Gone For Good is the first in a new mystery series from award-winning author Joanna Schaffhausen, featuring Detective Annalisa Vega, in which a cold case heats up.
The Lovelorn Killer murdered seven women, ritually binding them and leaving them for dead before penning them gruesome love letters in the local papers. Then he disappeared, and after twenty years with no trace of him, many believe that he’s gone for good.
Not Grace Harper. A grocery store manager by day, at night Grace uses her snooping skills as part of an amateur sleuth group. She believes the Lovelorn Killer is still living in the same neighborhoods that he hunted in, and if she can figure out how he selected his victims, she will have the key to his identity.
Detective Annalisa Vega lost someone she loved to the killer. Now she’s at a murder scene with the worst kind of déjà vu: Grace Harper lies bound and dead on the floor, surrounded by clues to the biggest murder case that Chicago homicide never solved. Annalisa has the chance to make it right and to heal her family, but first, she has to figure out what Grace knew―how to see a killer who may be standing right in front of you. This means tracing his steps back to her childhood, peering into dark corners she hadn’t acknowledged before, and learning that despite everything the killer took, she has still so much more to lose.
The Review
GONE FOR GOOD
by Joanna Schauffhausen
This book reminds me so much of a couple of different thriller series. If you liked either The UNSUB series by Meg Gardiner or the Rizzoli and Isles series by Tess Gerritsen then I think you’ll like this series.
This book features Annalisa Vega, a detective on the case of a killer who dispatches his victims like farm poultry.
She’s on the case with her ex-husband and is getting a BTS look at the case by talking with her retired detective dad.
The premise of a possible copycat or return killer was very interesting but one that I’ve read a few times before. I was looking for this one to be different and stand on its own.
And it did somewhat.
The twist was pretty good which perhaps saved the book from being rated lower. But unfortunately, the way the story unfolds is kind of basic and a lot like a lot of other detective crime series books with a female lead character.
I liked this one enough that I am going to check out the next book in the series coming out in August.
Have you read GONE FOR GOOD?
GONE FOR GOOD…⭐️⭐️⭐️
A genre-defying new novel, inspired by Mary Shelley’s masterpiece Frankenstein, which brilliantly explores the eerie mysteries of childhood and the evils perpetrated by the monsters among us.
1978: at her renowned treatment center in picturesque Vermont, the brilliant psychiatrist, Dr. Helen Hildreth, is acclaimed for her compassionate work with the mentally ill. But when she’s home with her cherished grandchildren, Vi and Eric, she’s just Gran—teaching them how to take care of their pets, preparing them home-cooked meals, providing them with care and attention and love.
Then one day Gran brings home a child to stay with the family. Iris—silent, hollow-eyed, skittish, and feral—does not behave like a normal girl.
Still, Violet is thrilled to have a new playmate. She and Eric invite Iris to join their Monster Club, where they catalogue all kinds of monsters and dream up ways to defeat them. Before long, Iris begins to come out of her shell. She and Vi and Eric do everything together: ride their bicycles, go to the drive-in, meet at their clubhouse in secret to hunt monsters. Because, as Vi explains, monsters are everywhere.
2019: Lizzy Shelley, the host of the popular podcast Monsters Among Us, is traveling to Vermont, where a young girl has been abducted, and a monster sighting has the town in an uproar. She’s determined to hunt it down, because Lizzy knows better than anyone that monsters are real—and one of them is her very own sister.
The Children on the Hill takes us on a breathless journey to face the primal fears that lurk within us all.
The Review
THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL by Jennifer MacMahon. For the first half of the book, I turned on Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein to run in the background.
This book is atmospheric and brooding and I read it on a cloudy rainy afternoon in California.
Such a vibe!
It’s inspired by FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelly and I loved Jennifer Mcmahon’s take on it. This is one of my favorites by her.
This book will appeal to thriller and horror lovers alike as it stands on the fence between the two. I loved our protagonist and the deep atmosphere created in both timelines.
This comes out on April 26th and I think would be a great introduction to the author if you’re new to her books.
Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books/Scout Press for the advanced copy!
THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
An utterly delicious debut thriller that tells the story of the most likable murderess you will ever meet, perfect for fans of Riley Sager and Jessica Knoll.
“I could just kill you right now!” It’s something we’ve all thought at one time or another. But Ruby has actually acted on it. Three times, to be exact.
Though she may be a murderer, Ruby is not a sociopath. She is an animal-loving therapist with a thriving practice. She’s felt empathy and sympathy. She’s had long-lasting friendships and relationships, and has a husband, Jason, whom she adores. But the homicide detectives at Miami Beach PD are not convinced of her happy marriage. When we meet Ruby, she is in a police interrogation room, being accused of Jason’s murder. Which, ironically, is one murder that she did not commit, though her vicious mother-in-law and a scandal-obsessed public believe differently. As she undergoes questioning, Ruby’s mind races back to all the details of her life that led her to this exact moment, and to the three dead bodies in her wake. Because though she may not have killed her husband, Ruby certainly isn’t innocent.
Alternating between Ruby’s memories of her past crimes and her present-day fight to clear her name, Blood Sugar is a twisty, clever debut with an unforgettable protagonist who you can’t help but root for—an addicting mixture of sour and sweet.
The Review
I recently read BLOOD SUGAR by Sascha Rothschild and found it to be a good time.
In BLOOD SUGAR we follow Ruby. You know right away from the synopsis that she’s a murderer but it’s not at all what it looks like and Ruby can explain.
Throughout the book, we follow Ruby as she is interrogated and undergoes questioning. It’s fun and Ruby as a protagonist is unique.
I recommend to readers looking for a good time, not a hard time. Although there is a mystery running throughout it feels more like a fictionalized memoir of a super-likable murderess.
Would make a great Netflix show. Something between Dead To Me, Santa Clarita Diet, and Inventing Anna. 100% binge-able.
Out now!
Thanks to Netgalley and Putnam Books for the advanced arcs!
Blood Sugar…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
