I was lucky as my wish to read this book was granted, so many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author.

This is the second book by Joanna Schaffhausen following the Vanishing Season and as her first it was exciting and gripping from start to finish.

This is an extremely pacy thriller with lots of action and surprises. The plot is engaging with likable characters with a hint of romance.

Looking forward to read the next installment in this enjoyable series.

No Mercy is the 2nd book in the Ellery Hathaway series. I recommend reading the first book prior to reading this one.

The book was ok for me. There is a lot going on. Police officer Ellery Hathaway is on involuntary leave from her job because she shot a murderer in cold blood. She is forced to see a psychiatrist to see if she is capable to return back to work. Her doctor ordered her to go to group meetings for survivors of violent crime. There, she meets Wendy, a rape survivor, and Myra, who survived a burning building but lost her 2-yr old son. It's been 25 years since Myra's ordeal and the person responsible the fire is up for parole. Ellery and FBI profiler Reed Markham join forces once again to catch Wendy's raper and to find out who really started the fire.

I found Ellery to be more irritating as I was reading the book. She is supposed to be a police office with training, but her actions are impulsive and irrational. I like Reed's character but the things he was doing wasn't believable. Disobeying boss' orders and giving up not only his career but a chance for a promotion that would let him spend more time with his daughter. And all because he is "hot" for a girl. A girl that he rescued when she was 14 years old. The "romance" between them has no chemistry and seems forced. It's actually downright creepy and wrong to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of Joanna Schaffhausen's "No Mercy" in exchange of an honest review.

In the fall of 2017, I read and reviewed Joanna Schaffhausen's début novel, The Vanishing Season, and while I wasn't completely blown away by it, I did find it to be quite enjoyable and I was eager to see what else the author might have up her sleeve. No Mercy is her second book, and it's a sequel to The Vanishing Season, picking up shortly after that one left off.

It's important to know that this novel does not stand well on its own. While the mystery is completely separate from events in the first book, the relationship between Ellery and Reed, as well as key information about Ellery's past traumas, would be difficult to understand if you started with No Mercy. Because of that, this review will contain spoilers for certain aspects of The Vanishing Season.

Police officer Ellery Hathaway is on involuntary leave from her job at the Woodbury Police Department after shooting and killing the man responsible for a series of brutal murders. If she wants to go back to work, Ellery must attend group therapy sessions for survivors of violent crimes. She's not thrilled by the prospect of sharing the complicated feelings surrounding the shooting with a group of strangers, but her job is important to her and so, she reluctantly agrees to the sessions.

Self-examination isn't something at which Ellery excels, so it doesn't take her long to get embroiled in the lives of two other fellow group members. Wendy has survived a brutal sexual assault that the police seem unable to solve, and Myra lost a child in a deadly fire years before. Ellery is intrigued by the stories of both women, and decides to bring the perpetrators of these horrific crimes to justice. The fat that she's currently on leave doesn't even seem to enter her mind.

After poking a bit on her own, Ellery decides she needs help, and she reaches out to FBI profiler Reed Markham with whom she has a complicated history. Readers of the first book will recall that Reed's life was kind of a mess when we last saw him, but he's slowly managing to get things straightened out and is even up for a promotion at work. Even so, he drops everything when he receives Ellery's phone call and heads back to Woodbury to help her out. While I understand why Reed is so drawn to Ellery, there was a part of me that wanted him to tell her he couldn't come to her rescue. I kind of wanted him to focus on his job and his family rather than putting everything on the line for Ellery. Still, we wouldn't have much of a story if he did that, now would we?

I could say more about the plot, but I don't want to risk spoiling things, so I'll just tell you that I found this novel much more compelling than its predecessor. The characters are still extremely flawed, but I didn't find them nearly as aggravating this time around. Ellery is the queen of bad decisions, but Ms. Schaffhausen did a great job in helping me understand why she was acting so rashly, and even though I didn't always agree with her choices, I could at least see where she was coming from.

Ellery grows quite a bit during the course of this book. She learns to stop and think before acting, and she is finally able to let her guard down around a small group of people. I loved seeing her give into her inner vulnerabilities instead of working so hard to keep them hidden, and I can't wait to see her evolution continue in future books.

