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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
medium-paced
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Mercy and Truman are back again! And what a story the author has created for them this time! One murder investigation of a podcaster leads to connections no one would see coming and will take them and their family on a journey full of danger and emotion. With Noelle along for the ride, Mercy and Truman will not stop until the truth is found, the whole truth, and their little family is safe.
We get to see some point of view from both of them, as well as Ollie and, of course, some unknowns, which just adds to the thrill the author creates with her stories!
Exciting, thrilling, and emotional, and I could not be more happy to be back with my favorite characters!
We get to see some point of view from both of them, as well as Ollie and, of course, some unknowns, which just adds to the thrill the author creates with her stories!
Exciting, thrilling, and emotional, and I could not be more happy to be back with my favorite characters!
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Kendra Elliot has a knack for suspense filled crime stories and this one definitely is one of her best. Mercy Kilpatrick is such a fantastic heroine, and revisiting her and her whole family was a treat.
The mystery starts with Ollie stumbling across a woman and leads to many questions new characters and some definite surprises!!
The mystery starts with Ollie stumbling across a woman and leads to many questions new characters and some definite surprises!!
Buckle up for a wild ride. This story takes us on the trail of several different crimes and the meaning of family. I am constantly amazed at how enjoyable these stories are. I fell in and didn’t come up for air until the very last page.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Each venture into Kendra Elliot’s books leaves me well and truly satisfied. We plunge into a dark murder and secrets with plenty of seemingly stray events, witnesses, and evidence only to have my big gasp of appreciation for how it all ties together like a well-crafted puzzle.
At the River is the fifth of the Columbia River series and features mostly characters from the Mercy Kilpatrick world placing it eighth in that series. The Columbia River series tends to weave in and out of several of the author’s series set in that region with engaging follow ups with characters who were side characters in previous series. In this case, fans of Mercy and the gang are given a treat to see Mercy working cases with both Truman and familiar sheriff’s deputy detective, Noelle Marshall who appeared in the previous book. The series is set in the rural regions of central Oregon and bring that area vividly to life from the mountain and forests to the interesting populations of small towns and out in the wilder areas.
I enjoyed this book that takes place just before Mercy and Truman’s first year anniversary. Truman is given expert advice not to downplay the anniversary even if that is what he and Mercy agreed on and he is also contemplating how and when to speak to Ollie about his desire to adopt him as his son even though Ollie is on the eve of his twentieth birthday. Truman and Ollie have been working on filling in the blanks about Ollie’s past regarding his parents since Ollie was little when sent to live with his grandparents deep in the woods where they died without telling him much.
Meanwhile, Mercy is pursuing a new brand of domestic terrorists who like to shoot up energy sub-stations so whole communities are without power- and the miscreants hope will cause them to grow dissatisfied with organized government. But, she is interrupted to come with the local sheriff to the riverbank where a body is found- a body who not only matches the description of a missing man from her home county that Truman and Ollie came across the case, but the man- a true crimes podcaster- is arranged in the same way a previous unsolved case involving five teens from twenty years before- one teen was found dead in that pose, one was found nearly dead in the same pose, and the other three remain missing to this day.
I loved following along as Mercy and Noelle worked the case. The police investigative procedural side is well written and fascinating, but is woven well right into the story so it doesn’t miss a beat. Truman helps where he is needed and Ollie gets a large role in this one as he befriends a man connected to the case and in danger from people who don’t want that old case or this new one to be solved.
I can’t start one of these books without being compelled to read on and never want to stop and At the River was no exception. When I hit a certain point and the reveals started coming and the action tightened up, I couldn’t stop until the satisfying stunning ending.
Another triumph and I was left sad it was over and hoping deep down that more will come from the Mercy Kilpatrick world- I love it so much. Those who enjoy romantic suspense that balances good character and relationship development with strong police procedural murder mystery should jump in with any of the author’s series (ahem, I suggest the Mercy Kilpatrick) and then enjoy the Columbia River books.
At the River is the fifth installment of Kendra Elliot’s Columbia River series, but can easily be a stand alone novel. While I have read all books to date, it wasn’t necessary to understand or follow the plot.
Having said that, I did feel rather confused at the beginning of this book. There is a LOT going on right off the bat, with a lot of characters in many locations. I ended up whipping out a notebook to keep track since some characters cross jurisdictions and home life’s blend. Once you get past the initial scene setting though the story flows quite well.
A true crime podcaster is murdered and is tied to a decades old cold case involving dead and missing teenagers. FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick and her husband Police Chief Truman Daly work with Detective Noelle Marshall to piece together the murder and potentially solve a cold case.
While this story didn’t pull me in the way some others of Kendra Elliot’s have, there were enough unique elements in this novel to keep me invested. One of the main characters has “face blindness” where they cannot recognize a person on sight that they’ve met before without a cue to tie the appearance to the stored information coded in their brain. This was a new premise and one I enjoyed exploring. The author did a good job of setting up how disorienting and alienating it would be as a person with this condition. “How does he function in public?” she queries. “He can’t function.” While a simple statement, it has profound impact the character development.
At the end of the story though I didn’t feel drawn to read the next in the series and felt let down. I recall being thrilled with the first few Columbia River books though so maybe this is a one off and #6 will renew my passions.
If you like mystery, mild suspense, and a female cop/agent lead… check out At the River. Thank you to #NetGalley for this #ARC of #AttheRiver in exchange for my honest review.
Having said that, I did feel rather confused at the beginning of this book. There is a LOT going on right off the bat, with a lot of characters in many locations. I ended up whipping out a notebook to keep track since some characters cross jurisdictions and home life’s blend. Once you get past the initial scene setting though the story flows quite well.
A true crime podcaster is murdered and is tied to a decades old cold case involving dead and missing teenagers. FBI Agent Mercy Kilpatrick and her husband Police Chief Truman Daly work with Detective Noelle Marshall to piece together the murder and potentially solve a cold case.
While this story didn’t pull me in the way some others of Kendra Elliot’s have, there were enough unique elements in this novel to keep me invested. One of the main characters has “face blindness” where they cannot recognize a person on sight that they’ve met before without a cue to tie the appearance to the stored information coded in their brain. This was a new premise and one I enjoyed exploring. The author did a good job of setting up how disorienting and alienating it would be as a person with this condition. “How does he function in public?” she queries. “He can’t function.” While a simple statement, it has profound impact the character development.
At the end of the story though I didn’t feel drawn to read the next in the series and felt let down. I recall being thrilled with the first few Columbia River books though so maybe this is a one off and #6 will renew my passions.
If you like mystery, mild suspense, and a female cop/agent lead… check out At the River. Thank you to #NetGalley for this #ARC of #AttheRiver in exchange for my honest review.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
mysterious
This is a great series. I absolutely adore Mercy & Truman and their family. Ollie is such a lovable character and I loved getting to see a bit more of him. I was really rooting for Devin and it was so lovely seeing his friendship with Ollie bloom. I was so intrigued by what happened 20 years ago and the twists and turns kept me guessing. The ending was tense and full of drama. This can be read as a standalone but I love Kendra Elliots writing so definitely recommend checking out the rest.
I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated