Long Gone by Joanna Schaffhausen
Series Name: Detective Annalisa Vega Mystery #2
Genre: Police Procedural
Release: August 9, 2022
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.
Dru’s Short Musing:
Detective Vega is on the case when her boss assigns her to investigate the murder of a cop. Little did she know that the past continues to haunt her in more ways than one.
The author did a great job in the second book in the series with a wickedly solid plot. Annalisa runs up against the old boy network of cops as she tries to find the person responsible for murder. Secrets are meant to stay hidden and suddenly Annalisa finds herself enthralled in the crosshair of those who wants that secret to remain as it is. This was a complex and suspenseful drama that had me deeply engaged in all aspects from the initial investigation to the struggles with her ex-husband, her family, and her co-workers, making this a riveting ride that I did not want to get off. Annalisa is a strong character whose flaws and vulnerability puts her in dangerous situation, which adds to the intensity of the story being told. Overall, this was an excellent read and I can’t wait to see what awaits Annalisa in the next book in this terrific series.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.