The highly anticipated third novel in the award-winning Ellery Hathaway mystery series. FBI agent Reed Markham is haunted by one painful unsolved mystery: who murdered his mother? Camilla was brutally stabbed to death more than forty years ago while baby Reed lay in his crib mere steps away. The trail went so cold that the Las Vegas Police Department has given up hope of solving the case. But … the case. But then a shattering family secret changes everything Reed knows about his origins, his murdered mother, and his powerful adoptive father, state senator Angus Markham. Now Reed has to wonder if his mother’s killer is uncomfortably close to home.
Unable to trust his family with the details of his personal investigation, Reed enlists his friend, suspended cop Ellery Hathaway, to join his quest in Vegas. Ellery has experience with both troubled families and diabolical murderers, having narrowly escaped from each of them. She’s eager to skip town, too, because her own father, who abandoned her years ago, is suddenly desperate to get back in contact. He also has a secret that could change her life forever, if Ellery will let him close enough to hear it.
Far from home and relying only on each other, Reed and Ellery discover young Camilla had snared the attention of dangerous men, any of whom might have wanted to shut her up for good. They start tracing his twisted family history, knowing the path leads back to a vicious killer–one who has been hiding in plain sight for forty years and isn’t about to give up now.
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I read the first book in the Ellery Hathaway series, The Vanishing Season, and really enjoyed it. I wanted to make sure to continue the series, but somehow missed book two, No Mercy. That didn’t stop me from picking up book three in the series, All the Best Lies, and I found that I enjoyed it just as much as The Vanishing Season!
In the first two books, Ellery is more of the focus, where as in All the Best Lies, Reed gets a bit more attention. If you wanted to just read this book and skip the first two, you could because Joanna Schaffhausen gives you enough background information that you wouldn’t be confused. But if possible, you should start the series from the beginning so you don’t miss any of the smaller details that add so much more to the books.
Reed gets a huge surprise that rocks his belief in his parents and adds one more layer to this series. We are shown a part of the police system in the 70’s that was fueled by cops taking advantage of sex workers. And we also get other looks at corruption in the police department of yesteryear and today.
While Reed is looking into the 40 year old murder of his mother, Ellery sees similarities to another murder that happened a year before his mom’s, so she starts to follow those leads too, thinking they may be connected. Ellery gets enough information that we have a good idea of what happened, but that case isn’t completely finished in this book, leaving a bit of a cliffhanger. I know this may upset some readers, but I was fine with it, and look forward to how Schaffhausen deals with it in the next book.
There is also the relationship between Reed and Ellery. Reed was the detective who saved Ellery from a serial killer when she was a teenager. Ellery has a lot of issues because of the torture and rape that happened to her. But in All the Best Lies, they try to take their relationship to a more intimate level. Schaffhausen does a wonderful job writing about the problems that can happen in a situation like this.
I can’t wait to see what Schaffhausen comes up with in the next book in the Ellery Hathaway series! And if you enjoy this type of book you may want to check out the Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell series by Chelsea Cain. It’s a series that I always recommend to people who like detectives chasing after serial killers, but this series has a twist.
Book and review may contain sensitive material not suited for everyone.
Usually, I don’t like reading about politics or sensitive material, but the writing was so good that I ended up reading all 322 pages in one day! That’s super uncommon for me! On a good day, I can read about 100 pages. It wasn’t too heavily saturated with politics that it was doable for me.
I’ve never read this author or any of her previous titles before. This is book #3 in the series. This CAN be read as a standalone but frequently calls back one of the other previous titles quite a bit, giving enough details to where it still fits in with the storyline. I’m yet undecided if I liked this aspect or not. For marketing purposes, absolutely brilliant because it really did make me want to want to check out the two previous books, but it sounds like they could be brutally graphic and possibly triggering. The older I get, the more sensitive I seem to become. I honestly think it’s because I used to desensitize myself to this type of material before by reading or watching crime/murder mystery shows, or books on a consistent basis. I just don’t expose myself to that very often anymore. It’s getting harder and harder for me to read about descriptions of crime scenes and the events that unfolded. (If you are a survivor of sexual abuse/rape, these callbacks may trigger.)
