This might be the right book for someone, but it wasn't for me. The chapters are very short and choppy. For me, this made it difficult to get in the flow of the story. The characters were somewhat ridiculous and the mystery was not hard to figure out. I knew I was in trouble when our MC, who is a CrossFit titan, learned the small town sheriff who was working with her on the case was also a CrossFit enthusiast. Wasn't it sexy, after they spent all night researching her case, that they could release their tension and bond during a rigorous CrossFit workout in the special CrossFit outdoor gym that he built himself in his backyard? (Do we think that this book might be sponsored by CrossFit?)

As a project for her forensic pathology fellowship, Sloan Hastings submits her DNA to a forensic genealogy site and has a shock. She’s the missing “baby Charlotte” from three decades earlier when her parents went missing, location still unknown.

After this discovery, she’s approached by the Sheriff of Cedar Creek Nevada, Eric Stamos to help him find answers in his father’s death back when she and her parents went missing. Eric’s father was the sheriff investigating their disappearance and his death was suspicious. Sloan has the perfect opportunity to infiltrate the Margolis family, her biological family, and Cedar Creek royalty. The family has wealth, status and power that’s made it impossible to investigate them with any success and so Sloan’s inside connection could be important in solving both cases.

I really enjoyed Long Time Gone! I find the use of genealogy DNA fascinating! It’s most notably helped find one of the most notorious killers in California, The Golden State Killer. Even though I’ve read a bit about the process, I appreciated Donlea’s explanations.

I liked Sloan and was invested in her efforts to solve the mystery of her past, how she came to be put up for adoption and finding out what happened to her biological parents. The ending culminated in a pulse pounding conclusion that had me on the edge of my seat!

There was a hint of romance between her and Sheriff Eric that could be further explored if there are future books planned. I’d be on board for that!

I alternately read an e-copy (courtesy of Kensington) and listened to a library audio. I can recommend either version. I enjoyed Vivienne Leheny’s performance and listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

4.5 stars

I've never read anything by this author before, but I certainly will read more in the future. This was a truly engaging story, and I love how it mixed the past and the present, as well as multiple secrets concerning Sloan's birth and adoptive parents. It was fascinating to see how forensics can use DNA to unravel cold cases. The writing style quickly pulls the reader in, and the action and short chapters keeps readers actively engaged. Sloan was a realistic character, and the reader is made to feel like they are truly a part of her journey to uncover her past. The way it all unfolds is truly masterful.

Charlie Donlea definitely knows how to write a thriller. Short chapters, complex plot lines, a blistering pace, dual timeframes that converge for a powerful ending…all of these conspire to keep the book in readers' hands. There are no flowery descriptions of setting, just the details that are necessary to place the novel. Characterization takes place through actions and, while not particularly deep, it is sufficient to sketch out the characters well enough to have them make sense.

In LONG TIME GONE, the setup involves Dr. Sloan Hastings' research on the use of DNA in forensic pathology. In order to further her knowledge, she submits her own DNA to a genealogy site to understand the process…instead, she gets a shock. She finds out that she is a member of a powerful Nevada clan and that she and her parents went missing when she was an infant. As she digs down into her past, connecting with her birth family, she also discovers that the family's power has been fueled by greed and violence. The chance DNA finding sets her on a path to find out what happened to her birth parents, a path that leads to an escalation in violence and puts her life in danger.

Chapters are short and are grouped into timeframes. We move between the 1990s when Sloan was born as Charlotte Menendez and then disappeared along with her parents, and the present as she attempts to dig up the details of that disappearance and her adoption. Donlea does a great job of introducing any new characters and pieces of the plot within those sections of chapters so that they are firmly in the readers' minds as the timeframe switches. I never felt disoriented by the temporal changes.

The pace of the book moves so quickly that there is little time to reflect upon any holes in the plot. Once the final pages are read, however, and there is time to think about it, a couple of issues emerge. The most glaring for me is motivation for the ultimate villain. At times they seem sociopathic, at other times deranged, and sometimes completely normal. Thus, the villain ends up seeming more of a plot device than a true character. I also found it difficult to believe that Sloan, who is portrayed at the beginning of the book as completely driven professionally, would drop everything and take off to solve her family mystery. Donlea provides a semi-plausible leap based on the connection between her forensic pathology work and her personal situation, but I found it unconvincing.

