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.

I thought this was a good, complex murder mystery in a small town overrun with rumors and innuendos. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

This was my first Kendra Elliott read and I am now a fan of this amazing and exciting fast paced murder mystery police procedural read. This read was so satisfying for me for the brilliant plot, suspenseful storyline and not so predictable mystery. Nothing like a small town murder mystery that makes the story more captivating and intensely unputdownable. The characterization and complex plot lines are what sold me. I really loved and enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.

My Review

I loved the start and the end of this book but did find that during middle I started to lose a bit of interest. That said, the ending was amazing and the last 25% of the book I flew through.

It did take me a little while to connect with the characters in the book. I really wanted to get to know them and I don’t feel I did that until at least half way through.

FBI Agent Zander is drafted to the scene of a gruesome murder. A young couple have been slain in their home and the race is on to catch the killer.

Emily Mills is the person to call in the discovery. Her family has lived in the area for years and everyone knows the family line. It’s not long before Zander uncovers that Emily’s father was also killed years ago in similar circumstances. He’s out to prove a connection.

The plot twists and turns as he becomes embroiled in the life of Emily, her sister Madison and their older sister Tara who disappeared without a trace twenty years ago after their father’s death. The secrets and lies that the sisters hold are slowly one by one revealed.

Underneath all this is the threat that this could be a racially motivated murder. The father’s background is dug into and an old pocket watch that has been missing since his murder is located with a chilling reference to a race-hating supremist group.

I really enjoyed the way the author kept me guessing until the end. I thought I had solved this quite early on but the ending throws up lots of dirt before the story comes together and the killer is revealed.

This was a well written suspense thriller, with just a little hint of romance and is definitely worth a read.

Both main characters are interesting, but we don’t know much about the hero apart from his job and a tragedy we learn late in the story. Emily and Zander are attracted to each other quite soon, but he fights his attraction in order not to compromise the investigation. All the same I felt this attraction disturbed the way he treated the heroine’s position as a witness/potential suspect, and it’s his partner who must take over to really interrogate her. Not very professional. However the romance is limited to one kiss and the offer to see each other after the investigation’s ending.

The characters, main as secondary, are almost all quite closed off. Zander being here for an investigation, he has no reason to confide, except to his partner and friend. Emily hides things from the past to her family to try and protect them. Her sister decided to be emotionally closed in order not to risk suffering like after her parents’ death and the other sister’s disappearance. There’re only the great-aunts who seem more open, jolly, and they bring some lightness to the story.

The police investigation is quite slow, with ramifications between the past and the present that are revealed little by little through the discoveries made by one or the other. The plot is interesting and points out the racist mentality of white supremacism still present in the south of the USA. The discoveries made by the sisters on their own family upset them in a really believable way.

All in all The Last Sister in a likeable novel with which I had a good time without being totally hooked.

The Last Sister is a great example of contemporary mystery done right.

This book paced paced beautifully, with a slow enough build to proudly be called a mystery novel and a few dramatic thrills to grab the readers attention. Add to that the hint of romance sprinkled throughout, and this is an almost perfect read.

Some readers might classify The Last Sister as romantic suspense, but I hesitate to use that classification only because it tends to denote a more steamy book. Here, there is only a hint of romance, with a few stolen kisses and intense attraction. Some would call it clean romance, but I'm not a fan of that term.

I loved the mystery in all kinds of ways, but particularly liked how the past unsolved crimes collided with the present to create a decades old case.

I didn't know who to trust from one moment to the next, so the writing was perfect. I honestly didn't know who done it. After reading so many mysteries and thrillers, I am rarely stumped. I had some guesses to who didn't do it, but who did came out of nowhere.

The Last Sister is a perfect winter read to curl up with. Grab a glass of wine, snuggle up, and get comfortable, because you won't want to put this down until you finish.

This is the first book in a new series by suspense fiction author Kendra Elliot. She is a new author for me but after reading this book and reviews of some of her earlier books, I definitely need to read more books by her.


The book is a well written page turner. Every time I thought that I knew who the 'bad guy' was, I would find out several pages later that I was totally wrong. As an added bonus to the suspense story, there are the beginnings of a new romance that hopefully will become stronger in the future books in this series.

