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The Delivery
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.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 24, 2026
About the author
Andrew Welsh-Huggins
47 books147 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 - 30 of 39 reviews
May 18, 2026
After leaving a glowing 5-star review for the first book of this series, I expected nothing less from the “Delivery.” Unfortunately, the book was a long, boring, and tedious slog. Indeed, Mercury Carter, the intrepid protagonist, came across like a goody two-shoes with the lethal skills to wallop entire groups of well-trained adversaries again and again. For that matter, along with a storyline that seemed to be going in half a dozen different directions throughout any given chapter, the audiobook version had a narrator who used the same gravelly, angry voice for well-over half the male characters in the book…which made it difficult to follow “who” was actually talking.
As if all of this wasn’t bad enough, each chapter included overly descriptive passages about a young woman chained to a radiator in a small room, where her vicious 350-pound pimp “rented” her out to a stream of male customers. Alas, while the hapless Carter’s goal was to free this woman, he continually came up short with this endeavor chapter after chapter.
All in all, this is definitely not a book that I would recommend to anyone!
As if all of this wasn’t bad enough, each chapter included overly descriptive passages about a young woman chained to a radiator in a small room, where her vicious 350-pound pimp “rented” her out to a stream of male customers. Alas, while the hapless Carter’s goal was to free this woman, he continually came up short with this endeavor chapter after chapter.
All in all, this is definitely not a book that I would recommend to anyone!
April 10, 2026
this delivery guy is a half sized Reacher dealing with some issues every time he tries to do his delivery job like righting wrongs
there is action, suspense, quirkiness, guns, knives, zip ties, clip boards, drugs and thugs
great characters
there is action, suspense, quirkiness, guns, knives, zip ties, clip boards, drugs and thugs
great characters
April 22, 2026
"The Delivery" - written by Andrew Welsh-Huggins and published in 2026 by Mysterious Press, Penzler Publishers. Mercury Carter, a free-lance mailman, once again encounters serious, bodily-harm inducing troubles when he attempts to make his deliveries. He seemed a little unsure of himself in this outing, as compared to the first in the series, The Mailman, which I thought was great. And some sordid elements crept in, don't recall that in the first one. But he's a great character to cheer on as he pits the bad guys against one another - Merc vs the World! Nice to see a Lakewood shout-out too!
March 28, 2026
Andrew Welsh-Huggins follows up his highly entertaining novel THE MAILMAN with another story featuring the incredibly unique protagonist Mercury Carter --- THE DELIVERY.
Carter is a former Federal employee, having held down roles in both law enforcement and as a postal inspector. Nowadays, he is still in the delivery business but one that is far different to what is typical of postal workers or delivery personnel. He is a special courier who delivers items --- sometimes objects, sometimes people, sometimes completely undefinable tasks. Carter also lives by his own moral baseline and has a work ethic that goes beyond commitment to the job. There is nothing that will stop him from successfully delivering his item and he has a very special set of skills that allows him to prevent anyone from stopping him.
All Carter wanted to do was attend a minor-league baseball game to reminisce over a shared memory he had with his late father. It was this that impelled to make the six-hour journey from Rochester, New York, to Providence, Rhode Island. Once in Providence, he comes across a bad car crash and finds a woman trapped in her vehicle. He is able to get her out with a crowbar only to then be met by a stranger in a white van who threatens Carter at gunpoint to get away. Merc Carter does not take threats like this lightly and is able to back the man down who then flees the area.
The woman, Linda Stauch, is able to slip an envelope to Carter before she is taken away police and emergency services. Inside that envelope was a small ruby ring and a business card for someone named Jason Schulte with a phone number and the word ‘help’ handwritten on the back. Carter’s quest to get to the baseball game now takes a backseat to his dedication to his role as the Mailman and he now must deliver this ring to its’ proper owner after finding out who the name on the card was.
The phone number written on the card led Carter to the home of Jim and Valerie Watkins who claimed the ring belonged to their troubled daughter, Terri, who had recently gone missing. His mission is now clear, find Terri and return this ring to her at all costs. If only things were that easy! What our favorite delivery person is about to learn is that Teri got herself mixed up with some really bad people. A notorious group of former felons and skilled con men who are deeply involved in a lot of bad things --- from human trafficking, to drugs, and even murder.
We get to see these various criminals in a series of short passages where the reader will be initially confused as to who they really are and what is happening. The good thing is that we find out what is going on at the same time Mercury Carter does and it allows us to ride along with him as he finds himself in a sea of evil all while just seeking to extract his package, Terri, and deliver her precious ring back to her.
Carter will find himself in various skirmishes with members of this criminal organization and he does not always come out on top. He is not one to be kept down and it will just be a matter of time before he makes his way to Terri. The questions that follow are: how will he escape from this cadre of villains? Will he be able to stop them in their mission? And, most importantly, will he ever get to see his baseball game? THE DELIVERY is a fun and exciting non-stop thriller and Mercury Carter remains one of the most unique protagonists I have ever come across.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
Carter is a former Federal employee, having held down roles in both law enforcement and as a postal inspector. Nowadays, he is still in the delivery business but one that is far different to what is typical of postal workers or delivery personnel. He is a special courier who delivers items --- sometimes objects, sometimes people, sometimes completely undefinable tasks. Carter also lives by his own moral baseline and has a work ethic that goes beyond commitment to the job. There is nothing that will stop him from successfully delivering his item and he has a very special set of skills that allows him to prevent anyone from stopping him.
