Crime reporter Holly Sparks is haunted by her sister’s unsolved murder from 10+ years ago. While trying to solve this case and work, she catches onto patterns and hints that the police don’t. However, the police don’t necessarily believe her theories.
Quickly she realizes there is more than one type of killer, and sometimes they are hiding in your own backyard or house.
This was my first Audrey Cole book, and I will definitely be adding more to my TBR list. So many twists and turns, and shocking moments. I had my jaw on the floor by the end of this story. Great work, Ms. Cole. I can’t wait to read more of your books!

** Spoilers ahead**
The First Hunt is a chilling and atmospheric prequel that expertly sets the stage for a dark, addictive serial killer series. As a long-time true crime fan, I was immediately pulled into the twisted narrative—and I didn’t want to look away.

The story centers on Holly, a true crime writer with a haunted past and a violet cop fiancee. When bodies begin to surface, all signs point to him as the possible killer. But nothing in this book is as it seems.

What unfolds is a disturbing and fascinating look at the making of a serial killer—or in this case, two. The reveal of a father-and-son killing duo is as horrifying as it is compelling. The psychological dynamic between them is one of the most gripping parts of the novel. You’re not just watching a crime unfold—you’re watching a legacy of violence take root.

Knowing the son becomes the killer in The Final Hunt (which I absolutely loved) made this origin story all the more impactful. There are moments in The First Hunt that hit differently once you realize where he ends up. It adds a chilling sense of inevitability to the whole thing.

My only critique is that some timeline shifts were a bit jarring at first, but once the story found its rhythm, I was hooked. The pacing is tight, the tension palpable, and the psychological undercurrents run deep. Also, I wish we would have dove into Tanner more.

Highly recommend reading The Final Hunt first before diving into this. You'll appreciate the darkness and connecting the dots even more.

The First Hunt
By: Audrey J. Cole
Pub date: June 17. 2025
Publisher: Rainier Publishing
I really love this series by Cole. Another fast paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller about a serial killer. The other two in the series are The Final Hunt and The Last Hunt. They can be read as stand-alone, but they are both must reads as well.
Imagine finding out your father is a serial killer and you aspire to be just like him! John knows things about his dad and his father starts to share some of his secrets.
The other part of the story finds an author looking for the killer of her sister. As the years go by, she finds herself way to close to at least one serial killer! Could one of them committed the heinous crime?
This book has you looking over your shoulder and making you more aware of your surroundings even AT HOME!!!
Than you Rainer Publishing for this e-ARC. I have already pre-ordered this book to add to my others by this author.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to read The First Hunt by Audrey J. Hunt before it is released. I loved this book. The author takes the serial killer genre and injects some new life into it.

Its propulsive plot is rocketed along by populating the story with flesh-and-blood characters with believable backstories. I felt like I knew these characters and was invested in them to the point that I wanted to know their fates.

I don’t want to give away any of the surprises that the author has for readers. Highest marks from me and I look forward to her next book! Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to get my hands on The First Hunt. Ms. Cole has done a phenomenal job.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and Audrey J. Cole for the opportunity to read an advance copy of The First Hunt. Be sure to check content warnings before diving in.

This was my introduction to Cole’s work, and I had no idea it was part of a series going in but it absolutely works as a standalone. Now I’m eager to read more from her, even if it means going out of order. She definitely deserves more recognition!

The First Hunt is a fast-paced, twisty, and suspenseful thriller with strong character development and a plot that pulls you in right away. It checks all the boxes for what I love in the genre. My biggest complaint? I wanted more of it. The chapters we do get are great, but I found myself wishing there were more of them, especially in Part 1. Some of the time jumps felt too big, and Rebecca’s brief POV felt unnecessary it could have easily been folded into Holly’s perspective.

If certain events had been shown instead of summarized, the epilogue wouldn’t have needed to tie up quite so many loose ends. There were moments that felt rushed because of the limited space, which took a little away from the overall impact.

That said, I really enjoyed the forensic elements and the way the plot unfolded it gave me crime TV vibes in the best way. While that added to the entertainment factor, it also made some twists predictable, and a few police scenes stretched believability. Still, I was fully engaged throughout.

I’d definitely recommend this one and look forward to diving into more of Cole’s books!

4.5 stars!

The story is set in Seattle in 1984 during the reign of the Green River Killer. The protagonist, John, discovers that his father is a serial killer, blurring the lines between hunter and hunted. Trust is broken, unlikely alliances are formed, and John must confront his primal instincts as he grapples with his father's dark secret. The book delves into the chilling mind of a killer and the inner conflict of a boy forced to confront his bloodline.

The third book in the series turned out to be a prequel, adding a whole new layer of complexity to the story. It could easily be mistaken for book three, as it delves even deeper into the past of Cameron's husband and his father. I didn't read the blurb beforehand, so I was a bit confused at first, but everything fell into place as the connections between all three books became clear. The second book hinted at John's father and some similar killings, sparking suspicions of a copycat.

Little did I know that this book would bring to life the infamous Green River Killer. I had to do some quick Googling and podcast listening to fully grasp the scope of this real-life serial killer. Turns out, the actual Green River Killer confessed to the murders of 70 women! It's fascinating how the inspiration for this book stemmed from a chilling true crime case, even though the details are quite different.

The writing was top-notch, with all three books intricately weaving together to keep you on your toes. If you're a fan of suspenseful reads, police procedurals, and mind-boggling facts that send you down a research rabbit hole, this book is right up your alley. While it can be enjoyed as a standalone, I highly recommend not skipping the previous books to fully appreciate the intricate web of connections.

