You're like concrete feet in the summer heat: DEAD AND GONE.

Dead and Gone by Joanna Schaffhausen
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Chicago police detective Annalisa Vega cannot get away from investigating cops... even former ones. Her boss pulls her in to the case of Sam Tran, once a cop and now a PI, who is found hanging from a tree with a terrible message across his chest. Annalisa digs into Sam's cases, wondering if he found something that someone would rather have left buried. Her investigation reveals her own brother, Vinny, was a client. Sam was looking into a stalker on her niece Quinn's college campus.

Oh Annalisa, I just want to give her a hug. She's still haunted by her past choices related to her family--Pop is sick and on house arrest; another brother is in jail; the rest of the family, including Quinn, blame her; and other cops distrust her. She has her partner (in every sense of the word) Nick, but even those two have a troubled history.

As always, this is an excellent entry from Schaffhausen. She expertly weaves in several cases along with appearances from Annalisa's family. It was great to see Quinn, who plays a big role in this book. More Vegas! There are plenty of cases and a lot to keep us guessing. The stalker on Quinn's campus, Sam Tran's murder and his associated cases, and then Annalisa and Nick are tracking down a robbery suspect known as the Chicken Bandit. We get pulled into Tran's cold cases, as Annalisa worries that they may have something to do with his death. It seems like a lot, but they all meld together perfectly.

I love Schaffhausen's books because they are a great balance of police procedural and Annalisa's family life. She attempts to deal with the ramifications of turning in her father and brother, her future with Nick, and now, Quinn's safety. It adds an excellent personal tinge to the story. There are still plenty of twists and turns and surprises. And don't let the family aspect fool you--this is a dramatic and dark tale filled with violence and suspense!

Overall, this is an excellent read. 4.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netalley and Minotaur in return for an unbiased review.

View all my reviews