All Carter wanted to do was attend a minor-league baseball game to reminisce over a shared memory he had with his late father. It was this that impelled to make the six-hour journey from Rochester, New York, to Providence, Rhode Island. Once in Providence, he comes across a bad car crash and finds a woman trapped in her vehicle. He is able to get her out with a crowbar only to then be met by a stranger in a white van who threatens Carter at gunpoint to get away. Merc Carter does not take threats like this lightly and is able to back the man down who then flees the area.
The woman, Linda Stauch, is able to slip an envelope to Carter before she is taken away police and emergency services. Inside that envelope was a small ruby ring and a business card for someone named Jason Schulte with a phone number and the word ‘help’ handwritten on the back. Carter’s quest to get to the baseball game now takes a backseat to his dedication to his role as the Mailman and he now must deliver this ring to its’ proper owner after finding out who the name on the card was.
The phone number written on the card led Carter to the home of Jim and Valerie Watkins who claimed the ring belonged to their troubled daughter, Terri, who had recently gone missing. His mission is now clear, find Terri and return this ring to her at all costs. If only things were that easy! What our favorite delivery person is about to learn is that Teri got herself mixed up with some really bad people. A notorious group of former felons and skilled con men who are deeply involved in a lot of bad things --- from human trafficking, to drugs, and even murder.
We get to see these various criminals in a series of short passages where the reader will be initially confused as to who they really are and what is happening. The good thing is that we find out what is going on at the same time Mercury Carter does and it allows us to ride along with him as he finds himself in a sea of evil all while just seeking to extract his package, Terri, and deliver her precious ring back to her.
Carter will find himself in various skirmishes with members of this criminal organization and he does not always come out on top. He is not one to be kept down and it will just be a matter of time before he makes his way to Terri. The questions that follow are: how will he escape from this cadre of villains? Will he be able to stop them in their mission? And, most importantly, will he ever get to see his baseball game? THE DELIVERY is a fun and exciting non-stop thriller and Mercury Carter remains one of the most unique protagonists I have ever come across.
Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter
March 24, 2026
3.5🌟
Thank you Highbridge Audio for the advanced copy of The Delivery in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.
This was a solid read and a little slow in spots but the bones of a good book are there. The premise was very intriguing with tons of suspense and action pumped in but there were so many subplots and side characters I failed to connect with which made the reading experience quite confusing. Things kick off with Mercury Carter who has a ton of personality and one of the best character names I can remember. He is a mailman who only accepts rare jobs and as a former cop he knows how to handle himself. Helping a stranded woman on the road turns into a fight for their lives and a trek deep into the criminal world.
Mercury immediately stands out as the highlight of the entire book with his kind heart and smarts. As for the author, I can tell he is a good writer but I felt like he just tried to do way too much here. I loved all the quick quips, one liners and quirky nicknames baked into the dialogue which got a laugh or three out of me. But there were so many subplots going, literally until the very end that it was extremely difficult to keep track of it all.
There were times when Mercury actually repeated the plot back to us so we could stay aware of everything going on which is how you know the author was doing a little too much. I know this is the second entry in an ongoing series but it does read as if it's a standalone so getting things started with a bang and having Mercury overcome extreme odds makes sense but sometimes less is more. I am interested in continuing the series but here is hoping round three takes the very good things about this book and moves forward in a way that is not so overbearing.
Thank you Highbridge Audio for the advanced copy of The Delivery in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.
This was a solid read and a little slow in spots but the bones of a good book are there. The premise was very intriguing with tons of suspense and action pumped in but there were so many subplots and side characters I failed to connect with which made the reading experience quite confusing. Things kick off with Mercury Carter who has a ton of personality and one of the best character names I can remember. He is a mailman who only accepts rare jobs and as a former cop he knows how to handle himself. Helping a stranded woman on the road turns into a fight for their lives and a trek deep into the criminal world.
Mercury immediately stands out as the highlight of the entire book with his kind heart and smarts. As for the author, I can tell he is a good writer but I felt like he just tried to do way too much here. I loved all the quick quips, one liners and quirky nicknames baked into the dialogue which got a laugh or three out of me. But there were so many subplots going, literally until the very end that it was extremely difficult to keep track of it all.
There were times when Mercury actually repeated the plot back to us so we could stay aware of everything going on which is how you know the author was doing a little too much. I know this is the second entry in an ongoing series but it does read as if it's a standalone so getting things started with a bang and having Mercury overcome extreme odds makes sense but sometimes less is more. I am interested in continuing the series but here is hoping round three takes the very good things about this book and moves forward in a way that is not so overbearing.
May 14, 2026
This is the sequel to the Mailman, where Mercury Carter is someone who makes private deliveries for a living. In the Mailman, which is a better book in my opinion, you're introduced to Carter while he's attempting to make a delivery and finds himself in the middle of a home invasion. He has some military/police training so he thwarts the invasion and gets involved in a situation, not unlike Jack Reacher finds himself, trying to solve a problem he wasn't asked to solve. Carter's main focus is always on the actually delivery. He claims to have never missed a delivery and is proud of that. Whether it's an important document, a relic, or an exotic animal, he always accomplishes his task.
