Cover Image: Long Gone

Long Gone

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Long Gone is the second book in the Detective Annalisa Vega series, and although the actual crime that is being investigated is solved in this book, there is a lot of backstory that plays out. Because of this, I recommend you read this series in order. In Long Gone, a local Chicago police detective is murdered and Annalisa is sure she knows who did it. Moe Bocks is a wealthy car salesman who she is sure got away with murder years ago when he killed his girlfriend, so she is determined to not let it happen again. It gets complicated when Bocks begins dating her best friend! As more bodies turn up, this case becomes urgent to solve, but no one will trust or believe her except her partner, her ex-husband.

Annalisa is such a great character. First, being a woman is tough when you are a cop in a male dominated field, but to turn in another cop, her father no less, she is hated, not trusted and treated like a traitor. She doesn't throw in the towel, but becomes even better at her job. She is smart, able to put clues together and has great intuition. Partnering with her ex-husband, Nick, could have put her over the edge, but they work really well together. I also like her family. Once again, they could have cut ties with her, but are beginning to realize she had no choice, her morals and values are what motivate her. She is like a pitbull when she is working on a case, often ignoring what her commander tells her to do. I enjoyed how they went about solving the crimes and putting clues together. There is a lot of action, many suspects and some red herrings along the way. Leo Hammond was such a bad cop, there were a lot of people who could have wanted him dead, but who is behind it? I had no idea who the murderer was, and was quickly listening and flipping pages to find the answer. The "frogman" getup adds even more speculation and doubt to the story. When Annalisa gets close, she is also in danger, and I was on the edge of my seat to find out what was going to happen next. This is a great series, and each book gets better, so I highly recommend this one to those who enjoy a Crime Thriller/Police Procedural. I did a read/listen with this book, but preferred the audio due to the performance of Kelsey Navarro. She does an amazing job with the narration of this story and I will definitely listen to more books she narrates. I hope she continues to be the voice of Annalisa in future books in the series.

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Chicago detective Annalisa Vega is living with the consequences of her decision to turn in her policeman father for his role in the coverup of a crime. When detective Leo Hammond turns up dead in a bizarre murder, she feels she has nothing to lose by investigating his past. As Annalisa digs, will her searching put a target on her back?

I really wanted to like this novel because of the strength of the previous one, but I found that it got too bogged down. Annalisa was like a person who pokes a hornet's nest and then gets surprised when they get stung. She was reckless, despite knowing the fact that only Nick and a handful of others had her back. The plot got sluggish in the middle and quite repetitive. Long Gone did nothing to really advance the character development and suffered from the slow plot. For these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend Long Gone to other readers.

Kelsey Navarro does a good job of narrating the audio version of Long Gone, giving the character of Annalisa Vega a clear voice and great inflection. I would be more apt to recommend the audio version than the one in print, for this reason.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Audio Copy of Long Gone by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to listen to and review this novel was entirely my own.

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Enjoyment: 5
Total rating: 4.5

Dealing with the aftermath of her decision at the end of the previous book, Annalisa is picking up the pieces both in her personal and professional life. When another Chicago detective is found brutally murdered, she has reason to believe someone her former sister-in-law is seeing might have something to do with it.

I loved the first book in the Vega series; sometimes sequels don't live up to the expectation, but, in my opinion, Long Gone is even better. Schaffhausen continued Vega's arc consistently, and I loved watching her develop even more as a character. I am also a fan of the author Hathaway series and am impressed how each of these universes is unique and has its own tone and style. Vega is a detective who takes her work seriously and keeps her moral compass always pointing to N, which is not always the easiest route to take when you are a female officer surrounded by male coworkers who don't mind blurring lines.

Long Gone is definitely grittier than its predecessor but equally thrilling and satisfying. I caught myself holding my breath often and, for a while, had no idea where the book was heading!

Kelsey Navarro's tight, nuanced, well-paced narration made the book easy to follow and hard to put down. I alternated between the book and audiobook because the tension was too much to bear (I read faster than the 2x max speed the audio arc allows me to listen to).


Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to the publishers and NetGalley for providing a copy of Long Gone

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A twisty murder mystery with a lot of intertwining story lines. I really enjoyed Joanna's style of writing and I am looking forward to reading more books from her in the future.

I liked the narrator's voice and I was able to still understand everything at 2x speed which is always a plus. I would definitely look for audiobooks read by Kelsey Navarro in the future.

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Long Gone
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller
Format: Audiobook
Date Published: 8/9/22
Author: Joanna Schaffhausen
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Narrator: Kelsey Navarro
GR: 4.24

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Chicago detective Annalisa Vega turned in her ex-cop father for his role in a murder. Her family can’t forgive her and not trusted by fellow officers. So when detective Leo Hammond turns up dead in a bizarre murder, Annalisa thinks she has nothing to lose by investigating whatever secrets he hid behind the thin blue line. Annalisa is desperate to protect her friend and force Bocks to pay, either for Hammond’s death or his earlier crime. Both Hammond and Bocks had secrets to die for, and if she doesn’t untangle them soon, Annalisa will be next.

My Thoughts: This is book number two in the Detective Annalisa Vega series. I read this as a stand alone and had no trouble keeping up, so it can be read as a stand alone. Vega does not sugarcoat anything, does not do something to make superiors happy, she is a constant pot stirrer, anything to get to the truth. There are times when Vega is frustrating, with the decisions she makes, however, it is her character. The characters were flushed out, multifaceted depth, flawed, intriguing, and creatively written. The author’s writing style was complex, intricate, and kept me engaged. This book/audiobook is already out and I would highly suggest reading.

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Annalisa Vargas is a detective that’s not afraid of conflict. You can’t be if you’ve named your father and brother in a case that found them guilty and alienated yourself from the police community.
Put on a case with her ex-partner/husband she finds herself meeting an unfriendly blue wall and is thwarted at every avenue to work the case. This was especially true since the murdered victim was a part of The Fantastic Four: four cops with many accolades, arrests, and outstanding testimonials within their ranks. It seems someone has a reason to want them dead and starts picking them off one by one and Annalisa finds herself battling against both the murderer and the men getting murdered.
An exciting police procedural with many moving parts and characters but enough quirks to keep it from becoming just another police story.

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This was amazing! I love the first intallment of this series and was thrilled to get an ARC for the sequel. Engaging character ans story line, fast paced while still paying attention to detail. A must read for who-dunnit fans!

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I really liked the first in the series so I was excited to pick this one up.

It starts right after the first book and there are a lot of things you have to remember from book one so definitely recommend reading them back to back if you can. There were definitely details that I couldn't remember and I wish the author had given a bit more recap of what happened in the first book.

I liked this one, but I wasn't as sucked into the story as much as the first. I still think Annalise Vega is a great character and I'm excited to read the third book and see what happens next.

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I missed the first book in this series but I did not find myself lost at all and quickly found myself immersed in this mystery and along for the ride. Annalisa turned her father and brother in for their crimes and she is being victimized by her "brothers in blue" but now that she is being called upon to investigate the murder of a highly decorated detective there are irregularities right and left. When others in his unit start falling will she be able to put all the pieces together in time before she is the next victim? I was intrigued from the beginning and will continue on this journey if there is more in this series.

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*received for free from netgalley for honest review* 4.5, really liked this read, would read the series in order (read this one first lol) again!

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Long Gone is the 2nd in a series by Joanne Schaffhausen featuring detective Annalisa Vega. It can definitely be read or listened to as a stand alone but if you think you'd read book # 1 Gone for Good I would recommend reading it before this one as some things from this book are mentioned in Long Gone and you might be spoiled for book 1.. Thanks to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley I listened to this book in audio format. It is narrated by Kelsey Navarro who does a great job voicing Annalisa's character. This book does have a lot of characters to keep track of so keep that in mind when reading - they all have a purpose as the story develops, I like Annalisa - she is a no nonsense detective who will do whatever it takes to solve the case even it puts her in dangerous situations.

