicle stops and the driver gets out and threatens Merc with a gun, telling him to leave the scene and not look back. Before he knows it Merc is involved in the search for a young addict whose parents thought she was dead until her ring surfaced during the confrontation at the car crash scene, as well as discovering a group that is dealing deadly fentanyl-poisoned drugs and a couple who are about to pull off a major scam. Merc has never failed to make a delivery, but will this case break his perfect record?
The Delivery is a clever and briskly paced thriller, the second in a series featuring the offbeat but likable protagonist Mercury Carter. From the moment Merc stops in the pouring rain to help a fellow motorist he finds himself pulled further and further away from the pleasant delivery assignment he was about to complete and into a quagmire of thugs, drug dealers, and con artists whose various unsavoury schemes have become intertwined. He is resourceful, more MacGyver than superhero, and tenaciously works to follow through on the assignments he has accepted. In this case he is trying to find a young woman who has struggled with drug addiction and is caught up in the world of prostitution and human trafficking, wanting to ease the anguish her parents are feeling, and his task becomes more complicated by the moment, Despite the dark elements, there is enough humor injected to keep the story from becoming overly grim. It is a solid read, though perhaps not quite as surprising as the preceding title (where the reader didn't quite get a handle on exactly who Merc was and what he did till they were well into the story), I found it an entertaining read that kept me intrigued and turning pages from the get-go. It can be read easily as a standalone for those who haven't read the earlier book "The Mailman", while those who have read it will enjoy the latest installment as will readers of James Byrne, Lee Child and Mark Greaney. My thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers/Mysterious Press for allowing me access to the book in exchange for my honest review.
December 6, 2025
The Delivery is a tense, high-stakes thriller that combines nonstop action with a surprising amount of moral nuance. At its core is Mercury “Merc” Carter, a freelance courier with a past as a postal inspector, whose jobs are anything but routine (very, VERY not-routine). Carter’s world is one where “deliveries” are often dangerous, improvisation is crucial, and survival frequently depends on his instincts (and sometimes his firearm).
His latest assignment takes him across New England, but things take a sharp, perilous turn when he comes across a gravely injured woman. That moment pulls him into a race to save a trafficking victim, and what follows is a journey through backstreets and a web of corruption that forces Carter to confront both external threats and his own conscience.
One of the strengths of the novel is that Carter isn’t your typical action hero. Welsh-Huggins writes him as principled yet deeply human, a man whose pride in “never missing a delivery” begins to clash with the larger moral stakes of the job. The New England setting adds its own atmosphere—dreary, charged, and always on the edge of danger. I love main characters that live in the gray but are still super likable. You are rooting for him, even when you don’t necessarily always agree with his decisions.
What elevates the story is its engagement with themes of exploitation, responsibility, and the cost of intervention. While the pace rarely slackens, there are thoughtful pauses that give the narrative emotional weight. Carter’s internal struggle feels as urgent as any chase scene.
The Delivery succeeds as both a fast-moving thriller and a more reflective look at the darker realities behind the action. Readers who appreciate crime fiction with a conscience—books that offer adrenaline alongside ethical complexity—will find a lot to enjoy here. I might be in the minority with this statement, but I enjoyed this even more than The Mailman. A compelling, completely engaging read that left me thinking about it long after I finished.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for this eARC!
His latest assignment takes him across New England, but things take a sharp, perilous turn when he comes across a gravely injured woman. That moment pulls him into a race to save a trafficking victim, and what follows is a journey through backstreets and a web of corruption that forces Carter to confront both external threats and his own conscience.
One of the strengths of the novel is that Carter isn’t your typical action hero. Welsh-Huggins writes him as principled yet deeply human, a man whose pride in “never missing a delivery” begins to clash with the larger moral stakes of the job. The New England setting adds its own atmosphere—dreary, charged, and always on the edge of danger. I love main characters that live in the gray but are still super likable. You are rooting for him, even when you don’t necessarily always agree with his decisions.
