Kendra Elliot's suspense crime stories are among my favourites and this addition to the Columbia River series was another enjoyable one to read or listen to. Detective Evan Bolton finds the body of his friend and mentor, retired detective Rod McLeod, in the trunk of a car at the junkyard. He goes to tell his daughter and finds that she is missing, and it looks like there was a fight. The police call in Search and rescue canine specialist Rowan Wolff and her dog, Thor, to track the missing woman. Fortunately, her son was with a friend and is safe. It looks like Rod was investigating old cases, ones that were solved, and something triggered this attack. When Zack also goes missing, the police race against time to find him and his mother before one of both of them end up like Rod.

This was an interesting story as there were no apparent clues. The fly in the ointment was that someone was trying to frame Evan, so he was pulled off the case. He continued to work on the solved cases to make a connection, but came to one dead end after another. The Next Grave wasn't as action packed as previous books in the series, but I liked that it took a lot of investigative skill and reasoning to figure this one out. The relationship between Evan and Rowan is a great addition. They are partners in life and often at work, which adds that element of tension when one of them is in danger. I enjoy this series a lot and hope there are more coming.

Book #6 in the excellent Columbia River series. Kendra Elliot is a prolific writer with several series to her credit. I've read many of them, enjoyed them, and recommended them to family and friends.
The murder at the beginning of THE NEXT GRAVE is a long time friend of Detective Evan Bolton, one of the series' central characters. This time the investigation is personal. When a missing persons case is attached to his murder investigation, Evan is joined by Rowan Wolff, a rescue canine handler. Together they will follow clues, old and new, to find a killer's motive before he kills again.
This is yet again another 5 star read in this excellent series.

The Next Grave is book 6 in the Columbia River series by Kendra Elliot. This is the second book in the series featuring Detective Evan Bolton and Search and Rescue canine specialist Rowan Wolff with her dog Thor. I love these characters and couldn't wait for them to be featured more after reading The First Death. Evan is devastated when the body of his mentor, Rod McLeod is found in the trunk of a car. He had been shot in the forehead and tortured before that. Rod was retired, but he and Evan were still close. Rod has a daughter, Sophie and Evan dreads having to tell her the news about her Dad. Luckily, Sophie has a son, Zach, so she won't be alone.

Things take a turn for the worse when Sophie cannot be located and her house is a disaster. Someone fought hard and there's a lot of blood throughout the house. Who does the blood belong to? Is it Sophie's? Is it Zach's? Is it Rod's? It will take time for the lab to figure that out. Rowan uses clothing with Thor for him to get the tracking scent. It's a deadend when Thor loses the scent at a dirt road. They were taken to the road and driven away. When Evan goes to Rod's house he finds out that he had been investigating old cases that were already solved. Why would he be looking at cases that were solved? Why are some of the case files missing? Is this why Rod was murdered? Was he getting close to discovering something important? Something that someone didn't want getting out? As the investigation progresses it seems more and more likely that someone in law enforcement is helping the killer with inside information!

Evan and his partner aren't sure who to trust. This investigation gets very personal as one of our beloved characters gets taken and tortured by the killer. Will they be able to figure out the killer's motive and locate them before it's too late? This book will have your heart racing and flipping pages at record pace. I read The Next Grave in 1 day and can't wait for the next book in the series. If you love a good thriller, engaging characters, and a tough mystery to solve this is the book for you!

I love Kendra Elliot's books! Have read every single one at least once.
The Next Grave is book #6 and didn't disappoint. It has it all, mystery, suspense, love, family and throw in all the interactions with the community, you feel like your there. Evan & Rowan are perfect together, which balances out all the drama and suspense. Love Thor and glad Malcomb was active in this book. Highly recommend reading this book but would suggest starting with #1 due to the buildup of all the characters.
Keep it up Kendra... anxiously waiting for book #7.

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for the opportunity to read an early copy of The Next Grave.

A retired detective is tortured and murdered and his daughter has disappeared. Detective Evan Bolton catches the case and discovers he was investigating closed cases. As he investigates. he realises that the killer may have turned his attention to him.

Kendra Elliot writes edge of your seat crime fiction. I fell in love with her stories with the Mercy Kilpatrick series and the Columbia River series delivers more of the same. And with characters who have been on the periphery scheduled to take centre stage, it looks like I will be enjoying the series for a few years to come.

Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down .

A suspenseful and gripping installment in the Columbia River series.
We follow search and rescue canine specialist Rowan Wolff and Detective Evan Bolton as they begin an investigation into an airplane crash. They have been told the airplane had been hijacked.
Fast-paced mystery suspense with no many twists and turns!
A must-read for fans of a heart pounding thriller.
Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

When Evans friend and old boss is murdered, he and the rest of the force are in a race against time to find his missing daughter and grandson. It all seems to be connected but he cant seem to figure out how. Danger hits closer to home when the killer targets Evan, and possibly even the woman he loves. Its exciting, dangerous, action pact and has a satisfying conclusion. I loved catching up with Evan, Rowan, her brother and family, (Thor too!) and getting just a little more time with them. I am looking forward to Noelle getting her book!

