sanjana_ponmani's review
4.0
Ellery Hathaway knows a thing or two about serial killers. No one knows she was once victim number seventeen in the grisly story of serial killer Francis Michael Coben. The only one who lived.
When three people disappear from her town in three years―all around her birthday―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 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 opinion- its good book . mystery is great let you wonder who is the killer till end
i think this book is more of like real life or you can more of practical like agent reed makes mistake makes wrong guessing like he is not perfect
ellie is strong character and have nice sense of humor ( dark ) she would be like sue me for my trauma jokes
at last good mystery and good story one set back is killer didnt had strong motive or i can say more like he psycho killer
When three people disappear from her town in three years―all around her birthday―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 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 opinion- its good book . mystery is great let you wonder who is the killer till end
i think this book is more of like real life or you can more of practical like agent reed makes mistake makes wrong guessing like he is not perfect
ellie is strong character and have nice sense of humor ( dark ) she would be like sue me for my trauma jokes
at last good mystery and good story one set back is killer didnt had strong motive or i can say more like he psycho killer
annieb123's review
4.0
Originally published on my blog Nonstop Reader.
The Vanishing Season is the first book in a new mystery/thriller series by Joanna Schaffhausen. Originally published in 2017, this reformat and re-release from Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint it's 274 pages and available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats.
This is a well written and atmospheric thriller with a serial killer theme and a main protagonist who is an adult survivor of an abduction as a teenager. The plotting is tense and controlled and ramps up through the book to a satisfying (and admittedly somewhat surprising) denouement. The characters are clearly drawn, distinct, and believable. The dialogue is intelligent and never clunky.
I read this book alone in my house during a snow/hailstorm in the middle of the night and scared the pants off myself. It really is well written and parts are very creepy. The language is rough (R-rated), and there are potentially traumatic themes (obviously), abduction, body horror, murder, etc. I would recommend this series to fans of the gritty procedural serial killer genre. The author has a strong voice and a surprisingly sure command of plotting and tension elements in her writing for a debut novel. Definitely one to keep an eye on.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Vanishing Season is the first book in a new mystery/thriller series by Joanna Schaffhausen. Originally published in 2017, this reformat and re-release from Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint it's 274 pages and available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats.
This is a well written and atmospheric thriller with a serial killer theme and a main protagonist who is an adult survivor of an abduction as a teenager. The plotting is tense and controlled and ramps up through the book to a satisfying (and admittedly somewhat surprising) denouement. The characters are clearly drawn, distinct, and believable. The dialogue is intelligent and never clunky.
I read this book alone in my house during a snow/hailstorm in the middle of the night and scared the pants off myself. It really is well written and parts are very creepy. The language is rough (R-rated), and there are potentially traumatic themes (obviously), abduction, body horror, murder, etc. I would recommend this series to fans of the gritty procedural serial killer genre. The author has a strong voice and a surprisingly sure command of plotting and tension elements in her writing for a debut novel. Definitely one to keep an eye on.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
stabilesero's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I generally don't give mystery/thriller/crime novels higher than 4 stars, and I usually give less to books that I can call out who the killer is by 25%, but, this is an exemption.
Although I knew pretty swiftly 'whodunnit', Schaffhausen still managed to keep me tied up in the story and invested, which is hard to do when your suspicion is there and you're turning each page just waiting to be proven right. So kudos to her.
I like Ellie, I didn't love her but I liked her; I think Mark's character was necessary and well-written in the sense that if his character didn't hold up, this would be a much lower rated book.
I think I'll give the rest of this series a try, although it's a mixed bag, I think I'd like to see this duo on other cases to see how Schaffhausen keeps their relationship going.
Although I knew pretty swiftly 'whodunnit', Schaffhausen still managed to keep me tied up in the story and invested, which is hard to do when your suspicion is there and you're turning each page just waiting to be proven right. So kudos to her.
I like Ellie, I didn't love her but I liked her; I think Mark's character was necessary and well-written in the sense that if his character didn't hold up, this would be a much lower rated book.
I think I'll give the rest of this series a try, although it's a mixed bag, I think I'd like to see this duo on other cases to see how Schaffhausen keeps their relationship going.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death, Kidnapping, and Stalking
Moderate: Torture
Minor: Infertility, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, and Alcohol
pandasbookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
The Vanishing Season is my first book by Joanna Schaffhausen. This book stood out for me from the usual crime mystery stories I read as it was extremely well written and had such likeable characters. Ellery was realistic, and you just cared about her and her quest. I loved this one so much immediately upon finishing I started the next one in the series. Thank you to the author for writing such an enjoyable story. Give this one a go, I promise you won't regret it.
sophierevell's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
alisonb's review
4.0
4-4.5⭐️’s
I absolutely enjoyed this plot and the smart writing.
The main characters are fantastic and I get to keep following them because I discovered that this is a series!
I absolutely enjoyed this plot and the smart writing.
The main characters are fantastic and I get to keep following them because I discovered that this is a series!
valthereader's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
noveldreamer's review
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75