In this book he comes upon someone who has crashed her car while someone is trying to kill the woman, or so it seems. This is not a spoiler, the book opens with this scene. The beginning is similar to the first book and that's a good thing. However, once the story gets going, it gets complex, and not in a good way. It's more complicated to connect the dots. The dialogue is solid and the story is okay, but not quite as good as the first book. I would still recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers. It's worth a read for sure.
In this book he comes upon someone who has crashed her car while someone is trying to kill the woman, or so it seems. This is not a spoiler, the book opens with this scene. The beginning is similar to the first book and that's a good thing. However, once the story gets going, it gets complex, and not in a good way. It's more complicated to connect the dots. The dialogue is solid and the story is okay, but not quite as good as the first book. I would still recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers. It's worth a read for sure.
May 3, 2026
“You’re a mailman?”
“Strictly speaking, a freelance courier. Independent, is my point. But technically, yes, a mailman.”
And, he’s never missed a delivery…
This is a really good sequel to "The Mailman" with lots of action and a very, very fast pace! I hope we get a third installment, as I am a big fan of the Mercury Carter character! And I loved all the baseball references!
“Hurricanes don’t think things through.. They just hurricane.”
“All bravado, no brains. Bargain badness. Family Dollar evil.”
“But still evil.”
“Being a criminal with a heart didn’t make you less of a criminal.”
“He said he was a mailman, for fuck’s sake. A mailman.”
“Mailman, my ass,” Scott said
“Strictly speaking, a freelance courier. Independent, is my point. But technically, yes, a mailman.”
And, he’s never missed a delivery…
This is a really good sequel to "The Mailman" with lots of action and a very, very fast pace! I hope we get a third installment, as I am a big fan of the Mercury Carter character! And I loved all the baseball references!
“Hurricanes don’t think things through.. They just hurricane.”
“All bravado, no brains. Bargain badness. Family Dollar evil.”
“But still evil.”
“Being a criminal with a heart didn’t make you less of a criminal.”
“He said he was a mailman, for fuck’s sake. A mailman.”
“Mailman, my ass,” Scott said
May 1, 2026
A series with Mercury Carter, former federal employee is now a freelance “delivery man”…car wreck, guns, missing girl, drugs, zip ties, a policeman, “making the wrongs-right”, a ring and an awesome plot with a few twists and turns with action. A true page turner. Enjoy
May 11, 2026
Following The Mailman, Mercury attempts to make a delivery while encountering several dramatic situations. He is resourceful and energetic. . . persisting to find the connections and help those in need. Would make a great thriller movie.
April 25, 2026
God, this book was tedious. I read Welsh-Huggins first Mercury Carter book (The Mail Man) a while back and had problems with that one, too, to be honest. The author has a habit of throwing way too many characters into the mix early on. This one is compounded by the fact that some of the characters are referred to by two different names: “Pats Jersey” eventually becomes Donnie, for example. The convoluted plot revolves around Mercury Carter’s habit of inserting himself into other people’s business … this time he comes upon a wrecked car while making a delivery (he offers a high-end and sometimes dangerous delivery service for “special” items) and becomes embroiled in all the business that caused the wreck. To be honest, I’m not quite sure what the plot of this is. I THINK it involves the sale of personal medical data amid some scheme that involves nursing homes or some such, and evidently the author is confused, too, since he stops numerous times to explain what’s happened and how we’ve gotten to the point that we are in the book. He also has Carter ask himself many questions numerous times that made me wonder if this was a stream-of-consciousness type of book, minus any kind of outline or plan. This will be my last Mercury Carter book; I like the character, and Welsh-Huggins writes decent action sequences, but this overly-complicated, character-loaded story is just too confusing.
April 16, 2026
Mercury Carter Delivers Again: A Deep Dive into Andrew Welsh-Huggins’ Gritty New Sequel THE DELIVERY
Intro:
We first met Merc in The Mailman, the innovative courier who treats every delivery as a sacred oath.
In THE DELIVERY, Welsh-Huggins ups the ante by plunging his "off-kilter" hero into the dark underbelly of New England.
Highlights...
The story kicks off with a visceral scene: a rainy night, a brutal car wreck, and an armed man telling Merc to mind his own business. But Merc has a "white knight" complex—especially when a delivery is on the line. He takes the job of finding a missing woman, Terri Watkins, which pulls him into a quagmire of thugs and con artists.
~Character:
What makes Merc so compelling is his nondescript appearance. He’s a bantamweight who uses his federal background as a former Postal Inspector to outsmart enemies who constantly underestimate him. His traumatic brain injury adds a layer of moral complexity that keeps him from feeling like a generic "super-soldier".
~Themes of Duty & Justice:
The book explores how a simple code—just finish the delivery—can lead a man to uncover monstrous crimes. It’s a story about redemption and the length one man will go to keep a promise.
~Final Thoughts:
While the plot has some unpredictable twists, the real star is the propulsive pacing. It’s an exciting, nonstop thriller that cements the series as a must-read for mystery fans.
My thoughts...
One Package, Two Conspiracies: Why You Need to Meet Mercury Carter; Neither Rain Nor Hitmen Will Stop This Courier
~The Hook:
What happens when a "nondescript nerd" with federal law enforcement training refuses to miss a delivery? You get Mercury "Merc" Carter.
