Author Joanna Schaffhausen (https://www.joannaschaffhausen.com) published the novel “The Vanishing Season: A Mystery ” in 2017. This is the first of her "Ellery Hathaway" series. She has published four novels.

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Language. The story is set in Woodbury, MA. The primary character is Abby (aka Ellery) Hathaway.

Hathaway knows about serial killers first hand. She was taken when she was a young girl. She was the final victim and lone survivor of serial killer Francis Michael Coben. She has moved on with her life and taken her middle name. She is also a law officer in Woodbury and no-one there knows of her past.

She believes that there is a serial killer in Woodbury, but no one takes her seriously. When the time of the year comes around again for another person to disappear, she reaches out for help. She contacts FBI Agent Reed Markham, the man who rescued her from Coben.

Reed has fallen upon difficult times since he saved Hathaway. Even though he is on leave from the FBI he decides to go see Hathaway. Hathaway's request for help does not go down well with her department. Before long though, Hathaway and Reed begin to find evidence to support her theory. Their progress does not go unnoticed by the killer.

I enjoyed the 7+ hours I spent reading this 279-page mystery. The character of Hathaway is damaged. She went through too much at the hands of Coben to be normal. Nor has she been able to confront her feelings. She has few friends and is a loner. She needs Reed's help but has a difficult time trueing him. Reed has made some professional mistakes and is separated from his wife and daughter. he makes an effort to avoid alcohol and give Hathaway the best help he can. I understand whey the cover art was chosen, but I am not a fan too it. I give this novel a 4.4 out of 5.

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When a Abby Hathaway was a young, rebellious 14 year old, she was abducted and held captive for days by serial killer Frances Michael Coben until she was rescued by Agent Reed Markham. Coben had killed 16 others and Abby was due to be his 17th victim. Now, 28-year-old Ellie (previously Abby) Hathaway is the only female police officer in her small town in MA. She holds her past a secret in order to continue to move forward with her life. However, three people have gone missing, all around Ellie's birthday, in three years and the investigation is at a dead end. She contacts the only person she feels that understands her desire to catch the murderer - Agent Markham. Together will they track down what Ellie fears to be another serial killer somehow connected to her?
I liked this book very much! It was a a little slow in the beginning but picked up and had some twists and turns thrown in. I look forward to reading the others in the series!
Thanks to Joanna Schaffhausen, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

What a great mystery. Serial killer, suspicion, intrigue and so much more! I found myself questioning what I thought I knew. The Vanishing Season was a great quarantine read.

From the description, this seemed like a book that would be right up my alley, and after reading it that turned out to be the case. I love a good mystery series, and while I sometimes questioned actions of Ellery, the main character, the trauma of her childhood experiences explained most of her actions and reactions. There's a nasty serial killer, who's in jail, and has a possible admirer who's been sending Ellery birthday cards, but only Ellery realizes the probable connection between missing persons in her small town - not to mention the likelihood that another will go missing in the near future. She uses a long-dormant connection to Reed, an FBI agent who has issues of his own, to try to confirm her suspicions and help with her investigation. There's always a fair amount of "set up" in a new series, and when it's a author's debut some unevenness is to be expected. But this was a good solid mystery, with enough twists and turns to keep me interested throughout. And when I was done, I was glad I already had the second book in the series to find out what was next for Ellery and Reed.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

I love that it takes place where I live and I knew the landmarks they were talking about. Books that contain serial killers always seem to catch my attention, and this book was no exception. I would definitely consider this a good, solid read.

Ellery was a great character, she was so determined to help and fix everything she possibly could. It took me a bit but I did end up really loving Reed. He was a very complex character, as was everyone in this story. They had all been through so much and it still wasn’t over. Found myself second guessing all of the characters.

Definitely didn’t see the end twist coming, caught me completely off guard. Ending was very intense and I had to finish in one sitting. I needed to know what was going to happen. I really enjoyed the story, but wished the pacing was a little different during the middle, or maybe just more even throughout. Overall I enjoyed this read and would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking for a good, solid thriller.

