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Last Seen
From New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison comes a twisted psychological thriller about the bonds of family and the disconnect between memory and the truth.
Come here. Come closer.
Halley James knows her marriage is over. But she’s not prepared for the rest of her life to fall apart too.
No one can hear you. No one can help you.
She just lost her job at the forensics lab. Her dad needs emergency surgery. But the biggest blow comes back home in Marchburg, Virginia, where she discovers her mother didn’t actually die in a car crash. Her mom was murdered—and her father lied about it all these years.
I have nothing to hide from you. Are you hiding something from me?
Since she was six years old, it’s been Halley and her dad. Now, she doesn’t know what to believe. Desperate for the truth, Halley chases down a lead in Brockville, Tennessee. But all there is not as it seems. Brockville’s utopian charm hides a chilling darkness. And Halley’s search for answers threatens to expose an unspeakable reality.
Come here. Come closer.
Halley James knows her marriage is over. But she’s not prepared for the rest of her life to fall apart too.
No one can hear you. No one can help you.
She just lost her job at the forensics lab. Her dad needs emergency surgery. But the biggest blow comes back home in Marchburg, Virginia, where she discovers her mother didn’t actually die in a car crash. Her mom was murdered—and her father lied about it all these years.
I have nothing to hide from you. Are you hiding something from me?
Since she was six years old, it’s been Halley and her dad. Now, she doesn’t know what to believe. Desperate for the truth, Halley chases down a lead in Brockville, Tennessee. But all there is not as it seems. Brockville’s utopian charm hides a chilling darkness. And Halley’s search for answers threatens to expose an unspeakable reality.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2025
12044 people are currently reading
27993 people want to read
About the author
J.T. Ellison
81 books6,910 followersJ.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of the literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.
With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards They have also been optioned for television, and published in 28 countries.
J.T. lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens, one of whom is a ghost, where she is hard at work on her next novel.
With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards They have also been optioned for television, and published in 28 countries.
J.T. lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens, one of whom is a ghost, where she is hard at work on her next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,601 reviews
July 3, 2025
This was a wild ride! I read this in 2 days even though it is pretty long for a thriller, but I could not put it down! A woman finds out her mother was murdered when she was little and was not in a car accident like she was told. She goes searching for answers.
This one started off so good and I was immediately pulled in by the story. If you are looking for an easy, realistic thriller, this is NOT the book for you. There was so much going on especially when you get to part 2. It got so wild in the end that it started to be a lot less realistic, but I didn’t even care because I was enjoying the ride so much.
I had so many different theories in the beginning and most of them turned out to be wrong. This book definitely keeps you on your toes.
The ending makes me think this story is not yet over!
Thank you to Amazon First Reads for this free copy.
This one started off so good and I was immediately pulled in by the story. If you are looking for an easy, realistic thriller, this is NOT the book for you. There was so much going on especially when you get to part 2. It got so wild in the end that it started to be a lot less realistic, but I didn’t even care because I was enjoying the ride so much.
I had so many different theories in the beginning and most of them turned out to be wrong. This book definitely keeps you on your toes.
The ending makes me think this story is not yet over!
Thank you to Amazon First Reads for this free copy.
August 13, 2025
Anytime J.T. Ellison has a book coming out, you can guarantee I’m reading it! Once again she blew me away with her 2025 release, Last Seen, coming out 8/1/25!
When this story started, I had no idea where it was going. I had some ideas, but they were just all over the place. Get ready and buckle up buttercup.
Halley James heads back home after her father has a bad falling accident. After she is there, she learns that her ten year older sister, whom she thought was dead, had murdered their mother. What she wants to know is, why and is her sister, Catriona, still alive?
The hunt is on! What you think is going on, you have no idea! Just wait, you’re gonna get the thrill ride of your life! Last Seen is some of her darker work and I absolutely loved it!!!
4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date - 8/1/2025
When this story started, I had no idea where it was going. I had some ideas, but they were just all over the place. Get ready and buckle up buttercup.
Halley James heads back home after her father has a bad falling accident. After she is there, she learns that her ten year older sister, whom she thought was dead, had murdered their mother. What she wants to know is, why and is her sister, Catriona, still alive?
The hunt is on! What you think is going on, you have no idea! Just wait, you’re gonna get the thrill ride of your life! Last Seen is some of her darker work and I absolutely loved it!!!
4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date - 8/1/2025
September 3, 2025
I really don’t know how J.T. Ellison does it. Yet again, from the very first heart-pounding chapter of Last Seen, I knew that there was no chance of my putting another one of her books down. You see, thanks to a deftly composed onion-like storyline, the well-plotted mystery of both the past and the present kept me utterly blind to the truth. Told via dual timelines and multiple POVs, the interwoven story was both palpably tense and twisty in the extreme. But it was the eerie small town setting of Brockville with its Stepford Wives feel that make the creep factor really come alive. After all, it was a town full of suspects that made my spidey-senses tingle as I looked at each and every character with a barely veiled side eye of suspicion.
Speaking of the cast, while the plot wasn’t exactly realistic, the same couldn’t be said of the characters. Believably flawed, many felt as real as could be—but no one more so than Halley. Strong and gritty yet also clearly vulnerable and scarred by her past, her background made the plot sing. Add in the long-buried dark family secrets and Halley’s romantic…erm…issues, and this book captured my mind from beginning to end. You see, as much as it was a high-stakes psychological thriller, it was also a well-drawn family drama. With hints at dysfunction and a realistic base to the fiction, I fell into the story and couldn’t surface until I finished the deliciously open-ended conclusion. All I want to know now is if there’s going to be a sequel. Here’s me begging, Ms. Ellison!