In Andrew Welsh-Huggins' The Delivery, a rainy night in Rhode Island turns a simple courier job into a high-stakes rescue mission.
Merc stops to help a car crash victim and ends up with a cryptic envelope and a missing girl's ring. Before he knows it, he’s caught between a deadly human trafficking ring and a massive data theft scam.
THE DELIVERY is a Relentless Page-Turner:
A pulse-pounding and fast-paced thriller that never lets off the gas.
~The Hero:
Mercury Carter is a nondescript, unassuming, and resourceful protagonist who uses his federal skills to deliver justice alongside his packages. His commitment to a simple delivery code is what truly elevates the story.
~Masterful storytelling:
Andrew Welsh-Huggins crafts a narrative that is both frenetic and kinetic, blending invigorating action with sharp plotting.
~A "Knight in White":
Described as a contemporary knight in white, Merc Carter is a fiercely principled former postal inspector. He is determined and will stop at nothing to complete his delivery.
~Moral Complexity:
Beyond the non-stop thrills, the series stands out for its moral complexity. Merc constantly navigates ethical dilemmas, making the series feel richer and more satisfying than a standard thriller.
~The Series:
High-octane, and the storytelling in both The Mailman and The Delivery is relentless and propulsive. THE DELIVERY is action-paced, high adrenaline with "full-throttle" energy, making it unputdownable.
~The Writing:
Andrew Welsh-Huggins' writing is sharp, clever, and gritty, blending modern mystery with classic "lone wolf" tropes.
~The character:
Mercury Carter is resourceful and quick-thinking, known for using his ingenuity and specialized tools to overcome much larger threats.
~The themes center on the intersection of professional duty and personal trauma.
~The Sanctity of the "Code."
~Justice vs. Authority
~The Weight of Trauma
~Hidden Conspiracies in Mundane Spaces
~Redemption and Moral Integrity
~Why It Works:
If you love Jack Reacher but want a hero who relies more on ingenuity and "MacGyver"-style resourcefulness than brute force, this is your next binge-read.
~The Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A propulsive, gritty sequel that proves Merc Carter is one of the most unique protagonists in modern thriller novels today! Perfect for Reacher fans who want a hero with a morally focused and empathetic heart.
~Tip:
If you haven't read The Mailman yet, you can jump straight into The Delivery, but knowing Merc’s origin makes his dogged determination even more satisfying.
The audiobook....
Peter Berkrot’s (an all-time favorite) gritty, fast-paced narration perfectly matches the "frenetic and kinetic" energy of Welsh-Huggins' writing. He nails that Merc "off-kilter" vibe!
The Mercury Carter series audiobooks are brought to life by the talented Peter Berkrot, an acclaimed voice actor celebrated for his captivating storytelling style that strikes a perfect balance between authority and ingenuity. His powerful narration transforms the listening experience, infusing each installment with a gripping intensity and palpable suspense. Available in unabridged format from Highbridge Audio, these audiobooks promise an engrossing journey that fully immerses listeners in the rich narrative and intricate characters of the series.
About the Narrator...
Peter Berkrot is a highly experienced narrator with over 450 titles to his credit. He is often praised for bringing an "immediacy and urgency" to thrillers that keep listeners gripped. His work has earned him 10 Earphones Awards and a 2012 Audie Award nomination.
Recs...
If you’re looking for your next listen while waiting for the third Mercury Carter book, here are a few other thrillers narrated by Peter Berkrot that have a similar "lone wolf" or high-stakes feel:
~The End of the Road by Andrew Welsh-Huggins
~The Hard Case Crime series (Various Authors)
~The Tracer series by Rob Hart
~The Dismas Hardy series by John Lescroart
Gritty "Lone Hero" Series
These series share Mercury Carter’s "single-minded" dedication and background in specialized fields.
~Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz
~The Gray Man by Mark Greaney
~Dez Limerick series by James Bryne
~Jack Reacher by Lee Child
~Peter Ash series by Nick Petrie
Special thanks to Highbridge Audio and NetGalley for graciously sharing an advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Mar 24, 2026
March Newsletter
Intro:
We first met Merc in The Mailman, the innovative courier who treats every delivery as a sacred oath.
In THE DELIVERY, Welsh-Huggins ups the ante by plunging his "off-kilter" hero into the dark underbelly of New England.
Highlights...
The story kicks off with a visceral scene: a rainy night, a brutal car wreck, and an armed man telling Merc to mind his own business. But Merc has a "white knight" complex—especially when a delivery is on the line. He takes the job of finding a missing woman, Terri Watkins, which pulls him into a quagmire of thugs and con artists.
~Character:
What makes Merc so compelling is his nondescript appearance. He’s a bantamweight who uses his federal background as a former Postal Inspector to outsmart enemies who constantly underestimate him. His traumatic brain injury adds a layer of moral complexity that keeps him from feeling like a generic "super-soldier".
~Themes of Duty & Justice:
The book explores how a simple code—just finish the delivery—can lead a man to uncover monstrous crimes. It’s a story about redemption and the length one man will go to keep a promise.
~Final Thoughts:
While the plot has some unpredictable twists, the real star is the propulsive pacing. It’s an exciting, nonstop thriller that cements the series as a must-read for mystery fans.
