Gone for Good was a phenomenal start to a new mystery series following Detective Vega as she works on a cold case with ties to her past.

Twenty years ago the Lovelorn Killer murdered seven women and penned them love letters sent to the local papers. After the seventh victim he disappeared and no trace of him has been found. Grace Harper never believed he was gone for good and as part of an amateur sleuth group, she begins looking into the case. With a theory about how he selected his victims, Grace believes she's one step closer to uncovering his identity. Detective Annalisa Vega lost someone to the Lovelorn Killer and now she's at a murder scene where the victim, Grace Harper, was killed in the exact same manner as the original victims. To find the killer, Annalisa has to figure out what Grace knew and how the killer found out she was looking for him.

The investigation into the Lovelorn Killer proved to be fascinating with a lot of twists and turns. Twenty years ago, the Chicago P.D.'s investigation to find the killer stalled as despite there being seven deaths, there wasn't a ton of evidence to link the killer. Annalisa was already close to the investigation as a family friend was the final victim and her father was a cop who worked the case prior to the last victim. After she takes over the case, she finds herself targeted by the killer through increasingly creepy phone calls. Throughout the book we get chapters from Grace's notes detailing what she was working on. The notes added an interesting element to the story as we know Grace is dead but we get to see what she learned that led to her death. We also see other cases she worked on with the Grave Diggers, the amateur sleuth group she's part of, which I enjoyed. As the investigation goes on, I came up with so many theories on what may have happened, both to Grace and with the Lovelorn Killer. In the end a few of them ended up being right but I was still shocked by the ending. The author took this story in so many directions I wasn't expecting and I was hooked from start to finish.

Annalisa was a great character and I really liked her. She followed in her father's footsteps and became a cop. As the newest detective in her squad she feels like she has a lot to prove. She ends up partnered with her ex-husband Nick, also a cop, on the case and their relationship goes through a lot of development over the course of the book. I liked the genuine friendship they had by the end of the book and how well they worked together. Another important man from her past returns, her boyfriend when she was a teenager, Colin, who was the son of the final victim of the Lovelorn Killer. With the renewed focus on the case, Annalisa and Colin reconnect and old feelings resurface. I enjoyed the romance between these two and with how the book ended, I'm very curious what is to come for them in the next book in the series.

Overall Gone for Good was a fantastic start to the series and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a great mystery.

Detective Annalisa Vega is a badass and definitely one you want on your side! Joanna Schaffhausen has created a new thriller series with Gone For Good and a much-needed protagonist in a male-saturated world. This book is fast paced, full of twists, and totally blew my mind!

<b>This book blew me away!</b> I loved it. Annalisa is a pretty great character. She's stubborn, hard headed and got her street smarts and detective skills from her dad. Her skills as a detective, her ability to stay cool under pressure and her observation skills were great. I loved her being the narrator.

I also loved the murder club. They were such an interesting addition to the story, adding that extra layer of evidence and perspective.

I spent a lot of the story trying to find the angles and figure out who could have done it. I had the smallest hint right near the end, but I never guessed all the twists and turns. Such a great story. I'm so excited this is a series! I will absolutely be finding the next one!!

<i>A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.</i>

<b>This was a riveting page-turner, featuring a fierce female heroine! And it’s Book #1 of the Annalisa Vega series.

I really tried not to enjoy it, because I don’t want to add another series to my overflowing TBR list. But there were too many unpredictable twists and the characters were too likable! I want to read more about them…ugh.</b>

Annalisa followed in her father’s footsteps and became a cop. Her father and other local cops worked a serial killer case after their neighbor became one of his victims. And now 20 years later, Annalisa is working the same case.

The Lovelorn Killer was silent for 20 years. Then Grace Harper was murdered. Grace was a member of the Grave Digger’s. An amateur sleuth group dedicated to solving cold cases. And she recently started looking into the Lovelorn Killer. Is this the real killer…back after all this time? Or is it a copycat?

The writing is excellent and the main character is awesome! Excited for Book #2.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books/Macmillan Publishers. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

<b>My Rating: </b> 4 ⭐️’s
<b>Published:</b> August 10 2021
<b>Pages:</b> 304
<b>Recommend:</b> Yes

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This book helped get me out of a major reading rut!

Gone for Good is a procedural/mystery/thriller about a detective who becomes the target of a serial killer.

This is book #1 in the Detective Annalisa Vega series, and I cannot wait to read book #2.

Chicago PD Detective Annalisa Vega's life implodes when a serial killer emerges from hiding. 20 years ago, the “Lovelorn Killer” tormented women in Chicago. His or her actions directly impacted Annalisa’s family and her first love. Flash forward to the present, and the “Lovelorn Killer” who had been silent for years, begins killing again. Annalisa, determined to stop the killer, finds herself in danger as the killer is determined to make her his next victim.

The narrative is split between Annalisa’s point of view and the diary of one of the victims. I enjoyed both of their stories for very different reasons that I am too lazy to explain. The strength of this book lies in the characters, especially Annalisa, who is a strong, likable lead.

The mystery surrounding the killer’s identity is less intriguing. I guessed the killer’s identity early on, but red herrings had me second-guessing. I was not bothered by the lack of mystery surrounding the killer, since I was wrapped up in the family and personal dynamics of Annalisa’s life. There were some flaws, but they in no way took away from my enjoyment of the book.

I thought things were going to wrap up nice and neatly; however, the ending complicates Annalisa’s future in many, many different ways. Overall, I enjoyed the straightforward characters and mystery, and I look forward to seeing how the events of book #1 play out in book #2.

I received an Arc of Gone for Good from MacMillan in exchange for an honest review.