A good solid DI book. Like a story with a follow on and a before? This is for you. If you like a detective story ask for this for Christmas!

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ellery Hathaway has moved to a new city after the events that took place in "The Vanishing Season". Ellery is attending mandatory counselling before she can be reinstated to her job on the police force. Her therapist invites her to join a support group for people that have been involved in violent crimes. Her investigative nature comes into play after meeting some of the other attending victims, she can't help but to look into their tragic pasts. Since her policing abilities are put on hold, she enlists the help of FBI profiler Reed Markham.
While looking into these past crimes the attraction between Reed and Ellery continues to brew.

I'm going to start with stating that I much preferred "The Vanishing Season" to this latest installment to the series. There just felt like there were too many splits in the storyline between Ellery's sleuthing of different crimes. In saying that it gave her lots of opportunity to find more trouble than she needed and gave Reed the reason to stick around to watch over her. Ellery still comes off as the strong independent woman battling her inner demons.

Fast paced book with lots of angles to keep your mind busy. Definite read for anyone who likes to try and get to the conclusion before the big reveal

What a great follow up to The Vanishing Season. Schaffhausen does an excellent job of writing the broken character in a realistic manner. The unlikely pairing of Ellery and Reed adds so much to the story and, once again, I’m looking forward to seeing where their relationship leads in future books in the series.

I read the first in this series, The Vanishing Season, and said I would like to read more about Ellery and/or Reed, so I was excited to see that they are both back in this book. Ellery is attending a victim support group and meets two women whose pasts she starts to look into. Wendy, a victim of a violent sexual assault, asks for Ellery's help in finding her attacker; and Myra, an older woman who was injured in a fire years earlier, is worried about the arsonist getting parole...but Ellery discovers that he may be innocent after all. I should feel like Ellery should stop meddling, but I can't dislike her the way I have disliked other characters in other books for similar reasons (*ahem, Tempe Brennan*). I like her and Reed working together as an unconventional team. I really liked this a lot, especially the cliffhanger-y ending that implies a third book in which Reed digs into his past. Four stars.

Had to go back and read the first book in this series before I could give this one a proper read and review. I loved both of them! The characters are great, the plot was just right and I loved it. Simple as that. Thanks NetGalley!

Ellery Hathaway is on forced leave from the police force after shooting a murderer. She is also being forced to take psychological counselling. At a group session for victims of violent crimes she encounters a number of people but there’s one in particular that her doctor believes she has something in common with. This person turns out to be Myra who lost her toddler son and was very badly burned herself in a deliberately set fire at their business. Twenty-odd years later and she’s still going to therapy. Ellery decides she has nothing in common with Myra. The arsonist may make bail this year, she tells Ellery, but she’ll just have to deal with it. As she’s leaving she’s approached by one of the other members who recognized Ellery as a police officer. She pleads with Ellery to help her. She tells her story of being brutally raped and left for dead. Ellery tells her there’s little she can do as she’s on leave. But of course she gets her old pal FBI Agent Reed involved and off they go. There are lots of twists and turns here which involve old cases. I was fully invested in the plot. I hadn’t read the first book but I don’t think it mattered at all - it was a good stand alone. I found this a tense and exciting read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley, Joanna Schaffhausen and St. Martin’s Press for the free e-book in exchange for a honest review.

Ellery is on suspension from the police force after shooting a murderer in cold blood and being unapologetic about it. To get her job back, she must go to group therapy for victims of violent crime, but there she finds something more important than identifying her feelings. She suspects one member of the group may have convicted the wrong man of an arson incident over twenty years ago and another was a victim of a violent rape and asks Ellery to help her find the man responsible. She calls her friend from the FBI Reed who was the one to find her in the closet of a serial killer when she was a kid. Reed is repeatedly drawn to this unpredictable woman who he can’t quite save from herself.

I really enjoyed the first book of this series and was so excite to receive this book from NetGalley! I was excited to get back into the life of Ellery and her need to hunt down those who are guilty of heinous crimes. I found the chapters in this novel a bit longer than I would have liked because it made it hard to read on the go when there wasn’t really a good place to put it down, but I also didn’t want to have to put it down because I was addicted to the fast paced nature of this novel. I also enjoy Ellery’s knack for getting into trouble and getting involved in things that don’t at all involve her. I adore Ellery’s character and I really enjoyed Reed’s as well and I loved their interactions with one another and how they find it hard to be together and also apart. I really enjoyed the ending of this novel and I loved how you have no idea who the villain is and where they will find him. I can’t wait for the next novel in this series and see what happens with Ellery and Reed!

Pick it up January 15th!

I did not read the first book in this series, but the author mentioned enough about what had happened in the past so I felt very comfortable not having read it. Ellery is on leave from her police department in Boston and Reed Markham is with the FBI in another state. Reed comes to Boston and together they try to solve a string of rapes and an old arson case. There was a lot of action in this book along with some twists and I really enjoyed it. It definitely is a page turner. I am looking forward to going back and reading the first book and I can't wait until the next book in this series comes out. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this really good book in exchange for an honest review.

Police officer Ellery Hathaway and FBI profiler Reed Markham take on two difficult new cases in this stunning follow-up to The Vanishing Season. Ellery seeks advice from her friend, FBI profiler Reed Markham, who liberated her from a killer’s closet when she was a child. Reed remains drawn to this unpredictable woman, the one he rescued but couldn’t quite save.

The trouble is, Reed is up for a potential big promotion, and his boss has just one condition for the new job—stay away from Ellery. Ellery ignores all the warnings. Instead, she starts digging around in everyone’s past but her own—a move that, at best, could put her out of work permanently, and at worst, could put her in the city morgue.

