Agent Reed and Ellery are back and this time Reed wants to solve the mystery that’s haunted him his whole life - who killed his mother? Reed enlists Ellery’s help and together in Vegas they set about trying to figure out what happened all those years ago. One thing I really enjoyed was the banter and dynamic between the 2 of them. Is it romantic or just friendship? That seems to be the unanswered question that lingers throughout each book. While I enjoyed the continued relationship, I found the actual mystery to be lacking in tension and complexity. Maybe I’ve just read too many but this seemed easy to figure out. If you’re looking for a complex plot and puzzle to solve you might not find it here but if you’re looking for a well written lighter mystery with great characters to invest in and follow this is for you.

This is the third book in the Ellery Hathaway series. I received a complimentary digital copy of this arc book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. 

In the second novel, the saga of Ellery Hathaway continues. She is a patrol officer on leave after the traumatic events in book 1 where it ended with her killing the criminal responsible for series of missing persons. She meets several people in her mandated victims of violence support group with whom she can’t help but feel compelled to meddle into their unsettling situations.
Reed Markham, the FBI agent who found her years ago, returns once again to assist Ellery with her mission for justice. 

This third book turns the focus to Reed Markham and the situation leading to his “stress leave” in book one. His story slowly unfolds during the first two novels where he shares that he was adopted by an influential political family after the murder of his biological mother. When one of his sisters decides it would be a fun surprise for them to take DNA ancestry tests, Reed begins to wonder about the circumstances regarding his mother’s unsolved murder. 

Encouraged by Ellery, the two embark on a quest to uncover the secrets from the past which some people are willing to kill to keep from being revealed. Reed begins to question the people that raised him and how they could be involved with his mother’s death.

I really loved this gripping thriller.  This book has great characters that have all gone through major problems through their lives.  I did not need to read the first two books in this series but I hope to read them to learn more about Ellery and what happened to her when she was younger.  There were many twists and turns.  I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I jumped into this one I had to see where these two went next. I am fascinated with the characters which I guess they kinda own me now. Ellery and Reed captivate and deliver whatever they do. I like also the bit of twist in this one where it now centers around Reed with him wanting long awaited answers on a cold case. Of course as they start diving into this one I too want to help and begin to formulate opinions. As it goes there are so many twists and unexpected truths that you get a bit book sick lol. Through thick and thin the two search regardless of the pitfalls that come flying at times at them. Oh so sad though when I turned the last page in this one because now I must have more of these two.

All The Best Lies by Joanna Schaffhausen is the third entry and Ellery Hathaway series. This is also one of the best of the series so far. In this entry, Reed Markham, the FBI agent who always helps Ellery,  takes center stage. At the end of the second book in the series, Reed got some shocking news that made his whole life seem like a lie. He is headed to Las Vegas to investigate the murder of his birth mother back in 1975. He asks Ellery to accompany him since she is still suspended from her police job. I enjoyed learning more about Reed and his family. I also enjoyed the evolving relationship between him and Ellery. I am hoping and praying there will be a fourth book in the series! It seems each book keeps getting better and better. Thank you to net galley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is a fast paced book that I found hard to put down. A real page turner. Even if you have not read the previous books in the series, the author made it super easy to follow along, so it can be read as a stand-alone. There are some twists and turns and a nice romance between Reed and Ellery. I enjoyed it a lot. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review

This may be book number three but with each book she steps up her game. It's engaging with enough twists and turns to keep you reading and guessing. I couldn't put it down and neither will you. If you haven't read her books you are so missing out. Ellery has become one of my most favorite characters and she will have you cheering for her and seeing how she deals with her life. Pick up this winner of a book. Heck get them all. Wish I could give her more than five stars. Can't wait to see what she's working on next. Happy reading!

Ellery Hathaway, a police officer, and FBI Agent, Reed Markham have a complicated past. Years ago, Reed saved fourteen-year-old Ellery from the clutches of a deranged serial killer, something that left a mark on them both. 