This is not a romance novel, but there is definitely some romantic tension between Ellery and Reed. I saw it in the first book, but it's even more apparent here. There are a host of reasons why a relationship between them isn't the best idea, reasons they both seem to be aware of, and yet, I can't help but think these two will end up together in a future installment in this series. They have a fantastic dynamic, so I hope the author decides to allow the spark between them to develop into something more.

If you're looking for a spine-chilling thriller to curl up with this winter, I recommend you give this one a try. The mystery is extremely fast-paced and contains several twists I absolutely was not expecting. Ms. Schaffhausen has matured so much as a writer, and I can't wait for other fans of suspense to take note of her work.

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“You kill one guy, one time, and suddenly everyone thinks you need therapy…”

How’s that for an opener? No Mercy started with this gem, and I was hooked from there! How could you not be with that line?

Ok, let’s back up a bit. No Mercy is the second book in the Ellery Hathaway series, which follows a Boston cop on involuntary leave after shooting a criminal and killing him. She also happens to be the survivor of an abduction by a serial killer when she was a child, and was rescued by FBI agent Reed Markham. It should be noted that I have not read book 1 (Vanishing Season) as of yet, and I did not feel left out of anything in this book, it stands alone very well.

As a condition of her leave, Ellery is forced into group therapy for victims of violent crime, and of course, she finds a couple of cases where her detective skills would be of better use than discussing her feelings and such. She needs the help of Reed Markham, obvi, and I really enjoyed the dynamic of these two. Also, her dog Speed Bump, was great in so many ways, I was very happy he played a large role in this book. And that name? LOVE.

The pacing was good, I was able to get through it in a couple of sittings. It was a little predictable but still very enjoyable. With the two cases going on there was plenty to keep me interested and entertained. I definitely recommend this although I do caution those with sensitivity to sexual assault / child abuse triggers. The book ends on a cliffhanger which was fabulous and annoying only in that now I am going to have to wait a bit for the next book. HA! In the meantime I will go back for sure and read The Vanishing Season.

Thank you to NetGalley for the electronic ARC to review. All opinions above are my own. Pub date is 1/15/19.

I was lucky enough to be granted a wish and was able to read this book and honestly it's my favorite for the month of January. I love this book from the amazing plot to the characters that will linger long after you finish it. Absolutely pick it up and see why it's my favorite. You won't be disappointed.. Happy reading!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Joanna Schaffhausen for the opportunity to read the second book in this great series revolving around Ellery Hathaway. I was so happy to get back to these characters and this book is even better than the first one.

Following up on Vanishing Season, Ellery is a police officer who finds herself off active duty because of the events in the last book (no spoilers here!). She's attending group therapy sessions for victims of violent crime as part of her required steps to get reinstated. There she meets a rape victim whose story pulls at Ellery's heart and her investigative brain. Another victim she meets is a burn victim who lost her small son in a fire. Needing help and support, Ellery calls back on Reed Markham, the FBI profiler who saved her life. Together they try to solve these crimes.

Put me down as one who is already anxiously awaiting the next book in this series - highly recommended!

Content warnings include sexual assault and family violence.

I fell in love with Bump immediately in ‘The Vanishing Season’ and now he’s back, shedding fur throughout the pages of ‘No Mercy’. Ellery and Reed are back, too. After the events of the first book (you could read this book as a standalone but I’d highly recommend reading them in order) Ellery has been suspended from her job and forced into group therapy with other survivors of violent crimes.

Because this is Ellery she’s not so interested in looking inward because, ugh, feelings! Rather, this is the perfect opportunity to get herself personally involved in the crimes affecting some of the other group members. Ellery starts investigating an unsolved sexual assault, whose perpetrator may be responsible for a number of other assaults. She also manages to get entangled in a historic arson case despite the convicted arsonist having already spent decades in prison.

Naturally Ellery, who is strong, determined and at times petulant, jumps in head first and pretty soon Reed, FBI profiler and the man who rescued her from Francis Coben’s closet many years ago, has joined her in Boston. Even though Ellery basically has Reed wrapped around her little finger I still really like him, or maybe I just want him to cook for me. No matter how much I like Reed he’s a runner up to his adorable daughter, Tula, who’s my favourite human character of this book. Sorry, but no human could ever own a piece of my heart like Bump does!

