This is the second book in the series that picks up right after the end of the last book.

Ellery Hathaway is on leave from the police force for shooting a murderer instead of detaining him. She is forced to go to therapy in order to get back to active duty. Ellery is not too pleased with discussing her past since it was everywhere already.
From her therapy group, she decides to help 2 women or at least find out more information. Wendy is a victim of rape and that experience is ruining her days and Myra is a victim of arson which took her sons life who is also dealing with the possible release of the arsonist.
Ellery asks for Reed’s help again and Reed cannot turn her down. He comes to town to help her find out what she can about both cases. Ellery disregards that digging into these cases could open up a much bigger mess. I like that about her and I think it is nice to have a strong female character that kind of just does what she wants to make things right. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

I received this from netgalley to read and review.

This was a great follow up to The Vanishing Season. The more I get to know Ellery, the more I like her. I love the chemistry between Ellery and Reed and I'm anxious to see where their relationship goes. I'm also curious to see what happens with Ellery's career. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the next book!

Unfortunately, when requesting this book I did not know it was a series. I tried to read it, but felt I would enjoy it much more after reading the first book. I will be updating my review, because I could not get it to it, once I’ve had a chance to see if I can read and enjoy the first and then this.
I will use in a challenge, as well as let the members of Chapter Chatter Pub know it’s out and a series that has lots of positive feedback.

This sequel to The Vanishing Season (that I was lucky enough to pick up from NetGalley) sees our heroine, Ellery Hathaway, suspended from the police department and forced to attend group therapy until she is deemed mentally fit to return to duty.

Of course Ellery doesn’t want to join in with the counselling sessions so instead she spends her time investigating the crimes of two of her fellow group members. One, Myra, was badly injured and lost her son in a furniture store fire. The man imprisoned for this arson attack is due to be released, prompting Ellery to look into the case. The other, Wendy, was a victim of a shocking random rape attack of which the police have no possible suspects. But Wendy’s complete transformation from happy young woman to an angry and anxious shell of a woman leads Ellery to call on Reed for assistance.

Reed Markham is a FBI profiler who rescued Ellery from the clutches of a serial killer when she was a teenager and worked with her when another serial killer decided to take her on in The Vanishing Season. I did like the way Schaffhausen included information from both of these prior cases in No Mercy without using any horrid info dumps. The mentions of the cases seemed organically placed and any reader jumping into the series with this book should be able to understand some of the characters' backgrounds without being fully spoiled if they want to go back and read The Vanishing Season.

I appreciated that Schaffhausen never used another serial killer as her main offender this time. I think three serial killers in anyone’s life is starting to get ridiculous.

I also thought having two crimes for our leads to investigate was a clever move and meant that the reader never got bored with the mystery/crime plot. The pace of the book was fantastic, skipping along with some excellent chase/action scenes in amongst Reed and Ellery’s profiling/analytical type detective work.

Even though there is no serial killer this time, the book is no less hard core than the first. The details of the rapes in particular are difficult reading at times. This is no cosy mystery!

The personal relationship of Reed and Ellery moved along at a suitably virtuous pace. I loved the cliffhanger ending Schaffhausen left us with and look forward to learning more about Reed and his family in the third book.

Schaffhausen is a friend of a friend but I don’t have to give No Mercy any preferential treatment. It’s worthy of a solid 5 out of 5 on its own merits. Highly recommended.

Blog: The Life & Times of a Book Addict..
Review Post on: January 25, 2019.

REVIEW:

I enjoyed reading The Vanishing Season and was looking forward to reading No Mercy when I saw book two in this series was coming out. I was not disappointed. No Mercy leaves off months after the events from The Vanishing Season. Ellery finds herself in some hot water over killing a man…a man who was a dangerous killer, but still. No matter the reason, she is required to do group therapy if she wants to get her job back.

If talking about her past won’t change the outcome, is there even a reason for her to go? Maybe there is more to this mandated therapy then she first assumes. Especially when during one of Ellery’s meetings, she becomes intrigued by the stories of a couple of the attendees. It’s not long before she becomes entangled in not one, but two mysteries surrounding two of those people.

