Three sisters’ secrets collide in a shocking novel of suspense by the Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author of the Mercy Kilpatrick series.Twenty years ago Emily Mills’s father was murdered, and she found his body hanging in the backyard. Her younger sister, Madison, claims she was asleep in her room. Her older sister, Tara, claims she was out with friends. The tragedy drove … friends. The tragedy drove their mother to suicide and Tara to leave town forever. The killer was caught. The case closed.
Ever since, Emily and Madison have tried to forget what happened that night—until an eerily similar murder brings it all back. It also brings FBI special agent Zander Wells to the Oregon logging town. As eager as he is to solve the brutal double slaying, he is just as intrigued with the mystery of Emily’s and her sisters’ past.
When more blood is shed, Zander suspects there’s a secret buried in this town no one wants unearthed. Is it something Emily and Madison don’t know? Or aren’t telling? And Tara? Maybe Emily can’t bear to find her. Because when Tara disappeared, she took a secret of her own with her.
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Was great to meet up with Zander and Ava agin!
I enjoyed listening to this book! It was great hearing a story about Zander and Ava again. I look forward to more in this new series. And hopefully more about the rest of the group too! The story kept you guessing and the murder as gruesome as it was, was fitting for the story line. So many new characters and new love stories and family reunions. Definitely a must read/listen to that once you start you won’t want to stop!
Riveting, edgy, and suspenseful!
In this compelling first instalment in the Columbia River series, The Last Sister, Elliot has written a tortuous whodunit where cases from the present and the past intertwine, suspects are in abundance, and deep-rooted racism runs rampant.
The writing is taut and intense. The characters are vulnerable, persistent, and driven. And the plot is an ominous tale full of twists, turns, red herrings, family drama, deception, corruption, hatred, murder, and a smidgen of romance.
Overall, I would have to say that The Last Sister, is an intricately woven, provocative, highly entertaining mystery that’s a promising start for this new series with its nice pace, well-developed characters, and action-packed plot.
I volunteered to read and review an advanced readers copy through Netgalley of The Last Sister . I really enjoyed reading this story . This is such an intense and Suspenseful story . It’s so intriguing I was enthralled from the start . It’s action packed . Emily Mills and her sisters have a tragic past , dark memories and definitely secrets . When Emily come upon a horrible crime . She decides to call 911 . She then calls the FBI because the deputies and sheriff are in over their heads . Zander Wells and his partner Ava McLane arrive on the scene and soon suspect it’s a hate crime . As the story unfolds there are twists and turns and long buried secrets come to light . This story kept me turning the pages it’s so interesting . I could not put it down .
It’s off the charts fantastic . As the danger mounts Emily finds herself and her family in danger . Zander finds himself captivated with Emily but he must solve the puzzle and stop the crime before some else becomes the next victim . I highly recommend taking the time to read and enjoy this sensational suspense
I have enjoyed a number of Kendra Elliot’s books. If this is the beginning of a new series with this main character, I’m in for more!
The Last Sister is Book 1 in Kendra Elliot’s new Columbia River series. I’m still making my way through her backlist so I haven’t gotten to read Mason and Ava’s story yet and while I’m more eager than ever to read their story, it wasn’t a deal-breaker for me to follow along.
To date, all of Ms. Elliot’s books that I have read lean more heavily on the suspense side of things with minimal focus on romance. This story was no exception. It was a very intriguing story filled with murder, close calls and secrets starting to unravel. The author kept me guessing until the very end.
I love Kendra Elliot’s books and this one was no exception! I especially enjoyed the characters – my favorites were Emily’s quirky great aunts! The story was well thought out and kept my attention and the ending caught me completely by surprise (I love when endings aren’t obvious). The connection between the murder of Emily’s father over 20 years ago and the recent murder of a local couple was intriguing.
After reading this book, I will be reading Kendra’s Callahan & McLane series to learn more of FBI Agent Ava McLane’s story.
This story of Madison, Emily, Tara, their aunts and their family’s history was absolutely riveting. I so wanted all the loose threads to tie up into a nice neat package that I found myself reading quicker and quicker.
I was pulled in immediately by these great characters and the tragic family history as well as the current crime. The small town setting was one that I enjoyed. Who doesn’t love a small town? I even really liked the evolution of the sheriff. At first I really thought he was sloppy, hiding things and kind of a jerk, but I grew to like him.
It’s hard to say much about this book because it would be so easy to post a spoiler. Suffice it to say that this is a hard-hitting, well written story and if you like mysteries and suspense, this is definitely a book you should pick up.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for approving my request for an ARC. All thoughts in this review are my own and happily posted.
