Dead and Gone the 3rd book in the Annalisa Vega series will pull you in from the first page and keep you reading.

Annalisa has been called to death of Sam , a former police officer. It was a horrific scene.

Sam was currently a Private Investigator and Annalisa and the team quickly start the investigation with his current cases.

There were 3 cases to follow.

Quinn her niece is being stalked and the atmosphere on campus is creepy and I was looking over my shoulder as I read.

The cast of characters were well written and all added to the suspense, the family drama and the twists and turns.

I cant wait to see where Joanna Schaffhausen takes in Book 3. I will be first in line to get my copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for another exciting read in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ACR in exchange for my honest review.

This book took a little bit to get rolling for me. It could be that this was the first book of this series that I’ve read, so learning the characters and how they were involved took a minute.

Once it got rolling, it was a page turner. I also found it funny, at times! Overall, I enjoyed story and the likable characters. There were enough twists to keep me guessing “who did it”!

3.5 stars

In this third book in the 'Annalisa Vega' series, the police detective investigates the death of a private detective. The book works fine as a standalone.

*****

As the story opens, Chicago Police Detective Annalisa Vega and her police partner Nick Carelli have been investigating the Chicken Bandit case. Vega and Carelli work well together, in part because they were once married, and - now that Nick has changed his cheating ways - are giving the relationship another chance.

The Chicken Bandit, a man who wears a chicken mask, has been holding up corner stores and late-night delis, and he's proven very hard to catch.

Tired from night patrols, Vega and Carelli are preparing for work one morning when Annalisa gets a call from the boss, Commander Lynn Zimmer. Zimmer summons Annalisa to Rosehill Cemetery for "a probable homicde, special circs.' At the Rosehill graveyard, a man is hanging from a tree, with the word PIG painted on his shirt. Zimmer identifies the victim as Sam Tran, an ex-cop who's been a private investigator for 10 years. Zimmer mentions Sam was a good friend, and puts Annalisa on the case....leaving Detective Carelli to chase the Chicken Bandit.

As Vega begins her inquiries into Sam's death, she learns the PI had three open cases. Annalisa speculates that Sam's murder may be related to one of the open inquiries, which include the following:

⦿ By coincidence, Annalisa's niece Quinn, a co-ed at Illinois University, is being harassed by a stalker who's sending anonymous notes and drawing dick pics on her door. So Quinn's father Vinny (Annalisa's brother) hired Sam to track down the perp.

⦿ A twenty-year-old homicide claimed the lives of Stephen Powell and Kathy Morrison, a couple engaged in an extramarital affair. Stephen and Kathy were brutally bludgeoned in a motel room, and the crime was never solved. Recently, Kathy's husband Brad Morrison employed Sam to look into the cold case.

⦿ A young mom named Nina Osteen, whose mother Charlotte disappeared over thirty years ago, hired Sam to find Charlotte.

Annalisa proceeds to look into Sam's open investigations, and by chance, even encounters the Chicken Bandit. All this puts Annalisa's life in grave danger, and I must say, I wish Annalisa wasn't such a maverick and always called in backup. This 'bravery' may be a family trait since Annalisa's niece Quinn has the same bad habit of walking head-on into danger. 😏

In the midst of all this, Annalisa has a lot going on in her personal life. In the past, a scandal led to Annalisa putting her father and brother in prison, and the Vega family is still reeling from the aftermath. Moreover, unexpected discoveries lead Annalisa to do some deep thinking about her relationship with Nick.

By the end of the book Annalisa has solved all the cases and is considering a new future for herself. It will be interesting to see what happens next.

Thanks to Netgalley, Joanna Schaffhausen, and Minotaur Books for a copy of the manuscript.

Thank you, St Martin's Press and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of Dead and Gone.

Any time someone asks me for a good mystery/thriller/detective recommendation, I recommend Joanna Schaffhausen. Dead and Gone and the rest of the Detective Annalisa Vega series is no different. While this can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the entire series. You will fly through the books because the drama never stops. Schaffhausen always keeps me guessing. Her twists are truly mouth-dropping and unexpected.

Detective Annalisa Vega is on the case, and that should worry the perpetrator. While investigating PI Sam Tran's death, she has to take a look into the cases he was working to see what clues may lead to his killer. There's a double homicide that Sam was working on that may be looking like a serial killer on the loose. Unfortunately, another one of the cases hits a little too close to home. Her brother has hired Sam to find his daughter's stalker at her college campus. With Sam no longer on the case, the stalker is free to step up his game. On top of that Annalisa is still navigating her personal life with her family and her ex-husband/current work partner.

