I just discovered Kendra Elliot and her often times writing partner Melinda Leigh over the past 2 years, so I have been trying to catch up and read all of their stories. I saw the blurb for The First Death, and although I knew I would be reading out of order, I went ahead and read this one. The plot intrigued me greatly and I knew Ms. Elliot was going to be taking me on a fast-paced ride to discover the truth.

My heart really went out to Rowan for what she and her brother Malcolm had been through as young children. I will readily admit that I shed quite a few tears while reading this story, particularly at the very end. I couldn't read fast enough to find out if Detective Evan Bolton was going to be able to solve the mystery of who was committing these heinous crimes. And how exactly do these current day crimes connect to the murders that happened 25 years ago, when Rowan and her brother Malcolm had been kidnapped, with only Rowan being rescued?

The thing I love about reading Ms. Elliot's books are that she keeps the pacing moving at a nice even clip. There are no unnecessary lengthy inner monologues to bog the story down, everything is set at a pace that I really connect with and keeps my attention. And that was the case with this story as well. I particularly enjoyed the reader got chapters in current day, chapters telling us what happened firsthand when Rowan and Malcolm were taken, and then eventually chapters from a character that rounded out everything, past and present, that was needed to bring this story to conclusion.

As I said, I shed many tears while reading. The subject matter is not for the faint of heart, and unfortunately everything that was written about are things that occur every single day in the world. Ms. Elliot didn't sugar coat it, but she also didn't get as brutal as she could have which I was grateful for. I know there are a whole set of stories out there in the Mercy Kilpatrick series that I need to go back and catch up on, which I understand is where the reader first meets Rowan and Evan, so I am anxious to get started on those books as well as the other books in this Columbia River series. I have so much to read! Not a bad problem to have.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced review copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

The First Death by Kendra Elliott, Columbia River #4, is a twisty murder mystery set in the Pacific Northwest. As a side note, Kendra Elliott locates her intriguing mysteries in this beautiful region. When Rowann Wolf was five, she along with her 8 year old brother and also their babysitter were kidnapped by a vicious sociopath. She and her sibling are imprisoned in a shed, fed a meager amount, kept in the dark, tormented daily. Now, 25 years later, the babysitter has been long dead as well as Rowann's brother. She has become a loner, feeling her brother's demise might not have happened as she was told. With her trusty search and rescue dog, Rowann seeks to locate where he's buried., and she's joined by Det. Evan Bolton.
Kendra always weaves her mysteries deliciously, with a little bit of that, along with increasing tension and twists! The First Death is no exception. Oh, be prepared for the solution, it's not what I anticipated!
I highly recommend this outstanding thrilling mystery by Kendra Elliott!!!

My first read from this author and definitely will check her other books. I love this one. It's a series but definitely can read as a standalone, I don't miss out anything.

What I like:
- The mystery. It's about kidnapping, murder, child abuse, brainwashing, grooming. It's pretty gruesome, some parts is just so hard to read especially that POV from those children, I need to stop to take a breath, it's pretty scary to imagine what those children endure. A page-turner read, one minute my heart races, and the next minute got me thinking what exactly really happen here, what's the connection between these deaths. The back and forth between the past and present really upped the ante.
- The plot twist, even though I guess it right it doesn't take away all the fun guessing what really happen
- It's about family, I love how they always there for each other as family should, always support and protect and will do anything for family, some parts got me teary.
- Thor and all the SAR community, loveeee those wonderful K9 in action to help the case, love the connection between the K9 and the handler, their bond is just amazing.
- The romance. Rowan and Detective Evan are made for each other, I love their banter. And I think the romance is needed here, with all those gruesome details, I need a breather and the romance do exactly that.
- The main characters. Love Rowan and Detective Evan. Loveable characters from the beginning.

What I don't like: none.

Recommended: yes, if you love mystery thriller with a dash of romance, this one is for you, don't forget to read the trigger warning though, some parts just really gruesome.

