Annalisa sits down for a question-and-answer session with dru’s book musings so that we can get to know her better.

What is your full name?
Annalisa Francisca Vega

How old are you?
Thirty-eight

What is your profession?
I’m a detective in Chicago, Illinois.

Do you have a significant other?
That’s an interesting question! I have an “other.” I’m trying to decide how significant he is. He’s burned me pretty bad in the past.

What is their name and profession?
Nick Carelli, my ex-husband and current partner on the Chicago PD.

Do you have any children?
None…yet.

Do you have any siblings?
A loaded question. I have three older brothers whom I adore, even if one of them is in prison for murder…because I put him there.

Are your parents nearby?
Ma and Pops have lived all their lives in the same area of the city. However, I can’t really go home again because they haven’t really forgiven me for my role in putting my brother away for murder.

Who is your best friend?
That brother who’s in prison? I’m lifelong best friends with his wife, Sassy. That we’re still speaking to one another shows you how deep that river runs.

Do you have cats, dogs, or other pets?
No pets at the moment.

What town do you live in?
Chicago is my ride or die.

What type of dwelling do you own or rent?
I own a condo in Avondale.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
The front windows with the plants.

What is your favorite meal and dessert?
Anything my mother cooks, but especially her Sunday sauce with meatballs.

Do you have any hobbies?
I’m so busy chasing murderers, I don’t have time for hobbies. I try hard to keep my plants alive.

What music do you listen to?
90s rock.

What is your favorite color?
True blue.

What is your favorite vacation spot?
I don’t get out of the city much, but I did travel to Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, which is sometimes called the “Mirror of the Sky.” It is so beautiful there.

Are you a morning or night person?
Give me the wee small hours and quiet streets.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
I love Sunday dinners at my parents’ house, surrounded by food and family.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Hard Justice. Because sometimes the law won’t help you with the truth.

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
I work for the Chicago PD, most closely with Nick, who is about my only friend left on the force outside of our boss, Lynn Zimmer. Zimmer likes to act like she doesn’t know how to have fun but her nickname is the “The Hammer” because she can drink any guy under the table.

What is a typical day in your life like?
Up earlier than I’d like, inhale a protein bar and get my coffee to go. Then it’s to the precinct to see what kind of murder and mayhem is on the schedule for the day. I get all kinds of cases, but I especially like cracking the cold ones—victims left behind, survivors given up hope, and the long arm of the law reaching out across the decades to yank a killer from his comfortable life.

Dead And Gone, A Detective Annalisa Vega Mystery Book #3
Genre: Police Procedural
Release: August 2023
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link

For Chicago police detective Annalisa Vega, Sam Tran’s death presents an ominous puzzle. The ex-cop turned PI is found hanging from a cemetery tree with a message across his chest that suggests someone holds a murderous grudge against the police. Annalisa suspects the real answer lies in one of Tran’s open cases. She believes he stumbled on a dark secret during his investigations and someone killed him to keep him quiet. Her own family harbors plenty of secrets, something Annalisa is reminded of when her brother turns out to be one of Sam’s last clients.

Vinny Vega hired Tran to find a dangerous stalker on his daughter’s college campus. Now Sam is dead and the stalker remains at large, with Annalisa’s niece Quinn firmly in his sights.

To protect Quinn, Annalisa begins tracing Sam’s steps back through his open cases, which include not only the campus stalker but also a brutal double homicide from twenty years ago. Did Sam finally find the killer? Did he uncover the stalker’s identity? Annalisa must figure out which secret got Sam killed, and fast, or someone else will die. Every move she makes brings her closer to the truth of Sam’s death, and closer to a murderer who will stop at nothing to remain free.

About the author
Joanna Schaffhausen is the author of the award-winning Ellery Hathaway series, and the Annalisa Vega series, both starring tough-minded female investigators. Joanna has a PhD in psychology and previously worked at ABC News, writing for programs such as World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and 20/20. Currently, she is vice president of the New England chapter of Mystery Writers of America. She lives in Canton, MA, with her husband, daughter, and a basset hound named Winston.

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