Last Seen Alive
4.5/5
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About this ebook
Chyna Greer was sixteen when her best friend, Zoey, disappeared. Though very different in looks and temperament, the two girls shared a bond that was stronger than blood. But even Chyna's urgent warnings couldn't prevent a love-struck Zoey from sneaking out to the lake to meet her secret crush—and being swallowed up into the warm summer night forever….
Now Chyna has come back to her West Virginia hometown of Black Willow to lay her mother to rest. But memories of Zoey are everywhere…and then, out of nowhere, Chyna hears a voice—Zoey's voice—begging for her help. As Chyna delves into Black Willow's past, she learns that two other teenagers also went missing. Soon Chyna's search for answers becomes a desperate race to uncover a chilling secret that strikes at the heart of everything she holds dear—and reveal the remorseless evil that has been hiding in plain sight….
Carlene Thompson
Carlene Thompson is the author of Last Whisper, Black for Remembrance, Nowhere to Hide, and Don’t Close Your Eyes, among other books. She attended college at Marshall University and earned her Ph.D. in English from Ohio State University. She taught at the University of Rio Grande, before leaving to focus on her writing full-time. Besides writing, she spends her time caring for the many dogs and cats she's adopted. A native West Virginian, she lives with her husband Keith in Point Pleasant, West Virginia.
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Reviews for Last Seen Alive
28 ratings9 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Honestly I had a hard time committing myself to finishing this book. I’ve started this book a few times but put it down & had to restart it because i didn’t pick it back up for weeks. Finally, I decided I was going to finish it & I’m glad I did. The first couple chapters had me hooked but then it started to slow down towards the middle & picked back up towards the last 200 or so pages. Then I couldn’t put it down. Even though I guessed who the killer was in the end the author did a good job making me rethink over & over that maybe I was wrong. There were so many different possibilities of who could it have been & she definitely tried to keep you guessing. I also liked the paranormal aspect. Overall, I liked the author’s writing style & I’m definitely open to reading more from her. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wow, this author can write!!! I've read book 4 and now book 5 in the Ellery Hathaway series. I just bought the first three books in the series and look forward to backtracking into Ellery Hathaway's story! This book had me riveted and my husband bring me snacks to keep up my strength! At several points, I literally had to get up and just catch my breath! Needless to say, this is one scary (and some happy!) rollercoaster ride! Highly recommended! Although, if you're a perfectionist you might want to start at book 1!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/55 ++++ Stars. On a personal note, I am a little heartbroken to see the end of Ellery and Reed's odyssey. I can only hope that author Joanna Schaffhausen finds another path for the two of them to journey down.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ellery has struggled her whole life to overcome her past. When she was a teenager, she had been abducted by one of the nation’s most notorious serial killers, Coben. Ellery was the only one of his victims to live to tell about it. Now, a TV producer is bringing it all back to life. Coben agrees to give up where the other bodies are buried…only if Ellery comes to visit.Ellery is a character which broke my heart but she is also tough as nails. And then there is Reed! He is Ellery’s past lover and savior. He is the FBI agent who saved her from Coben. He is with her every step of the way! And finally there is Coben. His creepiness comes through the pages and he is just plain evil!Oh wow! What a dang good read!! This, apparently is part of a series, how I have missed the series I will never know! But that is going to be remedied quickly! This is a story which is unstoppable! I could not put it down. Talk about scary and suspenseful…especially the ending. I could not read fast enough!Need an edge of your seat read which will leave you gasping…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5#FirstLine ~ Prologue: Her mother had warned her not to go to the window.This book was intense and hard to put down. I am a lover of thrillers and this book did not disappoint. I was so invested from page one, to the very last page. I love when a writer can pace a book with such ease and the dialogue meets the pace in perfect unison. You will be swept into the story and will find it hard to put down. I have not read all the other books in this series, but you believe I will be going back to read them now!!! So good!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Joanna Schaffhausen’s Last Seen Alive continues the story of Ellery Hathaway, who survived being tortured by a serial killer. Ellery’s horrors didn’t end when the serial killer was caught and convicted. She tries to exist while seeing herself as a horror and frequently being recognized as “that girl”. Others exploit her in the name of solving crimes, preventing crimes, bringing in huge TV ratings and book proceeds because they’ve convinced themselves she needs to meet with her serial killer again. Will people get the answers they want, or is the killer just manipulating others for his continued publicity and pleasure?Last Seen Alive isn’t just a book. It’s an experience. It’s the giant hill at the beginning of the roller coaster that starts with a slow, agonizing climb. Missing girls, new murders, new TV movie - each new piece cranks up the dread of what’s coming next. Then the plot points furiously wind together in a breathless plunge toward the resolution. The book is also like watching a horror movie. I had so many frustrated thoughts while reading. Don’t go there. Don’t stay there. Don’t trust them. Someone’s about to die. Those thoughts culminated in an audible, “Oh no!” leading up to the pivotal scene and relief when it was over. I had read a previous Ellery Hathaway book, Gone For Good, before reading this book, and I appreciated knowing more of the backstory. Last Seen Alive can be read as a standalone book that provides enough information to bring a new reader up to speed. Either way, Last Seen Alive is an agonizing, breathless, horrifying story, and I mean that as the highest compliment.Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur books for providing me an Advance Reader Copy of the book.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Review of Uncorrected Digital GalleyEllery Hathaway, now a detective with the Boston police department, is the sole survivor of serial killer Francis Michael Coben’s horrific abduction/torture/murder spree. And, despite having survived her gruesome ordeal, the ongoing struggle to define herself in some way other than as part of Coben’s legacy has led her to walk away from her relationship with FBI profiler Reed Markham, the man who rescued her from the closet in which Coben had imprisoned her. Coben, responsible for the torture and murder of at least sixteen young women, and imprisoned on death row for the last seventeen years, claims he is sorry for his actions. He claims he wants to make amends. And so, in the name of justice for the families of the missing, the heretofore-unrepentant killer has finally offered to reveal their resting places. He has only one condition: he wants Reed to arrange a meeting between himself and Ellery.After countless specials, movies, and books, the media remains hungry for anything Coben-related and news crews stand ready to follow every moment of this latest development, especially as the families of the missing urge Coben’s one survivor to do whatever it takes to get the answers they so desperately seek. Reporter Kate Hunter, the host of television’s “On the Hunt” is no exception . . . and she’s determined to get her story.Reed, however, is hesitant; Ellery, the only living person to have seen the monster that Coben hides from the rest of the world, does not believe he has changed, does not believe his insistence that he has reformed or that he has any desire to atone for his actions. But, as unexpected elements come into play, Ellery considers a meeting . . . even though every fiber of her being resists the idea.And then comes the discovery of a body bearing Coben’s distinctive signature . . . .Although fifth in the Ellery Hathaway series, this book offers readers sufficient background information and so works well as a standalone. As with the previous outings, the creepy undertone remains, keeping the tension building and the suspense at a crescendo. Ellery, as readers of the series will expect, remains conflicted as she struggles to keep all that Coben has done to her from defining the person she is today. And, while Ellery wrestles with the past, Reed’s struggles are, in their own way, just as conflicted as he seeks a way to protect the woman he has come to care for, searching for a way for her to see him as someone other than the man who rescued her from her closet imprisonment before her captor murdered her. Happily, Speed Bump, the lovable basset hound, shows up and continues to worm his way right into readers’ hearts.As with previous stories, “Last Seen Alive” is part mystery, part character study. The conflicting emotions, the pain, the reality all play a part in the telling of the intriguing tale. Readers are sure to find themselves rooting for Ellery and Reed to find a way to escape the all-too-real consequences of the abomination that is Francis Michael Coben. The compelling, suspenseful narrative keeps readers on the edge of their seats as the unfolding story draws them deeper and deeper into Coben’s frightening world and threatens to claim Ellery once again. There’s a constant sense of foreboding as unforeseen developments and surprising twists take the story in unexpected directions. The search for justice here is compelling while the telling of this tale is, at times, both brutal and heart-wrenching. The pace is relentless, the action, non-stop . . . and readers are sure to find the book impossible to set aside. Highly recommended. I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley #LastSeenAlive #NetGalley
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I read this book years ago and it still stands out in my mind. I LOVED it and I certainly don't like many book...so loving it is huge. I couldn't put it down. I have actually been searching for the book to put on here because I forgot who the author was, now I have to figure out what other books I read from this author...none that stood out like this one.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chyna Greer returns to Black Willow because her mother has passed away. She hasn't spent much time in her home town since college and she dislikes coming back since the one summer when her best friend Zoey disappeared into the night to never be heard from again and also from the talk of her special talent, her ESP.Shortly after returning she finds out that other girls have gone missing during the time she has been away. She also runs into her old high school crush, Scott Kendrick who is at home recovering from a plane crash.Then another girl disappears and Chyna starts having more visions, that involve several people in town. As Chyna and Scott try to figure out all that is going on around them the mystery continues to build.The suspense element of this book was great. I actually figured out who the murderer was, but it really was only a guess. The suspects abound and you are guessing who has done it. I also enjoyed the romance of two people who knew each other in the past come together in a time of trial. The last 200 pages had me not wanting to put the book down.A good read for those who don't mind graphic romantic suspense.