What elevates the story is its engagement with themes of exploitation, responsibility, and the cost of intervention. While the pace rarely slackens, there are thoughtful pauses that give the narrative emotional weight. Carter’s internal struggle feels as urgent as any chase scene.
The Delivery succeeds as both a fast-moving thriller and a more reflective look at the darker realities behind the action. Readers who appreciate crime fiction with a conscience—books that offer adrenaline alongside ethical complexity—will find a lot to enjoy here. I might be in the minority with this statement, but I enjoyed this even more than The Mailman. A compelling, completely engaging read that left me thinking about it long after I finished.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for this eARC!
Read
January 6, 2026Mercury Carter is my new hero. An unassuming individual who is a private courier delivering special items that sellers and buyers aren’t willing to entrust to commercial delivery services or USPS. His travels aren’t always straightforward and uncomplicated. Some deliveries find him diverting along the way when he encounters unexpected trouble. Helping people in distress is built into Mercury’s moral code and conscience. In The Delivery Mercury happens upon a serious car accident on s rainy night in Rhode Island. A badly injured woman needs help and the accident’s aftermath is also the beginning of a new dangerous life or death adventure Mercury faces over the next few days.
“Merc” Carter was originally a USPS postal inspector who was rigorously trained along with all the federal law enforcement organizations. Like the other agencies he carried a badge and had arrest authority. Carter eventually resigned and established an independent private courier service. His commitment to each client is he will complete each delivery he accepts. Physically Carter is not an imposing person (Jack Reacher he is not) at 5’10” with glasses who wears cargo shorts and a leather vest with multiple pockets over a t-shirt. But he knows how to handle tough thugs, intelligent opponents, and criminals who attempt to pound him into the ground. He is often seen as an easy target due to his ordinary appearance. His resourcefulness however gets him out of one action packed jam after another in The Delivery. It is a worth follow-up to The Mailman. Both are must reads for thriller fans.
The Delivery dis indeed deliver the goods for me. There is an intriguing plot, considerable action, a person who finishes what he has started, and several finishing touches Carter addresses to make the ending very satisfying/ Oh, and Mercury does finally deliver the item entrusted to him that began the entire adventure.
My thanks to The Mysterious Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this highly enjoyable book.
“Merc” Carter was originally a USPS postal inspector who was rigorously trained along with all the federal law enforcement organizations. Like the other agencies he carried a badge and had arrest authority. Carter eventually resigned and established an independent private courier service. His commitment to each client is he will complete each delivery he accepts. Physically Carter is not an imposing person (Jack Reacher he is not) at 5’10” with glasses who wears cargo shorts and a leather vest with multiple pockets over a t-shirt. But he knows how to handle tough thugs, intelligent opponents, and criminals who attempt to pound him into the ground. He is often seen as an easy target due to his ordinary appearance. His resourcefulness however gets him out of one action packed jam after another in The Delivery. It is a worth follow-up to The Mailman. Both are must reads for thriller fans.
The Delivery dis indeed deliver the goods for me. There is an intriguing plot, considerable action, a person who finishes what he has started, and several finishing touches Carter addresses to make the ending very satisfying/ Oh, and Mercury does finally deliver the item entrusted to him that began the entire adventure.
My thanks to The Mysterious Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this highly enjoyable book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Delivery is Andrew Welsh-Huggins's follow-up to The Mailman, which introduced Mercury Carter, who has styled himself as an independent courier with the brains and street smarts from his previous career to handle his more dangerous deliveries. Merc is ready to make his next delivery when he sees a woman unconscious in a wrecked car and intervenes to pull her out and call emergency services. That starts a process that inexorably involves Merc, who has to navigate a web of criminal activity as he tries to find information and achieve justice for his clients.
