LONG GONE by Joanna Schaffhausen

 

MY THOUGHTS

I always enjoy a good thriller/mystery by Joanna Schaffhausen. She keeps me turning the pages and making guesses until all is revealed. Her books have been among my very favorite of all time and this one is right there at the top. I already look forward to more of this series. 

Annalisa Vega has already been through a lot as a cop. As a daughter, sister and ex-wife. If you read the first in this series, Gone For Good, then you know what I'm talking about. Can she move forward and do her job like the professional she is? She's certainly had a lot on her plate when this latest murder is thrown her way. And it's a cop. A cop married to a much younger, unharmed, woman. Vega has a lot to do to solve this one and with it another, older murder, falls into her sights and of course she can't pass it by without checking things out. It's just who she is.

Nick is Vega's ex-husband but Colin is the one who got away. The one who should have been her forever. Things didn't work out after Colin's mother was murdered and he was sent away to live with relatives. They lost track of each other. When Vega solved the case on that murder it didn't help her and Colin. I personally love Nick best. I think he is more sincere and truly wants to be with Vega. Yes he did some crappy things. Cheating on her. But he is so sorry and truly loves her. In her heart of hearts she loves him too. You can just feel it between them. They work great together and should, in my opinion, be together. Have a family. Of course I am not writing this story but that is my humble opinion. 

This book keeps you turning the pages. Keeps you guessing and rooting for certain people. I didn't really like the young kid married to the old cop but she was still one I rooted for. I didn't want her to be killed. Just get her on out of town where she can maybe learn from her mistakes. She wasn't unlikable, just a bit selfish and childish. When her husband, Leo Hammond, is fatally shot she swears it was by a frogman. Of course they think she's a bit nutty and silly. Maybe even involved since there is no sign of forced entry. 

Back in the day there were four cops who stuck together no matter what. They did everything together and covered for each other no matter what. Did this have anything to do with Leo's murder? Or was it just a random act. Or maybe a past criminal he made mad. Maybe his ex-wife or one of his children? I guessed a few of them but was way off. It was quite the shock when it did hit me who it had to be. Good job to this author. She stumped me on both murders. 

This is another very well written book. Full of characters you will either love or hate. Some are very likable and some are detestable... The scenes make you feel like you are actually there. Whether tense of not you feel it all. An edge of your seat thriller/mystery to keep you up turning the pages until the very, in my opinion, sweet ending. Yes I loved the ending very much. It even brought a few tears to my eyes. 

I look forward to the next installment of Detective Annalisa Vega. Or I hope there will be another. She's on tough detective. I need to know how things turn out for her, her bother, Nick, Sassy and even maybe Colin.

Thank you #NetGalley, #StMartinsPress #JoannaSchaffhausen for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book. 

5/5 big huge stars. I highly recommend it. It can be read as a standalone but trust me you don't need to miss all the action in the first one. It makes this one even better.

SYNOPSIS

 

Long Gone, the next installment of Joanna Schaffhausen's critically acclaimed Detective Annalisa Vega series.

Chicago detective Annalisa Vega shattered her life, personally and professionally, when she turned in her ex-cop father for his role in a murder. Her family can’t forgive her. Her fellow officers no longer trust her. So when detective Leo Hammond turns up dead in a bizarre murder, Annalisa thinks she has nothing to lose by investigating whatever secrets he hid behind the thin blue line.

Annalisa quickly zeroes in on someone who had good reason to want Hammond dead: a wealthy, fast-talking car salesman who’d gotten away with murder once and wasn’t about to let Hammond take a second shot. Moe Bocks remains the number one suspect in his girlfriend’s brutal unsolved death, and now he’s got a new woman in his sights—Annalisa’s best friend.

Annalisa is desperate to protect her friend and force Bocks to pay, either for Hammond’s death or his earlier crime. But when no one else believes the connection, she takes increasingly risky chances to reveal the truth. Because both Hammond and Bocks had secrets to die for, and if she doesn’t untangle them soon, Annalisa will be next.