Who killed Sean and Lindsay ? and what does their death have to do with Emily, Tara and Madison's fathers death? Are they connected? It's up to Zander and Ava to delve into this mystery. There isn't a book that I haven't loved by Kendra Elliot she has the ability to grab a reader from the very start of the book and keep you interested. You get SO involved in the characters of this book that by the end of the book your hoping this is a start to a new series or even one more book! Loved the small town mystery with so many different layers as well as the main character Emily. I definetly recommend reading this book and any book by Kendra Elliot but plan to stay up all night reading because you will be hooked from the very first page!

This was another well-written mystery.  

At the end of the book, there is a promotion to read the prior book with the story of how the two deceives met.  I liked reading The Last Sister, but I didn’t like it enough to read the prior book.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

I absolutely loved this book. I am familiar with the author, having read a number of books from her other series so I looked forward to this book and the start of a new series. I was not disappointed. As with all her books, from page one I was drawn in to the story, not wanting to put it down. I find her writing style fluent and articulate which makes it a pleasure to read and the story line was well thought out and intriguing. 
Emily, as the main female protagonist, is an interesting and likable character who finds the murdered body of her friend and, in a frightening reminder of her father's death, her friend's husband hanging from a tree in the garden. 
The plot then twists and turns, weaving the mysterious past of Emily and her sisters into the current day aspect of the story. Fascinating and gripping. 
Read it - you won't regret it!

I couldn't put this book down. It's filled with questions, suspense, amazing MC and more. 

The Last Sister is book 1 in this new series and I can't say how much I enjoyed it. 
Gripping, suspenseful, loving sisters/Aunts, history, pasts, trauma, pain.... fill this wonderful story. 

You will fall for the MC's, enjoy their banter, the love for family and the need to find out what happens. 

If you enjoy thrillers/suspense stories- this is the one for you!!

4.5 stars from me

*Recv'd a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Wow this book was just so good and so easy to get lost in. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I just didn't want it to end. I just couldn't get enough of these wonderful characters and I just loved getting to see their journey. I will most definitely be reading more stories from this wonderful author.

The Last Sister by Kendra Elliot is the first book in the new romantic suspense Columbia River series. However, while this is the first book of this series this seems to be a sort of spin off from another of Kendra Elliot’s series with a few characters having been seen before but one does not need to have read the previous series to enjoy this one.

FBI special agent Zander Wells has been called to a remote Oregon logging town when a somewhat unique murder occurs with the body found hanging. However, this style of murder is not a first in this little town and it just happens the person finding the body was all too familiar with this type of death.

Twenty years before Emily Mills found her father after her was murdered and his body was left hanging in the backyard. Back then the killer was finally caught and Emily and her two sisters, Madison and Tara have tried to forget. Being caught up right in the middle of this new investigation has Emily and Zander stirring up secrets that have been buried.

I’ve read several of Kendra Elliot’s romantic suspense books but have sadly not gotten caught up on all of them just yet but I did know from what I have read that she is definitely a solid romantic suspense writer so I went in fully expecting to like this book, which I did. I do wish I had gotten to the Callahan and McLane series this one seems to spin off of though as one thing holding me back here was there were a lot of characters floating around to get to know and perhaps the ones making a previous appearance would have been easier to follow instead of being totally new too. Still a great start to this new series though that new readers and fans will enjoy.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

It took me a good bit longer to get into this book than it normally does for a Kendra Elliot book!  She is actually one of my favorite authors so when I saw that she had a new series coming out, I couldn't wait!  Overall it ended up being a great story, but the beginning was a little slow for me.

I felt like the plot was in depth and kept you entertained as you were reading.  I always enjoy strong female characters that don't need or want help from anyone, especially a man, and there was definitely no shortage of those in <i>The Last Sister</i>.  

There is something about Kendra Elliott's writing that has me hooked and keeps me wanting more!  Most generally, I am right there to get the new releases just as soon as they come out, just as I was with this one.

Overall, I was not disappointed with this story at all.  It was a great story that, although slow at the beginning, picked up the pace and kept my interest throughout!

**<i>I was provided this book by Netgalley in return for an honest and unbiased review!!</b>**

Three sisters suffer a terrible blow when their father is hung and their mother later commits suicide.  It breaks their family apart, one of them runs off and the other two move in with their three elderly aunts.  Years later another hanging occurs.  Could this be related?  When the FBI come to investigate, one of the sisters, Emily, finds herself falling for the handsome Zander but will he be able to solve the mystery of the hangings and ultimately find their sister? A great read!

The Last Sister by Kendra Elliot Fast paced mystery with outstanding characters with interesting and unusual circumstances.  Looking forward to  Zander and Ava's investigative challenges in the future.  Very good start to a new series. 

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel. I have never read this author, but I love a good cop thriller. The plot was nothing new, but I loved the bond the sisters Emily and Madison had with themselves as well as their great aunts. Their sister Tara took off over 20 years ago (and personally I thought she was dead) but it all had a happyish family ending.

Secrets from the past collide with a modern day murder in this thrilling suspense novel by Kendra Elliot!


When restaurant owner Emily Mills goes to check up on a late-for-work employee, she comes upon a shocking crime scene. The woman is dead and her husband is found hanging in the backyard– a déjà vu moment for Emily who found her father the same way twenty years earlier.

A horrible coincidence or is there a mysterious connection?