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I recieved this as an ARc audiobook. I went into it not reading book 1. The author does an awesome job with descriptive texts that explains everything in great details. The narrator/main character is a strong detective female. I absolutely loved the main charter and how badass she was. One thing that really botherd me about this audio book was the ladies voice! The reader's voice drove me absolutely bonkers. This book is full of twists and leaves you guessing who the killer was! Will definitely read another book by this author

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This book checked off many likes on my list, for instance, audiobook, set in Chicago, thriller, strong female lead, woman perspective and author, interesting characters and plot....check, check, check.

This was my first book by Schaffhausen, which means I read #2 out of order. This was bc I had been given an ARC and already had #1 on my radar. Thanks to NetGalley, Ms. Schaffhausen, and the publisher for an advanced copy for my honest review. I enjoyed #2 well enough to now read the first in this series.

It begins in cold and windy Chicago, as we learn that Annalisa's new partner is her ex-husband, Nick Carelli. They get a call to go to an influential CPD detective's extravagant home. Leo Hammond is a member of a high-level detective "club" because the foursome (all men of course) are very good at solving crimes. The others in the group show up at Hammond's home as well and resent Annalisa being there. Then Hammond gets murdered and that's when his new younger wife becomes a possible suspect. The one thing that Kayla tells them is that the killer is a frogman, as in a deep sea diver. It seemed odd and weird, but suspend your disbelief.

There is a LOT going on in this thriller and with Annalisa. Sometimes this can be confusing on an audio version and it certainly was the case for me. For instance, it goes back and forth between what happened in book #1 (so yes, read them in order!!) both personally and in her job, both past and present, new and old characters, crimes, suspects, etc. etc. The plus is that you believe in the lead because she is made real by the author. Annalisa is strong, honest to her detriment, too risky, and thankfully with a very supportive partner.

Max Bocks is another suspect and they go back in his history to find he had won a previous murder charge, but is he guilty of this murder? It'll all keep you in suspense until the end!

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#LongGoneBook:⁣

If there’s anyone that can get me reading a police procedural, it’s Joanna Schaffhausen. (Fun fact, I talk about her so much that Schaffhausen is literally saved in my predict text for all the times I recommend her books) I loved Gone for Good. I thought it was a stand-alone and fell in love. Listen, when I found out it was a series, I jumped! I was worried the sophomore slump would hit with Long Gone, but I’m pleased to say it did not for me. ⁣

We start off from the backlash of book one (I won’t spoil it for you) and how AV gets treated differently around these parts now. I liked that we got more Nick and kind of see why she was with him in the first place. There’s two different murders that are being looked in to, one of a detective.. another a cold case. They’re connected in a way, and in that is a tangled web of lies, deception, corruption, and greed. ⁣

Again, Annalisa Vega gives us the raw and gritty truth of being a detective in Chicago. I did an audio/reading combo and I’m glad Kelsey Navarro was brought back for narration. She does it so well that I’m sure if I saw her on the street I’d call her Annalisa. (Apologies in advance) ⁣

The first few chapters do seem to start off slow because we’re catching up from book on. The middle goes pound for pound with twists and new discoveries. I had about 20 pages left and I was really confused because I realized I didn’t know who killed Josie yet. I thought maybe when I was listening I must have blacked out on the audio. But, that was not the case. I was sad the it almost felt like an afterthought because that case was more exciting to me (sorry Scuba Steve.. I was more invested in the female murder) than of the other detective. It did shock me though and I’m satisfied with how it all played out.⁣

Overall, another solid Joanna Schaffhausen book. I see there’s a book 3 in the mix and when I say I can’t wait, I mean I am already counting down the days. Thank you so much @minotaur_books and @dreamscape_media for the gifted copy. Long Gone is currently out.⁣

QOTD: Police Procedurals. Yay or nay? Can you name one you like?

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I went into this book not realizing that it was the second in a series. That did not matter much as Schaffhausen does a great job of explaining the history.

I found much of this book unbelievable as the main character goes rouge the entire time, and faces very few consequences. She continually breaks the law, claiming to be looking for the truth, when in reality she has a personal vendetta. The only believable part of the book was the reasons behind the opening murder, and the murderer's attempt to conceal their identity.

I listened to the audio book. The narrator, Kelsey Navarro, made it easy to continue listening even though I had lost interest long before. Navarro gives great inflection and keeps the same flow throughout the book.

