Another brilliant read that I'm sorry took me so long to pick up because Long Time Gone is another hit for Charlie Donlea.

The short sharp chapters send you back to the past as well as the present time making it impossible to put the book down.

I had my own theory on how the story was going to end but I was so wrong. The ending was revelation after revelation with a thrilling ending.

One of the things I love most about Charlie Donlea's books while stand-alone he brings back characters from previous books making them a side character.

"Long Time Gone" by Charlie Donlea is a gripping psychological thriller that showcases the author's talent for crafting intricate mysteries. Set to be published on May 21, 2024, this novel combines forensic science, genealogy, and decades-old secrets to create a compelling narrative.

The story follows Dr. Sloan Hastings, a forensic pathology resident who discovers she's the long-lost "Baby Charlotte" who disappeared with her parents 30 years ago. As Sloan investigates her own past in Cedar Creek, Nevada, she uncovers a web of family secrets, power dynamics, and unexpected dangers.

Donlea's writing shines in his ability to weave complex plot threads and maintain suspense throughout the novel. The dual timeline structure, alternating between past and present, adds depth to the story and keeps readers engaged. The author's incorporation of forensic genealogy as a plot device is both timely and intriguing, reflecting current trends in crime-solving techniques.

Character development is a strong point, with Sloan portrayed as a relatable and determined protagonist. The supporting cast, including Sheriff Eric Stamos, adds layers to the narrative and provides different perspectives on the central mystery.

While some readers found certain plot elements familiar within the genre, Donlea's fresh take and skillful storytelling elevate "Long Time Gone" above typical thriller fare. The novel explores themes of identity, family secrets, and the impact of the past on the present.

However, a few readers noted that the pacing occasionally slows, particularly during some of the pathology scenes. Additionally, the climax was described by some as rushed or over-the-top.

In conclusion, "Long Time Gone" is a solid addition to Charlie Donlea's body of work, offering fans of psychological thrillers an entertaining and suspenseful read. With its intricate plot, well-developed characters, and exploration of cutting-edge forensic techniques, this novel is likely to satisfy Donlea's existing fans and attract new readers to his work

I’ve read a few books by the author and like the way the content is presented. There is an almost young-adult- like description of the details. This basically means that the author does not linger on the gore of otherwise darker themes, making it easier to digest. This does not mean that murders and murderers are not discussed, but everything is done once and the story moves on without rehashing things. This is at least the impression I came away with, although I did not actually check every time deaths were brought up.

Our lead protagonist has just gotten into a prestigious course which involves conducting autopsies. One would imagine that this would be the way the story progresses, but surprisingly her career choices do not impact the narrative ( or do they? One will have to read to find out).

A random DNA test opens a can of worms that no one could predict. It leads to the possible resolution of a cold case.

I found parts of the story a lot more engaging than the others. I think I expected more from the story and I guessed the culprit very early on. That said, there is enough tension in some of the scenes that made it a quick read.

I would definitely recommend this book and the author to fans of the genre. I look forward to reading other books by the author.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience of this and other books by the author.

This book follows Sloan Hastings, who is in a fellowship under the well-known Chief Medical Officer Dr. Livia Cutty. On her first day, she receives an assignment to research forensic genealogy. Sloan is adopted and never wanted to find her birth parents, but for this assignment, she finds herself spitting into a tube to take a DNA test. Once the results of her DNA test come back, Sloan's world is flipped upside down as uncovers her true identity. Sloan, aka Baby Charlotte, tries to find out what happened to Baby Charlotte and her parents the fateful day they went missing.

This story line was addictive. I was glued to the page until the absolute last line. It was a great twist on a cold-case file, which explores a missing persons and how forensic science can connect the dots to the future. The dual timelines and multiple POV’s created suspense and increased the intensity of family drama. Charlie Donlea is my favorite author and overall this story was an utterly shocking and gripping read. I highly recommend this story to anyone looking for a fun, twisty story.

Interesting story about dna and genealogy and how they can work to solve a murder.

I really enjoyed this book and the info it gives regarding genealogy. I didn’t want to put this book down. It kept my interest from the first to the last page.

Definitely a must read.

As Sloan Hastings begins a two-year elite fellowship to become a medical examiner, she is assigned forensic genealogy as her thesis subject. To understand the basics of it, she decides to submit her DNA to a forensic site, and is shocked to find out that she and her birth parents have been reported missing for 30 years.
If you are into true crime and the advance of DNA genealogy to solve cold cases, you will devour this book. It is fast paced and I loved Sloan’s character: ambitious, a fighter, but also a caring and loving daughter to her adoptive parents. This was my first time reading Charlie Donlea but it won’t be the last. I hope he writes a sequel, as I am not ready to let go of Sloan, her parents, Nora, and Sheriff Eric Stamos. I loved every second of this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book had a fresh, new plot line that I haven’t read before. Which I love. I’m getting tired of the same old plot lines over and over.
This book was told over different timelines, past and present. It was also told from different perspectives. I found the story intriguing. A cold case about a family gone missing, after the wife was suspected of a hit and run. But not just any family. One of the most prominent families in that area.
There is such a tangled web in this book. Twists I didn’t see coming. I really enjoyed this book. The audiobook narrator also helped keep my attention.

This book I really enjoyed reading! It was suspenseful and honestly kept you guessing on what was going to happen next. It started out slow, but really worked its way up to the interesting medical concept in the story. I enjoy that this author kept this story short, but had a lot of plot happening throughout. The twists in this story were great and definitely added to the outcome.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and author Charlie Donlea for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved, loved, loved this story! I love bed the science behind the plot and how the author kept the plot moving while also not hurrying. The ending was a bit surprising, which I loved! I’ve got this author’s other books on my want to read list now!

