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.

A gripping thriller that magnificently intertwines the past and present. The plot is well placed with twists and turns that keep suspense throughout. I loved the exploration of forensic genealogy and thought it added an intriguing aspect to the mystery.
Many thanks to Kensington and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Enrolled in two-years  forensic pathology fellowship, Sloan is assigned to forensic and investigative genealogy as an area of interest.

The DNA result is linked to Preston and Annabelle Margolis and their two month old baby Charlotte , who all disappeared back in 1995. Sloan was adopted by Hastings couple about four months after baby Charlotte was declared missing.
Go into the mystery of how baby Charlotte ended up as Sloan Hastings.
The investigation leads into past murders that happened thirty years back at Nevada Creek. It gets more unputdownable once Sloan goes into the Margolis family to investigate the disappearance of her biological parents.

This book has full suspense with unexpected twists and clever ending. Even though I can predict the culprit, I still highly recommend this book for all thriller fans because I can say it's amazingly well-plotted.

After taking a DNA test for her doctoral program Sloan has more questions than she has answers. Is she the missing baby who vanished in 1995? Someone doesn’t want the answers to come out.
A highly engaging page turner with a twisted plot, this one should be on your read immediately!
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for my ARC.

Charlie Donlea has become a favorite recently and this one didn't disappoint. The subject of DNA and genealogy was a fun, topical hook, as it's been included in recent real-life cases, and it was also nice for Dr. Livia Cutty, who has appeared in another of Donlea's novels, to reappear. I read this one in one day and was bummed when it was over, because I'd been looking forward to a new book from Donlea.

This book was amazing! It was so well written, and it definitely kept my attention. I loved how the chapters went back-and-forth from the past to the present and you saw the story unfold from both perspectives. This is a must read!

A good thriller!

Dr. Sloan Hastings is starting her forensic pathology fellowship. As part of her fellowship, she needs to do research. She decides to center hers on DNA. Due to this, she decides to submit her own DNA to an ancestor website. Sloan knows she is adopted and even though she had never wanted to meet her biological parents, this could bring insight into her planned research.

No one is more shocked than Sloan when her DNA comes back proving that Sloan is none other than Charlotte Margolis, "baby Charlotte", who went missing with her parents back in 1995. The Margolis family has power and connections everywhere but what do they know about her disappearance?

After making the discovery, Sloan is approached by Sheriff Eric Stamos. His father was the Sheriff in 1995 investigating a hit-and-run case where her mother was a suspect. Just a few days after her parents disappeared, the Sheriff died from an overdose. Eric believes his father was murdered and he needs Sloan's help to prove it.

Quite a compelling plotline with remarkable characters. The suspense was just right.

I'm looking forward to reading another book by this author.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Kensington Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A favourite author, Charlie Donlea, delivers a female-driven thriller with "Long Time Gone".
Dr. Sloan Hastings begins a genealogy study in which she has to submit her DNA for testing. The reported results are shocking. Could Sloan be a baby that went missing 30 years ago?
What follows is a dangerous web of corruption, power and lies.
An engrossing, entertaining thriller from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Donlea has done it again. Fantastic plot and characters. A DNA result leads to the discovery that Sloan was a missing child and that her biological parents are missing. Eric helps her solve what happened to her. Fast paced and well written.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. Loved it so much I had to have my own copy.

Amazing writing. I was drawn into the action from the very first page.. The whole premise is compelling and the book is hard to put down. Fans of thrillers and DNA stories will enjoy this book.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Dr. Livia Cutty knows she was adopted. Her parents are loving, successful, good people but when Livia takes a DNA test for her research to become a medical examiner, she realizes she has been a missing child since she was 1 months old! And, the plot thickens when she's told that her biological parents mysteriously disappeared at the same time as her!

How did Livia end up with her family and what happened to her father, a lawyer from a prominent, influential family in Nevada and her mother??!! What did the Sherriff of the small town uncover that led to his demise??!!

This story time hops from days before "Baby Charlotte's" disappearance to current events and will engage you from the first page!! Donlea is a great builder of suspense and Long Time Gone is no different!!

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.4⭐️
An interesting “ripped from the headlines” style of fiction.

“And I’ll give you a little bit of advice my mentor gave me: Procrastination is the devil’s way of stealing your time. Avoid it at all costs. Get busy and stay busy.”

While training for a career in Genealogy DNA, Sloan Hastings discover’s that she and her birth parents are missing persons from a very wealthy family, the Margolis’.

10 days prior to disappearance 30 years ago, her birth mother’s car was found at the scene of a hit and run that caused the death of her husband’s partner-at-law. This town is run by the tight-knit and powerful Margolis family, and getting too close to the truth will get you killed.

“To hold another’s secrets brought people together more powerfully than even unconditional love.”

🐢🐇 This started off a bit slow for me, but once Sloan went to meet her birth family, I was sucked in. It was very clear that everyone in this story wanted something - a good scoop, vindication, a free conscious, quiet,… It felt a little disjointed at times when it would swap to another character’s POV, and they weren’t a big part of the story.

💀 The overall “who dunnit” wasn’t a huge surprise but the way it all went down had me cracking up 😂 And a really sweet ending 🦅

Thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Charlie Donlea for providing me with a complimentary ARC to review!