All said and done, from the propulsive, fast pace to the delightfully evil villain narrator, there simply wasn’t a thing not to love. I do have to admit, though, that this fact didn’t surprise me as Ellison is one of my go-to auto-buy authors. Known for her ability to craft plots that f*** with your head in the best possible way, this book was no different, and it had me guessing all the way till the end. Dripping with life-altering betrayals and unmitigated liars, the menacing vibe that oozed from the pages made me shiver from head to toe all while smiling with glee. After all, it was a wild rollercoaster ride of shocking twists and on-point characterizations. I promise this is one book you’re most definitely going to want to read. Rating of 5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Halley James knows her marriage is over. But she’s not prepared for the rest of her life to fall apart too.
She just lost her job at the forensics lab. Her dad needs emergency surgery. But the biggest blow comes back home in Marchburg, Virginia, where she discovers her mother didn’t actually die in a car crash. Her mom was murdered―and her father lied about it all these years.
Since she was six years old, it’s been Halley and her dad. Now, she doesn’t know what to believe. Desperate for the truth, Halley chases down a lead in Brockville, Tennessee. But all there is not as it seems. Brockville’s utopian charm hides a chilling darkness. And Halley’s search for answers threatens to expose an unspeakable reality.
Thank you to J.T. Ellison and Thomas & Mercer for my complimentary copies. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: August 1, 2025
Content warning: forced captivity, gun violence, kidnapping, murder
Speaking of the cast, while the plot wasn’t exactly realistic, the same couldn’t be said of the characters. Believably flawed, many felt as real as could be—but no one more so than Halley. Strong and gritty yet also clearly vulnerable and scarred by her past, her background made the plot sing. Add in the long-buried dark family secrets and Halley’s romantic…erm…issues, and this book captured my mind from beginning to end. You see, as much as it was a high-stakes psychological thriller, it was also a well-drawn family drama. With hints at dysfunction and a realistic base to the fiction, I fell into the story and couldn’t surface until I finished the deliciously open-ended conclusion. All I want to know now is if there’s going to be a sequel. Here’s me begging, Ms. Ellison!
All said and done, from the propulsive, fast pace to the delightfully evil villain narrator, there simply wasn’t a thing not to love. I do have to admit, though, that this fact didn’t surprise me as Ellison is one of my go-to auto-buy authors. Known for her ability to craft plots that f*** with your head in the best possible way, this book was no different, and it had me guessing all the way till the end. Dripping with life-altering betrayals and unmitigated liars, the menacing vibe that oozed from the pages made me shiver from head to toe all while smiling with glee. After all, it was a wild rollercoaster ride of shocking twists and on-point characterizations. I promise this is one book you’re most definitely going to want to read. Rating of 5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Halley James knows her marriage is over. But she’s not prepared for the rest of her life to fall apart too.
She just lost her job at the forensics lab. Her dad needs emergency surgery. But the biggest blow comes back home in Marchburg, Virginia, where she discovers her mother didn’t actually die in a car crash. Her mom was murdered―and her father lied about it all these years.
Since she was six years old, it’s been Halley and her dad. Now, she doesn’t know what to believe. Desperate for the truth, Halley chases down a lead in Brockville, Tennessee. But all there is not as it seems. Brockville’s utopian charm hides a chilling darkness. And Halley’s search for answers threatens to expose an unspeakable reality.
Thank you to J.T. Ellison and Thomas & Mercer for my complimentary copies. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: August 1, 2025
Content warning: forced captivity, gun violence, kidnapping, murder
September 8, 2025
Started with a Click… and Ended with a Chill
J.T. Ellison is one of those authors I trust blindly—an auto-read queen of mystery whose books I devour the second they land in my hands. Her latest thriller was no exception. From the first chapter, I was hooked. The opening? Quick, intense, and gripping. I didn’t even realize I’d flown past the first fifty pages. The setup was deliciously sinister: an aspiring forensics specialist blindsided by a scandal, a ruined career, a failing marriage, and a phone call from her injured father that draws her back into the shadows of her past. What’s not to love?
But as Halley’s investigation into her origins deepened—plunging into cults, family secrets, and eerie disappearances—I started to feel the plot stretching a bit thin. The mystery remained intriguing, but the layers became heavy, almost overstuffed. The middle sagged under the weight of too many characters, shifting POVs, and a cult subplot that felt more exaggerated than chilling. Still, just when I feared it might unravel, the ending pulled it all together with a blood-chilling punch. That finale absolutely delivered.
So I’m rounding my 3.5 stars up to 4, thanks to its psychological suspense, intense paranoia, and a villain that’ll definitely haunt your dreams.
The Plot (spoiler-light version!):
Meet Halley James—mid-thirties, brilliant, and loyal to her forensics lab. She’s expecting a promotion, but instead, she's fired over a suspicious cyberattack she’s blamed for. Oh, and she’s reeling from a divorce from Theo, her ATF agent husband, who broke her heart by refusing to start a family.
Then comes the call: her father’s been in an accident. She returns to Marchburg, Virginia—the town where she was raised after a tragic car crash took her mother and sister. But once home, a horrifying discovery unravels everything she thought she knew: newspaper clippings hidden in her father’s files hint that her mother was murdered by Halley’s own sister… who also tried to kill Halley.
Her father changed their identities and homeschooled her to keep them both safe. But now the truth is clawing its way to the surface. Halley’s sister—Catriona—was last seen in Brockville, Tennessee, where she’d enrolled in a prestigious writing program. But she vanished, and nobody has heard from her since.
