All the Way Gone

A suspicious death, a new job, family drama, and past secrets provide multiple plot layers to Joanna Schaffhausen’s novel All the Way Gone. It’s the fourth book in the Detective Annalisa Vega series. Annalisa is still setting up her private investigator office when her first client, Mara Delaney, enters. Mara has written a book that is nearing release. It is focuses on Chicago neurosurgeon Craig Canning, a doctor who has saved hundreds of lives.

When a young woman in Canning’s apartment building falls from her balcony, Mara needs to know if Canning was complicit in her death. She needs answers before the book is published. As always there are multiple suspects as well as the possibility that it was a simple accident. Was it murder or not?

Annalisa has a strong sense of right and wrong, but she is also willing to go into gray areas to find the truth. She’s courageous and has great investigative skills. However, she also takes risky chances and still has trouble communicating with those close to her.

What a disquieting and unsettling prologue! The author’s doctorate in psychology and interest in the brain come to life in the characters in this novel. The book has a solid and deeply involved plot with great character depth. The plot is twisty, with exciting scenes and plenty of drama and action on both the business and personal aspects of the novel. The novel highlights complicated family relationships, friends, deceit, death, terminal illness, manipulative behavior, and much more.

The author is a great storyteller. The tale grabbed my attention with the first chapter and kept be engrossed in the tale throughout the book. A twisty and clever plot with exciting scenes and a desire to find clues to what is really happening captivated me. The insight into the characters’ thoughts, behaviors, and actions towards others blended smoothly with the plot. The ending contained some surprises and wrapped up most things nicely, but I had a couple of lingering questions. My biggest quibble is that I couldn’t really tell that the story mainly takes place in Chicago.

Overall, this was a tense, emotional, and suspenseful novel with an unusual and riveting story arc that kept me engaged throughout. This series is best read in order as this series has spoilers for the earlier books. Those who enjoy mysteries and suspense stories featuring a strong female main character will likely enjoy the series. I can’t wait to see where the author takes the next book in the series.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Joanna Schaffhausen provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for August 13, 2024. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.