The Bookish Island's Book Review:
The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen
Are there spoilers?
Yep, a smidgen of spoilers ahead.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer:
This book was sent to me by the publishing company(Minotaur Books) in exchange for an honest review.
Title: The Vanishing SeasonAuthor: Joanna Schaffhausen
Series: Ellery Hathaway #1
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Pages: 274
Published: 2019
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Crime, Adult
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Date Read: March 11 to March 12, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★
Ellery Hathaway knows a thing or two about serial killers, but not through her police training. She's an officer in sleepy Woodbury, MA, where a bicycle theft still makes the newspapers. No one there knows she was once victim number seventeen in the grisly story of serial killer Francis Michael Coben. The only victim who lived.
When three people disappear from her town in three years, all around her birthday—the day she was kidnapped so long ago—Ellery fears someone knows her secret. Someone very dangerous. Her superiors dismiss her concerns, but Ellery knows the vanishing season is coming and anyone could be next. She contacts the one man she knows will believe her: the FBI agent who saved her from a killer’s closet all those years ago.
Agent Reed Markham made his name and fame on the back of the Coben case, but his fortunes have since turned. His marriage is in shambles, his bosses think he's washed up, and worst of all, he blew a major investigation. When Ellery calls him, he can’t help but wonder: sure, he rescued her, but was she ever truly saved? His greatest triumph is Ellery’s waking nightmare, and now both of them are about to be sucked into the past, back to the case that made them...with a killer who can't let go.
My Review:
The Vanishing Season is just wow.
The Vanishing Season was is such an excellent read. I took it with me to a dentist appointment. And while I waited for it to be my turn I opened this gem and tried to finish it since I had already read a little less than half of it. And I was so embarrassed because it kept me on edge the whole time. I couldn't put it down for a second. I was worried that if I looked up from the book someone would be staring at me wondering what that crazy lady was doing with all her on edge hand movements. Like I kept gripping my knees and murmuring my disdain for a certain cop. I was all over the place. And I hadn't had that kind of experience with a book since I read The Prettiest One and The Body Reader.
It's well written. The writing style flowed so well chapter after chapter. I liked it so much as I wouldn't say no to another book by the author.
Ellery and Reed's interactions with each other were great. They just worked well together. With how they connected the dots and rounded up any evidence that could help them with their case. The evidence leads them to many suspects. That any of them could be the suspect and at the same time, it seemed like it was none of them.
I feel like Ellery wanted to be a good cop so much. With how she wanted to solve a crime that seemed to be just a disappearance. How frustrated she got when no one saw what she did.
Despite that, it didn't matter that she had been a cop for years because at times she acted and was treated like a rookie.
I would also like to add that this book is the debut of the author. What?!!
So well done.
*round of applause erupts in a dark theater. lights turn on showing a bunch of well dressed beautiful people who keep applauding and smiling brightly*
The Vanishing Season was is such an excellent read. I took it with me to a dentist appointment. And while I waited for it to be my turn I opened this gem and tried to finish it since I had already read a little less than half of it. And I was so embarrassed because it kept me on edge the whole time. I couldn't put it down for a second. I was worried that if I looked up from the book someone would be staring at me wondering what that crazy lady was doing with all her on edge hand movements. Like I kept gripping my knees and murmuring my disdain for a certain cop. I was all over the place. And I hadn't had that kind of experience with a book since I read The Prettiest One and The Body Reader.
It's well written. The writing style flowed so well chapter after chapter. I liked it so much as I wouldn't say no to another book by the author.
Ellery and Reed's interactions with each other were great. They just worked well together. With how they connected the dots and rounded up any evidence that could help them with their case. The evidence leads them to many suspects. That any of them could be the suspect and at the same time, it seemed like it was none of them.
There isn't an ounce of romance. None at all. Though with Ellery and Reed I would not have hated it if there was something more between them.
The mystery and suspense were SO good. Lots of turns and twists and many strategically placed red herrings. There were some pretty creepy scenes that almost got to me with how gruesome they were. But I'm a girl who listens to Last Podcast on the Left. So I wasn't that faced.
Speaking of wish.
The number of serial killer references did make me think of Last Podcast so many times. Mostly because I knew of them from listening to the podcast.
Despite that, it didn't matter that she had been a cop for years because at times she acted and was treated like a rookie.
I would also like to add that this book is the debut of the author. What?!!
So well done.
*round of applause erupts in a dark theater. lights turn on showing a bunch of well dressed beautiful people who keep applauding and smiling brightly*
Goodreads______________________________________
