I liked books 2, 3, and 4 better than the first of the Ellery Hathaway series, and although I was glad to see Ellery and Reed Markham again in this latest book, I wasn't as enthusiastic as many readers.

Last Seen Alive returns to the earliest story when serial killer Frances Coben agrees to a television documentary. The producers want Ellery to participate, and Coben says he will reveal where the remaining bodies are...if Ellery will be part of the program.

The two things that bothered me: 1) the concentration on the early brutal torture of Ellery (which is why the first book was not my favorite), and 2) although I don't believe the FBI is without faults, the agreement to go along with a sensationalized production and the subsequent FBI practices seemed so over-the-top and implausible that I was annoyed.

I was disappointed in this fifth (and final? as some have suggested) book, but almost all other readers have given it 5 stars.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press
Thriller. Jan. 25, 2022. Print length: 350 pages.

Interesting but not really my cup of tea. Well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

f you’re looking for suspense, a truly delightful pair of protagonists, and a serial killer story that won’t leave you feeling tired of the same old tropes – Last Seen Alive is the book you’ve been looking for.

This book may be the fifth in the Ellery Hathaway series from Joanna Schaffhausen, but whether you’re an established reader or just discovering the series now, you’ll have no problem jumping right in. Naturally, as someone who has really enjoyed these books, I have to – and gladly do – advocate for starting from the first book – but the prologue here establishes enough background for newcomers.

Ellery Hathaway is the only survivor of a notorious serial killer, and has since worked on multiple cases with the FBI agent who rescued her from his clutches, Reed Markham. Last Seen Alive, though, begins with them apart; at least until it becomes clear that the same man whose monstrous nature first brought them together isn’t satisfied to stay in the past.

Taking a classic storyline, turning it on its head, and then writing it absolutely beautifully is no more than I should have expected from this author, but I was still blown away by just how good this book is. Joanna Schaffhausen has written the series in such a way that this feels like a natural climax; we know these characters, we know the story so far, and the events of this novel not only fit in to the story, but take it further and somehow take it to even further heights.

It has been seventeen years since Abigail Ellery Hathaway was rescued by FBI Agent Reed Markham, and seventeen years since Francis Michael Coben, the infamous serial killer, was arrested. Ellery is the only victim to have survived. There have been lots of magazine and newspaper articles, movies, and books about Coben, including a bestseller by Reed. Ellery has never spoken publicly about what she experienced; there was enough evidence that her testimony was not needed at Coben's trial. However, that soon may change. Coben has been languishing on death row for years, ruminating on the one that got away. While the remains of sixteen of his victims have been found and identified, there are eight missing young women who are suspected victims of Coben, but for which there is no confirmation (and thus no finality for the families). Or are there nine possible victims?

Coben arranged to have a clump of dark hair sent to Reed, with a suggestion that it belonged to Tracy Trajan, one of his suspected victims. He offered to reveal information about Tracy's remains, and possibly other missing girls, in exchange for an opportunity to see the one who got away. Added to the mix is Kate Hunter, host of a popular TV program demanding justice for crime victims. She has made arrangements to interview Coben in prison, bankrolled by Hollywood producer Ben Lerner, whose brother was murdered, with the killer still at large. The FBI Director thinks the televised interview is a great opportunity for positive publicity for the FBI.

When Kate corners Reed to pitch her interview proposal, she reveals there is a ninth potential undiscovered victim -- Maxine Frazier. Reed wants nothing to do with the TV interview and certainly does not want Ellery involved, but is obligated to inform Ellery of Coben's offer. When he meets with Ellery, he mentions the ninth possible victim, and Ellery recognizes the name as a missing person case her partner had handled around five weeks ago, the same time frame as when Reed received the letter Coben arranged to have sent. Coben cannot be responsible for the disappearance of Maxine Frazier, but he somehow knows or at least wants Reed and Ellery to think he knows something about her disappearance.

