A twisty, well paced thriller with good characters and excellent storytelling, When she threw her DNA into the universe, Sloan sure didn't expect to discover that she is actually a famous missing baby-Charlotte but now that she knows, she's determined to discover the truth about her heritage and history. Of course, there are those who don't want her to uncover their secrets, Can she trust Eric, the sheriff who is helping? No spoilers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A page turner.

On her path to becoming a forensic pathologist, Dr. Sloan Hastings has been assigned a research project in the field of genealogy. While knowing she is adopted, she signs up on one of the ancestry websites to understand how it all works. The results are shocking as Sloan learns that her birth name is Charlotte Margolis who, along with her parents, disappeared almost thirty years ago from their Cedar Creek, Nevada home. This was a mystery that dominated the national headlines in 1995 and has remained a cold case. Until now. Eric Stamos, Cedar Creek's local sheriff, visits Sloan as he has long suspected that his father Sandy's suspicious death was tied to the rich and powerful Margolis family. Sloan's reappearance might enable Eric to gain valuable information. And while they appear to be overjoyed when they meet Sloan, it becomes clear that the Margolis family is a secretive, controlling bunch. The disappearance of Charlotte and her parents are only part of the puzzle.

Author Charlie Donlea shows his skill at creating riveting, skillful mystery thrillers in Long Time Gone. It's a fast-paced, suspense-filled story that I breezed through with great enjoyment. The main characters are all well done. The book volleys back and forth from past to present where clues as to what happened in the past are revealed to the reader but remain a mystery to those in the present, adding to the tension. This is a solid thriller I'm happy to recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Books, Recorded Books Media for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest thriller by a favorite, Charlie Donlea, and perfectly narrated by Vivienne Leheny. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Sloan Hastings is studying to become a medical examiner. Her assigned research project is to study forensic genealogy. She starts by submitting her DNA to a genealogy site. Sloan has always known she was adopted and never desired to find her birth parents. But when the results come back, they show that she was actually Baby Charlotte, a 2-month-old who disappeared along with her parents 30 years ago in Nevada. She meets the sheriff of the small town from where she went missing, and he has a mystery of his own to solve that may be related.

Wow - this was such a suspenseful, intriguing book! I started reading the digital but found I had to keep going, so I switched to the audio which was perfectly narrated. I was pulled in from the very beginning, as the subject of forensic genealogy is so fascinating, Sloan was a very likable character and I felt like I was going along on her journey to discover the secrets of her past. The story is told in both the past and present timelines, and the tension kept building throughout the book. Clear some time and read this one!

Stayed up past my bedtime for this one.
This was a really fun read. I liked the FMC and that’s saying something because I almost always hate the way male authors write female characters. The premise of the book revolves around a wealthy family that has great influential control over the small town in which they reside. It was very much giving Murdoch family scandal if you’ve watched current events and documentaries on that family.
My only negative is things felt repetitive at times. The whodunnit was mostly predictable but it didn’t matter because I enjoyed the ride. 4 stars.

I have truly enjoyed every Charlie Donlea novel and this was no different. While I have a few nits (why even mention the podcast host? She was under utilized, IMO. Also the way the photos came to be? Come on, man. LOL) they did not stop me from eating up this 9 hour audiobook in fewer than 24 hours. I love a storyline that snaps-- nothing bothers me more than dragging out a storyline in a thriller. This was masterful (but not without issues) storytelling.

Rating: 5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•
I have been a huge fan of Donlea after reading Twenty Years Later and have had a plan in place to read all fo his backlist. Then I came across this one NetGalley and I knew I needed it. I mean come on, if you dont know by now, any type of cold case story is my absolute favorite. This was no exception.
•
Long Time Gone is told in a dual timeline. The present and in 1995 when multiple crimes are committed. Right from the start this one was captivating and addictive. It starts off fast paced and maintains that momentum throughout the entire story, making this one of those books that you just cant put down. There were the perfect amount of twists and I loved the suspenseful ending.
•
Majority of the characters are great besides a select few. Sloane, her adoptive parents, her boss and Eric, the sheriff she assists in the cold case were my favorite. I would absolutely love to see another story with these characters, especially another cold case perhaps!?
•
I listened to this one via audiobook while reading on my kindle. Vivienne Leheny was phenomenal. I love what she did with the audiobook. There was no issue with following along with the dual timelines.
•
Long Time Gone was a pleasure to read. I loved it. Highly recommending this one to all of my murder mystery / thriller friends! This will be releasing on 5/21. Be sure to check it out! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Charlie Donlea, Recorded Books Media and Kensington Books for the ALC and eARC in exchange for my honest review.

