Set in Chicago, this is the third book in the Detective Annalisa Vega series. If you like a solid police procedural story, this one is great. The setting is solid, and the characters have depth to them which I appreciate. This book stands on its own, but if you want back history, grab the first two. You won't be disappointed. I will be waiting patiently to see what comes next for Annalisa and her partner/ex-husband.

A suspicious death has Annalisa Vega returning for my reading pleasure.
She has been called to investigate a body in the woods which turns out to be the body of Sam Tran a former police officer, turned PI. Having no leads, Vega investigates the last three open cases Tran was working on. Cold cases of murder, a missing women and a stalker on the college campus that Vega’s niece is attending. The dialogue is good, the characters are excellent and the red herrings were enough to hold my interest throughout the book. Suspense, family drama, missing persons and murder are my type of books and this book had it all. Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s books for an early copy. The comments and review are my honest opinion.

Fans of Chicago Police Detective Annalisa Vega will enjoy the third book in Schaffhausen's series, Dead and Gone.

If you are just meeting Annalisa for the first time, then please carefully put the book down, pick up the first two books in the series - Gone For Good and Long Gone - and read them first. Some book series are standalone books that you don’t have to read in order, but the Vega series isn’t. I’m not trying to punish you; on the contrary, I want you to enjoy an excellent series.

Annalisa is a complicated character, and that’s why the series works. Sure, a detective that breaks the rules and won’t let anyone stand in her way is a common detective series trope. She’s dealing with the same basic situation in each book. Most of the police department resents her because of the personal relationships destroyed in her quest for the truth, and the only one willing to partner with her is ex-husband Nick Carelli.

She’s forced to address her personal conflicts in a stalking/missing persons case at a local college. One of the stalking victims is her niece Quinn, so Annalisa must connect with her estranged brother who frantically wants his daughter to be safe. The college is in the jurisdiction of an officer who is more concerned about her presence in his district than solving the case.

The thriller’s plot is interesting, and Vega’s complicated relationships kick the book up a notch. Schaffhausen's stories are not formulaic and stand out because she digs deeper into the characters than many thrillers do.

So Annalisa Vega fans, you will be pleased with the continuation of her story. For those of you not yet acquainted with Vega, catch up to us by reading all 3 books in order. They’re worth it.

Thank you NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Joanna Schaffhausen for the advanced copy of Dead and Gone in exchange for my honest review!

4.5 stars rounded up.

Joanna Schaffhausen has definitely done it again - I cannot get enough of the Annalisa Vega series. There are so many intriguing mysteries in this book but the story is incredibly well-told and everything weaves together so I was never confused.

I don't think I solved any of the cases before Vega did and that's always a treat for me as a reader. I sincerely hope we get to see more of Vega in the future!

Don't miss Dead and Gone on US bookshelves next Tuesday August 8!

Detective Annalisa Vega and her partner Nick are meant to be chasing the chicken robber when Sam Tran, a former Chicago PD detective who had recently been working as a PI, is found hanging in the woods. Annalisa quickly realizes that his death is likely related to the three cases he had been working- but which one? At the same time, her niece Quinn is being stalked and her university room mate has gone missing. Annalisa and Nick insert themselves against the wishes of the campus police as does, perhaps unwisely, Quinn, who has clearly inherited the investigative instincts of her family. This is the third in a series which has seen Annalisa's family torn by their past bad deeds- she turned in her father and her brother for murder- but new readers will have enough information to understand the tensions, as well as her long running personal and professional relationship with Nick. The multiple story lines- the cases Sam was investigating, the situation at Quinn's university- make this a complex procedural that will keep you guessing. And the characters are terrific. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A page turner. I'm looking forward to more.

Still one of my favorite series!! Even though in the past Nick was 1000% trash, I’m happy to see how far they’ve come. Annalisa is so badass & this book proves it. I really enjoyed all the different storylines & that even with five different crimes, it was still easy enough to keep them separate and not get confused.