Emily, Madison and Tara lived with their parents in Oregon. Twenty years before, their father had been found hanging in the back yard and their house was set on fire. Several weeks after that, their mother committed suicide. Emily and Madison went to live with their three aunts and Tara disappeared the night of the murder. The killer was caught and sent to prison and the case was closed. Except that all three sisters had secrets about what happened that night. Emily and Madison work in the diner that was started by a relative years before and are living a good life with their aunts. Until...there is a murder in town similar to their father's murder. Did someone copycat their father's death and if so WHY? A husband and wife are found dead nearby - the wife was stabbed multiple times and the husband was hanged. The wife worked at the diner with Emily and Madison and the husband was a much loved history teacher at the local high school The two cases were similar enough that the FBI was called in. Zander, the lead agent and his partner Amy have to decide if there is a connection to the earlier crime and after questioning Emily, Zander feels that she is hiding something from him. His interest in her starts to go beyond the crime and we have the very beginning of a new romance. As Zander and Amy investigate the crime, they realize that the sisters and the town hold many secrets and until they find the answers other lives will be in danger.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Set in North West Oregon, a small community is shocked when a teacher and his wife are killed and the teacher is found strung up in a tree at the back of their property. The crime is reminiscent of an event which occurred many years previously in the same community. Local law officers and the FBI collaborate to hunt down the killer and explore any connection to the previous event. The storyline remains credible throughout. The characters are well drawn and the interesting plot line and setting make this a compelling and thoroughly enjoyable read.

This has to be one of the best murder mystery books I have read in recent years. The story flowed perfectly and was written in such a natural way that the only effort involved was having to put my kindle down.!
When Emily checks up on her employee who has failed to turn up for her shift, she discovers not only that she has been brutally murdered but also the body of her partner is hanging in the garden. The mystery of what has happened is more intriguing when we realise Emily' had discovered her father hanging, also murdered, 20 years previously. Is there a link which means the wrong person is in prison, and why did Emily's sister disappear after her father died? Old wounds resurface and new clues emerge as Zander and his FBI partner Ava arrive to investigate. A stunningly good read.

I had heard of this author but never read any of her books and now after reading this one I can't wait to read more!

It starts right off with Emily finding her employee and her husband dead, Lindsay had been stabbed and Sean had been stabbed as well as hanged. When she didn't like how the local police were handling things she calls the Portland FBI because she is sure this was a hate crime as Sean was a black man and he had a carving on his forehead.

Zander and Ava come from the FBI headquarters in Portland to a mess. The learn that the first policeman on the scene cut down the man and disturbed the crime scene. The Sheriff makes excuses for his officers and really doesn't see why they need the FBI. Zander sees a reason as things are a mess. Then later when he learns that Emma's father died twenty years ago by hanging it peaks his interest because he doesn't believe in coincidence.

Then when when some other things happen it proves worthy of checking into what happened twenty years ago.

I don't want to say anything more as I don't want to spoil something, but let me tell you this one was very hard to solve. Just when I thought I had something figured out then something else happened to change my mind. I only figured out who the killer was a little bit before Zander. I enjoyed the overall storyline.

I found the characters to be enjoyable. Emily is caring some secrets that we find out through some flashbacks to what happened the night her father died. She has also been keeping some things from the police which catches up to her eventually. She was likeable. Special Agent Zander was one of my favorite characters and I can see why others wanted him to have a spin off series. Though Special Agent Ava had to keep him in check when she realizes he is attracted to Emily, who is the witness and could be involved. I think I liked that it's a slow burn relationship between Emily and Zander and I am curious to know if they will both be in the next one as I don't know how this author does her series since it's my first one.

Overall, I just really enjoyed this one and think that if you like crime mystery type novels then you should really try it. Even though it's a spin off series I didn't have any problems with it though I would like to go back and read about how Ava mets her fiance.

4.5 stars and review will go up on my blog on the 12th as I am part of a blog tour.

Such a clever, believable, well-written thriller. It opens with a couple found murdered in their home. She has been stabbed to death and he has been stabbed and hung from a tree. Is the town's historical roots in white supremacism coming back to haunt the residents? The murder mimics the death of local restaurant owner Emily's Mills father. So disturbed, she insists the FBI are involved in the case. Enter special agent Zander Wells to the Oregon logging town. I loved how Emily and her sisters lives are revealed and how we discovered was happened on the night their father was also found hanging from a tree. This a very clever (can i say it again?!) thriller. Looking forward to reading more by this author.

Well written novel, however slightly cliched at times. The plot was interesting enough but the romantic sub-plot felt forced and didn't add anything to the story and as a result it was a struggle to finish.

