Ellery Hathaway is still suspended, so she might as well go to Las Vegas with FBI Agent Reed Markham to help him follow new leads in his mother's murder. Ellery survived an infamous serial killer as an adolescent, rescued by Reed Markham himself, and is still dealing with the fall-out from that trauma. Nonetheless, she is a smart investigator and and useful ally for Reed as he begins to investigate secrets that people would rather he just leave alone. Another good chapter in the continuing saga of Reed and Ellery, though I hope a fourth book will move past their family histories to find a fresh case to pursue.

Thanks to NetGalley for a digital ARC.

Third in the Ellery Hathaway series. Reed is looking into the murder of his biological mother 40 years earlier, partly due to the unexpected results of his DNA test at the end of book 2. This was my favorite book in the series so far. I couldn't put it down. Five stars.

I really enjoyed following Reed and Ellery as they tried to solve a 40 year old murder. These characters have appeared in other books, but "All the Best Lies" can easily be read as a standalone novel. I previously read "The Vanishing Season" and loved it.

The trail leads them to Las Vegas and Los Angeles as they try to track down Reed's biological mother. The twists and surprises keep the reader engaged throughout the book. I look forward to future books.

Reed Markham of the FBI investigates a highly personal cold case: the murder of his birth mother. Reed was just a baby when his mother was stabbed to death, and now a DNA test reveals a secret that his high-powered adoptive father has been keeping from Reed ever since then. Conveniently, Reed has a willing sidekick in Ellery Hathaway, a police officer currently on suspension from the department. The two have a dramatic personal history that influences their current relationship as they chase clues across the country. The story is well-paced, with lots of tension and plenty of suspicion to go around. The identity of the perpetrator is not a huge surprise, but the story is well-told and gripping even if you see where it’s heading. Not having read the author’s previous two books featuring Ellery Hathaway, I wasn’t terribly invested in the romance between the two leads, and I found it to be over-emphasized. It’s great to see complex characters and relationships, but the level of attention given to the romantic storyline started to make it seem like a different genre of fiction than the one I had set out to read.

I enjoyed this novel and look forward to going back and reading the first two books in the series. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital advance review copy.

I was thrilled to get a copy of All the Best Lies from the author through Net Galley. I had read the previous two Ellery Hathaway books, Vanishing Season and No Mercy and enjoyed them both. All the Best Lies continues the story of abuse survivor Ellery and FBI profiler Reed Markham. As such, I would highly recommend reading the earlier two books in the series first. Although the author does refer to events of the previous books, to really appreciate the plot and the development of the characters, reading these books in sequence should provide a more complete picture of their characters, what they have experienced that has shaped them, and the progression of their relationship.

Since not everyone has read those books, I do not want to include any spoilers here as to the plot of All the Best Lies. Suffice it to say that past knowledge on the part of Reed has sent him looking for answers to an old question and Ellery offers to help. The story then centers on the two of them trying to get to a mystery from 40 years ago that no one else seems to want solved. As Reed discovers more, the information appears threatening to others and family tries to intervene. With twists and turns, the answer eventually becomes clear.

I have particularly been taken with the deft hand that the author has used in developing the relationship between Ellery and Reed. Having had some experience with abuse survivors in the past, Ellery’s feelings and reactions ring very true to me and create stumbling blocks to normal interactions with others. To see how Ellery and Reed work through these is one of the most interesting parts of the series.
If you haven’t read the Ellery Hathaway series, go out right now and get started. If you have read the first two books, grab this one! You will be rewarded to see so many questions finally have answers.

Third in this mystery series another tense well written read kept me turning the pages a wonderful author.#netgalley#st.martinsbooks.

I would rate this book a solid 4-1/2 stars! This is my first outing with this author and as much as this book is part of a series, it could be read as a stand alone. I truly enjoyed this book and read it basically in one sitting! There were a lot of twists and turns in the book ...but it was the ending that totally captivated me ...I never envisioned that scenario in the slightest! I look forward to more of novels from this author

I would like to thank Ms. Schaffhausen, the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel in return for an honest and unbiased review

What a terrific mystery, with interesting characters and a well written plot with a twist at the end! What more could you want from a thriller. Really enjoyed it. The only negative was there was obviously a prequel I did not read and they referred to plot elements of that book frequently. Overall, a recommended read and thank fir the download. I will watch for future sequels.