Coben will get his meeting with Ellery, but that will not be the end of the story, as Coben, with the assistance of supporters on the outside, will turn the tables on the FBI and the production crew, and attempt to obtain what he has long wanted -- a second chance at having Ellery all to himself. How he achieves that will be left for readers to discover for themselves. The story has plenty of plot twists -- some the reader will likely suspect and others that will be surprises. The author has created an eclectic group of supporting characters. If "Last Seen Alive" is the final book in the Ellery Hathaway series (and it probably should be, considering the plot), it is a fitting ending.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Last Seen Alive is the fifth in this series by Joanna Schaffausen. Boston detective Ellery Hathaway and FBI agent Reed Markham met seventeen years ago, when Ellery was fourteen. He saved her life when he found her in a closet, that serial killer Francis Coben had locked her in, after he had kidnapped her. Ellery was the only one of his victims to survive. Now Coben is willing to give a local reporter a interview and tell the names of all his victims and where they can be found but only if Ellery agrees to be at the interview too and talks to him. This story kept me on the edge of my seat it is a thrilling series. Thanks to @St.Martin’sPress and Netgalley for my ARC.

This book will keep you on the edge of your seat unable to stop reading. Boston detective Ellery and FBI agent Reed relationship began when Reed opened the closet a serial killer, Coben, had left Ellery in. Many years later and that moment still has her tied to the serial killers legacy. In an effort rid herself from him she also walks away from Reed and the relationship they had together.
But when Coben says he has information on other girls that have missing for years he says he will only talk if Reed brings him Ellery. She doesn’t want to have any contact with him until another body shows up with Cobens signature.
Will they find the missing girls? Or will Coben just take the on a wild goose chase?
Will Reed and Ellery find comfort in each other as they deal with the devil in Coben.

Thank you Netgalley for the complimentary copy.
This was a great story that kept you guessing until the end.

WOW!! Heart pounding!!

Ellery, Reed, and Coben are together again and not for anything good.

Ellery is the only victim of serial killer Francis Coben who survived because Reed found her locked in a closet on the Coben family's farm.

Ellery was 14 when Coben abducted and tortured her, and she was not his first victim.

Coben has been in prison for 17 years, but when a similar-style murder is discovered while he is in prison, someone else must have been in touch with Coben, but who could that be?

Ellery and Reed meet with Coben in prison because he said he would tell where one of his victims is if Ellery visits him.

Ellery reluctantly agrees, and it doesn't go well. Coben wants her since he couldn’t finish what he started all those years ago.

We follow Ellery and Reed as they reconnect and as they work together to find another victim's body so the family has closure.

During their search something major happens elsewhere.

You will be glued to the pages and thinking about the book even when you aren’t reading it.

Tense, tense, tense and excellent as all of Joanna’s books.

Fans don’t want to miss this one.

This book was given to me by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I would definitely be recommending this book to readers on my Instagram bookstagram account.

I really enjoyed this title. I liked the twists and turns and the writing style is nice and smooth. The story flows well and kept my attention. Thank you for the opportunity to read this title. I will be recommending this one to friends.

If it has to end, then this book was the perfect fit. The monster is free and Reed and Ellery are drawn back together. The cast of characters are fantastic. Reed and Ellery have grown so much since book one.
The hunt for a monster is action packed with a ton of suspense. There's more than meets the eye going on here. Several twists keep the reader hooked.
I absolutely loved the ending. It was both fitting and bittersweet. I've been so invested in these characters. I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.

I am a really fast reader but not with this book. I would say I savored it. I love this series and this book does not disappoint. The suspense was so intense. I just love these main characters. I hardly ever give a five and this book deserves it. I can’t say enough good about it.

Great story of making it back from the edge. The plot keeps on twisting the whole way. I loved the action and adventure of the book. The lead character and the fbi agent are amazing.

This is the first time I am reading this author and I can say I have to read the previous books to see how the character grew. The book grabbed me in the first couple of chapters where I couldn't put it down. What a riveting book full of surprises. A must read.

Really enjoyed this crime thriller! Entertaining and intense. A great cast of characters that pull the reader right into the story. From tender love to down right evil this book runs through every human emotion.
Highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

I really enjoy Joanna’s novels and this was no exception. Lots of twists and turns, leaving you guessing throughout. The plot was complex until the end. Great read. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance read copy!

Ellery Hathaway must face the man who changed her life in a dramatic way, in order to help the others receive justice. Francis Coben, the monster who shows a very different face to the world, claims to have changed. Can Ellery summon the courage and perhaps finally be able to move beyond her horrific past?

Last Seen Alive finally brings Ellery's past on a collision course with her present. This novel literally rips the bandage off and gives Ellery a chance to put her tragedy to rest. Much of the plot is what readers would expect, especially regarding Coben and his manipulations, but the rawness of Ellery's emotions and her strength propel this book forward.

