When I saw the blurb for The Vanishing Season, I was intrigued. The victim of a serial killer becomes a cop who then sees a coincidence when people go missing each year around her birthday. The book had me at that. Forget that a famous profiler got involved, I wanted to read about how Ellery was dealing with the aftermath of her trauma. And the author more than delivered!!

The Vanishing Season takes place in the town of Woodbury, Massachusetts. Ellery Hathaway, the only living victim of a sadistic serial killer, is a police officer there. Over the past three years, Ellery has noticed that a person has gone missing on her birthday. Suspecting a serial killer, she tries to get the chief to investigate and is written off. With days left until another person disappears, Ellery reaches out to the FBI agent who rescued her. Reed Markham. Can he help Ellery find the killer before he/she strikes again?

The plotline for The Vanishing Season was lightning fast, and it kept up that pace throughout the book. There was no lag, which was surprising considering how fast this book went. The author was able to keep my focus on the book for the entire book. Put it this way; I picked this book up at 9 am and finished it at 11 am.

I loved how the author portrayed Ellery’s character. It was Ellery that drew me to the book. I wanted to know, “How could someone live after being tortured like she was?”. I got my answer back tenfold. She had severe PTSD and couldn’t form attachments. But she managed to live a normal (if you could call that normal) life. I did want to smack her mother upside the head at points in the book. Your kid was kidnapped, sexually assaulted over and over, and tortured, yet you didn’t get her into therapy? That was a massive WTF from me.

I liked Reed. He was a washed-up version of the person he was when he rescued Ellery. I liked that he acknowledged that. I wasn’t too sure what to make of his dropping everything to help Ellery when she called. But I understood why he did it. He wanted to see how she turned out. He also understood the implications of the people missing on her birthday, and he believed her when she told him what was going on. The small sub storyline with his family did catch my interest.

The main storyline was well written. The author did a fantastic job of keeping how the killer was and why he/she was doing it under wraps. She had me thinking that it was several different people until the big reveal. I was surprised at who it was. I was also shocked at the twist in the plotline. I was not expecting it to go the way it did or what happened.

The end of The Vanishing Season wrapped up beautifully. There was enough left where I did wonder what the next book will be about. I can’t wait to read it!!

This unique thriller starts out with an abudction. We soon find out that it was Ellery Hathaway, at age 14, in a town far away from her current home. Now she is a police officer in a small town, and she suspects that a serial killer/stalker is using the same M.O.
This book is a creepy, haunting, fast paced, crime mystery that I had to put down a few times, for a break, but rushed back to read what happened next.
The characters were strong, interesting people with real issues in their lives and realistic situations.
Ellery suspected an copy-cat killer may be abducting people in July - after all 3 unrelated people disappeared every year for the past 3 years around her July birthday (when she was abducted at age 14). As I read the book, kept hoping that the police were right - and the victims were not killed, but I had to continue to find out if it was so.
I loved the tight intense plot development and when Ellery and Reed tracked down the victims and recognized the pattern- I had to stop when I realized who the next victim could be...
I received this book from Net Galley and St Martin's press in exchange for an honest review, and I thank them for the opportunity to discover this debut author.

Ellery is the only cop in her small town that sees more than a coincidence when three people go missing, each a year apart. In all fairness she has knowledge everyone else doesn't - they're going missing right around her birthday, the same day she was abducted as a child. Needing someone she can trust without revealing her past, she calls in Reed Markham, the FBI agent that rescued her. But Reed's appearance ups the ante, leaving Ellery exposed, and a familiar face missing while Reed and Ellery try to find the connection to her past. Ellery fits the "strong, damaged female investigator" character that's so popular right now without coming across as grim, depressing or antisocial and Reed has demons of his own too. And while I was able to guess the connection between victims and the murderer, I still really enjoyed this book.

