GONE IN THE NIGHT

4 stars out of 5

Chicago private detective Annalisa Vega is almost an old friend by now - this is the fifth book in the series, and I've read all the others. This time out, she has a little extra to deal with: the impending birth of a new baby with her husband, police detective Nick Carelli (who she married for the second time after the first time didn't "take." She's left the police force (and working with him), but given her talent for police work and the sheer boredom of not having many clients, keeping her nose to herself is proving a bit difficult.

Although I enjoyed this one as I always have, I did have a bit of trouble keeping all the characters in this one straight - partly because it seemed as if half of them aren't who they claim to be. It makes for a complex plot for which I give props to the author, but it also meant a fair amount of flipping back to prior pages to make sure I knew who was who.

The story begins as Annalisa's brother Alex, who's in jail for murder (Annalisa played a major role in putting him there, albeit reluctantly), calls and asks her to visit. She does, but it turns out he doesn't want her help for himself, but rather for another inmate named Joe Green. The man, Alex insists, is innocent of the murder of his ex-wife's lawyer for which he was convicted.

Annalisa is skeptical, of course, but a letter from an unknown person suggests that the witness whose testimony sealed Green's fate was lying. Curious, Annalisa does a bit of digging and learns that the witness did lie about at least one crucial detail. But she also learns something even more potentially devastating: her husband was Green's arresting officer. That, in turn, exacerbates tension between the two as Nick sometimes considers his wife's no-holds-barred approach to solving crimes as an attempt to upstage him.

But of course, Annalisa forges ahead, and Nick - to his credit - for the most part realizes she's simply trying to figure out what really happened, not cut his legs from under him. As her investigation digs deeper, more murders make her even more sure sure that Green is innocent - at least of the crime for which he was convicted - and Nick concurs. It's not an easy investigation and it ends up putting Nick's life in danger, but that makes it even more of an adventure for readers. Definitely worth checking out - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to go along for the ride by way of a pre-release copy.

Gone in the Night by Joanna Schaffhausen (Minotaur Books, August 2025); 320 pp.

DEAD AND GONE

4 stars out of 5

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. 

Dead and Gone by Joanna Schaffhausen (Minotaur Books, August 2023); 332 pp.

LONG GONE

5 stars out of 5

Impressive is a word I'd use to describe this author after reading two of her books including the first in this series. This is the second, and my opinion hasn't changed a whit.

The star of the show is Chicago detective Annalisa Vega, who is great at detective work but in her personal life, not so much. When she learned that a couple of family members were involved in a murder - one of them her father, a former cop - she turned them in. No surprise, then, that most of her family members would just as soon not see her at Sunday dinner, and her fellow police officers think she's a snitch who should resign. On the plus side, he's still got support from her station chief and her ex-husband Nick Carelli, who has remained her work partner and friend.

As this story begins, Annalisa and Nick are called to a crime scene, where they find a very dead police officer and a very scared, but still very much alive, trophy wife. After a little digging, they determine that a rich guy who is suspected of murdering someone else but never charged did the deed this time as well. One potential problem? He's dating Annalisa's best friend, who refuses to believe he could possibly commit such a crime.

The ongoing investigation, much of which Annalisa (with a little help from Nick) is conducting on an unauthorized basis in part because of her connection to the suspect, heads for uncharted waters with the suggestion of a masked scuba diver, a bag full of money from an unknown source and what appears to be a systematic wipeout of a group known as the "Fantastic Four." Her reluctance to stand down not only angers her boss and threatens her job, but puts her square in the sights of someone, or several someones, who will do just about anything to get her to go away - alive or dead.

In short, it's another winner, and I'm already looking forward to the next installment of this entertaining series. Meantime, thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. Well done!

Long Gone by Joanna Schaffhausen (Minotaur Books, August 2022); 296 pp.