My thoughts...
One Package, Two Conspiracies: Why You Need to Meet Mercury Carter; Neither Rain Nor Hitmen Will Stop This Courier
~The Hook:
What happens when a "nondescript nerd" with federal law enforcement training refuses to miss a delivery? You get Mercury "Merc" Carter.
In Andrew Welsh-Huggins' The Delivery, a rainy night in Rhode Island turns a simple courier job into a high-stakes rescue mission.
Merc stops to help a car crash victim and ends up with a cryptic envelope and a missing girl's ring. Before he knows it, he’s caught between a deadly human trafficking ring and a massive data theft scam.
THE DELIVERY is a Relentless Page-Turner:
A pulse-pounding and fast-paced thriller that never lets off the gas.
~The Hero:
Mercury Carter is a nondescript, unassuming, and resourceful protagonist who uses his federal skills to deliver justice alongside his packages. His commitment to a simple delivery code is what truly elevates the story.
~Masterful storytelling:
Andrew Welsh-Huggins crafts a narrative that is both frenetic and kinetic, blending invigorating action with sharp plotting.
~A "Knight in White":
Described as a contemporary knight in white, Merc Carter is a fiercely principled former postal inspector. He is determined and will stop at nothing to complete his delivery.
~Moral Complexity:
Beyond the non-stop thrills, the series stands out for its moral complexity. Merc constantly navigates ethical dilemmas, making the series feel richer and more satisfying than a standard thriller.
~The Series:
High-octane, and the storytelling in both The Mailman and The Delivery is relentless and propulsive. THE DELIVERY is action-paced, high adrenaline with "full-throttle" energy, making it unputdownable.
~The Writing:
Andrew Welsh-Huggins' writing is sharp, clever, and gritty, blending modern mystery with classic "lone wolf" tropes.
~The character:
Mercury Carter is resourceful and quick-thinking, known for using his ingenuity and specialized tools to overcome much larger threats.
~The themes center on the intersection of professional duty and personal trauma.
~The Sanctity of the "Code."
~Justice vs. Authority
~The Weight of Trauma
~Hidden Conspiracies in Mundane Spaces
~Redemption and Moral Integrity
~Why It Works:
If you love Jack Reacher but want a hero who relies more on ingenuity and "MacGyver"-style resourcefulness than brute force, this is your next binge-read.
~The Verdict: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A propulsive, gritty sequel that proves Merc Carter is one of the most unique protagonists in modern thriller novels today! Perfect for Reacher fans who want a hero with a morally focused and empathetic heart.
~Tip:
If you haven't read The Mailman yet, you can jump straight into The Delivery, but knowing Merc’s origin makes his dogged determination even more satisfying.
The audiobook....
Peter Berkrot’s (an all-time favorite) gritty, fast-paced narration perfectly matches the "frenetic and kinetic" energy of Welsh-Huggins' writing. He nails that Merc "off-kilter" vibe!
The Mercury Carter series audiobooks are brought to life by the talented Peter Berkrot, an acclaimed voice actor celebrated for his captivating storytelling style that strikes a perfect balance between authority and ingenuity. His powerful narration transforms the listening experience, infusing each installment with a gripping intensity and palpable suspense. Available in unabridged format from Highbridge Audio, these audiobooks promise an engrossing journey that fully immerses listeners in the rich narrative and intricate characters of the series.
About the Narrator...
Peter Berkrot is a highly experienced narrator with over 450 titles to his credit. He is often praised for bringing an "immediacy and urgency" to thrillers that keep listeners gripped. His work has earned him 10 Earphones Awards and a 2012 Audie Award nomination.
Recs...
If you’re looking for your next listen while waiting for the third Mercury Carter book, here are a few other thrillers narrated by Peter Berkrot that have a similar "lone wolf" or high-stakes feel:
~The End of the Road by Andrew Welsh-Huggins
~The Hard Case Crime series (Various Authors)
~The Tracer series by Rob Hart
~The Dismas Hardy series by John Lescroart
Gritty "Lone Hero" Series
These series share Mercury Carter’s "single-minded" dedication and background in specialized fields.
~Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz
~The Gray Man by Mark Greaney
~Dez Limerick series by James Bryne
~Jack Reacher by Lee Child
~Peter Ash series by Nick Petrie
Special thanks to Highbridge Audio and NetGalley for graciously sharing an advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Mar 24, 2026
March Newsletter
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.
March 29, 2026
Andrew Welsh-Huggins follows up his highly entertaining THE MAILMAN with THE DELIVERY, the second novel featuring his memorable protagonist, Mercury “Merc” Carter.
Merc is a former federal employee who has held down roles in law enforcement and as a postal inspector. These days, he is a special courier who delivers items --- sometimes objects, sometimes people, sometimes completely undefinable tasks. Merc also lives by his own moral baseline and has a work ethic that goes beyond commitment to the job. Nothing will stop him from making his deliveries, and he has a very special set of skills that allows him to prevent anyone from stopping him.
All Merc wants is to attend a minor-league baseball game to reminisce over a shared memory he had with his late father. This compels him to make the six-hour journey from Rochester, New York, to Providence, Rhode Island. Once in Providence, he comes across a car crash and finds a woman trapped in her vehicle. He is able to get her out with a crowbar, only to be met by a stranger in a white van who orders him at gunpoint to get away. Merc does not take such threats lightly and is able to back the man down, who then flees.
