Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I've read Ms. Schaffhausen's Ellery Hathway series, and enjoyed them very much, so I was primed to enjoy the start of a new series by her, and I was not disappointed!

Annalisa Vega is a Chicago homicide detective, who finds herself involved in a new murder which appears to be by the Lovelorn Killer, a serial killer from 20 years ago, who killed 7 women and then was not heard from again. The new victim, Grace Harper, is part of an online amateur detective group, and she believes that the killer is still around and wants to work on this with her group as a cold case. And then, she's found dead, with the same apparent methods as the Lovelorn Killer.

The case is exceptionally complicated because there are numerous personal implications. One of the earlier victims was a close friend and neighbor of her parents, and the mother of her boyfriend. Her father was a homicide detective at the time, and had at least some part in the investigation, and all of the police involved in the earlier investigations were friends of her father's and old friends of hers. Just to add icing to the cake, her ex-husband rejoins the Chicago homicide department, and is assigned as her partner on the investigation! Oh, yeah, and add in the former boyfriend who returns to Chicago for the first time since his mother was killed.

These complications are what gives the extra interest to the book. Of course, trying to solve a recently heated up cold case is interesting in itself, particularly when you add a group of reasonably successful amateur sleuths to the mix. But, her personal connections to the original series of cases, and the unsettling complications that arise from her doubts about the original police investigation and the possible implications for people she knows and loves, add a whole extra dimension.

I found this a compelling read, and highly recommend it. I'm still hoping for more Ellery Hathaway books, but I'm now looking forward to a second book in this series as well!

Thank you #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

This was an excellent start to a new series by a, new to me author. JS has produced a gifted female detective that will very likely carry the ball into many upcoming installments.

Annalisa Vega is a sharp young investigator carrying her own baggage, personal and professional, but never for a minute did it cross my mind that her family drama might be so deeply unsettling and led to such a difficult decision and conclusion.

Too, it never even lurked in the dark corners of my mind that the serial killer would be such a deftly concealed secret. I didn’t have a clue. Very skillfully done JS. This book has only served to wet my appetite for more from JS and AV.

I really enjoy the Ellery Hathaway series by Joanna Schaffhausen, so when I saw that she had a new series coming out I was excited to try it, and was not disappointed!

Gone for Good is the first book in the Annalisa Vega series and Schaffhausen shows once again that she knows how to write a well-paced and suspenseful police procedural… this time adding in a true crime group which so many people outside of books seem to be involved in… or at least enjoy watching and listening to true crime programs. This layer made the book seem even more timely.

Schaffhausen is a master of character development. She incorporates a family (blood and police) that had me really invested. The banter between the family is believable and the community of the cops in the Chicago neighborhood help out Grace, even when she’s acting rash and not thinking about the consequences.

The romance that is woven into the story was very well done. I often find myself skimming the relationship parts in a suspense (unless it’s a romantic suspense), but the way that both the ex-husband and the first love were layered into the book made sense with the story and both the men added to the fear that the serial killer was imparting in the community.

As far as the killer goes, I was floundering to figure out who it was until Schaffhausen dropped a big clue. Some readers may completely miss it, but I had read other stories in the past that had this type of killer too. Not that it took anything away from this book, it just made me able to recognize the killer sooner.
And the final twist I really did not see coming, but it was amazing. Annalisa had some hard choices to make once it was revealed and while some readers may have wished she had decided to do something else, I really commend the author for deciding to go in the direction she did.

An excellent start to the Annalisa Vega series and I am looking forward to book two.

What a great start to this new series! Detective Annalisa Vega is taking on the case of the Lovelorn killer who seemed to disappear for for nearly twenty years and with a new case in the present she is making it her mission to capture and bring him to justice. The latest victim, Grace Harper, worked by night to try and solve the mystery that the Chicago PD couldn't solve for years. When she is found murdered in the same manner, Annalisa has to trace her steps and find out how close Grace really came to unmasking the murderer. I really enjoyed the character development of this story and the ultimate ending. This was a great set up of the characters for book 2 and I'm excited to see what cases Annalisa will take on next.

Expected publication: August 10th 2021

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

As a fan of police procedurals, this new series piqued my interest. With a female detective as the lead protagonist, Detective Annalisa Vega, she is quick to learn how difficult a case can be when it gets personal.

The case of a serial killer, known as the Lovelorn Killer, remained unsolved for more than 20 years. That is until an amateur sleuth, Grace Harper, stumbles onto new information that could solve the case, but ends up dead before she can share her theory. Given the state of Grace's body when found, it looks like the Lovelorn Killer may be back and he has his eyes on the Detective assigned to his case.