This is the 3rd book in the Annalisa Vega series. I have read all the books in this series and I like the main characters. I enjoyed this novel and will read the next in the series. That being said, there were too many threads going at once. I had trouble keeping track of peripheral characters.

Chicago detective Annalisa Vega is investigating the death of Sam Tran, a PI and former Chicago PD officer. He was also the good friend of Vega's boss. Her investigation is immediately pulled in several directions as she looks into the cases Tran was investigating - including one involving her own niece. Did Tran discover a murderer? Is his death tied to a 20 year old murder or a current stalker? This book has a lot going on but holds all of the storylines together seamlessly. A plethora of both shady suspects and good secondary characters adds another layer of intrigue including Vega's complicated relationships with her family and ex-husband - and also a Chicken Bandidt for good measure!

Dead and Gone by Joanna Schaffhausen
Detective Annalisa Vega #3

With this third entry in this series, Annalisa and Nick (Annalisa's ex husband who has morphed from the rottenest of husbands to a saint of a boyfriend) are getting along very well. They've been trying to catch a serial robber who wears a rubber chicken mask when Annalisa is reassigned to the murder of her boss's former partner. The dead PI is squeaky clean so Annalisa checks out the three cases the dead guy was working on to find out if he's ruffled any feathers enough to get killed.

One of the cases has to do with a stalker at the university of Annalisa's niece Quinn. In fact, the stalker is stalking Quinn! What a small world. This case plays a big part in the book and I can say that Quinn seems like a chip off the old Annalisa block. This girl is not going to sit back and just let things happen (or not happen) no matter who tells her to stay out of things. Just like Annalisa, Quinn doesn't hold back when it comes to running toward danger.

We don't just see things from Annalisa's POV, we get other viewpoints and I couldn't help suspecting just about all the men and a few women of wrongdoing. I won't say who did what but there is a lot to keep track of with all the people involved in the stalking case and also with the other cases. But the story is interesting enough that I didn't get lost and I was even right about a few things along the way. I have a feeling that this big taste of sleuthing will have Quinn following in Annalisa's footsteps in some way.

You can read this book as a standalone but starting at the beginning of the series will allow you to see what a messed up family that Annalisa comes from and why she might be the way she is now. She's famous for the solving of past crimes and she does stellar work again here. But she also chafes at the limitations that are placed on her when she thinks there is a better way to do a job or when she wants to keep investigating a case that she's told to drop. New things are on the horizon for her and Nick but you can be sure the future will have Annalisa jumping into the fray when she sees the need. She can't sit back for long or at all.

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

Interesting and well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. Difficult to follow at times and a little slow. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Once again, Detective Annalisa Vega is ready to find the criminals! I really enjoy this series, and this book did not disappoint! It’s amazing that the author can effectively write about soooo many different investigations that are going on and keep the reader clearly following along! The very end was such a surprise to me!

Suspense, family drama, and a suspicious death provide multiple plot layers to Joanna Schaffhausen’s Dead and Gone , the third book in the Detective Annalisa Vega police procedural series. Annalisa is called to the scene of Sam Tran’s death. The dead ex-Chicago police detective was a private detective and had a message painted on his chest suggesting that the killer is bitter towards the police. Annalisa believes the answers will lie in Sam’s three open cases. They’re a missing person case from 30 years ago, a current university campus stalker, and a double murder from about twenty years ago.

The characters are compelling, fascinating, and felt three-dimensional. Annalisa is someone that people can easily connect with and hope she succeeds. She has a strong sense of right versus wrong, as well as courage, resolve, and strength of character. However, she also takes risky chances. Crossing the blue line in the past has resulted in a loneliness that makes her feel she has nothing left to lose. Detective Nick Carelli is her partner and ex-husband. There is a fun dynamic between them. Their strong connection adds to the story line without detracting from the main case.

What a disquieting and unsettling prologue! The author’s doctorate in psychology and interest in the brain come to life in the antagonists in this novel. The book has a solid and deeply involved plot with great character depth. The plot is twisty, with exciting scenes that captivated me. The novel highlights complicated family relationships, friends, jealousy, murder, and much more. The author is a great storyteller who kept me on the edge of my seat as I rapidly turned the pages. The ending wrapped up things nicely, but I was surprised by one aspect of it. I can’t wait to see where the author takes that development in the next book in the series.

