Member Review

Joanna Schaffhausen’s Last Seen Alive continues the story of Ellery Hathaway, who survived being tortured by a serial killer. Ellery’s horrors didn’t end when the serial killer was caught and convicted. She tries to exist while seeing herself as a horror and frequently being recognized as “that girl”. Others exploit her in the name of solving crimes, preventing crimes, bringing in huge TV ratings and book proceeds because they’ve convinced themselves she needs to meet with her serial killer again. Will people get the answers they want, or is the killer just manipulating others for his continued publicity and pleasure?

Last Seen Alive isn’t just a book. It’s an experience. It’s the giant hill at the beginning of the roller coaster that starts with a slow, agonizing climb. Missing girls, new murders, new TV movie - each new piece cranks up the dread of what’s coming next. Then the plot points furiously wind together in a breathless plunge toward the resolution.

The book is also like watching a horror movie. I had so many frustrated thoughts while reading. Don’t go there. Don’t stay there. Don’t trust them. Someone’s about to die. Those thoughts culminated in an audible, “Oh no!” leading up to the pivotal scene and relief when it was over.

I had read a previous Ellery Hathaway book, Gone For Good, before reading this book, and I appreciated knowing more of the backstory. Last Seen Alive can be read as a standalone book that provides enough information to bring a new reader up to speed. Either way, Last Seen Alive is an agonizing, breathless, horrifying story, and I mean that as the highest compliment.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur books for providing me an Advance Reader Copy of the book.