In Vanishing Season (book one), Ellery, asks for Reed’s help with a case, and they’ve been sort of attached since. Solving cases is the excuse that brings them together, but they’re drawn to each other, and while the mysteries they investigate are thrilling, I’ve been more fascinated with their evolving relationship. As I said, their relationship is complicated since Ellery went through a horrific event: kidnapped, and held for three days before Reed found her, so even though years have gone by she’s still dealing with the emotional fallout.  Reed initially feels a lot of guilt over his attraction, since Ellery was a victim, and she’s several years younger. As the story progresses Reed has come to terms with the fact that Ellery is no longer the child he rescued, but a grown woman and survivor. Strong, intelligent, but with a determination that gets her into trouble at times.  Reed has his own troubles: work, a failed marriage, and the struggles of joint custody.  Not a fan of his ex-wife. I sense a “dog in the manger” sort of situation on her end. No worries, she’s a very minor side character.  

In this current installment Reed is the one asking for help with a case: the grisly murder of his birth mother, forty-years ago.  The case has gone cold, and about to be closed for good. Reed needs someone objective since new DNA evidence makes him question everything he thought he knew about his family and the past. 

I had strong suspicions which turned out to be right on some things, but I was captivated by every new development! Trying to piece together a mystery from forty-years ago was not an easy feat, especially with all the lies they had to deal with. There were tense moments from unpleasant revelations, especially for Reed, but I think I felt worse for Ellery. The situation with her dad was heartbreaking, and I was so outraged for her! 

Through it all, Ellery and Reed are there for each other, and I was soooo thrilled! Their relationship has been tentative, slow going with setbacks from misunderstandings, and the baggage of the past, but I have been so hopeful; hanging on every interaction, feeling the passion simmering beneath the surface! I’ve been inpatiently waiting for these two to realize it’s only a matter of when not if, and finally we’re getting somewhere! 

All the Best Lies was soooo good!  I devoured it in one day, and now I can’t wait for the next one!  
There was a little happy/bittersweet twist at the end that I wondered about before it was revealed.  While All the Best Lies could be read as a standalone, I wouldn’t recommend it. The books are best read in order.

All the Best Lies is Reed’s story. Reed’s biological mother was brutally murdered when Reed was four months old. A prominent senator adopted him and but he always had questions about his mother. Then, a DNA test threw his world into a tailspin. The results of that DNA test makes Reed take another look at his mother’s unsolved murder. But, someone doesn’t want that murder solved, and they will do anything to keep it that way. What was in that DNA test, and who killed Reed’s mother? And what is tying them together?

All the Best Lies is the 3rd book in the Ellery Hathaway series. This book cannot be read as a standalone. You do need to read books 1 and 2 to understand Ellery and Reed’s relationship as well as Reed’s relationship with his family. If you do decide to pick the book up and read it, be prepared to be confused.

I loved Reed. He was determined to find out exactly what happened to his mother. His reactions to certain people in the book were right on. I would have been mad too!!! The only thing I didn’t agree with was when he went off on his own towards the end of the book.

I liked that Ellery took a step back in this book. What I mean by taking a step back is that her backstory and issues weren’t made the focal point of the book. She was still the same kick-ass ex-cop who went out of her way to help Reed.

I didn’t agree with the romance angle of the book. It didn’t seem right to have a romance between Ellery and Reed. I understood why the author did it (to show how far Ellery had come) but still.

The plotline about Reed’s mother’s murder was fantastic. The author did a great job of keeping the killer under wraps. Several red herrings were thrown out. I went back and forth about who killed Camilla and mentally kicked myself when the killer was revealed. I also loved the twist that was thrown in at the end. I did not see that coming.

The plotline about Ellery and her father broke my heart into little bits. I wanted to smack the crap out of her father. I understood her feelings about what he asked. I would have been torn too.

The end of All the Best Lies was terrific. The author did a great job of wrapping up all of the plotlines and bringing them together. I loved how Ellery was able to get the killer. Well, she had help but still. It was fantastic. I do wonder if there is going to be a book 4.