As a Detective, I thought Annalisa was thorough in her investigation, not ruling anything out, even crazy conspiracy theories. She is a bit impulsive at times and given the escalating risk to those around her, took some stupid chances that cost lives. But those chances did help her in the end.

While I didn't figure out the killer, despite one major clue that other readers may catch, I did have some questions about how the cops failed to catch this killer years prior. So, the twist wasn't a huge surprise, but how the author delivered that twist and how Annalisa reacted, was a surprise. Speaks to her character and sets up what could be an intriguing series to follow.

With a deranged killer on the loose, escalating threats toward the person hunting them, this was the perfect “cat and mouse” chase story. A real page turner. If you are a fan of this genre like me, add this one to your TBR.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley for an honest review. Many thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur books.

Grace Harper is a member of the online, amateur sleuth group The Grave Diggers. In her free time she researches unsolved murder and missing person cases. Grace and her team get too close to solving the Lovelorn serial killer murders. Grace is eventually found murdered in her home in the same methods as the Chicago murders committed 20 years ago.

Detective Annalisa Vega is the a Detective for the Chicago PD. Policing is in her blood. Her father, George investigated the Lovelorn Killer back in the day and this time she's determined to hunt down the killer.

I really enjoyed this book in a new series! It had a strong family element. We get to know the Vega family. Annalisa collaborates with her Dad and his former partner Rod Brewster to learn additional facts and history. I enjoyed the family banter amongst the siblings. Descriptions of Annalisa's Mom's cooking and the close, tight-knit neighborhood in Chicago's Norwood Park. The family structure added to story and further developed the way I cared about the characters.

As far as the plot development I did not figure out the killer on my own. I was completely surprised. My rating of only 4 stars was due to the method of "demise of the killer". What eventually happens to the killer is identical to a major thriller that was published in 2018. Surely some other method could've been chosen by the author.

The book had a hint of romance which I also really enjoyed. Annalisa's high school boyfriend Colin Duffy left Chicago after his mother, Katie is murdered by the Lovelorn Killer. He only now returns after the killer begins to strike again. Annalisa's ex-husband Nick Carelli is also a police officer working on the Lovelorn case. These two relationships provide tension but also mental support for Annalisa as she experiences tense moments. The subplot was "just enough romance" and not overly sappy nor distracting from the main plot.

I encourage readers who generally do not enjoy crime novels to actually pick up this book. It is NOT overly laden with procedural jargon nor testosterone filled cop vernacular. I didn't need procedural details and I was grateful that the book didn't provide it. Bravo to Schaffhausen!

Finally the book ramps back up with a twist that I did not see coming at all. After learning details about the Lovelorn case Annalisa must make a decision which will impact her integrity and her career. Great wrap up and surprise ending! I'll definitely pick up the second book in the series. The book is definitely worth purchasing.

Being a fan of Joanna Schaffhausen’s Ellery Hathaway series it was a no brainer that I needed to pick up this new series. Gone for Good is the first book in this new thrilling mystery and it felt a lot like picking up the first book in the Ellery Hathaway series so I think fans will be pleased and new readers can get in on the ground floor of this one if they missed out on the other.

Detective Annalisa Vega gets the call to a disturbing homicide scene when she’s told to use her lights and sirens and wonders why, the victim can’t be any deader when she arrives. What Annalisa walks in on though immediately brings back her childhood. A victim is laid out in much the same fashion as Annalise’s childhood friend’s mother.

The victim, Grace Harper, had joined a group that was made up of regular folks who were obsessed with cold cases and solving those crimes the police had failed to solve. Grace had taken on looking into The Lovelorn Killer who had disappeared off the map after taking his seventh victim, the mother of Annalise’s friend. So as Annalise gets paired up with her ex-husband she also has her long ago crush back in her life as she begins to hunt the killer her father couldn’t put behind bars.

Joanna Schaffhausen has certainly found her niche when it comes to writing about gritty and determined female detectives. While Annalisa Vega is somewhat different from Ellery Hathaway she is also somewhat the same and it felt like returning to something I’ve read before while also getting to know new characters if that makes any sense. I did like that this opener jumped right into the hunt for a serial killer and how it all worked out in the end but I was also curious as to what form this will take to continue. I’m sure when it does it will quickly jump to being a favorite just as the Ellery Hathaway began at four stars and has only gone up each read since.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Detective Annalisa Vega normally does not get called in to investigate gruesome cases, but when she walks in on a crime scene that is laden with familiar photographs, memories of her childhood come flooding in. What she sees tells her that either the killer who seemingly fell off the face of the earth twenty years earlier has resurfaced, or this is a first-rate copycat killing. She must wave off the sensations and emotions that threaten to overwhelm her and focus on doing her job. This is the basic premise of Joanna Schauffhausen’s introduction to a new series in Gone for Good.