Driven by fury, curiosity, and the need for closure, Halley heads to Brockville. But the quaint town holds more than a writing retreat—it harbors a dark, secretive cult tied to the influential Brockton family. And the more Halley digs, the more she realizes: she’s in way over her head. The truth may finally be within reach... but so is danger. Deadly danger.
Final Thoughts:
This book may not be Ellison’s tightest work, but it’s still an engrossing, slow-burning psychological thriller that delivers the dark twists her fans crave. A little long? Sure. A little exaggerated? Maybe. But still creepy, compelling, and absolutely worth reading—especially for lovers of thrillers drenched in paranoia and family secrets.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this chilling, twist-filled thriller!
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J.T. Ellison is one of those authors I trust blindly—an auto-read queen of mystery whose books I devour the second they land in my hands. Her latest thriller was no exception. From the first chapter, I was hooked. The opening? Quick, intense, and gripping. I didn’t even realize I’d flown past the first fifty pages. The setup was deliciously sinister: an aspiring forensics specialist blindsided by a scandal, a ruined career, a failing marriage, and a phone call from her injured father that draws her back into the shadows of her past. What’s not to love?
But as Halley’s investigation into her origins deepened—plunging into cults, family secrets, and eerie disappearances—I started to feel the plot stretching a bit thin. The mystery remained intriguing, but the layers became heavy, almost overstuffed. The middle sagged under the weight of too many characters, shifting POVs, and a cult subplot that felt more exaggerated than chilling. Still, just when I feared it might unravel, the ending pulled it all together with a blood-chilling punch. That finale absolutely delivered.
So I’m rounding my 3.5 stars up to 4, thanks to its psychological suspense, intense paranoia, and a villain that’ll definitely haunt your dreams.
The Plot (spoiler-light version!):
Meet Halley James—mid-thirties, brilliant, and loyal to her forensics lab. She’s expecting a promotion, but instead, she's fired over a suspicious cyberattack she’s blamed for. Oh, and she’s reeling from a divorce from Theo, her ATF agent husband, who broke her heart by refusing to start a family.
Then comes the call: her father’s been in an accident. She returns to Marchburg, Virginia—the town where she was raised after a tragic car crash took her mother and sister. But once home, a horrifying discovery unravels everything she thought she knew: newspaper clippings hidden in her father’s files hint that her mother was murdered by Halley’s own sister… who also tried to kill Halley.
Her father changed their identities and homeschooled her to keep them both safe. But now the truth is clawing its way to the surface. Halley’s sister—Catriona—was last seen in Brockville, Tennessee, where she’d enrolled in a prestigious writing program. But she vanished, and nobody has heard from her since.
Driven by fury, curiosity, and the need for closure, Halley heads to Brockville. But the quaint town holds more than a writing retreat—it harbors a dark, secretive cult tied to the influential Brockton family. And the more Halley digs, the more she realizes: she’s in way over her head. The truth may finally be within reach... but so is danger. Deadly danger.
Final Thoughts:
This book may not be Ellison’s tightest work, but it’s still an engrossing, slow-burning psychological thriller that delivers the dark twists her fans crave. A little long? Sure. A little exaggerated? Maybe. But still creepy, compelling, and absolutely worth reading—especially for lovers of thrillers drenched in paranoia and family secrets.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this chilling, twist-filled thriller!
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July 20, 2025
Truly not surprised Halley clicked a phishing email, she was unbelievably stupid.
November 2, 2025
3.5 rounded up
August 16, 2025
First, I somehow missed this book was being launched. Second, it only appeared on NetGalley on 8/1, it's launch day. Third, I fast-tracked it to my queue over the weekend since I want to support the author and provide a review for launch day, always. Now that that's out of the way... one of my best reads thus far in 2025. Between the secrets and the different timelines, I couldn't put the book down and read most in a single setting. Amazing characters. Brilliant transitions. Loved almost everything... and the only two parts that made me pause briefly were how no one figured this out sooner (in the town, not readers) and that ending!!! I do like my stories with no threads left unraveled, and here, while you have a total solve, you also have a gaping hole. Set up for a sequel, no doubt, and I'll be first in line to read it.
August 17, 2025
I don’t get it
Halley James marriage is over. She has just lost her job. Her father needs emergency surgery, and she has found that her mum didn’t really die in a car crash like she had been told since she was little. Following leads trying to get to the truth she's about to find out all is not as it seems.
Errr what did I read please? Genuinely couldn’t tell you, I was soo mind numbingly bored.
The main character Halley felt like a drag to read through and I didn’t find her likeable at all. The story dragged and felt repetitive and only became somewhat interesting at the 75% mark. But even the reveal did nothing for me.
Also the first person to third person ping pong writing was irking my nerves. I couldn’t focus which in turn propelled me to not be interested or enjoy the story.
I have read another of this authors previous books and rated it a one star. I am all for giving second chances but I think I should accept this authors work is just not to be liking.
1.5 ⭐
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
pre read
Hmmm the blurb has me intrigued
My mutuals seem to love this one too
Hope its a winner!
💚🩷🩷💚
Halley James marriage is over. She has just lost her job. Her father needs emergency surgery, and she has found that her mum didn’t really die in a car crash like she had been told since she was little. Following leads trying to get to the truth she's about to find out all is not as it seems.
Errr what did I read please? Genuinely couldn’t tell you, I was soo mind numbingly bored.