I enjoyed the characters of Emily and Madison but their aunts were a pointless addition and didn't add much to the story besides dragging the plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for the ARC.

I hadn’t read any books by Kendra Elliot before so she was a new author to me. This didn’t matter however, and right from the first page you are drawn in and your inquisitive brain begins to wonder what has happened and why. What initially seemed an open and shut case of a murder/suicide 20 years on is being questioned by a special agent, employed due to an exceptionally similar case occurring today. The daughters of the original case are being considered e.g. are they aware of anything suspicious or are they oblivious....?

An interesting plot set in a part of the world I have no knowledge about.
As the story unfolds it is hinted that the special agents involved, in what is basically a who-done-it, have a back story but not knowing that doesn’t detract from the main story line.
As the FBI investigation progresses they uncover secrets from the past. The various strands are all pulled together at the end and as I was unable to guess the ending I found it an entertaining read.

These creepy family drama books are just AMAZING. Kendra Elliot did a fantastic job at bringing the characters to life and truly made me not want to put this one down. A must read!

4.5*
A small town in Oregon is about to give up its dark and deadly secrets.
This first book in the Columbia River series features FBI Agent Zander Wells from the Callahan and McLane series, although it’s not necessary to have read that series in order to enjoy this book. He and FBI Agent Ava McLane arrive in the small rural town of Bartonville to investigate the suspicious deaths of residents Sean and Lindsay Fitch, who moved to Bartonville a year ago when Sean secured a teaching position at the local high school.

Emily Mills runs Barton’s Diner with her younger sister, Madison and their small staff, one of which is Lindsay Fitch. When Lindsay doesn’t show up for work one morning, and after phoning several times with no answer, Emily drives over to their house, thinking Lindsay has probably overslept, but instead finds a horrifying scene.

"She wrapped her shaking fingers in the hem of her sweater to avoid damaging any fingerprints as she slid open the rear patio door, following the trail of blood. Outside it was dark, daybreak still a few hours away, and the air was cold with the coast’s salty mist."

Taking into account the murder of Emily’s father twenty years ago, and the fact that Shaun was African American, Zander and Eva suspect race/hate crimes. The sheriff’s conclusion that it must have been a murder/suicide held no weight at all with the agents, or with Emily for that matter. The Fitches murder brings back terrible memories for Emily and Madison of their father’s hanging, followed by their mother’s death and sister’s disappearance.

The dark history of the area, and how it relates to the present is about to be exposed, along with secrets that have been kept for years brought to light. The characters are realistic and well rounded with backstories to flesh them out. There are several storylines which at first seem unrelated but are woven together as the plot evolves.

Romance is definitely a background theme at the moment, and although there’s an obvious attraction between Zander and Emily, the story focusses on the crimes and the well plotted mystery behind them. The sense of place is very apparent and I loved the descriptions of the old mansion and the three eccentric great aunts. A solid start to a new series with twists and surprises along the way.

A gritty death with ties to a dark past, a family keeping secrets, and a small Oregon coastal town ready to boil over when a pair of FBI agents rush to get to the bottom of things. Tension is high and the path to the truth has to twist and turn its way to the end before all is said and done. I wouldn’t have it any other way when it comes to a Kendra Elliot book. This one lived up to expectation and I’m thirsty for more.
Review

The Last Sister is a standalone story in a new series. It does spin off an older series, Callahan & McLane, with Ava McLane as one of the FBI agents in this story and trading places with her partner, Zander Wells, who gets his story now.

Emily Mills’ employee at the diner is a no-show. When she goes in search of her waitress, she is confronted by a double killing that is reminiscent of her dad’s murder in the past. She believes the local sheriff is in over his head and calls the FBI not realizing just what she has woken up in her own past. She lost so much the night her father was murdered. Her mother, unstable at the best of times, took her own life, and her older sister Tara ran off and never came back. Her younger sister Madison shut down and goes about in a state of detachment. Emily never told a soul what she saw the night her dad was killed and the house set on fire- Tara hadn’t been at a friends. She had been there- in the woods behind the house that night. And, now its happening all over again- the hanging murder, the hate crime affiliation, and even the attempt to burn the Fitch’s home. She has to place her trust in cool-eyed and capable Zander Wells and his partner Ava to get to the bottom even if her sordid family history and secrets may come out after all this time.