Even with these shortcomings, I recommend the book for its ability to draw readers in and hold them fast in the plot's grip.

Charlie Donlea does it again!

Long Time Gone is an incredible book that brings back one of my favorite characters of Donlea's (Dr. Livia Cutty). as well as how DNA can change your entire life.

Dr. Sloan Hastings is on a two-year fellowship in forensics under Dr. Livia Cutty (from Donlea’s book The Girl Who Was Taken)

Dr. Hastings research topic assigned to her for her fellowship Forensic and Investigative Genealogy.


DNA, DNA, DNA! To get an inside more depth view of the ancestry websites, Dr. Sloan begrudgingly submits her DNA to the website. Even though she is adopted, she does get their permission and goes through with it.

When the results come back OMG OMG!!!!

No spoilers here, but I was excited to see Ryder Hillier from the podcast "Unsolved" from Donlea's book Don't Believe It.

This was such an incredible book! I absolutely LOVED it! The research was amazing, and the story was compelling with many twists I did not see coming.

Though she was adopted as an infant, Sloan Hastings didn’t think submitting her DNA to an ancestry website as part of her forensic pathology fellowship would yield any terribly serious results. Boy, was she wrong. It turns out Sloan’s DNA revealed that she is “Baby Charlotte” an infant who disappeared 29 years ago, along with her parents from her family’s home across the country, where her rich and powerful extended family still lives and searches for them. Hoping to not only discover more about her past, but find out what happened to her parents, she decides to head to Nevada. But there’s someone who is desperate to keep the past firmly in the past.

The book is told along two timelines, the past and the present.

This was my second Charlie Donlea book, and I was hoping it would live up to its promise, and boy did it. This book was a great read start to finish. The mysteries (Theres a couple, but I won’t spoil them!) are all suspenseful, and I was seriously on the edge of my seat as they came together and Sloan and her investigative partner, the Sheriff in Cedar Creek, start putting everything together.

And I did not figure out the ending at all. Plus the fact that it’s a little….well….muddy, helps make it all the more interesting. I won’t say more, but it’s really good. Though a little frustrating, but drop me a line if you want to chat me about that.

Anyway, just get this book if you want a good mystery/thriller. It’s well worth the read!

Sloan is starting her fellowship that deals with genealogy. To learn more about genealogy she submits her own DNA to a website. Little did she know she was about to find out she was the famous missing "baby Charlotte" from nearly thirty years ago.

I loved this story from start to finish. Told is a then and now aspect. I was intrigued by both eras. I liked that descendants from long ago characters were currently working on the case today.

Not a unique topic--crimes solved with DNA or involving rich entitled families, but told in a unique way. I just love this authors way of drawing you in and not letting you go until the end.

The chapters are short and the story unfolds at a steady pace.

Another good one from Donlea!

Thanks to netgalley and Kensignton Books for the arc.

Second book by Donlea, and I loved it! I thought I had it figured out, but I didn't. Quick mystery that I didn't want to put down.

Thank you Netgalley & Kensington books for an eARC of Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea! I really need to read this author's entire backlist of books.

What's it about?

Sloan Hastings is beginning her fellowship and is assigned to research forensic genealogy. How are sites like Ancestry.com and 23andMe helping break cold cases wild open? Sloan always knew she was adopted, but she gets WAY more than she bargains for when she submits her own DNA to be profiled. Her DNA suggests that she is the famous "baby Charlotte" of 30 years ago - An infant who mysteriously vanished with her parents and hasn't been seen since. Sloan makes it her mission to try to solve the case of what happened to her and her parents before the media & true crime podcaster junkies galore.

Expertly written, I alternated between eBook and audiobook for this one and found myself wanting to know what was next at every minute I had to put it down. Very few books have been able to tackle the DNA-to-crime topic and keep me intrigued, and Donlea nailed it. Family secrets plus police procedural and media frenzy, who can Sloan trust? I did guess the ending on this one, but it felt complete and wrapped up nicely. I can't wait to see what Donlea comes up with next, and thriller lovers won't be disappointed by adding this one to their TBR!

