this book is a gripping, suspenseful novel that pulls a detective into the heart of a cold case she thought was buried forever. Thirteen years after the murder of Assemblyman Derrick Bell, Noelle Marshall, now a detective, is forced to confront her darkest secrets when the FBI reopens the case. As long-hidden truths and shocking twists emerge, Noelle must face the terrifying realization that Derrick’s death may be far from the last—and only the truth can stop it.

3/5 Stars – Solid Suspense, But Not Her Strongest

Her First Mistake is a decent, fast-paced thriller with some intriguing twists and a strong lead character. Kendra Elliot knows how to build suspense, and there’s a nice balance of action and emotional tension throughout the story.

However, the plot feels a bit familiar, and a few of the twists are predictable if you’re a regular reader of the genre. Some side characters lack depth, and the ending wraps up a little too neatly for the buildup. That said, the pacing keeps things moving, and the writing is polished as always.

It’s an enjoyable read, especially for fans of Elliot’s previous work, but it doesn’t quite stand out among her best.

I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Noelle is a detective with a past and that past is coming back. Why is the FBI calling her in to go over that terrible night again. She can’t remember what happened. But someone close to her does know and she and her family are in danger.
Is she going to remember in time?

This is a new series by Kendra Elliot so don’t look for Mercy Kilpatrick.

Kendra Elliot’s “Her First Mistake” is the first book in a new series. Set in Oregon, this book tells the back story of Noelle Marshall. Primarily it involves the murder 13 years prior of Assemblyman Derrick Bell and the attack on Noelle, who was married to Derrick. Noelle is now a detective in the local Sheriff’s office when two FBI agents arrive from Sacramento, CA to interview her and her family members again.

The book alternates for most of the book between multiple timelines – the five years leading up to the attack, the investigation after the attack, and present day. The reader learns about how Derrick and Noelle met, as well as how their relationship (and marriage) began vs. what it became.

I had read a couple other books from Kendra Elliot so it was nice to see a couple guest appearances from characters I know are in her other books. For example, Mercy Kilpatrick has a couple interactions with Noelle in this one. This book started a little slow for me, but once I got used to the different timelines, the pace picked up. I was a little underwhelmed by the ending, but I may be in the minority.

Overall, I recommend this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

I confess I have not read the Columbia Rivers series where Noelle features so to me this is all brand new. This was not a disadvantage as it is Noelle's origin story. Through reading this, I learnt about Noelle and those around her. The plot is electrifying and I could not put this down, I ended up reading this in one sitting. There are plenty of twists and shocking moments in this too. I will definitely read more of these.
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for an advance copy.

What an emotionally charged book. We learn about Noelle’s past and it’s quite surprising. This book is a thrilling roller coaster ride. I found myself holding my breath a few times. Max is a very interesting character. This book is an invigorating read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Finding out about Noelle's past was so interesting and intriguing. I certianly didn't suspect Adam, but I did think that Noelle was a bit naive to not realise that her own husband was using. I am glad that they managed to get a conclusion and looking forward to the second book and hoping that Noelle gets to go on mnay more motorbike rides.

I had the privilege of reading this as an ARC.
I loved this first book in the new series about Noelle Marshall.
The book captured me from the beginning and held my attention throughout. Quite a few twists and turns, and kept me guessing until the end.

After reading this book till 4 am, the first thing that came to my mind was I want more. Couldn't stop reading and just wanted more.

This new series is Noelle's story along with loved past characters and wonderful new ones. I'm usually not a huge fan of multiple timelines but they worked here. Great book to learn more about past and present Noelle and a great introduction to this wonderful new series. You know it will be a good book when Mercy and Evan join the cast of characters, even if it's in a minor way.

I could hardly wait to read this new book because it was a new series from Kendra Elliot. I knew it would be a winner before I even opened up the book because Kendra is a suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat writer and this book doesn't disappoint.

Looking forward to more of Noelle & Max with hopefully more Daisy.

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC for my honest review.

I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. “Her First Mistake” is a fast-paced crime thriller. It follows main character Noelle, who 13 years prior had survived an attack in which her Assemblyman husband was murdered. In the present, Noelle is now a police detective. The story itself alternates timelines from the past and now the present. I found it easy to follow along with the plot. You will kept guessing. I have read Author Kendra Elliot’s Mercy Kilpatrick series, of which this is a spinoff of. I would recommend this book and author to those who love a fast paced novel.

Thank you Montlake for providing this book via NetGalley for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed the dual timelines in this book as well as the multiple POV. I was pulled in from the very start and didn’t want to put it down until I had the answers. I kept trying to piece together who committed the crimes, and I was still guessing up until the very end. I would recommend and will read more by the author.

