This one was ok and not my favorite of the series. I thought it moved slowly and didn't have as much action or suspense as the rest of the series. I liked the premise and thought it was unique, but I didn't enjoy the flashbacks. I thought they slowed the story down. Looking forward to the next installment of the series.

An interesting story of kidnapping and family ties, both good and bad. I enjoyed hearing about places that I knew and recognized.

Well, Detective Evan Bolton, many of us were waiting for you to have your own book! You deserved it, and Kendra Elliot rewarded your fans in spades with her fourth Columbia River book, The First Death .
Not only were your fans amply rewarded, we also had Search and Rescue expert (SAR) Rowan Wolff and her incredible canine partner, Thor as your partner in the book.
Rowan Wolff and her brother Malcolm were kidnapped twenty-five years ago by a serial killer. With the help and sacrifice of her nine-year-old brother Malcolm, Rowan was rescued by a SAR team. Malcolm was not. Rowan never quite gave up hope in finding Malcolm’s bones, each year on his birthday she takes Thor into the woods to search one more time. This time, Rowan and Thor discover a dump site for bodies. Rowan finds herself hoping, not hoping that Malcolm’s body has been found.
Not going to kid anyone, this book was a tough read, but I would not have missed a page of it. Ms Elliot writes extremely compelling books. She did not hold back in sharing Rowan’s and Malcolm’s miserable, torturous days with the serial killer. So happy we had Thor, a strong loving family, and a tender love story to balance out the horrors. The First Death hits on all cylinders; a story that never falters, the fabulous setting of Deschutes Co. OR, and characters that continue to shine.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Reader’s Copy for review purposes.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Publishing for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is the 4th book in a series. Wow what a great book. Very convoluted and suspensful. Hint of romance. I really enjoyed the K-9 Search and Rescue aspect. Very interesting. Setting seems beautiful. Rowan's whole life changes in a couple of minutes. Great read, would highly recommend 4.5 stars

The First Death is the fourth book in the Columbia River Series. This can be a stand-alone read. But the writing is so good that you won't want to miss a single one in the series.

Twenty-five years ago, Rowan Wolff and her older brother Malcolm were kidnapped along with their babysitter. The babysitter is found dead, but the children are not found. Deep in the woods of Oregon they are mentally and physically tortured. After several weeks they are let out to play a game of hunting the kids. They are given a head start but not enough to get away. Malcolm attempts to carry Rowan because she has a broken leg. But he is unable to and hides her in the brush telling her not to move and not to make a sound. Malcolm eventually is recaptured. Rowan is hiding when she hears someone coming. Ken finds her and rescues her.

Present day: Ken is murdered and Rowan with her search and rescue dog, Thor, is intent on finding whoever killed her rescuer and friend. Rowan continues to search for her missing brother on his birthday but always comes up empty until she discovers the body of a woman. This discovery will open the cases of many missing people.

This is a wonderful fast read. I enjoy the stories that include search and rescue dogs. The relationships they have with these wonderful animals only add to the depth of the story. The characters are wonderfully developed and very believable. Full of twists and turns as the story comes to its conclusion it held my interest and hoping for more books with Rowan and Thor.

Thank you so much to Net Galley, the publisher, and author for providing this book for my review. I did not realize this is actually the 4th book in this Columbia River series. They can be read as stand alones which is what I did. However, I would recommend reading the others in the series first as previous characters do show up a bit in this novel. This is a very twisty romantic thriller and I really enjoyed every minute of it. I plan to go back and read the other books and will be continuing this series. I highly recommend this if you enjoy romantic thrillers. Thank you again to Net Galley, the publisher, and author. This was a fun ride!

I love Kendra Elliott books. I have read books from other series but this was the first I have read in this series. I felt it could definitely be a stand alone as I didn’t feel lost. Lots of suspense and characters. Twists galore. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

This is a good novel but heart wrenching. It was not easy to read of the way the kidnapped kids were treated. In that respect, there are many trigger situations, especially for any person traumatized as a child.

The characters were drawn well. I liked Rowan and her dedication to repeated searching for her lost brother. Her dog, Thor, stole the show, however. He seemed to be smarter than the humans. Evan is a good hero as he tries to connect the murders and the kidnapping. The romance part of the novel seemed a little rushed since they had known each other for some time.

The plot is decent but I don't think it quite worked all the way. The reason for the kidnapping seemed strange and the thrill of treating the kidnapped kids the way they were seemed unrealistic. And I really don't understand why a wider search or satellite image search was not done when the skeletons were found. The police should have known the villain's place would not be so far away.

In the end I was entertained. I like the setting of Bend and having been there, I do wish there were more interesting descriptions of the wonderful high desert and nearby mountains.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an honest and independent review.

This is the first book I've read from this author but it certainly won't be the last.

I was totally hooked and surprised by the plot in more than one occasion.