The tone of the opening chapters felt a bit “snarky” to me, as Vega is partnered with her ex-husband, Nick Carelli. The two had a brief marriage, due, apparently, to Nick’s inability to remain faithful. Annalisa is not shy about dishing out barbs, and Nick is graceful in taking them. Over the course of the book, their relationship mellows, as they do know each other well, and despite their difficult history, there is some mutual respect, and importantly, professionalism between them.

Along the way, Anna gets clues that convince her that this is, indeed, the murderer who was labeled “The Lovelorn Killer.” The latest victim proves to be a treasure trove of information; she was quite a sleuth, having been active in a group called The Grave Diggers, who research unsolved crimes. Grace was quite gung-ho and was determined to call out the Lovelorn Killer. Could it be that she succeeded? The reader is privvy to her journal, which reveals her findings and theories about the man.

In addition, prior to Grace Harper, the last known victim was the mother of Annalisa’s high school boyfriend. A number of cops also lived in the neighborhood, so there was great frustration when that case was never solved. Anna’s dad, who now has Parkinson’s, is a former cop, and she still wonders how much he knows and what he isn’t telling her now about the case. Things also get emotionally complicated when her old boyfriend comes into her life. Should Anna stay on this case? She won’t take no for an answer!

The plot takes the reader back and forth between Grace’s journal and the police investigation, along with Annalisa’s past and present personal story. The pace picks up significantly in the final 35% or so, and it becomes hard to put down. There are several surprises at the end – is it all’s well that ends well? I’ll never tell!

This was my first time reading anything by Ms. Schauffhausen, but after settling into this one, I think I can say that this was a fairly impressive first read. It was hard to put down at the end! I wish to thank NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and the author for providing me with an ARC of Gone for Good in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. My opinions are my own.

4 stars

Playing off the recent popularity of online amateur detective forums/podcasts working on solving cold crimes, this book shows what can happen when someone does indeed get close to solving a case, but things go horribly wrong.

Grace Harper, a member of the Grave Diggers, a group of amateur cold case detectives, is found dead, tied up and strangled in the exact manner of the old Lovelorn Killer, who disappeared 20 years ago. Apparently, Grace had been hunting the killer and was getting close to cracking the case when he showed up at her door. Now it’s up to Anna Vega and her ex-husband, also a Chicago P.D. Detective to hunt down a killer everyone thought was long gone. And this case is personal for Anna, as his last victim was a close family friend. It gets even more personal when it appears that not only is Anna on the case - the killer seems to want to make her a part of it.

The story is told from the alternating views of Anna and Grace’s case notes.

I loved this book. It was so interesting to see how the various characters came at the case - Grace from the amateur interest and Anna and Nick from the professional police angle. And the case itself was super interesting. It was a bit like a fictional version of the Golden State Killer case, and there suddenly became a race against time to catch him. I was absolutely riveted.

There’s also some really good personal angles in this one too, with Anna being connected to both the case and the major players, both in the past and in the present. I was as invested in the personal storylines as the mystery.

I don’t want to say too much about the ending to give anything away, but this one really rocked me. It is one of those where you can’t quite look away until the very end. Wow. I’m still digesting it!

If you’re interesting in serial killer thrillers, pick this one up!

Gone for Good begins with a really interesting premise. A group of online sleuths who investigate cold cases have taken an interest in a serial killer who disappeared after his last kill. Known for sending love letters for the victims to a local paper the "Lovelorn Killer" is a Chicago serial killer with similar notoriety levels as Ted Bundy or BTK. When one of the amateur detectives, Grace, ends up murdered in the same manner as the previous victims it would appear that the killer who had been dormant for some 20 years has resurfaced. Detective Annalisa Vega knew one of the original victims and when she is contacted by someone claiming to be the killer she has to balance her own safety with her desire to catch the killer once and for all. There is also a healthy amount of interpersonal drama as Anna's new partner is also her ex-husband, another old flame has resurfaced, and her own father was part of the original investigation. Honestly everything in this book was looking to add up to an incredibly good story and I found it really enthralling even though it didn't totally knock my socks off.

