What in heavens name have you done: LAST SEEN ALIVE.

Last Seen Alive by Joanna Schaffhausen
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Ellery Hathaway met Reed Markham years ago as a teen when he pulled open a closet, freeing her from a serial killer. She was Francis Coben's only survivor. Now Ellery and Reed have an intense history. And Coben, who is in prison, wants Ellery back. He'll reveal the location of his remaining victims only if Reed brings Ellery to visit. What follows is a bittersweet and terrifying tale as Ellery must once again face her demons.

"The monster was still out there breathing the same air. No wonder there was a huge crowd at her door. Of course, everyone wanted a picture. The story wasn't finished."

I loved every single thing about this book (even all the murderous killing bits). I adore Ellery and Reed, and this was a perfect addition to the series. This is the fifth book in the series. You can catch up easily if you haven't read the first four books, but I highly recommend reading them, because they are excellent.

This is a dark and emotional read. Coben is on death row, and with some women--potential victims--still missing, his only power remains in knowing their location. He holds this over Ellery and Reed's heads, forcing Ellery to reconcile her desire to stay away from her tormentor and hold on to her shreds of privacy versus her need to find these women. Schaffhausen does such an excellent job at portraying how awful Coben is. We always knew how terrible he made Ellery's existence, but we see now how horrific he is--gaining both more details about his past and the present.

"You cannot call up the devil and ask him to dance."

Also in the present, more women go missing, in a similar fashion to Coben's previous victims. With Coben in prison, it cannot be him, so Reed, Ellery, and Ellery's partner Dorie investigate. Also on the scene is a reporter, Kate, and a movie producer, Ben, who want to film Coben in prison. All of this combines for a fascinating story that weaves in Coben and a new murderer. There's excellent descriptions of Chicago as Ellery returns home, for the first time, to help investigate Coben. And I love her dynamic with Dorie.

The book makes some excellent points about society's obsession with true crime and what it does to the real victims. It explores Reed and Ellery's relationship from a variety of angles and gives us a lot of insight into how Ellery became who is she is. She's such a strong, brave character, and it's a pleasure to read about her. Combining her strength with such a twisty and dark plot makes for a wonderful read. 4.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

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