Category Archives: Joanna Schaffhausen

February 21, 2022 · 12:02 am

Review: Last Seen Alive by Joanna Schaffhausen

Title: Last Seen Alive by Joanna Schaffhausen
Ellery Hathaway Series Book Five
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Last Seen Alive> is the fifth book in Joanna Schaffhausen’s heartpounding Ellery Hathaway mystery series.

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.

Review:

Last Seen Alive by Joanna Schaffhausen is a thrilling mystery. Although this newest release is the fifth novel in the fantastic Ellery Hathaway series, it can be read as a standalone. However, I HIGHLY recommend the entire series.

FBI Agent Reed Markham has stayed away from Boston Detective Ellery Hathaway since she ended their relationship a few months earlier. But when serial killer Francis Coben says he will reveal the location of eight more victims, Reed has no choice to call her. Why? Because Coben is only willing to tell her where the bodies are located. Ellery is the sole survivor of his murderous rampage twenty years ago. She still has the physical and mental scars from her time with the deprave murderer. Despite her reluctance to face the man who tortured her, Ellery would like the victims’ families to know the fate of their loved ones. But will she regret agreeing to meet with him?

Ellery and Reed soon discover a Coben copycat is on the loose. They work with local police in hopes of finding out who the killer is and how this person is getting information from Coben. The convicted murderer has no contact with his fellow inmates and his mail is carefully checked over by prison officials. Ellery and Reed meticulously follow every piece of evidence that is unearthed but will they find the killer before another murder?

For the first time since leaving home, Ellery, with Reed at her side, returns to visit her mother. Their history is fraught and Ellery has resisted going back to the scene of her kidnapping. Will the trip help her put some demons to rest?

Last Seen Alive is a fast-paced mystery that is full of suspense. Ellery and Reed find it difficult to keep their relationship strictly professional. But they try not allow their personal life interfere with the investigation. Coben is pure evil and he derives great pleasure from other people’s suffering. With shocking twists and cunning turns, Joanna Schaffhausen brings this tense mystery to a highly satisfying conclusion. Old and new fans are sure to enjoy this latest addition to the Ellery Hathaway series.

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Filed under Contemporary, Ellery Hathaway Series, Joanna Schaffhausen, Last Seen Alive, Minotaur Books, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense

August 17, 2021 · 12:02 am

Review: Gone for Good by Joanna Schaffhausen

Title: Gone for Good by Joanna Schaffhausen
Detective Annalisa Vega Series Book One
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Gone For Good is the first in a new mystery series from award-winning author Joanna Schaffhausen, featuring Detective Annalisa Vega, in which a cold case heats up.

The Lovelorn Killer murdered seven women, ritually binding them and leaving them for dead before penning them gruesome love letters in the local papers. Then he disappeared, and after twenty years with no trace of him, many believe that he’s gone for good.

Not Grace Harper. A grocery store manager by day, at night Grace uses her snooping skills as part of an amateur sleuth group. She believes the Lovelorn Killer is still living in the same neighborhoods that he hunted in, and if she can figure out how he selected his victims, she will have the key to his identity.

Detective Annalisa Vega lost someone she loved to the killer. Now she’s at a murder scene with the worst kind of déjà vu: Grace Harper lies bound and dead on the floor, surrounded by clues to the biggest murder case that Chicago homicide never solved. Annalisa has the chance to make it right and to heal her family, but first, she has to figure out what Grace knew—how to see a killer who may be standing right in front of you. This means tracing his steps back to her childhood, peering into dark corners she hadn’t acknowledged before, and learning that despite everything the killer took, she has still so much more to lose.

Review:

Gone for Good by Joanna Schaffhausen is an intriguing mystery starring police Detective Annalisa Vega.

Annalisa is a detective with the Chicago police department and she is eager to stay on a cold case turned sizzling hot. Twenty years ago, the Lovelorn Killer murdered several women then abruptly went dormant. The case was never officially solved but a recent murder provides the chance to bring the killer to justice. Annalisa has a personal stake in the investigation since his last known victim twenty years ago was a friend of her family.

The newest victim is amateur cold case sleuth Grace Harper and her murder is exactly like the earlier cases. Grace is part of the Grave Diggers Group and they have had success in closing old cold cases. Much to Annalisa and the other detective’s dismay, Grace’s computer is missing so they do not know what new information she has uncovered. With the FBI swooping in, Annalisa’s Commander Lynn Zimmer does everything possible to maintain control of the investigation. Will Annalisa and her current partner Detective Nick Carelli unmask the killer before he strikes again?