The woman slips an envelope to Merc before she is taken away by police and emergency services. Inside is a small ruby ring and a business card with a phone number and the word “help” written on the back. His desire to get to the baseball game takes a backseat to his dedication to his role as the Mailman as he now must deliver the ring to its proper owner.
The number written on the card leads Merc to the residence of Jim and Valerie Watkins, who say that the ring belongs to their troubled daughter, Terri, who recently has gone missing. His mission is clear: find Terri and return the ring to her at all costs. If only it were that easy! Merc is about to learn that Terri has gotten herself mixed up with a notorious group of former felons and skilled con men who are deeply involved in awful things --- human trafficking, drugs, even murder.
We see these criminals in a series of short passages, and initially we are confused as to who they really are and what is happening. The good thing is that we find out what is going on at the same time as Merc does. This allows us to ride along with him as he finds himself in a sea of evil, all while seeking to locate Terri and deliver her precious ring to her.
Merc gets in plenty of skirmishes with members of this criminal organization and does not always come out on top. He is not one to be kept down, though, and it will be just a matter of time before he makes his way to Terri. But how will he escape from these bad guys? Can he put a stop to their mission? And, most importantly, will he ever get to see that baseball game?
THE DELIVERY is a fun and exciting nonstop thriller, and Mercury Carter remains one of the most unique protagonists I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
Merc is a former federal employee who has held down roles in law enforcement and as a postal inspector. These days, he is a special courier who delivers items --- sometimes objects, sometimes people, sometimes completely undefinable tasks. Merc also lives by his own moral baseline and has a work ethic that goes beyond commitment to the job. Nothing will stop him from making his deliveries, and he has a very special set of skills that allows him to prevent anyone from stopping him.
All Merc wants is to attend a minor-league baseball game to reminisce over a shared memory he had with his late father. This compels him to make the six-hour journey from Rochester, New York, to Providence, Rhode Island. Once in Providence, he comes across a car crash and finds a woman trapped in her vehicle. He is able to get her out with a crowbar, only to be met by a stranger in a white van who orders him at gunpoint to get away. Merc does not take such threats lightly and is able to back the man down, who then flees.
The woman slips an envelope to Merc before she is taken away by police and emergency services. Inside is a small ruby ring and a business card with a phone number and the word “help” written on the back. His desire to get to the baseball game takes a backseat to his dedication to his role as the Mailman as he now must deliver the ring to its proper owner.
The number written on the card leads Merc to the residence of Jim and Valerie Watkins, who say that the ring belongs to their troubled daughter, Terri, who recently has gone missing. His mission is clear: find Terri and return the ring to her at all costs. If only it were that easy! Merc is about to learn that Terri has gotten herself mixed up with a notorious group of former felons and skilled con men who are deeply involved in awful things --- human trafficking, drugs, even murder.
We see these criminals in a series of short passages, and initially we are confused as to who they really are and what is happening. The good thing is that we find out what is going on at the same time as Merc does. This allows us to ride along with him as he finds himself in a sea of evil, all while seeking to locate Terri and deliver her precious ring to her.
Merc gets in plenty of skirmishes with members of this criminal organization and does not always come out on top. He is not one to be kept down, though, and it will be just a matter of time before he makes his way to Terri. But how will he escape from these bad guys? Can he put a stop to their mission? And, most importantly, will he ever get to see that baseball game?
THE DELIVERY is a fun and exciting nonstop thriller, and Mercury Carter remains one of the most unique protagonists I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
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.
March 26, 2026
Thanks to Penzler publishing and Netgalley for this eARC.
Andrew Welsh-Huggins’ The Delivery is a taut, high-stakes thriller that blends relentless pacing with moral complexity, anchored by a protagonist who refuses to let danger or corruption derail his mission.
Welsh-Huggins is back with Mercury Carter, a freelance courier with a past as a postal inspector, whose work is far from routine. Carter specializes in transporting sensitive and dangerous packages, often relying on his instincts and his firearm to survive. In The Delivery, his assignment takes him across New England, but the job quickly spirals into something far more perilous when he encounters a woman gravely injured in a rain-soaked car crash. This chance meeting pulls him into a race against time to rescue a trafficking victim, forcing Carter to navigate both physical threats and the moral weight of his choices.
Carter is not a conventional action hero. His sense of duty is tempered by empathy, and Welsh-Huggins crafts him as a man whose pride in “never missing a delivery” collides with the human cost of his work.
This novel’s setting—stretching across Providence and other parts of New England—creates a backdrop of stormy roads, shadowy alleys, and tense encounters that heighten the suspense.
Beyond the thrills, the book grapples with exploitation, resilience, and the ethical dilemmas of intervention. Carter’s mission is not just about logistics; it’s about confronting the darker realities of human trafficking and violence.
Welsh-Huggins writes with urgency, propelling the narrative forward while still allowing moments of reflection. The balance between action sequences and quieter moral reckoning makes the story resonate beyond its genre.
The Delivery succeeds as both a fast-moving thriller and a thoughtful exploration of responsibility. Welsh-Huggins doesn’t rely solely on gunfights or chase scenes; instead, he builds tension through Carter’s internal struggle and the unpredictable turns of his mission.