Twenty years ago Emily found her father hanging in their back yard. A couple of days later, her older sister Tess left and they never heard from her again and their mother committed suicide. Leaving Emily and her sister Madison with three great aunts. Now a similar murder has happened and Emily found the bodies. Zander is a FBI agent and he and his partner have been sent to investigate the murders. The closer Zander gets to finding the killer, the more trouble finds Emily. As they hunt for answers, secrets are revealed that could shake up their little town.
Suspense, action, and secrets make up this spellbinding story. I like a little romance and sexy times in my stories but I absolutely could not out this down. Be prepared to read long into the night.
* Voluntarily and reviewed this for Netgalley*
Emily Mills’ father was murdered 20 years ago. She found him hanging from the tree in their backyard. This seems to have set off a chain of events … her mother eventually committed suicide …. her older sister disappeared and hasn’t been seen or heard from since.
This night, her friends and neighbors were brutally murdered. The wife was stabbed multiple times, her husband was found hanging from a tree.
It’s like deja vu all over again. Emily and her sister have tried to forget their childhood plunged in murder, and this brings it all back.
FBI Special Agent Zander Wells arrives in this small logging town along with his partner. As avid as he is to solve the brutal double slaying, he is just as intrigued with the mystery of Emily’s and her sisters’ past.
What he finds is that the sisters have secrets from everyone …even each other. Some secrets are never meant to see the light of day. And not everyone is exactly the person they purport to be.
This is a nicely paced, highly suspenseful murder mystery that kept me riveted from the very first page. Throw in a little romance and all the boxes got checked for me. The main characters are credible and some of the small town residents are quirky, friendly, fun. The accent is on the suspense, light on the romance.
Many thanks to the author / Montlake Romance / Netgalley for the digital copy of this Romantic Suspense. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Once I started reading this book I didn’t want to put it down. I thought this was a great mystery spanning 20 years. Tara, Emily and Madison are at the center of this mystery. For a small town it’s holding a lot of secrets. Zander is great and I’m happy for him and Emily. Emily is finally coming out of her shell by the end of this book. All 3 sisters have a lot to overcome and with each other I think they finally will. The Aunts are funny and very protective. If you love a great mystery with a small town feel then pick up this book. I hope the next book has more of Emily and Zander.
*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
I love a good suspense book. Add in a touch of romance and sold! The Last Sister is a great combination of both. Though really the focus of this book is really the women and the murders. Not so much the romance. Works for me though. I read this book really quickly…didn’t want to put it down.
I enjoyed getting to know these characters and seeing what they’re made of. Pretty sure you will enjoy them as well. I mean, how much stuff can a family go through? Murdered father, mother commits suicide (or did she?) and then a similar murder happens in this small town. Did they put away the right guy initially? Has he been paying for the wrong crime? It’s a good a question as any. There’s lots of questions and answers in the pages of this book.
It’s time for you to grab your copy. Let me know what you think after you’ve given this book in the new Columbia River series a read!
I’m really a huge fan of this author, I discovered her many years ago and was immediately hooked by the stories that she writes. So when I saw a chance to read this one I jumped at the opportunity. And just as I had expected, I loved this one!! It hooked me from the very first chapter and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. And just as I thought I may have it all figured out…..BOOM!…..the author throws in a new twist!
THE LAST SISTER…..
…….Kendra Elliott
This is more of a thriller, then her usual romantic suspense books. A case
that looks like a racial hate crime. Similar to one 20 years ago of Emily’s
father’s murder. that draws the FBI in Her mother who committed suicide,
a sister ran away, the other 2 lived with an aunt.. Agent Eva.and Zander’s are sent to Bartonville, Oregon to investigate. A small town that held secrets, was prejudice and now justice needed to be served. A good tense plot, keeps
one Intrigue, as to what is uncovered, and why a crime this many years later
happened. One can count on the author’s book always to be a winner,
Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion by Net Galley andMontlake.
An intriguing murder mystery that is infused with secrets, lies, prejudice, danger and a hint of romance. A horrible murder brings back shades of the past for Emily Mills and her sister Madison. It also brings FBI detectives Zander Wells and Ava McLane to town, as they try to solve a murder that has its complex roots set in a murky past.
