The First Hunt by Audrey J. Cole is a gripping thriller that blends suspense, mystery, and intrigue.
I really enjoyed this very fast paced suspense novel.
This book had me hooked from the start and I could not put it down. The story is suspenseful and twisty from the beginning to the end.

The First Hunt
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
By Audrey J. Cole
Publishing date: June 17, 2025

Thank you to netgalley for this arc. I am so grateful I got to read this book before the publishing date! This book weaves the tale of a villain’s dark past and what leads to making them a killer. I enjoyed this prequel and the dual POVs. Holly is a true crime reported haunted by her sister’s unsolved murder. Will she solve her sister’s murder or will she end up in danger herself?? Holly’s life is a bit rocky to begin with and add in a hunt for her sister’s killer and trouble is bound to follow! If you are looking for a good psychological thriller, then this is the book for you!

The First Hunt is a compelling and fast-paced thriller that delivers a solid blend of suspense, action, and emotional depth. Audrey Cole does a great job developing a strong female lead and a plot that keeps you turning the pages. The Alaskan setting adds a unique backdrop that enhances the tension throughout. While a few plot points felt slightly predictable, the overall story was engaging and well-executed. A gripping read that’s perfect for fans of crime thrillers with a fierce, determined heroin

This book gripped me right from the prologue! I have to admit, it was a TOUGH START for me personally. I mean, I actually had to put it down a few times before I could keep going. The initial scenes (I'm talking about John's early experiences) brought back some old memories from my own childhood. Nothing as extreme as what happens in the book of course. But it reminded me of a strange family friend who once gave me a big headset to wear so I couldn't hear what "they were doing." It was a weird, unsettling feeling... and this book just coincidentally tapped into that same kind of discomfort for me. Don't get me wrong. Definitely not a flaw in the writing at all! It was just a "personal connection" that made the story even more intense.

Audrey J. Cole does an incredible job of building suspense, especially with the backdrop of the Green River Killer in 1984 Seattle. The way John's ordinary life slowly gets twisted by the terrifying secret of his father's "uncomfortable" activities is truly chilling. You can feel John's growing fear and confusion as he starts to realize THE MONSTER isn't just "out there,"... but much closer to him.

TROPES:
- intelligent psychopath
- the monster next door
- psychological manipulation
- mind games
- family conflict

What I love about this book?
1. This book is great at showing how a dark secret CAN MESS with someone's mind.
2. You'll really feel John's trust break down and his STRONG NEED to understand what's happening.
3. You'll keep wondering who he can ask for help, and who else might already know the secret.
4. Last but not least, I absolutely loved following Holly's story in this book! I was totally hooked on her search for answers about her sister's murder. Her investigation takes a shocking turn when she starts to suspect there are two dangerous people out there. This book is a thrilling ride that will keep you guessing right up to the end! You'll be cheering for Holly through every twist and turn.

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NOTE: This is my personal opinion about the book. My goal is to share my experience, not to change anyone's perspective. Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early copy of this book! I really enjoyed this one! I haven’t read the others in the series but I don’t feel like I was missing any key information. It was a fast paced and easy to read book.
I’ve read other books from this author and was looking forward to this one. It was fabulous as usual! The characters were developed well and the twists and turns were well written. I loved how everything came together leaving no unanswered questions. Can’t wait to read the other two in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Books Gone Social for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I'm really not sure how to describe this book without giving away spoilers but I can say that it was an amazing read.

It was very fast paced and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I did find myself checking the locks and looking over my shoulder at times.

Holly was a very likeable main character.

Highly recommend!

I didn't realize it was part of a trilogy, and I have to admit I felt a bit lost even at 35%! So i guess it was my fault!

This is the first book I’ve read in this series and it appears to be a prequel to the rest of the series. I was hooked from the first chapter by the characters and mystery. There is an authors note at the end that the serial killer in the book is real, which I found very interesting. I really enjoyed this book but thought it ended suddenly. I’ll have to read the rest of the series now!

Thank you Rainier Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Holly Sparks, a crime reporter, obsessed with finding her sister’s murderer as it remains unsolved. She is convinced it is the Green River Killer. Five years later her bestselling true crime novel, Holly’s violent ex-husband is let out of prison and the murders start up again. Now she must face a deadly choice be the hunter or the hunted and potentially be the next victim by trying to uncover the truth.

I loved this book. It was a cross between true crime and fiction and it was fantastic. I really liked the timeline jumps and the character switches it wasn’t confusing like some books can get. The twist was pretty interesting I am excited to check out the next 2 books in the series already out. I loved the character development on all characters. It was great to see some of the true crime woven into the story. Definitely a great book.

If you love true crime this is a must read.

Cole is one of my favorite authors and I always jump at the opportunity to review her latest book. I have read every one of hers and I think this may well be the best one yet. The plot was compelling. The character development of Holly was good but I was a little disappointed in some of her dumb choices. Being a true crime author, she should have known better. But, with the twist near the end, it all came together.

A Washington life long resident, I well remember the era of the Green River Killer. Cole has crafted a great thriller woven around the events of that time. The plot development is very good, building tension. One twist half way through gave me chills. And the twists at the end were shocking, so unexpected.