Zander shows up in a small coastal town and finds a gruesome murder and the trail leads through some of Oregon’s darkest history with the Klan, White Supremists, and their legacy. He knows the Mills sisters and their Barton family are at the center of it all some how even though a seemingly unrelated couple are the newest victims. Ava says he’s getting too involved with his witness especially since she isn’t telling them all the truth. He tries to keep it professional, but there is something about Emily Mills who calmly spotted murder and knew her way around a murder scene and who took up the reins to hold her family together in the face of tragedy that got to him. He will find the truth and keep Emily- her sister and aunts- from becoming more victims.

I remember being how wowed I was when I picked up the author’s Mercy Kilpatrick series and learned about preppers and sovereign citizens for the first time. This time it was how White Supremacist groups had shaped the area as well as a little with the logging industry. She peels back more dark Oregon history once again in an insulated community on the coast. Her setting, situation, and characters are colorful and alive. Her suspense plot is immediate and palpable so that the reader is sucked in and kept close through the whole pulse-pounding story.

The focus is most definitely on the case, but there was no neglect of character and back story development. I got to know both Zander and Emily well. I could enjoy their subtle attraction and the beginnings of their romance. The author didn’t try to do too much with that by pushing it faster or harder than the situation warranted. There is a crime to solve and people are getting hurt so it worked best to focus on that, which she did. Zander comes with some baggage that is sad so Emily is not the only one who has quirks that come with her. I know it is just a small thing, but I liked that they found that level of understanding and empathy from each other. In the background were Emily’s equally quirky family who were bright spots in the story and her sister Madison even shared part of the narration with Emily and Zander.

As to the murder mystery, I was tracking along and assembling my clues- even getting a lot of it right- but the actual culprit? Not in a million years! And, that last big climax scene kept me riveted with all my senses engaged. Big money scene paid triple!

All in all, this was exactly my kind of romantic suspense even touching the history buff inside me while handling police procedure, forensic, and character development just right. I can’t recommend this author enough for those who enjoy a good romantic suspense, emphasis on the suspense.

I rec’d this book through Net Galley to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is a good one! Besides the murders which are baffling in their connections, the added mystery of the how and why the sister's parents died makes for one read I just couldn't wait to get back to.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

FBI agents Zander Wells and his partner Ava McLane are called to Oregon for a murder investigation. Sean Fitch and his wife Lindsay are both murdered and Sean’s body is discovered hanging from the tree in the garden.

Emily mills who works with Lindsay at the diner, discovers their bodies but this is not the first hanging the town has seen. Emily’s dad Lincoln Mills was also discovered hanging from a tree twenty years ago, his distraught wife killing herself a week later, leaving her daughters Maddison and Emily to be bought up by their Aunts. Tara their other sister runs away and they have never seen her since.

Are the two hangings connected? was Sean’s death a hate crime?

This is a very addictive thriller. It will keep you guessing until the end. I couldn’t read this book fast enough!!

Excited to see this is the first book in the Columbia River series and I am looking forward to the next one.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

THE LAST SISTER (Columbia River Book #1) by Kendra Elliot is the first book in a new romantic suspense/FBI mystery series. This book is easily read as a standalone, but a few of the characters are carry overs from Ms. Elliot’s Callahan & McLane series.

Twenty years ago, a family was shattered when the father was found hanging from a tree and their home burned to the ground. The mother committed suicide a week later, the eldest daughter disappeared and that left two small girls with secrets that they would hide for years.

Present day. FBI Special Agents Zander Wells and Ava Callahan are sent to investigate a double murder in a small Oregon coastal town that is eerily similar to a twenty-year-old crime that was supposedly solved. The tip came from Emily Mills who found the slain couple and was one of the sisters who survived the old crime.
Zander is determined to solve this double homicide, but he is also intrigued by the old case and Emily.

As Zander and Ava investigate, the killer threatens Emily and her relatives and then strikes again to hide his crimes past and present. Secrets long buried need to be revealed for the past and present cases to be solved before someone else is killed.

I was completely engrossed in all the plot threads in this suspense. Past and present, multigenerational secrets. I like that Ms. Elliot shows the insidious, not in-your-face racism that can infect and destroy multi-generations and towns. Zander and Emily each deserve to find happiness and I feel they were perfect for each other. There is no sex in this story and Zander and Emily are very attracted to each other, but Zander waits until the case is solved.

I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait for more book in this series. There is intriguing investigation, secrets revealed, and the start of a romance that had me turning the pages continually from beginning to “The End”.