What a refreshing book. It really encompassed the word "thriller". I never knew the next step and when I got there I was always a little surprised. Overall this book mastered the genre and was very fast paced.

Halley James's life is falling apart all at once: her marriage, her job, and now her father is injured so she heads back "home" to take care of him and discovers that her mother didn't die in a car accident almost 30 years ago, she was murdered by Halley's half sister and Halley narrowly escaped being killed too. Halley has blocked all her memories of this time, but now she wants answers, and she will stop at nothing to get them, even if it means putting herself in danger. Overall, I enjoyed the story, but I found it long, and a great thriller shouldn't feel long, it should fly by! What should have been tense, dramatic moments felt more like incidental events. By the time I finished the book, I could barely remember how Halley found out about her mother and it seems like that should have been a seminal moment. Did the twist surprise me? Yes, but it may be because I wasn't engaged enough to be trying to figure things out.

There are so many unexpected surprises and twists in this book that a couple of times, I had to look again to make sure that I had read the words on the page correctly. The story of Halley James is a compelling and somewhat eerie tale of a mother murdered, a sister missing and bad things happening all at once in her life. She lost her job, left her husband and found out her father had lied to her for a couple of decades about how her mom died. So, Halley decides to play amateur detective and ferret out the whole truth, much to the chagrin of her father and to her own detriment since her actions put her in the crosshairs of a killer. The plot is riveting and the story is fast-paced. The characters are multi-layered with lots of secrets, making them fascinating and intriguing parts of the story. I really enjoyed visiting Marchburg again where the Goode School is (since Halley’s father teaches there), but the real setting is Brockton, the utopian society established by Miles Brockton, the scion of the family who may or may not have evil intentions. Halley was my favorite character, but I definitely put Theo right up there with her. He is the husband she left behind and one who is doggedly determined to find her and protect her once she disappears and stops contacting him. Theo is like a dog that you can neglect or even abuse, but for some strange reason he still loves you. Loyalty is his hallmark and I enjoyed seeing how his character developed and became more and more likable as the story progressed. With s super huge surprise twist at the end, this is a book that is hard to put down and best read in one sitting, with the lights on, of course.
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I also purchased my own copy of this book and all opinions expressed are my own.

A wild ride. Quick read despite being on the longer end of most thrillers at 400 pages.

Twisty, dark, and wildly addictive! A family secret turns a forensic pathologist’s life upside down, sending her into a tangled web of murder, cult vibes, and small-town creepiness. Over-the-top in the best way. If you want a hyper-realistic thriller, this isn’t it but I was hooked and finished in weekend.

The writing was well done and followed with time timeline well. Very well structured.

My first J.T. Ellison but I could easily pick up another - maybe this spooky season.

Halley's sister disappeared years ago and Halley is determined to find out what happened. She also wants to know what role her sister played in their mom's death. This dark novel will keep you on the edge of the seat because there are twists, turns, and danger around ever corner. It's a ggod one! Unputdownable!

Many thanks to Over the River PR and for my physical advanced readers copy and to NetGalley for my gifted e-book copy of Last Seen by J.T. Ellison. All opinions are my own.

A slow burning mystery/thriller that is a perfect way to transition from the summer to the fall!

Halley James knows her marriage is about to be over and though she has accepted it she did not realize the rest of her life would begin to crumble too.

She just lost her job at the forensics lab. Her dad needs emergency surgery. But the biggest blow comes back home in Marchburg, Virginia, where she discovers her mother didn’t actually die in a car crash. Her mom was murdered―and her father lied about it all these years.

Since she was a little girl, it’s been Halley and her dad. Now, she doesn’t know what to believe. Desperate for the truth, Halley chases down a lead in Brockville, Tennessee. But all there is not as it seems. Brockville’s utopian charm hides a chilling darkness. And Halley’s search for answers threatens to expose an unspeakable reality.

I enjoyed the back and forth of this book. It kept me guessing until the end. It was winding, twisty, and unpredictable. It is out now so be sure to add it to your end of summer / beginning of fall tbr!

J.T. Ellison is a staple mystery thriller writer for me. Always hits with a great escapism book, perfect for by the pool or lake. Recommend for fans of Freida McFadden or AR Torre.

Just finished Last Seen by J.T. Ellison and wow, what a ride. This one had me guessing the whole way through. It's got all the suspense, secrets, and emotional twists you'd expect from Ellison, with a solid psychological edge. The characters felt real (even when they were messed up), and the pacing kept me flipping pages late into the night. A few parts felt a little drawn out, but the ending made up for it. If you're into twisty domestic thrillers with plenty of dark turns, this one's definitely worth picking up.

Come here. Come closer. Halley James knows her marriage is over. But she’s not prepared for the rest of her life to fall apart too. No one can hear you. No one can help you. She just lost her job at the forensics lab. Her dad needs emergency surgery. But the biggest blow comes back home in Marchburg, Virginia, where she discovers her mother didn’t actually die in a car crash. Her mom was murdered and her father lied about it all these years. I have nothing to hide from you. Are you hiding something from me?! Good book! This book had great suspense, murder, mystery, intrigue, action, fantastic storyline and some shocking moments! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Halley's marriage is over, and based on a stupid mistake at work, so is her career as a forensic scientist. Then she calls her dad and finds out he fell and is in the hospital for surgery. So, she heads back to her hometown to help him out. As she's searching for his insurance information, she comes across a disturbing revelation about her family. Everything she knew was a lie.

