Dr. Sloane Hastings is working on becoming a medical examiner and as part of an assignment, she needs to do some DNA tests but out of respect to her parents who adopted her, she tells them first. They are fully supportive of her and have told her all they know about her birth mother. However, the results come back with some totally unexpected results. She finds out that she is actually a missing baby of missing parents. This sends her on another investigation that is totally different than what she had planned. She is the Trojan Horse sent into the family of her missing parents and much will be uncovered.

I can count on Charlie Donlea to deliver a great story and this one definitely did not disappoint. Highly recommend this one that I paired the book with the audio for an immersive dive into Sloane's story.

My thanks to Net Galley, Kensington Publishing, and Recorded Books for advanced copies of this e-book and audiobook.

Thank you so much to Kenisngton Books for the advanced copy of LONG TIME GONE!

I really liked this one from beginning to end! Sometimes I struggle with 3rd person narration, but not with this one at all! The author did a great job on both the past and present chapters and held my attention the whole time!

This story was unique and thrilling! I went in totally blind and recommend you do the same as one of the biggest surprises for me in the book is given away in the synopsis! I feel like my pulse was legitimately quickening towards the end of the book as both timelines were building towards a CRAZY conclusion I didn't see coming!

I loved the main character Sloan and thought the author did a great job making me feel connected to her by the way the beginning of the book played out. I love when authors let us see characters first as just people before all the wildness of the plot unfolds in their lives.

Read this if you like

- Crime Fiction
- DNA Testing
- Unsolved Mysteries
- Dual Timelines
- Shocking Reveals

Definitely check this one out when it's published on May 21st!

I'm a big fan of Charlie Donlea, and this book gripped me from the start. The premise was captivating: an adopted woman discovers through DNA analysis that she's the long-lost daughter of a family who disappeared without a trace in the 90s. From this point on, she begins to collaborate with the son of the sheriff who was in charge of the investigation back then but died in mysterious circumstances. The book was fast-paced, addictive, and featured likable characters. I read it in practically two sittings and had a great time with it. However, it wasn't my favorite Donlea book; in fact, I found it to be quite predictable compared to his usual work. With fewer characters, there was less room for surprises. Nevertheless, it was still an enjoyable thriller, and I eagerly await his next release.

I can NOT get enough Charlie Donlea and this book did not disappoint! So many twists and turns. I have been fascinated by forensic genealogy since the Golden State Killer case and Mr. Donlea did a great job with the research of this case.

A friend read this book and wanted to give it 6 stars, so I had high expectations going in. This is my first Charlie Donlea book and I absolutely loved it. It checked every box for my true crime loving brain.

There are two timelines with multiple characters but was not confusing and easy to digest. Both timelines were compelling. I loved the short chapters, especially at the end when I had to know what was going to happen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/648659324

Thank you @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for this eARC.

✨The story focuses on Sloan Hastings, an adopted girl raised by Dolly and Tod Hastings from North Carolina. Sloan embarks on a prestigious two-year fellowship on forensic pathology under Dr. Curtis, a renowned Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Curtis assigns her a research assignment on forensic genealogy, an emerging specialty for her ‘Presentation Day’. To better understand on how DNA reveals information about the family histories and their heritage she submitted a DNA sample to a genealogy website. However, Sloan is taken aback when her DNA is found to match that of Baby Charlotte, the famous missing case, who disappeared with her parents, members of the affluent Margolis family from Cedar Creek, Nevada. Determined, Sloan embarks on a quest to unravel the truth behind their disappearance, facing numerous obstacles along the way. The mystery deepens as Sloan discovers that the sheriff who was investigating their disappearance is now deceased.

✨I liked the multiple timeframes employed by Charlie, which seamlessly intertwine the present and the past, contributing to an engaging narrative. The technical details regarding genealogy and the process of developing film in the darkroom were particularly fascinating. Although the story lacked major plot twists, its fast-paced nature and Sloan’s pragmatic approach, aided by Eric, the sheriff of Harrison County, made for a compelling read. The ending felt somewhat abrupt after building up suspense around the fate of the missing Margolis family. Nonetheless, it’s a worthwhile read for fans of thrillers.

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📸‘The image slowly came to life, gradually appearing like a living,breathing thing being born.’
⏳‘Procrastination is the devil’s way of stealing your time’.

#book #booklover #arcreader #netgalley #longtimegone #charliedonleabooks #thrillerbooks

I was so excited to grab this ARC by Charlie Donlea because I remember reading The Woman in Darkness and thinking, oh my goodness! I have to read something else by this author! I didn't realise how far I was into this book until my battery indicator on my kindle flashed before my eyes. Long Time Gone is definitely one of those books you don't want to put down.

We introduced to Sloan who has just started her fellowship in forensic pathology and genetics and in order to get a feel for this area, she decided to undertake a DNA test to understand the process. Sloan is hit with a startling surprise: she's the missing baby, Charlotte Margolis from a mystery unsolved 30 years ago. I love the fact that so many of the techniques that are used in forensic genealogy were also part of the ways in which all the characters investigated the mystery around Sloan and how she came to be and all of the connections to her new relations who seemed to control just about everything in Cedar Creek.

