Thanks Netgalley for a copy of GONE FOR GOOD by Joanna Schaffhausen.
Great read . Great main character that could easily be a main character for a book series. Very suspenseful.

Thank you Negalley, the publisher St Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books and Joanna Schaffhausen
This is the first book in a new detective series. Detective Vega is investigating a case that is very similar to a cold case dating from 20 years ago.
You put in the mix an ex-husband, high school crush, family and you get this crazy story which I could not put down.
Fast paced, quick read, loved the main characters.
Recommend 4 stars

Gone For Good is the first in a new series featuring Detective Annalisa Vega of the Chicago PD and it is a very promising start to the series. It’s a combination of a police procedural and a mystery/thriller. Twenty or so years ago, Chicago was plagued by a serial killer who has never been caught, nicknamed the Lovelorn Killer. Vega grew up in a neighborhood filled with cops and their families and a very close neighbor was the last known murder by this killer, which seriously affected all their friends and family. The repercussions of that murder continue in the present. A group of amateur sleuths, who call themselves The Grave Diggers, work on solving cold cases (one of the cases they have been working on is the Lovelorn case). When one of their members is murdered in the same fashion, Vega is the officer assigned to the case. Vega is a smart, hard-working detective but she is emotionally involved in this case, due to her neighbor’s death (who was also the mother of Vega’s then-boyfriend Colin, who hasn’t been back to Chicago in the many years since then). Verga’s family is an important aspect of the story. Her retired-cop father’s suffering from Parkinson’s is heartbreaking, as she recalls what a vital man he was in his younger years. Vega’s relationship with her police partner is interesting because he’s her ex-husband, Nick! The plotting is excellent, with lots of twists and turns and red herrings along the way. People familiar with Chicago will also enjoy all the local color. I’m really interested to see where the author goes from here, but I can’t explain further without spoilers.

Thank you to NetGalley and St, Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to @minotaur_books for my advanced copy of Gone for Good, the first in a new detective series by Joanna Schaffhausen. This book surprised me in ALL the best ways!!

The tension started almost immediately! A cold case, a serial killer, online sleuths, and a strong female detective were the perfect combination to make this a compulsive binge read for me.

I love a cat and mouse game, constantly revising my suspect list. Could the killer be her dad, brother, partner...I love when an author immerses me in the story and I feel as if I'm part of the investigation.

Told from multiple POVs, Gone for Good kept the twists coming, page after page. I especially enjoyed Annalise as a strong female protagonist. She felt real with emotions I related to!

If you are a fan of Karin Slaughter or Lisa Gardner I think you will enjoy Gone for Good!!

This was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me!! I'm excited about the next book in the series!

RATING: 4.5 STARS
2021; Minotaur Books/St Martin's Press

Joanna Schaffhausen has blown my mind this year. I finally read her debut novel, The Vanishing Season and loved it. Ellery was a character I could relate a lot to, and the suspense was amazing. I slowly caught up and was so excited to see Gone for Good on NetGalley. Then I saw that it was a new series, not an Ellery Hathaway novel. I was still going to read it, but was a bit sad thinking no more Ellery. This week I found out that there was in fact another Ellery Hathaway novel coming out AND Annalisa Vega also kicks ass. Annalisa is different than Ellery in many ways, but yet the two are these flawed realistic women trying to solve murders. I highly recommend this novel, and past books by Schaffhausen.

Annalisa Vega is a detective who saddening be on es the hunted when an old case is reactivated. The twenty year old case seemed to have become a cold case until a true crime group started to investigate the old case. Annalisa discovers secrets that affect almost everyone in her life and she has to make a difficult decision about a family member.