This is the third book in this series and even though it can be read as a stand alone book it does refer back to a lot of previous characters. I have enjoyed this series and hate to see it end

Tolstoy wrote happy families are all alike. Until they aren’t. In All the Best Lies FBI Special Agent Reed Markham is going three for three. His birth mother, the young Puerto Rican, Camilla Flores was brutally murdered forty years ago in Las Vegas, while he lay in a crib in the next room. He is recently divorced from his wife and desperately missing his daughter. Finally, Reed is about to implode his very loving adoptive family thanks to some information he recently discovered.
Who better to assist Reed in a good old fashioned implosion than suspended cop Ellie Hathaway? Ellery’s background can exceed even Reed’s. What was the rest of Tolstoy’s quote? “Every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”
Ellie’s father left her family when she was a small child leaving no trace behind. Now he is desperately trying to contact Ellery. Ellie wants no part of him, not even an explanation.
When Ellie was 14 she survived a serial killer’s tender ministrations of rape, torture, and mutilation. Actually she escaped a serial killer’s attention twice. The first time, Markham, a newly minted FBI agent discovered Ellery in the killer’s closet. Recently Reed has begun to think he has never brought Ellie all the way home; part of Ellery may always be living in the closet.
Ellery experienced a third tragedy with her brother dying in his teens from leukemia soon after she was returned to her family. Ellery always felt partially responsible as she was not a bone marrow match.
Ellery grew up desperately poor. Reed did not. Powerful Virginia politician Angus Markham adopted Reed soon after his mother was murdered. Markham’s wife and their three daughters completely embraced Reed, thrilled to finally have a son and brother.
With the new information, Reed has decided to put his analytical, profiling skills to work and discover his mother’s killer. Reed realizes he needs the support of a friend and someone who won’t always let rules stop her. Who better than Ellery?
Ellery and Reed experience tremendous growth. Both are forced to learn lessons in trust; sometimes with each other, sometimes with others. They are amply rewarded for their efforts.
Reed has always wondered about his might have beens, but now he has glimmerings of the far different ways his life might have played out, so very different from his Virginia upbringing.
The plot is superb, it never bogs down, it never bores, nor does it ever leave you rolling your eyes in disbelief. All the Best Lies will leave you guessing, then second guessing yourself.
Ellery and Reed travel to Las Vergas, quickly finding the dark side. Yet they are never dismissive of its strange neon beauty.
Author Joanna Schaffhausen does an outstanding job writing her secondary characters. Schaffhausen brings Reed’s mother Cammie slowly to life. Her friends and enemies have no problem remembering Reed’s vivacious and loving mother, dead for more than forty years.
Reed’s Virginia parents are strongly present, coming from Virginia trying to turn Reed from his impossible task, while still offering their full love and support. Can his sisters be far behind?
Reed and Ellery go down a white rabbit hole of an investigation. No one, even 40 years later wants to tell the truth. They persist, proving once again Shakespeare had it right with his “truth will out.” All truths.
I count the Ellery Hathaway series as being in my top five favorite series. There are two prior books that should not be missed. easy to catch up the series. All the Best Lies stands perfectly fine as a standalone.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange of a fair and honest review.

An engrossing third novel in the award-winning Ellery Hathaway mystery series. All the Best Lies is as good as the first two segments!

Omg this book was so damn good. I could not put it down. The mystery aspect was on point!
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-ARC of this title. As I progressed through the book, I realized I'd read The Vanishing Season, the first in this series. I often don't care for series, but this one works. I love that the author really did great character development with the characters. They felt real and genuine. I didn't see the end coming at all. I was pleased with the ending, but that was the only part, as a mom, that I felt was a bit unrealistic. I definitely recommend this book, as well as the other two that precede it.

This book was SO good that I was sad when it ended!!! The mystery had me guessing until the end, it was suspenseful without terrifying me or being too gross and gory. I loved the Romance and really appreciated that it took Ellery and Reed 3 books to get together. It was more realistic of building an actual relationship and that really added depth to the book. I also liked that when they finally got together the author didn't just put them together on the final page. You got to see them together for a little bit. That is my pet peeve with romance books, when you spend the entire book, or in this case 3 books waiting for them to get together and then it happens on the final page or next to last page.

I will be anxiously awaiting the next book, I hope this series continues and we get to see them solve crimes together!

I found this to be remarkable reading. Reed is an FBI profiler who is now looking into the forty year old murder of his mother. He is also examining his entire identity as he has just learned who his birth father was. Ellery is a Boston cop who is presently on a leave because she murdered a killer and her superiors are looking into the circumstances of the death. She is also discovering herself after having been kidnapped, held and tortured by a serial killer when she was a teenager. Reed, then a new FBI agent, was the man who rescued her. The two of them arrange to meet each other in Las Vegas where the cold case occurred and work together toward solving it. The plot is complex and totally captivates the reader. The main characters are well developed and definitely carry lots of baggage. I also found myself reading this when I should have been doing other things, a sure sign of great reading. Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC for an honest review.