I enjoyed this suspenseful story that kept me guessing who the perpetrator was right up until the end. Both Zander and Emily are great characters, the plot is intriguing and the simmering attraction between them was great. The only thing I didn’t like was the way Zander crossed boundaries with Emily during the investigation. It seemed out of character for a seasoned FBI agent. The complex family dynamics, the mystery and the twists in the story definitely kept me entertained and I loved seeing characters from her other books make an appearance. Overall, a good start to the new series. I received an early copy of this book from Montlake Romance via NetGalley with no obligation to review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
This story kept me guessing and my assumptions were wrong. Love it when I have to keep guessing how it ends as long as possible.. Couple surprises to make it very interesting. I like the spunk of Emily and the electricity between her and FBI agent Zander. I like Zander’s partner Ava and how she grounds him. In a small town of the Pacific coast of Oregon amidst the cold and damp weather a double murder scene is botched by a rookie deputy. The FBI steps in to assist the Sheriff in what could be a hate crime. Bodies old and new are piling up. Suicides that may not be suicides make them double down on their efforts to find the one responsible.. And it seems Emily, who discovered the bodies of the double murder of her friends, could be in the crosshairs next. Well worth the read. I have noted the previous books as I find this is book five! They are stand alone however, you can tell there is history to both Zander and Ava that I want to learn about I think this is one of her best series yet! I thank Kendra Elliot, NetGalley and Montlake Romance for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest opinion. I do recommend this book you will enjoy the diverse personalities of the characters.
This book packs a punch!
Threats, death attempts, hate crimes, racism, KKK ties, violence, mystery, suspense, and a flutter of light romance are all embedded in this new page-turning series by Elliot. It is gritty, has an emotional pull, and has a constant edge-of-your-seat feel from beginning to end. The storyline is engrossing and the characters are well-developed and likable (The aunts are great!). Elliot has a gift for weaving tragedy, malevolence, drama, family ties, and emotional conflict into a great mystery thriller that will leave you reeling and yet ready for the next book in the series.
Emily and her sisters, Tara and Madison, suffered tragedy and loss in their childhood and the repercussions have carried over into their adult lives. One sister ran and has not been heard from since, one sister closed herself off and just tried to move on, and one sister is resentful and holds bitterness towards the others and the awful circumstances that separated them. Lies and secrets cloud their memories of the pivotal moments of their parents’ deaths and hold them all part. And when a new murder in their hometown mirrors their father’s and old evidence resurfaces their worlds come crashing down around them as terrible truths are revealed. Complications arise when the FBI joins the local police to solve the case, asking questions and revisiting the worst time of the sisters’ lives. When the present echoes the past, was the killer really found? Or are they still lurking in the shadows waiting to strike…to finally eliminate all those who possibly know the truth?
*I received an arc through NetGalley, via the publisher, and I am voluntarily providing my honest review.
Kendra Elliot does it again! I was sucked into this intricately woven tapestry of history, family and murder. This story kept me flipping pages and thinking of the tale long past the last page. I loved how the locations history was as much a character in the tale as the inhabitants. I truly enjoyed this and can’t wait for the next installment.
The first book in a new series. This is a story about a family with three sisters who find their father hung when they were young two sisters stayed in the small town and one sister went away taking secrets with her. The story is well developed and great characters kept me guessing throughtout . The FBI is called in years later when another murder similar to the first takes place and brings to light some of the mysteries that people want to stay buried. A lot of KKK slant to this book but very tastefully done. Will look forward to reading the next in this series looks like a good one starting.
This book is a change in genre from what I’ve been reading lately but I really enjoyed it!! Right from the first chapter I was hooked and could not put it down.
It is full of suspense and twists & turns that had me also trying to solve the murder along with Emily and Zander. Kendra Elliot is a new author to me and I look forward to reading more of her books and especially more in this series!
Intriguing, thought provoking excellent mystery. This is **not** like the Mercy Kilpatrick series, Widows Island series nor the Bone series. This is book one in the Columbia RIver series and brings back Ava and Zander from the Callahan and Mclane series, and Mason pops up too. This takes place in Oregon as Emily finds a hanging, bringing back memories of her father’s hanging. While Zander and Ava are called (by Emily) to investigate the reader finds out the hanging was of a history teacher, who is black, and married to a white woman, who was murdered the same night, stabbed. This is a true mystery with information from Oregon’s actual past woven into the story, the KKK, Shanghai, etc. It’s not really a romance, there is a connection, one that fits the book completely, and it is limited. This book shows family connections, interwoven with murder, kkk, and striving to protect loved ones. I was flabbergasted with the culprit. Did you guess who? Thank you Montlake, Kendra Elliott and NetGalley for the arc. I voluntarily leave this review. All opinions are my own and were unsolicited.