Ellery Hathaway has a secret that she hasn't shared with her law enforcement coworkers. She's the "one who lived" at the hands of a serial killer. Now, 3 people in 3 years have disappeared and Ellie knows in her gut that they're also victims of a serial killer. Her boss doesn't believe her, finds so many excuses for the disappearances, until things begin to escalate. Ellie has also not shared that she has heard from this new killer every time someone goes missing.
She calls on the FBI agent who found her all those years ago, and together they work the case. Reed has his doubts, but doesn't stop looking for the 3 missing people.
This story pulled me in from the first chapter. This is fiction but it still gave insight into the mind and heart of a serial killer's surviving victim. Ellery is so strong in so many ways, but she has an obsessive need to prove she's right in this instance.
The Vanishing Season is the first of a series about Ellery Hathaway. I look forward to reading the rest.

Ellery Hathaway is the only female police officer in Woodbury, Massachusetts. She's also the only one on the force who believes Woodbury has a serial killer--one who is picking off people every July. Ellery was once Abby Hathaway, who was kidnapped at fourteen in a very famous case: she was the seventeenth victim of serial killer Francis Coben. And the only one who lived. Now Ellery is convinced these people in Woodbury--who are going missing around her birthday--are tied to her own incident. So she calls the only person she can think of: Reed Markham, the FBI agent who rescued her from the Coben's closet all those years ago. But Reed is battling his own issues. While Ellery's case--and the subsequent book he wrote--made him famous, he's on forced leave after messing up an investigation, and his wife has kicked him out. His most famous moment revolves around Ellery, but did he truly save her? And now they both are about to be sucked back into the case.

Wow, what an excellent start to a series! I loved this book and was drawn immediately to Ellery ("Ellie") and Reed! They are a dynamic duo, with a truly complicated history, and this was a compelling page-turner from the beginning. Schaffhausen has an easy writing style that brings Ellie and Reed to life (along with Ellie's awesome hound dog "Bump"), and I sped through the book in a couple of hours.

"Ellie knew 'touched' could mean gifted or insane. Maybe she was both. But she wasn't wrong, and if anyone out there was ever going to believe her, it was Reed Markham. Because he'd been touched once too."

The story is a dynamic one, tying back to Ellie's original kidnapping, but working in present-day disappearances in the town where she's escaped. Ellie is desperately trying to start over: no one on her police force knows about her old life. (This is the one thing that seems a little crazy--how did that background check fly? And how does she get so far along in these new cases without spilling the beans?)

Still, I'm willing to overlook it, because this is a captivating dark read that keeps you guessing. I figured out a few things here and there, but it in no way diminished my interest. The dynamics between Ellie and Reed are sizzling, and the twists and turns exciting. I love a good mystery/police procedural, and this one did not disappoint. It's deep and creepy, with a powerful lead female character, and I cannot wait to read the next two books! (I finished this book three days ago, and I'm already in the middle of the third book, just to illustrate how much I enjoy this series!) 4 stars.

Why can't anyone believe the Sherriff that the disappearances and killings follow a pattern, similar to one she experienced herself as an almost victim. Some really good plot twists as she and her daughter pick up the 20 year old trail, and small town nosys keep up with it. Nice side plot on one missing deputy.

I love a good thriller. I could not put this book down. The main character survives a serial killer as a teen and tries to become invisible. She cannot and therein the thriller begins. This was not predictable and the unexpected twist will really surprise you. I received an advance free copy of this book and am reviewing it willingly.

Great read! Ellery, survivor of a serial killer, reconnects with the FBI agent who rescued her in an attempt to determine who has been responsible for the disappearance of people around the date of her birthday, fearing there is a connection. The story gallops along at a fast pace, with hints of a possible future romance between them. Loved the characters - Ellery, Reed, and Bump of course! Looking forward to reading No Mercy next! Many thanks to Joanna Schaffhausen, St Martins Press and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read this one!