A solid thriller with an interesting concept.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Fresh off her four-year residency, 29-year-old physician Sloan Hastings is starting the first year of her fellowship in forensic pathology under the renowned Dr. Livia Cutty (familiar to the author‘s loyal readers from "Don't Believe It"). When her area of interest for her research during her first year is revealed to be forensic and investigative technology, Sloan - who knows she was adopted as a baby - submits her own DNA to a genealogical website as a first step. What she finds - that she, along with both her birth parents, went missing and was presumed dead in 1995, at two months old - threatens to unravel everything she knows.

Switching between the present and the summer of 1995, „Long Time Gone“ subsequently follows Sloan as she slowly uncovers the truth behind her own mysterious disappearance, and what happened to her family that same summer.

As someone very interested in family history and genealogy, I was thrilled by the concept, and the book’s short, fast-paced chapters made it hard to put down. Overall, this was a solid thriller. In fact, if you *don’t* expect any unpredictable twists, this book is decidedly above average. Bonus points for the nicely done arch between the prologue and the ending of the book. Overall, however, I found the execution a bit lacking - in fact, for such an interesting idea, the story became run-of-the-mill rather quickly, particularly the „rich family who controls the town“ angle.

Given its thoroughly novel start with the genealogy angle, I guess I just expected more original plot twists than the book offered - in fact, the whodunnit was so obvious, I could have told you from the start. But speaking of original ideas, Sloan figuring out what exactly happened to her parents involved one plot device (featuring two-month-old baby Sloan) that was so ridiculous, I can‘t believe it made it into the final book (IYKYK).

Given the author’s talent for creating interesting protagonists, I was also a bit disappointed that by the end of the book, it still felt like none of the characters were very developed or fleshed out. Even Sloan, the main protagonist, comes across rather flat, and besides an addiction to Diet Dr. Pepper and Crossfit, nothing about her stuck in my mind - some some characters, like the Stamos detectives and even Sloan‘s father, had way more personality. It doesn’t help that Sloan, supposedly this incredibly intelligent woman at the top of her class, is repeatedly used throughout the book as a plot device to explain some background info to the reader (I am actually quite certain a 29-year-old doctor would know and remember the basics of forensic and investigative technology, as you don‘t even need to be a forensic pathologist to be aware of it. The same with analog photography - are we to believe she knows absolutely nothing about it?). In both cases, while this is probably necessary info to provide to the average reader (arguably less so in the case of analog photography), rather than having the concept explained to Sloan, it would have been preferable to have her explain it to someone else. Overall, it cheapened the ostensibly very smart character for me to have her seem so clueless.

The author‘s books have been a bit hit and miss for me in the past. Some, like "The Girl Who Was Taken" (2018) and "Twenty Years Later" (2021), were disappointments, but none more so than "Those Empty Eyes" (2023). On the other hand, "Summit Lake" (2017), "Some Choose Darkness" (2019), and :"The Suicide House" (2020) were all excellent, and "Don't Believe It" (2018) quickly became a favorite.

„Long Time Gone“ falls somewhere in the middle. While the characters could have used more work and the case‘s conclusion was more predictable than I had hoped, I would definitely read another book featuring these protagonists, and will continue to pick up books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

„Long Time Gone“ is slated to be published on May 21, 2024.

Big sigh. For most of this book I was hooked and thought it was going to be a 4 or 5 star read. But then the ending ruined it for me. Spoilers ahead.

I went into this book without knowing anything of the plot - just that it was the new book by Charlie Donlea who is an auto read author for me ever since Don’t Believe It.

I thought the whole setup of Sloane’s program and why she decided to submit her dna to a genealogy site was great. I was so pulled in as we learned who she was and what happened 30 years ago. I felt like the pace dragged a little in the middle but I was still along for the ride.

But then that ending. A key part to how the whole case was solved involved a baby in a bassinette happening to kick the button on a camera and get photos that managed to clearly show how multiple murders occurred. WHAT?!?! This is the most over the top unbelievable thing ever. They stayed exactly in the frame for all of those shots?? Or the fussing baby kept kicking the camera into just the right angle and every shot came out clear? NO WAY. And then the present timeline final showdown was also over the top and unbelievable and that ending just entirely lost me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.