I liked the pace of the story. Nothing felt rushed or drawn out. Once again, I enjoyed getting to uncover additional layers of Ellery’s character. Though she frustrated me more than once when she continued to take matters into her own hands and act like she was unstoppable. I can understand the need to help someone especially when you feel like no one else is listening to the victim and justice needs to be served, but Ellery continually put her well-being at risk when she should have just let the cops handle it. Of course, if she had done that, there wouldn’t have been much of a story for Ellery to involve herself in. I also liked the possibility of a slow burning romance between Ellery and Reid that lingered just beneath the surface of this story. Like the previous book, the mystery was not an easily guessed one and I had fun attempting to figure out who the bad person was.

Rating 4 out of 5.

While Ellery Hathaway is not currently on the police force (a questionable shooting has her sidelined, hopefully only temporarily), she still wants to know all the answers. So when a fellow crime victim in her group therapy session asks Ellery for help, she can’t help herself.

As a teenager, Ellery was kidnapped and held in a closet by a notorious and brutal serial killer. She was the only one of his victims who lived, saved by FBI profiler Reed Markham. Now, although it’s been many years since she was rescued, and her killer is on Death Row, she is still haunted by the psychopaths and creeps who get off on her pain. And she’s still haunted by her scars.

So when her new friend asks Ellery for help finding the man who raped her, Ellery can’t say no. But since she’s off the force, she needs an insider’s help, so she turns once again to her friend FBI agent Markham. This new investigation will test her skill as an investigator and she’ll once again risk her life for the truth, but she’ll also be forced to deal with the prison that crime victims find themselves in at the hands of others.

While it’s not easy to read a book where the main character is imprisoned by her memories and her fears, it’s encouraging to see author Joanna Shaffhausen tackle the difficult topic head-on, with honesty and grace. I can’t want to read the next installment, to see where Ellery goes next.

No Mercy is the follow-up to last year’s The Vanishing Season, a story of a young police woman who thought she saw a dangerous pattern of people disappearing, and her investigation almost ended her career and her life. Do you need to read The Vanishing Season to enjoy No Mercy? Absolutely not. It’s a great stand-alone and can be read as such. But will you want to spend more time with these amazing characters? Absolutely, so read them both anyway.

I highly recommend No Mercy. It’s a great mystery, a great thriller, and a fantastic story with smart, interesting characters you want to spend time with.

Galleys for No Mercy were provided by St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Joanna Schaffhausen does it again! The first book in this series, The Vanishing Season, was an easy 5 stars and I daresay...this installment is even better! While the first book was a thrilling mystery full of surprises, it was also an introduction to the two main characters: Ellery Hathaway and FBI profiler Reed Markham, as well as the horrors visited upon Ellery when she was a girl. In No Mercy, we learn more about the impacts of Ellery's trauma on her life long-term and watch as Reed and Ellery try to figure out what they mean to each other. All while another brilliantly written mystery (two actually) unfolds. There is truly nothing this book doesn't get right! It is "all the things"! 

This is one of the books I most anticipated for 2019 and it did not disappoint. While you could read this book without having read the first, I wouldn't suggest it. Had I gone into No Mercy without everything I learned in The Vanishing Season, I feel certain it would not have been the same reading experience. Still a skillfully written mystery, but going in with so much background information about Ellery and Reed, where their relationship started, how they ended up where they are now (in life and in relation to each other), and loving them before I turned the first page...I feel certain all of this made for the best reading experience possible. Read. The First. Book.

And then read this one!!!

Ellery Hathaway has a tendency to run head first into trouble. Once a victim of a sadistic serial killer who abducted her and held her hostage she is now a champion of victims. Only problem is she is currently on mandated leave from her job in law enforcement after shooting a murderer. Of course, that doesn't stop her from delving in and helping others in need.

As part of her suspension Ellery must attend therapy sessions. As part of her therapy she attends group sessions where she meets victims of violent crimes. Of course, instead of delving deep and looking inward Ellery gets drawn into not 1 but 2 cases.

Wendy was brutally raped and her assailant never caught. She is unable to move on, living in constant fear that he will return for her. Can this sexual predator be caught before there are more victims?

Mayra is the lone survivor of a fire that destroyed her family's business, claimed the life of her young son and left her wheelchair bound and both physically and emotionally scarred. The man who was arrested for the fire is up for parole and his lawyer claims he was innocent. Is he? What really happened that fateful night and who was responsible?

Without her police resources her at her disposal Ellery is limited in what she can do but she knows she has to help. What's a girl to do but call on her favorite FBI agent, Reed Markham for assistance.

