Suspended police officer Ellery Hathaway and FBI Agent Reed Markham are back in Joanna Schaffhausen's latest novel.
Reed asks Ellery's help in investigating a cold case, one that is intensely personal. Reed knew he was adopted as an infant, and when he was eighteen, his father told him the circumstances of his birth mother's murder and Reed's subsequent adoption by the Markham's.
In No Mercy, the previous book, a gift for DNA testing revealed secrets that made Reed question everything he thought he knew. His foundation begins to crumble.
Reed and Ellery head to Las Vegas to delve into the unsolved murder of Reed's mother, Camilla. A forty-year-old cold case presents multiple difficulties, and Reed is both determined and fearful of the outcome, which may destroy the family that raised him.
Schaffhausen does a good job of keeping the possibilities open, so there are several good options to keep the reader guessing. Reed and Ellery have complicated pasts to resolve, but the two combine their strengths to support each other.
This series has gotten better with each new addition. I'm really curious about where the next book will lead.
(I don't like either of these covers, but at least the second one has some connection to the story.)
NetGalley/St. Martin's Press
Suspense. Feb. 11, 2020. Print length: 336 pages.
Ha! I just read Cathy's post about cover peeves. And this is one of mine.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this series is just getting better and better. And about those two covers, too. :)
ReplyDeleteA good thing they had the author's name boldly on the cover--the images don't do a thing for me. :)
DeleteThank you for the review. I've just requested for it from Netgalley.
ReplyDeleteIt works well as a standalone--hope you enjoy it!
DeleteI read the first book in the series, but have not read the second and now this one. Good to know that it works well and I'll be on the lookout for it.
ReplyDeleteI was on the fence about the first book, but I liked the second one better, and this one is my favorite. :)
DeleteLike Kay, I've only read the first book. I'm glad to hear the series is getting better with each new addition. :)
ReplyDeleteThe shift has been toward more of a procedural style. :)
ReplyDeleteAaaah, it's out! The cliffhanger in the last one had me on pins and needles!
ReplyDeleteI think I have the first one so I'm glad to hear you liked this one!
ReplyDelete