3.5 stars rounded to 4 for rating
This was a decent suspense/thriller story. It is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone (I have not read the previous books in the series).
For about 60% of this book I was not impressed. I didn’t really have a good grasp on the main plot because there was truly so much going on. By the ending I really enjoyed the story and how we came to an ending. I do still think there was way too much in one storyline and could have been shaved down a bit. Overall, a good thriller suspense.

I can't possibly give the incredible review this novel deserves.. So much drama and intensity, twists and turns. Jaw clenching, shoulders wrapped up around my ears with tension, were just a few of the emotions that ripped through me. Eyes that wanted to tear up a few times.. omg.
I absolutely loved the parts that looked back to see what Rowan and Malcolm went through.
An incredible roller coaster of a ride. I did NOT want this novel to end, it was that good. I tried to read this slow, by telling myself I'd take little breaks.. that didn't happen. There is no putting down a Kendra Elliot novel until you've read it cover to cover.

I have read all of the Columbia River series by Kendra Elliot and have enjoyed them all. This book was no different.

I like being able to get to know the secondary characters better and it was nice to see Evan Bolton get his own story. I also liked Rowan, Thor, and their backstory. The mystery was engaging the story was paced just right. I can't wait for the next Columbia River installment, whether we revisit Mercy and Truman or meet someone new.

Thank you NetGalley, Montlake, and Kendra Ellio for the eArc.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Deschutes County Detective Evan Bolton and K9 handler Rowan Wolff with her black German shepherd, Thor, take us a whirlwind ride to find a serial killer who starts dumping young blonde women. The case takes them on a winding road of deception and lies and they ultimately discover an earthshaking find for Rowan. That will forever change her life. We get a visit with some of our other favorites from Columbia River series including Truman and Mercy. This is a great Romantic Suspense.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Montlake in exchange for honest review.

A 3.5 stars. I felt that there were a lot of unresolved questions at the end, so I am keeping this to a 3 stars.

This was my first Kendra Elliot book and although I haven't read the previous books in the 'Columbia River' series, there is not much of interdependency between them, so you could read them as stand alone too. Though, from what I understand going by the other reviews, few of the characters are repeated in the other books as well, so I may have missed the relationship dynamics.

Rowan was 5 years old and her brother, Malcolm, 7, when they were kidnapped along with their babysitter. Both of them were tortured and abused for weeks and while Rowan managed to escape, Malcolm didn't. Twenty five years later Rowan and her dog, Thor, work as a search and rescue team, assisting the local police in missions. But Rowan hasn't got over the pain of losing her only brother and since Malcolm's body was never recovered, she never got the closure to the harrowing nightmare in her life. Now many years later when bodies of young women are being discovered and all clues lead to Rowan, she is forced to relive the events of her past.

What worked for me here is the pace. The chapters are short so you literally want to finish one more chapter to find out what happens next. It becomes quite addictive and for the first 60% of the book I was glued to my kindle all day. What didn't work for me was that quite a few things went unexplained. For instance I understood the motive for kidnapping of the children but I couldn't comprehend the killings of young women or the reason behind it. I liked my mysteries to be resolved at the end of the book and this left me with a frown once I had completed it.

Though I enjoyed reading the book, I don't think the story will stay with me for long. I still feel I may read more Kendra Elliot books when I want a quick, fast-paced, thrilling read

Another great ride by Kendra Elliot.
Search and Rescue volunteer Rowan Wolff has lived with great pain all of her adult life. As a child she and her brother were kidnapped for several weeks, it was painful. Her brother got her out and hid her where she was found by SAR but her brother was never found.
Rowan hopes one day to bring his remains home. As she works her SAR there appears to be a killer close by. Her and her family are in great danger but from who?
This is a fantastic story of survival and hope with an explosive ending.

Thank you #NetGalley #Montlake for this ARC

This was an absolute page turner. I sincerely wish there was a series about Rowan and Thor. The flashbacks were deeply troubling and really make you wonder how people are so terrible to each other. I was suspicious of Ken early on but I did not expect that relationship to end up the way it did. I think the ending was really well written and did allow for some closure, though Evan, Rowan, and Thor NEED a second book to explore. That sexual tension was intense.

From the exciting beginning to the gripping end, The First Death, by Kendra Elliot, is a fast paced thriller with an intricate and twisting storyline, fascinating characters, and written with a distinctive and unique style.
When we first meet 5 year old Rowan Wolff it is 25 years ago and she and her 7 year old brother, Malcolm, have been kidnapped. In their attempt to escape Rowan is hiding from “him” while young Malcolm goes for help. Rowan is saved by a search and rescue K-9 handler, however Malcolm is never found.
Jump ahead 25 years and Rowan is now a K-9 handler herself. She and her dog, Thor, are called to the scene of a brutal murder of a young mother and a missing child. Enter detective Evan Bolton who is in charge of the murder investigation. In this case, thankfully, Rowan and Thor locate the missing child.
Evan is then called to a remote wooded area for the discovery of a man who has been murdered in his own tent. As the case progresses the intensity of the plot increases as decayed body remains are uncovered near. The remains are found in the remote area that Malcolm disappeared and the authorities and Rowan’s family hold their breath waiting for the identification of the bones of a young male child. It is here that Evan and Rowan’s characters begin to intertwine with one another as the investigation unfolds.
The storyline bounces back and forth between present day and 25 years ago when Rowan and Malcolm were kidnapped. The scenes of them in captivity were truly heart wrenching and emotionally raw. I issue a trigger warning that these child abuse scenes are very disturbing.
Elliot effectively uses an introduction to another perspective from an unknown individual that keeps the reader completely engaged and anxious to discover their identity. The pace of this storyline is fast! Secrets and discoveries abound, as do the shocking and revealing answers to the reader’s questions.
The interesting characters in this novel are well developed, yet, constantly evolving. Rowan is smart, observant, and knowledgeable and Evan is clever, intelligent, and perceptive.
Having never read anything by Kendra Elliot I was extremely absorbed by this riveting and compelling novel. The last pages of this book are a true thrill ride and page turner! My greatest thanks to Netgalley for this exciting ARC and I am leaving a voluntary and honest review. I rate this novel with a 5 out of 5 star rating.