I loved that there was more of a focus on Ellery and Reed’s relationship in this book. Their initial interactions in the first book were understandably awkward because of their shared history up to that point. While they’re still finding their way they’re more comfortable in each other’s presence and they’re building a more equal relationship, although Reed still feels the need to protect Ellery and Ellery still understandably chafes at physical and emotional closeness with any man, even Reed.

Cover Rant: When I reviewed ‘The Vanishing Season’ I’d only seen the American cover and thought it was nice enough, if a bit tame as a representation of Ellery’s personality and story. Then I saw the UK version which, pardon the pun, nailed it! The American cover for ‘No Mercy’ again falls short for me while the UK version shines. The American cover for this book doesn’t give the reader any sense of who Ellery is or what this story is about. I think Ellery would be disappointed that there isn’t anything gritty or honest about this cover. Sure, looking outside the window you can tell that the story has moved to the city, but the matches on the UK cover? They grab my attention and make me want to know more!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Minotaur Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press, for the opportunity to read this book. Please publish the third book soon! I’m hanging off a cliff here waiting to find out what’s next for Reed!!!

I will say this isn't a stand alone novel but the author does an ok job of catching readers up on what happened in the first book but I feel it would be easier to under the story if readers read the first book in the series.

The story takes time to develop and for new readers to the series it might make it difficult to get though the first several chapters. The story is full of anxiety, tension and a mystery that will have readers wonder what could happen next. The romance between Ellery and Reed takes it times it starts to develop. Readers will enjoy the change in their relationship and excited to see how things develop throughout the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Minotaur Books for the advance copy of Joanna Schaffhausen No Mercy

I find myself reading a lot of psychological thrillers lately. Not sure if that says something about me or about the quality of the books I've been choosing. I do know that this one is an excellent example of quality writing and an engrossing cast of characters doing their best to survive.
Ellery is on leave and in therapy for killing a murderer. As a police officer she is expected to maintain a distance between her actions and her feelings...yea, not gonna happen. Trust Ellery to have her therapy sessions turned into crime scenes. She must investigate a maybe crime at the same time she's pulled into an unsolved crime that will bring her into dangerous contact with more than one criminal. Ellery leans on her FBI friend Reed. The two of them have a complicated friendship but Ellery knows she can count on him. The two of them make a solid crime solving team.
This book is a quick read. It keeps your attention solidly on trying to figure out what is going to happen next.

Even though this is the second book in the series and I didn't read the first book, I didn't feel like I had missed out on anything from before as I read. The main character, Ellery Hathaway is well written and dynamic and the supporting cast of characters brings a richness and depth to the story that is sometimes missing from other authors. The plot is filled with suspense, plenty of action, and some romance. I will definitely be back tracking and reading the first book in the series and keep my eyes out for the next book in the series. Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

Wow - all kinds of action

This is the second great book in the Ellery Hathaway series, following THE VANISHING SEASON.

Ellery is on extended leave from the police department after shooting a vile serial killer in the first book. She's mandated to get therapy plus her therapist decides she needs to attend group meetings for survivors of violent crimes. Her therapist wants her to actively participate in these meetings but instead Ellery involves herself in the stories of two of the other survivors.

As she looks into the crimes she ends up calling Reed Markham, the FBI agent who rescued her when she was a teenager from another demented serial killer (she seems to attract the attention of seriously warped people). Reed comes to help her and the action ramps up.

I like this series a lot and especially like the characters of Ellery and Reed - and also Ellery's galumphing dog Speed Bump. The characters are fully developed and the stories in this book are realistic and scary.

I recommend that you read book one first and don't miss out on this series if you like suspense, thrillers, damaged characters, or murder mysteries.

I received this book from Kensington Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

I am so sorry! I read what I was able to but I could not enlarge the print. I sure would have liked to read more!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

After reading the fantastic THE VANISHING SEASON, I was eager to get my hands on the sequel, NO MERCY. I was not disappointed!