Although all novels in this series can be read as standalones, if you want to truly understand the development Ellery Hathaway and Agent Reed Markham go through, it is better to read the novels in order.
Ellery Hathaway comes from a disadvantaged and broken family. She is also a survivor of a horrifying childhood trauma. At the age of 14, she was abducted and victimised by the notorious serial killer Francis Coben. There will always be a special link between Ellery and Agent Markham as he was the person who rescued her, although he will always wonder if it migh have already been too late for the girl to ever truly recover.
The characterisation in this novel is excellent. We see how the protagonists' past made them into the people they are now. Can they turn the tide and learn to live their life differently?
The Vanishing Season is an excellent police procedural with a tight plot and interesting twists. I did guess a few things in advance, but this is actually due to the inner story logic and consistency of the characters, which are things I am always looking for in this genre.
A well-written beginning of an engaging series with strong characters, The Vanishing Season is highly recommended for all lovers of mysteries and thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Absolutely love this series! It's full of intrigue, mystery, suspense, everything I could ask for! Cannot wait to read more from this author!

I truly enjoyed the pacing of the story and the well written characters. This book took me by surprise. It kept me interested throughout the story and I needed to see what was going to happen. I would recommend this story to all thriller and who-done-it lovers.

The Vanishing Season hooked me at page one and the mystery and suspense kept me turning the pages. I actually read the books out of order and read books two and three before this one. I loved Reed and Ellery and was intrigued by the story and surprised at the end. I also have to mention Speed Bump, Ellery's dog, who I loved and thought added so much to the story. Enjoyable read.

After a horrific childhood abduction by a serial killer leaves Ellery Hathaway forever scarred, she seeks a new life and a new name as a cop in a small town. But someone knows her true identity, and when she starts getting birthday cards in the mail from someone who knows about her past, there's only one person she can turn to: the FBI investigator who rescued her so long ago.

The book is a compelling read with a good twist I didn't predict. It offers your standard thriller fare with a likeable hero struggling in a battle against her demons from the past. There are enough red herrings to guide--and misguide you--which makes for a fun read with a satisfying conclusion.

I saw some similarities between this and Riley Sager's Final Girls and Dot Hutchinson's series, starting with The Butterfly Garden - the last female to be rescued, staying in contact with the cop who saved you, etc. The problem is that the more I read the book, the more it seemed like A LOT of other books out there. It's a short novel, and I'll probably check out the subsequent books in the series, but pretty predictable.

The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen is the story of Ellery Hathaway, the lone survivor of prolific serial killer Francis Coben.  At fourteen years old, she was rescued by FBI agent Reed Markham and became the final victim of Coben, who was infamous for removing his victim's hands. 

Fourteen years later Ellery is a police officer in a small town that has seen a recent string of disappearances.  Every July for the past three years, a resident of the town has inexplicably gone missing never to be seen again.  And shortly after, Ellery has received a creepy, anonymous birthday card.  Ellery is convinced there is a serial killer on the loose but can't convince anyone else on her department so she calls in a favor and asks Reed Markham, the FBI agent who rescued her so long ago to consult on the case.  Now Reed and Ellery are on the trail of a killer who is due to kill again soon and who seems to be escalating.  

The premise of a heroine who is a survivor of a prolific serial killer is a fascinating one and Schaffhausen carries it off with aplomb.  The Vanishing Season is an enthralling introduction to Ellery Hathaway and Reed Markham and I look forward to reading the next two in the series.

Great psychological thriller with nonstop action and no bog reveals until almost the end. First book by this author I’ve read - just started her next book featuring returning main character Ellery Hathaway.

This was an enjoyable book filled with mystery and suspense. It is a book which I would recommend to others.

I read The Vanishing Season because the second book in the series caught my eye. Ellie is a police officer in a small town. She lives alone, is untrusting, and people don't know alot about her, and this is by design. When Ellie was a teenager, she was taken by an infamous serial killer and was the one who got away. Now as an adult, people are disappearing in the town she lives in and no one is listening. How does a relatively inexperienced officer get the powers that be to listen without exposing her past?