At first I didn't realize this was the second book in a series, so I read the first one then this one. I think my favorite character is Ellery's dog, Speed Bump. I also liked the flow between the two main characters, it didn't feel forced or unrealistic, so I enjoyed their little back and forth. This is a great series and with a cliffhanger like the one in No Mercy, I can't wait for the next book!

Thanks to #NetGalley and especially St Martin's Press for granting my wish and giving me an ARC of #NoMercy
Pub Date: 15 Jan 2019

The second book in the Police Officer Ellery Hathaway series. While this is a series, this book is well written enough to be a stand alone novel. Readers will love the two cases and Ellery's interaction with FBI profiler Reed Markham.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading No Mercy by Joanna Schaffhausen. In fact I tried to find more books by her centering around Ellery and her FBI friend, partner, support and potential lover Reed Markham . Ellery has had an extremely frightening past and Reed Markham was a support for her. In his book she turns to him for help and he leaves his FBI job and comes immediately to her side.. SHe doesn't trust many people but she needs his help. They work together to learn who solved a big fire that took place a while ago. The also work together to find the man who raped a woman Ellery met in her support group. I would like to see if Ellery and Reed can ever get together and form a strong satisfying relationship. Please write another book!

A cliffhanger ending promises more character development in this series. In the meantime, Reed and Ellery hover on the periphery of a romantic relationship while solving crimes. Arson and rape are investigated as members of Ellery' s group therapy ask for her help. Not so predictable, the story unfolds while Ellery and Reed work through their own demons.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

The second book in the Ellery Hathaway series is just as compelling as the first one. Although it can be read as a standalone, I recommend that you read THE VANISHING SEASON first to get all of the background about what happened to Ellery previously and what her relationship with Reed is based on. I really loved this book, especially learning how Ellery is doing in her new life and her new place. It was not surprising that Reed showed up in her life again since the sparks really flew in the first book. I was amused to see the dog Bump in this book again since he was a favorite of mine in the last book. This one deals more with a cold case of arson as well as a new case of a serial rapist. The challenges are for Ellery and Reed to solve the cases and maintain a professional relationship. My favorite character, of course, was Ellery because she is a strong female protagonist, with problems in her past that do not stop her from facing the current and future challenges. Anyone who loves a good romantic suspense with some psychological thriller thrown in well love this book!

I read the first in the series The Vanishing Season and loved it! Of course, I had to get my hands on the second in the series and Ellery she never disappoints ;).

First off, can I just saw how much I love Ellery's dog Speed Bump?! Ugh... my heart <3.

Ellery Hathaway has been suspended from her job as a cop due to killing a vile man that was a psychopath. Hathaway has quite the childhood trauma herself from being targeted by a serial killer that now sits on death row for targeting her as child and many other girls.

Hathaway can never get away from her past and the trauma that she endured. She takes on cases to help other victims that have experienced trauma like her. Hathaway is ordered to do group therapy sessions to come back to work after killing a vile man in the last case she solved.

Hathaway soon finds herself involved in some of the individuals of her group therapy where the violent crimes haven't been solved which include brutal assault and losing a son that was burned a fire years ago.

Of course... Hathaway can't solve her crimes without FBI profiler/agent Markham Reed who pulled her out of that closet years ago.

Joanna definitely doesn't leave her readers without tension, anxiety, and relationships that flourish. She does it again with this high packed tension mystery!

I'd recommend starting from book 1 to get the background story for Hathaway and Markham Reed.

Huge thank you to Minotaur/St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Published to GR: 11/6/18
Publication date: 1/15/19

I enjoyed this book so much that after finishing reading it I immediately hopped on Amazon and ordered (and then promptly read!) The first book in the series. This goes on my list of must read favorite authors. I love a strong female lead, who has issues and knows it. The fact that she lived through being taken and continues to fight on being a a really unique perspective to these books. I can't wait for the next one in the series!!

I really enjoyed the first of Schaffhausen's books. And I think I rate this one even more highly.

The characterisation is strong throughout - Ellery is a highly complex character and yet feels very real - down to even the more minor characters. The plot is coherently mapped, and while possibly lacking the "big twist" of the first book, it still takes you by surprise in a couple of places - in my case, right down to the last page.

The author has a definite personal style which I really love. Her work is dark and twisted but it doesn't feel gratuitous, and it focuses on the victims in a way that feels important for books dealing with rape, abuse, and abduction. Heavy content warning for this themes.

I can't wait for the next instalment of this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an aERC in return for an honest review.

In this second book of the Ellery Hathaway series picks-up a few months after the conclusion of the first book. Ellery is on forced leave from the police department after a questionable shooting of her attacker. Her department mandated therapist encourages her to attend a support group for victims of violence. Her reluctant attendance of a meeting launches her into new mysteries to be solved. From a 20+ year old arson case to a recent rape, Ellery hears the stories of her fellow group members and decides to seek justice for the rape victim (who asks her for help) and for the falsely incarcerated arsonist. In the midst of these unofficial investigations, she asks FBI agent Reed Markham, her former rescuer, to consult. The relationship between Ellery and Reed is a tricky one, especially as they each feel sexual attraction to the other, and this 2nd book only makes it more complicated. While the 2 mysteries are solved, the book ends with a cliffhanger and increases the anticipation for another book.

There seemed to be too many different things going on in Ellery’s life for this book to keep trace of. It would have been better for a more concentrated effort on fewer I feel.

I was granted access by netgalley.com to an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was hooked my in the first few pages, and I had a tough time putting it down! Intriguing and suspenseful, I'll recommend to all lovers of mystery and psychological thrillers!

No Mercy is a great mystery. I enjoyed the edge of your seat plot and revisiting characters from The Vanishing. Love this author’s style of writing and look forward to reading more books by her. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my digital arc this is my unbiased review.