Review - Gone in the Night

Title:  Gone in the Night

Author:  Joanna Schaffhausen

Series:   Detective Annalisa Vega #5

Publisher:  Minotaur Books

Genre:   Mystery & Thrillers

Format:  Kindle ARC

No. of Pages:  313

Date of Publication: August 12, 2025
Rating: 5 Stars

DESCRIPTION:

Detective Annalisa Vega hasn’t forgiven her brother for his role in a murder, and he hasn’t forgiven her for turning him in, so she’s surprised when he asks her to visit him in prison. Turns out, he has a possible case for her: one of his fellow inmates, Joe Green, may be innocent of the murder that landed him behind bars.

Joe is doing hard time for killing his ex-wife’s lawyer, but an anonymous letter sent to the prison warns that the eyewitness in Joe’s trial made up her story. With her private investigation business foundering, Annalisa is desperate enough to start poking around into Joe’s meager case. She immediately finds two problems: One, the eyewitness definitely lied about what she saw the night of the murder, and two, Annalisa’s husband Nick was the cop who arrested Joe in the first place.

Faced with correcting Nick’s mistakes, Annalisa digs deeper into Joe’s past and discovers he has two ex-wives with nothing good to say about him. The women may have orchestrated an elaborate frame to put Joe in prison, but one wife has completely disappeared since then. Did Joe somehow kill her? Or is he the real victim? Annalisa’s search for the truth tests the bounds of her marriage, her family, and her own sense of justice. Meanwhile, a devious killer keeps sending men to a watery death in the vastness of Lake Michigan. If Annalisa doesn’t figure out the truth about Joe soon, her husband might be next.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

We’re currently at the fifth book in the Detective Annalisa Vega series. Previously, Annalisa, a formidable and no-nonsense police detective, transitioned into a private investigator. However, working on her own cases has been a bit slow lately. When her imprisoned brother requests her assistance, Annalisa makes a pivot. Given their complicated family history, her reluctance to visit him is evident. But when she discovers that her brother genuinely wants to help a fellow inmate named Joe Green, who might be unjustly imprisoned, she agrees to assist.

This isn’t the high-stakes case Annalisa had anticipated, and with business being slow, she begins investigating Joe’s case. It doesn’t take her long to uncover that the murder case that sent Joe to prison has some holes in it. In fact, it seems as if he was framed. Could one of his ex-wives have orchestrated evidence that helped put Joe behind bars? Worse yet, are the police, possibly her husband Nick, involved in nefarious activities?

Annalisa and Nick are now married for the second time. His current case poses such danger that it could cost him his life. Naturally, Annalisa is torn, as she’s determined to protect Nick. However,  the more she investigates Joe’s case, the more intrigued she becomes. 

While readers might expect to see growing tension between Annalisa and her brother Alex, especially given their complicated family history, the story takes an unexpected turn. Alternatively, readers might anticipate friction between Annalisa and Nick. Only time will reveal the truth. As it turns out, Annalisa stumbles upon a situation involving a battered women’s shelter called Ruby’s Place. Perhaps a red herring, but in true Joanna Schaffhausen style, the intricately layered story becomes even more compelling. This case isn’t as insignificant as it seems for Annalisa.

If you’ve read my reviews, you know that I’m a diehard series fanatic who always makes an effort to read books in order. However, all the books in this series were originally intended as standalone novels. But, given Annalisa and Nick’s past, their family dynamics, and their history, it would be beneficial for the reader to read this series in order. With the word “Gone” in all of the titles, I can’t wait to see what book six will be called.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books as well as NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Joanna Schaffhausen wields a mean scalpel, skills she developed in her years studying neuroscience. She has a doctorate in psychology, which reflects her long-standing interest in the brain―how it develops and the many ways it can go wrong. Previously, she worked as a scientific editor in the field of drug development. Prior to that, she was an editorial producer for ABC News, writing for programs such as World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and 20/20. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and daughter.

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