Police officer Ellery Hathaway is now on involuntary leave because she shot a murderer at the end of the last book. The public also knows that she once was the single living survivor of a serial killer, which makes her something of a curiosity. Ellery hates this unwanted attention, as well as being required to attend group therapy for victims of violent crimes. All of this leads to her starting to investigate both an arsonist and a serial rapist. So she turned to her friend, FBI profiler Reed Markham for help, the man who saved her all of those years ago

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=67515

She thought of the nightmares and the day mares and the horrible claustrophobia that came from having a serial killer live inside your head. She could shake and scream and kick the walls but never got him loose.


Ellery Hathaway has lived with her pain being consumed by the media. Always guarded, always wary, never letting anyone in. To get back on the force, she must complete therapy of a support group of survivors. In her group she meets two complete different women with their own pain. One a mother who survived a fire but her young son was killed and a young woman who was brutally raped in her own home with no leads to the rapist.

Each of these cases has sparked a light in Ellery that she cannot ignore. She calls Reed an FBI profiler that has rescued her several times to help her with these two cases. The arsonist case was over 20 years and it looks like the wrong man may have been charged. Ellery and Reed uncover family secrets that lead threatening notes on Ellery's door.

The young woman that was raped has approached Ellery to help her find the rapist. Wendy feels that she cannot go on in life until her rapist is brought to justice. Ellery knowing the same pain as Wendy, does her own research to find the man.

With both these cases, Ellery's background, the chemistry between Reed and Ellery, the narration becomes intense as clues become uncovered. The end brings another mystery to uncover that will only bring Reed and Ellery together again.

A Special Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

First book I’ve read by this author but already I’m looking forward to catching up on the first book in this series.

This can be read as a stand alone novel however I personally would have preferred to have a better understanding of the initial story to help explain a few points.

That said it was a gripping storyline with plenty of twists to keep me enthralled.

4 stars

Another strong read written by Joanna Schaffhausen. This is book two in the series but could be read before book #1 as Joanna gives enough back story. It had been a considerable time since I read the first book, The Vanishing Season, after I received this book. We do pick up where book one left off with Ellery on "leave" from her job as a cop as she killed her someone in the last book. I don't want to give too much away in either book.

Joanna Schaffhausen knows how to write a dark deep twisted story. She made the female character likable even though she didn't have "cheery" disposition. We deal with dark subjects thrown in with witty banter which is a breath of fresh air. There are a lot of different mysteries that Reed and Ellery are working on but never does it seem too much. I like how everything was interwoven and how everything turned out. The relationship that is forged between Ellery and Reed is something to root for - even though it isn't what I normally read in terms of romance. It is right in tune for Ellery's character. You really need to read to experience this type of relationship.

How the book ended, I have high hopes for book for another book! No Mercy is on sale on January 15th! Pre-order and/or buy this book! The writing is wonderful and the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat.

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4 Had Me At Hello Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
I was lucky enough to have read the first book, The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen. I read it in a fury to get it all, engrossed throughout.

Now we have another strong entry with the returning characters of Police officer Ellery Hathaway and FBI profiler Reed Markham coming back together to see what is what with two different cases they find themselves drawn to...

Emily is on involuntary leave...note involuntary from her job. She killed a murderer and refuses to apologize for doing it. The powers that be send her to "counseling" and little do they realize what they have done. Emily is not the type of person who is going to get all touchy-feely and share her past life with a circle of others in the therapy. She has too much she has worked to keep hidden all of these years.

Instead, Emily uses her innate skills; she listens and observes. She hears a woman in the group reveal clues which may point to a man who was unfairly convicted for an arson crime. With another member, she experiences a need so strong from a rape victim, she reaches out to her FBI profiler friend to look into it.

What happens next is a read which will take you through all of the steps a profiler goes through, a continued friendship between two professionals and harrowing thrill ride to its conclusion.

A gifted copy was provided by St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for an honest review.

No Mercy by Joanna Schaffhausen is the second book of the thrilling Ellery Hathaway series. This series follows Ellery Hathaway who is now a police officer but Ellery wasn’t her original name, she changed and became the person she is today thanks to once being the victim herself.

Years ago Ellery Hathaway became victim number seventeen of serial killer Francis Michael Coben when she was abducted and held captive. Ellery was lucky enough that FBI Agent Reed Markham saw something other investigators hadn’t and followed clues to Coben’s home where he managed to rescue Ellery and put Coben behind bars making Ellery the one that survived.