When Annalisa’s niece becomes part of the story the old family conflicts make it harder for her to do her job as it needs to be done. Her brother isn’t willing to listen to a sister he is still angry with blaming her for all the current family troubles and is more than ready to lock up his daughter in her room and throw away the key. It may not be necessary to read the previous books in the series but to fully understand where these siblings’ emotions come from you need a bit more than the short references to the previous situations mentioned in this book.
So, we not only have family tensions but also, she isn’t favorite person to some of her coworkers. Add to it the mixed feelings toward her ex-husband who also is her temporally partner you have whirlwind of emotions.
The story has some interesting plots and I’m glad I read the book. Hope this isn’t the last one in the Annalisa Vega series.

This was a fantastic book. So many twists and turns which made this book so great. Loved it.

First time author for me. Great job. I'm hoping to read more of your books.

I'm so glad I had a chance to read this super great book.

I don’t read a lot of series but this is definitely one I’m enjoying . Annalisa and her partner and x- hubby Nick don’t solve just one mystery but several in this story and they definitely keep us on our toes . There are some twists and red herrings and I definitely enjoyed one of them - which I can’t talk about because that would be a spoiler ! It was also nice to see Annalisa start repairing some of her family relationships

Annalisa Vega is back investigating the death of a PI. At the same time, she must help her niece with a stalker who is escalating. Are the two somehow related?

I enjoyed this one a lot. There were lots of good twists, especially with the Quinn case! Every time I thought I had it figured out, I was wrong. The PI case is more secondary I’d say, but it worked with the plot. I am interested to see if there will be more books now that Annalisa probably plans to become a PI herself. I think this would allow for more interesting cases potentially!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

Dead and Gone (ARC)
Joanna Schaffhausen
4 ⭐️

Pub Day: 8/8/2023

A cop turned PI Sam was found hanging from a tree and Detective Annalisa Vega believes that the answer lies within his unsolved cases. One of those relates to her brother and niece. Now it's personal. To protect her family she retraces Sam's steps, following his trail with the investigations. Vega uncovers a trail of stalkers, harrasers and murderers. Somebody wants Sam quiet. The question is which one of these did he get too close to be killed?

Okay I made a booboo and didn't do enough research before requesting this ARC. This is the 3rd book in the series. It can be read as a stand alone but there's definitely some details that spoiled book 1 and 2 for me. It's easy to infer though. (Yes I got book 1 and 2 now so will be reading those soon). It started off a little slow for me but it's interesting right off the bat and actually compelling to read. There are actually multiple cases that were being investigated in this book, all interconnected in some way. But surprisingly, it is very easy to follow (no need for plot/character maps). There's a main case and then the minor ones. And even the minor ones are twisty. Overall, this is a good read. Not sitting-at-the-edge-of-your-seat, fingernail biting good but coherent and engaging. It definitely threw me in a loop with the whirlwind of evidence and clues.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the opportunity to read this early in exchange for an honest review.

*3.5 stars.

In this third outing featuring Chicago Police Detective Annalisa Vega, she is assigned a very personal case for her boss, Zimmer: the murder of a former Chicago cop turned private investigator. He had s number of open cases and that's where Vega begins. She's surprised when her brother's name crops up. He had hired the P.I. to try to find a stalker annoying his daughter on her college campus. Vega is also dealing with her partner, ex-husband, and current lover, Nick Corelli, and is worrying that she might be pregnant. So there are lots of plot lines and complications to this story. It's an enjoyable mystery that keeps the reader guessing till the end.

I received an arc of this new thriller from the author and publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

I was anxious to read this after giving her previous book Last Seen Alive, a five-star rating. Sadly, in my case, this book didn’t catch my interest. There were several subplots, and the carelessness that the characters showed for their own safety didn’t endear me to them.

Though this book, like the last, worked fine as a standalone, I would recommend starting with the first book, since we’re not that far into the series. The writing is good, and for the most part, I do like the characters. Another reason to begin with the first book is the fact that Annalisa not only is dealing with various threads throughout the story but personal family issues. I think it would help to know about her past relationships with her dad and ex-husband.

