The mystery of three missing teens and a traumatizing murder unearths decades of buried secrets in a shocking novel of suspense.

At the River by Kendra Elliot is so so good! I adore FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick and her husband, Police Chief Truman Daly and the little family they've put together. The side story of Truman and Ollie is presented with such care and makes you feel so many things as you read their storyline and what they go through to become a family unit.

Twenty years ago, five teenage campers disappeared. Two eventually turned up, bound and left for dead on the Columbia River’s rocky shore. Only Devin Bonner miraculously survived, but with no memories of what happened in the Oregon forest. Following a trail of fresh blood and an escalating series of murders, Mercy and Truman must work fast to unlock whatever traumas are buried in Devin’s memories before the secrets of the past claim another victim.

Kendra Elliot is a master at crafting a suspenseful story that keeps you guessing while also rooting for the main characters and tugging at your heartstrings.

I would highly recommend any Kendra Elliot book, especially this series. A very, very good read and enjoyable characters that you feel are like old friends.

#AttheRiver #NetGalley @AmazonPub

At The River is the fifth book in the Columbia River a spin off series featuring FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick. While you might be able to read this as a standalone there is a lot of Mercy’s history that would be missed so it would be better to be read as part of the series. A podcaster is found murdered with his throat cut in the same location where twenty years before two teenagers were dumped in a similar manner. Mercy and Noel begin investigating to discover the podcaster was looking into the past. Five teenagers, one murdered, one left for dead, and three missing. Devin survived a cut throat but his mind is broken and the past is lost to him. Uncovering the past breaks Mercy’s case wide open in a turn paging thriller with unexpected twists that endears this author to the reader. May Mercy Kilpatrick be a long lived character! My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from NetGalley.

At the River (Columbia River #5) by Kendra Elliot
Publisher: Montlake
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Romance
Expected Publication Date: February 13, 2024

At the River is the fifth book in the Columbia River series by Kendra Elliot. This book can be read 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! I loved getting to learn more about Ollie and Truman. They are such special characters!

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

THank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read the advanced copy of At the River.
Kendra Elliot is one of my favorite mystery/law enforcement books.
This book was good, a bit on the predictable side towards the middle of the book, but I still loved it in this series.

So good. I love Truman and Mercy, and Ollie is central here as well. I fabulous mystery with plenty of good side story as well. A quick read for a cozy weekend!

I'm a big fan of Mercy and Truman and their family so it was lovely to delve into their world again, and even better, to get some answers about Ollie's background and see their little family grow. I seriously adore them. I also really love that in Mercy we have a female protagonist who was a little older when she found her life partner (33 I think?) and has also refreshingly decided with her partner not to have kids. This topic doesn't get covered a lot in books, and it's not in your face with this one, but I love that it's not baby-centric now that the couple are married and the focus is still on their careers and how they tie into their lives, but how they still grow as a family without this.

I loved the new characters we were introduced to - big soft spot for Devin - and the mystery was intriguing to follow. Although I clocked some of the connections early on (and to be honest, the sub-station part of the story didn't seem like it added anything to the book by the time I got to the end) it was still a great read. I don't think preppers were mentioned once in this book - which made sense considering the mystery, but in a weird way I missed it as the prepper lifestyle was what drew me to this series in the first place - something I previously knew nothing about so it gave it that unique appeal.

Over all, a great addition to the previous series and I'd definitely pick up the next one. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an early release copy - truly appreciated!!

Absolutely fantastic story! It has some of your favorite characters, Mercy, Truman and Ollie. As Mercy investigates a new murder it has ties to a similar case from 20 yrs before. The twists and turns will keep you guessing and tied to your seat until you reach the end. Mercy and Truman work together to tie up all the lose ends.

Thank you netgalley for complimentary copy,

I highly recommend the series, and this one does not disappoint.

