I always enjoy the Mercy Kilpatrick books immensely and wait eagerly for the next one as soon as I finish the last. The action and plot twists in At The River kept me on my toes, and the characters, Mercy, Truman, Ollie, Noelle, etc., pull you in and make you love them. The only aspect of the book I didn’t enjoy were the side thoughts of the characters in italicized print that were too frequent. For some reason, they broke up my flow of reading and seemed out of place.

At the River is a story about a family who comes together in the strangest of ways. It's also about a 20 year old murder and some government substation attacks. The mystery of the 20 year old murder ultimately ties together the entire story that really starts with a recent murder of a Podcaster. For me personally the book moved very slow and didn't get me to a point where I couldn't put the book down. A normal book of this length might have me finishing in 2 days but this one took me a week. The story behind it was good but it just felt like they were never going to find the killer(s). It didn't draw me in and keep me on the edge of my seat so for me I'm only giving the book 4 stars and that's because the story was somewhat suspenseful and I enjoyed the family back story.

At the River-book 5 of the Columbia River series- follows FBI agent Mercy Kilpatrick, her police chief husband, Truman Daly and Truman’s ward Ollie. When a victim turns up on the banks of the Columbia River with startling similarities to a decades old cold case involving three missing teenagers, all three are thrown into the past to save lives in the present.

As with all books by Kendra Elliot, this is such a solid read. All of the characters are likeable and it was nice to see Ollie take more of a center stage in this book. Ollie has a heart of gold and it makes me want to root for him. The plot is solid with just enough suspense and tension to keep me reading. I enjoy police procedurals, the investigations and watching all the clues come together. The happy twist at the end has me surprised; I really didn’t see that coming.

I came across Kendra Elliot for a different series and stumbled onto Mercy Kilpatrick. Since then I am furiously making my way through all of her other books. Not knowing all of Mercy's back story yet, this book was fantastic about filling in the necessary parts without giving away too many spoilers. This in turn makes it a good book that can be read as a stand alone too, if that is what you want.
As for the story, I loved the fact that there was such an old mystery, set to be uncovered by the gang. The pace was fantastic and kept you guessing until the end.
Spoiler.......
I knew as soon as they explained how Mia died that Ollie was the baby. No baby bones uncovered with her. A fab twist and one that I am really happy about for Ollie's sake.
Loving the series, as I did all the others and Kendra Elliot can do no wrong in my opinion! Sign me up for the next one please!
Thanks to Netgalley and the author and publisher for a temporary copy in exchange for an honest review.

At the River is a story of five friends who went camping 20 plus years ago. The five friends aren't heard from for days and then two end on the side of the river - one murdered and one clinging to life and the other three are nowhere to be found. Flash forward to present day and the same style of murder has occurred again to a aspiring podcaster who was investigating their story. from 20 years ago At the River takes you on a trip through Alaska that entails murder and a constant guessing game of who done it as newly married FBI Agent Mercy and her Police Chief husband Truman work to solve the crime as the body count increases. This book is the fifth in the series. I had not read the prior books but was still able to enjoy the book.

AT THE RIVER is the 5th book in Kendra Elliot’s ‘Columbia River’ series, and another suspense filled police procedural/thriller. When a haunting cold case resurfaces, it catches the attention of FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick and her husband, Police Chief Truman Daly, as they unravel the dark secrets entangled in the Oregon forest. The story's allure lies in its impeccable intertwining of multiple timelines and characters, crafting a layered plot that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The well thought out depiction of investigative processes and the diligent pursuit of truth add a sense of realism to the narrative. The characters are both resilient and relatable, showcasing compassion and unwavering determination in the face of daunting challenges.
As the mysteries unfold and fresh blood is shed, the pace quickens, and the anticipation builds. Kendra Elliot is still in top form with this newest entry in an always well done thriller series.

I read this book in a day and I never looked back! The twist and the plot were pretty easy to identify but the different POV's kept me intrigued to see how everything was going to unfold. A couple of the characters were so unlikable that it made it hard to feel bad or connect with them in any way. I do wish that the ending would've given a little more, I wanted to know how the characters dealt with the aftermath.


*I received a copy of this eARC via NetGalley*

Back to Eagles Nest, and Truman and Mercy. A new crime seems connected to a long cold case with only one survivor. This is a well thought and and tightly woven story that I absolutely recommend. You don’t need to have read the other Mercy Kilpatrick novels to understand this book, but it will certainly make it more enjoyable. Hope this isn’t the last we see of these characters.

I have binge read every Kendra Elliot book since I found her. This story wasn’t one of my favorites.I have loved the Mercy Kilpatrick series. This one the murder/mystery part wasn’t what her usual stories are for me. The continued look into her personal family life and its continuing changes were great. There was a clever little twist I did not see coming. I enjoyed this free advanced copy from NetGalley .I’m leaving my opinions voluntarily.

At the River is the fifth installment of Kendra Elliot’s Columbia River series, but can easily be a stand alone novel. While I have read all books to date, it wasn’t necessary to understand or follow the plot.

Having said that, I did feel rather confused at the beginning of this book. There is a LOT going on right off the bat, with a lot of characters in many locations. I ended up whipping out a notebook to keep track since some characters cross jurisdictions and home life’s blend. Once you get past the initial scene setting though the story flows quite well.

A true crime podcaster is murdered and is tied to a decades old cold case involving dead and missing teenagers. FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick and her husband Police Chief Truman Daly work with Detective Noelle Marshall to piece together the murder and potentially solve a cold case.

