LONG ТΙМE GONE
вy Cнarlιe Donlea
Releaѕe Daтe 05/21/2024

Sloan Hastings is working her way through school to become a forensic pathologist and just began her training in the ME’s office in pathology training when she is assigned investigative genealogy and submits her DNA - finding out she was a missing baby that was national news 30 years ago along with her parents. All were presumed dead or disappeared voluntarily.

Once this is discovered, her world gets completely turned upside down.

Every chapter is super informative, and if you have any interest in this subject, it’s just ONE of the reasons you’ll love this book…
(Another reason is it’s Charlie Donleas's book, and I can’t seem to put them down. )
He’s a master at medical / thriller/action-packed books that craft a deeply fascinating mystery that has twists and turns with fantastic pacing to keep readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end!!!

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️S̥ͦT̥ͦḀͦR̥ͦS̥ͦ


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Multiple POVs and dual timelines; short chapters; badass FMC (I want to be her fr); perfect pace and great storytelling; was hooked from the beginning and it just kept slowly pulling me further in; the perfect amount of depth and complexity; loved each component of the plot; addictive and kept me guessing.

My favorite of the 3 I’ve read by this author so far.

Special thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for a DRC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My go-to thriller author has hit it out of the park again. Dr. Sloan Hastings finds through DNA testing that she is the famous Baby Charlotte gone missing 30 years ago. The twists and turns will keep you rapt!

An innocent DNA test leads to a forensic scientist uncovering secrets of a past she knew nothing about, resulting in a fight for her life.

Sloan Hastings has always known that she was adopted, but she had the best parents in the world, so it never really bothered her, until an online genealogy search proves her to be baby Charlotte Margolis who, along with her birth parents had gone missing thirty years ago. What started off as a course research for her fellowship in Forensic Pathology soon gets Sloan embroiled in solving a cold case - that of her own disappearance.

Over the past year, I had been binge-watching episodes of Forensic Files on YouTube and was fascinated by how cold cases spanning decades were solved using DNA evidence. The plotline of Long Time Gone brings to mind several of those episodes.
I loved the character of Sloan - brilliant doctor, ambitious student, Crossfit champion - the perfect protagonist, with no flaws. Though it was faintly hinted at, the author does not insert a romance angle and hamper the intensity of the plot.

The narrative is peppered with plenty of technical details - information on how genealogy sites work, the ethics behind using these sites to hunt criminals, the coursework for Forensic Pathology, Sloan's crossfit routine with Eric, etc. - while this gives the reader some know-how on matters that may or may not have been familiar to them before, it does become tedious after a while.

Overall, suspenseful and riveting. After this book, Charlie Donlea has become an auto-select author for me. Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington books for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

i've heard good things about some of charlie's other books, so i was excited to start this one. it did not disappoint! it had a great amount of suspense and i found myself constantly reaching for my kindle to keep reading. even things that i thought were odd, like her gym obsession, all came into play at the end. can't wait to check out his other books!

If you are just now reading one of my reviews for the first time, I will let you in on a little secret….
I can be quite critical of popular authors. I’m not a fan of Ruth Ware, Lisa Jewell, BA Paris, Lucy Foley, Freida McFadden, or Alice Feeney. The reason I’m telling you this is because I’m always looking for an author that stands out. Keeps me on my toes! Doesn’t have the most ridiculous twists. Folks, it appears I have found a new author that has blown me away! Charlie Donlea is a heck of a writer! 👌

Sloan Hastings is a pathologist that has to go into a two year fellowship under another forensic pathologist. As part of the study, she asked to do a DNA test for an online genealogy site. Sloan is adopted. With permission from her adoptive parents, she takes the plunge. However, Sloan isn’t ready for what they find out.

Her results suggest she is the daughter of a couple who went missing thirty years ago. A nationwide case that rocked the country, she is in fact baby Charlotte Margolis! Her father, mother and her vanished into thin air. Why was the story so famous? The Margolis family was and is a successful family of wealth full of lawyers and political ties. Only thing is, there were some suspicious deaths back then that were tied to the case.

