This is the first book I have read from this author and about Ellery and didn't feel like I had missed anything by not reading any other of her previous books. Boston detective Ellery Hathaway met FBI agent Reed Markham when he pried open a serial killer’s closet to rescue her. Years on, their relationship remains defined by that moment and by Francis Coben’s horrific crimes. To free herself from Coben’s legacy, Ellery had to walk away from Reed, too. But Coben is not letting go so easily. He has an impossible proposition: Coben will finally give up the location of the remaining bodies, on one condition—Reed must bring him Ellery.

Now the families of the missing victims are crying out for justice that only Ellery can deliver. The media hungers for a sequel and Coben is their camera-ready star. He claims he is sorry and wants to make amends. But Ellery is the one living person who has seen the monster behind the mask and she doesn’t believe he can be redeemed. Not after everything he’s done. Not after what she’s been through. And certainly not after a fresh body turns up with Coben’s signature all over it.

This is a dark book at times, since Ellery survived torture, mutilation, rape and near death, and other women in the book don't survive at all. That said, Ellery is strong, realistic and likeable. Reed, the FBI agent, is as well, and we read the book through his POV too. I saw a lot of things coming but there were some twists and red herrings. This was a captivating, great read. Thank you Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book.

What a great read. This is the 5th in this series and keeps you hanging on from start to finish! I have fast became a big fan of this author and can’t wait to see what else she has to offer. You cannot go wrong reading any of her books.

Although Last Seen Alive is the fifth book in the Ellery Hathaway mystery series, the story stands well on its own. And what a story! I got hooked immediately and didn’t want to put the book down. Intricate relationships that connect the characters are brilliantly written and the multi-layered plot makes for great entertainment.

I first read Schaffhausen with her book Gone For Good, the first in a new mystery series featuring Detective Annalisa Vega, and loved it. I gave that book a five-star review. When I had the opportunity to read and review Last Seen Alive, I anticipated another great read and wasn’t disappointed. Don’t miss this one! Highly recommended. Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for providing an ARC to read and review. *NetGalley Top Reviewer.*

Last Seen Alive, by Joanna Schaffhausen. Oh my gosh this book was magnificent! I literally could not stop reading this thriller story. Coben was absolutely marvelous in this book. I believe his character stole the light from the other characters.
Ellery and Reed were along for the ride. Everything about this book was flawless. I pulled in by the intriguing plot and the history that’s between Ellery and Reed. Their pre story laid the path for me to better understand why Ellery reacted to certain events, details and people in not so normal way. Other normal people didn’t have a serial killer hunting them down.
Reed was outstanding! He was the strong force and the armor that had Ellery and every other victims back. The book was very entertaining. It was easy to read for me and I really liked that it was a page turner. The book played well with just the right narrative and dialogue in place. The story didn’t leave me wishing that book would end.
The narrative and dialogue gave me the reader information that was useful for later in the book. I almost felt like a detective myself. Certain scenarios or stories were explained very well in relation to different parts of the book. Basically the book stayed on track with keeping the readers attention. I found the book to informative on certain crime details and how scenarios played out within active cases and the hunt for that clue or puzzle that gets you closer to your suspect.
This story oozed with realism. The details and descriptions of people’s reactions, what crimes scenes looked like or how the villain/ serial killer looked at up close and personal in your face. I mean I could visualize all this while reading. Just outstanding how the writer just intertwined all this together, giving me such a heart pounding, emotional, exciting, on the verge of fearing to turn out my bedroom light book. The entertainment was an A plus for me.
I kept wanting to know more. As I was at the end of the book, I was trying to place the puzzles and who was really who from the book, in my head. You can best believe, I will be waiting for the next book. I give this book two snaps and a, Detective Hathaway we need you back at headquarters. Ben has something to tell you.
My fellow readers, until next time… read on!

I do enjoy Det. Ellery so I did not hesitate in opening this one up. What a lot of twists in here also that you sometimes feel wrung out. Reed can have locations if he brings Ellery. What a rock and hard place right? She doesn't believe Coben is remorseful either which I am in that camp also. What about that body that turns up,huh? Turn the pages on this nail bitter for your answers.

I went into this book series at book five but this book works fine as a stand-alone. Ellery is a survivor of a serial killer and she now works as a cop. When the serial killer says he'll tell where some of the bodies of his victims are buried if she speaks to him on a TV special about him, she has to deal with the horror of what happened to her again and the media nonsense it restarts. As usually happens in these stories, a new victim turns up and Ellery and the FBI agent who rescued her all those years ago and has been and on-and-off love in her life team up to try to solve the new crimes and deal with the old.