Book preview
Last Seen Alive - Carlene Thompson
CHAPTER ONE
Twelve Years Later
1
Chyna Greer stood on the bank of Lake Manicora. The late October day was gray, the sun almost white, and the lake bank covered with faded, damp leaves brought down by a recent storm. She drew the belt of her black raincoat tighter. Lake Manicora,
she said aloud. "A manicora—a being with the head of a woman and a body covered in scales. She sighed.
I don’t know who named this lake, but it doesn’t seem they were in a cheerful mood that day."
Michelle, sixty pounds of husky dog with yellow Labrador mixed in her lineage, looked like she was frowning in concentration as she gazed up at Chyna. She seemed to absorb the information about the lake’s name, then went back to warily studying the cold, dark water.
Enjoying the day?
Chyna looked up to see a tall black-haired man approach her. He wore jeans, a brown suede jacket, and a tentative smile. He also limped slightly and leaned on a walking stick. Her heart jumped at the sight of him just as it had done when she was sixteen. Hey, Chyna, it’s me—
Scott Kendrick,
Chyna supplied quickly, too quickly, she immediately thought.
Well, I must not have aged so much you didn’t recognize me.
He smiled, then looked at the dog. And who’s this?
Michelle. I got her last year at the pound.
Scott drew toward the dog slowly, stooped down with a slight grunt as he bent his right leg, and put out his hand for her to smell. Chyna immediately noticed healing scratches on his hand and wrist. Michelle sniffed, then licked his hand, and Scott smiled, showing even white teeth against a fading tan. The smile was nice, but it didn’t have the rakish quality Chyna remembered from his younger years.
She’s beautiful,
Scott said.
She’d thank you if she could. I was lucky to find her.
Chyna scuffed one of her black boots through a pile of sodden, molding leaves. It seemed to her autumn had gained an early grip on the town, although she hadn’t been home in October for years.
Maybe you don’t care to talk about your mother right now, but I want you to know I saw her last week,
Scott said gently, still petting Michelle absently as if he didn’t quite know what to do with himself in this situation. She looked happy and healthy. In fact, she stopped by the house with a cherry cheesecake. I couldn’t believe she remembered my favorite dessert.
He finally stood up, all rangy six foot two of him, leaning on the walking stick again. He’d always been slim, but he had the look of someone who’d recently been ill and lost weight. She was a close friend of Mom’s, but she was always especially nice to me, too.
To her surprise, Chyna had not cried one time in the thirty-odd hours since she’d learned of her mother’s plunge down the stairs in the Greer home, a fall that had broken her neck. When Chyna had received the call from her brother, Ned, with the news, she’d simply packed a few clothes, stuffed a frightened Michelle in her carrier, taken the first flight out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, for Charleston, West Virginia, then rented a car and driven, arriving in Black Willow at dawn.
The autopsy showed that Mom had suffered several minor or what they call ’silent’ attacks and then a final, fatal attack. That last attack must be what caused her fall down the stairs. I didn’t even know she had heart trouble,
Chyna said,
looking back at the lake, partly to hide the fact that she wasn’t tearful. And here I am a medical resident.
She probably didn’t want you to worry about it.
Chyna nodded. Not even Ned knew Mom was sick. I’m not sure if she was getting treatment. She always avoided seeing doctors. You can imagine how that drove me nuts, because I’m in the medical profession.
I guess it would.
Chyna noticed the shadows and deepened wrinkles around Scott’s dark eyes. He didn’t look as if he’d been getting much sleep. But I want you to know how sorry I am.
Thank you.
Chyna thought she sounded formal and insincere, but something inside her refused to let her emotions show, even in her voice. So what brings you out here on this dreary day?
she asked abruptly, forcing herself to look directly into Scott’s beautifully sculpted face and stop acting like a stiff, backward child, which was exactly how she felt.
I didn’t really want to come out. I just needed to think. To be alone.
Oh.
Chyna pulled on Michelle’s leash. Sorry to interrupt you. We’ll be on our way—
"I didn’t really mean alone," Scott said instantly. I meant alone from Irma Vogel, who’s been helping out ever since I came home.
I remember her,
Chyna said. When I was a teenager, she worked at our house. General cleaning. A little cooking. I always got the feeling she didn’t like me. She left when I was about sixteen.
She’d left right after Zoey’s disappearance, but Chyna didn’t want to refer to that depressing incident.
It probably wasn’t you she didn’t like. It was your looks. Irma’s no beauty and she’s never very friendly to girls who are pretty.