Although the last book pointed to the plot line in this one, the author took Ellery far past what I was expecting. I wished that there was a little more by way of story, as much of the book was consumed with background instead of actual plot. Last Seen Alive tied together many loose threads and was good addition to the series.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Readers Copy of Last Seen Alive by NetGalley and the publisher, Minotaur Books. The decision to review this novel was entirely my own.

Ellery Hathaway may have been a victim of Francis Cobens, but he wasn't able to hold her down. She has now become a boston detective and is a genius at her job. Although her rescue from Reed, an FBI agent, didn't end up with a successful relationship with him, she still knows she can count on him to have her back. As she is moving on with her life apart from Coben and Reed, more murders are happening and they are mimicking the Coben murders, but how can this be, because he's in federal prison in Indiana.

This is a thrilling book of Ellery and Reed joining forces and confronting Coben face to face for the first time. Many emotions and actions taking place in this book and it's hard to put it down.

Boston Police Detective Ellery Hathaway is the sole survivor of the notorious serial killer Francis Coben who's serving life for the abduction and brutal torture and murders of at least seventeen young girls. At age fourteen, "Abby" was snatched from the street, restrained in a small closet in the blood of the girls who preceded her and heartlessly tortured. FBI Agent Reed Markham was following his gut instinct when he miraculously found and rescued her from that closet. In the years that followed, the pair formed a rocky relationship that was doomed from the start because a grown up Ellery could never completely silence the monster's voices in her head. She had a up close and personal view of Coben's face when his mask slipped and was reminded of it every night in her nightmares. Try as she may, she was unable to separate the man Reed from the rescuer Agent Reed and so they lived separate lives unless a case drew them together like now - a young woman's body has been discovered with similarities to victims of Coben. Is it a copycat killer . . . or is Coben pulling strings from inside prison. Either way, he's demanding to see Ellery, his "Abby", and he'll give up the location of some of the missing girl's bodies. And, he wants the meeting filmed live for reality TV. Can she face her torturer again . . . and survive it?

From the cold, barren setting to the multi-layered, complex plot, Last Seen Alive is very close to the perfect thriller. The pace is relentless, driving the suspense higher and higher as the meeting between a twisted serial killer and his sole remaining survivor draws near. I held my breath waiting for the other shoe to drop because it's obvious Coben has an ace up his sleeve. Sure enough, he does and Ellery is in a life or death situation once again. The character study in this book is simply outstanding. I have not read the first four books although I'll rectify that as soon as possible, but even without that firsthand background knowledge, I was blown away walking the pages with these characters as they dug in to take a monster down. The author does an amazing job of including enough backstory to make even this finicky reader comfortable with picking up the story line and proceeding. The relationship development between Ellery and Reed is touching and heartbreaking as it's clear he wants more than she may ever be able to give. Watching her search for ways to come to grips with her terrifying memories, find a way to disassociate them from Reed left me wondering if there was any hope of a future for them together. Terrifying, complex, and intense, Last Seen Alive is one not to be missed. Fans of mystery, suspense and/or thrillers are in for a real treat. I've just become a Joanna Schaffhausen fan and will be actively searching through her catalog of work. Highly recommended.

This is #5 in the Ellery Hathaway series. I have not read all but have read most so I do know that when Ellery was fourteen she was kidnapped by serial killer Francis Coben and was his seventeenth victim.
This case was investigated by the FBI and that caught the attention on many reporters. In fact, a book and a movie were very popular.
She was rescued by Special Agent Reed Markham. He followed a hunch and found her near death. He has continued to be a part of her life.

In this story Francis Coben says he wants to make amends for what he has done and is willing to reveal the location of the burial of the missing girls in exchange of meeting Ellery in person.

There is no doubt he is a horrible person and we discover that the seventeen years he has already spent in the Maximus Security Correction Facility and not corrected his evil ways. In fact, he has regretted that Abby/Ellery got away alive and for seventeen years has been thinking about the chance to stuff her in a closet and slicing off her hands. Yikes!!

Sure enough he gets the opportunity.

Yes! Although, thrilling and had me on the edge of my chair, it was so disturbing with terrible things going on.

Note: I really so not want to think or read about him again.~ such a monster! 😪

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press ~ Minotaur Books for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 11, 2022

LAST SEEN ALIVE is the fifth book in the Ellery Hathaway series. So , so good. excellent ending to a great series. I don't want it to end but so glad it ended the way it did. Lots of action and Ellery is as bad as as they come. 5 stars