Annalisa is an intelligent woman with keen instincts. She is not as quick to dismiss tenuous leads as some of her counterparts and she doggedly powers through her exhaustion to follow every possible clue. Annalisa pays attention to details at Grace’s house that she hopes have relevance to their investigation. She is also juggling family problems due to her father’s failing health and an unexpected issue with one of her brothers. Annalisa is also faced with unresolved issues from her past that unexpectedly crop up during the investigation. However, she tries not to allow her personal life to distract her from the search for Grace’s killer.

Gone for Good is a fast-paced and engrossing police procedural. Annalisa is a multi-faceted character with a strong work ethic and wry sense of humor. The secondary cast of characters are well-developed and it will be interesting to watch the various relationships take shape in future books. The investigation into the Lovelorn Killer moves at a steady pace. With unanticipated twists and diabolically clever turns,  Joanna Schaffhausen brings this first installment in the Detective Annalisa Vega series to an absolutely shocking conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Detective Annalisa Vega Series, Gone for Good, Joanna Schaffhausen, Minotaur Books, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense

January 26, 2021 · 12:02 am

Review: Every Waking Hour by Joanna Schaffhausen

Title: Every Waking Hour by Joanna Schaffhausen
Ellery Hathaway Series Book Four
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 331 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

The fourth book in Joanna Schaffhausen’s heartpounding Ellery Hathaway mystery series, Every Waking Hour….

After surviving a serial killer’s abduction as a young teenager, Ellery Hathaway is finally attempting a normal life. She has a new job as a rookie Boston detective and a fledgling relationship with Reed Markham, the FBI agent who rescued her years ago. But when a twelve-year-old girl disappears on Ellery’s watch, the troubling case opens deep wounds that never fully healed.

Chloe Lockhart walked away from a busy street fair and vanished into the crowd. Maybe she was fleeing the suffocating surveillance her parents put on her from the time she was born, or maybe the evil from her parents’ past finally caught up to her. For Chloe, as Ellery learns, is not the first child Teresa Lockhart has lost.

Ellery knows what it’s like to have the past stalk you, to hold your breath around every corner. Sending one kidnapped girl to find another could be Chloe’s only hope or an unmitigated disaster that dooms them both. Ellery must untangle the labyrinth of secrets inside the Lockhart household—secrets that have already murdered one child. Each second that ticks by reminds her of her own lost hours, how close she came to death, and how near it still remains.

Review:

Every Waking Hour by Joanna Schaffhausen is a compelling mystery. This fourth installment in the Ellery Hathaway series can be read as standalone. But I HIGHLY recommend all of the books in the series.

Boston Detective Ellery Hathaway and FBI profiler Reed Markham are enjoying a day in the park with his seven year old daughter Tula when twelve year old Chloe Lockhart goes missing.  Ellery is quick to jump into the search after the girl’s nanny Margery Brimwood begins searching for Chloe. Ellery knows all too well what could happen if Chloe has been kidnapped.  She is relieved when her boss allows her to take lead on the case and she, along with her partner Detective Dorie Bennett, are soon questioning Chloe’s parents. Martin and Teresa Lockwood keep a very close watch on their daughter because years earlier, Teresa’s twelve year old son Trevor was murdered. His murder has never been solved which leaves Ellery and Dorie wondering if there could be a link between the cases.

Ellery is tightly wound throughout the search for Chloe. She cannot help but think about her own history as the days pass without any new leads. Initially believing Chloe might have just run away, Elerry and Dorie are soon proved wrong.  The kidnapper’s first demand is rather odd, but they encourage Teresa to comply. With each new command, Teresa is more traumatized but she will do anything to get her daughter back.

Although Reed is on vacation, he does not hesitate to jump into the investigation. Using his connections, he learns intriguing new information about Teresa’s first husband and the circumstances surrounding their son’s death. As he digs deeper into Trevor’s case, Reed is beginning to form a hypothesis about what happened to Trevor.  At the same time, he continues working on Chloe’s case.  As Reed grows more certain of the kidnapper’s endgame, the search for the missing girl intensifies.