FBI Agent Zander Wells is brought in to help the local sheriff’s department on a possible hate crime of a young couple, and finds a town steeped in secrecy.

As the investigation delves deep, a desperate criminal amps up his game, threatening Emily and her family. Will the truth cost the Mills girls their lives?

This is a gripping mystery with multiple storylines that all weave together into a surprising conclusion I didn’t see coming (Gotta love a good mystery!), but thought there were several threads left dangling by the end of the book to give it a 5* review. Racism is the leading factor in the storyline, yet the author doesn’t use it as a platform to teach us a valuable lesson- rather it’s sensationalized and then almost forgotten in the subsequent murder/mysteries that take place throughout the story. I feel that was an important moment lost.

Overall, a good story,

I give The Last Sister 4 lovely kisses

“I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.”

The Last Sister by Kendra Elliot is the first  installment to her Columbia River series. As always with Kendra's books it is well written, intriguing, and enjoyable. 

Thanks NetGalley!

Another great read by Kendal,  It is fast paced but still eady to folliw. I enjoyed reading this book. It had my attention till the last page.

An excellent thriller with a little more depth than an average crime story. Very well written, pacy, excellent characterisation, an interesting and unusual plot, all had me hooked from page one. 

The various characters and their interaction was engrossing, I particularly loved the three Aunties, dippy and dotty though they sometimes were, their strength and love for their family shone through all their adversities.

I hope we meet Zander and Ava the FBI agents, again in the future, I would like to read more of their crime challenges, I believe they have already featured in an earlier work by this author, but this story is a strong stand-alone book, and it did not affect my enjoyment of it.

I’ve rated it 4 rather than 5 stars because I felt  that the budding romance was unlikely, and added little to the story.
I will look for more of this author’s work. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

I enjoyed this book, starts off quickly...in the main well paced throughout, although I felt personally it dragged in places...good character development, and a punchy ending!

I really enjoyed this book.  It was a mystery, a thriller, a murder story, it was violent in parts and very dark. I won’t outline the story as you can read that on the book cover or in other review, but I recommend that you read it..
I haven’t read anything by  Kendra Elliot before, but I’ll definitely reading some of her books now!

Hate crimes in the past and present, lies, threats, rumours litter this well-written book set on the Oregon coast. The characters are believable, the story makes you want to 'read another chapter, and the denouement is worth waiting for.

The story opens with Emily finding a smeared blood trail at the house of her best friend which leads her to the find a body hanging in a tree.  The intro ends with these words that make you sit up and take notice ... "Please. Not again."  Twenty years prior, Emily found her father hanged in their backyard.  So begins the journey into both these crimes - are they related, how is Emily involved, what is this family hiding?  The fast paced investigation that follows uncovers many secrets that are hidden in this small town, including the disappearance of Emily's sister after the death of their father.

Emily is quick to let you know what she thinks, but she isn't as strong as the appearance that she tries to keep up (or so she thinks).  We quite literally watch Emily grow to her true potential as the story unfolds.  She is thrown into the path of the FBI agent investigating the murders after she goes around the local police to report the crime that she thinks is being mishandled.

The characters are lively and intriguing; some of the darker history of Oregon is revealed.  The story doesn't disappoint.

Looking forward to learning more about Emily and Zander in the next book in the series.

**Received from NetGalley for my honest review.**

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

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
I stayed up way too late finishing this book. It’s a fabulous story about two grisly murders in the same small town. It’s a story about a family torn apart by secrets and lies – and it’s also a story about the same family pulling together and rebuilding after a series of unthinkable tragedies. The FBI must untangle years of Bartonville history before they can put an end to the town’s terrible history.

I like the FBI agents, Zander and Ava, but I’m still a bit frustrated that even though this is advertised as the first book in the series, the agents are actually introduced in Vanished. I feel like we’re expected to know them before this book starts and we don’t get too much character development from them in this story. The story is saved only because the Mills sisters are actually more interesting than the agents and they are wonderfully complex and secretive women that keep readers guessing until the end.

This story is a puzzle but it’s one that readers can solve alongside Zander and Ava. I enjoyed piecing together the many fragments from various points in time and I like that while I didn’t guess the whodunnit straight away, it makes perfect sense and provides a satisfying ending. I love the suspense in this story. It’s a gory read, full of action, blood, and bodies and there is one especially terrifying scene at the end that suspense fans will love.

I’m really excited to start a new series from Kendra Elliott but I hope we get to see more character from Zander and Ava in the next installment.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Thriller
Triggers: Racial Tones

Emily knows that something is terribly wrong when she finds her employee, Lindsay, dead in her home. What makes the situation worse is that Lindsay's husband is found hanging in the backyard, just like how Emily's father was killed. When she calls the local sheriff, she knows that they are going to need more help, so she calls the FBI too.

Zander Wells is an FBI agent who shows up to try and figure out why this new crime is so eerily similar to the death of Emily's father. He and his partner are as close as partners can be, but one look at Emily, and Zander is intrigued not only by the woman, but by her family.

Emily's family has kept secrets for her entire life. Her sister Madison, her aunts, and her long-lost sister, Tara. All of them have something they've kept hidden, but since nobody talks about it, it will take Zander digging around to uncover who is behind these crimes and why.

This is filled with a great mystery. I really like how it was woven around. I do think that the strange romance was a distraction. The story might have been slightly stronger without that. But I did like how it came together. It's not as good as the Mercy Kilpatrick stories, but it's along those lines.