4 Stars
This is the fifth book in the Annalisa Vega series which I’ve enjoyed from the beginning.
Having left the police department, Annalisa is now a private investigator. Unfortunately, her business has been floundering, so when her brother Alex introduces her to Joe Green, a fellow inmate, who claims he is innocent of the murder of which he was convicted, she reluctantly decides to investigate. She does discover that an eyewitness may have lied at Joe’s trial, but she also finds some unsettling information about Joe. Her investigation leads her to a shelter for women and children fleeing abuse where the staff seems to know more about Joe than they’re admitting. Then more bodies are discovered which suggest the work of a serial killer. The other major complication is that Nick Carelli, Annalisa’s husband, was the lead detective in the case against Joe so she fears the strain her sleuthing might have on their relationship.
One of the appeals of this series is the character of the protagonist. Annalisa is definitely a strong female character. She is intelligent, thorough, fearless, and relentless in her pursuit of justice. She is not perfect however so she is relatable. As in the previous installments, there are personal struggles in her life. She still feels guilty about being responsible for her brother’s incarceration and worries about discrediting Nick and the effect that might have on their relationship, especially because she is in the late stages of pregnancy.
The plot is intricate with many layers and twists. I did predict some of the twists but not others. The one element I did not like is the recurring dream that helps Annalisa solve part of the case; for me, such surrealism does not ring true. The second case Annalisa investigates, that of a missing engagement ring, feels forced and superfluous, though it does lighten the tone since the Joe Green case certainly has no lighthearted moments.
There is a large cast of characters so I occasionally experienced some difficulty in remembering the connections. It was not a case of remembering who was who but how they came to be in each other’s orbit. Chance and coincidence certainly seem to play a role in bringing some of those people together.
As with the other novels in the series, I enjoyed this one. It’s an intriguing mix of police procedural, mystery, and family drama. A number of characters face moral dilemmas as well so readers will find themselves wondering what they would do in similar situations.
The ending suggests that this could be the end of the Annalisa Vega series. I hope not because all the books are good. This book can be read as a standalone, but why not treat yourself to the entire series beginning with Gone for Good and continuing with Long Gone, Dead and Gone, and All the Way Gone before reading this one, Gone in the Night.
Note: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
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