All the Way Gone (Detective Annalisa Vega #4)

 

Where was this book when I was studying psychology in college? I feel like I just left a master class in sociopathy!

In Book #4, Annalisa Vega has left the Chicago PD to start her own PI business and her first case is a doozy. Professor Mara Delaney has hired her to investigate the “star” of her upcoming book The Good Sociopath, which, as the title suggests, posits the question:

Can a sociopath be good?

Her book’s focus is Dr. Craig Canning, a charming neurosurgeon who is as skilled at saving lives as he is at bedding the attractive females he encounters. When a wealthy, pretty neighbor of his in his building dies under suspicious circumstances, Mara seeks out Annalisa. She wants to be sure before her book is published that Dr. Canning is indeed good and not involved with the young woman’s death that’s been ruled accidental.

Has Annalisa met her match in this book? It’s not her first rodeo with a sociopath. Unlike the action-thriller elements of the previous books, though, this was a little more restrained. It was more of a psychological cat-and-mouse game, where you’re not exactly sure WHO all is playing. There’s a great sense of tension and menace throughout that kept me glued to the pages, but this time Annalisa’s headstrong cop persona has given way to a slightly more vulnerable side as she struggles to find her footing in her new role.

Speaking of her vulnerability, her personal life is also subject to her questionable choices. My jury is out on whether remarrying her ex, Detective Nick Carelli, is one of those. Time will tell. HIs daughter, Cassidy, is as headstrong as Annalisa, and just as prone to getting herself in trouble, which was the other thread of this story. These two may not be related by blood, but Cassidy is taking a page out of Annalisa’s book when it comes to putting herself in danger! I, for one, like her spunk. I also like Nick … (most of the time, when he’s not being a turd.)

I really liked this story. Some aspects of it stretched the limits of plausibility, but I read a book to have fun, and once again Joanna Shaffhausen delivered that. Her characters are complicated and messy - just how I like them. She’s able to write unlikable characters with a subtle humor or nuance that makes them fun to read, which isn’t easy to pull off. I hope I’m not the only one who liked Dr. Canning! What a great character among a solid cast of them.

Despite some nice twists and red herrings, I wasn’t surprised by the culprit reveal. There seemed to be an obvious clue, but I’m wondering if it was meant to be seen? Sometimes an author’s goal isn’t to hide their identity, but instead let the reader figure out the “how” and “why”. I personally loved that! The book ends with some big dangling threads, so I can’t wait for the next book to see where this heads. You can easily read this as a standalone, but I’ll always recommend starting at the beginning so you get the evolution of the characters. It’s worth it!

★★★★ ½

Thanks to Minotaur Books, NetGalley and author Joanna Schaffhausen for this digital ARC to honestly review. It’s due to be published August 13, 2024.