I immediately began reading No Mercy by Joanna Schaffhausen after finishing The Vanishing Season. I am loving the author and her characters and eagerly begin.

We start where we left off in The Vanishing Season. Each book can stand alone, though I highly recommend beginning at the beginning, because once Ellery got under my skin, I had to know… Each mystery, in this case two mysteries, end with my complete satisfaction and leave me wanting more. Now…let’s get to it.

Ellery Hathaway is on leave because of what happened. And that you will need to find out for yourself. Even though No Mercy is Book II, Joanna Schaffhausen will fill you in on the necessities.

Reed Markham is getting a divorce. He is an FBI profiler, so for those of you who watch Criminal Minds, you can see the complications that would entail for those left at home.

I love Joanna Schaffhausen’s ability to show me Tula, Reed’s daughter. I can see the little firecracker racing around, not happy with her pigtails daddy did because they are a bit lopsided. She’s ready for mommy to pick her up, but she’s so caught up in just being, she forgot she doesn’t have any shoes on. Joanna’s ability to show me the event had me smiling as I watched her.

Ellery had never been on a date. After her abduction at fourteen years old, I can understand why. Sure, she has sex. But she uses it like a weapon. Romance? She doesn’t believe it can ever happen for her after what Francis Coben, the serial killer did to her. Even though he is in prison, so is she. He is always with her…in her mind.

Something happens. I won’t tell you what, but Reed comes rushing to her side, leaving with just the clothes on his back. He saved her once, and he is determined to not let anything else happen to her. Little does he know, trouble seems to find her…or does she go looking for it? There is no romance between them, but, I wonder….

A note…

“You really think I’m unlucky enough to attract the attention of a third serial killer?”

Imagine yourself and everything about you splashed all over the internet. You even have a Wikipedia page, telling of the horrors inflicted on you by a serial killer. People building websites devoted to you…of HIM…the trolls, the filthy, disgusting…

Even though this is fiction, it reads like a true story. I don’t know how Ellery could even step outside her home. Especially on a dark night. I don’t know if I would every leave my house again. Could you? I would have alarms on every access point, the outside lit up as if it’s daytime and, at least, ONE BIG guard dog.

When it came time for Reed to leave, his boss giving him an ultimatum, I knew he couldn’t do it. There’s a rapist on the loose, an old arson case, and someone is messing with Ellery.

I love that he cooks for her, and stays with her. He’s a good cook and it is a definite improvement over the fast food she lives on. He refuses to leave her home alone.

Joanna’ Schaffhausen’s characters are the lowest of the low and the highest of the high. They range from the pond scum that doesn’t deserve to breath air to the knight in shining armor that all children dream about.

Ellery’s need to help others makes her a target all too often, but it leads to lots of non stop action and intense mysteries. Danger lurks around every corner and even comes knocking on her door. Joanna Schaffhausen stacks mystery on top of mystery, because one isn’t enough. LOL

Reed: “I want you to stop taking chances with your life.”

Ellery: “You forget. I’m living on borrowed time.”

OMG. Joanna Schaffhausen continues to blow me away with her in your face, can’t put down, take my breath away suspense.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of No Mercy by Joanna Schaffhausen.

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I love this series. Second book and it really delivered. I really like the characters and the interaction between them. Great bit of suspense and suspects. Looking forward to the next book. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

No Mercy is the second book in the Ellery Hathaway series by Joanna Schaffhausen, and as with The Vanishing Season (book 1), there is plenty of suspense packed into these pages! 

"You kill one guy, one time, and suddenly everyone thinks you need therapy." She had me with that opening line! Ellery Hathaway is now 29, 15 years out from her survival and rescue from an infamous serial-killer. A shooting over the summer has caused her to be suspended from her job with the police department. Whether she will be reinstated depends largely on how her mandated therapy goes.

