WOW!!! What a book. I love mystery/thrillers with huge twists, especially when family is involved. A 20 year old case is coming back to haunt Annalisa, in a form of a true-crime fanatic who is a wanna be Sleuth, trying to solve the case of the Lovelorn Killer. Grace is part of a group called the Grave Diggers, like a true crime forum, they meet online, and something in person, and they get into unsolved and cold cases.

Well all this snooping got Grace into huge trouble, because everything points to the RETURN of this killer. Annalisa is very connected to this case, because her father was working on the last case which involved a very close family friend, and also she has a special connection with the son Colin. Without giving too much away, Grace is such a persistent and spot on investigator, she does what I would do when I am either listening to my true crime podcasts, joining huge crime discussions, do even more research!!!!

This book kept me going, I didnt want to stop reading, there were too many suspects, and the Lovelorn killer has a new woman in his sights, and as we got closer to the end, Anna discovers that Grace was so close to finding out who was the killer, Grace and the Grave Diggers have a feeling he has been in in plain sight, blending in with everyone. As Anna starts to crack this case wide open so many other things happen that will test her relationship and even her family.

*This Killer gave me Golden State Killer/ BTK Vibes, just felt I had to put that out there, being a huge true crime fan, this book gave me all types of chills, the chills I get when watching true crime of course, lol*

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! This book had me on edge, what was discovered at the end made me gasp.

Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Gone for Good is the tale of a female detective, Annalisa Vega, taking on the search for a twenty-year serial killer in which she has a personal connection to one of his victims. There are additional story lines imbedded in the main one and a surprising twist at the end that make the book even better!

This is the first book I have read by Joanna Schaffhausen, but it will not be my last. Although, it took me several chapters to be drawn into this book, it was worth the wait as it developed into a book I did not want to put down.

Gone for Good is a story of family, relationships, truth, and justice with an appropriate amount of romance thrown in. I felt the author tied up so many loose ends perfectly and saved a well-written twist for the end.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.

#NetGalley
#MinotaurBooks
#GoneforGood
#JoannaSchaffhausen

Joanna Schaffhausen is quickly becoming one of my go-to "must read" authors. Although I admit that I have rated more of her books as four rather than five stars, I have found all of the books I have read by her to be interesting and well-written. She does an excellent job introducing characters, adding details into the story, and then making sure that everything has been put together nicely by the end of the story.

"Gone For Good" is book one in her new series, starring Annalisa Vega as a detective in the Chicago PD. The story starts off with the murder of a woman whose hobby was amateur sleuthing on cold cases with a group of friends. Annalisa has a personal connection with this particular serial killer-20 years ago he murdered the mother of her high school sweetheart. As she gets thrown into this case, she finds that (of course!) there was more to this case than what happened 20 years earlier.

After reading so many crime-based mysteries, I found that the murderer/solution to this case was hinted at enough times to make it almost obvious. Normally, that would cause me to enjoy the book less. And yet, it is Schaffhausen's writing style and characterization that made this a promising start to the series. Who knew that liking the main characters and having meaningful dialogue would make the book more enjoyable? ;) 

Schaffhausen is an underrated author that needs more recognition for her work. I highly recommend this book for people who like procedural cop stories and I look forward to seeing how the author expands on this series.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced e-copy of this book. Gone for Good is scheduled to be published on August 10, 2021. A very solid series starter!

Ooh I love a good mystery, and this is the first in a new series about Detective Annalisa Vega who is investigating a Chicago case that is supposed to be a cold case. 20 years ago women were being ritually murdered, followed by the killer sending love letters in to the local paper. There have been no more of these killings in all these years until an amateur sleuth goes poking around and winds up dead.

Detective Vega has a connection to the Lovelorn Killer from all those years ago, so being thrown back into this case is dredging up all sorts of issues from the past.

Joanna Schaffhausen is amazing at writing bad-ass, smart, women detectives and if you haven't checked out her Ellery Hathaway series, you really should. I'm thrilled that she's started this new series, and it comes out on August 10, so make sure you preorder it now!