This was a great mystery, I think I accused almost everyone at some point as being the potential killer. There was a ton of action that kept me turning the pages. I had fun trying to solve this mystery before I got to the end. I must add the dedication was absolutely beautiful, I knew this may be a tougher read for me but by the tone of the dedication, I had a feeling I was going to like the style, and I did.
Much gratitude to the Goodreads Giveaway Program, compliments of Minotaur Books for the early copy I won. I was under no obligation to write a review, my honest opinion is freely given.
Loved this 3rd book, Reed and Ellery are not losing any steam! Full of twists and turns, fantastic imagery and characters, would definitely recommend this series can’t wait for the next one!
Another excellent story in this series as Reed and Ellery work on solving a crime which can upend his entire life. These stories are gripping with twists and turns that you will never see coming. It is detailed and personal. Reed is on a search to solve his mother’s murder and hopefully find his roots. What is exposed will indeed shake his world in ways he did not see coming. It is an edge of your seat read that you will not want to put down until you get to the very last word.
Joanna Schaffhausen gives us another excellent read in All the Best Lies, the third book in her Ellery Hathaway series.
This time, the focus is on FBI Agent Reed Markham, determined to find out the truth about who murdered his mother, Camilla Flores, 19, forty years ago in Las Vegas while he lay in his crib only steps away. Ellery Hathaway, currently suspended from the police department (while internal affairs investigates her shooting of a man attempting to kill Agent Markham), goes with him for moral support and as a second set of eyes to review this long cold case.
At first, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is very willing to help, but the more questions Markham and Ellery ask, the less helpful the police become. Someone doesn’t want the truth to come out, and Markham and Ellery unexpectedly find themselves in mortal danger.
I’ve been anxiously waiting for the chance to read another book featuring these two complex, flawed characters and All the Best Lies was everything I hoped it would be. Schauffhausen is skilled at writing police-procedurals with plots that intrigue and surprises until the very end. I highly recommend this book! (I think readers might enjoy it more fully if they have read one or both of the previous books in the series.)
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Raw, complex, and unputdownable!
In this latest novel in the Ellery Hathaway series, All the Best Lies, Hathaway and Markham head to Las Vegas, Nevada to delve into the emotional, heinous cold case of FBI agent Reed’s slaughtered mother from 1975 in the hope of finally capturing her murderer and unravelling all the lies, secrets and deception surrounding his birth and true parentage.
The writing is tight and crisp. The characters are vulnerable, flawed, and resilient. And the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat as it submerges you in an ominous tale full of twists, turns, mayhem, corruption, coercion, jealousy, deduction, attraction, violence, and murder.
Overall, All the Best Lies is a sharp, engrossing, gritty tale by Schaffhausen that has exceptional character development and palpable chemistry that bleeds off the page, and is definitely, in my opinion, one book/series you don’t want to miss.
All the Best Lies: A Mystery (Ellery Hathaway Book 3)
Yes you can read this as a standalone but I highly recommend that you read the Vanishing Season (book 1) and No Mercy (book 2) prior to this. In this third book we see a lot more character development of Reed Markham and Ellery Hathaway.
Both of them have major issues with their past and how to deal with it but slowly they are starting to put their past behind them. This book ended in a manner that this could be the end of the series but I’m hoping we be able to read more of this duo. Both of them have new relatives that could make for some interesting reading.
In this installment of the series, Reed is on a personal journey. He is determined to find out who murdered his birth mother. He had learned more of his history in the last book and this one picks up shortly after. He asks for Ellery’s help in finding out what happened 40 years ago. The book moves at a good pace. I like how their relationship is evolving. The mystery has some twist and turns and has a surprising ending.
I hope there is more coming as I like the characters and their relationship.
I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Reed and Ellery have developed this strange partnership of sorts throughout the series. While originally Reed was Ellery’s savior of sorts, they worked together to solve additional crimes when Ellery called on Reed, and now he needs her help.
What happens when Reed finds out after over 40 years that his biological father was there all along, that he was lied to his entire life? Now he thinks this may be a piece in his biological mother’s unsolved murder.
I love the way they play off each other, Ellery seems to only see her weaknesses, Reed sees her strength, and the reverse seems to be true this time around. These two play off each other so well that they just draw you into the story.