The main character Halley felt like a drag to read through and I didn’t find her likeable at all. The story dragged and felt repetitive and only became somewhat interesting at the 75% mark. But even the reveal did nothing for me.
Also the first person to third person ping pong writing was irking my nerves. I couldn’t focus which in turn propelled me to not be interested or enjoy the story.
I have read another of this authors previous books and rated it a one star. I am all for giving second chances but I think I should accept this authors work is just not to be liking.
1.5 ⭐
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
pre read
Hmmm the blurb has me intrigued
My mutuals seem to love this one too
Hope its a winner!
💚🩷🩷💚
August 2, 2025
Having lost everything (her job and her husband), Halley James hightails it out of Marchburg, Virginia, and heads to Brockville, Tennessee, under the working assumption that if she starts where it all went wrong, she can try to make sense of her upended life. She soon discovers that her father had good reason to remove her from Brockville; it isn’t really as it seems. The closer Halley gets to finding out the truth of what happened one night when she was six, the more her life is in danger.
I absolutely loved this twisty psychological thriller! I connected immediately and felt as if I’d been recruited to help Halley uncover clues and search for family. The race against time to figure out what went wrong kept me turning pages and hopping from character to character, deciding if I was convinced enough to suspect them. I was wrapped up in the emotions of having to reframe everything, being cheated out of a destiny, of having it all and losing it in a heartbeat and of discovering decades of lies and secrets.
It was a highly immersive thriller; one steeped in betrayal and deceit, and one that I won’t forget for a while. I’d forgotten how much I love J.T. Ellison’s thrillers. Don’t miss this one!
🚩There are a few chapters riddled with f-bombs. Once the character works through anger, the swearing disappears.
I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.
I absolutely loved this twisty psychological thriller! I connected immediately and felt as if I’d been recruited to help Halley uncover clues and search for family. The race against time to figure out what went wrong kept me turning pages and hopping from character to character, deciding if I was convinced enough to suspect them. I was wrapped up in the emotions of having to reframe everything, being cheated out of a destiny, of having it all and losing it in a heartbeat and of discovering decades of lies and secrets.
It was a highly immersive thriller; one steeped in betrayal and deceit, and one that I won’t forget for a while. I’d forgotten how much I love J.T. Ellison’s thrillers. Don’t miss this one!
🚩There are a few chapters riddled with f-bombs. Once the character works through anger, the swearing disappears.
I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.
July 10, 2025
I was taken aback by how much I disliked this book considering how much I’ve liked previous works by this author.
I found the story very disjointed and difficult to follow. The book is over 400 pages long and I didn’t have a grasp on the story being told until around page 330.
There are a lot of careless errors and loose threads like calling a character Mrs Patterson and later referring to her as Mrs Peterson, not clearly indicating the change in narrative between two characters (Halley and Cat), the open ended suggestion of dissociative identity disorder, the unmarked gravestone, the random woman’s legs in the woods, and what actually happened to the character Kade?
Also I found the narrative for the villain to be offputting in a way that pulled me out of the story. It was written like a 17th century vampire instead of a modern day sociopath.
Overall just a bizarre read IMO. Could have used some more refining and finishing.
I found the story very disjointed and difficult to follow. The book is over 400 pages long and I didn’t have a grasp on the story being told until around page 330.
There are a lot of careless errors and loose threads like calling a character Mrs Patterson and later referring to her as Mrs Peterson, not clearly indicating the change in narrative between two characters (Halley and Cat), the open ended suggestion of dissociative identity disorder, the unmarked gravestone, the random woman’s legs in the woods, and what actually happened to the character Kade?
Also I found the narrative for the villain to be offputting in a way that pulled me out of the story. It was written like a 17th century vampire instead of a modern day sociopath.
Overall just a bizarre read IMO. Could have used some more refining and finishing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2025
Look at this cover!!! 😍 Gorgeous!! Thank you so much @otrpr for my stunning gifted copy and having me along on this tour. 🥰
OMGG…this book is SO twisty!! @thrillerchick is an absolute must read author for me!! No One Knows was one of the books that made me obsessed with thrillers. Just saying. So of course I jumped at a chance to read this!
Halley is in for the shock of her life..😳 No really… just you wait. She lost her job… her marriage… what else could go wrong?!! ALOT people!! 😬 Again.. just you wait. ..
I loved how this creeped me out.. the whole time. This perfect little town… 🤔.. was it too perfect?? Lies…secrets… and so many twists!! This is my 8th book by this author and she always delivers!! 🤩
I jumped back and forth from audio to the physical book...why? That would be because I could not put it down. Thank you, Brillance Audio!!
OMGG…this book is SO twisty!! @thrillerchick is an absolute must read author for me!! No One Knows was one of the books that made me obsessed with thrillers. Just saying. So of course I jumped at a chance to read this!
Halley is in for the shock of her life..😳 No really… just you wait. She lost her job… her marriage… what else could go wrong?!! ALOT people!! 😬 Again.. just you wait. ..
I loved how this creeped me out.. the whole time. This perfect little town… 🤔.. was it too perfect?? Lies…secrets… and so many twists!! This is my 8th book by this author and she always delivers!! 🤩
I jumped back and forth from audio to the physical book...why? That would be because I could not put it down. Thank you, Brillance Audio!!
June 2, 2025
Holy shit does JT Ellison spin a dark and twisted story. Said best in the book - an idyllic utopia with dark and disturbing dystopia just below the surface (paraphrasing) but holy fuckballs, this one had me on my heels a few times. The actual resolution was way wilder than I anticipated. If you like dark and desolate thrillers with a culty twist, pick this one up!