She attends group sessions for victims of violence. Among the members of the group are Wendy (a rape victim, whose rapist is still active, one who knows better than to leave any physical evidence behind) and Myra, who lost her young son years 25 ago in a fire, the work of an arsonist soon up for parole. Ellery is drawn into both of these cases for different reasons. Unable to use her normal channels for information, she calls FBI agent Reed Markham for an over-due favor.

The relationship between Ellery and Reed is interesting to watch as it unfolds, closes tightly again, changes, grows, evolves into a many headed thing; very nuanced, very believable - one of the delights of the book. 

Ellery, is still trying to find her place in a world where everyone recognizes her, making it difficult for her to have any semblance of a normal life. There are admirers and then there are the ones who threaten, and her life is still at danger. She is not at peace with herself or with others.

As she and Reed look into the two disparate cases, they uncover more than they had bargained for. Their quest for information has certainly riled some people up and Ellery finds herself targeted again. Can Ellery stay alive to see these cases through? Can justice be found for Wendy and Myra? 

A very good second book in the series, I'm already looking forward to reading the third book, All the Best Lies, due out in February 2020.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Book two in the mystery-crime series, No Mercy by Joanna Schauffhausen was a wonderful addition to the series! It's not very often I can say that the second book in a series is as good as the first, but I am happy to say that about "No Mercy."

Meet Ellery Hathaway. The most unlikable, and yet kind of likeable main character. As mentioned in my review of the first book, I found her attitude off-putting. She is not the kind of person that most people would feel comfortable swapping stories with. Yet, in the framework of her character (the only survivor of a serial killer that is currently in jail), she behaves in an understandable way. In book two, Ellery is as stubborn and frustrating as always, but she also experiences some character growth as she helps others and continues to learn how to be better for herself. If you liked/tolerated Ellery in the first book, you will likely like her in this book as well.

There is a definite added awkward romance with FBI profiler Reed Markham that has been added to book two that wasn't as apparent in book one. I still don't know whether I liked it or felt the need to cringe through it. I'll go with the former, since I am interested in knowing what happens to the relationship building in book three.

The episodic mystery was resolved satisfactorily, but there was a small cliffhanger at the end. I really, REALLY don't enjoy cliffhangers! Thankfully, book three will be released soon, so I can survive the anticipation ;).

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well I got my wish that there was a follow up of the first book, now I want to see another one!! This book can be read independently of the first book but it enhances the story of you know the history of the characters.  Great read. I do think Ellie needs to lighten up a bit and 'mind her own business'. The two issues with her peers that she went nosing in was almost too much. Read the jacket cover for the content, it covers the basics. Great characters,movement,conversations and storyline. Just enjoy the book. Ready for the next one now!!
I received this book as a complimentary copy for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to the author,publisher,and NetGalley for the ARC.

I received an uncorrected ARC for an objective review. This is the second book involving characters Ellery Hathaway and Reed Markham. Ellery's suspended until she successfully completes therapy for what happened at the end of The Vanishing Season and Reed's back home until Ellery calls again. He can't ignore her, no matter the damage to his career or family life. Ellery is running an off-books investigation on two issues brought up in her group therapy and needs Reed's help. The character development and evolution are what I love most about these books and when I finished, I was dismayed to see I have to wait until February 2020 for the next book. I will warn you there was one scene especially, that I saw coming a mile away so I was a little perturbed that they (cop/FBI) couldn't figure it out. Regardless, I think it is still a great book.

This book did not disappoint! So much better than the first. The story line and characters were well done and made for a great read

2 stars = 'it was ok' - and that's being generous for me

I was given book 1 & 2 in this series as ARC's in exchange my my review prior to book 3 coming out.  I was excited, as this series has fairly high reviews and the descriptions sounded interesting.  Reading book 1 was a chore, and I hated the main character so much after a few chapters, I had to force myself to finish the book.  It wasn't thrilling or suspenseful, just annoying.  But I had book 2, and I hoped that it would pick up.  IT didn't, and it took me more than a month to read this book.