This book lingered in my mind long after I finished it, prompting me to uncover even more in my research. Who knew a fictional tale could lead to such a deep dive into the dark corners of reality?

Thank you, BooksGoSocial, for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏. 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓. 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕.

I absolutely could not read this book quickly enough. Written as a prequel and origin story for a character who appears in THE FINAL HUNT series, this installment was steeped in the nostalgia of the 80s where neon and big hair existed alongside the Green River Killer, one of America's most prolific serial killers.

There are two stories existing separately that will eventually collide. We begin with a man is out for a drive with his young son. He leaves the boy in the car after picking up a prostitute. The father instructs his son to wait in the car, and he walks the woman into the forest. The boy's curiosity and imminent knowledge of what his father is compels him to leave the car to investigate. What he witnesses will shape the course of the rest of his life.

Holly is a reporter and a true crime author, and she's also the sister to a murder victim. She has dedicated her life to searching for patterns that the police missed and trying to track down the car her sister was seen getting into. She's engaged to a police officer, Jared, but she's struggling with both his temper and his lack of interest in her sister's case, telling her to leave it to the police.

I absolutely loved all the different points of view and how the author brought these plots together. What I love with prequels is that you can read them first to set the stage for the rest of the series, or read it like I did, in order of publication, to really get that 'origin story' feel. Thank you so much to the author and Books Go Social for the early copy. This book is expected to publish June 17, 2025.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc! I so enjoyed this book!

I loved that this series went backwards and this book gives us a look into John's childhood and how he was influenced by his father.

The book wasn't what I anticipated at all but it majorly exceeded my expectations! This was definitely the final piece of the puzzle and I loved it!

What an awesome story. Love the mystery and the twists and turns. This is one of my favorite books I've read this year. Audrey J. Cole is an amazing author

The First Hunt moved exceptionally fast and I found myself finishing it in record time. I actually didn't realize that this book was part of a series until I had already started. However, it can easily be read as a standalone. The writing was very well done and the book was suspenseful enough to not want to put it down. The only downside is that now I feel like I need to go read the rest of the series but my TBR is already ridiculous!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Holly lives next door to a serial killer but she doesn't know it yet. Holly's sister disappeared and Holly has been searching for answers to what happened to her for years. Holly thinks her sister is one of the victim's of two possible serial killers . She is on the hunt to find out. Writing true crime books while searching for answers with an abusive Ex boyfriend stalking her ....well let's just say a lot is going on in this book. There is another storyline of John a serial killers young son slowly learning that the man he calls his father is killing women. Love the different storylines that end in intercepting. This was a fast read for me kept me very interested. Great book with a great mystery and lots of suspense!

I was so excited for this one, because I loved the other 2 in this series, but this one fell short of my expectations. Good, but not great. This is John’s origin story and it also has true crime aspects as it includes a real life serial killer.

If think what was really missing from this story is his wife. She was the one I loved in this series. I would have rather read her origin story. I think the little surprise at the ending was the best part for sure. If the author decides to write another, I hope we get more of Cameron.

Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Great prequel that fills in some gaps and provides great background for “The Final Hunt”. The book works well as a standalone and great characters are developed by the author, keeping the reader guessing constantly about the murders and murderers..Obsessed writer/sister, abusive fiancé, disfunctional father and son, and others are well represented and appropriate in their roles.

4⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Please check TWs before reading The First Hunt.

This was my first read from this author, and I had no clue when I read this that it was part of a series. I had no issues reading it as a stand-alone and definitely want to check out her other books, even if it’s out of order. Audrey J. Cole deserves more hype!

I really enjoyed The First Hunt. It was twisted, entertaining, suspenseful, and the characters were well developed. It basically has every aspect I could ask for in a thriller. The only issue is it wasn’t long enough. Every chapter we got was great, but I wish the time jumps were shorter with more chapters, especially in Part 1. Rebecca’s one chapter felt really out of place and unnecessary, and could’ve been part of Holly’s POV. If there were more chapters and less summarizing of events, so many loose ends wouldn’t have needed to be tied up in an epilogue. It felt like too much was happening in not enough words, so some things felt a little rushed.

I loved the forensics aspects and the way the story plays out. It reminds me a little of popular crime TV, which is super entertaining. The only qualm I had with this was that it makes it a little predictable, and some of the police interactions were a little unrealistic, but nonetheless it was an engaging read. Would definitely recommend and I can’t wait to read Cole’s other novels!

When a ghost from her past reignites the darkest of hunts, no one in Seattle is safe. Seattle, 1985 Crime reporter Holly Sparks is haunted by her sister's unsolved murder a crime she's convinced was the work of the infamous Green River Killer. But her investigation takes a terrifying turn when she uncovers a chilling truth: There might be two monsters stalking the city, and one wears a badge! Great read! This book had great suspense, murder, mystery, dark secrets and, intriguing, kidnapping, and some wild twists and turns! The story was very interesting! I definitely recommend reading this one! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Thank you for the opportunity of reading an ARC! I’ve read multiple books by Audrey Cole and loved them, so I knew I needed to see what this was about. Great style writing. Love the back story we get. One thing I didn’t realize was this is part of a series. Will be reading the others !

My favorite book out of the series!! Loved the background story of the main characters! Must read! Read this book in two sittings today.

I did not know this was part of a series. I do not read series. This was creepy and well written. There were several twists in this book I did not see coming. I just do not want to have to wait for the second book.