Little Abigail Hathaway was saved by Reed Markham when she was a child, but she’s no longer a child and now she’s police officer Ellery Hathaway. Surviving a serial killer was something that could change everyone and it certainly changed Ellery, but if she tilting it will win nails? Everyone else think she is, and it definitely made for a great reading. I have to say this was my first time meeting this author and I am looking forward to reading more.

The Vanishing Season is the first in what will surely be an excellent mystery series featuring Ellery Hathaway, a small-town cop who has survived being kidnapped by one of the country’s most infamous serial killers. She survived, but she is still damaged, even seventeen years later nailing her closet door shut. She is convinced that there is a serial killer in her town. Three people have disappeared at the beginning of July every year for three years. Their disappearance is also marked by a birthday card sent to her from the person she is certain is the killer. Her coworkers don’t understand her certainty, but perhaps they might if she would tell them her past.

As the fourth July comes around, she is desperate to stop the killer so she calls the FBI agent who found her when she was abducted. Reed Markham. He is on leave, thanks to a bad result on his most recent case so he is free to listen to her theory. He is also curious to see her after all these years. His personal life is in a bit of a mess, separated from his wife and drinking too much. When Ellery explains her fears, he thinks she may be right and they begin to investigate to the consternation of the local police chief and his FBI superiors.



I liked The Vanishing Season quite a bit. I must have. I read it from beginning to end in one sitting. It went so fast I didn’t even realize I was racing through until it was near the end. The story is full of possible suspects and it is fair. You learn the facts along with Ellery and Reed and discover with them how each victim is chosen by the killer.

The most interesting aspect of the story is Ellery and how she synthesizes her trauma. In some ways, surviving brought its own trauma with public fascination with the crime and the intensity of the media spotlight. That is why she is so reluctant to be honest with her fellow officers about her certainty that there is a serial killer, not just some people who left town and were never heard from again. I look forward to more in this series.

I received an e-book of The Vanishing Season from St. Martin’s Press.

The Vanishing Season at St. Martin’s Press | Macmillan
Joanna Schaffhausen author site

It’s that time of the year again, Ellery’s birthday is right around the corner. For Ellery, unfortunately, she suspects that again, this birthday will not be a time for celebration. It always began with her mail. Opening the envelope, Ellery knew the minute her eyes landed on the colorful front what she was holding. The greeting inside was just the beginning, its deception was just a part of the mystery that Ellery was a part of. Would this year be any different?

Ellery is a female officer who has moved into a small town where she is the only female on the payroll. Ellery believes that some murders have been committed yet there haven’t been any bodies recovered. She has been connecting the “dots” in a few cases and she believes that she’s uncovered a pattern. Now, Ellery is predicting the next murder. However, no one is listening to her. The real story is, Ellery is not telling her colleagues everything she knows about these cases and the clock is ticking. What are you going to do Ellery? You can’t delay your birthday.

With twists and turns, I enjoyed this griping mystery as Ellery works to uncover the pieces and get everyone on board. I enjoyed the small town of Woodbury, the main characters with their flaws and the character’s history. This was an entertaining, exciting book and Joanna Schaffhausen is an author that I look forward to reading in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I wish I had read this prior to reading No Mercy - then that debut book would have made sense as this is really the prequel to that one. The Vanishing Season tells the story of "the one who got away" from a serial murderer. She's all grown up and in hiding with a new name in a sleepy Massachusetts town, where she works as a police officer. When she discovers that a serial killer may be operating in this small town, she calls upon the FBI agent, Reed Markham, who saved her all those years ago. But who saved who? Is she so damaged that she can't form relationships? Reed and Ellery (Abigail) work together to discover the identity of the killer hiding in plain sight. A nice tightly written book!

*3.5 stars rounded up. Ellery Hathaway is a police officer in the small Massachusetts town of Woodbury. She thinks she spots a pattern in three local disappearances in three years but no one, including her boss, the chief of police, agrees with her. But Ellery is harboring her own deep, dark secret--when she was fourteen, she was rescued from the clutches of a serial killer by Reed Markham of the FBI--and feels she has more insights into the workings of such killers.

