Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read and write an honest review of this book.

Detective Annalisa Vega takes on a serial killer’s cold case when it appears after 20 years that the killer has become active again. The killer’s 7th victim was a neighbor whose family was very close to Annalisa’s family.

Amateur sleuths group, The Grave Diggers, has begun poking around in the Lovelorn Killer’s cold cases. Now, one of its members is dead. What’s the connection?

People close to Annalisa become victims of an apparent stalker. It looks as though the killer has Annalisa in his sights. This seems to be related, somehow to the serial killings.

This is a good read. It is a twisty mystery that seems to somehow involve Annalisa’s family. Even though the main mystery is solved, there are several
more chapters after that to further clarify the situation.

Annalisa is a spunky, likable character. She has a lot of heart and backbone too. She is not afraid to take chances or to do the right thing.

This is the first book in this series and I am looking forward to reading more.
I am also interested in picking up other books by this author as I enjoy her writing style.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. New series with a strong female main character. Lots of twists and turns. I liked that she was also in her hometown. I stopped reading at one point to check my reviews because the beginning was so familiar. New book, so no way I read it before, maybe a sneak peak somewhere, I still haven't figured it out.

Annalisa is a detective in Chicago just trying to catch the bad guys. When she gets the case of the Lovelorn Killer things change. This serial killer was the one who shaped her entire life and destroyed most of the people she loved, she knew she had to catch him no matter the stakes.

This mystery/thriller definitely kept me hooked. I definitely thought I had it pegged for who I thought the serial killer was but it turned out I was wrong and I love that in a boo. Not being able to easily guess what the ending is going to turn out to be. I loved the short chapters that kept you wanting more. Definitely well written with likable characters.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately I DNF'd it. I couldn't get into the writing or the characters. I wanted to enjoy it but I don't think mystery thrillers are my cup of tea.

Gone for Good by Joanna Schaffhausen is a great, intense murder mystery / psychological thriller. It kept me guessing and pleasantly surprised me with more than a few twists throughout!

I think my favorite part of the book was the characters and how great they were. I really like Annalisa. She’s a great officer, but also a family oriented woman looking for love. I found her really relatable and admired the heck out of her. I enjoyed seeing the two parts of her life intersect. From Anna, Colin, and Nick, to all of the secondary characters, I was truly pleased. I especially liked the idea of The Grave Diggers and how we got to “meet” Grace through her journal entries.

Without ruining anything, I have to say I’m intrigued by how the book ends and hope that it means this will become a series. I’m definitely interested in seeing what Detective Vega is up to next!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Police procedurals are one in the same in my opinion, but this one was spot on with the guessing games and twists. With family drama, serial murderer gone into hiding, this book delivered in all the right ways. Definitely looking forward to more from this author.

⭐⭐⭐⭐+ Stars I should give 5 stars! My favorite “nice surprise” 2021 read!
I only read one other novel by Ms. Schaffhausen “Every Waking Hour” and I really liked it and have been looking forward to reading another one of her stories.
This is a new series featuring Detective Annalisa Vega.

Prologue starts with “Grace Notes” Entry #441
Harper is a grocery store manager but also an amateur sleuth and a member of a group named “The Grave Diggers”. Members of this group are ordinary people interested in ‘cold cases’ ~ crimes that haven’t been solved. They discuss clue online and in Grace’s situation seem to be constantly looking for new leads.
She has followed a serial killer called “The Lovelorn Killer’ (named that as after his kills, he sends a ‘love letter’ to the newspaper written to the woman he just murdered).
However, he seemed to mysteriously stop his killing spree twenty years ago; after killing seven women over a period of a few years. Detective Vega was a teen when the last victim was found. She remembers that case as she was dating Colin Duffy, the son of the last victim.

Present Day: Detective Annalisa Vega and Nick Carelli her charismatic ex-husband have been called to investigate a murder that seems to be a copycat of the “Lovelorn Killer”. The victim is ….. Grace.
Chris and Molly “The Grave Diggers” members are determining to find the killer and are doing some meddling with the investigation. However, Anna finds that some of the work Grace has done is very helpful. In one of Grace’s notes she states
He likes to torture his victims, but he is not content to let it end there. He sends letters to the media to frighten everyone! He thrived in everyone’s fear!
Yikes! Now the killer has set his sights on Anna!