Readers who enjoy crime fiction with a conscience—stories that combine adrenaline with ethical stakes—will find this novel compelling.
This is a book that asks whether one man’s determination can truly make a difference against systemic violence, and Welsh-Huggins answers with a narrative that is as gripping as it is sobering.
5 stars from this reviewer for this clever and engaging read!
Andrew Welsh-Huggins’ The Delivery is a taut, high-stakes thriller that blends relentless pacing with moral complexity, anchored by a protagonist who refuses to let danger or corruption derail his mission.
Welsh-Huggins is back with Mercury Carter, a freelance courier with a past as a postal inspector, whose work is far from routine. Carter specializes in transporting sensitive and dangerous packages, often relying on his instincts and his firearm to survive. In The Delivery, his assignment takes him across New England, but the job quickly spirals into something far more perilous when he encounters a woman gravely injured in a rain-soaked car crash. This chance meeting pulls him into a race against time to rescue a trafficking victim, forcing Carter to navigate both physical threats and the moral weight of his choices.
Carter is not a conventional action hero. His sense of duty is tempered by empathy, and Welsh-Huggins crafts him as a man whose pride in “never missing a delivery” collides with the human cost of his work.
This novel’s setting—stretching across Providence and other parts of New England—creates a backdrop of stormy roads, shadowy alleys, and tense encounters that heighten the suspense.
Beyond the thrills, the book grapples with exploitation, resilience, and the ethical dilemmas of intervention. Carter’s mission is not just about logistics; it’s about confronting the darker realities of human trafficking and violence.
Welsh-Huggins writes with urgency, propelling the narrative forward while still allowing moments of reflection. The balance between action sequences and quieter moral reckoning makes the story resonate beyond its genre.
The Delivery succeeds as both a fast-moving thriller and a thoughtful exploration of responsibility. Welsh-Huggins doesn’t rely solely on gunfights or chase scenes; instead, he builds tension through Carter’s internal struggle and the unpredictable turns of his mission.
Readers who enjoy crime fiction with a conscience—stories that combine adrenaline with ethical stakes—will find this novel compelling.
This is a book that asks whether one man’s determination can truly make a difference against systemic violence, and Welsh-Huggins answers with a narrative that is as gripping as it is sobering.
5 stars from this reviewer for this clever and engaging read!
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.
March 24, 2026
This is Book 2 in the Mercury Carter series, but it was great as a standalone. I didn’t ever feel like I was lacking information I needed from Book 1. As a side note, I have got to go back and read book 1 because this was excellent!
Mercury Carter was a postman. Then he was a postal inspector. Now, he is a courier. A deliveryman. For packages people don’t want going through the usual rigamarole of the other mainstream delivery services. So while this sounds sinister, think a rare baseball card you just cannot risk being damaged. As a postal inspector, Carter was in a law enforcement role and now, he packs heat. And yes, that is his real name. Quit asking.
In The Delivery, he is delivering, you guessed it, a rare baseball card he picks up in Rhode Island. Along his route, he comes across a recked car containing a badly injured woman, and it is pouring rain. When he tries to assist her, a man roars up on the scene wielding a gun. At Carter. W.T.F. This is a no go and Carter disarms and injures the attacker and rescues the woman. Hero status anyone? I digress.
We now have a puzzle on our hands, stemming from the crash. Carter comes into possession of a ring and a business card. And the woman from the crash is hospitalized and in a coma. And the ring and card seem to have nothing to do with her, or do they? This book delves into grifters, people pretending to be someone they are not, and human trafficking. And Carter is not a quitter.
This book is fast paced (my favorite), thrilling and clever. I loved the mannerisms of Mercury Carter and his insistent need to finish things he didn’t even start. I received an Advanced Listener Copy of this book and the narrator really captured Carter and the cadence of his voice for this book. I really enjoyed this one and I’m off to read book 1!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, and Andrew Welsh-Huggins for the advanced copy! Nicely done!
Mercury Carter was a postman. Then he was a postal inspector. Now, he is a courier. A deliveryman. For packages people don’t want going through the usual rigamarole of the other mainstream delivery services. So while this sounds sinister, think a rare baseball card you just cannot risk being damaged. As a postal inspector, Carter was in a law enforcement role and now, he packs heat. And yes, that is his real name. Quit asking.
In The Delivery, he is delivering, you guessed it, a rare baseball card he picks up in Rhode Island. Along his route, he comes across a recked car containing a badly injured woman, and it is pouring rain. When he tries to assist her, a man roars up on the scene wielding a gun. At Carter. W.T.F. This is a no go and Carter disarms and injures the attacker and rescues the woman. Hero status anyone? I digress.
We now have a puzzle on our hands, stemming from the crash. Carter comes into possession of a ring and a business card. And the woman from the crash is hospitalized and in a coma. And the ring and card seem to have nothing to do with her, or do they? This book delves into grifters, people pretending to be someone they are not, and human trafficking. And Carter is not a quitter.
This book is fast paced (my favorite), thrilling and clever. I loved the mannerisms of Mercury Carter and his insistent need to finish things he didn’t even start. I received an Advanced Listener Copy of this book and the narrator really captured Carter and the cadence of his voice for this book. I really enjoyed this one and I’m off to read book 1!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, and Andrew Welsh-Huggins for the advanced copy! Nicely done!
