Last Seen Alive (Ellery Hathaway #5) by Joanna Schaffhausen @slipperywhisper @MinotaurBooks @NetGalley #fiction #bookreview #bookblogger

Susanne’s Review:

Wowza.  

Seventeen years after being abducted by Francis Coben, Ellery Hathaway comes face to face with him yet again.  

Tense, taut, and thrilling, we knew this moment would come, we just didn’t know how it would happen.  

After what happened all those years ago, Ellery Hathway became a detective fighting crime and saving others like her. Ever since that fateful day, Reed Markham has been by her side, one way or the other.  Now the two of them come together again to face the one man who brought them together in the first place. 

Last Seen Alive is a doozy, my friends.  Terrifying, action-packed, twisty, and turny.  This one will leave you breathless, in more ways than one.

Ellery Hathaway and Reed Markham are two of my favorite characters and I so appreciate how their story has developed.  

This was a buddy read with Kaceey and was one we really enjoyed.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the arc.

Published on Goodreads and Twitter.

Kaceey’s Review:

Can you make a deal with the devil and come away unscathed?

Book five of the Ellery Hathaway series. Sufficient details will provide you enough information to jump in right here. But I strongly suggest you start at the beginning with book one, The Vanishing Season to get the full backstory on our characters.

Ellery survived the unimaginable. She was rescued from a serial killer by FBI agent Reed Markham, making her the only victim to survive deranged killer Francis Corbin. Who now presently sits on death row. But the families of the lost girls and the media won’t let this case be put to rest. They want answers straight from the killer himself. He agrees…if, and only if Ellery herself comes to see him.

What happens when you poke the bear? In this case a sadistic serial killer? Well…nothing good! That’s what!

This series is not for the faint of heart. It’s dark and at times quite shocking and disturbing. But author Joanna Schaffhausen doesn’t add gratuitous violence. Cleverly weaved, It’s everything you would expect in a series revolving around a serial killer.

I‘ve grown to love the lead character Ellery and her desperate struggle to permanently put the past behind her and live a ‘normal’ life. Her relationship with Reed has been tumultuous but you always feel the magnetic pull between the two that’s undeniable.

I believe this may be the final book in this series? (Am I correct Ms. Schaffhausen?)  If so, I will sincerely miss all these wonderful characters. But I do appreciate how you left everything at the end. (If indeed this is the end)😉

A girl can dream…right!?💁🏻‍♀️🙏💖

A buddy read with Susanne. Who was by my side through this entire series, except for book one. Susanne you really do need to go back and read how it all started….Just sayin!🤭

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books.