Whew, that was a lot of information. I know.

Sloan decides to head to Cedar Creek, Nevada to meet her new family and find out what happened to her real parents. How did she become adopted? Who gave her up for adoption when her parents were missing? What really happened to those people with suspicious deaths? How in the heck is this all tied together?

When we get to the meat and potatoes of the story, I was incredibly fascinated! Donlea thought up a brilliant link to bring all of this together! This is exactly what I’m talking about, a completely unique plot of a story with a common trope, the missing child trope. I enjoyed every single minute of it and I think you will too!

I truly believe this book will explode! Several times last night, my mouth flew open and I gasped out loud. I mean, how could I stop reading? Shocking twists and turns lead me up late into the night. It did get a little wild towards the end and a little unbelievable, however, it didn’t even matter. I loved this unique tale and will definitely read him again.

I am grateful to Kensington, NetGalley and Charlie Donlea for the opportunity. All opinions are my own. Publication date May 21, 2024.
4.5 ⭐️ raised to 5
Run and add this to your TBR now!!!! 😊

Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea
All I can say is RUN when this book comes out and get it! I’ve enjoyed all of Charlie Donlea’s books but this one blew it out of the park. My new favorite from him.
Sloan Hastings is about to start her fellowship for medical examiner. Part of this is learning about forensic geology. Sloan who was adopted grudgingly agrees to have her DNA tested as part of this. She really has no interest in her past, she was raised by her loving adoptive parents and hates to rock that boat. When her DNA links her to an infamous missing couple and their infant daughter her whole life as she knew it is about to explode. Now she’s rocketed into finding all the answers.
This book will be one I’ll recommend over and over.

I enjoy this author and this book was no exception. I was hooked from the first few pages. I did figure the story out ie who was the bad guy but i still enjoyed this very much.

This is as perfect as a book can be. The characterization is well done and really showcases the traits of each of the people in the story so well you would think you know them.

There are descriptions of settings that truly helped me visualize what the scenes looked like, and the mystery itself--so carefully played out that it kept me intrigued throughout the story.

This book is worth every one of the 5 stars I am giving it.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this copy!

This is my 3rd book by Charlie Donlea and I haven’t been disappointed yet. From the very first page I was sucked in and the action and suspense didn’t stop until the very last page. I’m now scrambling to get ahold of every single book. Thanks again to the publisher for allowing me an advanced copy, I’m truly obsessed with this author!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for my e-ARC of Long Time Gone!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🧬 have ever taken a DNA test
🎙️ are a true crime junkie
2️⃣0️⃣ read Twenty Years Later & loved it
👀 enjoy multiple POVs and timelines

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

When Dr. Sloan Hastings submits her DNA to an online genealogy site for a research assignment, her goal is to better understand the treasure-trove of genetic information contained on ancestry websites. Brilliant and driven, Sloan is embarking on a fellowship in forensic pathology, training under the renowned Dr. Livia Cutty.

Sloan has one reservation about involving herself in the experiment: she’s adopted. Grateful for a loving home, she’s never considered tracking down her biological parents. The results of her search are shocking. Sloan’s DNA profile suggests her true identity is that of Charlotte Margolis, aka “Baby Charlotte”, who captured the nation’s attention when she mysteriously disappeared, along with her parents, in July 1995. Despite an exhaustive search, the family was never seen again, and no suspects were named in the case.

Sloan’s discovery leads her to the small town of Cedar Creek, Nevada, the site of her disappearance. It also leads her to Sheriff Eric Stamos. The Margolis family’s influence and power permeate every corner of Harrison County, and Eric is convinced that in learning the truth about her past, Sloan can also help discover what happened to Eric’s father, who died under suspicious circumstances soon after he started investigating the case of her disappearance.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

After Twenty Years Later, Charlie Donlea became an auto buy author for me, so I knew I needed to read his upcoming release, and I was not disappointed! Donlea’s writing style is written for everyone. It’s quick, it flows, and it’s descriptive enough without being flowery. Donlea sets up with a murder right in the first few pages, so I was immediately hooked - who is this person, what did they do, how does it all connect? I especially loved the dual timelines between 1995 and 2024. Sloan is a very likable character, and I enjoyed reading the story from mainly her POV. Overall, I did end up guessing the main villain of the story, but it didn’t retract from that amazing ending! I’d love to see this one made into a movie or tv series!

Dr. Sloan Hastings needs to study her DNA for a pathology class. When she submits it she discovers that she was a child that was missing for almost 30 years. She knew she was adopted but didn’t know about her birth family. Definitely a good read that kept me guessing.

The connection to genetic genealogy was intriguing! Anyone who loves true crime will know how revolutionary genetic geneaology will be for solving cold cases, so I loved the idea of a book based on this premise. I did also like the science woven throughout, especially related to Sloane’s experience as a ME in training.

The only thing that held this back from being a 4 or 5 star read is that the twist was pretty easy to guess. I had thought there would be a second twist, or more to the story, but there wasn’t.

Loved this one! I think we will be seeing it as a highly-sought after pick for a lot of book clubs. I highly recommend this unique story. Charlie is an auto buy author for me!

Dr. Sloan Hastings is studying forensic pathology training under Dr Livia Cutty. Adopted at birth she decides to submit her DNA to a genealogical site for a project assigned to her through residency. When she is linked to a famous family who disappeared nearly 30 years ago she works to solve the mystery. Approached by Sheriff Eric Stamos whose father tried to solve the mystery long ago, they work together to uncover a crime and answer questions that have plagued the community for nearly 3 decades.
Another win from Charlie Donlea. I've read all of his thrillers. His character development is well done. I like how he always brings in little tidbits from other books, crossover characters or crime scenes. We follow two different timelines, 30 years ago when The margolis family disappeared and Sloan today trying to solve the mystery. As the two tie together in the end we learn what happened to the young family and why it was covered up all these years.
Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC.

This is one of my favorite authors. I literally yelled “YES” when I got approved for this book! I started it instantly and couldn’t wait to keep reading. It really sucks you in and makes you want to read late into the night! I didn’t see the twist coming which always makes a book better for me! Several jaw dropping moments!! I definitely recommend this one!

I loved this book! I really enjoyed the main character and her story. I loved the DNA/ancestry connection. 5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 ⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advanced e-copy of Long Time Gone! I will definitely be purchasing it for my bookshelf when it’s published on May 21, 2024!
I really enjoyed this entertaining story, it felt like the makings of an episode of Dateline! DNA, a genealogy website, and a kidnapping. My oh my! (Maybe…Keith Morrison should narrate the audiobook! 😂)
The story not only introduces a compelling new female protagonist but also brings back a familiar face, Dr. Liv Cutty, in a cameo! I love that! The pace and tension in the pursuit of answers to the who, what, when, and where kept me engaged and if I didn’t have to work today I would have stayed up late last night to finish it. Hopefully, this won’t be the last we hear of Sloan Hastings!

How cool would it be to work on cold cases? You probably would never dream you’d stumble upon your own, right? Sloan didn’t either until she submitted her DNA to a popular ancestry site for her thesis work on genealogy and forensics. One little swab and her whole world turned upside down. She always knew she was adopted, but what she found out about her birth parents led her down a dangerous path. Just like all of Charles Donlea’s novels, this one did not disappoint. Just enough criminology to be interesting and not lose me and an interesting story to go along with it.

Wow! Charlie is such a great storyteller. The details complement the story and don't bog it down. I like how the past time lines filled in the present time line so you could see how things happened and figure out the clues along the way.

Thank you to Netgalley, Kensington Books, and Charlie Donlea for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date for Long Time Gone is May 21, 2024