This was the first book I’ve read from Joanna Schaffhausen, and it won’t be the last. While the first half of the book took me longer than usual to get through, the second half was thrilling. There were moments that made me gasp and genuinely surprised me. I love books that combine police procedurals with thrillers, and this was perfect for that. I do agree with some other reviewers who say the beginning was a bit slow. However, if you give it time, it’s well worth it.

Well, well, well….looks like I have another series from this author to anxiously await new installments from and then binge read in a day. This one was a RIDE. I love the authors other series and while I {im}patiently wait for the next book to come out, I was thrilled to get my hands on book one of her newest series. Featuring another kick butt female lead, this was a fabulous start! The case was perplexing and disturbing. I am invested in the characters and looking forward to reading more! My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review!

Another amazing read by Joanna Schaffhausen. Detective Annalisa Vega is hot on the trail of the Lovelorn Killer after the previously cold case once again heats up after the killer seems to strike again. Is it really him? Or is it a copycat. Detective Vega sets out to answer this question and many more. Great characters, vivid descriptions - I can't wait for the next volume in this riveting new series.

As a lover of mysteries, thrillers and police procedurals, finding a new series in any of those genres is an absolute delight (even though I probably need another one like another hole in my head). So it is that I'm excited to say I loved this book and, from even before I finished it, started looking forward to the next.

The star of this show is Chicago Detective Annalisa Vega, the daughter of a retired cop father and a mother who (reminiscent of my own sweet mom) laid out a dinner spread fit for a king 365 days a year even if no one was there to eat it. Annalisa's ex-husband of not many years (both the marriage and how long they've been apart) has returned to the department and is stoked at the prospect of working with her again.

Early on, Annalisa gets a call that a dead body has been found at the perfect time - while she's trying to figure out how to ditch a boring blind date. The deceased turns out to be Grace Harper, a member of a group called the Grave Diggers - civilians who try to solve cold cases. Most recently, Grace has focused on a serial killer known as the "Lovelorn Killer," who murdered seven women, the last known having happened two decades earlier. Whether the killer had a change of heart, is in jail for something else or is dead is a matter of conjecture.

Now, that's changed. Grace, it seems, was murdered in an MO identical to that of the Lovelorn Killer - trussed up in intricate ropes that led to a slow strangulation. For Annalisa and her father, who worked that case back then, conjures up sad memories of a beloved neighbor who was the last known victim of the serial killer. As the investigation into Grace's murder begins, it becomes clear that her relentless research may have unearthed a few too many clues - some that just might lead to the killer's identity. Finding him (or her) is a good thing, of course, but this time it threatens to turn Annalisa's world upside down (not to mention put her in the killer's crosshairs).

All told, this is an exciting, well-thought-out story with plenty of twists and turns and a terrific start for the series. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to get an up-close-and-personal look at an intriguing character. More, please? And soon?

Serial killer, grief, trauma, PTSD, unresolved conflict, family troubles, old loves, the past colliding with the present, family expectations, balancing life with career, and making time to pursue your dreams. Gone for Good has it all in a delicious package that you won't want to wait to open and read. Here's why:

My mind is an enigma. Because somehow, a great thriller that makes my heart pound and my mind race also calm me at the end of a long day. Yes, they're my reward, but it also turns off the chatter of what was left undone and what things are on my to-do list. But there are stipulations for my evening reading. The perfect books can't be too gory, too shocking, or too boring. It's a sweet spot in thrillers that's nearly impossible to achieve. Luckily, I've added Joanna Schaffhausen to the shortlist of writers that I'll read when I want to immerse myself in a great story.

I haven't read her books before; however, if Gone for Good is any indication, I'll be reading all of her backlist. She's able to get you into the characters without too much exposition and detail fluff. She takes you into the action in a way that you can empathize with the characters but not fully embody them. That way you can enjoy the literary journey without feeling that you were dragged with the victim for the literal journey.

In Gone for Good, Detective Annalisa Vega must go back to her past. She deals with her ex-husband and partner and her first love. That makes for an interesting love triangle that had me guessing until the end. We see her family in the way that most people of the sandwich generation do, as people we talk to often, but may not get to see as frequently as we'd like.