I absolutely love the tangled relationship between these two. What are they? Friends? Hero and Victim/Survivor? Professional Acquaintances? Or is there more brimming beneath the sexually charged surface?

Both of the mysteries were compelling packed with tense moments for both Ellery and Reed. Ellery is a strong female lead (which I'm a HUGE fan of!) facing emotional demons from her tortured past. You can't help but root for her even when you want to shake her for being reckless! Reed is the calm to her storm. He just can't seem to stay away from this girl he once saved. The bond they share, the bubbling emotions simmering just beneath their interactions all add up to an amazing duo that I want to see lots more of - bring on Book 3!

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amazing book

book 2 in a series that will become addictive....

ellery is suspended from her job until she is deemed fit and has to attend meeting to help with her recovery, reed is up for promotion in the fbi

these two join forces again in the hunt for a rapist and also to find out who set fire to a business that killed a young boy, evidence has pointed to another man caught at the scene but is he really the person...

plenty of red herrings along the way with the fast pace story that has you on the edge of your seat...especially when ellery is out hunting the would be rapist and gets beaten up...

will they find the true rapist to stop him picking out his next victim in time and will they also find out who the true identity of the fire starter or is it the man about to be released from jail

the conclusion will leave you in no doubt who is who...brilliantly written and a new series and author to keep an eye out for

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for granting my wish to read an electronic review copy of this recently published book and introducing me to author Joanne Schaffhausen. This was a quick dark read with several interesting subplots surrounding law enforcement officer Ellery Hathaway while she is attending a required group for victims of violent crime. My only regret is that I didn’t read the first book in the series, Vanishing Season, first before reading this one. I am now very invested in the characters and am looking forward to seeing what happens next. However, reading the second one first gave a little spoilers and left me racing to catch up with the characters. The events in the book were true to the characters and showed their struggles. I recommend this series.

No Mercy is the second novel in the Ellery Hathaway series featuring the feisty policewoman alongside FBI profiler Reed Markham and for all intents and purposes it's a fantastic follow-up to The Vanishing Season. The writing pulls you in very early on and the action moved at a speedy pace making it difficult to put the book down. The plot is well crafted with many surprising twists and turns which helped me to race through it. It's important to mention that this novel doesn't stand well on its own as you don't get to see the dynamic and ever-evolving relationship between Ellery and Reed and you're not privy to information about Ellery's background which goes some way to explaining.her impulsive nature.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books for an ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. It only took about 2 days for me to read it because the story line just pulled me in. I did not read the 1st book in this series, but Joanna Schaffhausen gave enough details about Ellery and Reed that I was able to piece together some of their past. There were a lot of plot twists in this novel that I wasn't expecting. I will be checking out the 1st book for sure. Definitely a good mystery book with a tiny hint at romance.

I was lucky as my wish to read this book was granted, so many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author.

This is the second book by Joanna Schaffhausen following the Vanishing Season and as her first it was exciting and gripping from start to finish.

This is an extremely pacy thriller with lots of action and surprises. The plot is engaging with likable characters with a hint of romance.

Looking forward to read the next installment in this enjoyable series.

No Mercy is the 2nd book in the Ellery Hathaway series. I recommend reading the first book prior to reading this one.

The book was ok for me. There is a lot going on. Police officer Ellery Hathaway is on involuntary leave from her job because she shot a murderer in cold blood. She is forced to see a psychiatrist to see if she is capable to return back to work. Her doctor ordered her to go to group meetings for survivors of violent crime. There, she meets Wendy, a rape survivor, and Myra, who survived a burning building but lost her 2-yr old son. It's been 25 years since Myra's ordeal and the person responsible the fire is up for parole. Ellery and FBI profiler Reed Markham join forces once again to catch Wendy's raper and to find out who really started the fire.

I found Ellery to be more irritating as I was reading the book. She is supposed to be a police office with training, but her actions are impulsive and irrational. I like Reed's character but the things he was doing wasn't believable. Disobeying boss' orders and giving up not only his career but a chance for a promotion that would let him spend more time with his daughter. And all because he is "hot" for a girl. A girl that he rescued when she was 14 years old. The "romance" between them has no chemistry and seems forced. It's actually downright creepy and wrong to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of Joanna Schaffhausen's "No Mercy" in exchange of an honest review.

