I became a fan of this series after I read and reviewed The First Death, book four.
Kendra Elliott is a must read author. This story was full of action that never stopped.
Search and rescue Rowan and her dog Thor are main characters along with police officer Evan Bolton. When a man from Evan’s past turns up dead, no one could see the spiral of events that were to come after from kidnappings to torture. Evan and Rowan really are a powerhouse couple who support each other through all of the dark times and this story is no exception. I look forward to reading more in this series.
Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Kendra is one of my favorite authors and I love how all the stories explore all the different characters we encounter and isn’t just tied to one or two people. Warning for violence with children. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thrilling and suspenseful read. When his mentor is found dead and the man’s daughter and grandchild are missing he calls for help. He calls Rowan and her dog Thor. Great writing. Terrific author

I missed reading several of the first books in this series but quickly got hooked on Detective Evan Bolton and Rowan with her search and rescue dog. They have traumatic events in their past with deep scars. This makes them both quite relatable and particularly good at their jobs. Both are empathetic to victims. They live in Oregon, the area has rough terrain and beautiful hiking trails. The death of Bolton’s close friend and mentor has him shaken. The author’s crime scene descriptions are etched in my memory, very brutal. Nothing is what it seems and more lives are in jeopardy. Investigations from prior criminal cases seem to be connected, the puzzle pieces just don’t come together. The bond between Rowan and her highly trained dog is moving. The search for clues relies heavily on his ability to track missing people. The plot is filled with time sensitive situations and unforeseen obstacles. It kept me searching for answers right along side them. I look forward to the next in the series.
Thanks to Montlake for providing an Advance Reader Copy (via NetGalley) of “The Next Grave” (Columbia River #6) by Kendra Elliot, publication expected 12/09/2024. The honest, personal thoughts and opinions expressed here are mine alone, given without compensation.

What a page-turner! This is a dark murder-mystery/ police procedural and maintains a sense of urgency from start to finish. The scenes of wanton violence are juxtaposed with the warm and comforting relationships between the main and side characters and the bestest search and rescue dog that I could not get enough of. Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the e-ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for my copy of The Next Grave by Kendra Elliot.
Detective Evan Bolton is devastated to find retired detective Rod McLeod dead.
Rod mentored him when he joined the force and he owes him a lot.
When Rod's daughter and grandson also go missing Evan is racing against the clock to find who did this and rescue Rods family.
An engrossing read.

My Thoughts

For a number of years have been following this authors’ different series with both eager anticipation and a growing appreciation for her characters as well as her storyline plotting in each new book.

Detective Evan Bolton gets his turn to be the leading character as investigator into both old and new crimes cause his world to implode.

As expected the mystery aspects of who, what and why are revealed only after the reader is led through chapters guessing at possible correct answers to these questions.

The fact that while everything makes sense in the end does not take away ones confusion before all is revealed.

Not the strangest suspense thriller I have read but not the strongest story in this book series either for me.
[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

What a page tuner! Man was I so stressed out during this book. Such a great addition to the series. I’m so excited for the next book. Rowan has become a favorite and of course Thor. I also love that Mercy made a quick appearance too.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a heart pounding, fast paced thrill ride. Our favorite Detective Evan Bolton and K9 Specialist Rowan Wolff work together to right the wrongs of the current situation and those of times past. Some secrets were not meant to stay hidden.
"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own." eARC provided NetGalley

An exciting new novel in the Columbia River series!
Detective Evan Bolton investigates a report of a suspicious-smelling car in a junkyard. In the trunk, he is devastated to find the body of his mentor, Rod McLeod. The retired county sheriff’s detective was shot and dumped. He dreads delivering the news to Rod’s daughter and grandson. Evan proceeds to their home only to find them missing as well. He begins searching Rod’s old cases to find any clue on what is going on and who the murderer is. Evan’s girlfriend Rowan Wolff joins him in the frantic search to find answers. Will they get a break before another murder happens?

I haven’t read any previous books in the Columbia River series, but I had no problem figuring out the characters. I particularly liked Rowan’s search and rescue dog, Thor. Rowan has a large family, and I enjoyed the interactions between siblings. Ratcheting tension and surprising twists kept me on edge until the end.

Looking forward to new entries in the series and I will go back to search out the previous books. I recommend to those who enjoy K-9 search and rescue novels like the ones by D L Keur and Margaret Mizushima. If you like Melinda Leah, John Galligan or Bruce Borgos you will also enjoy the Columbia River series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the digital ARC!

Another great read from Kendra Elliot. A very twisty book, unfortunately the murdered man was a great character in previous books, so I really wanted them to catch this one, but it wasn’t obvious who was the killer and where was his daughter. Couldn’t read this fast enough. Not sure about the dog dialogue though

What a whirlwind read! Real page turner that I couldn’t put down - only minor aspect I didn’t enjoy was the fact that it was so densely packed with multiple characters that I couldn’t keep track of. Apart from that it was an enjoyable read

Evan Bolton is investigating the disappearance of his law enforcement mentor, Rod McCloud. They find Rod's body in the trunk of a car that has been in the junk yard for a while. Evan has to go through and investigate what happened when he discovers that Rod's grown daughter has also gone missing. Rowan is along for the ride, and we all love her dog, Thor, who will always save the day by finding people/bodies. Except in this case, Thor is finding the wrong bodies. This is a great murder mystery with characters that we know and love. This particular installment was a page turner. I love Evan's ties to Rod, and Rowan's ties to Evan. Of course Mercy Thompson and her husband make an appearance.