I really enjoy books about serial killers and this one did not disappoint. The lovelorn killer murder 7 women . he then sends gruesome letters to the local papers. Then he went quiet for 20 years and most people think it’s over then grace harper an amenity sleuth falls victim detective annalise Vega who lost so,even to the killer is brought in to investigate

Really good story

“Gone for Good” is about a group of amateur sleuths who try to solve old murder cases. They call themselves “The Grave Diggers,” and are ordinary people from various walks of life who chat online, search archives, visit crime scenes, and accumulate notes in an attempt to find what others have missed. The group is focused on one case in particular, the unsolved murders of multiple women by “The Lovelorn Killer” who made headlines when he killed seven women over a period of a few years in the late ’90s, and then suddenly dropped out of sight. The Grave Diggers’ theory is that he has been watching and waiting for someone to find him. They want to get him back in the news, draw him out, and identify him. Everything changes when Grace Harper, The Grave Diggers’ primary researcher, is found murdered.

Detective Annalisa Vega of the Chicago police investigates but finds few if any clues even though Grace left behind all her research and hunches. Alternate chapters are filled with Grace’s case notes and observations. Vega’s investigation is both complicated and assisted by the return of her ex-husband, Detective Nick Carelli. They try to put the past aside and focus on solving Harper’s murder. The chain of events is complex, and the case becomes a quagmire that threatens to suck in everyone. The intensity increases when the body count rises. The killer is hiding in plain sight, known to everyone, but seen by no one.

“Gone for Good” revolves around the characters. They are multifaceted, and their decisions drive the plot. What each character does changes both the current situation and the ultimate outcome. I received a review copy of “Gone for Good” from Joanna Schaffausen, Minotaur Books, and St. Martin’s Publishing Group. The pursuit is frantic; events from the past must be settled in the present, and the ending is unexpected.

This book was a good thriller detective read with the main character being Detective Annalisa Vega. Vega arrives to a new murder scene where she finds similarities to a cold case from 20 years ago. At the scene, Vega learns that her new partner is her ex-husband, the victim is tied to a group who tries to solve cold cases, and her high school boyfriend, who left 20 years ago, returns due to the reopening of the cold case of the murder of his mother.

At times, while reading this book, I could not put it down while I was trying to figure out who the Lovelorn Killer was. At one time or another everyone is a suspect but by the end of the book, You have to love a book that keeps you guessing. The book comes together and answers all the questions of the story.

I am looking forward to the next book in the Detective Annalisa Vega series by Joanna Schaffhausen.
Thank you Joanna Schaffhausen, Net Galley, St. Martins Press and Minotaur Books for this eARC.

This is the first book in a new series. I enjoyed the main character, Annalisa and look forward to seeing more of her world. I really enjoyed the story and it kept me guessing up to the end. I can't wait to see what the author has in-store next for Annalisa.

This book is first in its series introducing Detective Annalisa Vega. This is also my first book from this author and I'm so glad I read it.
This is a fast paced book with a lot if twist and turns full of deception. The ending was so good!
I'm looking forward to reading all of Annalisa's stories.

It’s been twenty years since the Lovelorn Killer murdered seven women, ritually binding them and leaving them for dead before penning them gruesome love letters in the local papers. The killer disappeared without a trace or another word… that is until Grace Harper, grocery store clerk and part-time Internet sleuth, starts digging in and winds up dead. Detective Annalisa Vega knows a lot about the case already. She lost a family friend at the hands of the Lovelorn Killer in her youth, and it terrorized her. Could she now catch the killer?

This book is so damn good that I almost finished it in one sitting. And I’m stoked to see that this is the first in a series with Detective Vega. If you are a fan of thrillers, I HIGHLY recommend this novel!

I don’t know why it took me so long to finish GONE FOR GOOD when I basically binged them last 50% of it in 24 hours. Thanks to @netgalley and @minotaur_books for my e-arc in exchange for an honest review! This one published August 10 so you can go grab your own copy now!

TW: graphic descriptions of brutal deaths, rape, alcoholism, hospital settings, gun violence

This book was the best kind of wild ride. It starts off with a bang with descriptions the the Lovelorn Kilelr striking again, which sets up the rest of the story. Due to the nature of The Lovelorn Killer case, and the suspect seeming to be one step ahead of the police crew, this one left me on edge. Along with Annalisa and her coworkers, I was waiting for the lovelorn killer to strike again, but seemingly also not wanting him to.