This one was ok and not my favorite of the series. I thought it moved slowly and didn't have as much action or suspense as the rest of the series. I liked the premise and thought it was unique, but I didn't enjoy the flashbacks. I thought they slowed the story down. Looking forward to the next installment of the series.

An interesting story of kidnapping and family ties, both good and bad. I enjoyed hearing about places that I knew and recognized.

Well, Detective Evan Bolton, many of us were waiting for you to have your own book! You deserved it, and Kendra Elliot rewarded your fans in spades with her fourth Columbia River book, The First Death .
Not only were your fans amply rewarded, we also had Search and Rescue expert (SAR) Rowan Wolff and her incredible canine partner, Thor as your partner in the book.
Rowan Wolff and her brother Malcolm were kidnapped twenty-five years ago by a serial killer. With the help and sacrifice of her nine-year-old brother Malcolm, Rowan was rescued by a SAR team. Malcolm was not. Rowan never quite gave up hope in finding Malcolm’s bones, each year on his birthday she takes Thor into the woods to search one more time. This time, Rowan and Thor discover a dump site for bodies. Rowan finds herself hoping, not hoping that Malcolm’s body has been found.
Not going to kid anyone, this book was a tough read, but I would not have missed a page of it. Ms Elliot writes extremely compelling books. She did not hold back in sharing Rowan’s and Malcolm’s miserable, torturous days with the serial killer. So happy we had Thor, a strong loving family, and a tender love story to balance out the horrors. The First Death hits on all cylinders; a story that never falters, the fabulous setting of Deschutes Co. OR, and characters that continue to shine.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Reader’s Copy for review purposes.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Publishing for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is the 4th book in a series. Wow what a great book. Very convoluted and suspensful. Hint of romance. I really enjoyed the K-9 Search and Rescue aspect. Very interesting. Setting seems beautiful. Rowan's whole life changes in a couple of minutes. Great read, would highly recommend 4.5 stars

The First Death is the fourth book in the Columbia River Series. This can be a stand-alone read. But the writing is so good that you won't want to miss a single one in the series.

Twenty-five years ago, Rowan Wolff and her older brother Malcolm were kidnapped along with their babysitter. The babysitter is found dead, but the children are not found. Deep in the woods of Oregon they are mentally and physically tortured. After several weeks they are let out to play a game of hunting the kids. They are given a head start but not enough to get away. Malcolm attempts to carry Rowan because she has a broken leg. But he is unable to and hides her in the brush telling her not to move and not to make a sound. Malcolm eventually is recaptured. Rowan is hiding when she hears someone coming. Ken finds her and rescues her.

Present day: Ken is murdered and Rowan with her search and rescue dog, Thor, is intent on finding whoever killed her rescuer and friend. Rowan continues to search for her missing brother on his birthday but always comes up empty until she discovers the body of a woman. This discovery will open the cases of many missing people.

This is a wonderful fast read. I enjoy the stories that include search and rescue dogs. The relationships they have with these wonderful animals only add to the depth of the story. The characters are wonderfully developed and very believable. Full of twists and turns as the story comes to its conclusion it held my interest and hoping for more books with Rowan and Thor.

Thank you so much to Net Galley, the publisher, and author for providing this book for my review. I did not realize this is actually the 4th book in this Columbia River series. They can be read as stand alones which is what I did. However, I would recommend reading the others in the series first as previous characters do show up a bit in this novel. This is a very twisty romantic thriller and I really enjoyed every minute of it. I plan to go back and read the other books and will be continuing this series. I highly recommend this if you enjoy romantic thrillers. Thank you again to Net Galley, the publisher, and author. This was a fun ride!

I love Kendra Elliott books. I have read books from other series but this was the first I have read in this series. I felt it could definitely be a stand alone as I didn’t feel lost. Lots of suspense and characters. Twists galore. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

This is a good novel but heart wrenching. It was not easy to read of the way the kidnapped kids were treated. In that respect, there are many trigger situations, especially for any person traumatized as a child.