This is definitely not a stand alone book from the series. It requires some general knowledge of the series to understand references to past events. It was kind of jarring to have details of former kidnappings or other such events glossed over as a reader. I felt the writing was choppy and it made it difficult for me to get into the book and there were several publishing errors on the page that need to be addressed before final publication. I didn't find this one compelling.

“Next Grave” is the 6th installment in the Columbia River series by Kendra Elliot but like her other series (Mercy Kilpatrick, Bone Secrets), this can easily be read as a standalone. The author always does such an excellent job of introducing her characters and their backgrounds each time — you can start this series midway and never feel like you’re missing anything.

The story opens with the discovery of a murdered body in a trunk in a junkyard that’s quickly identified as a retired detective, Rod McLeod. Current Deschutes County (Oregon) detective, Evan Bolton, is on the scene and he had been mentored by McLeod. Rowan Wolff, a canine search-and-rescue expert and her dog, Thor, also return from Columbia River #4 (not really a spoiler: you know the person with hero dog and the guy who’s attracted to her can’t possibly be bad dudes). Evan and Rowan are now a threesome (can’t ever exclude Thor!).

The central mystery is about the murder of the former detective and his adult daughter. Evan was close to both of them, so there’s personal anguish as he and his team investigate. As Evan keeps questioning suspects, suddenly he’s in the crosshairs of a sniper and an arsonist firebombs his home (don’t worry — it’s a harrowing moment, but I was confident that the author would never allow Thor to be hurt beyond a few glass splinters that Rowan treats before her own wounds).

It’s an edge of your seat thriller that kept me entranced. The lead characters are so easy to like and root for. I like Ms. Elliott’s books because although the characters have secrets, they usually never turn out to be disappointing unreliable narrators. You can trust the plot to resolve itself and the good guys mostly win. 5 stars! I’ll be looking for more Columbia River books and those related to the series.

/treats/

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Bloodshot and tear-filled eyes, but no eye colors mentioned.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Although Sophia is a florist.

Thank you to Montlake/Amazon Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

4.5 stars.
Another smash from Kendra Elliot. Honestly, she can do no wrong!
I have read the Callaghan and McLane books which share a series end with the start of the Columbia River series. I love how her characters all interact and cameo in each others stories. I now need to go back and read Mercy's stories to fill in the back story.

This book flows so well and never ever has the reader thinking that they know the ending but the character hasn't caught up yet. It is planned superbly and the plot, perpetrator and ending gets revealed bit by bit at just the right time.

The love stories aren't overly done and unrealistic, they are a beautiful, modern take and thoroughly well done. I really enjoyed these characters and would like to see them again, as well as Noelle, which Kendra hinted at in her acknowledgements after the story finished.

My big thanks to Netgalley, Kendra Elliot and Montlake for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own. This review has been added to Storygraph and Goodreads already and will be added to Amazon soon.

Another winner! Will never not read Kendra Elliot, and I highly recommend adding this series to your future reads! I loved learning more about Evan Bolton, as he was a side character in previous books. Looking forward to the next one!

A fast paced thriller that had me hooked from the first page. I remember the characters from previous books and whilst it took a few minutes for me to remember what had happened, it soon came flooding back. I think everyone should have a Thor. I really enjoyed this.

This story started out running and just kept on though out the whole story. It centers around Evan and Rowan. The suspense in this one is crazy. We’ve been waiting for this one and it did not disappoint one little bit. I can’t wait for what comes next in this series and anything by this author she never lets me down.

SYNOPSIS
Detective Evan Bolton discovers the body of his mentor and friend, retired Rod McLeod, in the trunk of a car at a junkyard. Rod's daughter, Sophia, had attempted to contact Evan days earlier, and now it might be too late as both she and her son Zach are missing. As Evan investigates both cases, the puzzle becomes more complex, and his own life begins to unravel. Meanwhile, it becomes evident that someone is targeting Evan and his girlfriend, Rowan Wolff. Rowan, an expert in search and rescue alongside her canine partner, Thor, joins forces with Evan. Together, they must use their combined skills to locate Sophia and Zach before it's too late for everyone involved.

THOUGHTS
THE NEXT GRAVE starts with a promising premise: a retired cop is murdered, his daughter and grandson go missing, and there's the complication of the daughter's recently released convict ex-husband. Added to this mix are several closed cases with missing evidence. All these ingredients should deliver the setup for good mystery, while featuring a dynamic couple determined to find the truth squarely at its core.
This is my first Kendra Elliot book, and likely my last. The portrayal of Evan and Rowan's relationship is a central issue that undermines the entire story. Despite the author's insistence on their being a perfect match, neither character exhibits much personality or depth. Evan's chemistry with Nicole, a fellow detective is more evident than with Rowan, who is supposed to be his soulmate.
Throughout THE NEXT GRAVE, the lack of compelling characters remains a significant drawback. Despite being praised as the "best detective" his mentor Rod trained, Evan often appears incompetent. The story unfolds disjointedly, wavering between rapid progression and slow pacing, which distracts and detracts from the mystery.
When the identity of the murderer and their motives are finally revealed at the novel's conclusion, the resolution falls flat and disappoints. Overall, THE NEXT GRAVE fails to connect due to its underdeveloped characters and a plot that meanders aimlessly until its conclusion.
RECOMMENDATION
2 Stars
There is obviously an audience for Kendra Elliot’s style as THE NEXT GRAVE is highly rated. I personally found the book, its characters, and the overall mystery. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheNextGraveColumbiaRiverBand6 #NetGalley. The Next Grave by Kendra Elliot
Pub Date: Dec 10 2024 | Archive Date: Dec 24 2024