July 15, 2025
Thanks Amazon for the free book.
Slow burn, didn’t like it much. The twist was alright but nothing that wanted to keep me reading it took me awhile to finish this.. I found myself reading then didn’t want to anymore and would put it down. I also did not like how it went from first person to third person back and forth.
Slow burn, didn’t like it much. The twist was alright but nothing that wanted to keep me reading it took me awhile to finish this.. I found myself reading then didn’t want to anymore and would put it down. I also did not like how it went from first person to third person back and forth.
July 5, 2025
DNF @ 31%
Poorly executed third person narrative with weird interjecting flashbacks and inner voices. Poor character development. My first J.T. Ellison and I won’t be back.
Poorly executed third person narrative with weird interjecting flashbacks and inner voices. Poor character development. My first J.T. Ellison and I won’t be back.
July 6, 2025
Very unstatisfying read. So many unasnwered questions. Like
August 8, 2025
Slow burn and, unfortunately, not my cup of tea. I couldn’t connect with the main character and found her incredibly irritating. Whatever thrills and suspense others found, I must have missed. Just didn’t work for me.
December 26, 2025
2.5 🌟
Was super excited going into this. With the high ratings I thought it would be a 5 star. However it fell flat massively.
The plot was good, it could of been so much better. The ending was sad but it lacked any kind of connection for me to go deeper than that.
Was super excited going into this. With the high ratings I thought it would be a 5 star. However it fell flat massively.
The plot was good, it could of been so much better. The ending was sad but it lacked any kind of connection for me to go deeper than that.
July 19, 2025
This book is a perfect mix of a dark, twisty family drama and a psychological thriller with just the right amount of cult/stepford wives vibes. Although, you might read it and think, wow, this is both a pulsating page-turner and a beautiful reason to never talk to my neighbours.
We meet Halley James, who’s gotten a taste of what we call life is kicking my ass . Her marriage is crumbling in spectacular fashion. She gets fired from her job. Heads home after her dad has a medical emergency, thinking things couldn’t get worse, but then the bombshell drops. Her mom didn’t die in a tragic accident all those years ago like she initially thought. Her mother was murdered, her sister is a psychopath who may or may not be dead, and her dad’s been sitting on this truth like he’s the keeper of all the family skeletons. Not at all destabilizing.
And if that wasn’t enough, Halley decides, yeah, I’m totally gonna explore this myself and find out more information by heading to Brockville, Tennessee, to dig up more information into cult-like town Brockville, which is one of those a lil too perfect places you just know hides the most gloriously sinister secrets beneath its shiny surface.
One clue leads to another, and suddenly, Halley has zero idea who to trust or what version of reality she's even working with anymore. Which, same girl, same.
And I HAVE to shout out the twists. Like, every time you think you’ve got something nailed, Ellison slides in all quiet with a slick left hook, and you’re flailing again. Honestly, I was mad more than once.
If I had one qualm, it’s that Brockville itself doesn’t have much nuance. It really cranks the dial up to “Maximum Creepy Community,” and while it’s satisfying, it also leaves no doubt about how messed up things are early. I love a little ambiguity, some space for my mind to chew on what’s sinister versus innocent, but Brockville's menace feels locked in from the word go. It works, but it’s also a bit much.
Definitely worth the read if you love books that come at you with tension cranked to eleven and absolutely zero chill.
We meet Halley James, who’s gotten a taste of what we call life is kicking my ass . Her marriage is crumbling in spectacular fashion. She gets fired from her job. Heads home after her dad has a medical emergency, thinking things couldn’t get worse, but then the bombshell drops. Her mom didn’t die in a tragic accident all those years ago like she initially thought. Her mother was murdered, her sister is a psychopath who may or may not be dead, and her dad’s been sitting on this truth like he’s the keeper of all the family skeletons. Not at all destabilizing.
And if that wasn’t enough, Halley decides, yeah, I’m totally gonna explore this myself and find out more information by heading to Brockville, Tennessee, to dig up more information into cult-like town Brockville, which is one of those a lil too perfect places you just know hides the most gloriously sinister secrets beneath its shiny surface.
One clue leads to another, and suddenly, Halley has zero idea who to trust or what version of reality she's even working with anymore. Which, same girl, same.
And I HAVE to shout out the twists. Like, every time you think you’ve got something nailed, Ellison slides in all quiet with a slick left hook, and you’re flailing again. Honestly, I was mad more than once.
If I had one qualm, it’s that Brockville itself doesn’t have much nuance. It really cranks the dial up to “Maximum Creepy Community,” and while it’s satisfying, it also leaves no doubt about how messed up things are early. I love a little ambiguity, some space for my mind to chew on what’s sinister versus innocent, but Brockville's menace feels locked in from the word go. It works, but it’s also a bit much.
Definitely worth the read if you love books that come at you with tension cranked to eleven and absolutely zero chill.
July 8, 2025
I didn’t think this was “a twisted psychological thriller.” I thought it was boring
September 18, 2025
I just finished Last Seen by J.T. Ellison, and like her other books, it was a thrill ride from beginning to end. The dark possession, the twisted manipulation, the cult-like dread—they’re all here, woven into a family mystery that grips you and refuses to let go.
Summary + Characters
Halley James is a forensic scientist whose life starts to collapse. She’s just lost her job, her marriage is unraveling, and when her father becomes gravely ill, she returns to her childhood home. That’s when she learns her mother’s death—long thought to have been a car accident—was actually murder. And that her half-sister, Cat (Catriona), was blamed. But Cat’s story is far more complicated: she was institutionalized, disappeared, and Halley’s dad kept secrets. Driven by the truth, Halley follows leads to Brockville, Tennessee, a place that feels perfect on the surface but hides something terrible beneath.
