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Book Review
Reviewed: 20 April 2024

At the River

by: Kendra Elliot

Columbia River - Book 5

  • Rating: full starfull starfull starfull starstar outline (4/5)

This story starts and ends with Ollie. He’s a kind young man who has experienced a lot in his young life. In earlier books in the series some of his experiences are explored resulting in his becoming apart of Mercy’s and Truman’s family. If you have not read the earlier books, enough of his history is provided so that you don’t feel as though you are missing something.

The author is great at interweaving Truman’s and Mercy’s investigations with them coming at them from opposite points. In this outing, Truman is more along for the ride, not the point person for either of the crimes. Which is good since he has so many “home front” things on his mind, including his upcoming wedding anniversary, Ollie’s birthday and still trying to find Ollie’s family. 

There were many twists and turns. I feel like either I missed why the podcaster was so interested in a 25 year old case or it wasn’t explained. It didn’t change my enjoyment level but I am now curious that I can’t recall that. I saw a phrase once, “Like attracts like” and this story is an example of this. Once you read this story, that will make better sense. 

This book showed the softer side of our favorite cop and FBI agent. We were treated to “pop throughs” of favorite friends, which was nice. 

The mystery, its connection to the current crimes, and the investigation were well written. Once I started I didn’t put the book down until I was done. I cannot wait to see where things go next with the Kilpatrick-Daly family.

Happy Reading!

Release Date: 13-February-2024
Read-and-Listen, Mystery, Female-Led, Thriller

Plot Summary

The mystery of three missing teens and a traumatizing murder unearths decades of buried secrets.

Twenty years ago, five teenage campers disappeared. Two eventually turned up, bound and left for dead on the Columbia River’s rocky shore. Only Devin Bonner miraculously survived, but with no memories of what happened in the Oregon forest.

After decades, the cold case generates heat for FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick and her husband, Police Chief Truman Daly. They’re investigating the murder of a true-crime podcaster found at the river’s edge in the same location, and with the exact same manner of death. With the discovery, Devin’s nightmares return. His only real friend is Ollie Smith, Truman’s orphaned ward, whose own search for the truth sucks Ollie into a mystery far greater and more dangerous than anyone imagined.

Following a trail of fresh blood and an escalating series of murders, Mercy and Truman must work fast to unlock whatever traumas are buried in Devin’s memories before the secrets of the past claim another victim.