This is a dark book at times, since Ellery survived torture, mutilation, rape and near death, and other women in the book don't survive at all. That said, Ellery is strong, realistic and likeable. Reed, the FBI agent, is as well, and we read the book through his POV too. I saw a lot of things coming but there were some twists and red herrings. This was a captivating, great read.

I read a digital ARC via Net Galley.

“Last Seen Alive”, by Joanna Schaffhausen, is the fifth book in the Ellery Hathaway series, but works as a stand-along read.

Ellery Hathaway is a survivor. FBI agent Reed Markham saved her many years ago from the twisted serial killer, Francis Coben, and since that rescue he has remained in her life. Coben, has had an unsavory reputation while in prison and is set to be interviewed agreeing to disclose victim information as long as Ellery is involved in the discussion.

With “Silence of the Lambs” feels, Coben is disturbing and deadly, but when a copycat killer comes out of the shadows, there is even more threat. If you love a fast-paced, bone-chilling thrillers, this one is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley, Joanna Schaffhausen and St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. ❤️️

I’ve been loving the Ellery Hathaway series. Book five, Last Seen Alive was an exciting installment (conclusion?) that I didn’t want to put down!

When the evil Francis Coben, Ellery’s now imprisoned captor, offers up the location of one of the murder victims never found only if Ellery comes to see him, she must facedown her tormentor. It’s the situation I knew would come eventually and things did play out a bit predictably with Coben. I was disappointed by TSTL moves by Ellery, and really, I wondered how she didn’t clue in on the identity of the person helping Coben! Even with all that, the story was thrilling! I was on the edge of my seat, and I had to set everything aside so I could read through to the end! I’m happy with how it all turned out.

There is a new mystery introduced and solved with each book, but with Ellery’s history and the progression of her relationship with Reed, (the FBI agent who originally rescued her from Coben), it’s a series best read in order.

I went back and forth between an e-copy and a purchased audio version. Seth Podowitz did a wonderful job with both male and female voices. I enjoyed Danielle Gensler's female voices, but wasn't thrilled with her performance of Coben's voice. I listened at 1.5x normal speed.

Another great one in the series. Ellery, Reed and Cobden all together again. Had me on the edge of my seat. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

This is the fifth book in this series. I read the last one also but not the previous three. It can be easily read as a standalone with all the background info it contains. It's pretty brutal so be warned. This serial killer is truly sick. Truly horrible and has no conscience at all. No thought to any of his victims.

This is the story of Ellery Hathaway and Francis Coben. Also the detective, Reed, who saved Ellery way back when. This book is pretty intense. Pretty spot on in its descriptions and brutal in many ways. But it's well written and keeps you on the edge of your seat all the way. Keeps you guessing as to what is coming next. Who will survive. Who may be helping Coben. Who may be a copycat or possibly more.

You learn a lot about what Ellery went through all those years ago. What Agent Reed went through. How cold blooded Coben truly is. You will mourn for what happened to these young women. Most just very young girls. Ellery was only fourteen when she was taken. Held for three days and tortured beyond belief. But she lived. She survived to help take Coben down. Her life was never the same after though. Everyone knows her and Agent Reed no matter where they go or what they do.

You will feel the walls of the prison closing in on you as you read. The fire in the cabin bringing warmth even though it's in an evil place. The pain that someone feels when stabbed. The sorrow that a family feels when they are awaiting to find their long lost daughter. So much is going on in this book yet you never lose your way. You root for the good guys and wonder why this monster isn't dead yet.

Then the unthinkable happens.....

Thank you #NetGalley, #JoannaSchaffhausen, #StMartinsPress for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

4/5 stars. It lost one because I did figure out who was helping fairly quickly. And there was one question I had and never got an answer for. I do highly recommend this book and this author. It's so good. Edge of your seat good.

Last Seen Alive is the fifth book in the Ellery Hathaway series. I recommend reading the previous books before reading this one. Ellery and Reed's relationship has been complicated since book 1. Reed was the one to find and save Ellery when Coben kidnapped her. I enjoyed watching their relationship develop and grow.

This was a psychological thriller that is both chilling and emotional. This series is not for the faint of heart. It’s dark and at times quite shocking and disturbing. The suspense will have you on the edge of your seat and biting your nails. Just because Ellery survived and Coben is sitting in prison, doesn't mean their story is finished.

I highly recommend reading this whole series.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Joanna Schaffhausen for a copy of "Last Seen Alive" in exchange of an honest review.

Ok friends, if you haven't read the Ellery Hathaway series, what are you waiting for? It's rare for an entire series to be five stars all the way, but this one delivers with each book just as strong as its counterparts.

