Fans of Kendra Elliot will recognize Noelle Marshall, the tall blonde Deschutes County sheriff’s detective who has appeared in several of the author's Columbia River series as a supporting character. Marshall takes center stage in Her First Mistake, which alternates between the present and 13 years ago, when Noelle's wealthy politician husband, Derrick Bell, was murdered in their home in California. Noelle was present but suffered a severe head injury that has left her with no memories about what happened, but Derrick's family think she had something to do with his death. Having created a new life for herself in Oregon, Noelle isn't pleased when two Sacramento FBI agents turn up to question her and her family members about Derrick's murder. Will they solve the cold case before anyone else is hurt? As with all of Elliot's books, there is lots of excitement, balanced by well-developed, likeable characters and a twisty (and difficult to predict) plot!

Fantastic.. This was such a good start to a new series by Kendra Elliot. I ate this book up. This is the back story of the FMC and knowing the back story makes her why so much better.

“𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵.” Indeed they do!🩸

This is the first book in the new Noelle Marshall series and what a great start! I loved it and was hooked from the very first chapter. This book is told in shifting timelines and I loved the peek into the beginning of a relationship already knowing how it ends. Fascinating!

Thank you to Netgalley, @mbc_books, and @amazonpublishing for the gifted book.

Her First Mistake by Kendra Elliot is the first book in the new Noelle Marshall series and what a brilliant book this was, especially as it was full of good twists and turn that will have you hooked from the very beginning to the very end. I really enjoy Her First Mistake and I am looking forward to Kendra's next book.

Thirteen years ago, Assemblyman Derrick Bell was murdered in his home by an intruder. His wife, Noelle Marshall, was left for dead. The crime was unsolved, but it wasn’t forgotten. The case was still left open.

Today, the FBI are now tackling it and looking for a new fresh perspective on the case and they are looking into looking to Noelle Marshall, who is the deceased wife. Noelle is now a detective for the Deschutes County sheriff’s office, for new clues. Now, with the FBI reopening the case, everything that Noelle thought was behind her. every Memory of that day and her escape from a traumatic childhood, especially from a marriage that wasn’t the perfect love story she’d been promised.
Her husband Assemblyman Derrick Bell whose charm and privilege hid a dark side. But Noelle has been hiding something, which is a big secret about the night Derrick died that she has never told anyone. Not even her closet friends!

Now, the past and present are merging together and one thing is frighteningly clear. Derrick BellDerrick’s murder wasn’t just unsolved. . . . . . . . .It’s unfinished.
Only the truth, can save the next victim. . . . . Before it is too late!

WoW, this book was excellent and I loved this new character Detective Noelle Marshall.

Her First Mistake by Kendra Elliot is the first novel in the Noelle Marsall series. If you’ve read the Mary Kilpatrick & Columbia River series, you’ll remember Noelle. Noelle is a detective for the Deschutes County sheriff’s office, whose husband was murdered in an unsolved home invasion years ago. A suspenseful introduction to the series that is not to be missed.

I enjoy Elliot’s stories, so I was excited to dive into this new series featuring Noelle Marshall. Thirteen years ago, Assemblyman Derrick Bell was murdered in his home by an intruder. His wife, Noelle Marshall, was left for dead. It’s an unsolved cold case, and it is now being reopened. Noelle is now a detective for the Deschutes County sheriff’s office and learns it’s been reopened when she is called in for questioning. Right away, I was pulled into the story that unfolds.

This story shares both past and present timelines and really allows the reader to understand Marshall and what motivates her. Noelle is keeping some secrets, and it becomes apparent that this case is far from over. Alice, the detective who handled her case and still communicates with her, guided her career in law enforcement. Elliot did such a great job, and I loved how this unfolded. We get plenty of twists as we realize Noelle is still in danger. I devoured it quickly and look forward to the next book in the series.

Her First Mistake was a gripping mystery and the perfect introduction for the Noelle Marshall series. I highly recommend it to folks who enjoy suspenseful police procedural novels with complex character development.

Now this is how you kick off a new series! Kendra Elliot delivers a thrilling and suspenseful ride in Her First Mistake, seamlessly blending the past with present-day investigations. Noelle Marshall is a standout lead—tough, layered, and impossible not to root for. I loved watching her character unfold as her past collided with a chilling new look into her husband’s murder.

Even better? Cameos from other familiar faces in Elliot’s universe made this even more satisfying for longtime fans. I haven't finished the Columbia River series, so this was my first time meeting Noelle—and what an introduction!

The mystery kept me guessing with a cast of unlikeable suspects and a few truly unexpected turns. The audiobook narration was excellent, adding even more depth to an already engaging story. Also, the connection between Noelle and Special Agent Max Rhodes? Yes, please. I'm hoping we see more of him in Book 2.