The characters were drawn well. I liked Rowan and her dedication to repeated searching for her lost brother. Her dog, Thor, stole the show, however. He seemed to be smarter than the humans. Evan is a good hero as he tries to connect the murders and the kidnapping. The romance part of the novel seemed a little rushed since they had known each other for some time.

The plot is decent but I don't think it quite worked all the way. The reason for the kidnapping seemed strange and the thrill of treating the kidnapped kids the way they were seemed unrealistic. And I really don't understand why a wider search or satellite image search was not done when the skeletons were found. The police should have known the villain's place would not be so far away.

In the end I was entertained. I like the setting of Bend and having been there, I do wish there were more interesting descriptions of the wonderful high desert and nearby mountains.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an honest and independent review.

This is the first book I've read from this author but it certainly won't be the last.

I was totally hooked and surprised by the plot in more than one occasion.

Although this is number 4 in the series it works perfectly well as a stand alone thriller. I will now be adding the previous books to my must read list.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The First Death by Kendra Elliot in return for my honest review.
Although this is the 4th book in the series it can easily be read as a standalone.
This is a gripping read and once started you’ll just want to finish lots of really likeable characters and well written, highly recommend reading.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Montlake for the copy of #TheFirstDeath by #KendraElliot
You don’t need me to tell you what this book is about, that’s what the book blurb is for.
You just need to know that I enjoyed it. Kendra is a brilliant author and I have read and enjoyed all her books.

Then: Five-year-old Rowan Wolff was kidnapped along with her older brother, seven-year-old Malcolm, & their babysitter, Carissa. Carissa is soon murdered & the two children are made to live in a locked shed in the yard of an isolated house. The two are tortured with food & sleep deprivation & are made to physically hurt each other under threat of worse to come. Malcolm tries to protect his younger sister the best he can but this leads to their captor breaking Rowan's leg. The children finally get a chance to run & Malcolm carries Rowan as far as he can but eventually he has to leave her hidden away safe whilst he goes for help. Rowan is eventually rescued but Malcolm's body is never found.

Now: Twenty-five years later, Rowan is now a search and rescue team with Thor, her highly trained dog. Every year she goes back to the area where she was found all those years ago to search for her brother's remains. She is called in on a case by Detective Evan Bolton who is investigating a serial killer. As the case progresses, Evan is disturbed to find that each of the victims is linked to Rowan, & it culminates with the discovery of the bones of young child in the forest. Has Malcolm finally been found?

This is my first book in the series even though it is number 4, but the books seem to be standalones with their own stories & perhaps some recurring characters. I didn't feel as if I had missed anything anyway. I'm not usually a big fan of romance thrillers as the romance tends to overtake the thriller aspect in most cases, but here the romance was a gentle undercurrent rather than dominating the storyline. It was difficult to read in places particularly the flashbacks to what the children were experiencing at the hands of their kidnapper & anyone with claustrophobia - be warned there are a few scenes of Malcolm being locked away in a small box.

The narrative is told via Evan, Rowan, & an unnamed third party. The pace was good, the storyline kept my attention even though I managed to work most of it out in advance, & both Rowan & Evan were okay main characters. I absolutely adored Thor though - who wouldn't? What a good boy! I'm also pleased to say that he was absolutely fine throughout the book too. Verdict: I mostly enjoyed reading this (bar those flashbacks scenes) & plan on checking out some of the other books by this author.

TWs: kidnapping, torture of minors, murder.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Montlake, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Highly entertaining, this is another favorite. Fans of Mercy Kilpatrick will recognize our main stars as secondary characters in earlier books. Rowan and her dog are a dynamic search and rescue team while Evan Bolton is a detective. The two cross paths frequently but this case was more personal. As a child Rowan had a traumatic experience that led to her current career, and the constant search for her missing brother. Evan is intelligent and respects Rowan’s need to be involved in the case. It’s a puzzling case that has multiple points of view that add to the suspense and creativity of the mystery. I read an early copy through NetGalley and have voluntarily left this review.