And now Ellery is opening herself up more emotionally to Reed, and wanting to take care of him, even if it’s in little bits and spurts. Watching the changing dynamics in her character is fascinating, especially in light of everything she’s been through.
This is a very good story line, lots of twists and turns. Christmas when a cop starts to investigate a cold case leading to the murder of his own mother 40 years before, secrets are revealed, lies are untangled, and hearts are bruised.
All will come together and ends? (I can’t tell you, not a spoiler!)
Just read it, it’s worth your time.
ALL THE BEST LIES, Joanna Schauffhausen’s third book in the Ellery Hathaway series, takes Ellery and FBI agent Reed Markham to Las Vegas in search of the answer to a question that has haunted him for 40 years: who murdered his mother? Camilla’s murder occurred when Reed was a baby in his crib in the next room. And then, he was adopted by the wealthy Markham family of VIrginia. Genetic tests done at Christmas by him and his siblings reveal that Sen. Markham, his adoptive father, is also his biological father. This opens a huge can of worms! Once in Las Vegas, Reed and Ellery are followed, threatened. Events are further complicated by their mutual attraction, which is reaching a tipping point. And family interference. This is a great story on so many levels. I’m enjoying the character and plot developments as the series deepens. So, bring it on, Ms. Schauffhausen. I’ll read whatever you write next!
All the Best Lies
(Ellery Hathaway #3)
by
Joanna Schaffhausen
4 Stars
All the Best Lies is the third terrific novel in the Ellery Hathaway mystery series. Once again, Joanna Schaffhausen has delivered a thrilling page-turner that kept me guessing until the very end (I never guess who her killers are). I love Ellery and her partner Reed Markham. They’re both entirely real characters who at times frustrate me with their decisions, but I find myself rooting for them anyway. And thankfully, the ending makes it look like the next entry is on the way.
https://mhassett23.blogspot.com/2020/06/all-best-lies.html
One of the best I have read lately. Once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down.
Ellery and Reed are back, and this time, the case is personal for Reed. Technically, All the Best Lies is a police procedural, except this pair doesn’t exactly follow procedure. Whatever their methods, it makes for an entertaining and exciting read. In addition to the suspense of the case, the connection between Ellery and Reed increases. Now, here’s where I’ll say that technically, this book can be read as a standalone, but in order to get the full impact of the dynamic between these two, I would recommend reading the books in order. There’s been a lot of push and pull between our main characters with good reason, but the chemistry has grown despite their hesitance. So, I suppose this one is a little procedural and a little romantic suspense, and Schaffhausen brings it all together in spectacular fashion in this third Ellery Hathaway book. The romance isn’t the hearts and flowers of a traditional love story, but the feelings between Reed and Ellery come through loud and clear, and it’s impossible not to root for them. The suspense in this one revolves around the murder of Reed’s mother, and the author gives us a fair amount of red herrings to consider as things progress. In the end, I guessed some of the answers, but it kept me in the dark enough to keep the pages turning at a good clip. All in all, this is a good addition to the series, and the conclusion was perfect for these characters. I don’t know if there is another book planned for the series, but I certainly hope so as I’m not quite ready to say goodbye to these characters.
This is the first time reading this author, but it will not be my last. A 40 year old unsolved murder, a touch of romance and a plot with great twists! A must read.
This is the third book in the Ellery Hathaway series. I received a complimentary digital copy of this arc book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
In the second novel, the saga of Ellery Hathaway continues. She is a patrol officer on leave after the traumatic events in book 1 where it ended with her killing the criminal responsible for series of missing persons. She meets several people in her mandated victims of violence support group with whom she can’t help but feel compelled to meddle into their unsettling situations.
Reed Markham, the FBI agent who found her years ago, returns once again to assist Ellery with her mission for justice.
This third book turns the focus to Reed Markham and the situation leading to his “stress leave” in book one. His story slowly unfolds during the first two novels where he shares that he was adopted by an influential political family after the murder of his biological mother. When one of his sisters decides it would be a fun surprise for them to take DNA ancestry tests, Reed begins to wonder about the circumstances regarding his mother’s unsolved murder.