Every Waking Hour is a riveting mystery with a clever storyline and an interesting cast of characters. Ellery is intense as she vigorously pursues every lead she and Dorie unearth.  The unanticipated arrival of Ellery’s half-sister is an added complication but proves to be beneficial to both siblings. Reed is also dealing with difficulties in his personal life when he learns unexpected information about his ex-wife. With stunning twists and shocking turns,  Joanna Schaffhausen brings this exciting mystery to an action-filled, satisfactory conclusion. A jaw-dropping development  will leave readers anxiously awaiting the next mystery in the Ellery Hathaway series.

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Filed under Contemporary, Ellery Hathaway Series, Every Waking Hour, Joanna Schaffhausen, Minotaur Books, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense

February 9, 2020 · 11:58 pm

Review: All the Best Lies by Joanna Schaffhausen

Title: All the Best Lies by Joanna Schaffhausen
Ellery Hathaway Series Book Three
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 328 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

The highly anticipated third novel in the award-winning Ellery Hathaway mystery series.

FBI agent Reed Markham is haunted by one painful unsolved mystery: who murdered his mother? Camilla was brutally stabbed to death more than forty years ago while baby Reed lay in his crib mere steps away. The trail went so cold that the Las Vegas Police Department has given up hope of solving the case. But then a shattering family secret changes everything Reed knows about his origins, his murdered mother, and his powerful adoptive father, state senator Angus Markham. Now Reed has to wonder if his mother’s killer is uncomfortably close to home.

Unable to trust his family with the details of his personal investigation, Reed enlists his friend, suspended cop Ellery Hathaway, to join his quest in Vegas. Ellery has experience with both troubled families and diabolical murderers, having narrowly escaped from each of them. She’s eager to skip town, too, because her own father, who abandoned her years ago, is suddenly desperate to get back in contact. He also has a secret that could change her life forever, if Ellery will let him close enough to hear it.

Far from home and relying only on each other, Reed and Ellery discover young Camilla had snared the attention of dangerous men, any of whom might have wanted to shut her up for good. They start tracing his twisted family history, knowing the path leads back to a vicious killer—one who has been hiding in plain sight for forty years and isn’t about to give up now.

Review:

The third installment in the brilliant Ellery Hathaway series, All the Best Lies by Joanna Schaffhausen is a perplexing cold case mystery.

Troubled by recent revelations, FBI Agent Reed Markham is finally in a position to investigate the long unsolved murder of his mother, Camilla Flores.  Since he was only four months old at the time of Cammie’s death, Reed has no memories of her. Adopted by Senator Angus Markham and his wife Marianne, Reed grew up alongside his three sisters.  But his mother’s murder has long troubled him so he enlists the aid of his friend (and suspended cop) Ellery Hathaway to travel to Las Vegas with him to in hopes of uncovering the killer’s identity.

Reed and Ellery share an unusual connection and despite their history, they work well together.  Ellery is the only person he can count on to understand his desire for the truth about his mother’s death.  Trying his best to distance himself from his personal connection to the victim, Reed is mostly successful as he looks through the evidence as objectively as possible. With local Sheriff Brad Ramsey’s reluctant assistance, Reed and Ellery comb through the old reports, question witnesses and assess the scant evidence from the crime.

The investigation into Camilla’s death moves in fits and starts as they pore over old evidence and search for the remaining witnesses to a murder that took place over forty years earlier. The previous detectives formed a theory early in their investigation as to the killer’s identity. With complete tunnel vision that plagued each new look at the case, there was little speculation about other possible motives or suspects for Camilla’s murder.  After so many years, will Ellery and Reed uncover new information that will solve the case?

As they work together, Reed and Ellery’s personal relationship continues to grow and evolve.   Their unlikely friendship is underscored by a simmering attraction, but Ellery’s traumatic past makes it difficult for her to experience intimacy. She is quick to retreat both emotionally and physically, but she also honestly assesses her reactions and emotions. Once she has processed her thoughts, Ellery makes a genuine attempt to explain what she is experiencing. Reed is quite patient as Ellery continues her healing journey that is rooted in a horrifying experience as a teenager.

All the Best Lies is an engrossing mystery with a clever storyline and interesting characters. Reed and Ellery are engaging, likable characters with fascinating back stories that make them easy to like. The investigation into Camilla’s murder is a little heartbreaking as Reed learns new information about his birth mother.  With chilling turns, Joanna Schaffhausen brings this riveting mystery to a twist-filled, stunning conclusion. Old and new fans are going to love this latest addition to the marvelous Ellery Hathaway series.

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Filed under All the Best Lies, Contemporary, Ellery Hathaway Series, Joanna Schaffhausen, Minotaur Books, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense