GONE FOR GOOD

5 stars out of 5

As a lover of mysteries, thrillers and police procedurals, finding a new series in any of those genres is an absolute delight (even though I probably need another one like another hole in my head). So it is that I'm excited to say I loved this book and, from even before I finished it, started looking forward to the next.

The star of this show is Chicago Detective Annalisa Vega, the daughter of a retired cop father and a mother who (reminiscent of my own sweet mom) laid out a dinner spread fit for a king 365 days a year even if no one was there to eat it. Annalisa's ex-husband of not many years (both the marriage and how long they've been apart) has returned to the department and is stoked at the prospect of working with her again.

Early on, Annalisa gets a call that a dead body has been found at the perfect time - while she's trying to figure out how to ditch a boring blind date. The deceased turns out to be Grace Harper, a member of a group called the Grave Diggers - civilians who try to solve cold cases. Most recently, Grace has focused on a serial killer known as the "Lovelorn Killer," who murdered seven women, the last known having happened two decades earlier. Whether the killer had a change of heart, is in jail for something else or is dead is a matter of conjecture. 

Now, that's changed. Grace, it seems, was murdered in an MO identical to that of the Lovelorn Killer - trussed up in intricate ropes that led to a slow strangulation. For Annalisa and her father, who worked that case back then, conjures up sad memories of a beloved neighbor who was the last known victim of the serial killer. As the investigation into Grace's murder begins, it becomes clear that her relentless research may have unearthed a few too many clues - some that just might lead to the killer's identity. Finding him (or her) is a good thing, of course, but this time it threatens to turn Annalisa's world upside down (not to mention put her in the killer's crosshairs).

All told, this is an exciting, well-thought-out story with plenty of twists and turns and a terrific start for the series. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to get an up-close-and-personal look at an intriguing character. More, please? And soon?

Gone for Good by Joanna Schaffhausen (Minotaur Books, August 2021); 304 pp.