Amazing book again Ms. Elliot kept me going from the beginning to the end. The case Detective Evan Bolton is working is a sensitive and personal one at that, and with the help of Rowan it helps. But something else is going on with the case which turns to him. It doesn’t look good.
Later Rowan can’t find Evan, any she’s getting nervous.
He finally tells her what’s bothering him, and she wants to help him of course he closes up.

I hope there’s more to come with these two.

Columbia River book 6

This is the 3rd book I've read in this series and it's the one I've enjoyed the most. I was totally hooked from start to finish. Loved it and looking forward to catching up with some of the earlier books.


Detective Evan Bolton is gutted by his latest investigation. His friend and mentor, retired detective Rod McLeod, has been murdered, his body left in the trunk of a junkyard car. When McLeod’s daughter and grandson abruptly vanish, Evan knows it’s not a coincidence. Search and rescue canine specialist Rowan Wolff agrees as she and her dog, Thor, track the missing family.

The two cases converge in a puzzling twist. Evan discovers that McLeod has been reinvestigating old crimes—solved but not forgotten. Evan takes them on, one by one, and a disturbing suspicion forms that someone in law enforcement has something to hide and would do anything to keep those secrets buried.

But Evan and Rowan’s time is slipping away. They have to find the killer now. Before someone else disappears. Before someone else dies.

Kendra Elliott's books never disappoint and the plot of this one was a doozy!

Evan's mentor Rod is found in the trunk of a car in a junkyard. When he goes to inform his daughter, a lot of blood is found at her house, and she is missing.

So, straight away, Evan has his work cut out for him and there are many twists and turns to come, whilst he tries to figure things out. One dead body, one missing woman, one grieving teenager.

Rowan is brought in, with her dog Thor, to try and find Sophia. And then Rod's grandson goes missing as well......

Very strong plot and I liked all the characters as well. Looking forward to reading another instalment in this series, in the future.

5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake.

The Next Grave by K. Elliot, published by Montlake, is the highly, highly anticipated sixth book in the Columbia River Series.
I was patiently waiting for Rowan and Evan to get their book, and voila, here it is.
Detective Evan Bolton and dog handler Rowan Wolff with Thor are a couple for some time now. They had their first appearance in The First Death and I couldn't wait for their story.
Evan's latest case is his hardest to digest so far, it's the murder of his mentor and friend. When his daughter and grandson vanish too, everything gets more complicated, more complex, more confusing for the investigator and his team. By his side, Detective Noelle Marshall, also already known from the Mercy Kilpatrick Series.
Everything is connected, is a tangled web and soon they run out of time.
The author masterfully placed miniscule only hints and kept me in high suspense right from the start, breathlessly awaiting the next hint, til the very unexpected last turn. And I was breathlessly speeding along with story and characters. Victims begin to stack up just like alleged proof against one of their own. This book left me with a serious bookhangover. I'm tiptoeing around this review for a few days now after fiinishing this 2024 fav read of mine, struggling a bit to find the appropriate words. I highly recommend the book and the series.

4.25⭐

Kendra Elliot's latest mystery is both intense and gripping. As she returns readers to the Columbia River series and focuses back on Detective Evan Bolton, his girlfriend, SAR Rowan Wolff, and her dog, Thor.

Who find themselves embroiled in a puzzling case. That is close to Evan's heart. When he finds his mentor, friend and retired police detective, Rod McLeod, murdered and his body dumped in the boot of a car in a junkyard.

And while Evan is devastated by the discovery, he is also determined to catch the killer. But when Rod's daughter and grandson suddenly disappear, Evan knows something more is going on and asks his girlfriend Rowan and her dog Thor to track them down quickly.

However, Evan is unaware that the murder and disappearance are connected in the most perplexing of ways. And that Rod had been reinvestigating previously solved cases.

So, Evan decides to reexamine them too, and one by one, he discovers a disturbing pattern. Which leaves him with the uneasy feeling that someone in law enforcement has something to hide and will do anything to ensure their secret stays hidden.

But unfortunately for Rowan and Evan somebody is on their trail and now it's only a matter of time before someone else disappears or worse ends up dead.

My Kendra Elliot experience has been limited to her Columbia River series, which I've enjoyed, so I thought it would be good to read the next one. This is the sixth book in that series.

Description:
Detective Evan Bolton is gutted by his latest investigation. His friend and mentor, retired detective Rod McLeod, has been murdered, his body left in the trunk of a junkyard car. When McLeod’s daughter and grandson abruptly vanish, Evan knows it’s not a coincidence. Search and rescue canine specialist Rowan Wolff agrees as she and her dog, Thor, track the missing family.

The two cases converge in a puzzling twist. Evan discovers that McLeod has been reinvestigating old crimes—solved but not forgotten. Evan takes them on, one by one, and a disturbing suspicion forms that someone in law enforcement has something to hide and would do anything to keep those secrets buried.

