I was previously unfamiliar with Kendra Elliot’s writing, so I came to this book as a naive reader of her work. On the strength of this one I will certainly look out for other examples. As it happens, this is a stand-alone story, although related to one of her series. Unlike many other such books, this works perfectly well without previous knowledge of the overlapping characters. Where some of these appear here the reader gets enough detail to happily skate over any previous experiences they have had with the main protagonist and see them as characters doing their part within this novel. A racially motivated murder leads FBI agent Zander Wells on an investigation including old murders, vanishing people, eccentric characters, the high and low lifes of the area. The pace is fast but never breathless, always realistic. Even where the necessary constraints of plotting make some sections crowded with events the style is always spare, progressing the plot economically while not sacrificing character.

In Kendra Elliot's The Last Sister, the first installment in the Columbia River romantic suspense series, this novel deals with real life issues reflecting our past in a riveting storyline. When FBI Agent Zander Wells arrived at a double murder crime scene in Astoria, Oregon, he didn't know what it was getting into. One hanged, one brutally stabbed--the couple consisted of a brutal hate crime in sleepy town named Bartonville. And when he met Emily Mills, the witness who found the dead bodies of Sean and Lindsay Fitch, it echoed a twenty-five-year-old murder of her father, Lincoln, who was hanged. While Zander investigates the murder and interviews Emily, there's instant chemistry between them. For Emily, she lives in an old mansion with her three aunts and her sister Madison. She always wondered what happened to her sister Tara and why she distanced herself from them after twenty years. As she reflects back to that awful night to look for clues, Zander searches for answers to who and why killed the Fitches ... and who really killed Lincoln Mills. The revelation is shocking when it echoes white supremist connections to the KKK from the 1960s. Before they can get together, Zander needs to figure out who arranged the hits as Emily attempts to reconnects with her sister Tara in a race against time to survive in the end.

I always love Kendra Elliot books and this one doesn't disappoint. Full of interesting characters, great story, romance, intrigue, suspense, read it from start to finish in one sitting. Definitely recommend.

Kendra Elliott is a prolific author with a stellar rating for one simple reason - she writes thrilling, often complex thrillers. This one is the first in a new series that promises at least five more must-read novels. Once you have the feel for the characters they have gripped you and sail you through a small town murder mystery now and twenty years ago. Billed as a romantic suspense genre, I could have done without the romance bit, but just a minor peeve to a solid mystery. Looking forward to book two already!

Utterly skilful police procedural .. three sisters whose father was found dead by hanging now relive it all again when they are targeted after a local racial crime. The FBI detectives called in are sharp and colourful figures, and the story plunges along fast and engaging .. very impressive work.. including comment on police attention to racial crimes .. this is top rate!

I was hooked on this book from the very beginning!

FBI agents Zander Wells and Ava McLane are in Bartonville, Oregon to investigate a terrible hate crime that links back to a heinous past incident and threatens to unravel the small town's darkest secrets.

The book starts out with Emily discovering the double murder of an interracial couple in a scene that takes her back to the murder of her own father many years before. The book weaves back and forth from the main characters points of view and interweaves flashbacks from Emily and her sister Madison.

Elliot keeps the reader guessing and wondering where the root of all the secrets lies. I could not put this book down and look forward to the second book in the series.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is like a spin off from another series by Kendra Elliot. Although this is my first experience with her book, I didn't catch a hard time with this book. Except my mood, all is good.

The book is about the mystery of a murder in a small town. Emily Mills found her friends, husband and wife, found dead in their house. The husband is hanging in the back of the house. This, made the case looks a lot like a suicide - murder thing. When the investigation occured, it is revealed the case is probably a double murder based on very sensitive issue, none other that racism. Yes, because the husband is black. Another interesting fact is Emily Mills have witnessed the exact same horrible death in the past. Her dead is found hanging in the family backyard before the fire consumes the house. The memory started to surfaced again for Emily.

Yes, racism in a small town is not new. Except in here, people is keeping hush hush about it. Agent Zander and Agent McLane (who is apparently the character from the another serial) is on duty to help local town sherrif.

