The Characters:
ELLERY HATHAWAY-- Fourteen years ago she was abducted by a serial killer. She was his seventeenth victim. She survived. Now she's a police officer in the small town of Woodbury, Massachusetts, where three people have gone missing in three years, all disappearing in the same week of July. She thinks there's a serial killer in town, only her boss doesn't believe her. Neither does anyone else. Except Agent Reed Markham.
REED MARKHAM--Fourteen years ago he was the FBI agent who found Ellery and saved her life. Now he's in the middle of a divorce and on a temporary "stress leave" from the BAU. He's also drinking too much. But when Ellery calls asking for his help, he heads to Woodbury to help track down this mysterious killer that seems to know more about Ellery's past than anyone else in town.
My thoughts:
Both of these characters are flawed and imperfect. In fact, when I first started reading this book I wasn't sure I was going to like either one of them. But while each has their own faults, neither is stupid or frustratingly stubborn, and I ended up liking them both. (I really liked Ellie's basset hound, Bump, too!)
As for the mystery, it's interesting without being predictable; the author had me suspecting a couple of different characters along the way. And while this book won't change anyone's life, it is a compelling and enjoyable mystery of psychological suspense. I'm looking forward to reading the next book that Schaffhausen writes....especially if it's as a good as this one. (And it has Ellie and Reed in it again.)
Happy Reading!
When you mentioned Woodbury, I couldn't help but think of The Walking Dead and the Governor :) This book sounds like a fun read - something you can get caught up in, but one that won't bog you down. I love flawed characters - they are the best ones to read about. Great review!
ReplyDeleteThese two characters definitely have flaws, but they're also people you find yourself rooting for. :)
DeleteI read this a couple of months ago but never reviewed it for NG. It was a good, not great, story for me but they can't all be home runs :) Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it wasn't a 5-star read for me either, but I did enjoy reading it. Thanks for commenting! :)
DeleteAlways interesting when a character or two begin with flaws that make you wonder if you will like them, then change enough to alter your original opinion! And once I do like a character, I'm interested in more.
ReplyDeleteCharacters are so important, aren't they? If I hate the characters, I'm probably going to hate the book, too.
DeleteI want to read it just for the basset hound. I want one! And Bump is an adorable name. Sounds like an entertaining read.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was fun. And it read pretty fast, too. :)
DeleteI have this one but you know how it goes. I need to move it up on my reading list - I do like the sound of this one!
ReplyDeleteI do know how it goes! ;D
DeleteSounds like a winner. It is always great to discover a new author!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it? And I think Schaffhausen is an author to keep an eye on. :)
DeleteOOooh this looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteIt's a good one! (Thanks for commenting.) :)
DeleteI've heard good things about this one and it definitely sounds like something I'd enjoy. I'm glad it kept you guessing.
ReplyDeleteHope you get a chance to check it out! :)
DeleteI find liking the MCs is pretty important in a book. If I don't like them, I struggle to care about what they go through.
ReplyDeleteMe, too! That's why I was so worried when I first started reading this book, but luckily my first impressions of Ellie and Reed were wrong. They're characters I quickly grew to like. :)
DeleteSounds like a book with good characterisations. And all the more better if the mystery isn't predictable. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's a good read. I think you'd like it.
DeleteIt sounds good! How dark does it get? I like good characterizations, but tend to shy away from books in which I have to spend time inside a serial killer's head.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a dark or disturbing read. You're never in the head of the killer, and there aren't graphic crime scenes. Just missing persons. And the investigation. This book focuses mostly on the two main characters. So I think you'd be okay with this one. :)
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