My Concerns
This book didn’t hold my interest like the last. The threads ran throughout, making it feel more complicated than it needed to be since threads are dropped and picked up later in the book. Not only do the subplots seem to interrupt the flow of the book, but they cause it to feel longer than it needs to be.

Final Thoughts
Though this wasn’t my favorite book, I like the characters and plan to continue with the series. If you like police procedurals with a woman as the MC, I highly recommend you take a look at this series.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for a review ARC of this book

I get ridiculously excited every time I get to read a new Joanna Schauffhausen book. This book did NOT disappoint! :)

I was trying to count how many substories/mysteries were going on with this one- I think 6 in all? If you count non-crime related ones, then I'd throw in another one or two... basically, this story had a lot of moving pieces. Detective Annalisa is put on the case of the death of a former cop turned PI-- and sets out on the task of working out his most recent open cases to see if any of them have to do with his death. Meaning that as an audience, we get all of his open cases to 'solve.' I love procedural cop dramas- but they can often get frustrating or boring if they become too predictable or boring. I have never felt that way with a story by Schauffhausen. I didn't solve all the cases in this one... actually, I was constantly surprised (and delighted) with how each case was solved.

I usually dislike second chance romances-- especially ones where the couple split up because of cheating. I am surprised to find myself rooting for Annalisa and Nick. At times, I kind of want to punch Nick in the face for Annalisa, but I think that the progression of their relationship felt believable and honest. I love that their relationship is very secondary to the story.

In the end, that's what I love about Joanna S's stories so much: she blends believable situations with mystery in a way that's engaging to the reader. 100% my favorite writer of this genre. Publication is set for August 8th, 2023- thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced e-copy of this book. I am already hoping for another Detective Vega book before this one has even been officially released :)

4 strong detective stars

This is the third book in the Detective Annalisa Vega series. My hunch is that there are more books to come in this series and I will keep reading them!

This go-round we find Annalisa is again investigating a police officer, this time an ex-cop and he’s been murdered. Sam Tran has three open cases and Annalisa is convinced that the murder can be solved by digging into those files.

She’s still involved with her ex-husband Nick. He’s an ex because he cheated on her. I’m trying to decide if I like them back together and if he’s changed his ways.

One of Tran’s cases involves Annalisa’s niece Quinn, and I really liked the addition of her to the story. Just like her aunt though, she goes barging out into potentially unsafe situations. Quinn is being stalked and Annalisa is determined to get to the bottom of it.

There are several masks in this one, from the Chicken Bandit to someone wearing a gorilla suit so we never quite know who to trust. The author is also clever at throwing in red herrings, so I suspected just about everyone at some point.

I do like how this author writes about crime and the family of Annalisa. She hasn’t forgotten the history of the books and I like that we get the continuing story. I’m curious to see if this one continues as after a while the characters seem like family.

When an ex-cop, now a PI, is found dead hanging from a tree, current Police Detective Annalisa Vega thinks one of his open cases may hold the answer as to who killed him. Annalisa knows all too well how secrets can drive someone to do terrible things. To complicate her investigation, Annalisa's niece is being stalked on her college campus, and that case was one of the open cases the PI was working on. She must be on the right path with at least one of the three open cases because someone is now hunting Annalisa.

Dead and Gone the 3rd book in the Annalisa Vega series will pull you in from the first page and keep you reading.

Annalisa has been called to death of Sam , a former police officer. It was a horrific scene.

Sam was currently a Private Investigator and Annalisa and the team quickly start the investigation with his current cases.

There were 3 cases to follow.

Quinn her niece is being stalked and the atmosphere on campus is creepy and I was looking over my shoulder as I read.

The cast of characters were well written and all added to the suspense, the family drama and the twists and turns.

I cant wait to see where Joanna Schaffhausen takes in Book 3. I will be first in line to get my copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for another exciting read in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ACR in exchange for my honest review.