Other key characters include:
• Quentin – Halley’s father, loving but unreliable, bound by lies.
• Cat / Catriona – the half-sister shrouded in mystery; possibly dangerous, possibly a victim.
• Theo – Halley’s estranged husband, straining under loss, expectations, and what Halley is becoming.
• The Brockton family and the inhabitants of Brockville—especially its founder, sons, and those who maintain the town’s outward utopia but underpin a sinister reality.
What Works
• The moment the “male voice” whispers “come here. Come closer.” hits—you know you need to pay attention. It sets a creepy tone that lingers.
• The tension keeps building. The past and the present intermingle, memories are distorted, and trust is always fragile.
• Ellison’s style is intoxicating: once you’re in, it’s hard to pull out. You get drawn into Halley’s doubts and fears, and the story unravels at just the right speed.
• I especially liked how the cult presence isn’t overt from the start—it seeps in. The “perfect town” trope is done well, with creeping menace rather than sudden jumps.
What Doesn’t Always Land
• There are moments when character relationships and situations feel a bit overstuffed—too many threads at once, which can get confusing.
• Some revealed motives or secrets feel slightly stretched, or delayed in a way that asks you to suspend disbelief more than comfortable.
• The voices (especially from Cat, Halley’s father, the Brocktons) are strong, but at times the “darkness” feels so orchestrated, so layered, that the fine line between thrilling and overwhelming is nearly crossed.
Final Thoughts
This is exactly the kind of book I want from Ellison: intense, twisty, emotionally heavy, with enough psychological horror and family betrayal to keep you up at night. If you like books where reality is unreliable, memories are weaponized, and cults aren’t just whispering rumors—you’ll love Last Seen. Let the story pull you in. It gets you wrapped up immediately, and even when things nearly trip over themselves, the payoff is worth it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 — Definitely a 3.5 rounded up to 4. A dark, riveting read. Some moments of overload, but overall completely absorbing
Summary + Characters
Halley James is a forensic scientist whose life starts to collapse. She’s just lost her job, her marriage is unraveling, and when her father becomes gravely ill, she returns to her childhood home. That’s when she learns her mother’s death—long thought to have been a car accident—was actually murder. And that her half-sister, Cat (Catriona), was blamed. But Cat’s story is far more complicated: she was institutionalized, disappeared, and Halley’s dad kept secrets. Driven by the truth, Halley follows leads to Brockville, Tennessee, a place that feels perfect on the surface but hides something terrible beneath.
Other key characters include:
• Quentin – Halley’s father, loving but unreliable, bound by lies.
• Cat / Catriona – the half-sister shrouded in mystery; possibly dangerous, possibly a victim.
• Theo – Halley’s estranged husband, straining under loss, expectations, and what Halley is becoming.
• The Brockton family and the inhabitants of Brockville—especially its founder, sons, and those who maintain the town’s outward utopia but underpin a sinister reality.
What Works
• The moment the “male voice” whispers “come here. Come closer.” hits—you know you need to pay attention. It sets a creepy tone that lingers.
• The tension keeps building. The past and the present intermingle, memories are distorted, and trust is always fragile.
• Ellison’s style is intoxicating: once you’re in, it’s hard to pull out. You get drawn into Halley’s doubts and fears, and the story unravels at just the right speed.
• I especially liked how the cult presence isn’t overt from the start—it seeps in. The “perfect town” trope is done well, with creeping menace rather than sudden jumps.
What Doesn’t Always Land
• There are moments when character relationships and situations feel a bit overstuffed—too many threads at once, which can get confusing.
• Some revealed motives or secrets feel slightly stretched, or delayed in a way that asks you to suspend disbelief more than comfortable.
• The voices (especially from Cat, Halley’s father, the Brocktons) are strong, but at times the “darkness” feels so orchestrated, so layered, that the fine line between thrilling and overwhelming is nearly crossed.
Final Thoughts
This is exactly the kind of book I want from Ellison: intense, twisty, emotionally heavy, with enough psychological horror and family betrayal to keep you up at night. If you like books where reality is unreliable, memories are weaponized, and cults aren’t just whispering rumors—you’ll love Last Seen. Let the story pull you in. It gets you wrapped up immediately, and even when things nearly trip over themselves, the payoff is worth it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 — Definitely a 3.5 rounded up to 4. A dark, riveting read. Some moments of overload, but overall completely absorbing
August 8, 2025
Last Seen is a roller coaster ride that kept me on my toes. Right from the start it absolutely hooked me and kept me engaged the whole way through. The storyline was intriguing, the plot fun to follow and the setting was chilling. It moves at a fairly consistent pace throughout even though the middle does get a little lengthy in some parts, but the ending truly brought everything together and gave me a true gut punch, but with an open end, which might leave room for a sequel !
The characters were great. I loved how the author made me doubt every one of them. I wasn't sure who to trust. I loved the alternating chapters, especially the chilling ones from the killer's POV. You definitely will have to suspend disbelief in certain parts in order to fully enjoy this one, but I thought it was well done as a whole.
Overall, this was a twisty roller coaster ride. I was hooked from beginning to end and just couldn't put it down. So many secrets, family drama and twists that will leave you with your jaw on the floor.
✨ ️ Thank you to @fireflydistributionlines & @thrillerchick for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The characters were great. I loved how the author made me doubt every one of them. I wasn't sure who to trust. I loved the alternating chapters, especially the chilling ones from the killer's POV. You definitely will have to suspend disbelief in certain parts in order to fully enjoy this one, but I thought it was well done as a whole.