This was a Wow! read for me.

My guilty pleasure is reading in the evening with a glass of wine. I was totally into this story, looked at the clock and thought okay another hour of reading and another glass of wine! This was such a page turned, I finish the book looked down and saw I still had a ½ glass of wine left. Trust me that doesn’t usually happen!!

I am a big psychological thriller fan, love the twists and turns. This story had far more twist and turns than I expected.
I can hardly wait for [author: Joanna Schaffhausen] Detective Annalisa Vega Book #2.
In the meantime, I will work on my
Team Colin or
Team Nick banners!!
BTW: I laughed out loud when Anna described Nick’s second day of not sleeping as not his usual “rolled out of bed sexy look but now more of “homeless person” look!

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press ~ Minotaur for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for professional review purposes.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 10, 2021

Book one in a new detective thriller series and started off strong! I enjoyed this thrill ride and it was a quick read.
It kept me guessing until the end! I look forward to reading more Detective Vega in this series. Thankful for the ARC!

This is the second Joanna Schaffhausen’s books that I've read. And like the first one, I really enjoyed the way that she creates multiple story angles that keep you guessing about the outcome. Once again, she also surprised me with the ending.

Joanna Schaffhausen’s writing is suspenseful, developed, spare and yet deep. Gone For Good brings every bit of her talent to the surface, and while I’ve been feeling that no one writes a truly surprising thriller anymore, Ms. Schaffhausen has proven me wrong.

Really enjoyed this story! Friendship, love, childhood dreams, cold cases and good police work. This story has it all. Anna had a childhood dream of being a lawyer but circumstances caused a change in plans. She is a detective at the local police department. Nick her ex husband is now back in town after several years and her new partner. Colin her high school love comes back into town when he hears the serial killer that killed his mom and derailed his life is back after 20 yrs.
will Anna find the serial killer no one else has been able too? Will Anna get a second chance with love with either Nick or Colin?

Thank you Netgalley for complimentary copy. Recommended for whodunnit fans.

Gone for Good is a new female detective series from Joanna Schaffhausen. Annalisa Vega grew up as a cop's daughter and is now a homicide detective in Chicago. She married young and it only lasted a year or so. Now she is involved in a serial killer case and her new partner is her ex-husband, Nick Carelli. It seems the Lovelorn Killer is back after many years and Annalisa is determined to find him. When she was a teen, the killer murdered her boyfriend Colin's, mom, a woman that Annalisa thought of as a second mom. His dad died soon after of heartbreak. After both parents of his parents are gone, Colin, Annalisa's one true love moved away and she never heard from him again.
The other main character of this book is Grace, a 40 something woman who works at a grocery store, and belongs to an online sleuth group called the Grave Diggers. She has been hot on the Lovelorn Killer's trail. So hot, in fact, that she is his latest victim. This is the murder that brings Annalisa into the case. Her life will be in danger and so will everyone she knows and loves.
I absolutely loved this book! Annalisa is a multi-layered character that has flaws but a good heart. I love the back and forth with Nick, her ex turned partner. I hope there will be many more books in this series. This story is one I won't soon forget! It had a very creepy bad guy and at times I was afraid at night after reading this. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Wow! Schauffhausen keeps the reader guessing who could be the true killer. Why has he been away for so long? Is he really back? With emotional and psychological twists and turns, Gone for Good is a must read.

This book is filled with a lot of action anf suspense. You start to guess who the killer is in the beginning but much to my surprise never expected who it actually was. I Liked how the author tied up loose endd at the end and gave me closure for the characters involved in the story. Also that surprise ending!

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Storygraph!

4 new detective series stars

I have been interested in this author for some time and I know she has a great series going with Ellery Hathaway. This one features a new detective, so I thought this might just be a good way to get a sense of her writing. Quick answer, yes, I will definitely read more by this author! I will start with future books in this series and then I will start the Ellery series someday . . . .

The detective in this one is Annalisa Vega and she has followed in her father’s career footsteps. Now she is on the hunt for The Lovelorn Killer who murdered seven women back when her father was active in the police force. The Lovelorn Killer went silent for twenty years, so police aren’t sure if it’s a copycat or if the same killer is back with this latest murder. Many hoped he was gone for good as his murders were gruesome, tying up his victims and writing intimate letters about them and sending them to the newspaper.