While this story didn’t pull me in the way some others of Kendra Elliot’s have, there were enough unique elements in this novel to keep me invested. One of the main characters has “face blindness” where they cannot recognize a person on sight that they’ve met before without a cue to tie the appearance to the stored information coded in their brain. This was a new premise and one I enjoyed exploring. The author did a good job of setting up how disorienting and alienating it would be as a person with this condition. “How does he function in public?” she queries. “He can’t function.” While a simple statement, it has profound impact the character development.

At the end of the story though I didn’t feel drawn to read the next in the series and felt let down. I recall being thrilled with the first few Columbia River books though so maybe this is a one off and #6 will renew my passions.

If you like mystery, mild suspense, and a female cop/agent lead… check out At the River. Thank you to #NetGalley for this #ARC of #AttheRiver in exchange for my honest review.

One of the most spellbinding books I have read this year. This one grabs you from page one and does not let up. A rollercoaster at breakneck speed! This book is horrifying and mysterious and has an incredible plot that I could not wait to untangle. This is one of those rare reads you can not put down and must read in one sitting.
The characters we love like family are back again to draw us into their lives.
There is fear and suspense and the familiarity of a town and characters we know will make this storey. These character have become some of my favourite litterateur people and I hope we see more of them!
This was an amazing can’t put it down, read while you eat, read while you walk , stay up way to late book.
5 huge stars. A must read.

This is a great series. I absolutely adore Mercy & Truman and their family. Ollie is such a lovable character and I loved getting to see a bit more of him. I was really rooting for Devin and it was so lovely seeing his friendship with Ollie bloom. I was so intrigued by what happened 20 years ago and the twists and turns kept me guessing. The ending was tense and full of drama. This can be read as a standalone but I love Kendra Elliots writing so definitely recommend checking out the rest.


I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The 5th book in the Columbia River Series starts with the death of a true crime podcaster is murdered in the same way and in the same area of the cold case that he is researching. Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick and Detective Noelle Marshall start digging into the murder, along with Mercy’s husband, Police Chief Truman Daly.

Will solving the cold case from 20 years ago of 5 missing campers, 2 of which were murdered, help solve the current murder case? You will want to keep reading just to answer this question. The characters are written in such a way that you feel as if you really know them by the end of the book and can’t wait until you get to hang out with them again. I will say that I figured out part of the story line, but that didn’t ruin the rest of the book. It did keep me guessing on who the killer(s) is.

I really did not want to put this book down and cannot wait for the next book in the series. I recommend that if you find yourself liking this book, go back and start reading her first series and continue reading them until you are finished with all of her series. I love the fact that this series is a mash up of her previous ones.

I was provided a copy of this book by Montlake via Netgalley.

I have not read any of the other Colombia River series but I will be going back and reading them after this. This book was GREAT! It was thrilling and suspenseful and kept me wanting to read more. I fell in love with the main characters and their family which helped me enjoy the book that much more. Thanks NetGalley and publishers for allowing me to read. #AttheRiver #NetGalley.

I read the book really fast as it’s so easy to
read with the short chapters and interesting endings of each chapter. This kept me hooked and I ended up reading the book in just one sitting.

The story sounded simple when it started. As the story goes on, there’s so much to dig into and with the addition of new few characters the plot gets thicker and darker.

The writing keeps you thinking about what’s coming next throughout the read and I am glad to say that there wasn’t even a boring moment!

The story starts with Ollie meeting a woman out of nowhere in the snow who feels that her husband went missing that morning.

I do feel that the turn of events during the investigation is well planned and done well. The characters are convincing.

Moreover, what’s exceptional is the family bond between the main male leads.

I am eagerly waiting for the next instalment in the series.

Thank you, Montlake, for the advance reading copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from begining to end! The characters we're fantastic and easy to follow. The twist and turns kept in coming. I would recommend this book!

I was ecstatic to to get this book and find out that I get to read another story that involved Mercy Kilpatrick and Truman. The narrative concerns seemingly coincidental crimes are occurring over the multiple jurisdictions of the trio of law enforcement officers. A podcaster investigating a cold case attack on 5 teenagers that occurred 20 years (3 disappeared, 1 died, 1 barely survived) is found dead where the lone living teen was found. The podcaster’s Jeep is abandoned on the traumatized survivor’s property and his mother is brutally stabbed. These all occur near where Mercy is investigating the vandalism of electrical substations.

I love Kendra Elliot’s police procedurals — there are definite good guys, some suspects who need to acquit themselves or are revealed to be guiltier, and a steady revelation of clues that lead to a conclusion. But there are also surprising twists and turns along the way. 5 stars!

If Kendra Elliot writes it, I will read it. I love this series. Mercy and Truman are characters I enjoy coming back to, along with the other characters from this series. I am excited for the books to come!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This might just be the best book of the entire series! This is a face past, nail biting suspense that will keep you guessing until the very last page. FBI agent Mercy Kilpatrick and all of our favorite characters find themselves ensnared in a twenty year old cold case and how it might relate to a series of current day murders. A must read!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own." eARC provided

What a great continuation of the Mercy Kilpatrick series! This wonderful addition focuses on a case of a podcaster who is found brutally murdered by the side of the river. With ties to a case from 20 years ago and attacks during present day, this case will take the efforts of both Mercy and Truman (and Ollie) to solve it!

I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of any of Kendra Elliot’s book! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!