The chapters are so short, like scenes in a movie or a TV show, that give you just enough information to either bamboozle you or to make your eyes open wider as you read on. The combination of the genetic research, which is such a brand new phenomenon in the forensic world with a story that also revolves around one of the characters and their use of old school, cameras and film. And even the developing of photos from old school film is very clever. The speed of movement in every twist and turn between the time frames was also managed really well, and propelled the need to keep reading just to find out what Sloan is about to find out. Get it, and read it now.

I know when I pick up a Charlie Donlea book, I will never be disappointed! Long Time Gone keeps that streak going for sure! I am a huge fan and strongly recommend ALL of his books, but enough about those! This one is a slow burn. Medical student, Sloan Hastings submits a DNA sample to an Ancestry-type site and finds out she is the missing baby Charlotte from 30 years ago. Not only that, but her birth parents also disappeared along with her. But wait! There's more! Her birth family is the mega-rich Margolis family, and they basically own the town where she and her parents disappeared from. Sloan enlists the help of a local Sheriff whose father died while trying to solve the case long ago and Dr. Livia Cutty, whom she is training under. Dr. Cutty has appeared in other books by this author. Then things just start rolling downhill and getting bigger and bigger and even more exciting! I really liked Sloan. It was also nice seeing Avery Mason and other characters from previous stories also. I couldn't stop turning pages! I have to say the thing that made me happiest though was the Acknowledgements. Yes, I read those too. Mr. Donlea states that he hopes to write many more books in years to come! Yaaayy!!! Keep 'em coming! I can't read them fast enough!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Charlie Donlea and Kensington Books for this much appreciated ARC! All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Facebook and other retail and social media sites upon publication on May 21st!

What first drew me to this book was that it began in North Carolina, Raleigh specifically, which is only 20 minutes from where I grew up, so l was immediately intrigued. I love anything that reminds me of home. The book was captivating from start to finish. Picture yourself minding your own business, doing work-related research, when all of a sudden you're thrust into your own cold case. Crazy, right? I haven't read a book like this in a long time, and I couldn't put it down.
I tried pinpointing the culprit throughout the whole read and still couldn't figure out who it was behind everything. No one, and I mean NO ONE, saw the ending coming. The plot was fully thought out and expertly written. It doesn't get any better than this !

Thank you Kensington Books and Charlie Donlea for this amazing read!

Donlea has such a talent at writing addictive books! This book weaved mystery, secrets and suspense throughout. The author writes so many details into crime solving that it feels so believable.

I enjoyed the crime podcast feature because I always love books that feature crime junkies! It was told in past and present, had short chapters (My fav) and insane twists!

I picked this book up and before I even realised I was at 40%! Safe to say I binged this book and read it in 2 quick sittings.

PICK THIS BOOK UP WHEN IT RELEASES. This author is the perfect choice when you need a thriller book that won't let you down!!

4.5/5

Long Time Gone - Charlie Donlea

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Photographs open doors into the past but they also allow a look into the future.”

Sloane uncovers a massive family secret after submitting her DNA as part of her doctoral research project. She thought she was just using her DNA to understand how ancestry websites work, but instead she is revealed as the infamous “Baby Charlotte,” a child who went missing with her parents nearly thirty years ago.

I received an ARC for this book from NetGalley and Kensington Books, a big thanks! I have enjoyed all of Donlea’s books that I’ve read so far and this was no exception. The story line was very intriguing and could have been taken in so many different directions. I did feel there was almost too many POVs to follow, especially when jumping from the past to the present. The writing felt dry and technical at times, especially with the descriptions of forensics and photography. But overall, I really enjoyed how this thriller unfolded and untangling the web with Sloane.

I love a fiction book that can teach me something as well. Long Time Gone introduces the newer field of forensic pathology/geneology, where DNA evidence is used to trace the geneology of a suspect to help track them down. In this case, a woman doing a graduate school project discovers that her DNA matches that of a baby that went missing 30 years ago. The discovery leads her to web of unexplained events in a town largely controlled by one family - her relatives.

I enjoyed the dual timelines and multiple POVs. The story starts as more of a slow burn and picks up as it goes. Yes, it's a little farfetched, but it's fiction. I'm happy to suspend some disbelief to just enjoy the ride. I would happily pick up another book from the author.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks for a free copy of #LongTimeGone by Charlie Donlea. All opinions are my own.

4.5
Charlie Donlea has fast become an auto read author for me. His craft for creating a well layered and complex storyline has the effect of immersing the reader into the book. It's nice to be completely enthralled in a story and to feel concern, fear and desire for the characters and their circumstances.

In Long Time Gone he takes the newer, DNA matching opportunities through genetics sites that have connected cold cases to the criminal. While this has been done in real life, it's really fun to read a fictional tale and I was all in!

If you're looking for a binge worthy, smart and entertaining suspense novel, this is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the gifted e-copy.