Twenty nine year old Sloan Hastings is embarking in her last 2 years of medical training so she can be a medical examiner, something she has pursued diligently for years. During the first year of training she is assigned to do a research project involving forensics use of DNA and public DNA databases. She quickly determines that the best way to understand the science is to submit her own DNA sample, although it makes her a little nervous as she is adopted and has no knowledge of her biological family. With her adoptive parents blessings however, she submits her sample and soon finds her life turned upside down. She soon discovers that 29 years ago she, at the age of 2 months, and her parents , members of a rich and powerful family, disappeared, and were the subjects of news articles and tabloid and true crime speculation ever since.

This novel switches between two different timelines, 1995 when the original crimes happened, and 2024 when Sloan performs her DNA test. The chapters are short and the plot moves quickly, and its one of those books that is hard to put down.... just one more chapter. I figured out the mystery fairly early on, but it did not keep me from turning pages and really enjoying the ride. Although every scenario isn't exactly realistic, I think any mystery lover who isn't a terrible stickler for details will really enjoy this one.

Thank you to Net galley and the publisher for the e galley in exchange for an unbiased review.

When I need a guaranteed, solid thriller, Donlea is my go to! I know he will deliver every time! Long Time Gone has it all for me! The writing is great, as always, I loved the characters, even the ones I loved to hate! There were multiple timelines and POVs and I love that in a thriller when done well! At times I felt bogged down by the science, but overall this was a great read! Fans of Donlea will love it!

I love the intriguing premise of this book! Dr. Sloan Hastings submits her DNA to an online ancestry site as part of her work as a forensic pathology fellow. The goal of the project is to make advances in the field that would help solve criminal cases. Sloan is shocked when her test results indicate that she herself could hold the answers to a cold case from nearly 30 years ago.

The parts of the book dealing with the DNA results and Sloan doing her part to solve two cold cases that seem to be related are so interesting. Sloan is a likable character, as are her boss, her adoptive parents, and an out-of-state sheriff she is assisting. In fact, I would love to see Sloan in a future book working on a case in a more official capacity. Sloan enjoys participating in cross-fit as a workout and stress reliever. Although that started out interesting and does have purpose later in the book, a few too many details were included.

The story has two timelines that go back and forth throughout the book - Sloan in the present and then the crimes she's looking into at the time they are taking place. This works well in helping the whole plot unfold, but each time the timeline changes, it slows the momentum of the story. The book remains interesting and when everything is revealed, the ending is surprising. A bizarre circumstance responsible for providing an important clue took me out of the moment, but I still enjoyed the ending and the book as a whole.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

This was a solid read. The now and then timelines helped build tension and the protagonist was likable and easy to route for. Some of this felt predictable but I definitely didn’t guess it all. A well written page turner and tense climax.

The short chapters felt unnecessary- it would start a new chapter in the middle of a scene.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review. When Sloan gets the job working with DNA, step one is to run hers through the system. She is a little hesitant, as she was adopted, but thinks, why not. She would like to find out who her biological parents are. The results come back and reveal the truth which is unexpected. I love Charlie Donlea's books and I am always eager to read them, and this one didn't disappoint.

LONG TIME GONE is a riveting story from start to finish. I've always found genealogy interesting and if you do too, you'll like this story. The story follows the main character, Sloane, during her search to find out who her parents were. She uncovers the truth and solves a cold case from 30 years ago. Once you start, you'll have a hard time putting it down. I can highly recommend adding this one to your TBR list!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for my gifted ARC.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) close to the pub date.

Long Time Gone is a must read! Addictive and entertaining, this book will keep you up way past your bedtime.

Dr. Sloan Hastings is a pathologist who is about to begin a fellowship in forensic pathology. She is assigned a project on genealogy and how it relates to forensic science. A colleague suggests she submits her DNA to a an ancestry website, and she is shocked to learn she and her biological parents have been missing for 30 years.

I was instantly hooked on this book. I love the premise being surprises in people’s ancestry. Sloan was a great MC and I would love to read more books about her as she continues her studies and starts her career.