What worked for me was that I really liked the cast of characters in this and the relationships between them. Even if I didn't agree with everything they were doing all the time I still found them really relatable and actually found myself caring about them a little more than I did the main mystery. There were a couple of points where I found myself a little bit bored by the investigation itself but the interactions happening between the characters was enough to keep me interested and I found myself reading through the book quite quickly. This was really tightly paced and felt like an incredibly fast and engrossing read which I was grateful for.

This book also did the "creep" factor really well! I was reading before bed one night and there was a certain scene that actually gave me goosebumps and creeped me out to the point of me messaging my group chat because I was big spooked. Being able to suck a reader in like that is really impressive and I thought the author did a good job with creating atmosphere in the book and just keeping the reader on edge along with the characters.

I also really enjoyed the end of the book. I think it set up a lot of potential storylines for the future series and I will be really curious to see where the author takes it. I was kind of unsure about whether I would look to pick up the next book in this series but the ending totally sold me and I will definitely be checking out book two.

What I was a little let down by was the role that the amateur detectives played in the book. I honestly expected the "Grave Diggers" to have a more active role in the investigation and while I understand why they didn't (it would have been a totally different book) I was still kind of disappointed. I thought the idea of amateur sleuths looking into cold cases had a lot of potential and that was what initially drew me to the book and I just wanted more of it. I would have loved to see this book with an MC who was part of the Grave Diggers instead of a detective even though again, I know that would have ended up as a different book entirely (I would have read the heck out of that story).

Overall, I thought the writing in this showed a lot of skill (the clues for twists etc were really well plotted) and I'm definitely interested in picking up other works by this author. I did enjoy the book as whole even though I also found some parts weren't that exciting. I'd give it a really solid 3.5 stars for myself personally and I think anyone who likes detective/procedural thrillers will undoubtedly enjoy this one. Would recommend!

Excellent start of what promises to be a must read series! It didn't take me long to get sucked in and completely invested in the outcome. Annalise is both strong and complex. The hunt for the truth is a twisty road full of suspense. Then there is the added complications of an ex husband for a partner and a lost love who returns. I was blindsided by the big reveal! And by the end I was on the edge of my seat to see how things ended up. I can't wait for the next book. This series is going on my have to have list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me a digital copy for review.

Gone for Good was a thrill ride right from the beginning! Every time I had it figured out, I was thrown for a curve. I absolutely loved main character Annalisa Vega. She was a tough as nails cop who still allowed herself to be vulnerable. She is assigned to investigate the murder of a woman named Grace Harper, and it becomes immediately known that her death is the work of the infamous murderer known as the Lovelorn Killer, who seemingly vanished twenty years earlier. It was presumed that he either died or was arrested for another crime, and Chicago seemingly let out a breath of fresh air. But as Annalisa digs deeper, she realizes that not only was Grace investigating the Lovelorn Killer, but she may have stumbled upon evidence that would’ve allowed her to catch him. Soon the killer sets his sights on Annalisa, and she must work harder than ever to find him before he gets to her.

I think I’ve found a new favorite mystery heroine. All the characters were fleshed out and jumped off the page. While the mystery was the main focus of the novel, I did appreciate that the author took the time to develop her main character’s personal life and developed the main side characters as well. I cannot wait for book two, and would highly recommend this to all mystery fans. This is one not to be missed.

All I can say is wow. The author pulled out a fast one in this riveting and intensifying drama that I could not put down until all was said and done. A serial killer, an amateur sleuth group and the lead detective all take center stage in this well-written prose that kept me immersed in all aspects as I watch this wickedly devilish plot play out. The author provided plenty of suspects and it was the details that set the course that would lead to a few twists and turns that enhanced how well this story was being told. The pacing reached a frenetic pitched as the story moved forward with a few surprises thrown in that I did not see coming. Explosive and a grippingly enticing read that earned my praised. Kudos to the author. Well-done.

Gone for Good
A Novel
by Joanna Schaffhausen
4 stars

Fantastic book in a new series! What a ride. I cannot wait to read the next one in the series.!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review of the book.
What an exciting and hard to put down book. Annalisa is a likeable protagonist, and I enjoy mystery books that I think i know the "whodunit", and am shocked when I'm wrong. I recommend this book to other mystery lovers.

