I read the first book in this series despite knowing I may not love it because I am decidedly not a huge detective/ crime thriller fan and find the investigative part to be a bit dull and I usually find myself turning out if its an audiobook. Luckily I read the first book in the series as a physical book so I was able to keep focus but still found the investigation a bit dull. The sequel was really no different. There were again a lot of characters to keep track of which usually frustrates me but this wasn't too bad and I was able to keep them straight pretty quickly. I did think the twists were unexpected but didn't find myself fully invested to feel completely shocked. I did enjoy the ending though and the relationship between the two was fun to watch. I think I will probably continue to avoid the genre but do enjoy this authors writing. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this second installment of the Annalisa Vega series. Although the mystery in this one stands alone, you'll miss a lot of the emotional impact and side storylines if you don't read Gone for Good first.

In this one, Vega and her ex-husband/partner Nick are called in to help investigate the murder of a fellow police officer, Leo Hammond. Leo was a part of a group of officers known as "The Fantastic Four", cops who got arrests and got the job done. Annalisa starts to investigate and discovers another unsolved case with a suspect who has good reason to want Leo dead--and that man happens to be dating Vega's ex-sister-in-law. As the pieces start to come together, there are more murders, more attacks, and Vega's life might be the one in the crosshairs.

Overall this is a very solid offering from Schaffhausen in this new series. The characters are fully fleshed out and have complex personalities and motivations. I really like Annalisa, and being able to root for her is what makes this series shine. She's tough, smart, and not afraid to do the right thing regardless of personal consequences. I'm a huge fan of police procedurals and this one is a fabulous example. My only problem is when characters I like are set up over and over and framed for things they don't do and everyone around them seems to believe the setup. As I said in an update, the wrongfully accused person is one of my least favorite tropes, so those parts in this book gave me anxiety and made me like the book a bit less. It's still a fabulous read and highly recommended.

I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrator Kelsey Navarro does a stellar job giving voice to Annalisa. The entire book is from her point of view, so getting her personality and intonation is critical and Navarro does it well, as she did in Gone for Good.

If you're a fan of police procedural mysteries, do yourself a favor and read this series, you won't be disappointed!

loved reading Gone For Good last year so when I found out we’d be getting some more from Annalisa Vega, I couldn’t wait to read it, especially after that shocking ending!

Police Procedurals aren’t typically my go to sub-genre of choice but this series is quite the exception as it’s incredibly action packed and totally propulsive!

With a strong female protagonist and a well developed supporting cast, this super twisty plot is suspenseful from start to finish! I was constantly questioning everyone’s motives and intentions and love a good story where the author manages to seemingly implicate everyone!

Here’s to hoping we get another one and that we don’t have to wait too long for it! 🤞

Joanna Schaffhausen knows how to write detective/criminal thrillers - "Long Gone" adds to a long list of heart-racing, twisting and turning novels.

I had mixed feelings about this throughout the narrative, but ultimately felt satisfied enough to give it four stars. Let’s blame the bulk of my issues with it on expectations. They’re such pesky things to have!

Here’s the issue: I loved Gone For Good, the first in the Annalisa Vega series. It had character depth, chilling moments, complicated family dynamics, and a great mystery.

Long Gone had the family and mystery components, but it felt more superficial than its predecessor. I wasn’t particularly into the corrupt cops angle and felt like the villainous dialogue was a bit campy, although this may have been because of how the audiobook narrator delivered those lines. I read the first book and perhaps being able to decide inflection in my own head made a world of difference .

I did enjoy the procedural aspect and there were actually two mysteries in this so BONUS! The side mystery was something I was able to guess at on a whim, but it was still fun to see Vega piece it all together, and I definitely had no clue about the main line of suspense! Plus, I liked the banter between Annalisa and Nick. They’re a good team, although I’m worried about the drama that might ensue if they re-commit romantically!

I do believe the aspects that worked for me outweigh my gripes and I was fairly glued to the story from start to finish. I will likely continue with the series, but I hope the next homicide mystery better suits what I find intriguing in a plot line.

I am immensely grateful to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for my audio review copy. All opinions are my own.