This book took a little bit to get rolling for me. It could be that this was the first book of this series that I’ve read, so learning the characters and how they were involved took a minute.

Once it got rolling, it was a page turner. I also found it funny, at times! Overall, I enjoyed story and the likable characters. There were enough twists to keep me guessing “who did it”!

3.5 stars

In this third book in the 'Annalisa Vega' series, the police detective investigates the death of a private detective. The book works fine as a standalone.

*****

As the story opens, Chicago Police Detective Annalisa Vega and her police partner Nick Carelli have been investigating the Chicken Bandit case. Vega and Carelli work well together, in part because they were once married, and - now that Nick has changed his cheating ways - are giving the relationship another chance.

The Chicken Bandit, a man who wears a chicken mask, has been holding up corner stores and late-night delis, and he's proven very hard to catch.

Tired from night patrols, Vega and Carelli are preparing for work one morning when Annalisa gets a call from the boss, Commander Lynn Zimmer. Zimmer summons Annalisa to Rosehill Cemetery for "a probable homicde, special circs.' At the Rosehill graveyard, a man is hanging from a tree, with the word PIG painted on his shirt. Zimmer identifies the victim as Sam Tran, an ex-cop who's been a private investigator for 10 years. Zimmer mentions Sam was a good friend, and puts Annalisa on the case....leaving Detective Carelli to chase the Chicken Bandit.

As Vega begins her inquiries into Sam's death, she learns the PI had three open cases. Annalisa speculates that Sam's murder may be related to one of the open inquiries, which include the following:

⦿ By coincidence, Annalisa's niece Quinn, a co-ed at Illinois University, is being harassed by a stalker who's sending anonymous notes and drawing dick pics on her door. So Quinn's father Vinny (Annalisa's brother) hired Sam to track down the perp.

⦿ A twenty-year-old homicide claimed the lives of Stephen Powell and Kathy Morrison, a couple engaged in an extramarital affair. Stephen and Kathy were brutally bludgeoned in a motel room, and the crime was never solved. Recently, Kathy's husband Brad Morrison employed Sam to look into the cold case.

⦿ A young mom named Nina Osteen, whose mother Charlotte disappeared over thirty years ago, hired Sam to find Charlotte.

Annalisa proceeds to look into Sam's open investigations, and by chance, even encounters the Chicken Bandit. All this puts Annalisa's life in grave danger, and I must say, I wish Annalisa wasn't such a maverick and always called in backup. This 'bravery' may be a family trait since Annalisa's niece Quinn has the same bad habit of walking head-on into danger. 😏

In the midst of all this, Annalisa has a lot going on in her personal life. In the past, a scandal led to Annalisa putting her father and brother in prison, and the Vega family is still reeling from the aftermath. Moreover, unexpected discoveries lead Annalisa to do some deep thinking about her relationship with Nick.

By the end of the book Annalisa has solved all the cases and is considering a new future for herself. It will be interesting to see what happens next.

Thanks to Netgalley, Joanna Schaffhausen, and Minotaur Books for a copy of the manuscript.

Thank you, St Martin's Press and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of Dead and Gone.

Any time someone asks me for a good mystery/thriller/detective recommendation, I recommend Joanna Schaffhausen. Dead and Gone and the rest of the Detective Annalisa Vega series is no different. While this can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the entire series. You will fly through the books because the drama never stops. Schaffhausen always keeps me guessing. Her twists are truly mouth-dropping and unexpected.

Detective Annalisa Vega is on the case, and that should worry the perpetrator. While investigating PI Sam Tran's death, she has to take a look into the cases he was working to see what clues may lead to his killer. There's a double homicide that Sam was working on that may be looking like a serial killer on the loose. Unfortunately, another one of the cases hits a little too close to home. Her brother has hired Sam to find his daughter's stalker at her college campus. With Sam no longer on the case, the stalker is free to step up his game. On top of that Annalisa is still navigating her personal life with her family and her ex-husband/current work partner.