However, while on a case in search of another killer Ellery’s worse nightmare came about and she and Reed had to solve both cases. Now after everything that happened Ellery is once again in the spotlight and forced to take a break from her job and enter therapy where Ellery meets another victim. Not being able to pass by helping another victim Ellery again finds herself asking Reed Markham to come help her with a case.

Being the second book of this series I already know what to expect and dare I say I think this one just got a little better than the first leaving me to rate it at 4.5 stars. What you have in this series is a small town vibe with a flawed main character that has taken her tortured past and turned into one heck of a strong female lead. Pair that up with a determined FBI partner that is still very much wanting to rescue and keep her safe and it makes for a great dynamic duo chasing down these killer cases. Definitely a fan and will look forward to more in the series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

No Mercy is the type of book I try not to read anymore; a crazed killer, a damaged heroine, and a slight will they/ won’t they subplot. Except when the book is written by Joanna Schaffhausen. Then I am on the hunt for the book.
Evidently you can’t shoot a crazed killer in cold blood. Especially you can’t pull that trigger if you are a cop. Even if you are Ellery Hathaway, the only survivor of the serial killer that the most recent dead serial killer is emulating. Confused? Then read The Vanishing Season. Not because it is necessary to understand No Mercy but just for the sheer pleasure. Read it and weep.
Anywhohows, as my ol’ daddy would say, Ellery is on suspension and is in forced therapy. Ellie doesn’t think she needs individual therapy much less group therapy for crime victims. She won’t apologize for shooting the psychopath and she already knows she is damaged w-a-a-a-a-a y beyond healing.
Some of these members have been in this group for a good many years, which is a pretty damn depressing realization on its own merit. In order to get through group therapy hell, Ellie decides to help out a few of the other members of her therapy group.
Ellery realizes early on that she can’t help these people alone and that she needs the help of the FBI agent, Reed Markham, who saved her once. He was drawn to help the young police officer once again in The Vanishing Season. For some odd reason Reed is told that he will pay a tough professional price if he aids Ellie again. Serial killers, the gift that just keeps on giving.
Schaffhausen has written such wonderfully damaged characters with Ellery and Reed. Ellery is haunted by why she survived when no other victims did. Reed is haunted by the “if only” thoughts of why he couldn’t have been faster, smarter and saved more victims. Ellery is his victory, and maybe now his downfall. Again.
Schaffhausen certainly kept me guessing. The crimes Ellery are asked to look into aren’t unusual but they are vicious and the victims are still hoping for some kind of peace and closure. Ellery, however, knows there is no such thing. With one villain, the leads were there, with the other storyline being a true whodunit. Ellie is also reminded of the law of unintended consequences.
Reed utilizes his analytic profiling skills to help Ellie despite the professional price he might pay, which sucks as he is finally coming to accept the personal price he has paid to be an agent.
Schaffhausen’s secondary characters were intriguing and spent no time in the “flat character green room” waiting to be brought on-page. When the other characters appear, they can be mesmerizing.
There are secondary plots with surprising family issues that are just as compelling and will have you eagerly looking for the third book.
There is a hint of romance between Ellie and Reed, but it never goes anywhere because the two numbskulls don’t seem to realize there are lots of airplanes, trains and buses that travel between Virginia and Boston. Which makes me crazy.
The pace is perfect; the dialogue is smooth until it explodes in unexpected directions. This nascent series is one of the best I’ve read in recent years.
My thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This series is only getting better....
No Mercy, the second book in the Ellery Hathaway series, continues with the theme of what happens to survivors of traumatic events after the initial event is over. The book starts out with Ellery on suspension after the events of the previous book, and in order to get back on the job she attends group meetings for survivors of trauma. Each of the members has experienced a different sort of trauma, and the author takes time to explore that. Through this group Ellery gets involved in two different mysteries, and again calls on FBI agent Reed Markham for help. What really drove the story for me was the development of the relationship between Ellery and Reed, which is slow, emotional, and took time to grow, but it felt real for the characters involved, as both are hesitant based on their past experiences. The story was well paced, except I have to say there was quite a bomb dropped on the very last page that has me clamoring for the next book in the series to see how it plays out...

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book for my review.