Wow just Wow just wow. The author broke the mould when she wrote this book, as nothing is as it seems or turns out how you expect. It is sure to keep you up late into the night. The story is told by two characters, we follow Holly an investigative reporter as she tries to solve her sister's death and John a teenage boy who's fears over what his father has become grows. This leads to a lot of understanding as the story unfolds and fear as the tension builds. All of this helps to keep you hooked until the very last page and asking just how well do you know someone? This author is a master of her craft and one that should be on everybody's to be read list. I can't wait for the next book.

Holly was going to be an author until her sister's death had her changing direction, now she is a crime reporter tracking the man who killed her sister. Piecing together clues that the police don't see, can she find the serial killer responsible for her sister's death? At the same time her relationship with one of the cops turns abusive and her evidence sends him to jail. Will he come looking for revenge of move on? John a teenage boy learns more about his father than any child should know, a knowledge that has him fearing the cops and Holly.
I liked having the two different narrators, it made following along easy as you always knew who perspective you were listening too.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review

This takes place in Seattle in the 80's and I loved all the 80's references. It talks about the Green River Killer and the fear that gripped the area as women were being murdered and police were trying to track them down. Holly is a thriller writer and she lost her sister and she believes she was murdered by the Green River Killer. She is doing her own investigation and tracking clues trying to find the truth of what happened to her sister.

John is shocked to learn of his fathers dark secrets and fears that he will end up in jail. He witnessed something and must keep his fathers secret. After all it is hunt or be hunted.

I liked the multiple POVS, the fast pace and a twist that I didn't see coming. This is the first book I have read by this author and I will be looking for more.

Audio Book Review - Pete Cross, Adelaide Fernport offer a disturbing look into life both sides of the psychological aspects of murder and the effects on ones persona! Chilling in places and worryingly realistic the narrators combine to generate a landscape of fear.

I couldn’t stop listening to The First Hunt. Audrey J. Cole has such a talent for writing psychological thrillers that get under your skin—and this prequel to The Final Hunt is no exception. It dives into John’s backstory in a way that’s both fascinating and unsettling. Watching his descent unfold felt like slowly witnessing a train wreck—you want to look away, but you can’t.

The setting in 1980s Seattle during the Green River Killer era added such an eerie, realistic layer to the story. It grounded the fictional narrative in something that felt terrifyingly possible.

The audiobook narration was excellent. Both narrators did a great job capturing the tension and emotion of each scene, especially John’s inner turmoil. Their performances really pulled me into the story and kept me hooked the entire time.

If you’ve read The Final Hunt, this gives you so much insight into how John became who he is—but it also works as a standalone if you’re new to the series. It’s dark, disturbing, and exactly what I love in a thriller.

Highly recommend, especially in audio!

This book was a great addition to The Final Hunt series! I would highly recommend reading the first two books before reading this one! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this series of domestic thrillers and I think starting with The Final Hunt is a good idea!

It was interesting to get to read John’s origin story! I didn’t expect some of the twists related to him! He was much worse than I previously thought! I loved the ending of this one! Getting a glimpse of how John and Cameron meet was perfect.

Overall, a quick and engaging read! A great addition to The Final Hunt series! I definitely recommend listening to the dual narration audiobook!

Remember that time you thought this guy was a serial killer so you went over to his house with a bottle of wine without telling anyone where you were going, and then then snuck into his basement with no means of egress thinking you could waltz out of there with "evidence"? No? Right! Because no one does that!

SO MUCH SUSPENSE and I LOVED it! I devoured The Last Hunt last summer and it was absolutely thrilling and also chilling to get the back story in The First Hunt. The dual perspectives worked really well and both narrators were spot on. I have become a big fan of crime fiction and these were outstanding. Both books in this series are unforgettable.

THE FIRST HUNT is the prequel to THE FINAL HUNT. This is an engrossing story about the Green River Killer. It was fast paced and will have you quickly flipping through the pages. I really liked the character of Holly, she worked so hard and for so many years to find out what happened to her missing sister. This story kept me on the edge of my seat. I finished this book in one day. That’s how good it was! I highly recommend this series if you enjoy a lot of suspense.

Many thanks to Audrey J. Cole for my gifted copy.

This review will be shared to my Instagram account
(@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

3 stars

This book, which is part of a series that includes _The Final Hunt_ and _The Last Hunt_ made me think of one thing the entire time I was reading it: _Dexter: New Blood_. Unfortunately, the show is more compelling than the book that reminded me of it.

I enjoyed this book, but it felt less developed than its predecessors. The most intriguing character here is Holly, a reporter who is reasonably obsessed with her sister's unsolved murder. Holly's personal life even becomes part of this when she finds herself seriously involved with a police officer who also becomes a suspect. Look. If you're going to live in the Pacific Northwest, you can reasonably suspect that all dudes in Holly's demo are potential serial killers, so it's not surprising that with the indicators and geography, she grows suspicious. Holly's partner takes things to another level; he's not the kind of guy to break up and move on. So, when he finds new ways outside of their relationship to terrorize her, readers must also wonder what this guy and various other suspicious characters have to do with Holly's sister's death and if she will ever get the answers for which she is searching. The answers WE get? Well, they are definitely concerning.

The audiobook is well narrated, and this added to my overall enjoyment. I recommend this option when and where accessible and available.

Thanks to NetGalley and Spotify Audio for the advanced audiobook.

After journalist turned true crime author Holly Sparks is forced into hiding, when the ex-fiance who tried to kill her is released from prison, she finds herself trying to finish her latest true crime book while in constant worry that her ex will find her and finish the job. And she's always looking to solve the murder of her sister from a decade earlier. Luckily, she has a new (and very attractive) neighbor named Clint living next door and, along with his son, they're keeping an eye on her. But, as Holly's investigation into her sister's cold case warms up she finds that her ex might not be the only person she's in danger from.

This book gave me such heart palpitations. The beginning feels like lots of other mystery/thrillers, in terms of the set up and main female character who's plucky and persistent. By the middle of the book the twists kept me hooked in until the end, which was totally unexpected (at least for me) and as the prequel to THE FINAL HUNT series, made me interested in checking out the rest of Cole's books. This was a one sitting read.

The First Hunt is out June 17, 2025.