Merc Carter is a fascinating character, well worthy of rooting for, even though he often has to use force to protect himself and stop the criminals. I just wish I had seen more of him in this book. Instead, I waded through chapter after chapter of relentless brutality and what felt like an overly complicated plot. Most of the reviews are very positive, though, so It just wasn't the right book at the right time for me. However, the issue of Merc's murdered father has yet to be resolved, so I'm hopeful the focus will return to Merc's personal story in future entries in the Mercury Carter series.
My review is based on a complimentary pre=release copy of this book.
Merc Carter is a fascinating character, well worthy of rooting for, even though he often has to use force to protect himself and stop the criminals. I just wish I had seen more of him in this book. Instead, I waded through chapter after chapter of relentless brutality and what felt like an overly complicated plot. Most of the reviews are very positive, though, so It just wasn't the right book at the right time for me. However, the issue of Merc's murdered father has yet to be resolved, so I'm hopeful the focus will return to Merc's personal story in future entries in the Mercury Carter series.
My review is based on a complimentary pre=release copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Delivery by Andrew Welsh-Huggins was such a compelling and engaging listen! Mercury Carter is not your typical thriller hero, and that is exactly what makes him so refreshing. A former postal inspector turned freelance courier who has never missed a delivery; his commitment to that code is both his greatest strength and what keeps pulling him into danger.
The plot kicks off with a gripping premise, and the action and suspense keep me hooked throughout. What really elevated this beyond a standard thriller, though, was the moral complexity woven into the story. Merc constantly navigates ethical dilemmas alongside physical danger, and that internal tension makes the whole experience feel so much richer.
The narrator did a fantastic job bringing Merc to life: calm, steady, and perfectly matched to the character's energy.
My only nitpicks are that the plot gets a little complicated at times, with layers hard to keep track of, and that the pacing slows down in places. Neither was a dealbreaker, but worth mentioning.
Overall, a really satisfying thriller with a hero I would absolutely follow into another story!
Pub Day: March 24, 2026
Categories: General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers
Huge thanks to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the ALC.
The plot kicks off with a gripping premise, and the action and suspense keep me hooked throughout. What really elevated this beyond a standard thriller, though, was the moral complexity woven into the story. Merc constantly navigates ethical dilemmas alongside physical danger, and that internal tension makes the whole experience feel so much richer.
The narrator did a fantastic job bringing Merc to life: calm, steady, and perfectly matched to the character's energy.
My only nitpicks are that the plot gets a little complicated at times, with layers hard to keep track of, and that the pacing slows down in places. Neither was a dealbreaker, but worth mentioning.
Overall, a really satisfying thriller with a hero I would absolutely follow into another story!
Pub Day: March 24, 2026
Categories: General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers
Huge thanks to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the ALC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Penzler Publishers, and NetGalley for access to the Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Mercury Carter is a mailman, of sorts. As an independent currier he delivers things and his record is unblemished. In this story, he is in the middle of a delivery when he happens upon a car accident and stops to help. While there, a man with a gun appears and tells him to leave, not wanting to leave the injured person in the car, Carter diffuses the situation and thus enters a web of interconnected people and problems to resolve before he can make his delivery.
This is the second in the Mailman series and I enjoyed it as much as the first. Fast paced and full of action, this book will fit fans of Jack Reacher or Mitch Rapp, and those who like fast paced action stories where our hero happens upon people who need help. Recommended.
Mercury Carter is a mailman, of sorts. As an independent currier he delivers things and his record is unblemished. In this story, he is in the middle of a delivery when he happens upon a car accident and stops to help. While there, a man with a gun appears and tells him to leave, not wanting to leave the injured person in the car, Carter diffuses the situation and thus enters a web of interconnected people and problems to resolve before he can make his delivery.
This is the second in the Mailman series and I enjoyed it as much as the first. Fast paced and full of action, this book will fit fans of Jack Reacher or Mitch Rapp, and those who like fast paced action stories where our hero happens upon people who need help. Recommended.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Full disclosure: I read the print version of this a couple months ago and got really excited when I saw NetGalley had this audiobook. I read the first book in the series by accident but it's one of my favorite series now. Mercury Carter is an unusual hero because he's a delivery guy (he's never missed a delivery!")