I recently read this book and loved it! @charliedonlea is one of my must read authors since his books are full of suspense and well written. Long Time Gone follows Sloan who has just started an elite fellowship and has been assigned a research project in forensic genealogy. This project will forever change her life!

I loved that this novel is partially set in North Carolina, the twists included in the story, and how Sloan navigates the surprises.

I highly recommend reading this book and spending some gift card book money on buying this book!

(This same review was shared on the Barnes & Noble website)

"When DNA results reveal a disturbing connection to the mysterious disappearance of a famous baby nearly three decades ago, a forensic scientist is plunged into a dangerous search for answers." - from Goodreads summary.

I picked this book up after reading and enjoying two other books by this author. This was one of those books that I easily lost myself in. Told in both the present and the past, each chapter had both a date and place to help the reader keep track of the different storylines and events that were happening. I found this super helpful in keeping track of where we at in the story. I was hooked by this book from the very beginning. The idea of taking a DNA test and finding out that you were the baby that had gone missing years ago was too intriguing. I was completely invested in Sloan finding answers to what had happened so many years ago. I found this to be a suspenseful and page turning read overall, although I did guess the whodunnit behind everything before we were meant to. It was still a really enjoyable read for me.

Readers who enjoy tension filled books that are hard to set down should give this book a try. After reading and enjoying three books by this author, I plan to work on catching up on the rest of his backlist. Four stars overall.

I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately, and this book was just what I needed! It centers around forensic genealogy (if you followed the Golden State Killer investigation, you know what this is) and - while it is fiction - this story feels like true crime.

As always with Charlie Donlea, the pages fly by - the chapters are short and the pacing is perfect. This is written in a dual timeline, so we spend time with characters the present, and then get information from the past to add color and fill in the details. I enjoyed the characters - Sloan is a strong, likable lead and there are plenty of suspects as she works to find out what happened to her birth parents.

This was a page-turner from start to finish - I couldn't put it down and finished it in one day. Pick this one up if you like true crime, thrillers, dual timeline, or DNA. I really enjoyed this one!

𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read this if you like true crime, short chapters, dual timelines, twisty and suspenseful plots, and DNA and genealogy.

Long Time Gone is the first book by Charlie Donlea that I’ve read, thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this new book.

This book was twisty turny in a good way. There were plenty of characters that played fitting roles, giving you lots of whodunnit suspects without being overdone. I didn’t really see the whodunnit coming, and had jumped from a few different people throughout the novel, so it was a pleasant surprise to have been mislead.

The novel itself takes on a unique point of view for a typically overdone topic; the missing child trope. A pathologist, using DNA, ancestry and genealogy as part of a research study for their education, discover they themselves to be a missing child - this was done meticulously, with lots of information to help the reader understand the science in this process while not bogging down the story. There wasn’t a simple and heartfelt reunion, in fact, it had an entirely unpleasant ending, which to me also adds to the uniqueness of what could be a common plot.

Overall, this is a solid 4 star read. It’s fast paced with wonderful short chapters, making it a bingeable read. It has interesting characters, lots of interwoven story, twisty plot with a surprising ending.

cool thriller with some goood ideas. tysm for the arc. 5 stars, would recommend, quite cool little work. fun!

I read this, albeit very late after release and profess to having loved this authors other books. This one, not so much.

I’m not sure what happened, but with the disjointed writing style flashing backwards and forwards between scenes, times and people, I felt it was all over the place. I didn’t have a strong sense at all of who Sloan was, and why on earth you can ethically as an employee in her position so a dissertation on herself. TBH from what I read (was it a sample or the actual book) I couldn’t really work out who was connected to whom until the book was just about done. Nora is being shot at, and I’m like who the eff is Nora? Ellis’s wife … like when did that happen.

And yep, the ending and how the pictures came to be … let’s not go there.

Uh, disappointed.

This story was just so improbable. From the beginning, the person working in a position that would use forensics and DNA to investigate tests her own DNA and finds out she is a missing person. DNA testing is so common nowadays, there was no need to come up with a reason for it. That was just the first odd thing, but there was a series, culminating in one of the oddest and most improbable endings I could imagine.
Add to that the repetition and constant cutting back and forth in time in chapters that were either 1 or 2 pages long., and I didn't think this was a great story. Donlea seems to have a lot of books with interesting premises, and I'm willing to try another, but this was not great.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

Yet another great mystery written by Donlea! His books are definitely an autobuy for me at this point and this one exceeded my expectations.

Dr, Sloan Hastings is very much my favorite of Donleas main characters. She is strong, smart and has a great backstory.
The use of DNA is one of my favorite themes in a mystery novel and the way it was used to solve a decades old case of a missing baby was incredible.

This is such a great read I could hardly put it down and flew through it! I cannot wait to read more from the author!

Thanks to the publisher for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

Charlie Donlea books are great to read anytime and I can usually fly through them (due to pace as well as interest!) This book was no different. His meticulous research lends authenticity to his stories, raising them above many others in the genre. I also love that the past (1995) is when I was born so it was cool to see that perspective. The present (2024) was interesting, because it came out in 2024 and authors tend to use the year before. I liked that it was actually the "present".

The dual timelines and multiple POV’s were very easy to follow along with and totally built up the suspense nicely. I was on the edge of my seat throughout.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of this novel. I highly enjoyed it and will be recommending it to others.

Charlie Donlea is a don’t miss author. I enjoyed the genealogy aspect and the intertwined crime aspects. I am am always surprised by every twist and turn. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.