The First Death catches the reader's attention from the beginning and it was not written for those who cannot deal with violence against children. It's one of those stories that keeps you guessing and when the truth is revealed it's heartbreaking. This story has a great plot, it's well-written, full of action and mystery, and a good addition to the Columbia Mystery series.
I thank Ms. Elliot, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

A Search and Rescue dog handler and a determined police detective find more than a working partnership in the Oregon Wilderness, but a serial killer is hunting and the danger is closer than they realize. Kendra Elliot dazzled me with her Mercy Kilpatrick series and I’ve found each new release is as gripping as the last.



The First Death is the fourth in the Columbia River series of standalone mysteries. Now, though these are standalones, it has been fun to see that each return to one of the author’s previous series to tell further stories, usually of a side character. In this case, two side characters from the Mercy Kilpatrick series get the spotlight.



The First Death is told in split time and between alternating narrators. Rowan’s narration goes between the past as the little five year old who was kidnapped and as the adult woman, amazing search and rescue dog handler. Then there is Malcolm’s perspective as Rowan’s seven year old brother desperately trying to protect his sister, a mystery narrator in the present, and Evan’s present narration as he works the case of a murdered camper and the serial kills of young women. This might seem like a busy, confusing story, as a result, but in reality, these split storylines and perspectives draw the reader into the story so it is felt viscerally.



The impact of this story was hard and heavy. Child kidnapping, serial killing women, enslavement, torture, and indoctrination were all there. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but the tunnel gets dark before the other side is reached. And, in the midst of it all, Evan and Rowan connect and tentatively began to find the beginning of a relationship as they work on a murder investigation, the previous murders of three women, and tease out how Rowan’s past kidnapping fits into this scenario.



As the reader, I was privy to more than Rowan and Evan, but that took nothing away from the tension as they track down the truth and raced to stop an evil that has been around for years and still preying on people. I loved how the author was careful with the situations presented in this thrilling romantic suspense and with the police investigation and Rowan’s dog handling work which was great to have a strong part of the story.



An amazing entry that wrung me out emotional and ended on a triumphant note. Romantic suspense fans should read the Mercy Kilpatrick series and this additional series of standalones.

A twisting mystery is the perfect way to describe this outstanding addition to the Columbia River series. We first met Rowan Wolff in “A Merciful Promise” and now we have the full story of Rowan and her brother Malcolm’s kidnapping when they were children. The mystery explodes across the pages, as she relives the details of their kidnapping as we alternate between the past and present. Detective Evan Bolton is currently investigating the murders of three women, just like twenty-five years ago, but their killer is in prison and was also convicted of killing Malcolm. Rowan has never stopped looking for her brother’s grave and works search and rescue with her dog, Thor. While trying to identify a murdered man, Evan sees a group picture that includes someone he knows, Rowan. She identifies the man and you soon realize that the case seems to return to Rowan’s past. When the remains of three bodies are found, has she finally found her brother? Every time you think you know what and who, there is another twist! WOW! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

I really enjoy stepping out of my trusty romance genre once in a while and reading a brilliant twisted thriller. There are only a couple of authors I trust to turn to - Kendra Elliot is one of the main ones! She really knows how to get the blood flowing and adrenaline pumping.

The latest Columbia River installment was another fantastic read. I couldn’t put it down! I read it straight through - I had to know if the guesses I was making were right. The scenario here was just too far out in left field to be true (I know they say truth is stranger than fiction, but sadly the plot of this one really seems like it could be reality).

Most of my guesses came out to be correct, but there were still a few things that Elliot threw me off about! Marks of a great writer. I figured the guessing I was doing was going to be way off the mark… but turns out, for once, I was following the right clues and plot ideas. I can’t say anything else or give away the book! Let’s just say this is a must-read, thriller genre lover or not! Rowan’s story is finally told and it’s fantastic, and twisty! I loved every moment!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Montlake, and this is my honest feedback.