Long held family secrets come into the open as a result of DNA testing- and FBI agent Reed Markham now has more incentive than ever to find out who killed his mother Camilla 40 yrs ago in Las Vegas. He ropes in Ellery, his friend and sometime sort of lover, to help him and opens a box of snakes.  Ellery, who deals daily with the effects of being held by a monster (from whom Reed rescued her), is also hiding from her father who crawled out of the woodwork after 20 years.  Ellery is more interesting, in many ways, that Reed (loved the scene with the dress.). This is a fast paced mystery where you, like me might guess the identity of the murderer (although there's more than a few red herrings) but I bet that you, like me, won't guess the twist at the end.  This is the third in a series I'd only read the first so this was more or less a standalone and it was fine that way.  Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.  It's a good read>

Another excellent story in this series as Reed and Ellery work on solving a crime which can upend his entire life. These stories are gripping with twists and turns that you will never see coming. It is detailed and personal. Reed is on a search to solve his mother’s murder and hopefully find his roots. What is exposed will indeed shake his world in ways he did not see coming. It is an edge of your seat read that you will not want to put down until you get to the very last word.

This is the third book in this series but also a stand alone read. I loved them all so far. This did not disappoint. When FBI agent Reed Markham discovers things about his past he enlist Ellery Hathaway to help him uncover the dangerous secrets surrounding his mothers death. As always, Ellery has problems of her own to deal with. The secrets her father holds. I loved this. A fast paced read that I couldn't put down until I knew the end. 

Dawnny-BookGypsy 
Novels N Latte 
Hudson Valley NY

Ever since I read the ending of No Mercy, I’ve been waiting for the next book in this series. FBI agent Reed Markham got some news that left us all pretty gobsmacked so if you haven’t read that one…*clears throat*…POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD. Duty done. Proceed at your peril.

When it comes to Reed’s career, he’ll probably be remembered as the man who rescued a young kidnap victim named Ellery Hathaway. But there’s another case that has always haunted him…the unsolved murder of his biological mother in 1975. It went cold decades ago but there’s been a new development. In a shocking twist, Reed recently learned the identity of his real father & he has to wonder. Is this man the killer?

It’s time to face his past. His adoptive parents are less than thrilled as Reed makes plans to return to Vegas, the scene of the crime. Now all he needs is a partner.

Ellery Hathaway endured unimaginable horrors after she was kidnapped by a psychopath as a teenager. She’s always had a strong bond with Reed & grew up to become a cop. Unfortunately, her last case resulted in her being suspended so when Reed asks her to accompany him to Vegas, she’s all in. There are a couple of good reasons to leave town. First, she has way too much time on her hands. Second, her estranged father has suddenly reappeared & wants to talk. Yup, Vegas sounds like a great idea.

And they’re off. What follows is a twisty story full of all the challenges that go with trying to solve a cold case. Digging up old dirt, tracking down those involved & connecting with local law enforcement are just some of the difficulties they face. Cooperation is hard to come by & they’re forced to get creative. Meanwhile, Reed & Ellery continue to deal with (or dodge) interference from their respective families.

There are some great new characters in this outing. But it’s the further development of a few returning characters that make things really interesting. In particular, we get to see a whole new side of Reed’s adoptive mother & I had to stop & reassess my opinion of her.

One thing I noticed was the significant amount of time spent detailing Ellery’s history. I think it’s a hard call for authors writing a series…..just how much of the past do you include in subsequent books? For readers like me who’ve been following along, it yanks you out of the present & slows the pace as it’s ground that’s already been covered extensively. It’s a matter of personal taste but the good news is you’ll have no problem picking up the overall story line if you’re jumping in here.

This is equal parts family drama & cold case mystery. The pace ramps up to a pulse pounding finish but not everything is neatly resolved. Through all the adventures & respective personal issues, Reed & Ellery continue to circle each other as they try to define their relationship. There are sparks but also some big roadblocks so it will be interesting to see where the author takes them in the next instalment.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Joanna Schafflausen for the opportunity to read the next installment of this wonderful crime/police procedural series.  I think Schafflausen is the best at giving us enough information to remember what we read in previous books yet still make a wonderful stand alone if you haven't read the others.  Which you definitely should.

