Thanks to St Martin's press for their outstanding eARCS, and thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an avenue to access them.

Police procedurals are my bread and butter, and just because Annalisa Vega is now a private detective and pregnant with her and her husband's baby, she is still an unequalled crime fighting machine.

Nick, Annalisa's brother, persuades her to investigate on behalf of Nick's friend Joe, who he swears was railroaded for a murder he didn't commit.

Annalisa is one of my favorite mystery solving characters, and I was so excited to see a new entry in this series released.

That said, there are a few things I wish I could change about the storyline. I worked as a PI for years, and other than Insurance fraud investigations, I was frequently hired to follow cheating spouses - in this storyline, Nick is a former vow breaker, and "once a cheater always a cheater" is a recognizable saying because it IS based in truth. Personally, I would be THRILLED if the author had Annalisa dump her unworthy and insecure husband and rejoin the police force as a homicide detective - she is a crime fighting hero!

If you are a fan of mysteries and police procedurals, you are doing yourself a disservice if you haven't yet read a book in this stellar series - you don't have to read the books in order, jump in anywhere, you will quickly become addicted to the author's relatable storylines and characters. The misdirections in this one are jaw-droppingly 🙀 surprising.

Annalisa Vega is one of my favorite characters - I love this series by the talented author Joanna Schaffhausen.

Another great addition to this series!

Annalisa Vega-former detective turned PI- is struggling to find cases to work while pregnant. When she is asked by her prison bound brother to visit, she finds herself investigating the case of his fellow inmate, Joe Green, who claims to be innocent of the murder he was charged with. The problem is, her husband Nick was the lead detective on the case.

What starts as just asking questions, turns into a massive web of lies and misunderstandings, and at the center of it all is the domestic violence shelter for women.

I loved this story and was completely hooked from the beginning. Anna and Nick's relationship is amazing and I love how they come together to solve the mystery.

Great work!

Latest in the Annalisa Vega series. Anna is contacted by her somewhat estranged brother Alex, asking her to help a fellow inmate who claims to be wrongfully imprisoned for murder. The catch is that he was put in prison by her husband, so finding out he is innocent could damage Nick's career. Another great book in a great series by one of my favorite authors. The ending of this one had a bit of a final feel to it, like it could be the last in the series. I always look forward to more from this author, whether it's about Ellery, Anna, or someone new. 4 stars.

Special thanks to St.Martin’s Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this arc.

I love a good police procedural thriller. And better yet when the leading detective on the case is a badass woman. Author Joanna schaffhausen wrote an amazing female lead! I loved this book and am going to check out the series.

Annalise is pregnant and finding it hard to keep up her private investigation business going. Her brother has a possible case for her. It’s one of his fellow inmates named Joe. The problem is her husband Nick is the one who arrested Joe in the first place. I enjoy this series and loved this book I highly recommend it to mystery lovers.