Although this is number 4 in the series it works perfectly well as a stand alone thriller. I will now be adding the previous books to my must read list.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The First Death by Kendra Elliot in return for my honest review.
Although this is the 4th book in the series it can easily be read as a standalone.
This is a gripping read and once started you’ll just want to finish lots of really likeable characters and well written, highly recommend reading.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Montlake for the copy of #TheFirstDeath by #KendraElliot
You don’t need me to tell you what this book is about, that’s what the book blurb is for.
You just need to know that I enjoyed it. Kendra is a brilliant author and I have read and enjoyed all her books.

Then: Five-year-old Rowan Wolff was kidnapped along with her older brother, seven-year-old Malcolm, & their babysitter, Carissa. Carissa is soon murdered & the two children are made to live in a locked shed in the yard of an isolated house. The two are tortured with food & sleep deprivation & are made to physically hurt each other under threat of worse to come. Malcolm tries to protect his younger sister the best he can but this leads to their captor breaking Rowan's leg. The children finally get a chance to run & Malcolm carries Rowan as far as he can but eventually he has to leave her hidden away safe whilst he goes for help. Rowan is eventually rescued but Malcolm's body is never found.

Now: Twenty-five years later, Rowan is now a search and rescue team with Thor, her highly trained dog. Every year she goes back to the area where she was found all those years ago to search for her brother's remains. She is called in on a case by Detective Evan Bolton who is investigating a serial killer. As the case progresses, Evan is disturbed to find that each of the victims is linked to Rowan, & it culminates with the discovery of the bones of young child in the forest. Has Malcolm finally been found?

This is my first book in the series even though it is number 4, but the books seem to be standalones with their own stories & perhaps some recurring characters. I didn't feel as if I had missed anything anyway. I'm not usually a big fan of romance thrillers as the romance tends to overtake the thriller aspect in most cases, but here the romance was a gentle undercurrent rather than dominating the storyline. It was difficult to read in places particularly the flashbacks to what the children were experiencing at the hands of their kidnapper & anyone with claustrophobia - be warned there are a few scenes of Malcolm being locked away in a small box.

The narrative is told via Evan, Rowan, & an unnamed third party. The pace was good, the storyline kept my attention even though I managed to work most of it out in advance, & both Rowan & Evan were okay main characters. I absolutely adored Thor though - who wouldn't? What a good boy! I'm also pleased to say that he was absolutely fine throughout the book too. Verdict: I mostly enjoyed reading this (bar those flashbacks scenes) & plan on checking out some of the other books by this author.

TWs: kidnapping, torture of minors, murder.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Montlake, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Highly entertaining, this is another favorite. Fans of Mercy Kilpatrick will recognize our main stars as secondary characters in earlier books. Rowan and her dog are a dynamic search and rescue team while Evan Bolton is a detective. The two cross paths frequently but this case was more personal. As a child Rowan had a traumatic experience that led to her current career, and the constant search for her missing brother. Evan is intelligent and respects Rowan’s need to be involved in the case. It’s a puzzling case that has multiple points of view that add to the suspense and creativity of the mystery. I read an early copy through NetGalley and have voluntarily left this review.

The First Death catches the reader's attention from the beginning and it was not written for those who cannot deal with violence against children. It's one of those stories that keeps you guessing and when the truth is revealed it's heartbreaking. This story has a great plot, it's well-written, full of action and mystery, and a good addition to the Columbia Mystery series.
I thank Ms. Elliot, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

A Search and Rescue dog handler and a determined police detective find more than a working partnership in the Oregon Wilderness, but a serial killer is hunting and the danger is closer than they realize. Kendra Elliot dazzled me with her Mercy Kilpatrick series and I’ve found each new release is as gripping as the last.



The First Death is the fourth in the Columbia River series of standalone mysteries. Now, though these are standalones, it has been fun to see that each return to one of the author’s previous series to tell further stories, usually of a side character. In this case, two side characters from the Mercy Kilpatrick series get the spotlight.



The First Death is told in split time and between alternating narrators. Rowan’s narration goes between the past as the little five year old who was kidnapped and as the adult woman, amazing search and rescue dog handler. Then there is Malcolm’s perspective as Rowan’s seven year old brother desperately trying to protect his sister, a mystery narrator in the present, and Evan’s present narration as he works the case of a murdered camper and the serial kills of young women. This might seem like a busy, confusing story, as a result, but in reality, these split storylines and perspectives draw the reader into the story so it is felt viscerally.



The impact of this story was hard and heavy. Child kidnapping, serial killing women, enslavement, torture, and indoctrination were all there. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but the tunnel gets dark before the other side is reached. And, in the midst of it all, Evan and Rowan connect and tentatively began to find the beginning of a relationship as they work on a murder investigation, the previous murders of three women, and tease out how Rowan’s past kidnapping fits into this scenario.



As the reader, I was privy to more than Rowan and Evan, but that took nothing away from the tension as they track down the truth and raced to stop an evil that has been around for years and still preying on people. I loved how the author was careful with the situations presented in this thrilling romantic suspense and with the police investigation and Rowan’s dog handling work which was great to have a strong part of the story.



