The Next Grave
Author: Kendra Elliot
Reviewer: Sophia Rose
Rating: A+
What I’m Talking About:
The case and his life are spiraling out of control, and nothing and no one is safe who are connected to him. Kendra Elliot captivated my attention with her Mercy Kilpatrick books and I’ve enjoyed the connected world this Columbia River series shares with it and some of the author’s other series. Smart characters, clever plots, a well drawn setting, and the author’s talented writing make each new release, including The Next Grave an absolute treat for a mystery lover.
The Next Grave is the sixth in a series of loosely connected standalones. That said, this story is most closely connected to The First Death when both main characters meet so I recommend getting it at least after that one.
Evan draws a new murder case, but this time the victim is his old mentor and a retiree from the sheriff’s department. Not long after the case gets underway, he learns of the disappearance of the man’s daughter, the early release from prison of her ex, and the knowledge that Rod was investigating old murder cases. Things get more drastic and chilling as Evan goes from the being the hunter to the hunted and he doesn’t even know why.
Rowan is relishing the deepening relationship with Evan as they near the point of talking a deeper commitment. For now, she’s happy they are living partners and her family situation with her brother back with them is precious. Evan’s latest case is disturbing and she and Thor, her working K-9 help where they can, but then things get drastically worse.
Kendra Elliot knows how to make her readers feel suspense and the lethal, ruthless nature of her criminals who her law enforcement main characters are tracking down. The Next Grave had Evan, Rowan, and also familiar female detective, Noelle, having to look over their shoulders and not know who to trust in this one. The suspense was as taunt as could be right up until the reveals started coming fast and hard.
In the end, I was left utterly satisfied and wanting more. I’d recommend these for romantic suspense and thriller readers. They have a gritty quality even in an often rural setting.
My Rating: A+ Personal Favorite
Sophia Rose
About the Book:
Following a murder and a woman’s sudden disappearance, investigations into old crimes and new collide in an alarming novel of suspense by a Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author.
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.
Release Date: December 10, 2024
Publisher: Montlake
Series: Columbia River #6
Genre: Thriller
Format(s): hardcover/paperback (351 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: NetGalley
Purchase Info:
Amazon (affiliate link)