This is the second installment in the Ellery Hathaway Series and I was pretty excited for this one after reading The Vanishing Season. It was great to learn what Ellery and of course Reed were up to now.

Ellery is on leave from her job, after the fatal shooting she was involved in. And it doesn't take her too long to find herself back in some dangerous situation. While attending a support group for victims of violent crimes, she finds herself looking into a case of a rapist and not only that an old arson case. Of course, FBI Agent Reed Markham is all to happy to help her. They have a sort of connection after everything they went through in book one. He also wants to make sure she is safe, but was it all strictly professional or person?

You'd think after everything that happened to Ellery in her life, she would run danger, but instead she run towards it. I have to say I admire her tenacity but at the same time I questioned her sanity. She has NO fear and gets herself into some very dangerous and almost deadly situations. Reed however, is also by hers side trying to help her with the cases and trying to keep her safe, which of course isn't easy.

There was no shortage of suspense and thrilling and frightening moments all through this and it sure kept my on my toes till the end. While the cases that were involved this time around might be solved, there are still so many questions about Ellery and Reed that still need to answered, and it all makes for a great set up for the next installment, All the Best Lies that will be out early next year. And it is one that I am pretty excited to get my hands on.

New author for me but pleasantly surprised. Thank you for the approval and look forward to a book relationship with other reads in the future,

This book is the second in the Ellory Hathaway series, and while it can be read as a standalone, it’s advisable to read the first novel before starting this one to understand some context.

The Noel starts with Ellory out of work and in therapy after the final confrontation and shooting in the first novel. Her therapist suggests taking part in a support group for victims of violet crime. There, Ellory meets two women who intrigue her and prick her officer instincts. She calls in Reed and the pair begin to dive into both a recent case and a historic one.

The mysteries in this book are great - the clues are laid out as the author wants them to be and he solutions are very emotional and tie everything together. Things end as they should and I was very anxiously turning pages to find the solutions.

The subject matters are very sensitive, and they’re handled really well. There’s a lot of complex emotions involved, and we really feel that as the readers, in my opinion. Things play out as they would in real life, not a fairy tale, and that makes the book more powerful.

I really like Ellory, though I don’t know if I’m a fan of her complex relationship with Reed. I don’t get a real romantic vibe from them, but maybe it will grow on me? Regardless, there’s a very intriguing storyline with Reed that is not wrapped up, so we’re going to have to wait to see how it plays out!

Thanks to the publishers for sharing this one. I liked it a lot more than the first book, The Vanishing Season. The author seems to have really come into her own this time. I look forward to the next one. My full review appears on Weekend Notes.

This is the second book to feature policewoman Ellery Hathaway, an extremely well drawn character. I did not read the first book, however I didn't feel too lost when I picked up No Mercy. The story itself was entertaining, if a little complicated. There is also a featured male character, FBI profiler Reed Markham. He and Ellery have history and he is pulled into her affairs while trying to settle one of his own cases. The plot is well woven, a little predictable, but held my attention well. I think what I appreciated most was the thoroughness of the character profiles, both primary and secondary. I would definitely read more from Joanna Schaffhausen.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

Ellery and Reed are back for more crime fighting and close calls! I really enjoyed this book and it absolutely kept me on my toes. Ellery (previously known as Abigial) was once the victim of a serial killer. She was the one who survived. She's now a small-town cop on leave after a justified shooting and is being forced to attend a weekly group for victims of violent crime in order to get her job back.. She meets an interesting cast of characters, one who needs her help and the other whose crime sounds like justice may not have been truly served. Of course, Ellery needs the help of new friend and old protector, Reed Markham of the FBI. Can they figure out what's going on before someone else gets attacked?

This was a fast and engrossing read and I really enjoyed all the characters. Once again, I can't wait to see what's next for Ellery and Reed. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Minotaur, St Martin's Press and the author, Joanna Schaffhausen, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of No Mercy in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
When I received this book initially, I did not realise that it was a follow on from another novel by the author.
I had no trouble in picking up the backstory though, and quite enjoyed the literary ride this book provided.
I thought it was well written with realistic, well developed characters. Will definitely be reading the previous novel as well as more in this series.
Well worth a read.