As the one survivor his memories return brings us into another chilling story in this series.
A cold case of teenagers that had gone missing while camping.
A woman frantic words her husband was missing, and he had a lot of enemies.
The incidents seem to be connected as Mercy and her team work the case.
A series that has good characters and each book has a good plot.
Given arc by Net Galley and Montlake for my voluntary review

Your basic police procedural in the Pacific Northwest.

This one brings back Truman and Mercy and Ollie; though they're recurring characters there's still a lot of information provided on their backstory so that new readers don't feel left out. Due to its location, the concept of sovereign citizens plays into this family and this story quite a bit. The initial murder that jump starts the book is out in the background, and the twenty year old mystery of what really happened to those five teenagers takes the forefront.

The writing is very basic, multiple POVs and somewhat low stakes but for old fans, I'm sure they'll like this and new ones looking for a quick mystery to read this one fits the bill.

A 20-year-old mystery; a modern-day murder; vandalism. What do they all have in common? That's the premise behind the newest Mercy/Truman book from Kendra Elliot.
I've loved this series since the first book and the storylines just keep getting better. Now that Ollie is a member of the family, with Kaylie and her kittens, the family dynamic of the Mercy/Truman story is enhanced, especially when it's Ollie who discovers a woman who claims her husband is missing. At the same time, Mercy is called to the discovery of a dead body after investigating a series of vandalism at nearby power stations. Pretty soon it's evident that all three incidents are connected and they all lead back to the disappearance of 3 kids twenty years ago, the death of one, and the attempted murder of another.
This story had so many twists and turns, it kept me glued to reading. A must read for Elliot fans, and if you're not, you will be after reading this one!
5 well-deserved stars from me. thanks, Netgalley for a sneak peek.

I didnt know what to expect starting this book. I understand that it's a part of a series so I feel like there's some information before this about the main characters and family that I'm missing, but this can also stand alone on its own.

We follow an FBI agent, and a Police detective and their son as they are trying to solve the murder of a 20 year old homicide cade in Oregon. This definitely kept me on the edge of my seat and I could not have predicted the ending, definitely a plot twist in many times. I connected to the main female charavter very deeply, seeing her adopt her sisters daughter and juggle her new marriage and work-life balance and many responsibilities. The only reason why this book didn't get a 5 stars is that I would preffered for it to be written in with only one POV instead of every single chapter being confusing as to who was speaking. I would definitely recommend to pick up any other books this author has written.

Another great book in the Columbia River series. Nice to have all the characters you already know have their own story explained. Along with the many twists and turns that keep the story riveting
Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC

What. A. Book!

I absolutely could not put this down. And that ending. WOW. It was great reconnecting with Mercy and Truman and the family they have created. Not only was Ollie’s story so good, how it all intertwined was brilliant. I can’t wait for more from this author.

Columbia River Series, Book 5

Mercy and Truman return in book 5 in the Columbia River Series. It starts off with Ollie who finds Sara in the woods screaming for help. Her husband Rob, a Podcaster, has disappeared from their rented cabin which has blood everywhere.

Rob came to Columbia River to research the 20 year old case of the five missing teenagers who went missing while camping in the woods. Two of the five teens are found with their throats slit on the river’s shore. One teen dead and Devin Bonner barely alive. Years later, the other three teens: Alex, Colin, and Mia are still missing. Devon Bonner remembers nothing but he’s the presumed only living witness to what happened.

Rob, the Podcaster, turns up dead in the same location the two teen boys were found. Devin’s mom (Linda) is stabbed on their property. Another Podcaster shows up and she’s murdered outside of Devin and Ollie’s hotel room. Someone is sending a clear message to Devin to remain quiet about the night the teens went camping. The body count is adding up. Everyone seems to be a suspect.

With everything going on with the investigation, Truman is thinking of adopting Ollie. DNA results show Ollie’s deceased grandparents are not related to him.