Encouraged by Ellery, the two embark on a quest to uncover the secrets from the past which some people are willing to kill to keep from being revealed. Reed begins to question the people that raised him and how they could be involved with his mother’s death.
I really loved this gripping thriller. This book has great characters that have all gone through major problems through their lives. I did not need to read the first two books in this series but I hope to read them to learn more about Ellery and what happened to her when she was younger. There were many twists and turns. I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
I jumped into this one I had to see where these two went next. I am fascinated with the characters which I guess they kinda own me now. Ellery and Reed captivate and deliver whatever they do. I like also the bit of twist in this one where it now centers around Reed with him wanting long awaited answers on a cold case. Of course as they start diving into this one I too want to help and begin to formulate opinions. As it goes there are so many twists and unexpected truths that you get a bit book sick lol. Through thick and thin the two search regardless of the pitfalls that come flying at times at them. Oh so sad though when I turned the last page in this one because now I must have more of these two.
I received a free electronic ARC copy of this police procedural from Netgalley, Joanna Schaffhausen, and St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to recommend Joanna Schaffhausen to friends and family. She writes a fast-paced compelling story that keeps you turning pages till the very end. And though I recommend that you binge read them all, each novel is complete and stands alone.
Joanna Schaffhausen brings us another exciting dip into the lives of Ellery Hathaway and Reed Markham. Ellery is still on administrative leave from her small-town police force, and Reed is taking a break before he decides whether he really wants to advance into the next level of the FBI or remain an active agent.
Book 3 brings into play family ties – what they compel us to accept, What we received that is given freely, who always has your back. Reed decided to use this vacation to look into the death of his birth mother in Las Vegas, NV when he was four months old. Ellery joins him, partially to assist his search, but also to evade her own father who is seeking to meet with her. He abandoned the family in Ellie’s youth, missed all the years of nursing her brother David with leukemia until they lost him, and wasn’t there for Ellery or her mother when Ellie was in the hands of the man who currently holds the title of the world’s most infamous serial killer. Ellie was the 17th victim and only survivor of Francis Coben’s run of apprehension, rape, and murder. She doesn’t know what her father wants from her after all these years, but she is not willing to give him even the time of day. DNA will play a heavy roll in this mystery, too.
All the Best Lies is Reed’s story. Reed’s biological mother was brutally murdered when Reed was four months old. A prominent senator adopted him and but he always had questions about his mother. Then, a DNA test threw his world into a tailspin. The results of that DNA test makes Reed take another look at his mother’s unsolved murder. But, someone doesn’t want that murder solved, and they will do anything to keep it that way. What was in that DNA test, and who killed Reed’s mother? And what is tying them together?
All the Best Lies is the 3rd book in the Ellery Hathaway series. This book cannot be read as a standalone. You do need to read books 1 and 2 to understand Ellery and Reed’s relationship as well as Reed’s relationship with his family. If you do decide to pick the book up and read it, be prepared to be confused.
I loved Reed. He was determined to find out exactly what happened to his mother. His reactions to certain people in the book were right on. I would have been mad too!!! The only thing I didn’t agree with was when he went off on his own towards the end of the book.
I liked that Ellery took a step back in this book. What I mean by taking a step back is that her backstory and issues weren’t made the focal point of the book. She was still the same kick-ass ex-cop who went out of her way to help Reed.
I didn’t agree with the romance angle of the book. It didn’t seem right to have a romance between Ellery and Reed. I understood why the author did it (to show how far Ellery had come) but still.
The plotline about Reed’s mother’s murder was fantastic. The author did a great job of keeping the killer under wraps. Several red herrings were thrown out. I went back and forth about who killed Camilla and mentally kicked myself when the killer was revealed. I also loved the twist that was thrown in at the end. I did not see that coming.
The plotline about Ellery and her father broke my heart into little bits. I wanted to smack the crap out of her father. I understood her feelings about what he asked. I would have been torn too.
The end of All the Best Lies was terrific. The author did a great job of wrapping up all of the plotlines and bringing them together. I loved how Ellery was able to get the killer. Well, she had help but still. It was fantastic. I do wonder if there is going to be a book 4.