Highly recommended for fans of twisty suspense and strong female leads. I’m already counting down to the next one!

Thank you, Brilliance Publishing/Brilliance Audio, and Montlake for the ARC and ALC! Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book one in a new series by Kendra Elliot.

As you’d expect, Kendra gives another great story of love, loss, suspense and mystery.

You will not want to put this one down. Having to wait for book two is heartbreaking.

Love Kendra Elliot and of you have never read her you are truly missing out on a master story teller.

This is another good mystery from Elliot set in the Pacific Northwest, this time in Bend, OR. It is a cold case investigation. It was interesting that Noelle, wife of the man murdered 13 years ago, is now a police detective herself. The narrative jumps from the current time to various times before the murder and also a few days after the murder. That jumping around is not particularly a plot technique I like. Each time period was clearly defined however. It did provide the background to the murder, the events leading up to it, while at the same time covering the current investigation. Elliot did a good job of providing a number of suspects while leaving the true murderer reveal until near the end. That included a surprising twist I had not anticipated.

I like Elliot's writing style and have read most if not all of her books. This is the first in a series and I will be watching for the next one.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

We're going back to Deschutes County, Oregon with this new mystery series. This time the enigmatic and mysterious Detective Noelle Marshall is getting the spotlight treatment.

We learn so much more about Noelle in this book and I was blown away just how far her character has come. From poor but loved beginnings, getting her degree, falling in love with the rich boy and then watching life fall apart.

It's been 13 years since the death of Derrick Bell, Sacramento politician, but it would seem that his death is coming back to haunt Noelle once more. Between his rich, snobby, elitist family and the new FBI investigation into the death, there is no way for Noelle not to involve her new colleagues into her backstory.

Noelle's fragmented memories, dreams and amnesia have delayed her true healing from this trauma and it looks like the killer still thinks that she knows more than she does and is out to silence her, and her family, for good!

Noelle gets to show off some of her softer side in this book. She's usually full of confidence, sass and don't-mess-with-me-attitude, but this time around we see the coping techniques she has designed to cope, the worry she constantly has that she has "forgotten" something. Her family is her everything and the bond between them is so tight but even that will be rocked!

The attraction between her and a certain FBI agent is instant but neither of them are exactly in a position to do anything about it. However, as the story unfolds, it looks like love could definitely be in the air for these two!

It was nice to see some of the characters from the Columbia Rivers stories filter through the story to keep the whole "universe" cohesive. There are some great new secondary characters introduced in the book, including Noelle's mentor. There are two distinct timelines within the story itself but I never got lost in which timeline I was in and the twists and turns from one story ease seamlessly into providing new information for the current timeline.

Fab new series and my feminist little heart is so happy that it's Noelle's series and not a double act with her potential new beau!

A wonderful first book in this new series as the author flashes back and forth between the past and present of Detective Noelle Marshall’s life. Noelle was married to wealthy business man and Assemblyman, Derrick Bell. Police were called on the night Derrick was murdered, but who made the call as Noelle was knocked out by a hit on the back of her head? Due to her injury, she has never remembered what happened that evening. Thirteen years later, Noelle is now a Detective with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Department. She had tried to be what Derrick needed her to be, but seemed to fall short of his, and his families, expectations. She is surprised when she is called into the reopening of Derrick’s case as she still hasn’t remembered, other than her confusing nightmares. Two FBI agents have been assigned the case, Dave Keaton and Max Rhodes. Max soon feels protective of Noelle, but must ignore those feelings. Noelle is protective of her family, hating that they have to relive those years again. The author smoothly takes us through Noelle and Derrick’s life before the murder, forward to just prior to his death as well as after and now, thirteen years later. It is obvious that someone has a secret that they will kill to protect, but who and why? A completely absorbing mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

Gripping from the beginning. I loved Noelle and was so invested in her journey. This one is full of twists that keep you guessing. And I really enjoyed Max. I cannot wait for more of these characters and community.

I loved this thriller. I listened to it and it made two early morning road trips fly by.

The book goes back and forth a bit in time to tell the story about an unsolved murder of a politician and the attack of his wife.

Thirteen years after the murder the FBI are looking at the case again. The wife of the murdered politician, Noelle, is now a county detective, and she has no memory of the attack.

The book does a great job of sharing snippets of the crime and Noelle’s life leading up to the crime.

Once the story stays in the current FBI investigation, there are some great twists and I was shocked at the conclusion.