This was a good story. I have read others by this author and was glad to see her new one available. It features a new character, and I believe there will be more for Noelle. The backstory is a little tedious, but as it relates to Noelle's current life and career change, it all comes together. All in all, a good story and I will continue to read any books featuring this character. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC.

Very good read and well written!! The storyline was great! I’d definitely recommend reading and I’ll probably end up putting it on my to read again list when I hit a spot of not knowing what to read next!

Kendra Elliot’s new series didn’t disappoint. Her First Mistake tells the story of Noelle Marshall’s husband through a non linear timeline. I could not put the book down and was invested in all the characters. I cannot wait to read the next book!

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy

*Spoiler Free* I really love this author’s interconnected standalone series. This is a spin-off of another of the favored series: Mercy Kilpatrick. However, you do not need to read any of the previous novels to enjoy this one—this story does truly standalone. This one is about Noelle Marshall and how her history led her to be where she is now, working as a Sheriff’s Detective. In her past, her husband, an Assemblyman, was murdered by an intruder, and his case was never solved. The cold case is being opened again years later and Noelle is being questioned again about that night.
I truly enjoyed the different timelines in this story. Usually, timelines are mostly balanced between the past and present. But this book had much of the past timeline in the beginning and I felt it really worked for this book. Then unveiled things over the course of the book which kept me invested in the story and trying to figure it all out. You get to know this character’s previous life both before and after meeting her husband and some of their life together. You get to know her family and their relationships. You get to care about what happens to this character so that the stakes are higher in the present day. Noelle is a likeable character, struggling through trauma, yet strong, brave and very nurturing to her family, putting them first. In the present, having the FBI re-open the case is bringing up old emotions in Noelle and her family.
Overall, this book was a thriller, suspense and mystery rolled into one. There was action and intense events, clues to unravel and a small subplot of romance. It was hard to put down because it kept you guessing. But ultimately it was about friendships, family and justice. I highly recommend this book to introduce you to this author or for those who already enjoy her work.

Thirteen years ago, Noelle Marshall was left for dead in her house. Her husband Derrick Bell, an assemblyman, was murdered. Noelle was hit in the head and has some memory loss. It was left unsolved. Now Noelle is a detective of the Dechutes Sheriff’s Department and the FBI shows up. They have reopened her husband’s case and are interviewing everyone involved. Her in laws still think it was her. The FBI thinks she remembers more than she’s telling. Little by little her memory starts to return and the truth will shock them all.
This story kept me hooked from the first page. Very suspenseful. The start of a love story. What bothered me most was how she kept going back and forth between past and present. It would be before the murder. So many days after. And then the present. It would have me so confused but I couldn’t put it down.

* VOLUNTARILY READ AND REVIEWED FOR NETGALLEY *

Thirteen years ago, Noelle's husband, an affluent politician from a wealthy family, was murdered and she was left for dead with huge gaps in her memory. The murder was never solved and now a new look into the unsolved case has someone trying to tie up loose ends.

I loved how this book was written in multiple time lines, giving us a look at the original murder investigation thirteen years ago, the present with new FBI agents trying to put the pieces together, and the days before the crime that offers so many questions as to who could have done this and why.

Noelle worked hard to put her life and her memory back together and now thirteen years after she was left for dead, she's a decorated detective but she still can't remember the events of the day her husband was murdered. And instead of remembering, she's starting to forget more things. The one thing she does know is that her marriage wasn't as it appeared and now it's obvious with recent threats that someone is nervous she MAY remember and they'd do anything to make sure she doesn't.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed every character in this story, the slow burn pace that absolutely grabbed me and had me anxiously waiting for all the clues to come together. I can't wait to read more in this series.

Her First Mistake is a new series by Kendra Elliott. Noelle Marshall is currently a detective for the sheriff's office. The FBI have come to visit as they are revisiting a case that involved her over a decade ago. No one knows about Noelle's past in her office. She thought that she had moved on from the horrible night 13 years ago when her husband was brutally murdered and she was left for dead. She has had memory issues since then and doesn't remember much of that night. Noelle's husband's family always blamed her and thought she had killed their son. However as the FBI starts to interview everyone again and asking questions weird things start to happen.

I love all of Kendra Elliot's books, I have read them all. I couldn't wait to read this when I got the galley from Netgalley, but unfortunately I was reading the latest Karen Rose book (via audible) and I had a hard time separating the beginnings of the two books, luckily the stories are completely different, so once past the beginning I was fine. Great story with plenty of twists and turns with a new character introduced with other characters that are like old friends. Hopefully not too long until the next book is released.