It didn't.  I don't understand the 4 and 5 star reviews for this book.  The main character is so annoying, I want to smack her.  She doesn't act like a cop or an adult, let alone someone who has had life experiences that make her more worldly.

I'm grateful for the author and publisher for the eARC of these books, but they are just not for me at all.

I received this book from Net Galley for an honest review.

After reading the first of the three books in this series I immediately requested the second and third.

The heroes are both flawed in their own ways, BUT it works to make them a great team.  This book does not disappoint.  It continues the development and maturation of this duo with yet another great story.

The book doesn't give away anything early.  It kept me trying to guess who done it until the last pages.

Looking forward to the 3rd book1

After reading Ms. Schaffhausen's first book, I was given the opportunity to read the second in a series.  For the reader who is considering reading this book, make sure you read the first book.  There are many references to the first book especially as it pertains to how the two main characters met.  This book is not a gripping police detective read but a quick, poolside obra that does not require much attention to detail.  Ellery is a victim as well as a cop with her own hang-ups.  FBI agent Reed was her rescuer years ago and returned in the first book as well as this one to help solve the crimes.  I hope that the series focuses more on Ellery as opposed to both her and Reed.  IMHO.

Wow.. so I wasn’t expecting this at all! I was kept in suspense, and just loved Ellery. Great writing, perfect story. I enjoyed this one more than the first. Just really exciting, and I will definitely recommend it!

I barely took a breath between finishing the first and starting this second book in a really exciting crime thriller series. Because it is so engrossing, I couldn't put it down so spent today enjoying this new installment. This could be read without having read THE VANISHING SEASON, but I prefer to start at the beginning and read the books in order.

Ellery Hathaway is a police officer whose badge has recently been taken away because she shot a man at the end of the last book. Despite the fact that he was intent on killing her, the department has decided she needs some therapy to earn back her job. "You kill one guy, one time, and suddenly everyone thinks you need therapy." Ellery isn't sorry and she basically lies about how it all went down, but was forced to move out of her home and is licking her wounds marking time. At one of her mandated group meetings, she meets other victims who've been through tragedy and ends up getting involved in their personal stories. Two of them ask for her help and of course she can't say no as she really understands their pain. Who is she going to call to get some inside information? FBI profiler Reed Markham, of course. They have a strange bond because he's the one who rescued her from the serial killer's closet when she was just 14-years-old. Even though his boss is threatening his continued career in the FBI because of his last involvement with Ellery, Reed can't help himself as he's committed to caring about her well-being. So, they embark on their own side investigations that deal with a violent serial rapist and a long-ago fire that resulted in the death of a three-year-old boy. 
NO SPOILERS. 

Even though I am 100% sure that no two people could get away with what these two do on the outside of any law enforcement agency, I do enjoy the plot and the drama of their search for truth and justice. Ellery is quite an interesting character and I can definitely understand why she feels and acts the way she does -- she can't help herself, so she is dedicated and intent on helping others. Reed is protective and feels responsible for Ellery though I sense that his motives are becoming far more personal the more time they spend together. Getting to know one another more intimately while they pull all sorts of shenanigans to get information. I actually quite like them both and am eager to see what happens next as the end of this one gives us quite the twist! 

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing this e-book ARC for me to read, review and recommend. And off I go to start #3 -- and then, darn it, I'll be waiting...

I loved this book almost as much as The Vanishing Season. The mystery is complex and well-plotted. I did have an inkling of who the killer would end up to be, but that might have been just chance. Having Ellery be forced into therapy is a good way to have her interact with other people who have been the subject of violent crimes.

This would have been 5 stars for me except for 2 things: 1) Ellery's extreme recklessness got a little annoying, and 2) the ending. Not of the mystery--that was fine. But if Reed's results make him a relative of someone already involved in the story, that's just going to push the bounds of believability way too far.