Overall, this was a twisty roller coaster ride. I was hooked from beginning to end and just couldn't put it down. So many secrets, family drama and twists that will leave you with your jaw on the floor.
✨ ️ Thank you to @fireflydistributionlines & @thrillerchick for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 21, 2025
I don’t know why I keep reading these free preview Kindle First books. This was so stupid. Completely unrealistic while trying to be realistic. Total waste of time, but at least I didn’t pay for it. Warning: the ending is unresolved and sets up the need to keep reading. But I did not feel the need to keep reading. Happily done with this and moving on.
July 10, 2025
My second Kindle First offering for this month.....a sure-fire winner, I expected. JT Ellison is always a great writer but sadly not with this one. I've called it a day at 59%. I don't usually get that far and pack books in but I suppose I kept hoping it would get better !! I was getting extremely bored with it and the dialogue just doesn't ring true at all. It got way too farfetched for my liking. She usually does WAY better than this !!
I was already wound up with it as on page 16 we're told Halley enters her apartment and sinks onto her sofa but a couple of pages before she was already in there sitting on said sofa !!! Again, on page 84 her ex tells her she's looking tired but again we'd recently been told she had Facetimed him in her earlier call. So her continuation needs some looking into. I was annoyed, too, to have to keep looking stuff up-like a 50 cal or a GS-7.
When she met her sister's therapist she said, apropos of anything I could figure out, "...Is that why I am the chosen one here ?" I went scrolling back 'n' forth but had no idea what she was on about !!
Parts of the story were heading off into what I'd call 'woo-woo territory' and in the end I'd seen enough.
I'm dying to see what other readers have thought of this. I'd still read another by her but this one's just not up to her usual standard in the least.
I was already wound up with it as on page 16 we're told Halley enters her apartment and sinks onto her sofa but a couple of pages before she was already in there sitting on said sofa !!! Again, on page 84 her ex tells her she's looking tired but again we'd recently been told she had Facetimed him in her earlier call. So her continuation needs some looking into. I was annoyed, too, to have to keep looking stuff up-like a 50 cal or a GS-7.
When she met her sister's therapist she said, apropos of anything I could figure out, "...Is that why I am the chosen one here ?" I went scrolling back 'n' forth but had no idea what she was on about !!
Parts of the story were heading off into what I'd call 'woo-woo territory' and in the end I'd seen enough.
I'm dying to see what other readers have thought of this. I'd still read another by her but this one's just not up to her usual standard in the least.
August 2, 2025
Family secrets, gothic chills, and one twist after another this is part family drama, part psychological suspense, and full of buried truths. When Halley learns her mother didn’t die in a car crash but was actually murdered, her world unravels. Set in the atmospheric (and eerie) Brockville, this one drips with dread, deception, and a sense of creeping unease. The final stretch kicks into high thriller gear, and I couldn’t look away. If you like your suspense with dark family roots and gothic flair, don’t miss this one.
July 18, 2025
My first kindle book. I’ve learned it syncs annotations so enjoy :)
2 stars seems harsh even to me, but I just didn't find it that exciting. It’s written fine and I’m sure lots of people liked and will like it. It kept me reading, hoping for some grand twist, but I just did not find that.
The book itself is fine I suppose. I thought it was incredibly slow for prob 180 pages. Then it kind of starts to pick up to a more mild “ooh”. The first 100 were definitely a brutal slog.
Also, I can smell the YA style seeping through in some places that make me cringe. Over-detailed descriptions of eyes, hair, quirky thoughts, etc. We’re grown adults. We don't need an MC with a streak of white in her hair to signify the eternal scars of what happened. Other than that, the writing style is fine enough for a thriller like this.
I’m not too sure what the big twist is supposed to be or if the twist is supposed to be some grand reveal or not. Im assuming not cause it certainly didn’t feel like it. Things sort of just happened. There never was a moment of “wow that’s insane !” I somewhat guessed the motives of things. And the evil/s is/are seemingly introduced and defined in the same breath. Not all are.. but I’d say the main one for sure.
A lot of people complain about the large cast of characters. I think it’s fine. It’s a book taking place in several cities. It’d be weird if there’s only like 4 people involved—really it’s nice to have a big cast. BUT because of such a large cast, it was pretty easy to land on the main motive.
It’s really not complicated. If anything, it should've been *more* complicated.
**2 Opinionated Grievances**
My first grievance with the book was actually kinda silly — downplaying the cyberattack lol. Halley and everyone else agree the cause of her termination is not justified… Babes, she clicked on a phishing email link, opening the forensic “state-of-the-art” “high-profile case-work” company to a ransomware attack, millions of dollars lost, as well as hurting the company’s integrity. I want to also point out again, she’s in forensics—sensitive data. And she was offered jobs to fbi, cia type places (to get an idea of the company’s importance). 100% warranted termination in my opinion.
Next, the author frames Theo and Halley’s argument of having kids as Theo’s fault, his hang-up, his *choice* that caused them to split. Not wanting kids is just as valid as wanting them. Wanting kids doesn't make you the correct party in the argument.
2 stars seems harsh even to me, but I just didn't find it that exciting. It’s written fine and I’m sure lots of people liked and will like it. It kept me reading, hoping for some grand twist, but I just did not find that.
The book itself is fine I suppose. I thought it was incredibly slow for prob 180 pages. Then it kind of starts to pick up to a more mild “ooh”. The first 100 were definitely a brutal slog.