I had a few ideas of who the killer might be, but didn’t want to chance it. The ending was very fast paced and when it was revealed who the killer was, I was just as floored as the characters in her book! BUT then it goes one step further! Wow! I had a tiny inkling of this twist, but was still totally wrong about how it actually happened! So crazy!

I highly recommend this book to all thriller lovers! Just watch out for the trigger warnings. Also, might not be the best idea to read the last bit of the book during an intense thunderstorm…. Bad weather plays a role in the plot and the plot twist happens right after an intense storm. Last night, where I live, we got an INTENSE thunderstorm 😬

This is probably the best mystery/thriller I've read all year. I'm hoping that book #2 will be out soon so I can read more about Detective Annalisa Vega. Her resolve to solve seven murders committed by the Lovelorn Killer was amazing. I love how the author laid it out in the story line with one of the murdered women's notes being used as clues from what she'd gather herself. Reading her journals/note made me feel like I was actually going through some of her experiences, which was crazy.

As any really good murder mystery goes, there are more than one suspects that kept popping up in my head, but then I'd have reasons why it "wouldn't" be this or that person. I had several good ones in mind that I felt might have done it, but I have to admit that I didn't even begin to guess what happened and whodunit!

I am definitely going to be looking out for this author and series for sure. I am so happy I read this one, a truly sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspenseful page turner!

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-Arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

We've all heard about book clubs, chess clubs, knitting clubs, etc., but who has been a member of an amateur sleuth club? Grace Harper and her friends have decided to tackle the cold case of the Lovelorn Killer. Detective Annalisa Vega and her ex-husband are investigating the murders when it appears that the killer has returned after 20 years. Will they be able to solve the mystery before more people die?

This is an exciting mystery and I look forward to reading others in the series.

Absolutely loved it! Such a good, quick thriller. I will recommend this to anyone this spooky season!!

This is one story where the prologue definitely hooks you in ,and the book keeps that pace - it’s hard to put down . I thought the dual narrative was done really well. There were definitely a lot f clues along the way as to “who done it” and neither of the big reveals were a surprise to me, but I still really enjoyed this story and would definitely read the next in the series.

A slow start for me on this one but ended up really enjoying it. A great cast of characters, I especially liked Annalisa Vega, and the story itself was suspenseful with some twists and turns that kept it interesting and kept me guessing. This was a very good mystery and I look forward to reading the next book in this new series.

Thank to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

I’m a huge fan of Joanna Schaffhausen, so when I heard that she was coming out with a new detective series, I had to get my hands on an advanced copy. Many thanks to my wonderful publishing partners @minotaurbooks for mine! Predictably, I gobbled this story up in a day, did not put the clues together correctly, was shocked by the ending, and now have to impatiently wait for the next story to come out. Le sigh.

The Lovelorn Killer murdered seven women, ritually binding them and leaving them for dead before penning them gruesome love letters in the local papers. Then he disappeared, and after twenty years with no trace of him, many believe that he's gone for good. Not Grace Harper. Grace uses her snooping skills as part of an amateur sleuth group. She believes the Lovelorn Killer is still living in the same neighborhoods that he hunted in, and if she can figure out how he selected his victims, she will have the key to his identity.

Detective Annalisa Vega lost someone she loved to the killer. Now she's at a murder scene with the worst kind of déjà vu: Grace Harper lies bound and dead on the floor, surrounded by clues to the biggest murder case that Chicago homicide never solved. Annalisa has the chance to make it right and to heal her family, but first, she has to figure out what Grace knew―how to see a killer who may be standing right in front of you. This means tracing his steps back to her childhood, peering into dark corners she hadn't acknowledged before, and learning that despite everything the killer took, she has still so much more to lose.

I loved this story! It had everything that I love in detective series - a complicated web of suspects, a detective with a personal connection to the murders, the muuuurder itself was unique and kept me guessing. I also enjoyed the amateur sleuth group, and their suspicious roles within the murders, as death begins to knock on their doors. Dun dun dun!

"Gone for Good" was OK for a police procedural, but nothing really stuck out to me to make it more interesting or memorable than any other detective novel.