FBI agent Reed Markham has been haunted by who killed his biological mother.  He was adopted into a wonderful family and had advantages that he never would have with his poor, single mother, yet he couldn't rest until he knew what happened to her.  Finally having a window to investigate, he takes Ellery Hathaway with him to Las Vegas to see if he can find out anything about this cold case before it's put away forever.  However, his investigation takes him to look at his adopted family closer and Ellery's own estranged father makes an unwanted appearance.  

Enough said - these are fabulous books and I couldn't put them down.  I love these characters and was so glad to get back into their world.  5 stars for a must-read series!

This is the third book in a solid series about a young woman who survived being kidnapped and tortured and is now on suspension from her job as a policewoman. This allows her the time to help the FBI agent who rescued her as he hunts for his mother's killer. Sometimes stories don't go the way a reader would prefer. The bad guy isn't who you had hoped for. The story line veers in a direction you don't like. And the main character gets involved in a horrible and unhealthy relationship. While I can enjoy a series and continue to read it even if a single story isn't a favorite, my uncomfortableness with how the characters are evolving might make it difficult to continue. However, my feeling regarding this seem to be in the minority. Read the first two and see for yourself!

All the Best Lies is the third installment in the Ellery Hathaway series and it was certainly worth the wait to dive into a new case with Officer Ellery Hathaway and FBI Agent Reed Markham.

FBI Agent Reed Markham is going to take on a case that will drudge up history that there are those who would like to stay that way. The murder of his birth mother Camilla. He’s always known that he was adopted into a loving family and that his mother died the way she did, but the case has been cold for a long time and now wants answers. He enlists the help of Ellery Hathaway once again, but with her suspension from the police force might make things a little more difficult but of course that is no bother to her, she has her own ways of doing things. And there is nothing that is going to stop Reed from finding out what happened all those years ago, even if it means stirring up trouble for his family. So, off to Las Vegas they go!

The story picks shortly after the last case that Reed and Ellery worked on together but in this installment we get to learn more about Reed and his family and the case of his mothers murder that has haunted him for years and the truths that he recently uncovered makes him question some things in his life. He need answers but without the backing and help from the FBI is going to make things harder for him and Ellery. Not only that Reed and Ellery have this chemistry between them that is palpable at times but with everything going on it keeps getting pushed aside for the case at hand.

I have enjoyed both Ellery and Reed and their complicated relationship from both previous books and I enjoyed them just the same this time around. Ellery is a tortured soul. She’s been through so much but somehow she remains strong for those around her and hides her self doubt and worries. Reed made a name for himself while working on a case that involved Ellery which is what brought them together. He seems to be a good guy. He loves his family, his job and he seems to genuinely care for Ellery. And I liked watching these two work on this case together. They make a great pair.

What lies ahead though is a story that is filled with tension, lies and truths revealed for both Reed and for Ellery. Her long lost father is back and this just stirs up emotions for her. Reed has to face some truths that can possibly destroy the life he thinks he’s always had. And it all of it kept me on the edge of seat to find out how it all ends. Plus, I had to know what happens between Reed and Ellery. Would they finally give in or not?! Would Reed finally find out what happened to Camilla? The story was full of dangerous and suspenseful moments leading up to a shocking conclusion and it was pretty fantastic.

While this is the third installment in the series it isn’t necessary to have read the first two books before picking this one up as if does give some backstory for both Ellery and Reed but I would certainly recommend reading them because it give the whole picture of how these two two met in the first place. And they were really good!

All the Best Lies is a suspenseful and addictive mystery with two characters that will have you rooting for them all the way and I am hoping that there will more books in the series. Finger crossed…

Suspended police officer Ellery Hathaway and FBI Agent Reed Markham are back in Joanna Schaffhausen's latest novel.  

Reed asks Ellery's help in investigating a cold case, one that is intensely personal. Reed  knew he was adopted as an infant, and when he was eighteen, his father told him the circumstances of his birth mother's murder and Reed's subsequent adoption by the Markham's.  

