The First Death

Columbia River, Book 4

By: Kendra Elliot

Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt, Michael Crouch

Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

A Wall Street Journal bestselling series.

For a search and rescue expert, the buried remains of her past are a dangerous obsession in a twisting novel of suspense by a Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author.

Rowan Wolff was five years old when she, her brother, and their babysitter were kidnapped by a serial killer in the Pacific Northwest. The babysitter was murdered. Rowan was saved. Her brother was killed and buried in the forest, his remains never found. The convicted killer refuses to say where he buried the boy. Twenty-five years later, Rowan is committed to search and rescue with her faithful canine and is obsessed with finding her brother’s grave—and closure.

Detective Evan Bolton thrives on unraveling tough cases, but his latest is disturbing. There’s another serial killer hunting in Deschutes County, Oregon, and the crimes are identical to those committed by the sociopath languishing in prison. Each victim is linked to Rowan. When skeletal remains of several bodies are exhumed in the forest, Rowan’s connection becomes more entwined and impossible to ignore.

Rowan and Evan are determined to solve the case before someone else dies. And someone else will, as the truth about the past is unearthed.

©2023 Oceanfront Press LLC. (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“The First Death was certainly hard to put down. I’m confident that finding Malcolm will become an obsession with readers, as it did for me.”—Bookreporter

WOW

The author has again amazed me with her storytelling. I really enjoy listening to her books.

Love Kendra Elliot!

I think I’ve love every Kendra Elliot story I’ve ever read or listened to and this one was no exception. I was really rooting for Rowan and Evan they are so cute together! My favorite thing about her books is that she has a strong female lead but the males are also strong and sweet. I love Rowan’s family dynamic and the bond she has with her siblings. The ending was perfect! I can’t wait to read the others in the series!

Edge of my seat thriller

The children go through so much in this storyline and it leaves me waiting for the next shoe to drop. The narrator is spot on!

Haunting

This book was sad, painful, emotional, and frightening at minimum. Two small children aged 5 & 7 trying to survive with a serial killer.

I think I spent almost the entire book holding my breath for the next thing that was going to happen. The way Rowan and Malcolm were treated by people who were pure evil was horrendous.

There were a few things that were very obvious to me at the beginning of this book. I needed the how and why to be explained. Knowing certain things did not take away from the suspense and sense of danger I got from the book.

The romance was very mild. Tbh, if Rowan and Evan want to really begin or continue their agreement to have a relationship, they need another book.

The ending did not give me the one thing I was expecting, and I was very surprised. There were points where the story dragged a bit because it seemed like it took the characters forever to ask the most obvious questions.

There was no SA in this book, which I was very glad to discover. I think the author did an excellent job conveying the emotions and fears of the characters.

Great story

This was an amazing story , Kendra as always weaves an entertaining tale. Narration by Teri and Michael was done to perfection. pitch and tone was spot on and brought this great read to life. Now to be patient for book 5 is going to be tough.

Perfect Next Chapter in Columbia River story!

I have been a fan of this author for a long time! Everything she puts out is just excellent! This latest chapter in the Columbia River sage doesn’t disappoint. The story is fast paced. The narration is superb. It tied together many familiar characters from the Mercy Kilpatrick series, as well. The story telling kept me on the edge of my seat! And the conclusion was perfect and satisfying! Don’t wait just get it!

Loved this book!

Every time I thought I had the plot figured out it changed completely. Great storytelling!!

Enjoyable Listen

Fast paced story and I loved the dog. Surprise at who the killer was. Good job by the narrators. Really no need for use of the F word though.

Another great thriller!

I enjoyed the slow dance between Mercy and Evan. The tragic kidnapping of Mercy and her brother was bright into chilling detail but really helped in understanding her character.

Well-Nuanced and Fascinating

This author is an absolute go-to for me when I'm wanting a well-written suspense novel with a touch of romance. I've happily drowned myself in each of her past series. This story, though. Wow.

The main characters Rowan and Evan are both richly developed personalities with tragedies in their pasts. They are both strong, protective, smart, and compassionate. They also share a romantic tension neither one has had the guts to approach yet. it's hard, after all, to let a girl know you're interested in her when the two of you are standing over an eviscerated corpse. The antagonist in this novel is also very compelling in a chilling, cringe-worthy way.

The plot itself is not only fast-paced but breathtaking. I want to say it's completely implausible that such a thing could happen. Yet anyone who catches the news these days knows that the storyline is not only plausible but sadly realistic for some. At certain points within the story, it's easy to become unnerved at what Rowan and her brother Malcolm faced.

I love that the author did not hold all the cards of this mystery until the end. While it allowed the reader to anticipate certain events, there were certainly still plenty of moments that could not be foreseen. My only complaint is minor. There were a couple of events that were beyond the norm for suspension of belief. For instance, what happened to the "box." However, as the story raced toward its fascinating conclusion, I realized that these plot points were necessary even as they stretched the boundaries. So this story remains a 5-star read for me. Great writing; fabulous narration.