In true Schaffhausen style, this book delivers:
- developed and dimensional characters and relationships
- a truly terrifying serial killer and plot
- all the Ellery backstory I wanted
-- just the right amount of romance
- a fascinating look at people's obsession with serial killers and the role of media in creating victims and villains
- the perfect ending to a favourite series

TDLR: you need to read this book and series. I promise you won't regret it!

Thank you Minotaur and Netgalley for the gifted arc. All thoughts are my own.

A FANTASTIC DETECTIVE BOOK!


Ellery Hathaway was only fourteen years old when kidnapped and brutalized by serial killer Michael Coben who had viciously murdered many other women some whose bodies have never been found. Ellery was found after three days barely alive by FBI Agent Reed Markham which then formed a lasting relationship between the two. Seventeen years later Ellery is now a police officer in Boston when Reed appears at her door telling her about a new murder with Coben's signature all.over it. Since Michael Coben is on death row it is impossible for him to have committed the murder but he must be working with a copycat and they need to find them before another woman is murdered and also Ellery's life could still be in danger again because Coben swore when he was captured that he would have Ellery again since he had unfinished business with her.

In the meantime a television true crime show wants to do another interview program with Coben behind bars but there is only one catch to the monster agreeing to the show. The one and only condition that Michael Coben demands is that Agent Reed Markham "bring his little victim that got away" to the interview. Coben says if Ellery comes to the show's recording he will finally give up where the bodies of the women he buried can be found and finally be laid to rest. Would Ellery even think.of agreeing to an outlandish idea as this when night after night this maniac has haunted her sleep for over seventeen years?

I just loved everything about this book and couldn't turn the pages fast enough. The writing and storytelling that ebbed and flowed were marvelously written. The author Joanna Schaffhausen created such wonderful characters (good and bad) that I felt as if I were watching a movie. I was completely engrossed into the drama and suspense of the story. I enjoyed all the twisty turns and the dark nature of the entire story with a few humorous quirks of a character or two which really helped lighten some moments when the book was so dark it needed a reprieve. I can't wait to read all the books in the series and I highly recommend this book to all dark crime or detective mystery readers and this can definitely be read as a stand-alone since the author gives enough background of previous books so the reader doesn't feel as if they are playing catch-up. I have already read one book by J.S. called "Gone For Good" which I also really enjoyed and now I am definitely a confirmed fan of this author.

I want to thank first the author "Joanna Schaffhausen", the publisher " St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific and dark detective book and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this very dark story a rating of 4 1/2 FANTASTIC AND WONDERFUL GRITTY 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠 STARS!!

I was sold by the synopsis of this one and it did not disappoint. After a serial killer disrupts all life and bonds people together life is never ever the same. I had no clue this was the part of a series but I’m going back immediately to read the other books. I’m invested!
Thank you @minotaur books and @netgalley for an advanced copy.

I had this book on my kindle for MONTHS and kept putting it off and putting it off. Not because I didn't want to read it, but because I wasn't ready for it to end. I randomly stumbled upon the first two books of this series on bookoutlet and I've been in love ever since. This quickly became one of my favorite series and @joannaschaffhausen has been a favorite author ever since. Anything she writes, I will be reading. So although I'm sad to see this series end, I'm excited for what's to come!

I definitely recommend reading the first 4 books in the series before reading this one. It can definitely be read as a standalone but in order to fully appreciate the ending, I think the whole backstory is needed. Coben is back and he's as ruthless as ever. He's never revealed the names of all his victims but he's now willing to do so. What's the catch? He'll only tell Ellery. Reed is obviously not going to let that happen, and will continue to do everything in his power to protect her. But will it be enough? Will Coben finally get what he's wanted all these years? Will Ellery ever be free of him? READ THIS BOOK AND YOU'LL GET THE ANSWERS!

But seriously I am so sad to see this series end but I couldn't have asked for a better ending. It honestly just made me so happy that I basically jumped for joy! I'm going to miss Ellery, Reed and Bump but all good things must come to an end. It was the perfect ending, to the perfect series.

Enjoyment (stars): 4.5
Overall (stars): 4.57

Ellery Hathaway and Reed Markham are back, and guess who else? Coben, of course! Coben is pulling his strings and bargaining the location of his remaining victims' bodies in exchange for Ellery's visit. But then, copycat attacks, and things get more complicated.

Last Seen Alive is the 5th Hathaway book, and even though I have only read the first one prior, I feel that this is easy to follow on its own. There are no plot spoilers for the previous books, but of course, we get some spoilers for the character's arcs - after all, they have been with the reader for five books. I have purchased the remainder of the series and hope it continues.

Schaffhausen characters are addicting - It is so easy to get invested in her protagonists' lives, and the author delivers flawed characters you cheer for, and you follow what seems to be an organic progression of their lives. They do read honestly and accurately.