Scott smiled, but Chyna kept her face down-turned, a bit taken aback by the low-keyed compliment. "I think she’s just bounced from job to job all of her adult life. I know she means well, but she empties the ashtray every time I smoke a cigarette, grabs any magazine I lay down for three seconds and puts it in the rack, and tries to feed me
every twenty minutes. While she’s working, she sings in an indescribably awful voice. She frequently lets me know that she’s still single at forty. And a virgin. I never know what I’m supposed to say about that last piece of information."
Immediately propose.
"I guess so, but for some reason, I’m not tempted. I wish I could get rid of her, but I don’t want to hurt her feelings. Besides, I guess I have needed some help the last few weeks, although not nearly as much as Irma is offering."
I’m surprised your parents didn’t come home when you did,
Chyna said.
They wanted to, but they’ve been planning this cruise to the Hawaiian Islands for twenty years. They were already three days out in the ocean when I called them about the … accident. I told them I didn’t want them to come home now and Dad could tell I wasn’t just being noble or polite. Frankly, I’d gone over the details with investigators so much, I couldn’t bear talking about it anymore for a while, and you know Mom is like a pit bull when she wants information. I think I have Dad to thank for insisting they continue the trip. They’ll be home next week, though. Then I’ll have to go through a complete description again.
Oh.
Chyna felt absolutely stumped when it came to saying something comforting. After all, what simple words could comfort Scott, who had been piloting a jet that had crashed in Indiana five weeks ago, killing seventy-two people? Her mother had written to her that he’d been cleared of all blame, but he was deeply depressed and thinking of giving up his career as a commercial jet pilot. After over a week in the hospital, he was now on leave, recuperating from the wounds he’d suffered in the crash. I’m sorry, Scott.
Chyna colored, not knowing whether she should bring up the crash or merely leave the disaster unmentioned.
He jammed his left hand in his jacket pocket and stared up at the dismal sky. I’d planned a trip home soon. I just didn’t expect it to be under these circumstances. And the house is depressing. It’s more like a museum than a home.
He smiled, but his incredibly dark eyes remained sad. His
gaze used to be confident, just charmingly shy of being cocky. She wondered if it would ever regain that look. The wind picked up a bit, blowing his black hair across his forehead. Chyna hadn’t seen Scott for five years, but she spotted wrinkles above his eyebrows and the purple-yellow remains of a bad bruise. He also had a healing laceration down his high right cheekbone and another along his left jawline. Both bore thin Steri-Strips, and Chyna guessed that stitches had been removed recently.
Do you mind if I walk with you?
he asked. It might warm us up.
Good idea. I’m afraid I’d gone into a trance standing here. Michelle is probably bored to death, especially with all these exotic smells around her to explore.
Exotic? The rotting leaves at Lake Manicora?
"To her they’re exotic. She’s used to the desert. Or rather, looking at the desert, Chyna said as they started out slowly, like two invalids.
She doesn’t like to walk in the sand."
Do you like New Mexico?
Scott asked.
Most of the time. Occasionally the heat gets to me, but I’m usually inside in the hospital.
Ah, that’s right. What are you now? First-year resident?
Second year.
And you probably know as much as a third year. Or more.
He gave her that pleasant smile that never quite reached his dark eyes. What do you plan to specialize in?
Pediatric oncology.
Children with cancer? My God, Chyna, you’re a lot stronger than I am if you can face that every day.
I’m not there yet, Scott. I might find out I’m not strong enough, either.
You will be. I have confidence that you can do whatever you set your considerable mind to.
He smiled slightly. And speaking of children, how are your niece and nephew?
"Kate and Ian are fine. Ned says they’re excited about trick or treat tomorrow night. I’m sure their mom is great at diverting them from dwelling on their grandmother’s death. Beverly is a born mother, even though at five and three the
kids are really too young to let a death in the family ruin trick-or-treat night anyway."
Michelle began sniffing around Scott’s legs, and Chyna glanced down at the object of her curiosity. ’That’s a beautiful walking stick you have, Scott."
Scott looked slightly chagrined. I could not stand using a crutch anymore, so I grabbed this at the house.
He held it up. It’s one of Mom’s antiques.
Chyna looked at the dark hardwood stick with its ivory head and frowned. I can’t quite make out the carving on the ivory.
It’s Henry the Eighth.
Scott flipped the stick over. The Tower of London is carved on the other side of the head. Mom would probably rather I wasn’t using it, although right now I can get away with just about anything.
He sighed. It feels good being home, though. I never thought I’d say that about Black Willow, but for once, it’s seemed like a haven. I’m afraid I’ll never want to leave again.
When Chyna was growing up, she’d felt connected to this place, maybe because her ancestors had lived in or near Black Willow since the mid-nineteenth century. After Zoey disappeared, though, and the police had finally stopped looking for her day and night and even unsuccessfully dragged the lake, Chyna longed to escape this town and never come