But Evan and Rowan’s time is slipping away. They have to find the killer now. Before someone else disappears. Before someone else dies.

My Thoughts:
I love following the relationship between Rowan and Evan in this series. They work so well together. Rowan's skill with training and using dogs to seach is amazing and important to the investigation. This investigation was difficult in that it involved a dear friend of Evan's and there were so few clues to go on. There were a number of twists to the investigation that kept me guessing. Anyone who enjoys a good crime mystery will enjoy this book and the series.

Thanks to Montlake through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Small town Oregon has a freakishly high homicide rate! Evan is the local kid turned sheriff and when his mentor is found dead he vows to find the killer. But the case gets more complex when the victim's daughter is also targeted and then Evan himself becomes a target.

Rowan and her SAR dog Thor are settling into life with Evan. Rowan and her family are settling into their new normal with the return of their lost son/sibling and she relishes the sibling nights they have. However, Evan is not the only one pulled into this latest case, Rowan is targeted too and poor Thor almost becomes a crispy critter! Who wants Evan tagged as a crooked cop and killed?

OOh this was a twisty thriller of the best kind. It was really difficult to figure out who was after Evan and why. There were a few misdirects and it didn't help when witnesses and victims weren't giving them all the facts. I thought Zack, the original victim's grandson, was a brave lad and really tried to help the investigation but he ultimately was just a kid and the big bad used that to their favour and muddied the investigation further.

The background romance between Evan and Rowan isn't the focus of the book, the suspense/thriller is the main storyline but it was nice to see them settling into their new life and planning for the future. It gave them a very normal day to day relationship instead of once forged in adventure - life after the HEA if you like.

Evan really goes through the wringer in this one and poor Malcolm doesn't exactly have a stellar time either, those big feelings of his nearly get him into real trouble! You can't really go wrong with a thriller from Ms Elliot!

Kendra Elliot’s The Next Grave masterfully blends mystery and suspense, delivering a compelling tale that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. The story opens with the sudden death of a retired cop and the simultaneous disappearance of his family—a chilling premise that sets the stage for an intricate and action-packed investigation.

Elliot excels at weaving a web of secrets, corruption, and betrayal, keeping the tension high as the layers of the story are peeled back. The revelations come fast and furious, each one more surprising than the last, making it nearly impossible to set the book down. Her well-drawn characters and sharp dialogue lend authenticity to the twists, while the pacing ensures the reader is fully immersed in the unraveling chaos.

One of the highlights is Elliot’s ability to tease what’s coming next, leaving fans eager for her future works. This glimpse into what lies ahead adds a sense of continuity and builds excitement for her next installment.

In summary, The Next Grave is a tightly plotted, suspenseful mystery that showcases Kendra Elliot’s talent for creating unforgettable stories. It’s a must-read for fans of crime fiction and anyone who loves a story packed with intrigue, action, and surprises.

A gripping addition to a favorite series, The Next Grave starts with Detective Evan Bolton discovering the body of his mentor, retired detective Rod McLeod. When police show up at Rod’s daughter’s house to make the notification, they discover a gruesome scene, blood everywhere, and there is no sign of the daughter or her young son. Evan’s girlfriend, Rowan Wolff, and her search and rescue dog Thor try to track them but the trail hits a dead end. Detective Noelle Marshall takes over the missing persons case, working closely with Evan to coordinate their investigations. With no idea who they are up against and few clues, can the detectives find the daughter and figure out what’s going on before anyone else is killed? The story is suspenseful, with twists I didn’t see coming and likable characters that readers of Elliot’s books will recognize and enjoy getting to know better (although the book can easily be read as a standalone).

Retired police officer is foud dead and his daugter is missing. Detective Evan Bolton investigates the death of his mentor and dear friend. The case is a total mystery and gets more confusing as time goies by. Evan's girlfriend Rowan and her search and rescue dog Thor are also a big part of the story.

This was such an engaging and suspenseful read. It kept me guessing and glued to the pages. I liked the characters, they all had such interesting backstories. The search and rescue dog Thor was my absolute favorite, kind hearted and well trained. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite series of all time.

The Next Grave is book six in the Columbia River series by Kendra Elliot.
Kendra Elliot never disappoints.
An intriguing page turner that had me guessing until the last page. I was instantly pulled into the book needing to what happened.
Tense and compelling. I can’t wait to read more.

This is another entertaining mystery and suspense novel set in the high desert of central Oregon. There is plenty of action in this novel as a vicious villain is bent on revenge. Evan is a capable detective who is being framed and falsely accused. My favorite character, however, was Rowan, along with her dog Thor. She is tenacious at solving the case when Evan is out of commission.

The plot moves along well as a murder and then abductions occur. There is a good deal of suspense and some torture along the way. Evan is heavily invested in solving the murder, too much so perhaps as he fails to try to figure out how he is being framed with false fingerprint evidence. That was a harmful oversight.

While this book is the most recent in a series, it reads well on its own, featuring different lead people than in the earlier books. I like Elliot's writing and the setting of the novels is a plus. I will be watching for the next in the series.

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