A piece of my heart is with the series and the wonderful characters you fall in love with from Eagle’s Nest. I was excited to read this and continue the journey with married couple FBI Agent, Mercy Kilpatrick and Chief Truman Daly. Kendra Elliott does it again with bringing together Suspense and Romance in a well written way.

Thank you Montlake and Netgalley for allowing me to offer a review.

#Attheriver
#Netgalley

I really enjoyed the scene setting and the story itself. It felt like a debut novel but was a good ready overall.

This is the 5th installment of Kendra Elliot’s “Columbia River” series (and there were more Mercy Kilpatrick books), but the author does such an excellent job of introducing her characters and their backgrounds each time, this can be read as a standalone. I came into this series midway and I never feel like I’m missing anything.

Mercy is an FBI agent based out of Bend, OR; her husband is the Police Chief of Eagle’s Nest (a central Oregon town set amid survivalists and prepares in the woods); and the third major character in this installment is Detective Noelle Marshall of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s department. Each has a different jurisdiction, but the author deftly interweaves incidents so the three find themselves working together (instead of against each as is common in legal thrillers).

There’s a family element, too — Ollie is a 19 year old who saved Truman from extremists a few books ago and has no family (his caretaker grandparents are deceased and his parents are unknown). Ollie and Truman have grown so close that Truman (who has been trying to trace Ollie’s family) that the police chief would like to adopt Ollie. We also have Kaylie, Mercy’s twenty-something niece and bakery owner, who also lives with the couple. Ollie and Kaylie are normally on the periphery, drifting in and out of the story as is normal in small town.

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!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Mercy has intense green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO The central Oregon forests are a definite character in these books, but since it’s nearly winter, nothing is out of place.

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

I volunteered to read and review a readers copy through Net Galley of At The River .
This story is outstanding . I absolutely enjoyed reading this story from start to finish . Eagle's Nest police chief Truman Daly got a call from Ollie his foster son . A man had disappeared and Ollie found his wife trying to find help . Upon arriving to support Ollie Detective Noelle Marshall ask them to assist . FBI Mercy Kilpatrick (Truman's wife ) was checking out a remote electrical substation in Waco county Oregon where shooters took out transformers that powered three communities . Mercy offered to assist the Wasco County Sheriff Roy Anderson when he gets called to his first murder scene . Pretty soon Mercy and Noelle and Truman find that the cases all may be tied together with a 20 year old cold case when a couple more crimes happen .
Soon things escalate and danger comes closer than anyone expects. This story is intriguing and suspenseful and so interesting . The characters are unique and fascinating . Such an intense story full of twists and turns . I couldn't put it down . I highly recommend taking the time to read .

Kendra Elliot can do no wrong in my opinion. The twists and turns, the plotting and so much adventure has had my heart racing amidst reading this book. Definitely unputdownable!

Another wonderful mystery by Kendra Elliot. I love all the Mercy and Truman books. The couple along with their ward Ollie get involved in a twenty year old mystery that has carried over to the present with more murders. I highly recommend this book and this series.

This was yet another great read by Kendra Elliot. She is one of my favorite go-to authors for mystery/thriller/suspense. I love any chance I get to drop in on Mercy and Truman and their family.

This time around, the whole crew is wrapped up in solving the murder of a podcaster visiting town. His latest investigation was into a case from twenty years earlier of five teens who were taken from a campsite. One was found dead, one was left for dead alongside him, and the other three were never seen again.

Once again, Kendra Elliot has spun quite a web throughout this book, and in her classic style, eventually it all comes together and fits into place. I did have one theory that turned out to be correct on a secondary mystery being researched, but as far as the main mystery went, I was kept guessing until the end. I don’t know that this particular one felt *quite* as plausible as her past books. It leaned a little bit random for me even though the pieces were all there. I was still satisfied that it didn’t come completely out of left field.

I’ll read anything Kendra Elliot writes, and I hope there is a lot more to come in Mercy and Truman’s world.