Minotaur Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of No Mercy. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Ellery Hathaway is a police officer with a tortured past, currently on administrative leave after shooting a man to death. Ordered by the courts to see a psychiatrist before being reinstated, Ellery ends up at a survivor's group for victims of violent crime. Here she meets Wendy Mendoza, a young woman whose case has gone cold due to lack of evidence, and Myra Gallagher, whose infant son died in a fire. Asked by Wendy to look into her unsolved case, Ellery enlists the help of FBI agent Reed Markham, with whom she has a past history. When Ellery starts digging into both Wendy and Myra's cases, will her own safety be put in jeopardy? Does Ellery's own past brush with her own mortality give her a unique perspective?

No Mercy is the second book featuring Ellery Hathaway and Reed Markham. The author has settled into the characters more, especially in regards to Reed. The biggest issue that I had with No Mercy was the sheer number of side plots. As the action goes back and forth between these tangents, the central plot gets a little lost. Ellery is a headstrong woman, determined to right the wrongs after her brushes with the depravity of the world. Reed finds his voice a little more in this book, especially in regards to his convictions. Ellery and Reed work well together, as I find that many successful mystery thriller novels include characters from the FBI and the police working in tandem to find a perpetrator. Moving forward, I would love to see the author streamline the plot a little more, working on one case at a time instead of muddying the waters with needless side plots. Readers who are new to the series can certainly start with No Mercy, but for continuity sake, I would recommend reading The Vanishing Season first.

No Mercy is a mystery/thriller and the second book in The Ellery Hathaway Series. I really enjoy both books in this series however, No Mercy is my favorite so far.

Police officer Ellery Hathaway survived being brutalized by a serial killer when she was a teenager (this isn’t a spoiler because it’s revealed at the beginning of the series). She was saved by Reed Markam, an FBI profiler many moons earlier. Currently Ellery is on leave from work and trying to get in touch with her feelings in an attempt to find some sense of normalcy, so she attends a support group at the urging of a doctor. At the support group she finds herself engulfed in unsolved criminal acts that she wants to help specific individuals put to a close. Putting herself in danger in true Ellery style, this fast-paced, psychological thriller will have you turning pages faster than your hands will allow.

I love this series however No Mercy is written so well that although this is the second book in the series it can be read alone. Great engrossing, and unique, plot that boasted well-developed flawed characters that you’ll enjoy getting to know. Can't wait to read the next book in The Ellery Hathaway Series.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Synopsis from the Publisher/NetGalley.com
Police officer Ellery Hathaway and FBI profiler Reed Markham take on two difficult new cases in this stunning follow-up to The Vanishing Season.

"A gripping and powerful read. It is what we call an edge-of-your-seat, rollercoaster of a thriller. You will not be able to put it down before you finish it."—The Washington Book Review on The Vanishing Season

No Mercy is award-winning author Joanna Schaffhausen’s heart-pounding second novel.

Police officer Ellery Hathaway is on involuntary leave from her job because she shot a murderer in cold blood and refuses to apologize for it. Forced into group therapy for victims of violent crime, Ellery immediately finds higher priorities than “getting in touch with her feelings.”

For one, she suspects a fellow group member may have helped to convict the wrong man for a deadly arson incident years ago. For another, Ellery finds herself in the desperate clutches of a woman who survived a brutal rape. He is still out there, this man with the Spider-Man-like ability to climb through bedroom windows, and his victim beseeches Ellery for help in capturing her attacker.

Ellery seeks advice from her friend, FBI profiler Reed Markham, who liberated her from a killer’s closet when she was a child. Reed remains drawn to this unpredictable woman, the one he rescued but couldn’t quite save. The trouble is, Reed is up for a potential big promotion, and his boss has just one condition for the new job—stay away from Ellery. Ellery ignores all the warnings. Instead, she starts digging around in everyone’s past but her own—a move that, at best, could put her out of work permanently, and at worst, could put her in the city morgue.