In No Mercy, the previous book, a gift for DNA testing revealed secrets that made Reed question everything he thought he knew.  His foundation begins to crumble.

Reed and Ellery head to Las Vegas to delve into the unsolved murder of Reed's mother, Camilla.  A forty-year-old cold case presents multiple difficulties, and Reed is both determined and fearful of the outcome, which may destroy the family that raised him.

Schaffhausen does a good job of keeping the possibilities open, so there are several good options to keep the reader guessing.  Reed and Ellery have complicated pasts to resolve, but the two combine their strengths to support each other.

This series has gotten better with each new addition.  I'm really curious about where the next book will lead.

(I don't like either of these covers, but at least the second one has some connection to the story.)

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press
Suspense.  Feb. 11, 2020.  Print length:  336 pages.

Joanna Schaffhausen gives us another excellent read in All the Best Lies, the third book in her Ellery Hathaway series.

This time, the focus is on FBI Agent Reed Markham, determined to find out the truth about who murdered his mother, Camilla Flores, 19, forty years ago in Las Vegas while he lay in his crib only steps away. Ellery Hathaway, currently suspended from the police department (while internal affairs investigates her shooting of a man attempting to kill Agent Markham), goes with him for moral support and as a second set of eyes to review this long cold case.

At first, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is very willing to help, but the more questions Markham and Ellery ask, the less helpful the police become. Someone doesn't want the truth to come out, and Markham and Ellery unexpectedly find themselves in mortal danger.

I've been anxiously waiting for the chance to read another book featuring these two complex, flawed characters and All the Best Lies was everything I hoped it would be. Schaffhausen is skilled at writing police-procedurals with plots that intrigue and surprises until the very end. I highly recommend this book! (I think readers might enjoy it more fully if they have read one or both of the previous books in the series.) 

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

I read the first book in the Ellery Hathaway series, The Vanishing Season, and really enjoyed it. I wanted to make sure to continue the series, but somehow missed book two, No Mercy. That didn’t stop me from picking up book three in the series, All the Best Lies, and I found that I enjoyed it just as much as The Vanishing Season!
In the first two books, Ellery is more of the focus, where as in All the Best Lies, Reed gets a bit more attention. If you wanted to just read this book and skip the first two, you could because Joanna Schaffhausen gives you enough background information that you wouldn’t be confused. But if possible, you should start the series from the beginning so you don’t miss any of the smaller details that add so much more to the books.
 
Reed gets a huge surprise that rocks his belief in his parents and adds one more layer to this series. We are shown a part of the police system in the 70’s that was fueled by cops taking advantage of sex workers. And we also get other looks at corruption in the police department of yesteryear and today. 
 
While Reed is looking into the 40 year old murder of his mother, Ellery sees similarities to another murder that happened a year before his mom’s, so she starts to follow those leads too, thinking they may be connected. Ellery gets enough information that we have a good idea of what happened, but that case isn’t completely finished in this book, leaving a bit of a cliffhanger. I know this may upset some readers, but I was fine with it, and look forward to how Schaffhausen deals with it in the next book.
 
There is also the relationship between Reed and Ellery. Reed was the detective who saved Ellery from a serial killer when she was a teenager. Ellery has a lot of issues because of the torture and rape that happened to her. But in All the Best Lies, they try to take their relationship to a more intimate level. Schaffhausen does a wonderful job writing about the problems that can happen in a situation like this. 
 
I can’t wait to see what Schaffhausen comes up with in the next book in the Ellery Hathaway series! And if you enjoy this type of book you may want to check out the Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell series by Chelsea Cain. It’s a series that I always recommend to people who like detectives chasing after serial killers, but this series has a twist.

Number 3 lives up to the previous two and I am sincerely hoping for at least one more!  The personal relationship in #allthebestlies is developed a bit more between Ellery and Reed while they travel to Vegas and California in search of a cold case killer which helps fill in backstory on Reed. We also get to met Ellery’s family a bit. This book follows the same style as the previous two which works really well in producing a fast moving, thrilling page-turner. I read this in one day and am ready for more!  Thanks #netgalley for this ARC.