When a DNA project leads Sloan to discover she's a missing child, her world is rocked. And not just any missing child, she's Baby Charlotte - - a high profile case from thirty years ago. Charlotte Margolis and her parents disappeared and haven't been seen since. Now Sloan who was adopted as an infant finds that she had initially been kidnapped and her birth parents are still missing.

Sloan is quickly pulled into the orbit of the Margolis family as they are wealthy and powerful. Also, the press finds out her identity and begin following her mercilessly. Meanwhile, Sloan is working with others in an attempt to understand how she vanished and where her birth parents might be. As she is pulled back to the town she's initially from, other mysteries begin to surface. She meets the sheriff who is the son of the previous sheriff who died mysteriously. And that's just the beginning of the strange circumstances that they begin to uncover.

Charlie Donlea has such a knack for writing great mystery thrillers so I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to read this one early. Then I also received an early copy of the audiobook and my world was truly complete. LOL. Maybe a slight exaggeration, but I was pretty darned excited.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The audio was absolutely wonderful. The narration was really spot on and fit the characters. I enjoyed listening to it immensely. 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook.

Loved it. It was fast paced and kept my interest. The characters were well written and I loved Sloane. I loved that it was a time jumper. There were no lingering plot holes or questions left unanswered.

Reading Between the Wines book review #41/130 for 2024:
Rating: 4 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: Long Time Gone
Author: Charlie Donlea
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: I love it when books can reflect things that are happening or have recently happened like DNA solved mysteries. I love how Donlea writes and every book that I have read by him makes me wish it was a series. I could see Dr. Livia Cutty as a Chief Medical Officer in future books. There were not many characters in this book so it seems as if the reader will guess the guilty party. While this may be true, there are so many elements to the reveal and what happens after. I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for his next release.

Cheers and thank you to @KensingtonBooks and @Netgalley for an advanced copy of @LongTimeGone.

#LongTimeGone #CharlieDonlea #KensingtonBooks #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult

This is my fifth Charlie Donlea book and it did not disappoint! I love that he has dual timelines, always helps tell a great story. Highly recommend!

I got This a few days ago and sped through it. Always a sign of a good book in my opinion!

Sloan Hasting is starting a special fellowship program with Dr. Livia Cutty, Chief Medical Officer where she will realize her goal of being a forensic pathologist in 2 years. Her assignment for her dissertation project is DNA in criminal investigations and pathology. Because she is not familiar with the area, she submits her DNA to a genealogy website for analysis. To her surprise, she comes up as "Baby Charlotte" the child of a wealthy couple who went missing 30 years ago.
This book grabbed me from the start. I have studied my ancestry, and come up with my own family secrets - although nothing like Sloan discovered. This case brought her down roads which she never dreamed existed and the author wove a tale which was believable and sad.
When Sloan decided to go to the town where the Margolis family lived, she intended to meet her aunt, but along the way managed to meet her family and become involved in another cold case and all the media attention surrounding her own case.
The plot was well developed. The twist was unexpected, but realistic. The characters were realistic, some helpful, others admittedly guilty, some resentful of her intrusion. The media involvement was so contemporary - camping out near her rental property, hounding her for an interview, speculating what happened...
This is the first book that I have read by this author but I will certainly look for more. I highly recommend it for an imaginative, up to the minute story. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington Press and am expressing my opinions voluntarily.

Can Charlie Donlea write a bad book? The answer is no. Every book I’ve read has been fantastic. And this is his best one yet! Hooked, absolutely hooked, from the very beginning and I binged the last 60% of this book. I had to know what was happening! I did end up guessing part of it, but it didn’t take away from the experience at all. I love the multiple points of view, short chapters and past/present perspective. I also love how Charlie Donlea sprinkles in characters from previous work into his writing. It’s fun to recognize a name and piece it together.

If you haven’t read this one yet, add it to your TBR immediately. This will be one of my top books this year. Loved it!

Thank you NetGalley, Charlie Donlea, and Kensington Books for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

** I received this book as an arc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Sloan Hastings, an elite fellow under Chief Medical Officer Dr. Livia Cutty, embarks on a forensic genealogy research project and submits her DNA to an online genealogy site. Raised by adoptive parents, Sloan is shocked to discover she is Charlotte Margolis, a child who vanished with her parents in 1995. As she investigates her past, she travels to Cedar Creek, Nevada, where the Margolis family holds significant power and influence. Sloan's search uncovers deeply buried family secrets, and she realizes someone is determined to keep the truth hidden at any cost.

