March Book Club: First Night by Ember Scott
First Night (Jessie Night Thriller Book 1) by Ember Scott
I have a confession.
Even though I write and read a lot of cozy mysteries where the villains are more “small-town scandal” than world-domination evil, my personal TV and reading tastes sometimes wander into darker territory. I grew up devouring spy thrillers by Tom Clancy, loved the dystopian drama of The Hunger Games, and recently binged the newest seasons of The Diplomat and The Night Agent.
So every once in a while I pick up a book that leans much more toward the thriller side of the crime fiction spectrum.
That’s exactly what happened with First Night.
If your ideal mystery involves bakers, bookstore owners, or event planners solving crimes between cupcake batches… this might not be your next read. The central crime in this story is genuinely gruesome, and the book doesn’t avoid that reality.
The story follows Jessie Night, a former military investigator carrying more than her fair share of trauma. Think a female version of Jack Reacher who’s competent, tough, and not entirely comfortable in civilian life yet.
Jessie arrives in the quiet lakeside town of Pine Haven hoping for something simple: rest, peace, maybe even a normal life after years of high-stakes work.
That dream lasts approximately five minutes.
When a horrifying crime shocks the entire town, Jessie quickly finds herself pulled into the investigation. Her main ally becomes Alex, a young local police officer who recognizes pretty quickly that Jessie’s experience might be the town’s best chance at figuring out what’s going on.
There are hints of a possible romance there, though in book one it’s very subtle with more mutual respect and quiet partnership than sparks flying across the room.
What really kept me turning pages was the mystery itself. The story weaves through a web of small-town connections, questionable real-estate dealings, biker gangs, and secrets that run deeper than anyone expected. Every character seems to have a connection to the case in one way or another, which makes the investigation feel layered and tense.
And like many small-town police departments in fiction, the force is full of personalities and hidden dynamics that slowly unfold as the story progresses.
In the middle of all that darkness, one bright spot: Blizzard the dog.
Once again, Ember Scott proves my long-standing theory that a good dog improves nearly every story and can heal at least a few emotional wounds along the way.
This book definitely delivers on what thriller readers expect: high stakes, fast pacing, and a mystery that keeps escalating until the final reveal. It absolutely kept me reading past my bedtime, which is my personal test of whether a story is working.
If you enjoy intense thrillers with complex small-town secrets and a strong, battle-hardened heroine, this one will keep you glued to the pages.
Just maybe don’t start it at 10 p.m. unless you’re prepared to stay up later than planned.
Kelly Brakenhoff is the author of 17 books and a seasoned ASL interpreter. She splits her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and children’s books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog.
In 2025, two of her children’s books were selected for the CBC Favorites Award Lists, honored by teachers and librarians nationwide for excellence in children’s literature. Parents, kids, and educators love the Duke the Deaf Dog books and activity guides because they introduce ASL and the Deaf community through engaging stories.
And if you enjoy a smart female sleuth, want to learn more about Deaf culture, or have lived in a place where livestock outnumber people, the Cassandra Sato Mystery series will have you connecting the dots faster than a group project thrown together the night before it’s due.
A proud mom to four adults, head of the dog-snuggling department, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.