Luckily for the reader, the author includes enough of the killer's mindset to help us understand and try to piece together the clues. She does not drag us into the scene so much that we feel like we need to shower. That writing ability is SO much appreciated for someone who feels things too deeply when they read and watch fiction shows. You feel like you know the secondary and tertiary characters so much that they're not just another number in the body count.

The author is an expert at handling all the pieces of the plot, characters, scene, and relationships. I felt like I could identify these people on the street if I ran into them. As a writer who wants to try my hand at fiction, I know I can study her methods to write better. However, her methods have invisible seams.

As for the ending, just as I thought everything was resolved, I realized I was wrong. I'd forgotten one big piece. Shocking, but it made total sense.

If you are a thriller reader, you want to read this now and clear your calendar until your done.

I

Lately, I’ve found I’m more drawn to police procedurals than psychological thrillers. So, I was happy to get in on the ground floor, so to speak, of this new series about a Chicago detective.
You know it’s not a good blind date, when you’re happy to get a call about a dead body. And so it begins for Detective Annalisa Vega. In a weird coincidence, Annalisa has been partnered with her ex-husband to investigate the murder of a member of the “Grave Diggers”, an amateur cold case investigation group. The woman was working on the Lovelorn Killer, who trussed up and murdered 7 women 20 years ago without being caught. Then he stopped. Now, this woman’s murder replicates what the LK did to his prior victims.
I liked Annalisa and found her background and personality compelling. It was a nice twist to have her work with her ex, even if I can’t see that ever happening in real life. We learn quite a bit about her family and it adds to the depth of the story.
The style works well, going back and forth between Annalisa’s investigations and the journal entries of the latest victim.
While the ending wasn’t a total surprise, there were a few twists I never saw coming. There was one part of the ending that didn’t hold together. I’ll be curious to see where Schaffhausen goes with book #2.
My thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books Forman advance copy of this book.

Great characters. Unputdownable story.

My one complaint is that the killer was obvious kind of early on, so the big reveal fell a bit flat.

I love police procedurals featuring female detectives and really enjoyed the time I spent with Annalisa Vega in her hunt for the Lovelorn Killer, who had been murdering women in Chicago for decades, vanished, and then suddenly reappears to murder one of the members of an amateur true crime investigation group,

The character development in Gone For Good was strong, especially all the family and friend relationships in Annalisa's close-knit neighborhood. As the daughter of a cop, Annalisa has a unique perspective but also a fair amount of baggage. (She has a bit of a love triangle set up and I'm not sure about that...)

I did guess some of the outcome but that didn't decrease my enjoyment at all. Look forward to future Annalisa books and I'll also try this author's prior series, which sounds a bit cozier.

What an amazing and captivating mystery from beginning to end! The pace was fluid. The characters were bold and complete. There's no way to relate to this story as I'm not a detective; however, there's a certain element that makes me love Annalisa. She's smart, capable and yet very down to earth. The chemistry between Annalisa and Carelli just jumps out of the pages. I can picture this story as a series on any network. The characters have humor and life. The story of a comeback of a serial killer was riveting. I can say that because of this book, I'm looking more into the real past serial killers. The way the author wrote the Lovehorn Killer, brought him to life and not just a character in a story. However, I have to say the reveal of the Lovehorn Killer left me feeling a bit let down, he seems more impressive in the shadow. The ending has many parts not just the reveal of The Killer. Which just brought the story to a whole new level. It was an amazing read! Now I shall buy her other books.

Thank you to Martin's Press and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gone For Good introduces us to Detective Annalisa Vega of the Chicago PD, Homicide Division—and she’s on the hunt for an infamous serial killer, The Lovelorn Killer who has resurfaced after 20 years.

This is the first in series, and Schaffhausen does a great job laying the ground work for what’s to come, with significant character development and backstories. I enjoyed the variation of the chapters and use of journal entries throughout.

While I did enjoy the book, it did get off to a slow start for me, eventually picking up around 100 pages in, and was fast paced until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minatour Books for the gifted copy! Gone For Good hits shelves August 10th.

