“Together they sat quietly, simply holding hands and looking at the trees against the blue sky. “So peaceful.” Evan would never take his life for granted. Good job. Good health. And Rowan. He met her warm gaze, and they both smiled.”
The Next Grave, Kendra Elliot
The Next Grave is the sixth installment of the Columbia River series by Kendra Elliot. I read the rest of the series earlier this year and was so excited to get a copy of this before it’s published! The series follows recurring characters from Elliot’s other series who are all law enforcement in the Pacific Northwest. In this book, the focus has turned to Evan Bolton, a detective in a small Oregon town, and his girlfriend Rowan Wolff, a search and rescue canine specialist.
This book fit in perfectly with the rest of its series, with an expertly balanced storyline full of drama, police procedure, and well-known characters. This is the fourth book of the series that Evan has been a part of, but his first time being the main character. I really enjoyed the pacing of the plot, which was quick and intense. Every chapter opened new questions Evan had to answer, and it felt like I was racing against a clock to get to the end and make sure everything was okay.
The Columbia River series is classified as romantic suspense, and The Next Grave is the perfect example. We get to know Evan and Rowan and see their character development through a plot-heavy storyline. They’re interesting individually and as a couple, and their chemistry helps drive the already accelerated plot. Elliot’s talents as a writer shine in her couples. Each couple’s dynamics are unique and realistic, and stay true to the characters’ personalities. Her attention to detail is what makes it easy to remember everything in a 3-part integrated series of 21 books. But it’s her skill at showing the variety of emotions and thoughts of several characters at once that continue to capture my interest.
Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
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