The mystery itself is quite intriguing. I always (again, I stated it again in the review) love a small town mystery. How the people gossiping, panicking, and started to became suspicious one another is interesting. The history about racism is interesting as well. The FBI agent discovered very much interesting issues like shanghaiing and the vibe of KKK twenty years ago at that town.

Also, I happened to know this one having a romantic vibe in it. Of course , Zander is the one who's found a love interest. The love interest is none other than Emily Mills herself. But, I am happy to inform you the mystery is the winner in the book. I even can't describe the book with a romantic suspense book.

In a nutshell, this one is a good mystery book with the family issues, dark past, racism, and yes, the small town vibe in it. Go read it guys. Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley and Montlake Romance.

I absolutely loved this book, so much so I couldn’t stop reading it.

The story starts right in the heart of a double murder, and then spiralled out to uncover the horrors of the last two decade.

This is an amazing story of family loyalty and keeping secrets for and from them to keep them safe.

A beautifully written book.

As I said good-bye to Kendra Elliot's Morgan Dane series, I said hello to her new Columbia River series and am quite pleased. FBI special agent Zander Wells was first introduced to her readers in the Callahan and McLane series. You do not have to read that series to enjoy this book though. The book opens with the hanging of a black man and the stabbing murder of his white wife. Emily Mills discovers the bodies which is eerily familiar to her discovery of her father hanging from a tree twenty years earlier. The FBI is called in due to the possibility of this being a hate crime. Apparently, Oregon has a history of white supremacy and KKK activity in the past. Is there a connection to the killing from twenty years ago? The investigation involves the Mills family, specifically sisters Emily and Madison. There is also a missing sister, Tara, who disappeared shortly after her father's murder. Who is the murderer? Is the KKK involved? Where is Tara and does she know who is behind these heinous crimes?

I enjoyed this fast paced, suspenseful mystery. The Mills girls have a lot on their plates. They are the last descendents of a rich family who has seen better days. They live in a old, shabby mansion with their three aunts. The aunts are wonderful, but they are a force to be reckoned with in the town. They also have a lot of information and secrets that sometimes leak out when they are reminiscing or when they have a period of forgetfulness. The town is not happy that the FBI are working the crime, what is it they are trying to hide? As the story proceeds we learn that there are a lot of people with secrets. What do they mean? I thought I had things all figured out, then there was another piece of information that provided a different clue and sent me in another direction. This is a mystery with a police procedural feel to it. The setting was wonderful. I was intrigued by the small town in Oregon and it sounded like a quaint place to visit (if not for the murders). The story was well paced with some uh-oh and ah-ha moments along the way. There was just enough intrigue to keep me riveted to this one, reading it in one day, but not over the top to make it unrealistic. There is a bit of romance, some realistic characters along with some quirky ones, and a great mystery to solve, all hallmarks of Kendra Elliot's books. A great start to a new series. I did a read/listen of this book through KU and definitely recommend people take advantage of that feature.

The residents of a small town in Oregon are concerned when an interracial couple is found violently murdered. Sean Fitch was found hanging from a tree and his wife Lindsay was stabbed multiple times. Sean’s forehead had a Klan symbol engraved leaving folks to wonder if this was a hate crime. Both bodies were found by their friend Emily Mills.

Emily’s father was murdered in the same way twenty years ago forcing her to relive her past. Memories of his death begin to resurface but the facts are hazy since she and her sisters were young when he died. Her sisters do not discuss the topic and are emotionally closed off from one another. Emily is convinced that her father’s death is related to this murder while assisting the current investigation to uncover suspects and motives.

The Last Sister by Kendra Elliot is a suspenseful story that includes a dysfunctional family and a hint of romance. This was the first book that I read by Kendra Elliot, and I am excited for the sequel.

This was just okay to me. It wasn’t anything special. I was super intrigued in the beginning but then at around 30% this book just lost me. I lost interest in it and at that point I was just ready for the story. I’m sure other people will enjoy this but for me it just wasn’t it. I gave this a 2.5 rating.

Such a good story! Kept me hooked to the very end and I can't help but think this would transfer easily to the big screen . . .

With the discovery of not one, but two murdered bodies, Emily Barton is plunged right back in time to a previous similar crime; one which impacted on her family more than most. When FBI agents begin investigating, they soon work out that there are hidden secrets lurking in the town. Can they solve their case?