Long Gone is the second in a series featuring Detective Annalisa Vega. While it is book 2, it can definitely be read as a stand alone. Vega is a by the book Detective, going so far as to turn her own dad and brother in for murder. In this second installment, Vega teams up with her ex, Nick as they investigate the murder of a cop that’s one of a group of four old time cops nicknamed The Fantastic Four. What Vega digs up is not only a suspect for Leo’s death, but also the prime suspect of a murder twenty years ago. When Vega gets too close ranks are closed against her and she’s taken off the case, but that’s not about to stop Vega, she knows she’s onto something, but are the two cases connected and are the Fantastic Four really as fantastic as everyone thinks? As more bodies pile up, Vega might be in mortal danger, but she’ll stop at nothing to solve her case. With the realistic voice of Kelsey Navarro, Is a realistic this a very enjoyable listen!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media, Netgalley, and Joanna Schaffhausen for an ALC of Long Gone in exchange for an honest review! I really enjoyed this story and following along with Annaleise as she tried to solve an intense and long standing murder case. I appreciated the authors ability to show us her tenacity and how real the characters seemed throughout the story. I didnt realize at first that this was the second book in somewhat of a series but for the most part, I believe it reads as a standalone. Another positive point is how great the narrator did at telling us the story in such a detailed and vivid manner! I look forward to seeing what else this author does in the future! This one is available on 8/9/22!

Long Gone by Joanna Schaffhausen is the second in a series centered on homicide detective Annalisa Vega. What I have loved most about both books in this series is how they explore the complex relationship law enforcement officers have with each other. Both explore where loyalty lines are drawn and when/if those lines should ever be crossed. Beyond that, there is the matter of if they are crossed by one of their own, how much loyalty should/can be shown to the one who crossed it. Annalisa's complex love life is featured in both books. I am not sure who or what the outcome is that the author is angling for, but I am not a fan of love triangles, so I wish Annalisa would pick a lane. I love her partnership with her ex-husband, Nick, and how loyal he is to her through both books even when other cops are actively trying to ostracize or set her up for a fall. Long Gone was just as strong as the first book in the series. While Annalisa's dogged obsession was annoying at times, her sometimes questionable methods being called out were much appreciated by this reader. So many times in life, other people's wrongdoings or corruption are called out as immoral even when the person doing them fully believes them to be for the greater good. When the people who call those out are shown to be as guilty of building excuses to go around the rules themselves "for the greater good" it is nice to expose that hypocrisy and see that explored. The mysteries in Long Gone were entertaining, but the psychology of the characters was just as engaging to me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Joanna Schaffhausen for the advanced listening copy in exchange for my honest review.

Detective Annalisa Vega is back and she's just as badass as book one! I thoroughly enjoyed the pacing and storyline of the second book in the series, and I hope I get to read many more books featuring Detective Vega in the future.

For what it's worth, I'd highly recommend reading the first book before this one. Although this works just fine as a standalone read, it does completely spoil the big reveal of book one and it's a shame because that book was also wonderful!

Kudos to Kelsey Navarro who did a wonderful job narrating this audiobook as well.

Long Gone is on bookshelves August 9!

Detective Vega is back on the case and truly becomes the master of mystery. She is a dogged and determined investigator that only wants justice - often at her own peril. Schauffhausen’s writing is spot on developing well thought out characters and plot while making things mostly believable. It’s an entertaining read and I can’t wait for the next installment. Thanks to NetGalley for the early read.

Thank you NetGalley for this copy in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed Gone for Good the first Detective Annalisa Vega book so I was so excited for the second. I love that this book isn’t one you just know the answer to and it takes most of the book for it to all come together. It keeps you on your toes and makes for an interesting read. I hope there are more to the series!

The second in the Detective Vega series! You definitely could read this as a stand alone but I would recommend reading the first one because it makes the story more enjoyable imo. It was also interesting to see how the characters developed from the last book to this one.

I liked the storyline and how there was actually multiple mysteries to solve rather than just one. I love the relationship between Annalisa and Nick, and would love to read more about them.

A terrific follow-up.

I really enjoy Schaffhausen's writing style. I see myself continuing with this fine female police procedural detective series. I find there's enough suspense to keep me turning the pages, a mystery that I thought I figured out but didn't, and vivid realistic characters.

It's not easy to be a woman in the police force. It's especially hard for Annalisa Vega after she turned in her brother for murder and her ex-cop father with the cover-up. Now she's on a new case where the victim is a hero cop. Vega works with her partner/ex-husband Nick on the case.

This one has multilayer mystery and pulls in old cases. I especially like the characters and Vega's family issues. It feels real. However, there are a lot of characters that I find difficult to keep straight after a while, especially on audio. I rewind a lot and thought that made for less entertaining listening so I had to stop myself from constantly doing it. This is more 3.5⭐ but I enjoyed the narrator and the ending so I'm bumping it up to 4!