Overall, this riveting story arc immediately grabbed my attention and kept me engaged throughout the book. I can’t wait to read the next book by this author. Those who like complex police procedurals will likely enjoy this novel. It can be read as a standalone. However, reading the series in order gives readers more background and shows character development from book to book.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Joanna Schaffhausen provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via Net Galley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for August 08, 2023.

T H R I L L E R THURSDAY 🔪 featuring “Dead and Gone” by Joanna Schaffhausen!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Detective Annalisa Vega arrives at the scene of a murder where the victim is an ex police officer that is now a private investigator! When the dead man’s phone rings Annalisa cannot believe to hear her brother’s voice on the line ☎️!! Her brother had hired the PI to investigate a series of campus harassment/stalking incidents that have been happening to his daughter and her friends. HOW are both cases linked?? WHAT did the PI uncover?? And WILL Annalisa be able to keep the line from blurring between her work AND her family??

This is book 3 in the series and although I have not read the first two books, I jumped into this one without feeling confused! I am a huge fan of police procedurals, especially when the MC is a kick ass female! I am anxiously awaiting book 4!!

Thank you kindly to @joannaschaffhausen @minotaur_books @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on August 8, 2023!

There's certainly no shortage of crimes to investigate in this, the third book featuring Chicago police detective Annalisa Vega. Nor is there a lack of trauma in her personal life; overlap, then, is to be expected - and needless to say, it happens, whether it be with former husband and police partner Nick Carelli, her beloved niece Quinn or her semi-estranged family.

The action begins with the death of Sam Tran, a former Chicago police officer turned private eye. On his chest is a handwritten message that suggests his death wasn't an accident, so Annalisa's instincts kick in, making her suspect his killer is associated with one of the cases he was investigating.

She then learns that her brother Vinny has a stake in one of those cases - he hired Sam to track down whoever's been stalking female students at his daughter Quinn's college. Meantime, readers see the story from Quinn's perspective, which is, shall we say, a bit different. Also meantime, Nick and Annalisa have been trying to identify, and capture, a thief known as the Chicken Bandit (you can probably guess why, but you'll have to read the book to find out if you're right).

Speaking of guessing correctly, fairly early on I thought I'd nailed the campus stalker - an obvious culprit in my eyes - but turns out I wasn't even close. But with or without my obviously wrong insights, everything works out in the end, though not necessarily smoothly; there's at least one other murder, and a couple of other characters narrowly escape the same fate. The ending brings a major new development - maybe two or three - that I assume will carry over to future installments. Actually, there's another biggie that happens early on that affects Annalisa and Nick's newfound (re-found??) relationship, albeit not nearly as much as I expected it would.

All things considered, I enjoyed this one - I remain a big fan of both Annalisa and Nick - so I'm more than ready for the next. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to once again read and review a pre-release copy of this one.

Thank you Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I absolutely loved the Detective Vega series. She always seems to be in the middle of some crazy crime that has her coworkers and family questioning her loyalties. I love the way this crime thriller played out and Vega still manages to come out on the better side of things no matter how dark things may seem to be going.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: August 8, 2023
Ex-cop turned PI Sam Tran is found dead in the woods, his body hanging from a tree. Detective Annalisa Vega notices a message on his chest that appears to indicate a vendetta toward the police. While she investigates the mysterious death of her friend, her niece, Quinn, is dealing with a stalker on her college campus. It isn’t until Quinn’s roommate goes missing that Quinn calls in her aunt to help and now, balancing both cases, Vega is determined to pull out all the stops to solve one murder and possibly prevent another.
“Dead and Gone” is the third novel in the Annalisa Vega series of crime novels by author Joanna Schaffhausen. Schaffhausen also pens the Ellery Hathaway crime novels, so she has quite the police procedural resume. I was unfamiliar with any of her works until I was given access to this one, and “Dead and Gone” was the first Vega novel I explored. Speaking from experience, this could be read as a stand-alone.
Obviously, the characters in the novel have a background formed in the previous installments, a background I was unfamiliar with, but I was able to relate to them and managed to understand their connections without any former knowledge. It is narrated by many of the protagonists, including Quinn, Annalisa (obviously) and Byron (a suspect and college teacher’s assistant), but that only helped to understand the characters that had already been fully formed in previous novels.
I have read a lot of police procedurals as of late so I was able to predict the ending and determine who the suspect was within the first few chapters. Of course, I still read the novel to completion for vindication that I was right and to learn all of the how’s and why’s.
“Dead and Gone” is nothing unfamiliar to fans and readers of police procedurals, but the story is well-crafted and suspenseful, and Annalisa is a relatable and likable protagonist. As a new author (to me anyway) and a new series, Schaffhausen manages to impress with the newest installment of her Vega series.

Another exquisitely written, highly entertaining read in an overall excellent series. Schaffhausen’s writing is sophisticated and suspenseful and just keeps getting better and better.

Dead and Gone by Joanna Schaffhausen is the third book in the Det. Annalisa Vega series, and if you are looking for a thrilling police procedural this is a series you need to check out.

There is so much going on in this book; three cold cases, a stalking (even in the stalking case there were multiple layers.), a person in a chicken mask robbing stores, and a private detective (former cop) hung from a tree. You also get the drama and animosity between her family and her ex-husband. I found myself flying through this book to find out what was going to happen next.

All of the various threads of investigation do come to a conclusion and I thought each of them was pretty solid (and many pretty action packed) except for parts of the stalking case, mainly the ultimate bad guy. But even saying that, it was still very intense.

I wish after you read Dead and Gone we could sit down together and exclaim over all that had happened!!

An ex-cop turned PI is found hanging from a tree with a message which points to a grudge against the police. Detective Vega soon realizes that his death might have something to do with three cases he has been working on, one of which was to find a stalker who might have been targeting Annalisa’s niece. Tasked with not only finding the stalker, she is looking into a 20 year old unsolved double homicide, dealing with her own personal issues and a killer who will stop at nothing to remain free.

This book had a lot going on but not in a bad way, there was just a lot to unravel and keep track off. You are taken into a lot of different directions here but I really enjoyed how the author managed to tie everything together in the end. We also get more insight into her personal life with her ex-husband Nick #teamnick. Overall another great addition to the series, fast paced story line and plot which kept me interested and invested from start to finish.

Chicago Detective Annalisa Vega reports to the scene of a suspicious death of a private investigator when the victim's phone rings. Annalisa answers the phone and is surprised to hear her brother on the other end of the line. He had hired the dead PI to figure out who is stalking his college-aged daughter. As her case tangles with her personal life, Annalisa must solve the suspicious death and try to ensure her niece's safety.

This kept me on my toes, and I loved every minute of it! Suspenseful and twisty, the stakes were high, and my suspicions kept shifting. The characters are so well-drawn, and I especially love Annalisa. I am always invested in both her professional and personal storylines and some of the dilemmas she faces because of how the two intertwine. And with multiple cases to solve, a niece to protect, and complicated situations with her family and her partner/ex-husband, she definitely has her hands full. Still, the author manages to weave everything together, with elements of psychological thriller and mystery, while keeping the pacing quick and the tension on. Schaffhausen is now on my auto-buy list, and I cannot wait to see where she takes this series! Even though this is book three in the series, it works as a stand-alone, and I highly recommend it to fans of procedurals and grittier mysteries!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for my gifted ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

The third book in the Detective Annalisa Vega series, Dead and Gone sees our determined detective with a slew of cases and some more family issues. A P.I. murdered, his three cold cases, a Chicken robber, Annalisa's niece,, Quinn, is being stalked, and a young teenager shows up claiming Nick, Vega's ex-husband and police partner is her biological father. Also, Annalisa wonders "Could I be pregnant?" It's a wild rollercoaster ride!

I adore Joanna Schaffhausen's characters( both Ellery Hathaway and Annalisa Vega are awesome)BUT this one was sometimes a bit murky. At first, I found myself more wrapped up in Quinn's stalker storyline than the P. I and his cases. It makes for a long read because threads are dropped and then picked up later. However, looking at the book as a whole it does all come together at the end. I suppose it could be read as a stand-alone but I would recommend books 1 and 2 because Annalisa's family backstory makes for good reading.



Expected Publication 12/08/23
Goodreads Review 12/07/23

I love this series. They feel like classic police thrillers with a great main character and realistic, interesting endings. In the latest installment of the Annalisa Vega series she is trying to solve a stalking case involving her niece, an assault on a college campus, and a cold murder case. That seems like a lot of thread to keep track of but Joanna Schaffhausen weaves them together brilliantly. There are twists, hints that keep you invested as you read, and interpersonal dynamics that make all of the plot points make perfect sense in the end. I am also so invested in the relationship between Annalisa and Nick, as imperfect and real as it is. I highly recommend all of Schaffhausen's series and this one especially for those who enjoy a police mystery. I can'r wait for the next installment. Thank you to Joanna Schaffhausen, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.