When the author of one of my top four series, Joanna Schaffhausen decided to start a new series, I read the ARC with great trepidation. When I quickly realized this new series would be terrific I felt a great whoosh of relief. The series starts with Gone for Good and features Det. Annalisa Vega.
Chicago PD homicide detective Annalisa Vega escapes a boring blind date when she is called to the scene of a murdered woman, trussed and strangled. Immediately Vega is forced back to the summer of her first boyfriend and maybe her forever love. The summer 20 years ago when the Lovelorn Killer chose a neighbor she dearly loved and admired to be his seventh victim; the summer her neighborhood, her life and her family changed forever. The summer still causing personal repercussions.
The newest victim, Grace Harper belongs to an amateur internet group called the Grave Diggers who are investigating the long ago crimes of the Lovelorn Killer. Seven women, murdered and tortured as Grace is murdered and tortured. Then he stopped.
Grace might be the eighth victim. Is the Lovelorn Killer starting up again, angry that some amateur group has the gall to investigate him? Is he answering the Grace’s call out and challenge?
Gone for Good is partially a look at how a group of amateurs use the internet to indulge their fascination with solving cold cases. The Grave Diggers are a mix of a genuine wish to help and a “I’m smarter than the cops” attitude.
The Grave Diggers, especially Grace, seemed to be heading in a new direction. Annalisa and her new detective partner, ex-husband Nick Carelli, follow Grace’s investigation with information from the Grave Diggers and Grace's murder room devoted to the Lovelorn Killer and his seven victims. They are willing to give a chance to this new metric of crime solving.
Schaffhausen has written a wholly original story combining old fashioned police work with the presence of amateurs who might actually bring new insight into an old case.
Annalisa is a strong woman who deals with the fear of losing a parent, accepts the reappearance of her first love and then her ex-husband, and recognizes the pressure of solving a media magnet murder. Annalisa also has to look back and realize her childhood and neighborhood was not as idyllic as she remembers, even before it all comes crashing down.
The other characters are significant; no one is one sided or dull. Even the dead woman, Grace Harper-ummm-comes alive through her journals and musings which the reader is privy to, although Annalisa does not get to read until the end.
Schaffhausen is a crisp writer, nothing wasted. I loved Annalisa’s long ago reminisces of neighborhood fall parties and Sunday afternoon barbeques as much as the excitement of the current investigation.
The ending is so fabulously twisted. It falls as an anvil with us as the roadrunner. But it’s all there, nothing comes from left field, in fact the reader knows more than the detectives. Mostly.
Gone for Good is a not- to- be- missed beginning to a new series. One that will stay with you.
My thanks to NetGalley for an ARC for review purposes.

Joanna Schaffhausen’s writing just keeps getter better and better. This is much evident in her new Chicago-based series featuring police officer extraordinaire Annalisa Vega. Vega’s life is thrown into complete chaos when a serial killer from her past remerges, more deadly than ever. Vega must face some very intense demons from her path while trying to track down the killer. Schaffhausen presents an extremely well-written, sophisticated mystery with an abundance of layers and outstanding character development. I look forward to reading more in this series!

Gone for Good is a book that will keep you on edge as you wait for what is going to happen next. Joanna Schaffhausen has written in a way the keeps you wanting to read all night.

Wow what a read! This was the first Joanna Schaffhausen book I've read and it did not disappoint. Great development of characters, great pace of the story line, twisty turns! And what an ending! Highly recommend!

Gone for Good was an enjoyable start to a new series featuring Detective Annalisa Vega (who is definitely friends with Louisa Luna's PI Alice Vega in my mind).

The plot of this one focuses on a serial killer who's re-emerged after two decades (note descriptions of the murders can be a bit graphic, even to a frequent mystery/suspense reader). Anna's on the case. She's also got history with this one: Her dad Frank (a retired cop) was part of the investigation until Kate Duffy, their neighbor and Frank's partner's wife, was murdered too. Anna calls Kate's son to let him know the killer's back; said son just so happens to be Anna's high school sweetheart. Which was unbeknownst to Nick, Anna's partner at work and ex-husband.

Whew! It's probably a testament to author Joanna Schaffhausen that Gone for Good read more like an episode of crime TV than a soap opera, though do note the action at times is slowed by backstory.

I read this one on the beach; it held my attention and kept me turning the pages. At the same time, I didn't finish it in a rush to recommend it to friends/family. My reservations are spoilery, so I won't list them here, and to be honest I wonder if part of it is that I need to take a break from the genre. (Is it just that I'm burnt out on mysteries featuring cops who consistently make bad choices yet get the murderer in the end?) Anyway, a fine beach read, and one I'm eager to hear others' thoughts on.