It is always good to find a new series of books to get into.
This is the second book in the series but the book is so well written that you could read it as a stand-alone.
This is a powerful suspenseful read that I didn’t want to put down

This is book 2 of a series and, once again, I did not read book 1. While I do believe that I could have benefited from reading book 1, I don't feel that the background was actually lost.

I do believe that this is a series that I will definitely stay with. I want to stay in touch with Ellery Hathaway, a police officer that is on 'involuntary leave' because she shot a real scum bag. Because of the shooting she is forced into attending group therapy for those victims of violent crime.

Many thanks to Netgalley and St Martins Press for this advanced readers copy.

Years ago Ellery Hathaway was the seventeenth victim of serial killer Francis Michael Coben . FBI Agent Reed Markham managed to rescue Ellery and years later helped her solve another case. As a result of the case she is currently on leave from the police department while she completes her department-mandated therapy where she meets Wendy who was brutally raped and Myra who is confined to a wheelchair, covered in severe burns. Can Ellery help find Wendy’s rapist and find enough reasons to keep Myra’s arsonist behind bars?

No Mercy by Joanna Schaffhausen is the second book in Ellery Hathaway series. This is another action packed thriller with lots of twists & turns that will keep you hooked and to top that has an explosive ending. I cannot wait for the next book in the series !

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

Great mystery and plot to No Mercy, the second in a series by Joana Schaffhausen. I didn't realize until I started reading it that it was a sequel. WHIle I enjoyed it very much, I know if would have been even better had I read the first one (which I intend to do ASAP!) Would recommend!

Police officer and violent crime survivor Ellery Hathaway and FBI agent Reed Markham return in this fast-paced followup to the Vanishing Season. Ellery is on leave after she kills a serial killer and an unwilling participant in group therapy for survivors of violent crimes. Two other members of the group have cases that draw Ellery into investigative mode and she soon enlists the help of Markham. As the mystery unfolds and Ellery uncovers some shocking details, her life becomes once again in peril.

Joanna Schaffhausen has become a new favorite author and I can’t say enough about about the quality and intrigue of this series. The characters are well-developed and very real. The plot has many twists and turns that had me guessing right up to the last page. Schaffhausen recently came to speak at our library and I was very excited to hear that she has a contract for 5 books in this series with the third one coming out in early 2020. I recommend this series to all!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Minotaur Books and Joanna Schaffhausen for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars
Here I go again.....adding another series to the bulging bookshelf and I am not even sorry. Although this was book 2, the author sheds enough light on Ellery and Reed's backstories that it makes a good stand alone. Both characters are pretty damaged and yet together they make a fantastic team as they try to look into an arson case and a rape case. Neither of these cases were connected except that two of the victims are in Ellery's support group. But even before that I was hooked from the lead sentence You kill one guy one time , and suddenly everyone thinks you need therapy.

Now I might not describe this story as fast paced, but it was still highly engaging and makes me think that I might want to continue exploring this author in the future.

This is the second book in the series that picks up right after the end of the last book.

Ellery Hathaway is on leave from the police force for shooting a murderer instead of detaining him. She is forced to go to therapy in order to get back to active duty. Ellery is not too pleased with discussing her past since it was everywhere already.
From her therapy group, she decides to help 2 women or at least find out more information. Wendy is a victim of rape and that experience is ruining her days and Myra is a victim of arson which took her sons life who is also dealing with the possible release of the arsonist.
Ellery asks for Reed’s help again and Reed cannot turn her down. He comes to town to help her find out what she can about both cases. Ellery disregards that digging into these cases could open up a much bigger mess. I like that about her and I think it is nice to have a strong female character that kind of just does what she wants to make things right. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

I received this from netgalley to read and review.