In the fall of 2017, I read and reviewed Joanna Schaffhausen's début novel, The Vanishing Season, and while I wasn't completely blown away by it, I did find it to be quite enjoyable and I was eager to see what else the author might have up her sleeve. No Mercy is her second book, and it's a sequel to The Vanishing Season, picking up shortly after that one left off.

It's important to know that this novel does not stand well on its own. While the mystery is completely separate from events in the first book, the relationship between Ellery and Reed, as well as key information about Ellery's past traumas, would be difficult to understand if you started with No Mercy. Because of that, this review will contain spoilers for certain aspects of The Vanishing Season.

Police officer Ellery Hathaway is on involuntary leave from her job at the Woodbury Police Department after shooting and killing the man responsible for a series of brutal murders. If she wants to go back to work, Ellery must attend group therapy sessions for survivors of violent crimes. She's not thrilled by the prospect of sharing the complicated feelings surrounding the shooting with a group of strangers, but her job is important to her and so, she reluctantly agrees to the sessions.

Self-examination isn't something at which Ellery excels, so it doesn't take her long to get embroiled in the lives of two other fellow group members. Wendy has survived a brutal sexual assault that the police seem unable to solve, and Myra lost a child in a deadly fire years before. Ellery is intrigued by the stories of both women, and decides to bring the perpetrators of these horrific crimes to justice. The fat that she's currently on leave doesn't even seem to enter her mind.

After poking a bit on her own, Ellery decides she needs help, and she reaches out to FBI profiler Reed Markham with whom she has a complicated history. Readers of the first book will recall that Reed's life was kind of a mess when we last saw him, but he's slowly managing to get things straightened out and is even up for a promotion at work. Even so, he drops everything when he receives Ellery's phone call and heads back to Woodbury to help her out. While I understand why Reed is so drawn to Ellery, there was a part of me that wanted him to tell her he couldn't come to her rescue. I kind of wanted him to focus on his job and his family rather than putting everything on the line for Ellery. Still, we wouldn't have much of a story if he did that, now would we?

I could say more about the plot, but I don't want to risk spoiling things, so I'll just tell you that I found this novel much more compelling than its predecessor. The characters are still extremely flawed, but I didn't find them nearly as aggravating this time around. Ellery is the queen of bad decisions, but Ms. Schaffhausen did a great job in helping me understand why she was acting so rashly, and even though I didn't always agree with her choices, I could at least see where she was coming from.

Ellery grows quite a bit during the course of this book. She learns to stop and think before acting, and she is finally able to let her guard down around a small group of people. I loved seeing her give into her inner vulnerabilities instead of working so hard to keep them hidden, and I can't wait to see her evolution continue in future books.

This is not a romance novel, but there is definitely some romantic tension between Ellery and Reed. I saw it in the first book, but it's even more apparent here. There are a host of reasons why a relationship between them isn't the best idea, reasons they both seem to be aware of, and yet, I can't help but think these two will end up together in a future installment in this series. They have a fantastic dynamic, so I hope the author decides to allow the spark between them to develop into something more.

If you're looking for a spine-chilling thriller to curl up with this winter, I recommend you give this one a try. The mystery is extremely fast-paced and contains several twists I absolutely was not expecting. Ms. Schaffhausen has matured so much as a writer, and I can't wait for other fans of suspense to take note of her work.

Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
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“You kill one guy, one time, and suddenly everyone thinks you need therapy…”

How’s that for an opener? No Mercy started with this gem, and I was hooked from there! How could you not be with that line?

Ok, let’s back up a bit. No Mercy is the second book in the Ellery Hathaway series, which follows a Boston cop on involuntary leave after shooting a criminal and killing him. She also happens to be the survivor of an abduction by a serial killer when she was a child, and was rescued by FBI agent Reed Markham. It should be noted that I have not read book 1 (Vanishing Season) as of yet, and I did not feel left out of anything in this book, it stands alone very well.

As a condition of her leave, Ellery is forced into group therapy for victims of violent crime, and of course, she finds a couple of cases where her detective skills would be of better use than discussing her feelings and such. She needs the help of Reed Markham, obvi, and I really enjoyed the dynamic of these two. Also, her dog Speed Bump, was great in so many ways, I was very happy he played a large role in this book. And that name? LOVE.