Anything she had to lose is long gone...

Annalisa feels like an outsider after turning in her father, a retired cop, for being complicit in a murder. She no longer feels welcome around her family, and her fellow officers whisper about her at work. When Annalisa and her partner are called to the scene of detective Leo Hammond's murder, all of the evidence leads to more questions than answers. Determined to solve the case, Annalisa begins to investigate Leo's secrets and past cases to find out who might have a grudge against him. As a detective with a prolific career behind him, the list of Leo's potential enemies is a long one, but one of them sticks out from the rest. Moe Bocks, a used car salesman, was on Leo's radar for years as a suspect in a young woman's murder, but he was never able to prove it. Now Moe is dating Annalisa's best friend, putting even more pressure on her to solve the case and put him away for murder. With no one on her side, can Annalisa solve the case? Or will she be the next officer to fall?
I flew through this book almost as quickly as the first Annalisa Vega novel! I was so excited to catch up with Annalisa and her sharp detective work. Annalisa is brilliant and picks up on the slightest details that many people would miss. I enjoyed the accompanying audiobook and was thrilled that Kelsey Navarro was the narrator, as I loved her performance in the audiobook for the first novel. I could listen to her all day long! I enjoyed Long Gone as much as Gone for Good, and I can't wait for the third installment of this series. I recommend this book to anyone who has read and loved Gone for Good!

This one was just okay for me. I did not know it was a series when I went into it, so I feel like I was just missing certain parts of the book. Which while my own fault, did make the book hard to understand. I do not feel like I was the target for this book.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Minotaur Books for my advanced readers copy. Thank you to Dreamscape Media for my advanced listener copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Long Gone is book two in the Detective Annalissa Vega series.

I decided to listen to this book and I don't know if that was the best decision. Kelsey Navarro is the narrator, and she does a great job. It's just that there are so many characters in this story to keep track of. I actually paused the audio more than once to grab my physical arc to read what I just listened to. Too many characters. Plus, Annalisa is dealing with a new murder while trying to solve an old murder and not get set up for a murder? Did you catch all that?

While this is book two, I do think it could be read as a standalone due to the fact that it has been a while since I read book one and I didn't remember some of the events that happened. It's retold in this book well enough that the reader will get it and still enjoy it. Of course, you should read the first book, Gone for Good, as it was a five-star read for me.

This is a fast-paced story, full of action and twists. I am a big fan of this author and already look forward to book three in this series.

My thanks to Dreamscape Media and Net Galley for this arc.

Detective Annaliese Vega has a lot going on professionally and personally with family drama that connects a current case with a col case involving her father. Good narrator, gritty story, easy listen.

My only negative comment is this lost me a little. Too much going on with many characters, but not bad.

I enjoyed this mystery. I thought the characters were well developed and the mystery was intriguing. I do not feel that any parts of the book were predictable and I was extremely surprised the by the twists at the end! I also enjoyed the romance side story between Annalisa and Nick. I was rooting for them the whole time. I am excited to see what is next for Annalisa Vega!

Joanna Schaffhausen is a master of intrigue
and suspense. Her latest in the Chicago based Annalisa Vega series is sophisticated
and captivating. As much as I enjoyed "Gone for Good" I thought this one was BETTER. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ACR.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press Minotaur Books and Dreamscape Media for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the second book in the Detective Annalisa Vega series by Joanna Schaffhausen, audiobook perfectly narrated by Kelsey Navarro - 4.5 stars!

Detective Vega is trying to get her life back after turning in her ex-cop father for a murder. She is at odds with her family and her coworkers don't trust her. When fellow detective Leo Hammond turns up dead, she has nothing to lose by looking into his death and his past. Annalisa thinks that Mo Bocks, a suspect in a cold case, may have something to do with it. Mo is also dating Annalisa's best friend, so no one is happy with her investigations. But there may be more than hard feelings coming Annalisa's way.

I loved falling back into the Chicago PD detective squad world with Annalisa and her partner and ex-husband, Nick. While you should definitely read the first in this series, the author gives plenty of back story to catch you up if you read it as a stand alone. This one is a bit complicated, with multiple investigations going on, including old cases, but it's another great police procedural and mystery. Annalisa is a wonderful character, always following her strong moral compass. I alternated between the audio, which was narrated so well, and the digital book because I needed to know how it was all going to end! Can't wait for more books in this series!