As Halley starts searching for the truth, things start to unravel and lead her into deeper secrets in her small hometown. There were a lot of crazy coincidences and some things that were a little far-fetched, but I felt like things came together at the end. There were some slow parts that went a bit sideways, but it was still an entertaining, dark read with twists that kept coming.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Much like the last time I read a novel by J.T. Ellison, this one took a long time to capture my attention. A majority of the story was slow and didn't go much of anywhere until around 65% and even then it was hard to keep my focus. This one missed the mark for me personally, and I was relieved when I had finished.

She just lost her job at the forensics lab. Her dad needs emergency surgery. But the biggest blow comes back home in Marchburg, Virginia, where she discovers her mother didn't actually die in a car crash. Her mom was murdered, and her father lied about it all these years. Since she was 6 years old, it's been Halley and her dad. Now, she doesn't know what to believe. Desperate for the truth, Halley chases down a lead in Brockville, Tennessee. But all there is not as it seems. Brockville's utopian charm hides a chilling darkness. And Halley's search for answers threatens to expose an unspeakable reality.

This was a solid slow burn thriller! It felt very dark and eerie and I genuinely had no idea what direction it was going in. It was a bit dramatic toward the end, I’m still unsure how I feel about the ending but I did really enjoy this one & it’s creepy little twists! (3.5 ⭐️)

✨ Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts ✨

Last Seen by J.T. Ellison is a gripping and emotionally charged thriller that kept me captivated from start to finish. Halley’s quest for truth amid family secrets and danger is both intense and heartbreaking. I thoroughly enjoyed this compelling story and rated it five stars for its suspense and depth.

Readers who love thrillers will enjoy this emotionally charged dark story. The point of view of the monster who was killing people was down right creepy. The story will easily suck readers into the story as Halley races to find answers. A little too weird at times but enjoyable. Recommended.

Thank you to Net Galley and Thomas and Mercer for the ARC!

This was a fantastic thriller! There were twists and turns on every page, and all my guesses as it kept going were wrong... LOL

I was intrigued the whole time, and Halley just kept digging up more and more random things that kept tying back to the mystery of her half sister. I did not expect the ending, and I feel like it was almost random? That would be the main critique, as since it was so unexpected it almost felt incomplete in a sense. And then part way through the book we were turning to something completely different then where we started. Granted, I get it, mystery thriller, but I feel like you should expect some of the stuff that comes throughout the book.

I think though, all that aside, it was a good mystery thriller read. Got pretty dark at some points, and some of the narration confused me a bit as I didn't realize who was speaking. But it was very good and I was invested the whole time, which is what you want from a good mystery!

thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for having this read available!

I’m sure I’m the problem here but I just didn’t like the plot:/ it was a little flat and a bit poorly executed.. a lot was happening at once and it was hard to focus on everything..

I received a complementary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the author and the publisher.
As I've found with the past J.T. Ellison novels that I've read this book takes you on a bumpy ride. I really liked that this one had a tie in mention of one of her previous novel Good Girls Lie. This story takes you on a journey with Halley as she tries to find out what really happened the day her mother was murdered. She finds out she's been lied to for years and her half sister, who she was told died as well, is still alive. So the search begins as she can't let go of the thread that she's started to pull. This book really kept me guessing and I stayed up way to late finishing it because I had to know how it ended.

There were things I really liked about the book, so let's start there. Halley is a smart woman who worked in a forensic lab until she is unfairly let go. She is struggling in her personal life, separating from her husband Theo, an ATF agent.

When her father gets in an accident, she goes to his bedside and learns something disturbing: her mother and her stepsister didn’t die in a car crash when Halley was a child as she was told, but her stepsister Cat she killed their mother. Knowing this unlocks memories in Halley’s brain, and she begins having flashbacks to the horrible event.

This launches Halley into an investigation to find out the truth about Cat. This leads her to Brockville, where Cat was last seen at an exclusive writer’s retreat. That is where the story picks up and gets wild. We are talking secrets, cults, tunnels, weird brothers, multiple murders, and more.

I liked the writing; I liked Halley, and I have always enjoyed the author’s novels. I thought this was a little unbelievable and a little insane from midway in the novel.

While I was glued to the pages to discover what was going on, the whole Brockville cult/town gave me the creeps. I think I would have liked to see this play out a little differently. But kudos to the author for taking a chance and throwing everything at poor Halley.

I could not put this one down. This starts off so strong and so fast paced before I knew it....my kindle said I was at 52%. Halley rushes back to her hometown after her dad falls down the stairs. While she's home, she learns her sister actually killed her mother. Halley is determined to get answers and discover the truth. Although this book was a bit longer than I normally like, it was very gripping. There was a lot of information and a lot to unpack with this one. It's a long ride, but a good one.

Anytime J.T. Ellison has a book coming out, you can guarantee I’m reading it! Once again she blew me away with her 2025 release, Last Seen, coming out 8/1/25!

When this story started, I had no idea where it was going. I had some ideas, but they were just all over the place. Get ready and buckle up buttercup.

Halley James heads back home after her father has a bad falling accident. After she is there, she learns that her ten year older sister, whom she thought was dead, had murdered their mother. What she wants to know is, why and is her sister, Catriona, still alive?

The hunt is on! What you think is going on, you have no idea! Just wait, you’re gonna get the thrill ride of your life! Last Seen is some of her darker work and I absolutely loved it!!!
4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️