This mystery/thriller follows police detective Annalisa Vega and grocery store manager turned amateur sleuth Grace Harper. Grace is a member of an online group that investigates cold cases to see if they can solve the crimes. Twenty years ago, the Lovelorn Killer murdered seven women then disappeared before the police could catch him. The police say the killer is either in prison or dead but Grace believes he's been hiding in plain sight, still living in the neighborhoods he stalked, and she's determined to find him. Grace gets a little too close and ends up as the killers 8th victim. Annalisa is assigned to Grace's murder and with her personal connection to the case 20 years prior, Annalisa is determined to find the killer.

I've been having some real good luck with my mystery/thriller/suspense reads recently (knock on wood) and this book was no exception. I love a good serial killer book and this one hit all my soft spots - interesting killer, decades long mystery, tough female detective, high emotional stakes, and one bombshell of an ending.

I thought the structure of the book worked really well to enhance the overall reading experience. We are following 2 timelines - one is current day Annalisa and her investigation and the other is Grace's diary entries leading up to her death. Annalisa's perspective is a pretty standard police procedural mystery where her and her partner are going around and interviewing people and chasing down leads. Grace's diary entries, in contrast, are much more PI-leaning where she's following a lot of the same paths the police do, but she isn't so stuck with the rules and regulations so her investigation feels a little more flexible. I'd say the book is 2/3 Annalisa and 1/3 Grace so the diary entries act as nice little breaks from the typical police procedural narrative. I personally really like reading police procedural books but I know a lot of people find them sort of dry and rigid so I think adding in Grace's perspective can help immerse those readers in the story. This reads like a really good episode of a TV crime drama like Criminal Minds where there's an added layer of emotion from seeing Grace's efforts to catch the killer while we know the whole time that she'll end up dead. The writing style of both parts of the book also helped with the emotional impact. I think the usual narrative style for police procedurals is pretty dry and clinical to give the book that real 'detective-y' feel. In this case, however, the narrative style was more relaxed and familiar. It didn't read like a procedural at all, even in Annalisa's parts.

I absolutely adored the characters. I think a lot of times in these police procedural type mysteries, the detective character can come across as a little underdeveloped because usually they're super grumpy and broody for reasons that are only hinted at (but get revealed in later books in the series). In this case, however, Annalisa's past is pretty much laid out on the kitchen table for us so it really felt like we got to know her really well. The fact that the case was so close to her childhood and brought up some old, unresolved feelings really helped to deepen her character. I thought the supporting cast was also really interesting, but those characters did fall pretty flat for me. It felt like each side character was given one main personality trait and that's it. Of course, not every character can be really intricately developed, but it just felt like there was such a large gap in characterization between Annalisa and everyone else. I also think the reveals at the end would have had even more of an emotional punch if we got to know all the characters involved a little better. There's a romance side plot that was pretty intriguing and since it didn't get resolved in this book, I'm assuming it will continue on into the next book.

The ending was a bit of a miss for me but it comes down to personal preference. My main issue with the ending was that I was left with a bit too many questions for my liking (although the big main questions do get answered). It sort of felt like I had finished building something and had a few pieces left over where I know they should fit into what I just built but I don't really see where they should go. The book sort of made a point at the end that sometimes bad people just do bad things and that very well might be the answer to the questions I had left but it still felt like I was missing a few pages of explanation. We don't get a big villain monologue at the end which I think is where a lot of those smaller pieces would typically be smushed in. I personally am a fan of the villain monologue but I feel like I might be in the minority with that one. This is also the first police procedural where I teared up at the ending so that was an interesting experience. I apparently had become very attached to these characters so when the ending reveal came, it hit closer than I would have expected. I am glad that this is the first in a new series following Annalisa so I'll maybe get some closure down the line.

I thought the mystery thread and reveals were really well executed. My one little issue was that the key to solving the case was something one of the side characters noticed but never told anyone and thus our main characters (and, by proxy, the reader) didn't know about it so there was no real way for the reader to guess the outcome ahead of time. This one little detail ended up feeling really convenient and I wasn't sure why that character didn't say anything when they first noticed that detail. I did really like how the evidence built up during the whole book instead of having a bunch of dead ends in the investigation. Part of this, I'm sure, is because the case was very heavily investigated 20 years ago so a lot of those leads had already been investigated and found to lead nowhere. I really didn't see the last twist coming and I was honestly surprised that the book went there.