Ellie calls in the FBI Agent that rescued her and they team up through the case, each with the psychological scars that the past brings with them.

I enjoyed the writing and characters. Ellie is a strong, independent woman. Her relationship with her mom is frayed for reasons that I could understand on both sides. Reed Markham, the FBI Agent, is also a strong character with flaws. The characters - police chief, Ellie, Reed, Reed's wife, police chief's wife, Ellie's mom, the serial killer, even Ellie's dog - all have realistic qualities. The perspectives given in the writing lend to the suspense and characters as well.

The Vanishing Season was an enjoyable read with enough psychological drama and suspense to keep me going. I loved the dynamics between characters and the reveal of the coping methods that each applied. There are enough clues and red herrings dropped throughout the book that I didn't know who or what to trust, yet it all made sense as it came together.

I enjoyed this book and Joanna Schaffhausen's writing style to jump into the next in the series immediately, and I will look for more by her as well.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

This was an enjoyable, quick read. I'd call it a mystery/police-procedural rather than a thriller. It was fast-paced and kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen.

Ellery Hathaway is a police officer in a sleepy Massachusetts town. No one there knows she was once a victim of a notorious serial killer - the only victim who lived. Ellery has tried to move on with her life, but when three people disappear from her small town in three years - all around her birthday - Ellery is convinced that someone knows about her secret past. When her superiors dismiss her concerns, she reaches out to FBI Agent Reed Markham, the man who saved her all those years ago. Agent Markham's life - and career - is in shambles, but he can't ignore Ellery's call for help. Can the two of them solve the current case, and is it in fact related to Ellery's nightmare past?

This was a solid police procedural with a compelling storyline. I didn't feel like it was as suspenseful as it could have been, or as it started out, but overall it kept me turning the pages. I liked the characters of Ellery and Reed, and enjoyed Ellery's backstory, I'd give it a solid 3 stars - not the most thrilling serial killer story out there but strong enough that I'd read more from the author.

I got a free e-copy from NetGalley in exchange for my opinion. I accidentally read the second one first since I didn’t remember that I also had this one. 😬

Ellery Hathaway is a cop in a small town in Boston. She also is the only survivor of a serial killer who was caught when she was rescued as a teenager. She’s spent her life trying to escape that part of her life, but it seems that it might be catching up with her. Over the past few years, there have been disappearances in her small town around her birthday (which she’s never told to anyone), and she’s pretty sure it’s related to her and her past ordeal. She calls up a Reed Markham, the FBI agent who rescued her, to ask for help in unraveling the mystery.

Similar to the other I’ve read in the series, it was a fast-paced, gripping story that I couldn’t put down and devoured in two days. Good twists, not necessarily obvious ones, either. Also similar to the other, there was more strong-language (think f-bombs) than I would prefer, which bumped this down from a 3 1/2 to a 3.

Funnily enough, I think if I had read these in the correct order, I don’t know if I would have continued the series. The characters have a lot more development in the second book, and I cared about them more in spite of not having read the first. In this one, one of the first things you learn about Ellery is that she’s sleeping with her married boss. Not really making me root for her off the bat. I also didn’t connect to Reed in this one as much as the second. So, good thing I read them out of order, I guess? Know that if you are on the fence about this one, it gets better?

This was a hook you from the beginning suspense novel. You are immediately drawn to Ellie Hathaway from the beginning. The story that she was abducted by a serial killer at the age of 14 and lived sets the stage for her personality and some of her inner turmoil. Then you add in the FBI profiler who saved her and his baggage and you have a crime fighting team that doesn’t always think like normal law enforcement. This one had you guessing left and right. My mind changed a few times about the new serial killer. Looking forward to the next Ellery Hathaway story.

I am blown away that this was Schaffhausen's debut novel! I read this in two days, it is that un-put-downable! I was sure I had it figured out until I wasn't sure, and then positive again only to question myself again. Rinse repeat. So good, I highly recommend! The writing style is so smooth it makes it a quick and easy read.

*I was given a free copy from netgalley in exchange for my honest review*