Alternating throughout the book are journal entries from Grace Harper, she’s an amateur sleuth with the Gravediggers, an online group of folks trying to solve cold cases. Grace has a new angle and she thinks she’s close to identifying the killer.

Annalisa has personal ties to the case and perhaps she’s a bit too close to be objective? Her ex-husband is her partner in this one and she reunites with her first childhood boyfriend too.

Soon the killer is stalking Annalisa and I was so scared for her, she seemed fearless and this killer is no joke! I liked her character and I look forward to reading future books with her at the center. There was a final twist that I did not see coming and an action packed conclusion.

I was so excited to see that Joanna Schaffhausen has a new series and that I got to read and review the first one for Netgalley. Detective Annalisa Vega is a complex character with a sad and intense past, including a father who was also a policeman. Her new case is to find the Lovelorn Killer, a serial killer who has been active for two decades, long enough for her father to have tried to catch him before the task fell to her. Her partner Nick is also her ex-husband the rapport between the two was humorous and rare. They actually performed as if they were still friends! There is family drama thrown into the mix of the killer who has now killed seven victims. He is currently trying to catch Annalisa alone so that he can make her another victim, but her partner and her friends are not going to let that happen. The story moves along at a fast pace, with plenty of action and twists along the way. I certainly did not guess the killer’s identity, even with the multiple clues that the author left on the trail. Schaffhausen is an absolute master of weaving an intricate tale with hidden clues and likable characters and this one was no exception. In fact, it was so good that when I got to the end, I immediately wanted to know how long I have to wait until book two of the series is released. Annalisa is a sympathetic character who understands people and she knows that we will not want to wait long to see her again! Fans of mystery/suspense/police procedural should not pass up a chance to read this one!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

WOW!! I usually don’t go for mysteries that focus on detectives/cops, but I’m so glad I made an exception for this book. It’s an absolute page turner and perfect for anyone who likes true crime or is interested in the growing phenomenon of internet sleuths. The author makes you suspect every character but still manages to surprise you when the killer is revealed.

I am not sure I completely buy the shock that comes in the last 10% of the book, but it definitely sets up the series for future books, so maybe that explains it. Either way, definitely add to your list if you’re looking for a page-turning mystery.

I’m a new fan of Joanna Schaffhausen and her epic detective writing skills. Gone for Good was the first in this series and it is an engaging dynamic read. The drama unfolds with believable characters, such as Detective Annalisa who is a by product of her detective father. She pulls apart evidence of a serial killer from a cold case 20 years ago. She was only 17 years old but remembers well how parents watched their children closer and going out alone was unthinkable if you were a female incase the Lovelorn Killer strikes again. One of the women killed was her boyfriend Colin’s mom leaving that family so distraught over the unsolved case, Colin decided to leave it all behind, as well as Anna.
An online amateur sleuth group pegged “Gravediggers” challenges the serial to come out of hiding. Their taunting brings more than they bargained when he strikes down one of the group members, Grace, leaving her in the same horrendous pose. She was close to solving the case and had gathered a wealth of information of his pathetic scheme which was stolen at the scene.
The Lovelorn Killer stalks and baits his prey then leaves love letters to boast of his claims. The frustration, fear and exhausted attempts of the locals to pinpoint leaves you wondering throughout if it is someone hiding in plain sight maybe a bar monger during happy hour, the next door neighbor or even a family member.
I began to make educated guesswork, but that twist left me analyzing every tidbit of information with the outstanding hunt for a killer.
Thank you St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review.
Good job, Joanna, for bringing it all together smoothly, yet challenging for this reader.

I do love the way Joanna Schaffhausen tells a story! She has a marvelous ability to create tough as nails female protagonists who are human and humane and relatable, even while they are kicking butt and taking names... In this new series featuring detective Annalisa Vega, Schaffhausen once again takes us into the world of serial killers, survivors, and cold cases, but with a very different feel than in the Ellery Hathaway books. Both series are very well written, plotted and paced, and I thoroughly enjoy them both. What I like about this new series though is that Vega is less broken and battered than Hathaway - yet every bit as determined and bootstraps-successful. Watching the secrets, red herrings, and twisty turnings unfold was a delight and I cannot wait for the next installment!