An amazing entry that wrung me out emotional and ended on a triumphant note. Romantic suspense fans should read the Mercy Kilpatrick series and this additional series of standalones.

A twisting mystery is the perfect way to describe this outstanding addition to the Columbia River series. We first met Rowan Wolff in “A Merciful Promise” and now we have the full story of Rowan and her brother Malcolm’s kidnapping when they were children. The mystery explodes across the pages, as she relives the details of their kidnapping as we alternate between the past and present. Detective Evan Bolton is currently investigating the murders of three women, just like twenty-five years ago, but their killer is in prison and was also convicted of killing Malcolm. Rowan has never stopped looking for her brother’s grave and works search and rescue with her dog, Thor. While trying to identify a murdered man, Evan sees a group picture that includes someone he knows, Rowan. She identifies the man and you soon realize that the case seems to return to Rowan’s past. When the remains of three bodies are found, has she finally found her brother? Every time you think you know what and who, there is another twist! WOW! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

I really enjoy stepping out of my trusty romance genre once in a while and reading a brilliant twisted thriller. There are only a couple of authors I trust to turn to - Kendra Elliot is one of the main ones! She really knows how to get the blood flowing and adrenaline pumping.

The latest Columbia River installment was another fantastic read. I couldn’t put it down! I read it straight through - I had to know if the guesses I was making were right. The scenario here was just too far out in left field to be true (I know they say truth is stranger than fiction, but sadly the plot of this one really seems like it could be reality).

Most of my guesses came out to be correct, but there were still a few things that Elliot threw me off about! Marks of a great writer. I figured the guessing I was doing was going to be way off the mark… but turns out, for once, I was following the right clues and plot ideas. I can’t say anything else or give away the book! Let’s just say this is a must-read, thriller genre lover or not! Rowan’s story is finally told and it’s fantastic, and twisty! I loved every moment!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Montlake, and this is my honest feedback.

Rowan was 5 years old when she and her brother were kidnapped. They were held captive for weeks, starved and punished if they disobeyed their kidnapper. Rowan escapes but her brother is never found, the killer claims he doesn’t remember where he buried his body. Now Rowan works for search and rescue with her dog finding missing people, haunted by the past. Detective Evan Bolton is working multiple cases that seem to be very similar to the cases attributed to Rowan’s kidnapper. He and Rowan have worked together and are attracted to each other. This story grabbed me from the first page. I liked the characters and the mystery. There are a couple of twists that are revealed at the end that surprised me. This book is part of a series but could easily be read as a stand alone. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

4.25⭐

The First Death returns readers to Deschutes County, Oregon for a story featuring Detective Evan Bolton and Search and Rescue expert Rowan Wolff and her trusty dog Thor.

And Rowan has a disturbing history. As she, her brother Malcolm and their babysitter were kidnapped by a serial killer. When Rowan was just five years old and sadly for Rowan she was the only one to survive.

But even though her babysitters body was found her brothers never was and so Rowan has spent the last twenty-five years searching for him.

Which is what leads her to the area of the woods where she was found. On what would have been her brothers birthday. And where Rowan and Thor find the body of a woman strangled just like her babysitter was and where local deputies later find bones, some of which look like they could belong to a young boy.

And Rowan believes they could be Malcolm's.

But are they?

And if Rowans kidnapper was jailed. Who has killed this young woman and why has Rowan's own rescuer been found murdered?

That's what Evan and Roman are determined to find out.

But will the answer be the one Rowan has been desperately seeking?

And with a story that slips between the past and the present. Big twists, shocks and surprises. This was a really enjoyable read. That for me was only let down by the pace, particularly in the beginning.

The First Death by Kendra Elliot is the fourth book in her excellent Columbia River suspense series. I’ve enjoyed this series and the consistent way this author weaves in the characters from previous books as well as her Mercy Kilpatrick series. Her writing is better and better with each new book!
This thriller is the compelling story of a young woman, Rowan, who, at age 5, survived a terrifying kidnapping that also claimed the life of her older brother, Malcolm. Twenty-five years later, a woman is found dead in the woods, and local detective Evan Bolton must find the killer with the help of Rowan and her Search and Rescue (SAR) dog, Thor. Then more bones are unearthed near the murder site, and Bolton is embroiled in a possible serial killer scenario. In a complex police procedural, Bolton’s investigation leads him to some corrupt local cops, more bones and links to murders from years before, and puzzling cover-ups involving Rowan’s mentor Ken, her brother, and an evil “family” of sadists. Some of the scenes were difficult to read, as they involve brutality against children. But the author always imbues much humanity in her characters and stories, which blunt some of the harsh reality. The present and past timelines are beautifully plotted and make this a compelling, fast-paced suspense thriller.
While part of a series, this book can definitely be enjoyed as a stand-alone.
I can’t wait for the next entry in the Columbia River series!

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.