This is a perfect summer page turner!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Her First Mistake by Kendra Elliot in return for my honest review.
This is the first book in a new series by Kendra Elliot featuring Noelle Marshall. This is a really well written thriller that had me hooked from the beginning till the end, can’t wait for the next instalment a great start to a new series.

Thank you @mbc_books @amazonpublishing for a gifted copy!

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Her First Mistake (Noelle Marshall 1)
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Kendra Elliott
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: June 10, 2025
5⭐️

🔸 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 🔸
I loved this book and the new series focusing on Noelle Marshall! I’m a big Kendra Elliott fan and have of course seen Noelle in her other books working with Detective Bolton, and I was excited to hear she was getting her own series! And it does not disappoint!

Noelle has a mysterious past that is thrust into her present life as a Detective, when FBI agents want to reinvestigate the unsolved murder of her husband, Assemblyman Derrick Bell. Noelle was hurt when her husband was murdered and her memory has been fuzzy of that day, so she has been trying to move forward from her traumatic past.

Noelle is a dynamic and interesting FMC. She has a rough upbringing, and has made some not so great choices in life, but ultimately she is a survivor and a fighter. Kendra does an amazing job at writing strong FMC leads who work in law enforcement. Noelle is far from perfect, but she is resilient and knows how to turn her life around for the better.

The back and forth timelines in this story worked really well together as they introduced us to Noelle and her history/past marriage, and to the current investigation. I love cold case mysteries, and it’s always interesting to see the main character start to get back their memories from a traumatic event.

I enjoyed the hint of a romance in this book. The ending of the book left me excited to learn more about another character soon! This book was a great start to a new series!

🔸 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
🔹 Police Procedurals
🔸 Female Detective
🔹 Unsolved Cases
🔸 Past/Present Timelines

What a well done first book in a series! Not only did it introduce the characters, but it also had a very compelling story of its own while letting the reader know more was to come! After finishing it I realized it was a spin-off from another series by Ms. Elliot. I didn't feel like I had missed anything by not having read those books. It didn't hurt that parts of the book took place in Sacramento, a town I know very well! The author did a great job of not falling into misidentifying traps but kept things vague enough that I could fill in the blanks myself and feel like I knew where the events took place. Obviously not all readers will have that luxury, but it did make me enjoy those bits of the book better. I have already added the second in the series to my TBR!

We’ve met Noelle Marshall in Mercy’s series, this is her story. Marshall had a rough start, helped raise her two sisters, worked in a bar and then met Mr. Stoli. She had a wonderful marriage until tragedy struck. The first third of the book is bounced between FBI interviews to the days and years leading up to the incident. Carefully woven to create the mystery of the whodunit her story is powerful and intense. This is going to be another smart series with a female lead facing the criminals of this world and I’ll devour every page. I never wanted this one to end and had difficulty putting it down. I’ve written my review voluntarily after reading an advanced copy.

A great story! Noelle has been a character that I've wanted to learn more about from the author's other books. I was excited to read the first book that is set with her as a main character. Boy does she have a story! The book rotates between the past and present as we learn what happened to Noelle's husband. There were a few surprises as the book goes on. I found the book to be quick paced and well constructed. I look forward to more stories from Noelle in the future. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

13 years ago, Noelle Marshall and her husband Assemblyman Derrick Bell were attacked. He died, and she survived. Through dedication and hard work, she has been able to slowly surpass that awful night. Now that she is a detective, her case is being reopened, and all the past fears, worries, and repressed memories are coming back. With the help of Special Agents Thodes and Keaton, the truth will be painful but will set her free.

Her First Mistake focuses on Noelle, her past before the attack, during her marriage, her family, and her present. It was a lovely story of survival, strength, perseverance, and resilience. 💫💫💫💫💫
Thank you, Netgalley and Montlake, for this ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

What a fabulous read! Finally... Noelle's back story! Or a hint of it! Her First Mistake is the start of a new series featuring some old friends Elliot's readers have met from other titles. Jumping timelines from when Noelle's politician husband was murdered and she was injured, leaving her with no memory, to her meeting and courtship to current when she's now in law enforcement. I was kept guessing the entire book with every hint tying up perfectly! Another winner from Elliot!! Thank you, Kendra, as always, for the ARC

Explosive yet endearing! The first book in a brand new series from Kendra Elliot is sure to please her diehard readers because we see some familiar faces along the way from previous series that we all love and adore. The main character that this series revolves around is Detective Noelle Marshall. We learn quickly about her unexpected past and follow along every step of the way as twists and turns lead us to answers we never were expecting. The characters are easy to like and make you want to know more about them, the case is intriguing and the mystery surrounding it is addictive. I loved every minute and can't wait to see what happens next for Noelle and Max. Highly recommend!