But as if that is not enough, Schaffhausen also delivers fast-paced thrillers, intense action, devious antagonists, and a tightly plotted narrative. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series.

Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to Last Seen Alive and NetGalley for providing a copy of St. Martin's Press.

Book number 5 in the Ellery Hathaway series by Joanna Schaffhausen and of the 3 I’ve read I this series so far, this one was my favourite!

While books 3 and 4 in this series could be read pretty stand alone, book 5 needs you to have some idea of who these characters are and their past as the plot strongly focuses on it. Ellery Hathaway was a teenager when Reed Markham of the FBI rescued her from Francis Coben's farmhouse of horror. She was the sixteenth girl he’d abducted but somehow she was the only one who survived. Now Francis writes to her and Reed from prison that he wants to see her.. in exchange he will give the finally resting place to more bodies of young girls the FBI didn’t uncover. Ellery knows the true monster in Coben and when a fresh new body surfaces with Coben's signature all over it, she knows she has to stop him once again.  

This one was heart pounding! You always hope for Ellery to get some kind of break from her horrifying past with Coben and this book instead makes you see her face him again! The story was twisty and fast paced with lots of layers to its mysteries which I enjoyed thoroughly. 

Once again the big reason to enjoy this series overall is the characters. Reed and Ellery are both amazing in their own right but in this book you get to really get to see how strong Ellery is. You also get a great look at how the media glorifies these serial killers due to the publics fascination with them. Schaffhausen reminds us with this book that at the end of the day, the camera doesn’t show the real monster behind the lens. 

Not sure yet if there will be a book 6 but you bet I’ll read it if there is! This one publishes today!

Ellery has struggled her whole life to overcome her past. When she was a teenager, she had been abducted by one of the nation’s most notorious serial killers, Coben. Ellery was the only one of his victims to live to tell about it. Now, a TV producer is bringing it all back to life. Coben agrees to give up where the other bodies are buried…only if Ellery comes to visit.

Ellery is a character which broke my heart but she is also tough as nails. And then there is Reed! He is Ellery’s past lover and savior. He is the FBI agent who saved her from Coben. He is with her every step of the way! And finally there is Coben. His creepiness comes through the pages and he is just plain evil!

Oh wow! What a dang good read!! This, apparently is part of a series, how I have missed the series I will never know! But that is going to be remedied quickly! This is a story which is unstoppable! I could not put it down. Talk about scary and suspenseful…especially the ending. I could not read fast enough!

Need an edge of your seat read which will leave you gasping…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Last Seen Alive by Joanna Schaffhausen was so good that I hated to be interrupted while reading it. This thriller covers every aspect that makes a great one.

Ellery Hathaway met Reed Markham years ago as a teen when he pulled open a closet, freeing her from a serial killer. She was Francis Coben's only survivor. Now Ellery and Reed have an intense history. And Coben, who is in prison, wants Ellery back. He'll reveal the location of his remaining victims only if Reed brings Ellery to visit. What follows is a bittersweet and terrifying tale as Ellery must once again face her demons.

"The monster was still out there breathing the same air. No wonder there was a huge crowd at her door. Of course, everyone wanted a picture. The story wasn't finished."

I loved every single thing about this book (even all the murderous killing bits). I adore Ellery and Reed, and this was a perfect addition to the series. This is the fifth book in the series. You can catch up easily if you haven't read the first four books, but I highly recommend reading them, because they are excellent.

This is a dark and emotional read. Coben is on death row, and with some women--potential victims--still missing, his only power remains in knowing their location. He holds this over Ellery and Reed's heads, forcing Ellery to reconcile her desire to stay away from her tormentor and hold on to her shreds of privacy versus her need to find these women. Schaffhausen does such an excellent job at portraying how awful Coben is. We always knew how terrible he made Ellery's existence, but we see now how horrific he is--gaining both more details about his past and the present.

"You cannot call up the devil and ask him to dance."

Also in the present, more women go missing, in a similar fashion to Coben's previous victims. With Coben in prison, it cannot be him, so Reed, Ellery, and Ellery's partner Dorie investigate. Also on the scene is a reporter, Kate, and a movie producer, Ben, who want to film Coben in prison. All of this combines for a fascinating story that weaves in Coben and a new murderer. There's excellent descriptions of Chicago as Ellery returns home, for the first time, to help investigate Coben. And I love her dynamic with Dorie.

The book makes some excellent points about society's obsession with true crime and what it does to the real victims. It explores Reed and Ellery's relationship from a variety of angles and gives us a lot of insight into how Ellery became who is she is. She's such a strong, brave character, and it's a pleasure to read about her. Combining her strength with such a twisty and dark plot makes for a wonderful read.