Over the last few weeks, I have read a variety of crime thrillers. They are different from one another, but all suspenseful, twisty and thoroughly entertaining. I recommend them all.

Gone for Good (Detective Annalisa Vega, #1)

Gone for Good (Detective Annalisa Vega #1) by Joanna Schaffhausen

Published August 10th 2021 by Minotaur Books

4 Shiny Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Gone For Good is the first book in a new mystery series featuring Detective Annalisa Vega. In this book, Annalisa if thrust into the middle of a cold case that her father had once investigated. The Lovelorn Killer, who killed seven women twenty years ago has resurfaced. Grace Harper is part of an online/amateur sleuth group who has been investigating this case. When she ends up dead, killed in the same ritualistic way as the previous women, Annalisa knows he is back. Her investigation puts her in his sights and not only do they need to find him before he kills again, she has to save herself.

Joanna Schaffhausen has penned a wonderful crime mystery/thriller with great characters. We meet Joanna and her partner and ex, Nick. They may not do romance well, but they make great partners and work this investigation well. This case brings some of Annalisa’s baggage to light. Her neighbour and mother of her highschool boyfriend was one of the Lovelorn Killers victims. She really wants to bring closure to Collin and her own family, which gives her added motivation. I really loved Annalisa as the protagonist. She is strong, smart and has great instincts. She is also loyal and takes no crap from anyone. There were some twists, red herrings and clues dropped here and there. There are always other crimes to be solved and I love that Annalisa is not happy being idle. A great story and one that I recommend to those who enjoy crime thrillers and strong female characters. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.

The Silence (Columbia River #2, Callahan & McLane, #6)

The Silence (Columbia River #2) by Kendra Elliot

Published August 25th 2020 by Montlake

4 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Silence by Kendra Elliot is once again interconnected with characters from previous books and series. Does that mean you have to have read them all? Absolutely not, but if you have, you will enjoy seeing some of your favourite characters make an appearance. In this book, set in Oregon, a man is brutally murdered and it turns out he is an informant of FBI Special Agent Ava McLane. It is her fiancé, Oregon State Police Detectives Mason Callahan, who is one of the detectives called to the scene. The man is a conspiracy theorist, but when it turns out his ramblings warn of the police shooting that recently occurred that Ava is investigating, they find themselves working together. There are some other people killed and Ava’s twin sister, who is a thorn in her side, seems to have a connection to the murdered man’s brothers. There is lots happening, but can Ava, Mason, and those working with them stop this killer before more bodies turn up.

I really like the team of Mason and Ava (Callahan and McLane). They are great protagonists, being smart, strong and skilled. They are also realistic with personal issues that made them who they are. In this book, it is Ava’s relationship with her twin sister that comes into play. Her sister is a source of constant upheaval for her, but as often as she says she is washing her hands of her, when she calls, Ava does what she can to help her out. Overlapping cases make the plot a bit convoluted, but it is suspenseful and very fast. There are times where I had to suspend belief and just sit back and enjoy the story. There is a lot of violence in this one, but it is not too graphic. This book contains themes of family relationships and all their drama, domestic violence, conspiracy theorists, hatred, anger, and cop killing. I continue to enjoy the relationship that has developed between Ava and Mason. There are a few moments of lightheartedness when discussing their upcoming wedding, but overall, this was a fast moving, twisty, crime thriller. I enjoy Kendra Elliot’s books and now have to wait a bit for the next Columbia River story.

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Striking Range (Timber Creek K-9 Mystery #7) by Margaret Mizushima, Nancy Wu (Narrator)

Published September 7th 2021 by Dreamscape Media, Crooked Lane Books

4.5 Stars:

I really enjoy the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series and each book brings another wonderful crime/mystery to solve. There is so much going on in this book. This one opens with Mattie meeting California Detective Jim Hauck at a Colorado prison. They plan to interview John Cobb, the man Mattie thought was her father as well as the man who tried to kill Mattie a few months ago. They are trying to find out if he killed her real father 30 years ago, but when they get to the prison, he is dead, with a map in his cell. Mattie returns home to see where the map leads, but before they can investigate, they find a young woman dead, a women who had recently given birth, but there is no baby found. They now have to solve the mystery of the map, find a killer and find the baby.

I really like the characters in this series. Mattie is a fantastic detective and her K-9 partner, Robo is very talented. In this book, they call in various other K-9s all with various jobs and talents. I found that very interesting. There was a lot of tracking going on in this one. The plot was very well-developed and I liked how the different sub-plots were interwoven into the story. There were clues dropped along the way, but they were subtle, lots of red herrings and several twists that made this one difficult to figure out. I enjoyed the reveal of the criminals and how they were subdued and eventually arrested. Another great police procedural/detective/crime thriller. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Nancy Wu. She has narrated the previous books I have listened to in this series and is the voice of Mattie Cobb to me. Wu does an excellent job of bringing the story and characters to life. She has a pleasant voice and gives personality to the characters. If you enjoy stories starring animals, police procedurals or crime thrillers, I recommend you pick this one up in either book or audiobook format. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.