This is a highly skilled novel, beautifully created. Without even realising it, I found myself drawn into the story and really caring about the characters. I never saw the ending coming; there is so much happening with the story developing all the time that I really didn't have a moment to think about it. Superb suspense! An absolutely terrific novel and one that really got under my skin - and the ending? Perfect, just perfect. I couldn't find fault with this even if I wanted to. Not my first Kendra Elliot book and most definitely not my last. Totally worth all five sparkling stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy; and especially to Over The River PR for my spot on this tour. As always, this is my honest, original and unbiased review.

I requested this book because I've read alot of the authors other titles and this did not dissapoint. Great read from start to finish.

A father of three was hung in small town Oregon. One sister remembers seeing one thing. Another sister remembers seeing something less. And the third and oldest sister is nowhere to be found.
I found this book to be good. I was interested the whole way through. I would recommend this book to a friend.

The storyline and characters gripped me from the first chapter. The ups and downs of the characters and the ensuing events was really enjoyable. I can't wait to read the next book.

Excellent mystery book with lots of twists. Personally i never saw the final twist which made it even more better!

FBI procedural and romantic suspense....welcome back Zander, Ava, and Mason and welcome to the Sisters!
K. Elliot fan with love for the series that stay true to the connections built and stories told and welcoming the present with a solid foundation with some well-loved characters. Elliot keeps is real and you wondering. Descriptions are visual and graphic but not overly done. Give us more!

An enjoyable read although it took me sometime to get into the story. I kept putting the book down until I reached the half way point hence the reason why I have been delayed in giving this feedback. To me the first half did not get me hooked. There was a lot of narrative in building the characters some of which were important to the stioryline others, the three aunts as an example, were not that relavent. I also felt that the first half of the book spent to much storytelling time in setting the scene for a romance which never really materialised. The second half did get me hooked and I then enjoyed the plot. I would not have guessed the murderer of the four victims or motive behind the killings. It was just a pity it took so long to get me enthralled I would recommend this as a book to read and I would be interested in reading another book containing the main characters..

This was my first Kendra Scott book and I'm so thrilled to have found another thriller/suspense series author with a backlist to work through! And the sequel to this book comes out later this fall!

The PNW setting is perfect. As a PNW resident who as spent some time on both Washington and Oregon's coasts, I loved how the atmospheric weather and old mill town acted almost as another character in the book. Our corner of the world isn't often featured in books.

In the PNW we like to pretend that we don't have a history of racism and this book is a good reminder that all parts of the country have a dark history and still harbor people filled with hate today.

I thought the pacing was perfect. And while the subject matter was difficult, the author didn't make a spectacle of the murders and go into gory details about the manner of death. This definitely isn't a twisty-turny thriller that is so popular right now. But the slow reveal of what happened to the Mills sisters' parents kept me wanting to keep reading and made this one hard to put down.

Review posted on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3181201032

I enjoy Elliot's books and this was no exception. I was pulled in from the first line. "The Last Sister" was gripping; I didn't want to put my Kindle down to work or to sleep. There are several mysteries besides the one that opens the story, including a murder from approximately 20 years ago. Although this is a spinoff from Elliot's Callahan & McLane series (which is itself a spinoff of her Bone Secrets series), you can read this as a stand alone. The book is primarily a suspense and mystery story but there is a subtle romance with an HFN. The romance is strictly secondary to the story; I have seen some readers mark it as romantic suspense but I disagree with that assessment. The mysteries are the main event. The setting of the story, Oregon, is essential to the story, as is its history of racism and bigotry. That was sometimes difficult to read, and probably would be more so for a non-white reader.

"The Last Sister" was atmospheric, fast-paced, suspenseful, and full of family drama, secrets, and quirky people. The story is told from several different POVs, and some scenes or events are seen by the reader through more than one set of eyes. Emily and Zander, the main characters, shine as they work to unravel the mysteries in Emily's hometown. Though attracted to each other, they hold off on acting on their feelings until the case is over. That's rare in romantic suspense and I appreciated it. I also appreciated Elliot's knack for developing characters and making them so real and complex. It's one of her specialties. Add in the police procedures and forensics, and I was a happy reader girl. Don't pass up this first entry in Elliot's new mystery series.