As the anniversary of these disappearances rolls around again and convinced there will be another victim, Ellery seeks out the help of Reed Markham, who happens to be on leave for a monumental failure of his own.

I usually don't care for thrillers where the detectives are so personally involved in the case but this one works pretty well. I was a bit astonished that Ellery thought she could keep her personal history a secret in this day of the internet searches. She and Reed have an interesting relationship. Did he really save her or was the damage just too deep?

I'll look forward to reading more of their cases in future as I received all 3 books, including the latest in the series, from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity!

The Vanishing Season is an impressive debut from Joanna Schaffhausen, and an equally impressive series start. All too often lately, I've been sucked in by a great prologue only to be let down by what follows, but that was not a problem at all with this book. The mystery is suspenseful and kept me on my toes, the procedural part of the story was interesting and thought-provoking, and the characters were terrific - even the ones I didn't like. Our main characters, Ellery and Reed are both likable and even though I've never been in either's shoes, they were still relatable. Ellery makes for a great protagonist. She's stubborn, determined, and will stop at nothing to solve this case even when no one else thinks there is a case. Does she always make the right decisions? Not even close, and she's also a bit broken by her past and keeping secrets that could come back to bite her. She's got plenty of reason to keep secrets, and who wouldn't messed up by what she's been through. She lived through a nightmare and is still pushing through the other side. Reed is equally likable and also a little broken. His story tugs at the heartstrings as he deals with things in his personal life while also trying to help Ellery. I really liked Reeds chapters and the way his mind worked as they raced to find a killer before someone else could be taken. The mystery is laid out very well, and the author does give us a pretty good red herring or two as the story progresses. I did guess the killer's identity, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the story, and I will say that the author had me second-guessing myself more than once. All in all, this is a great start to the series, and I can't wait to see more of these characters.

This was the first book I read by this author and was intrigued after reading the synopsis.
This book held my sttention even though I figured out who the killer was by the middle of the book. It also has some slow spots. Overall the book has a good story line and I went on to read the next book in the series.


** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange fro a honest review**

A page turning psychological treat. I love that both the lead characters are flawed. There first meeting is under terrible conditions when their lives were good. Now they meet again under terrible conditions again, but both their lives are falling apart. Some people may not like Ellery’s behavior but I believe it adds huge credibility to the premise of the story. Ellery is a living victim trying to hold her life together the best way she knows how. Things don’t add up and she wants answers. Reed is an FBI profiler having a rough time in his life. The call for help from Ellery spurs him out of his lethargy as he dives into this new case with her. The tension throughout the book is high as more clues show up and the officials have no clue who is doing the killing. Even when you think you know who it is you may be wrong.

Enjoyable read. Well developed characters. I will likely read more from this series as easy and non stressful reading. Not a book club pick as discussion themes aren't very thought provoking, but again an enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed this book, the characters were well developed. It had an interesting plot. I would be interested in reading more

The Vanishing Season (Ellery Hathaway, #1)
by Joanna Schaffhausen (Goodreads Author)

Ceelee Sunshine's review
Dec 21, 2019 · edit

really liked it
bookshelves: 2019-books, ebooks, my-kindle, suspense-mysteries, thrillers-and-horror

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a copy of THE VANISHING SEASON to read as preparation of reading the latest book by Joannaa Schaffhausen. I have never read anything by this author so I appreciate the chance to experience a "new to me" mystery writer.

I have to admit at first I couldn't get into the book and cast it aside for a little while.
The story seemed slow and dwelt too much in the past. I realize that was necessary since her abduction and torment was the basis of the rest of the novel. It also seemed a little too unbelievable that the FBI agent who saved her when she was 14 popped up all of a sudden when she was living in another town and working on a similar case there. From the beginning I kept thinking that Ellie didn't do very much to hide her identity by using only her middle name instead of her first and not changing her last name. Pretty easy to track her down! Even a tabloid reporter was able to figure it out!