Overall, this was a really great read and I was invested right from the beginning. I really enjoyed the split POV and how the investigation developed. Annalisa was a great main character and the supporting cast was really interesting. The book did leave me wanting more details at the end but that is more of a personal preference and I didn't really feel like any of the main questions went unanswered. I'm looking forward to continuing on in this series in the future.


Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for review

Expected publication date is August 10, 2021.

I really like Joanna Schaffhausen’s writing. I’ve read two of her Markham/Hathaway series and think she is an undiscovered gem.

While this story may be a bit of a stretch, it was a great read. I even gave up my evening/night television viewing to finish it….I think that says it all. It has an intriguing plot and strong character development. I don’t give five stars easily, but all three of my Schaufhauseen reads have earned that rating.

I am glad to see that Schaffhausen is starting a new series; I like the main characters in this one and look forward to the next installment.

First in a new detective series set in Chicago. Annalisa Vega is the daughter of a detective who grew up in a neighborhood of cops, being a cop is all she knows. When she was a teenager, her boyfriend's mother was killed by a serial killer, turning their lives to chaos. Now Vega is a detective and it looks like the "Lovelorn Killer" is back, or a copycat, and naturally Annalisa is all over the case her dad - as well as the FBI - could never solve. Yes, it's yet another brilliant serial killer loving publicity and turning his sights onto the detective. The characters are well written, but we've read this plot many times before, and had the killer pegged well in advance. I am really tired of the shortcut method to suspense being putting the detective's life in jeopardy. Isn't preventing the death of more civilians enough? Hopefully subsequent books will concentrate on police work and interesting characters to bring this series beyond routine; it has potential.

This is the first in a series featuring detective Annalisa Vega—I’ll be looking forward to future books in this collection.

Twenty years ago, a man dubbed the Lovelorn Killer because he sent love letters addressed to his victims to newspapers, murdered seven women after binding and choking them. He appears to be back or a copycat is back because true crime aficionado Grace Harper is found dead after being ritualistically bound and choked. When she wasn’t working at her job at the supermarket, she was investigating the cold case crimes of the Lovelorn Killer. Her office abounds with photos pertinent to the case, and she’s part of an online group of amateur sleuths who try to solve crimes.

The ending was initially good—I didn’t see it coming, but it was about as happy of an ending as you can get when lots of murdered people are left in the wake of a mad man. Then the ending had more twists that I didn’t foresee but left me a little bummed out. Still, I enjoyed it and will look for more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 10, 2021.

Another strong start of a new procedural series for Joanna Schaffhausen!!

I have a feeling this one will be loved by many thriller lovers! We've got a bad ass strong female detective, serial killer that is on the loose, and twists and turns that keep you turning those pages!!

I had many predictions in this one and I guessed the serial killer early on but the author has some red herrings that thew me off!

You find yourself wrapped up in Annalisa's life with her family and personal issues. It has a bit of a story within a story vibe.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date 8/10/21
Published to GR: 7/4/21

You know how I'm obsessed with reading series? Well one of these series I discovered was The Ellery Hathaway series by @joannaschaffhausen which btw is ABSOLUTELY amazing. Gone for Good, is her newest series and friends, this is going to be an amazing ride!!
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Detective Vega thought today was like any other day, she got called to a crime scene which is normal. HOWEVER, what isn't normal is the fact that she is getting some serious Deja vu. The Lovelorn killer murdered seven woman, including a close friend to Vega's family. After twenty years of hiding, Lovelorn has killed once again. However, this time Vega is old enough to investigate the case for herself and she is determined to do EVERYTHING to catch him.
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FRIENDS, THIS BOOK IS PURE GENIUS. I'm literally obsessed with Vega and the little love triangle she has found herself in and also how badass she is! I absolutely LOVED how often true crime cases were mentioned in this book and I loved that there was Journal entries from one of the victims. If there's one thing I love it's journal entries, and these entries made it feel I was apart of this book and trying to catch this serial killer alongside Vega. Basically everything just felt so real! This is one of those reads that you're going to want to make sure you have a full day set aside to binge read the entire thing. It's a fast paced read that you aren't going to want to put down. If you've read and loved the UNSUB series as much as I did, I highly recommend you read this book. If you haven't, I still HIGHLY recommend!