Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
mysterious
tense
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
Her First Mistake
Rate: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Publishing date: June 10, 2025
Thank you to netgalley for this arc. Her First mistake was a fast paced thriller that went back and forth from the past to the present while unraveling the mystery of who killed Noelle’s husband, Derrick Bell 13 years ago. Noelle became a detective years after her husband was murdered. She suffered a serious head injury the day her husband was murdered since she was there. The book takes Noelle on a journey through her past and helps her unravel some new evidence about that day 13 years ago. I found myself not able to put this book down! It was so engaging and a perfect mystery thriller! I highly recommend this book if you love a good thriller/mystery. This was my first Kendra Elliot book and I look forward to reading more of her work!
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
5 stars!
Our story begins when Noelle, now an agent herself, is brought in for questioning from the FBI over her husband’s murder 13 years earlier. Derrick Bell, her husband, was a prominent Assemblyman, who was murdered in his home. Noelle was also attacked during his murder, which caused her to lose her memories of the day’s events. 13 years later, the FBI still doesn’t have any suspects.
As Noelle recounts the events leading up to that day we are brought back to when she first met Derrick, and how their relationship came to be. The first half of the story is told from multiple timelines, which leads us to the day Derrick was murdered, and Noelle was attacked.
The second half of the book focuses on the present day, with the FBI and Noelle reexamining the evidence from the day of the attack. This causes Noelle to question some of her memories and help to seek answers about what happened that fateful day.
Themes in this book include:
- Story told from multiple timelines
- Political aspirations
- Meddling families
- Amnesia
- Strong sisterly bonds
I loved Noelle’s relationships with her grandfather, Aunt Daisy, and sisters. This book has a lot of strong female characters, and Noelle had fantastic character development with that support system. This book kept me guessing up until the last 10%, and I did not see the ending or twists coming! This is the first book in the Noelle Marshall series, and I will definitely be on the lookout for the next ones!
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes