This is the last book of the tale of Ellery and Reed and the criminal Coben. I could not wait to get through this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time and the thrills were amazing! Definitely would recommend to everyone!

I don’t read a lot of thrillers, but when I do, I want interesting characters, not just a lot of action. Joanna Schauffhausen provides exactly that - two very interesting and complex main characters, Ellery Hathaway and Reed Markham. This is the fifth book in the Ellery Hathaway series, but can definitely be read as a standalone. I had read the fourth one, loved it and so I went back to read the first one in the series, The Vanishing Season, to see how it all started. In addition to Ellery and FBI Special Agent Markham, we have a complex and extremely creepy serial killer, Francis Coben, who was the reason Ellery and Reed met in the first place, and who is in prison as the book opens. (Ellery was 14 when Coben took her and nearly killed her before Reed found her.) In this installment, we meet a number of people involved in a projected tv interview with the serial killer, including a tv media darling, Kate, a Hollywood mogul Ben, and his sidekick Jack. The author kept me guessing as to who might be the semi-copycat killer on the loose. The action definitely kept me turning the pages (e-pages!). To say more would possibly be a spoiler.

Warning: this series features a serial killer who is extremely violent and there are some vivid descriptions that might be a bit much for some readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Very good book KEPT me on edge of my seat! This was quite the mind games! The one who got away? Wounder if criminal minds are really that smart? Read in daylight.

The creep factor was HIGH in this book! I haven't read the previous books in this series, but I certainly plan to go back and read them all if they are as fantastic as this one. Since I didn't know any background, it was a wild ride and so shocking to be introduced to Ellery's past and her inner demons. Her scars both physical and emotional are still raw and so painful to read about. I have never read a serial killer story that has give me real terror like this; where I can't read it right before bed. The descriptions of not only the gore, but the psychological aspect of Coben is truly terrifying.
 
And Ellery is such a badass, strong, smart character that I was immediately hooked by her and loved following her every stop. I also loved Reed's POVs and reading how his criminal analysis expertise allowed him to piece some things together.  The juxtaposition between their lives and how his success is her nightmare made the story and their relationship even more complicated. All of the characters were complex and interesting and the writing just had the perfect atmosphere of danger and desperation.

This is hard to review without spoilers and if you read it without knowing anything it is truly a wonderful story, start to finish that will literally keep you on the edge of your seat and maybe even up at night. There were even a few things that I saw coming and they still shocked me how they played out.  I will be thinking about this book for a very long time.

After reading Last Seen Alive, I would guess that the entire series is well written. So with that in mind, I’d definitely recommend starting with the first book, Gone for Good: A Novel.

But if you’re not looking to start a series, I enjoyed and followed this story without having read any of the previous books. Though in the back of my mind I kept thinking I had read an earlier one. Maybe this book explained the previous happenings so well that I just thought I had read an earlier book in the series, which says a lot about the author's good writing. And maybe way too much about me!

This book didn’t have to work hard to gain my interest. Ellery Hathaway was 14 when she was held and tortured by a serial killer. But since her escape, she has done her best to put that behind her and move on, until now that is. And now the killer, who has been in prison for 17 years, is making some new demands. Demands that involve Ellery.

The suspense in this story increased at a good pace. I felt involved and interested in both the serial killer aspect and the romantic relationship between the protagonists. Both of which were handled beautifully.

Last Seen Alive felt original and the characters believable. The story didn’t drag anywhere or feel heavy with backstory and details.

Concerns
Nothing

Final Thoughts
As I mentioned earlier, if this sounds like a good series, I would start with the first book so that the story and characters will be more meaningful.

If you like a variation from the normal serial killer book, I highly recommend this. It’s the perfect blend of story, characters, and romance.

My thanks to #NetGalley and #Minotaur for the ability to read and post my thoughts regarding this book.

I’ve been with the Ellery Hathaway series by Joanna Schaffhausen from the beginning and have raved about each book, so I didn’t think it was possible, but I think Last Seen Alive is even better than the first four!

While you can start with book five, why would you want to?!? Grab The Vanishing Season so you can get all the insider details that only help to enhance the story.

We finally get the showdown between Coben and Ellery in Last Seen Alive that I have been looking forward to since book one, and Shcaffhausen did not disappoint. There were lots of twists and disturbing scenes, just how I like my serial killer books and movies. So if you too enjoy a good serial killer story with fantastic character development, you need to check out the Ellery Hathaway series.

Wow! What a book! I loved everything about this book! Last Seen Alive is a book that will stay with me for a long time!

I must admit when I first started reading this book I was nervous I would be lost since I had not read any of the other books in this series. This was not the case at all! The author does a fabulous job at the beginning of the book to make sure the reader knows all the needed background information. I felt like I had followed the series from the beginning.

If you like twisted tales of serial killers full of emotional law enforcement officers and even a quirky film crew, you do not want to miss this book! Better yet, read the series!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.

Ellery is so awesome. I've read all the books in this series and would definitely say that for this installment, it's best if you have read them too. You will follow along and enjoy it if you haven't, but it is so much better knowing what has happened in the previous books. In this book, Ellery comes face to face with the killer who forever changed her life. The book was so much more than what I expected. There were a number of unexpected twists and plenty of suspicious characters. The book moved fast and had an ending that left me feeling completely satisfied. I loved how much Ellery has healed from the first book to this one. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Found in a locked closet, beaten, tortured, raped and barely alive, fourteen year old Ellery Hathaway is the lone survivor of serial killer, Francis Coben. Her rescuer, FBI Agent Reed Markham has kept track of Ellery through the years. Their relationship as friends and even lovers is tenuous based on their history. Ellery is now a detective with the Boston Police Department. She has severed ties with Markham. Being with him reminds her too much of the horror she endured years before. But now, Agent Reed Markham must reach out to Ellery. The monster Coben will give up the locations where eight other bodies are buried, but only if Ellery will meet with him and have their meeting televised. Ellery and Reed both know that Coben can’t be trusted. But the families of the women are clamoring for the meeting. Ellery finally agrees, but her nightmare isn’t over…it’s only beginning again.
Fast paced with a strong protagonist and a psychopathic monster this is another excellent thriller by Joanna Schaffhausen.

Thank you St. Martins Press/Minotaur and Netgalley for an ARC of this book. My review is my own opinion.

I only realized this book was #5 in a series after receiving it. Thankfully this can be read as a standalone, at no part throughout this book did I feel like I was missing any vital piece of information.
This is the second book I've read by this author, and I just can't get enough. I love her writing style, every end of her chapters is like a mini cliffhanger and I think 'well I can't stop here', which is not super conducive to an early bedtime- but that is just the risk we take as readers isn't it?
I love these characters, you could feel the tension of the situation but also the romantic tension between Reed and Ellery, I'm going to go back to read the rest of this series simply to see the progression of their relationship.

This is my second Joanna Schaffhausen, and I am so impressed by her! If you are someone who likes serial killer books, Last Seen Alive is a must read. Ellery and Reed are two characters that suck you in from the beginning. I love that you get to hear both of their stories/perspectives throughout this thriller. I highly recommend this book, and now I want to go read the previous Ellery Hathaway books from this series.

Thank you Minotaur Books for a copy of this book!

I started reading this, and while I know it can be read as a stand alone, I felt like I was missing a lot of background information. While I still do want to read this, I am going to start at the beginning of the series and work my way up to this one.

Last Seen Alive, the fifth book in Joanna Schaffhausen’s gripping Ellery Hathaway mystery series, picks up after the cliffhanger at the end of the previous book. Francis Coben, the serial killer who took the lives of at least sixteen young girls decades prior, has sent a letter from prison to the man who put him there, FBI agent Reed Markham. It contains a list of names of his victim’s unrecovered bodies and a promise to divulge their whereabouts. The cost? Reed must bring the girl that got away, the one he saved and who hasn’t laid eyes on Coben since she was fourteen, Detective Ellery Hathaway.

Ellery and Reed have a long, complicated relationship that began some fourteen years after her rescue when she was a police officer in Woodbury, MA. Now a detective in Boston, MA, having not spoken to Reed since she reluctantly broke up with him a year prior, Ellery is faced not only with seeing the man she still harbors strong feelings for again but also with Coben’s demand. The thought of coming face to face with the monster who tortured her and held her captive until she was on death’s door is almost too much to bear. But when one of the names on Cobin’s list turns out to be a fresh murder on Ellery and her partner’s turf, she can’t turn away.

Joining Reed, they travel to the prison in Terra Haute, IN, where Coben is being held. Underneath Ellery’s decision to comply with Coben’s demand is the chance to bring closure to the girls’ families whose bodies were never recovered. One of the many psychological scars that have never left Ellery is, in fact, being the one who survived. It has brought her incessant and unwanted media attention since she was saved. Films, TV specials, and books (one written by Reed himself) have haunted Ellery, keeping the attention on her while the world forgot about the unlucky girls and the parents who were never able to bury their daughters.

Schaffhausen’s Ellery Hathaway is one of the most fascinating characters in modern detective mystery novels, steeped with deep and wholly believable psychological depth. She is strong, stubborn, fierce, crass, dryly humorous, and has a will of steel. She poses an intimidating figure who you might be wary of crossing but are infectiously drawn to follow in the pages of Schaffhausen’s series. No less of a main character in the series, Reed Markham proves a perfect foil for Ellery’s protective wall and hardened demeanor. A loving, divorced father to his eight-year-old daughter, Tula, Reed is kind, empathetic, nurturing, and exceedingly patient.

The driving force over the length of the series is the ever-evolving relationship between Ellery and Reed (or her basset hound Speedbump if you’re a dog lover), one that has sparked heated debate and, some might say, controversy. After saving a 14-year-old Ellery (Abby at the time) from being violently raped and tortured, the idea of the two having a romantic relationship years down the road is a dicey proposition, to say the least. However, it’s one that Schaffhausen, who has a doctorate in psychology, handles so delicately and realistically that it is not only successful but emotionally moving.

The real treat in Last Seen Alive is, for the first time, finally getting to spend some time with Francis Coben, the enigmatic serial killer who has cast a dark storm over the entire series. Only mentioned and talked about in the first four novels, it was a mystery if we would ever come face to face with him, despite knowing he’s still alive and imprisoned. In very different ways, Coben has manipulated, and stained Ellery and Reed’s entire adult lives, and his existence has been the biggest stumbling block in the evolution of their relationship. The choice to bring Coben out of hiding, so to speak, is a smart one and it pays off in a spectacular way.

Side note: Although some detective series can read as stand-alones, I highly recommend reading Schaffhausen’s from beginning to end to get the full emotional impact.

Fast paced
Page turner
Intriguing storyline with great characters.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and author, Joy Kluver, for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Another excellent story in the series. Ellery and Reed are once again on a case involving Coben. The author is very adept at keeping the audience glued to the pages. It is a page turning read. The characters are fascinating and will leave you riveted to the page. It is interesting to see the evolution of the relationship between Reed and Ellery and how how it comes with acceptance of how their first meeting played a role in where they have ended up by the end of this third book.

Last Seen Alive by Joanna Schaffhausen brings us a darker story in the Ellery Hathaway series.

Ellery Hathaway is a woman who survived a serial killer as a teenager. It has haunted her, and the previous books in the series, which finally comes to a head in this latest installment. It is highly recommended to read these books in order for the best perspective on the relationships and trauma showcased in Last Seen Alive.

Abigail Ellery Hathaway was a teenager when she was kidnapped by Francis Coben, tortured, and kept in a closet. She was meant to be his seventeenth victim, but the crafty work of young FBI Agent Reed Markham saves her life. Flash forward several years; Ellery has become a detective, endured copycat killers, the spotlight, and made-for-TV movies claiming to be all about her life.

Joanna Schaffhausen delivers another wickedly paced story for Ellery and Reed to navigate. It feels as if every previous novel has been setting up this one. Ellery and Reed have kept in touch, their relationship shifting from hero to friend to lover. But Ellery has a problem with closeness. After what she endured and the scars covering her body, it stands to reason. She also longs to put distance between herself and the monster that tried to kill her. In so doing, she moves away from all things linked to Coben, even Reed.

In Last Seen Alive, Ellery's relationship with Coben continues to haunt her. When a new body turns up with Coben's signature marks, Ellery must wonder if she is dealing with another copycat or if something more sinister is at play.

The characters continue to amaze and remain some of my favorites from the crime genre. Ellery, in particular, is well balanced. She is strong and determined, hard-headed perhaps, but self-reliant. Yet, Ellery is also vulnerable. While she may not need anyone to hold her hand, that doesn't mean she doesn't want someone who will.

Last Seen Alive is a little darker than the first four books. The gravitas of serial killers, the lengths and depths of their depravity, is on full display. So too is the fanaticism of pop culture and the guilty pleasure we derive from these darker sides of humanity. I highly recommend this series.

<b> Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.</b>
One of my highly anticipated reads of 2022 was the fifth book in the Ellery Hathaway series. Months after their split, FBI agent Reed Markham still cannot stop thinking of Ellery. When Reed is approached by a true crime series host with information that the next feature is on Francis Coben, Reed feels that it cannot get any worse. But someone is working behind the scenes to have Coben released from prison and force a final showdown with Ellery.

Just a highly enjoyable series and the characters of Reed and Ellery are perhaps one of my favorite literary FBI/police duos in today’s popular thrillers. As I reached the end of the novel, I really hope that we shall see other books in the series.


Expected Publication date 25/01/22
Goodreads review published 03/01/22

Also reviewed on Instagram and Facebook

Suspense/Thrillers/Mysteries always have that moment, the moment you know is coming, which was foretold by a snippet early on, and you knew there was more to the story. A tiny scrap from the subplot, yet you knew it had meaning. About three-quarters of the way through this novel, the gut-punch happens.

Ellery Hathaway is a series to be read from start to finish. Each book recaps a small portion of their previous encounters; yet, there is not enough depth for a new reader to understand how far Ellery and Reed have come.

Take your time with the series, enjoy the nuance and journey, and by the time you get to this novel, you will appreciate what they have both endured.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

I enjoy following Ellery and Reed in Joanna Schaffhausen's great series. This book does an excellent job of bringing the reader up to date, especially if you read this as a stand-alone.

The characters really develop in this book and the reader is "treated" to interactions with Coben, the serial murderer who kidnapped Ellery when she was a teenager.

I look forward to futures episodes in this series.

This is book is part of a series, and since I read four of the previous books, I was happy to see growth in some of the characters. We get to see how Ellery has grown since she was kidnapped and tortured almost 20 years ago. We also see how her relationship with her rescuer Reed has evolved. At times, I forgot I was reading fiction, and got so carried away in reading I thought it was a true crime novel. And the ending brought tears to my eyes.

Well played, Joanna!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance reader's copy.