I want to thank Netgalley, and Dreamscape Media for an advanced listening copy of this book.

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This audiobook is definitely recommended. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It had a lot of twists and turns and kept me on the edge of my seat. I give this book 5 starts!

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Long Gone is a perfect follow up to the premier book of the series. Annalisa is trying to navigate her fractured world after turning in her own family for a murder years ago. Both family and fellow officers look at her with suspicion and mistrust. When she gets too involved in a new crime and, again, connects it to an old crime. Anna struggles to choose the right actions and sometimes makes some seriously head-scratching decisions. Where would the plot be if she didn't. I would recommend reading the first book first. There is some review, but not enough. I had to return to the notes and review I wrote of Gone for Good to remind myself. If you do, you will enjoy this book much more. It is a true sequel.

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I didn’t realize this was book two in a series until after I started reading. There’s lots of references to people and cases that it seemed the reader should already know about. That’s great if you’ve read the first book but a bit confusing to just drop in with the second one.

LONG GONE, A Detective Annalisa Vega Novel, by Joanna Schaffhausen, and narrated by Kelsey Navarro.

Annalisa is feeling the fallout from the decisions she made in the first book, which are briefly described but not in great detail. She turned in her brother and father for their roles in a cold case murder. Since her father was a cop, as she is now, her fellow cops are giving her the cold shoulder, if not downright harassing her. Her family isn’t all that keen on her right now because of this either. She still keeps doing her job to the best of her abilities, even investigating another cold case not assigned to her. She gets herself in hot water in more ways then one and not everyone is happy to have her nosing around.

This second book would probably have been more enjoyable if I’d read the first one but I don’t plan to read it now since it was referenced enough in this one that I don’t feel I’d be surprised at all by it. The narrator was pleasant to listen to but I do feel there could have been a little more distinction between the individual characters. 4 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the gift of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

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Thank you to the author, publisher, narrator and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio version of this title in exchange for my review.

When I requested this title, I didn't realize it was book 2 in the series, but I had hopes that the author would do a good job of reminding the readers of details from book 1 so I could catch up. I have read a few series that worked fairly well as stand alone books. This is not one, not in my experience. I was very confused all through the book with the characters and details that were most likely covered in book 1, so I felt very confused through the whole book.

Also, as this is an audiobook, I could not check dialogs or follow actual conversation rather than just thoughts between characters. The actual dialog seemed a bit sloppy or choppy and did not flow. I would think this was a character's thought, then realize it was the actual spoken portion of the conversation. It was very confusing all through.

Overall, I really didn't enjoy the book and had a hard time following the details of the case. It might make more sense if you have read book 1 or reading the print, I'm not sure. For me, this was a 2 star "it was ok" book, to be kind. The narrator did a fairly good job with the narration and pronunciation.

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This is the second book in the Annalisa Vega series and I'm going to start by saying this: Do yourself a favor and read the first book in the series, Gone for Good, before you read this one. They're both excellent books, and this second book is hugely informed by the first one. The things that happen are referenced frequently and you'll get a good idea of what happened in book one, but really - just read it first. You're welcome. ;)
Moving on... Chicago police detective Annalisa Vega pretty much blew up her life in book one of this series, both professionally and personally. She knew what she was doing was right, and she knew the consequences would be unpleasant, to say the least, but her principles wouldn't allow her to do otherwise. As book two starts, she's living with those consequences. She's all but estranged from her family and most of her fellow cops don't trust her. Her partner Nick Carelli is also her ex-husband. When a cop is murdered, then another with similar details, they realize there could be a couple more cops in danger, and the hunt is on to discover who has it in for the four cops known as the "Fantastic Four". Joanna Schaffhausen knows how to take mystery lovers on a great journey. There's a lot going on here, both in Annalisa's investigation and in her personal life. It's all interesting and a bit convoluted at times, but not so much that you can't keep things straight. And in the end, it all makes perfect sense. I'm already looking forward to the next book in this series.
I listened to the audiobook; Kelsey Navarro's narration is excellent and definitely added to my enjoyment of the book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

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