THE LOST

4 stars out of 5

This is the third in the series about cadaver dog trainer/handler Mason "Mace" Reid and his stable of intelligent pooches. It's perfectly readable and entertaining, but I have to say it didn't resonate with me as much as the other two. In part, that's because there's less focus on the dogs. Yes, super-smart golden retriever "Vira" (a nickname for her real name, Elvira, from the popular Oak Ridge Boys song of years ago) gets some page time and Mace does what he can to keep Bill from rolling around in stinky substances. But it's Mafioso-style crime that takes center stage here, and for me, that's never a favorite topic. And even though they're apparently an official couple now - if I recall correctly, that was just a wish on Mace's part in the second book - I just didn't feel the love between Mace and his main squeeze, Detective Kippy Gimm (yes, that's her real name).

On the plus side, though, there's plenty of action, and for those who haven't read the first two, it stands alone well. This time out, a reported home invasion sends Mace and Vira out behind the property of an uber-wealthy financier, where she sniffs out the very dead body of the rich guy's super-model wife Calley. Still missing, however, is their young daughter, Eleanor; even Vira's super-sniffing ability is no help in finding her. Then, their fears are realized; she's been kidnapped, and there's a stiff ransom demand for her safe return.

Needless to say, the clock starts ticking; no one, including the FBI, wants to find Eleanor's body somewhere. For the benefit of readers, chapters shift from what went on a few weeks earlier, with mentions of the aforementioned mobsters and his relationship to the aforementioned mobsters and hints that not everything and everyone are what and who they seem to be. Even Mace and the Chicago-area law enforcers seem to be running around in circles, finding little evidence and spending precious time with an investigation that often barks up the wrong tree.

The twists and turns continue right up to the end, and of course there are some tense moments with threats to the lives of Mace, Kippy and Vira. Will they all survive? Will they find Eleanor before it's too late? And will they bring the culprits to justice? Ah well, all I'll say is that Vira plays a part in the outcome. All in all, it's a fun romp that dog-lovers are sure to love. As for me, I once again thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. 

The Lost by Jeffrey B. Burton (Minotaur Books, June 2022); 273 pp.

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.

THE KEEPERS

4 stars out of 5

I love mysteries about cats and dogs, so I was excited to find and read "The Finders," the debut book in this series, last summer. I was no less excited to find this one - and even happier when, once again, I got a pre-release copy of the book to read and review (thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley). Like the first, there's plenty of nail-biting action, both on the part of the pooches and their very likable trainer, Mason "Mace" Reid. Needless to say, though, the dogs pretty much have a corner on the lovable end - any country music fan like me would be hard-pressed to resist pups with names like Delta Dawn, Elvira and Sue (yes, the latter is a boy).

They all live near Chicago, and the dogs are in demand, largely by the Chicago Police Department, for their expertise in sniffing out human remains.  As this story opens, a call from the previous summer sends Mace and a couple of his best canines to a major downtown fire, where the dogs nose out a body. Subsequent investigation determines the fire to be arson and that the dead guy, a lawyer, bit the dust before he turned up as a crispy critter (i.e., he was murdered).

Back to the present, Mace's not-yet-but-hoped-for main squeeze, police officer Kippy Gimm, calls him in to help with the murder of a local musician who, shall we say, was musically challenged and lost. Then Mace and the dogs seek and find an even more prominent - and spectacularly dead - local district attorney. That, in turn, leads to suspicions of nefarious connections that reach to the highest levels of government (hey, this is Chicago, after all). But whoever the someone or someones are behind the murder, it's pretty clear an in-depth investigation won't be welcome. Mace and Kippy soon learn that the hard way, though - putting them and the dogs in mortal danger, on the run and smack dab in the middle of an episode of "Who Do You Trust?"

For sure, this one barked right up my tree, and I'm sure it will be a hit with other readers as well. Good job!

The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton (Minotaur Books, June 2021); 288 pp.

EVERY LAST FEAR

5 stars out of 5

Even though my Spidey sense kicked in early on with a suspicion of how it would turn out (and I was right), this action-packed book was a real treat. By the halfway point, I started to plow through it like a crazy woman, stopping only after my usual bedtime when I couldn't keep my eyes open a minute longer. 