While this is related to The Final Hunt series, it is a stand alone and reads very well on its own. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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

Audrey J. Cole’s The First Hunt is a dark and captivating thriller that takes readers deep into the mind of a killer, offering a chilling perspective that sets it apart from the typical whodunit. From the very beginning, the reader knows who the predator is—what makes the story so gripping is experiencing the calculated thoughts and motivations behind each move.

With an atmosphere that echoes the unsettling intensity of Dexter, Cole crafts a story that is equal parts disturbing and addictive. The psychological depth, combined with a sharp narrative pace, keeps the tension high throughout. The First Hunt is a standout for readers who enjoy morally complex characters and a front-row seat to the mind games of a killer. A strong start to what promises to be an intriguing series—I’ll definitely be reaching for the next installment.

I really enjoyed this! I do want to preface this with saying I have not read the other 2 books in this series yet, so my review is going to be based on my experience not knowing anything that happens in the future.

I really loved the way the author wrote this story. It was incredibly compelling right from the start, and at 6% I was already typing my theories in my notes app. A serial killer is on the loose, and everyone is a suspect (mainly the men, but I’ll admit there were times I even wondered if Holly or Laurie could have been behind any of it). Around 60%, I had my own personal suspects narrowed down to 2 people, and one of them was semi-correct. But what I thought made this book so great is that there’s so much going on - the GRK, the potential for there to be a 2nd person piggy backing off the GRK’s murders, there’s everything happening to Holly, etc - that even having semi-guessed one twist, there was still so much I never saw coming. I think the use of the dual POV was genius, and I thought the ending of the main storyline before the wrap-up (last couple of chapters) & epilogues was so unique.

Thanks a million to BooksGoSocial & NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Seattle, 1985 & Holly Sparks is working as a crime reporter whilst pitching ideas for true crime books to publishers. The Seattle area is currently being stalked by the Green River Killer & Holly wonders whether her sister was one of his early victims. Her sister's unsolved murder looms large in her life & Holly also comes close to being killed when her ex-fiancé, Jared, attacks her in rage for breaking off their engagement.

Five years later & now a successful true crime writer, Holly has continued her search for the truth of what happened to her sister & the evidence pattern suggests to Holly that there were two killers back then: the Green River Killer & another she has dubbed the Bus-Stop Killer. No-one else believes there are two serial killers but there have been rumours that he may have been a cop. Jared was a cop back then working on the GRK case & Holly wonders if he may have been the BSK hiding his victims amongst the other kills. When she finds out her ex-fiancé has been paroled & she realises she is being followed, Holly knows it's Jared back to silence her for good.

The prequel to 'The Final Hunt' & 'The Last Hunt' is set in 1985 & is about the making of a serial killer. Weaving in parts of the story from the real-life Green River Killer, this one has pace & some surprising twists. Like Cameron (the female MC in the main two books), Holly Sparks is a lead character that the reader can't help rooting for & you really want her to find the evidence to uncover her sister's killer. The development of John from an unwilling witness to becoming the Teacher Killer is very well done, but I'm still conflicted on whether the twist concerning Det. Tanner Mulholland was a twist too far or not. If you like fast-paced thrillers with sympathetic main characters & haven't read this short series yet, I recommend you do.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, BooksGoSocial, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

The First Hunt is a fast-paced prequel that dives into the mind of a boy who discovers his father’s darkest secret. Set against the backdrop of the Green River Killer era, it’s a must-read for psychological thriller fans. Audrey J. Cole has become one of my new go to authors!

The First Hunt was a gripping and fast paced read that had me hooked from the very beginning.
Holly’s determination to find her sister’s killer made the story incredibly emotional and easy to connect with. I really felt for her, especially as the twists and reveals started to unravel, some of which truly shocked me!
Audrey J. Cole does a great job mixing real life crime history with compelling fiction.
The atmosphere of 1980s Seattle and the Green River Killer backdrop made the story even more intense. I loved how this book tied into The Final Hunt, but it also works perfectly as a standalone. The ending had a couple of jaw dropping moments that left me wanting more.
If you enjoy true crime vibes, suspense, and strong female leads, this is definitely a book to add to your list. I’m excited to read more in this series!
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

I have read the rest of the series so I should have know what the ending of this would be but i was still expecting it to go differently for some reason.I liked the story . and the mystery .

This book was the little story before the real story peek. It set the tone of the books to come, and just wets your appetite for some more thrilling offerings by the author! I enjoyed this one, will read more in future.

WOW AUDREY.

No really, I literally screamed "STOP WHY AUDREY"
She really went there with this story!

If you've read any of the others in this series then you know how good, mysterious and heart-pounding these stories are! It was such a shock for me when the twisty twist came (mostly because I didn't WANT to believe it) even when I figured what direction this would go.

I binged this story because it was so easy to feel for the characters, specifically Holly. It's easy to read because you're drawn into the story. I could not get enough and SO wanted for Holly to succeed in finding her sister's killer.

I guess with knowing this is John's book I should known where this story would go and how it'd end up but I didn't want it (insert crying emoji @ the author). There were two last twists that I found jaw dropping and made me want to reread The Final Hunt immediately!

Great for true crime fans! This is a fast paced and compelling. Living in Washington state gave me a unique interest in this book since we all grew up hearing about the Green River Killer!

This was so good! I've already read the other books so it was exciting to see how it all began.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!