So, I eagerly await book 3, and I hope I'm wrong about the ending. The Ellery Hathaway books are suspenseful and emotional and devastating...but never grim.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hmmm. Let's just say I was hyped to read book 2 in the series, but No Mercy didn't meet my expectations. There were 2 mysteries at play in this book, but both just felt like they were quickly resolved without the drama and excitement I need in a book of this type. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I'm not okay with Ellery and Reed as anything but colleagues connected by a horrible event. The hints that have been dropped in books 1 and 2 of them being attracted to each other? Ugh. Not for me.  Here's hoping book 3 delivers.

I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley. Truly frightful the crimes that happen! This was a very thorough and thought provoking thriller and the crime that ultimately occurs in this, the obsession, is one you do not think of! I highly recommend this novel!

Powerful follow-up novel to her award winning Debut novel: "The Vanishing Season" Sleuth Ellery Hathaway finds herself stuck in a "support group" because she shot a murderer in cold blood and refused to apologize. While attending group therapy for victims of violent crime, rather than "getting in touch with her inner feelings" she is exposed to two miscarriages of justice … that must be set right. Wendy was brutally raped and left a shell of a woman .. and, yet, the rapist is out there plying his trade unimpeded. Myra is confined to a wheelchair and severely covered in burns, while mourning the loss of her son, who perished in the same fire, and yet the arsonist is up for parole.
Ellery once again reaches out to her friend and savior FBI Profiler Reed Markham … Reed was instrumental in freeing the teenaged Ellery from the clutches of a serial killer.
Schaffhausen seamlessly supplies the necessary backstory to allow the reader to jump immediately into the action and enjoy this novel as a standalone. What follows is a suspenseful narrative with unsuspecting twists and dolloped with witty dialogue and a smidge of romance … and culminating in a satisfying denouement. Ellery relentlessly powers through multiple, mounting obstacles. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing an Uncorrected electronic proof in exchange for an honest review. I'm looking forward to Ellery's third scheduled encounter with crime. (

Very involved and interesting story that’s not always happy. In fact the characters are flawed and often do things not believable in real life. I was disappointed in the ending. It left me in no mans land and unless it’s the start of a series it’s not a good wrap up. Also I prefer new chapters as the story unfolds rather than blend a whole new place and story moves on. I guess I like a better ending even if it’s a cliff hanger to a new book.

Another great story. 
More Ellery and Reed.
More suspense.
More intrigue. 
More tension.
More want.
More need.
More of everything! 
I give it 4.5 stars and a strong recommendation!

While you could technically read this as a standalone, I recommend reading this after the first book in the series, The Vanishing Season. You will gain a better understanding and appreciation for our pair of protagonists. 

Reeling from the events of the first novel, Ellery is sent to therapy. Rather than working through her own personal demons, she begins investigating two mysteries that plague other members of the group. 

I liked the writing and fast paced nature of the book. There are a ton of twists, turns, and thrills here. However, I just felt like the two mysteries were too isolated from each other. The book didn't have quite the same magic of the first one. 

That being said, still a great read and I highly recommend it. I'm hoping for a solid third book. 

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

No Mercy by Joanna Schaffhausen follows The Vanishing Season in which she introduced Ellery Hathaway and Reed Markham.

Suspended from her job for shooting a murderer, Ellery must attend therapy sessions for victims of violent crimes where she meets Wendy, victim of a rape in which her assailant has not been caught. Wendy can't resume her normal life as she remains in fear that her assailant will return. Ellery's suspension means she has limited resources, but she does have FBI agent Reed Markham.

She is also interested in an older woman whose young son died in an arson fire decades ago. But was the right person convicted of setting the fire? Ellery has questions.

No Mercy works fine as a stand-alone, so it isn't necessary to have read The Vanishing Season to understand or appreciate the plot.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press
Suspense/Thriller. 2019. Print length: 320 pages.