An interesting mystery with many intersecting story lines. I like the alternating POVs. I will definitely look for more of Joanna's novels in the future. ( )

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for letting me read and review this intriguing and great book. This was another exciting and wonderful installment in the Ellery Hathaway series. I stumbled upon one of the earlier books in the series and had to read them all at once and now I'm hooked. I love this series!
This story is about Ellery finally having a more stable job as a detective in Boston after her 6 mo probationary period ended and having a new relationship with Reed. Ellery and Reed have had an unusual and tricky relationship since he rescued her from a serial killer when she was a young teenager to now with her as a rookie detective and him in the FBI and the two trying to make a relationship work.
In this story, Ellery and Reed are on a date with Reed's daughter and they become involved in the case of a missing child and as things go with the story, things come out with their troubled relationship and Ellery realizing things about herself and her life being known as the victim that survived and escaped the serial killer that has shaped her entire life. After her realizations about life and herself, unavoidable and inevitable events occur leading to and through twists and turns that leave you in an intense and stressful situation with a bit of an idea of what might happen in the next book.
I can't wait to read the next installment of the series and see what happens with the next part of the story. If you haven't checked out and read any of these books then you need to read them! Make sure to keep this book on your radar and get up to date on this series now! ( )

Another good story from this author, with an interesting ending that wrapped up too quick for me (and lacked credibility in my mind)- although seeing the good professor get his just desserts was nice. ( )

Great, another incredible series that I just started at Book 4! I didn't know! I definitely will be getting the first three! Not a book that can be easily put down! ( )

I am so completely hooked on this series at four books in! I really cannot get enough of it and these characters! Every book in this series has been a page turner that I could not set down and this book was no different. Let's start off with the fact that this is book four and a bit hard to share my thoughts on without sharing spoilers (but I shall do my best). I do think that this is a series best read in order if possible. The author does a good job of catching you up if you haven't had the chance to read the earlier books but I just feel like you would really be missing out - especially when it comes to understanding Ellery as a character. Everything that she has gone through in her life has led her to where she is "today" as this book begins. And she just cannot run from her past and how it still effects her life which makes the case she gets drawn into investigating that much more personal for her. I flew through the pages of this book. I just needed to know how it was all going to end. I like that Ellery's world is opening up a bit even if she doesn't feel like she is ready for it. We saw more of characters from previous books and I hope that continues because it means Ellery is finally starting to move on more from her past. The ending made me a bit sad (but I understood) until it didn't because I was like WHAT?!? And now I'm just sitting here pining away for the next book in this series....because gah! Yep, it that ending left me with no words and I NEED book five ASAP! Do yourself a favor and pick this series up soon but start with The Vanishing Season because reading them all in order is completely worth it!

Bottom Line: This book was everything that I've come to expect from this series in the best of ways. A personal favorite mystery series of mine for a reason!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. Honest thoughts are my own.

CW: Missing child, death of a child, serial killer, cancer ( )