Also, I can smell the YA style seeping through in some places that make me cringe. Over-detailed descriptions of eyes, hair, quirky thoughts, etc. We’re grown adults. We don't need an MC with a streak of white in her hair to signify the eternal scars of what happened. Other than that, the writing style is fine enough for a thriller like this.
I’m not too sure what the big twist is supposed to be or if the twist is supposed to be some grand reveal or not. Im assuming not cause it certainly didn’t feel like it. Things sort of just happened. There never was a moment of “wow that’s insane !” I somewhat guessed the motives of things. And the evil/s is/are seemingly introduced and defined in the same breath. Not all are.. but I’d say the main one for sure.
A lot of people complain about the large cast of characters. I think it’s fine. It’s a book taking place in several cities. It’d be weird if there’s only like 4 people involved—really it’s nice to have a big cast. BUT because of such a large cast, it was pretty easy to land on the main motive.
It’s really not complicated. If anything, it should've been *more* complicated.
**2 Opinionated Grievances**
My first grievance with the book was actually kinda silly — downplaying the cyberattack lol. Halley and everyone else agree the cause of her termination is not justified… Babes, she clicked on a phishing email link, opening the forensic “state-of-the-art” “high-profile case-work” company to a ransomware attack, millions of dollars lost, as well as hurting the company’s integrity. I want to also point out again, she’s in forensics—sensitive data. And she was offered jobs to fbi, cia type places (to get an idea of the company’s importance). 100% warranted termination in my opinion.
Next, the author frames Theo and Halley’s argument of having kids as Theo’s fault, his hang-up, his *choice* that caused them to split. Not wanting kids is just as valid as wanting them. Wanting kids doesn't make you the correct party in the argument.
July 9, 2025
I gave this a 3 because I was interested enough to know what happened at the end*, but this book was kind of ridiculous
1. Main character - was stupid and irrational. Almost offensively irrational
2. Some of the people who were killed made no sense.
3. These women and children were stuck in this compound but were let out to go murder people and then still came back, but the. also had this ridiculous revenge plot planned out that hinged on only Halley can save them …
4.Halley, the dumbest main character I’ve seen in awhile. Halley who fumbled her way through this and kept herself in danger when she has a zillion friends in law enforcement and so many resources at hand she could have used before running off into danger
*rounded down to a 2.5 after writing my review. This book really pissed me off
1. Main character - was stupid and irrational. Almost offensively irrational
2. Some of the people who were killed made no sense.
3. These women and children were stuck in this compound but were let out to go murder people and then still came back, but the. also had this ridiculous revenge plot planned out that hinged on only Halley can save them …
4.Halley, the dumbest main character I’ve seen in awhile. Halley who fumbled her way through this and kept herself in danger when she has a zillion friends in law enforcement and so many resources at hand she could have used before running off into danger
*rounded down to a 2.5 after writing my review. This book really pissed me off
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2025
This book was dark and gory and mysterious, but there were no twists and no effective investigations. Just stupid decisions and searching and oh, here’s the answer. Not for me.
July 14, 2025
DNF. Main character was so insufferable it made me not care about the plot
June 13, 2025
This book snatched my weekend, my breath, and my ability to trust anyone.
Thank you, Thomas Mercer, for the gifted copy of Last Seen by J.T. Ellison {partner}
Genre: Mystery
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 8.1.2025
Pages: 447
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5
Last Seen was hands down the wildest reading ride I’ve been on in 2025. I picked it up thinking I’d read a few chapters — and then… I did not put it down. It’s one of those books where every chapter peels back a new layer, revealing darker and more twisted secrets, and just when you think you’re catching on? You’re not. Not even close.
J.T. Ellison packed so much into this story, and it shows — the structure, the pacing, the payoff. It’s a carefully crafted thriller that’s impossible to stop thinking about, even when you’re not reading.
I know there were clues scattered throughout, but I missed them all. Every. Single. One. The ending left me completely blindsided in the best way. I was flipping pages, shouting internally, and literally picking my jaw up off the floor.
Read if you enjoy:
🤩 Dark & Twisty
🔍 Stories of missing people
😅 Cults
🐱🐭 Cat & Mouse
If you like layered thrillers with clever twists, messy secrets, and morally murky characters, this one belongs at the top of your list.
______
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaptersofc...
Follow me on Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/chaptersofc...
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Thank you, Thomas Mercer, for the gifted copy of Last Seen by J.T. Ellison {partner}
Genre: Mystery
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 8.1.2025
Pages: 447
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5
Last Seen was hands down the wildest reading ride I’ve been on in 2025. I picked it up thinking I’d read a few chapters — and then… I did not put it down. It’s one of those books where every chapter peels back a new layer, revealing darker and more twisted secrets, and just when you think you’re catching on? You’re not. Not even close.
J.T. Ellison packed so much into this story, and it shows — the structure, the pacing, the payoff. It’s a carefully crafted thriller that’s impossible to stop thinking about, even when you’re not reading.
I know there were clues scattered throughout, but I missed them all. Every. Single. One. The ending left me completely blindsided in the best way. I was flipping pages, shouting internally, and literally picking my jaw up off the floor.
Read if you enjoy:
🤩 Dark & Twisty
🔍 Stories of missing people
😅 Cults
🐱🐭 Cat & Mouse
If you like layered thrillers with clever twists, messy secrets, and morally murky characters, this one belongs at the top of your list.
______
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaptersofc...
Follow me on Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/chaptersofc...
Follow me on StoryGraph:https://www.instagram.com/chaptersofc...
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