Last Seen Alive Review

Author: Joanna Schaffhausen

Series: Ellery Hathaway #5

Genre: Mystery Suspense

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Release Date: Jan. 25, 2022

Order Link: Amazon

5 Final Hearts

Special thanks to Minotaur Books for an arc of this book.

The fifth book in Joanna Schaffhausen's heartpounding Ellery Hathaway mystery series.

Review:

Boston Police Detective Ellery Hathaway is the sole survivor of the notorious serial killer Francis Coben who's serving life for the abduction and brutal torture and murders of at least seventeen young girls.  At age fourteen, "Abby" was snatched from the street, restrained in a small closet in the blood of the girls who preceded her and heartlessly tortured.  FBI Agent Reed Markham was following his gut instinct when he miraculously found and rescued her from that closet.  In the years that followed, the pair formed a rocky relationship that was doomed from the start because a grown up Ellery could never completely silence the monster's voices in her head.  She had a up close and personal view of Coben's face when his mask slipped and was reminded of it every night in her nightmares.  Try as she may, she was unable to separate the man Reed from the rescuer Agent Reed and so they lived separate lives unless a case drew them together like now - a young woman's body has been discovered with similarities to victims of Coben.  Is it a copycat killer . . . or is Coben pulling strings from inside prison.  Either way, he's demanding to see Ellery, his "Abby", and he'll give up the location of some of the missing girl's bodies.  And, he wants the meeting filmed live for reality TV.  Can she face her torturer again . . . and survive it?

From the cold, barren setting to the multi-layered, complex plot, Last Seen Alive is very close to the perfect thriller.  The pace is relentless, driving the suspense higher and higher as the meeting between a twisted serial killer and his sole remaining survivor draws near.  I held my breath waiting for the other shoe to drop because it's obvious Coben has an ace up his sleeve.  Sure enough, he does and Ellery is in a life or death situation once again.  The character study in this book is simply outstanding.  I have not read the first four books although I'll rectify that as soon as possible, but even without that firsthand background knowledge, I was blown away walking the pages with these characters as they dug in to take a monster down.  The author does an amazing job of including enough backstory to make even this finicky reader comfortable with picking up the story line and proceeding.  The relationship development between Ellery and Reed is touching and heartbreaking as it's clear he wants more than she may ever be able to give.  Watching her search for ways to come to grips with her terrifying memories, find a way to disassociate them from Reed left me wondering if there was any hope of a future for them together.  Terrifying, complex, and intense, Last Seen Alive is one not to be missed.  Fans of mystery, suspense and/or thrillers are in for a real treat.  I've just become a Joanna Schaffhausen fan and will be actively searching through her catalog of work.  Highly recommended.

Synopsis:

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.

Joanna Schaffhausen wields a mean scalpel, skills she developed in her years studying neuroscience. She has a doctorate in psychology, which reflects her long-standing interest in the brain―how it develops and the many ways it can go wrong. Previously, she worked as a scientific editor in the field of drug development. Prior to that, she was an editorial producer for ABC News, writing for programs such as World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and 20/20. She lives in the Boston area with her husband, daughter, and an obstreperous basset hound.