At first, I was a bit skeptical; this is one of those books in which chapters switch both from individual characters' perspectives and chronology - a trend that seems to be a favorite of mystery-thriller authors these days, but in general not by me. This one, though, is especially well done, with each chapter building on background that led up to the death of an entire family - father, mother and two children - in Mexico. At first, it's thought to be an accident caused by a gas leak; but when the FBI gets involved, thoughts turn to suspicions of murder.

Two members of that family remain alive: Matt Pine, a filmmaking student at New York University, and his older brother Danny, who's been in jail ever since he was convicted of murdering his teenage girlfriend Charlotte. After a team of producers released a video reminiscent of "Proven Innocent" in which Matt's father goes off on a rant about his son's innocence, the townsfolk shunned the entire family and forced them to move from the small Nebraska town to Chicago.

Meanwhile, the FBI - in the person of agent Sarah Keller - has been investigating the Chicago accounting firm for its possible ties to a Mexican cartel. As it turns out, Matt's father Evan worked there as an accountant. There's no discernible connection to the family's deaths, but needless to say, it raises a few suspicions in Sarah's mind as she tries to collect enough evidence to successfully prosecute bigwigs at the accounting firm.

And that, friends, is all I'm going to tell you - except that this is an intricately woven story that's a delight to read. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to get an up-close-and-personal look prior to release. 

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay (Minotaur Books, March 2021); 368 pp.

TEMPER

5 stars out of 5


It seems incongruous that a book can be this good when all the characters are this unlikable (well, maybe with one exception). But when I had several chapters to go at the time we left for a three-day vacation with friends at the Marblehead area of Lake Erie, I stuffed my Kindle in my suitcase. I would, I vowed, make time to finish it. And I did - the very first night.

Short chapters that shift among character perspectives helped hold my attention on every single page. But it was the characters, all of whom I would classify as seriously screwed up, that really reeled me in. Even though I was certain how the book would end - and I was right - the way the story and characters evolved (for better or worse) made me wish I could have holed up and read the whole thing in one setting.

Kira Rascher, an aging actress who's been hoping for a juicy role for years (for whatever reason, Cassie from "A Chorus Line" came to mind), finally gets her wish as notoriously nitpicky director Malcolm Mercer chooses her for the lead in "Temper." The play is the latest venture at the theater founded by Joanna Cuyler, who doesn't think Kira is right for the part. Malcolm's relationship with Joanna is complicated, to say the least; they live together but, despite Joanna's wishful thinking, are a platonic couple.

Kira, too, has a complicated relationship (think: friends with benefits) with her apartment mate, Spence, who makes a living staging realistic, but accident-free, fight scenes for theatrical productions. For the two-person cast of "Temper," he's staging the final scenes between Trent and Mara, the characters played by Malcom and Kira. As rehearsals begin, Malcolm lives up to his take-no-prisoners reputation, challenging everyone involved in the production to their near-breaking points. He sets his most psychologically destructive sights on Kira, who knows exactly what he's doing but is sure she can out-psych him and deliver the performance of her life.

But can she? Aye, there's the rub. In fact, given this mixed-up bunch, whether there will be any survivors at curtain call is anyone's guess. Thoroughly engrossing and fast-paced (with no shortage of graphic sexual situations and explicit language, I note for those who eschew such things). Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review an advance copy.

Temper by Layne Fargo (Gallery/Scout Press, July 2019); 352 pp.

FALLOUT

4 stars out of 5


Victoria (V.I.) Warshawski has long been a favorite of mine; she was a successful Chicago-based private detective and one of the first to be (gasp!) a woman. Over the years, I've always looked forward to a new adventure - and this, I believe, is the 18th. 

This time, though, a new case takes her from her familiar, comfortable home city to the "wilds" of Kansas - accompanied only by her dog Peppy and expecting that her stay in the Sunflower State will be relatively brief. The reason for the trip? A young Chicago filmmaker wannabe is thought to be accompanying an aging former film star who wants to return to her Kansas roots to film her life story, and both have disappeared. To keep the peace with family and friends, Vic reluctantly agrees to track them down.