As I went along in the story and the mystery got deeper and more complex I began to appreciate the novel more. The setting in summer when most of the abductions and murders took place, usually a easy, laid back time in our lives, became tense and dreadful and atmospheric with the cloying heat and humidity and the thunderstorm that erupted one day that opened the case wide open. I like it when an author can use the environment as part of the story as it helps drive the action, whether with intention or not, it still makes a great backdrop for a mystery novel. For the most part I liked the characters. Ellie is a little too tough sometimes. Why are the toughest women in stories are always the most vulnerable? For me, it doesn't really fit the profile. While I understood her history that shaped her character, I didn't find her very lovable but still an interesting character. Reed is your typical FBI character, working hard and doing anything he can to get the job done. His feelings for Ellie seemed to get in the way of his job but somehow I didn't find them much of a romantic couple which was refreshing He knew her when she was 14 because he saved her life and he also wrote about her since she was one of the victims of the serial killer who had kidnapped Ellie, at that time Abigail. Still, it seemed a little far-fetched to me that he would get that involved in the case. One of my favorite characters was Ellie's dog Bump but Brady didn't seem the type to have such a malignant force in him and no one seemed to notice especially Bump. Dogs and other animals have a keen sense of knowing the good people and the bad people but he never seemed to pick up on Brady's murderous nature except toward b the end wen he was needed for that part. I also don't get the death or Rosalie. It didn't seem to have any real place in the story than being a domestic violence case Ellie had worked on early in the story, it didn't seem to fit into the main story at all. .

My take-away is that I liked the book and think it was a good mystery but not great. I would give it 3.5 stars if the system were set up for halves. There were some things I liked but other things I had a hard time believing. Why didn't the police department do a thorough background check on her before she was hired to the force? Seems to me they would have easily found out who she really was. It might have made Parker a more sympathetic character. There just seemed ton be a lot of discord in the town aimed at her for no real reason. All the dots weren't connected for me except for the weird copy-cat killer mystery angle that solved the case which seemed to be a bit contrived in the end.

Ellery Hathaway has done what she can to put her past behind her, at least to outsiders: She was the only surviving victim of an infamous serial killer when she was only 14, and now she goes by her middle name and works as a police officer in a small Massachusetts town.

But for two years, she’s been uneasy about some disappearances in Woodbury. Every year for three years, around the time of her birthday (and the date of her abduction by the killer), someone in town has disappeared. While her chief and others on their small force have easily brushed off the coincidence, she can’t shake the fear that someone else is about to disappear again. So she enlists the help of the FBI agent who found her locked in a closet, tortured and bleeding, years before.

Reed Markham is well-known for being the agent who saved young Abby Hathaway. He even wrote a book about the whole story. But now he’s on leave, after having made a major mistake that led to the death of an abducted boy, and his marriage is over. He is skeptical about Ellery’s claims but goes up to Woodbury in part because he wants to know how she’s doing after the horrors she endured as a teenager.

As days go by and Ellery reveals information only she has to Reed, a killer ramps up his game, pulling Reed and Ellery back into the terrors of the past and putting another innocent in the crosshairs. But they may not be able to convince anyone else of the danger awaiting in this “vanishing season” before it’s too late.

The Vanishing Season is a well-plotted and nicely paced thriller that thoughtfully examines the repercussions of one man’s evil acts on the life of a victim. Author Joanna Schaffhausen keeps readers guessing and turning pages even as she shows compassion to her main characters, in particular Ellery, who lives every day with the impossibility of ever truly getting over what she experienced. I enjoyed the book and appreciated the restraint shown by the author in writing just enough about the details of what happened so readers have an idea of the facts without going into gory and upsetting detail.