March 25, 2026
The Delivery by Andrew Welsh-Huggins is a fast-paced and engaging installment that further develops the character of Mercury Carter, a former Postal Inspector who insists he’s “just a mailman.” Of course, things are never that simple. No matter how much Carter tries to keep his head down and stick to deliveries, trouble has a way of finding him—and this time is no exception.
Mercury Carter continues to be an intriguing protagonist. He’s calm under pressure, surrounded by chaos, and somehow always manages to get pulled into dangerous situations while still completing his route. That contrast—between his ordinary job and the extraordinary trouble he encounters—adds a lot of charm and tension to the story.
One of the biggest improvements from the first book, The Mailman, is the stronger character development. Welsh-Huggins gives Carter more depth here, making him feel less repetitive and more natural. Notably, Carter tones down the constant “I’m just a mailman” explanations that occasionally felt overdone in the earlier story. As a result, his personality comes across as more confident and less self-conscious, which makes him more enjoyable to follow.
Overall, The Delivery is a solid, entertaining read with a likable lead and steady pacing. Fans of character-driven mysteries will appreciate the continued growth of Mercury Carter and the blend of everyday routine with high-stakes situations.
I’d like to thank Highbridge Audio and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this audiobook.
Mercury Carter continues to be an intriguing protagonist. He’s calm under pressure, surrounded by chaos, and somehow always manages to get pulled into dangerous situations while still completing his route. That contrast—between his ordinary job and the extraordinary trouble he encounters—adds a lot of charm and tension to the story.
One of the biggest improvements from the first book, The Mailman, is the stronger character development. Welsh-Huggins gives Carter more depth here, making him feel less repetitive and more natural. Notably, Carter tones down the constant “I’m just a mailman” explanations that occasionally felt overdone in the earlier story. As a result, his personality comes across as more confident and less self-conscious, which makes him more enjoyable to follow.
Overall, The Delivery is a solid, entertaining read with a likable lead and steady pacing. Fans of character-driven mysteries will appreciate the continued growth of Mercury Carter and the blend of everyday routine with high-stakes situations.
I’d like to thank Highbridge Audio and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of this audiobook.
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.
March 30, 2026
The Delivery is written by Andrew Wesh-Huggins.
The title is Book #2 of the Mercury Carter Thriller series.
Andrew Welsh-Huggins is a popular, talented author, well-known for his
Andy Hayes Mysteries; the new Mercury Carter Thriller series; the editor
of the short story anthology Columbus Noir; a stand-alone crime novel
The End of the Road; and many short stories.
A former journalist, he makes his home in Columbus, Ohio (GO BUCKEYES).
This particular series is very fast-paced and demands constant attention to details!
Mercury Carter is an interesting character and takes his job very, very seriously.
So seriously, that he puts his life on the line in several encounters.
Freelance courier, Mercury Carter, races against time across New England to rescue
a trafficking victim in this new thriller, The Delivery.
“Mercury Carter isn’t your typical delivery man. A former postal inspector, he
specializes in moving sensitive or dangerous packages of all sorts fromPoint A to B.
And sometimes he needs his gun to do so.”
Highly Recommended ****
The title is Book #2 of the Mercury Carter Thriller series.
Andrew Welsh-Huggins is a popular, talented author, well-known for his
Andy Hayes Mysteries; the new Mercury Carter Thriller series; the editor
of the short story anthology Columbus Noir; a stand-alone crime novel
The End of the Road; and many short stories.
A former journalist, he makes his home in Columbus, Ohio (GO BUCKEYES).
This particular series is very fast-paced and demands constant attention to details!
Mercury Carter is an interesting character and takes his job very, very seriously.
So seriously, that he puts his life on the line in several encounters.
Freelance courier, Mercury Carter, races against time across New England to rescue
a trafficking victim in this new thriller, The Delivery.
“Mercury Carter isn’t your typical delivery man. A former postal inspector, he
specializes in moving sensitive or dangerous packages of all sorts fromPoint A to B.
And sometimes he needs his gun to do so.”
Highly Recommended ****
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.
April 8, 2026
I won this book on Goodreads. It was awful. It's about Merc Carter who acts as a delivery person for people who want things sent and don't want to use the regular postal service. When on one of his deliveries he comes upon a car accident and tries to help the woman involved. This leads him to a group of criminals.
There were so many characters involved it was hard to keep up, and in addition the writing was awful, and the language disgraceful.
Needless to say I won't be reading any more of this authors mysteries. I am an avid reader and this was one of the worst I've ever read.
There were so many characters involved it was hard to keep up, and in addition the writing was awful, and the language disgraceful.
Needless to say I won't be reading any more of this authors mysteries. I am an avid reader and this was one of the worst I've ever read.
April 9, 2026
Lots of action! Mercury continues to save the day with his Wiley E.Coyote type improvised tools that actually work. While trying to make a delivery, he gets sidetracked by a woman who was in a bad car accident, which led to another woman that had been hijacked into prostitution, which led to a couple of dead bodies of men who slept with said prostitute, which led to a couple of bad actors who were stealing personal information from nursing homes to make money on the black market. Mercury manages to make everything right again (except for the dead bodies).
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
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