Knocked a star off for a couple of unbelievable things in the end, but other than that I was completely absorbed in this book and couldn’t wait to figure out what had happened.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Compelling..
A mysterious disappearance, an atmospheric small town and a web of secrets and lies in this twisty, well woven suspense from this accomplished author. With a credible and well crafted cast, a propulsive and clever plot littered with twists and turns, a well done dual timeline and a well imagined backdrop this is another compelling read and a worthy addition to this author’s already impressive canon.

Charlie Donlea slips under the radar a bit, but his books always deliver good twisty plots and feature straight forward telling that eschews the padding that other authors use.

His latest, Long Time Gone, has a good twisty premise that quickly draws you in. It opens with Doctor Sloan Hastings submitting her DNA to an online genealogy site for a research assignment 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, a regular in Donlea’s books. 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, and now only does so in the name of science.

Despite her mild curiosity, the results deliver a bombshell. 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, never to be seen again. Desperate to know what happened, Sloan heads to the small town of Cedar Creek, Nevada, the site of her disappearance. It also leads her to Sheriff Eric Stamos, who has his own reasons for wanting the investigation into the disappearance of Charlotte reopened.

This is another first class crime thriller from Donlea. Told in his typical easy flowing style, the plot moves along at a good pace with plenty of interesting developments. The story alternates between 1995 and the present, and there is ample suspense and mystery as the two storylines collide. As usual, there is plenty of interesting forensic detail seamlessly woven into the story, as well as the familiar shots at modern media. After a good build-up, the book quickly moves to a suspenseful and exciting conclusion.

There is probably not as many twists as in Donlea’s earlier books, but he still keeps you guessing till the end. Regular readers of his books will also appreciate the cameo appearances by characters from earlier books, such as Livia Cutty and Avery Mason. In all, another very enjoyable read by the always reliable Charlie Donlea.

Absorbing mystery thriller dealing with a young woman’s search to uncover her past.

Sloan Hastings, a 29-year-old forensic pathology fellow on the way to becoming a medical examiner, was adopted when she was 4 months old. Raised by her wonderful dentist parents, she’s a bit loath to submit a DNA sample to a genealogy site despite her research assignment. When the results come back, she’s shocked to discover that she is Baby Charlotte Margolis. Apparently, she and her birth parents had disappeared almost 30 years prior, but she somehow ended up with a private adoption agency. The family disappearance has been a cold case now for years after the powerful Margolis family closed ranks when no answers were found and the sheriff who was investigating was found dead. Now Sloan/Charlotte wants to know what happened to her birth parents and decides to travel to the Margolis family home in Nevada. She’s welcomed by the family but her questions just lead to further intrigue. She isn’t sure who can be trusted but can’t let it go.

This was entertaining with a good plot even though it was a bit predictable and most will be able to discern the good guys from the baddies. There were some coincidences and convenient happenings that will require suspension of disbelief, but overall it was an easy read. A few things that bothered me (the whole camera and picture thing for one) but I am not going to belabor that and the boring CrossFit details.

I was able to listen to the audiobook and follow along with the ARC e-book as both were provided by the publishers. The narrator did a good job with all the voices though often I have found that all the males sound alike. She also had to do a few accents that helped to differentiate the characters.

4.5⭐
Genre ~ psychological thriller
Setting ~ North Carolina & Nevada
Publication date ~ May 21, 2024
Page Count ~ 379 (p+ 77 chapters)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 19 minutes
Narrator ~ Vivienne Leheny
POV ~ multiple 3rd
Featuring ~ 6 part story, dual timeline ~ past and present

Sloan is adopted and has never wanted to find her birth parents. As part of her research assignment she takes a DNA test. The results are unbelievable and set forth a roller coaster of a ride as we try to piece together how Sloan was once known as Baby Charlotte.

Eric is the sheriff in Nevada trying to get answers about his father, Sandy’s, death 30 years ago. Sloan just might be able to help him get the answers and closure he needs. I don't love romance in my thrillers, but I was actually hoping for a little with these two.

In the past we hear from Sandy and learn more about the early investigation into the Margolis family when Charlotte and her parents went missing. In the present we have a true crime podcaster, Ryder, that is annoyingly helpful.

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 waiting to see how Baby Charlotte ended up being Sloan and I was not disappointed. A little implausible with how the pictures came about, but overall this was an utterly shocking and grippingly gripping read.

I was lucky enough to have both the ebook and an audio copy. Both ways worked perfectly well.
Narration notes:
Vivienne did a fabulous job giving each character a distinct voice.