Overall rating: 4.6/5

Ratings:
1. **Plot and Storytelling:** 5/5 I found this book to be very well-plotted and excellently told. I enjoyed it from the very beginning, and it was richly detailed enough to draw me into the world without being overwhelming.

2. **Characterization:** 4/5 The characters were mostly believable. Although the female main character didn’t show a lot of growth, her imperfections made her more relatable. The book was more plot-driven than character-driven.

3. **Writing Style:** 5/5 I love Charlie Donlea’s writing style. Each of his books seems to get better. He tells an excellent story with good twists and excellent pacing, without any major plot holes.

4. **Originality:** 4/5 While the themes of a missing child and a secretive rich family are common in the thriller genre, this book felt unique compared to anything I’ve read before.

5. **Emotional Impact and Resolution:** 5/5 This book had me hooked from the very beginning. It resonated emotionally, kept me intrigued, and on the edge of my seat. The resolution wrapped up well and even left room for a potential sequel without detracting from this book.

What I love about Charlie Donlea's books is his use of forensics! I've read three books by him and this is my favorite so far. This book had me on the edge of my seat and that ending! Wild!

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

4.5 hearts

I loved the setup of the main character, her career and family. The world building was handled well. Sloan is an only, adopted child of two dentists. She has gone into medicine focusing on forensic pathology. She has qualified for a prestigious 2 year training program. In addition to autopsies, all the students are given a project for the first year. Sloan's project is about DNA in criminal investigations and pathology. To learn more about DNA, she submits her own DNA and finds out about her biological family.

Sloan is smart and capable. She is also lucky that the first family member to reach out to her is Nora, who would be her aunt in law. Nora, like Sloan's mother, married into the family and was kind to her mother. Now she is supportive of Sloan getting to know her and the family.

It becomes clear that after 30 years, it is likely something bad happened to her parents. The local sheriff, Eric, gets her input because his father died about the same time as her parents disappeared. His grandfather always believed he was murdered. As evidence is collected, Eric and Sloan get closer to the truth. Sloan's skills help her to read autopsy reports and she gets fresh opinions from the head of her program.

Everyone from that time who knew anything seems to be dead, so you would think Eric and Sloan would be more keenly aware of the danger of digging into the cases. Eric knows it is dangerous around the family but doesn't really think his father was murdered. Sloan learns the downsides quickly and escapes with the family to avoid the press.

It's a wild and dangerous place to examine the past. I loved how Sloan dug for the truth, no matter the consequences. I hope we haven't seen the last of Sloan. We got a peek of Avery Mason (from another book) who interviewed Sloan. Long Time Gone is a stand alone. I enjoyed the science aspects and how the mystery unraveled. There were a few flashbacks to the time when her parents and Eric's father died.

Charlie Donlea has been a hit or miss author for me, and this book has both as the first half gripped me by the throat but I felt the second half fell rather flat. We are introduced to Sloan who studies to be a pathologist and for one of her assignments, she submits her DNA to an ancestry website, which is the start of a frenetic search for the truth about what happened to her biological parents. This part of the story was riveting, original and engaging. The dual timeline worked perfectly to give us insights of what happened when Sloan was a baby and how the actions of thirty years ago still had repercussions today. It also was a perfect setting for some escapism. Who wouldn't want to find out that their birth family are a dynasty with their own vineyard, right?

But halfway, the characters and their observations and feelings make way for an action packed thrill ride, complete with a somersault over the top ending. Sloan, who is a doctor already, suddenly needs things explained to her as if she were a five years old, and the descriptions of her working out become repetitive. I could most certainly see this book become a good movie, as it has that visual narrative about it.

Will I read the next book by this author? Absolutely, because he has proven over and over again that he is a great storyteller. I just hope that he will take the time to finish it with as much gusto as some of his previous books.

Thank you NetGalley, Kensington Books and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review, it is much appreciated !

Wow this was so good!! It kept me guessing and everytime I thought I had it figured out I was wrong. This was so full of twists, I couldn’t help but devour it!