He's not very big and he's happy making his deliveries and watching baseball. When he finds trouble, he has to consider how it affects his deliveries.
I also enjoy these stories because the process is logical-- Carter takes one logical step after another to solve a mystery or work out a problem. I know they're not real but these are the kind of stories where I can easily suspend my disbelief and have fun going along for the ride.
The narrator is perfect for the story, with the right amount of energy and without being overly dramatic, because Carter keeps his cool.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read these
He's not very big and he's happy making his deliveries and watching baseball. When he finds trouble, he has to consider how it affects his deliveries.
I also enjoy these stories because the process is logical-- Carter takes one logical step after another to solve a mystery or work out a problem. I know they're not real but these are the kind of stories where I can easily suspend my disbelief and have fun going along for the ride.
The narrator is perfect for the story, with the right amount of energy and without being overly dramatic, because Carter keeps his cool.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read these
Review of advance copy
After sitting on reading The Mailman, the first book in this series, for a year I finally read it when I received a copy of this book in the mail. After reading it, I couldn't wait to jump into this one and it didn't disappoint. Merc is an empathetic, morally focused and doggedly determined character who's easy to root for. He's slight in stature but makes up for it with a big heart. When he's out on delivery, it's best to not get in his way. This story starts fast and with the exception of a few segments, stays that way until the satisfying climax and ending. It's very well written and while Merc's mission of a delivery gets compounded by circumstances beyond his control, it's easy to follow and very entertaining. My only problem with reading this book before publication day is now I have to wait longer for the next book in the series.
Thank you to the author, Mysterious Press and Wiley Saichek/Saichek Publicity for the gifted ARC to read, review and enjoy.
Thank you to the author, Mysterious Press and Wiley Saichek/Saichek Publicity for the gifted ARC to read, review and enjoy.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
For those of you that stumbled across The Mailman by Andrew Welsh-Huggins, you will be pleased to know that the second book about Mercury Carter is on it's way. The title on book two is The Delivery. I was hooked from the first chapter in book one and I do love the fact that there is a new take on available in books today. Mercury is not your typical main character and that is great, I love the way he is portrayed and the different problems he faces in these books. I do strongly recommend this series for fans of entertaining stories and I must thank Edelweiss and The Mysterious Press for letting me read this advance copy.
March 18, 2026
The Delivery by Andrew Welsh-Huggins is book 2 in the Mercury Carter series. I struggled to keep all the characters straight and kept getting confused. I don’t think reading the first book would have helped because it seemed Merc was the only character in both books.
The audiobook narration by Peter Berkrot was great. It would have helped to have helped me keep everyone straight if there were multiple narrators.
Thank you to NetGalley & HighBridge | Highbridge Audio for letting me read this ARC.
The audiobook narration by Peter Berkrot was great. It would have helped to have helped me keep everyone straight if there were multiple narrators.
Thank you to NetGalley & HighBridge | Highbridge Audio for letting me read this ARC.
November 10, 2025
Thank you for the opportunity to preview The Delivery. This is a series book and I did not read the first book The Mailman. The series follows ‘Merc’ Carter who is a man who delivers ‘items’ to various people.
Merc is an unsavory but likable character.
This can be a standalone novel but I wish I read the first book to get more insight into the world of Merc.
Lots of great action and suspense.
Good book that kept me reading and wanting more. 3.5 stars
Merc is an unsavory but likable character.
This can be a standalone novel but I wish I read the first book to get more insight into the world of Merc.
Lots of great action and suspense.
Good book that kept me reading and wanting more. 3.5 stars
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
New character for me and I hope to travel with him again. Mercury Carter is a courier who delivers whatever to wherever. While on a delivery he runs into a troubled situation and three separate stories finally get woven together to make a good story. I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an honest review.
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