This was a great follow up to The Vanishing Season. The more I get to know Ellery, the more I like her. I love the chemistry between Ellery and Reed and I'm anxious to see where their relationship goes. I'm also curious to see what happens with Ellery's career. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the next book!

Unfortunately, when requesting this book I did not know it was a series. I tried to read it, but felt I would enjoy it much more after reading the first book. I will be updating my review, because I could not get it to it, once I’ve had a chance to see if I can read and enjoy the first and then this.
I will use in a challenge, as well as let the members of Chapter Chatter Pub know it’s out and a series that has lots of positive feedback.

This sequel to The Vanishing Season (that I was lucky enough to pick up from NetGalley) sees our heroine, Ellery Hathaway, suspended from the police department and forced to attend group therapy until she is deemed mentally fit to return to duty.

Of course Ellery doesn’t want to join in with the counselling sessions so instead she spends her time investigating the crimes of two of her fellow group members. One, Myra, was badly injured and lost her son in a furniture store fire. The man imprisoned for this arson attack is due to be released, prompting Ellery to look into the case. The other, Wendy, was a victim of a shocking random rape attack of which the police have no possible suspects. But Wendy’s complete transformation from happy young woman to an angry and anxious shell of a woman leads Ellery to call on Reed for assistance.

Reed Markham is a FBI profiler who rescued Ellery from the clutches of a serial killer when she was a teenager and worked with her when another serial killer decided to take her on in The Vanishing Season. I did like the way Schaffhausen included information from both of these prior cases in No Mercy without using any horrid info dumps. The mentions of the cases seemed organically placed and any reader jumping into the series with this book should be able to understand some of the characters' backgrounds without being fully spoiled if they want to go back and read The Vanishing Season.

I appreciated that Schaffhausen never used another serial killer as her main offender this time. I think three serial killers in anyone’s life is starting to get ridiculous.

I also thought having two crimes for our leads to investigate was a clever move and meant that the reader never got bored with the mystery/crime plot. The pace of the book was fantastic, skipping along with some excellent chase/action scenes in amongst Reed and Ellery’s profiling/analytical type detective work.

Even though there is no serial killer this time, the book is no less hard core than the first. The details of the rapes in particular are difficult reading at times. This is no cosy mystery!

The personal relationship of Reed and Ellery moved along at a suitably virtuous pace. I loved the cliffhanger ending Schaffhausen left us with and look forward to learning more about Reed and his family in the third book.

Schaffhausen is a friend of a friend but I don’t have to give No Mercy any preferential treatment. It’s worthy of a solid 5 out of 5 on its own merits. Highly recommended.

Blog: The Life & Times of a Book Addict..
Review Post on: January 25, 2019.

REVIEW:

I enjoyed reading The Vanishing Season and was looking forward to reading No Mercy when I saw book two in this series was coming out. I was not disappointed. No Mercy leaves off months after the events from The Vanishing Season. Ellery finds herself in some hot water over killing a man…a man who was a dangerous killer, but still. No matter the reason, she is required to do group therapy if she wants to get her job back.

If talking about her past won’t change the outcome, is there even a reason for her to go? Maybe there is more to this mandated therapy then she first assumes. Especially when during one of Ellery’s meetings, she becomes intrigued by the stories of a couple of the attendees. It’s not long before she becomes entangled in not one, but two mysteries surrounding two of those people.

I liked the pace of the story. Nothing felt rushed or drawn out. Once again, I enjoyed getting to uncover additional layers of Ellery’s character. Though she frustrated me more than once when she continued to take matters into her own hands and act like she was unstoppable. I can understand the need to help someone especially when you feel like no one else is listening to the victim and justice needs to be served, but Ellery continually put her well-being at risk when she should have just let the cops handle it. Of course, if she had done that, there wouldn’t have been much of a story for Ellery to involve herself in. I also liked the possibility of a slow burning romance between Ellery and Reid that lingered just beneath the surface of this story. Like the previous book, the mystery was not an easily guessed one and I had fun attempting to figure out who the bad person was.

Rating 4 out of 5.