A tension filled thrilling five-star read. This is one of those stories that will grip you and keep you hooked, I cant tell you about the story as I really don’t want to accidently tell you a part that will give you any hint to the story, it’s that well done that it unfurls as you read. This one gives you the details in just a sublime way that you are drip fed the story and its like all of a sudden it hits you and suddenly you see what has been in front of you, but then suddenly it’s a whole picture. I adore this author and am excited to see what they will come up with next.

Trigger warning for child kidnapping and physical child abuse.
‘The First Death’ is book 4 in the Columbia River series. It’s not hugely important you read all the other books in the series but if you want to learn a bit more about Evan Bolton, the hero of this book, you definitely need to read book 3 ‘In The Pines’ as it also features Evan Bolton as a secondary character.
In ‘The First Death’ we meet Rowan Wolff, a search and rescue worker and her faithful canine companion Thor. Together the two are well known in the state for their search and rescue work. Rowan works hard to find the missing as she went missing herself at five years old. She and her brother were kidnapped and held for weeks by a deranged man. Rowan is eventually rescued, her brother is not. He’s never found.
Twenty five years later and Rowan continues to search the woods for her brother’s grave. It’s on one of these searches with Thor that Rowan comes across a body in the river. Detective Evan Bolton is given the case. The details of the murders are similar to those of a serial killer from twenty five years ago who is currently in prison. Could there be a new serial killer in town or is this the work of a copycat? And what is the connection to Rowan and her childhood kidnapping.
This story is told in a few perspectives - Evan, Rowan (age 30 and age 5) and another male voice. I found the Rowan age 5 flashbacks pretty hard to read. It was so sad to read what she and her brother went through in captivity. Despite the flashback scenes, I really liked this book. One minute I thought I knew the direction the story was going and then all of a sudden it goes in a completely different direction. Kept me on my toes. This book had all the things I like - a bit of mystery, a bit of romance and best of all dogs! What’s not to love? 4 stars from me.

Wow!

What a ride. This book was OUTSTANDING! I may have whiplash, it was that fast paced. And so twisted. I loved that Rowan had her own book and we got to visit our favorite characters.

This was such a great addition. I’m looking forward to more in this series.

I loved this book, and getting to know the main character Evan better as we had only had glimpses of him in the past. This book was about Evan and Rowan, Evan works for the police and Rowan is a k-9 handler. The mystery and all events have one thing in common and that’s Rowan. Does she have anything to do with this, or will she be the next one to be killed?

Just okay for me , I didn’t really enjoy this one. It was slightly predictable and a very slow burn.

I am a huge fan of author and this one did not disappoint me. I can not wait for more! Was an excellent read. Highly recommend!

Rowan Wolff was five years old when she, her brother, and their babysitter were kidnapped by a serial killer in the Pacific Northwest. The babysitter was murdered. Rowan was saved. Her brother was killed and buried in the forest, his remains never found. The convicted killer refuses to say where he buried the boy. Twenty-five years later, Rowan is committed to search and rescue with her faithful canine and is obsessed with finding her brother’s grave. This was quite the thriller all the way through. Interesting characters, tightly plotted and very chilling. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

A great read , though a difficult read because of the subject matter (child kidnap and abuse) . Set in Oregon in the US, the plot is told through different viewpoints and in different time periods. It is well written though and as a reader the story makes sense throughout . The main characters are well portrayed and I liked the descriptions of the investigation.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

The First Death (Columbia River #4) by Kendra Elliot
Publisher: Montlake
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Expected Publication Date: June 13, 2023

The First Death is the 4th book in the Columbia River series by Kendra Elliot. This book can be enjoyed as a standalone mystery or as part of the series.

I loved how fast paced this book is! I was captivated by the story and loved trying to solve the mystery. This was detailed and multidimensional with so much depth! The suspense was awesome!!!

There was so much happening in this book and I could not get enough of it! I loved the characters! Getting to know Detective Evan Bolton and Rowan better was wonderful!

I love how the author writes in a way that I feel like I am there in the story. I get lost in her books and my world disappears. I absolutely loved it!!!

I highly recommend this book to crime drama fans. I'll be going back and reading previous books in these series because I couldn't get enough it this one!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Always love everything by this author and if didn’t disappoint. Bree is back at it as a Sherrie of a small town with a lot of people that are not happy she is in that position and will do anything to get her out. This story starts with a ex cop and his mother brutally murdered but no clue on who it could be. Highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What a fantastic read. It was very exciting. Had me on the edge of the chair in more than one occasion. What a plot. It’s horrific but extremely exciting. It’s very well written. A lot of thought went into how this would play out

This book was so so good, I was gripped from the first page to the last. I haven't read any of the other 3 books in the Columbia river series but I have since downloaded them all. This read features Evan Bolton and Rowan Wolff, a pair who is continuously drawn together while investigating several murders. Evan is the lead detective and he notices a pattern, all of these cases tie to Rowan. I don't want to give anything away but definitely pick this up, you won't believe the twist.