Book Review: Last Seen Alive by Joanna Schaffhausen

This is such a phenomenal series! It is dark and horrifying and oddly optimistic and creepy and magnificent all at the same time. Ellery is one of my favorite female protagonists of all time. Her unfailing ability to carry on, despite every parade of horribles thrown at her, is both believable and superhuman.

This is a true survivor’s tale, wrapped in a serial killer-detective-thriller package. The characterizations are brilliant, the plot and pacing are second to none, and the ability to weave fear and the possibility for redemption into one coherent narrative (across multiple books, no less) is impressive to say the least… The stories are always difficult to read, because they are graphic and violent and aggressive – but they are also filled with an amazing resilience that is so uplifting that it makes the dark bits more palatable.

I hope Schaffhausen keeps reading Ellery books for a gloriously long time!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.