The pacing was good, I was able to get through it in a couple of sittings. It was a little predictable but still very enjoyable. With the two cases going on there was plenty to keep me interested and entertained. I definitely recommend this although I do caution those with sensitivity to sexual assault / child abuse triggers. The book ends on a cliffhanger which was fabulous and annoying only in that now I am going to have to wait a bit for the next book. HA! In the meantime I will go back for sure and read The Vanishing Season.

Thank you to NetGalley for the electronic ARC to review. All opinions above are my own. Pub date is 1/15/19.

I was lucky enough to be granted a wish and was able to read this book and honestly it's my favorite for the month of January. I love this book from the amazing plot to the characters that will linger long after you finish it. Absolutely pick it up and see why it's my favorite. You won't be disappointed.. Happy reading!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Joanna Schaffhausen for the opportunity to read the second book in this great series revolving around Ellery Hathaway. I was so happy to get back to these characters and this book is even better than the first one.

Following up on Vanishing Season, Ellery is a police officer who finds herself off active duty because of the events in the last book (no spoilers here!). She's attending group therapy sessions for victims of violent crime as part of her required steps to get reinstated. There she meets a rape victim whose story pulls at Ellery's heart and her investigative brain. Another victim she meets is a burn victim who lost her small son in a fire. Needing help and support, Ellery calls back on Reed Markham, the FBI profiler who saved her life. Together they try to solve these crimes.

Put me down as one who is already anxiously awaiting the next book in this series - highly recommended!

Content warnings include sexual assault and family violence.

I fell in love with Bump immediately in ‘The Vanishing Season’ and now he’s back, shedding fur throughout the pages of ‘No Mercy’. Ellery and Reed are back, too. After the events of the first book (you could read this book as a standalone but I’d highly recommend reading them in order) Ellery has been suspended from her job and forced into group therapy with other survivors of violent crimes.

Because this is Ellery she’s not so interested in looking inward because, ugh, feelings! Rather, this is the perfect opportunity to get herself personally involved in the crimes affecting some of the other group members. Ellery starts investigating an unsolved sexual assault, whose perpetrator may be responsible for a number of other assaults. She also manages to get entangled in a historic arson case despite the convicted arsonist having already spent decades in prison.

Naturally Ellery, who is strong, determined and at times petulant, jumps in head first and pretty soon Reed, FBI profiler and the man who rescued her from Francis Coben’s closet many years ago, has joined her in Boston. Even though Ellery basically has Reed wrapped around her little finger I still really like him, or maybe I just want him to cook for me. No matter how much I like Reed he’s a runner up to his adorable daughter, Tula, who’s my favourite human character of this book. Sorry, but no human could ever own a piece of my heart like Bump does!

I loved that there was more of a focus on Ellery and Reed’s relationship in this book. Their initial interactions in the first book were understandably awkward because of their shared history up to that point. While they’re still finding their way they’re more comfortable in each other’s presence and they’re building a more equal relationship, although Reed still feels the need to protect Ellery and Ellery still understandably chafes at physical and emotional closeness with any man, even Reed.

Cover Rant: When I reviewed ‘The Vanishing Season’ I’d only seen the American cover and thought it was nice enough, if a bit tame as a representation of Ellery’s personality and story. Then I saw the UK version which, pardon the pun, nailed it! The American cover for ‘No Mercy’ again falls short for me while the UK version shines. The American cover for this book doesn’t give the reader any sense of who Ellery is or what this story is about. I think Ellery would be disappointed that there isn’t anything gritty or honest about this cover. Sure, looking outside the window you can tell that the story has moved to the city, but the matches on the UK cover? They grab my attention and make me want to know more!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Minotaur Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press, for the opportunity to read this book. Please publish the third book soon! I’m hanging off a cliff here waiting to find out what’s next for Reed!!!

I will say this isn't a stand alone novel but the author does an ok job of catching readers up on what happened in the first book but I feel it would be easier to under the story if readers read the first book in the series.

The story takes time to develop and for new readers to the series it might make it difficult to get though the first several chapters. The story is full of anxiety, tension and a mystery that will have readers wonder what could happen next. The romance between Ellery and Reed takes it times it starts to develop. Readers will enjoy the change in their relationship and excited to see how things develop throughout the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Minotaur Books for the advance copy of Joanna Schaffhausen No Mercy