What she finds is a close-knit community (make that two communities - one white and one black) that is far less than welcoming. The local residents' unwillingness to help is echoed by the local police and representatives of the U.S. Army, who clearly resent her presence. Apparently, the community has lots of secrets they believe should stay that way, all seemingly related to an old Cold War-era missile site in the middle of their otherwise rural nowhere. 

Tensions build up quickly, as does the body count. Complicating matters is that even if Vic can convince someone to share information with her, can he or she be trusted? What really went on at the missile site all those years ago, and could it possibly be going on yet today? Other complications intervene as well: Her musician love interest left for a can't-miss opportunity overseas, leaving her behind when she refused to accompany him. Will he come back to her, or find fulfillment and romance elsewhere? And will Peppy become so attached to his Kansas doggy day-care helpers that she won't want to go back home to Chicago with Vic?

It all adds up to a merry, and sometimes scary, chase that I enjoyed from start to finish. Admittedly, it's not the best I've read in the series, but that was mostly because there were so many characters that I finally gave up trying to keep them straight, figuring they'd all be sorted out in the end (they were). And, while the story line was very interesting to someone like me, who remembers hiding under a desk at school so I'd stay safe during a nuclear attack (I know, I know, but we believed it at the time), the complexity of the "cover-ups" here was a little hard to swallow.

All in all, it's another solid installment in a series that's been (and still is) special to me.

Fallout by Sara Paretsky (William Morrow, April 2017); 448 pp.

COVER ME IN DARKNESS

4.5 stars out of 5


Is this one good? Yes, actually - so much so that I read the whole thing on a day when we were having guests for dinner (well okay, it was just slow-cooker veggie-beef soup, crusty bread and store-bought brownies with ice cream washed down by easy peasy apple cider mimosas, but still...) 

Once I started, in fact, I really didn't want to put it down. So, it helps that it's under 300 pages which - according to the running tally on my Kindle Fire that turned out to be accurate - would take me just over 3 hours to finish. While I'm thinking about it, I'll give a big thank-you to the author and publisher (via NetGalley) for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Amanda Sinclair is a lab technician at an on-the-brink of big-time breakout cosmetics company in Chicago. She loves her job, and she's happy that no one there knows her real identity: The daughter of a woman who murdered her young son (Amanda's brother). As a result, for the past decade, her mother has been confined to a psychiatric hospital. Then out of the blue, Amanda gets a dreaded phone call; apparently, despite the hospital's tight security measures, her mother has committed suicide.

As Amanda sifts through her mother's meager belongings, she finds a couple of items suggesting that her mother was upset about the upcoming parole of charismatic leader Patrick Collier, who was convicted of embezzling substantial funds from his cult to which her late mother, and Amanda herself, once belonged. Not a bad theory, obviously, but since this isn't the first time her mother has tried to kill herself, Amanda - and her mother's hunky psychologist - question how was she able to succeed on this  go-round.

Meanwhile, Amanda's work life is taking an unexpected turn as well, with questions arising about the efficacy (and safety) of an about-to-be-launched product that's been generating considerable buzz in the industry. Could it be that someone - one of Amanda's trusted co-workers, perhaps - is trying to put the kabosh on a potential company takeover that would mean a financial windfall for the entire team?

Needless to say, everything gets resolved in nail-biting fashion - but you'll just have to read it for yourself to learn the details because I'll never tell. FYI, Rendahl also writes under the names of Eileen Carr (romantic suspense) and Kristi Abbott (cozy mysteries). Well, guess that means I've got a few more of her books to check out!

Cover Me in Darkness by Eileen Rendahl (Midnight Ink, December 2016); 264 pp.

BREAKER: A WINDY CITY DARK MYSTERY

4.5 stars out of 5

The title of this book says it all: It takes place in Chicago, and if the story got any darker, I probably would have stopped reading after the first few chapters. It was unsettling, upsetting and, in some respects, unsatisfying - but it's also an outstanding work. Thanks to the publisher (via NetGalley) for the opportunity to read it in exchange for a review.

Ray Nelson is more than a bit of a physical freak - never loved by his now-gone parents and shunned by neighbors in his apartment building. His drug-addicted sister, Stephanie, pops in from time to time (primarily to raid his wallet), and he mostly rebuffs the efforts of the young girl next door, Natalie, to befriend him. In essence, he's a virtual recluse; the only thing that seems to keep him going is something that just as easily could kill him: organized street brawling in the dark of the night, earning enough money to pay what few bills he has.

Over the years, he's tried to keep his sister out of trouble, and as he sees Natalie head into mid-teen years, he grows concerned about the bad neighborhood and what will happen to her in a place where tomorrow is no better than a repeat of oday. That takes a more sinister turn with the appearance of a white van whose driver is looking for - and finding - young victims. Ray wants to help his sister and is determined to protect Natalie, but he's got plenty of secrets in his own past that threaten his good intentions. There are several unexpected twists as the story unfolds, none of them pleasant (but then this is a dark mystery, after all).

The sadness and despair that permeate notwithstanding, this is a hard book to put down. I wasn't able to find a page count anywhere, but I finished it in three days of very little spare time for reading, so it isn't very long. The ending brings (surprise!) another smack in the gut, but also a tiny glimmer of hope. Is it enough? I'll never tell - you'll just have to read it and decide for yourself. 

Breaker: A Windy City Dark Mystery by Richard Thomas (Alibi/Random House, January 2016).

BODY WORK

4 stars out of 5

When I read that one of my favorite authors, Sara Paretsky, had a new installment of her series featuring private investigator V.I. Warshawski (Brush Back, released in July), I rushed over to Amazon.com to learn more. When I got there, a more unpleasant reality hit: How the bleep did I miss reading not just one, but the previous three?

No satisfactory answer turned up, but not wanting to tackle the most recent entry without reading what came before sent me hustling to get my hands on those, starting with this one (the 14th). I was a little worried that I wouldn't remember much, but almost immediately a couple of characters from past books -- notably Warshawski's elderly and very protective neighbor Mr. Contreras -- made an appearance and eased my mind. 

One I don't recall is her niece, Petra - and quite honestly, she turned out to be so annoying that I'm hoping she'll find something to occupy her time halfway around the world and never be heard from again. The argumentative, petulant young wench added nothing of substance to the story that I could find. That, and a few more errors that I'd expect from a writer of this caliber (a woman frightened out of her wits described as having "blenched," for instance) are the primary reasons for knocking my expected 5-star rating down by one.

Do not, however, take that to mean I didn't enjoy this book; as long as I skimmed over Petra's parts (thus keeping in check my intense desire to smack her upside the head), I found it really hard to put down and finished it in record time.

Actually, it was Petra who got the whole thing rolling (though not in a good way); her aunt was trying to keep tabs on her after she took a job at an artsy, sleezy club in Chicago. A woman known as the Body Artist was performing; totally unclothed except for a tiny G-string and layers of paint, her "art" is inviting audience members to paint her body. After watching a young woman paint a winged design, Iraq war vet Chad Vishneski goes ballistic. A couple of days later, the young woman is murdered, dying in Warshawski's arms, in fact - and the vet, who is suffering from PTSD, is the prime suspect.

His parents believe he's innocent, as parents are wont to believe, and they ask Warshawski to clear his name. Since there are a number of inconsistencies and unanswered questions (what, for instance, do the strings of numbers mean that one rather nasty audience member regularly paints on the Body Artist's back?), Warshawski agrees to take the case.  Almost immediately, the plot thickens; the Body Artist pulls a disappearing act, it comes to light that the young vet brought back secrets with him from Iraq that some very bad people don't want revealed and Warshawski finds her own life in danger.

Body Work by Sara Paretsky (Putnam Adult, August 2010); 464 pp.