This was a good one!!! The multiple timelines and POVs kept me guessing and kept me reading. The topic of forensic genealogy is so interesting to me so I was drawn in from the start. The end fell a little flat for me or this would have been a 5⭐️ read.

A great mystery story! Started off strong and ended strong but I felt like it dragged a bit in the middle. I kind of wanted the stakes to be higher, like the secret even more sinister? Overall I liked it, but didn’t love it.

I read my first book by this author at the beginning of this year and ended up really enjoying it. So I was really excited to receive this digital copy of the author’s upcoming release. And this one was just as good! Donlea seems to be a rather consistent crime thriller writer that is able to craft really unique stories with impeccable pacing and enough suspense throughout to really keep you wanting to read. And with such short chapters, it is so easy to just keep telling yourself, “Just one more chapter.”

What I really enjoyed about this novel was the focus on the use of genealogy in solving cold cases, something that I find incredibly interesting. You can tell the author put a lot of research into this field and really wanted to showcase how useful this tool can be to investigators. Our main character, Sloan, finds out more than she bargained for when she sends in her DNA to an ancestry website and finally learns all about her birth parents (but also learns way more than she bargained for when she realizes they disappeared with her after a series of deaths in their small town). The small town in question, Cedar Creek, was an amazing setting. I love a small town with secrets, particularly one that is run by a wealthy and influential family.

Having Sloan discover that she is related to this influential family in Cedar Creek, the Margolis family, and that they may be hiding things in relation to her parents’ disappearance, really set this off from the very beginning. Each chapter gives you more and more information, so the reader can try to solve the case alongside Sloan. So many of these chapters ended in a small cliff-hanger that kept me wanting to read. The writing was just so propulsive and all led up to a killer ending! I don’t want to give too much away on that end, but it involved a scene of developing old pictures to put the final pieces together. And I was just so dialed into this!

To my thriller friends, if you have not read anything by this author yet, I highly recommend you put this one on your radar when it releases!

4⭐️

I have never read a Charlie Donlea book before, and this was really good. There were short chapters, multiple POV'S, and different timelines. I really enjoy all those things in my books.

I will say there are parts that are over descriptive and a bit of repetitive information, which can cause a tad bit of boredom. It starts really picking up around the 70% mark. However, a lot of the chapters will leave you with saying "oh just one more chapter." Next thing you know it 2:45 a.m. and you're done with the entire book.

I really enjoyed this. I think I may be a Charlie Donlea fan now.

I would like to thank Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Long Time Gone By Charlie Donlea will be available May 21, 2024.

I started this one on audiobook and I liked the narrator. You should understand though that I really only listen to audiobooks while I am driving or out for a walk. So when I was done driving for the day I decided I absolutely couldn’t wait to know what happened and abandoned that audiobook for the kindle and devoured this one. Dr. Sloan Hastings has just started the most prestigious fellowship in forensic pathology and she is given the topic of using genealogy to help solve crime as her dissertation project. After consulting with a genealogist she decides to upload her own DNA to one of those sites to really understand the process to give her a better foundation. While she always knew she was adopted she was shocked to find out she and her parents disappeared almost 30 years ago and the adoption her parents did wasn’t completely above board. Sloan is quickly drawn into the mystery of Charlotte Margolis and her parents and is determined to figure it out. I loved this one. I like Charlie Donlea but I felt like this one actually blew me away. It’s not that the mystery was super twisty, but the book was so engrossing I literally did not want to put it down.

Securing an ARCand ALC for a contemporary DNA mystery and a family saga felt like discovering a literary treasure. The book intricately wove the intrigue of DNA secrets with the complexities of familial relationships, delivering a reading experience that immediately captured my attention.

What struck me was the seamless blend of genres. The mystery intertwined with family dynamics in a way that kept me engrossed, turning page after page in anticipation.

What made this book stand out was its storytelling finesse. The author crafted an intricate plot filled with surprising twists and turns, keeping me guessing throughout. Each character felt authentic, with their own secrets driving the narrative forward.

As I explored the mystery within this story, I appreciated the meticulous attention to detail and the depth of research evident in every revelation. Each piece of the puzzle felt integral, urging me to piece together the clues and unravel the truth.

This book had a profound impact on me, lingering in my thoughts long after I finished reading. It's the kind of story that provokes thought and sparks discussions, appealing to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted tale. Whether you're drawn to mysteries, family sagas, or simply enjoy immersive storytelling, this book is a must read

Thank you so much to Charlie Donlea and Kensington Books of my copy of Long Time Gone. This book is about Sloan, a woman in her first year of a pathology residency on genealogy. As part of her residency, she submits her DNA to a site and finds out she is actually Baby Charlotte, a baby that disappeared along with her parents almost 30 years ago. Sloan decides she needs to go back to the place she was born and meet her relatives, while at the same time, work with the Sheriff to find out what happened to her birth parents. Sloan begins to find out that many other suspicious things happened back in July 1995, and they may all be connected.

Thoughts: I love the way that Charlie Donlea writes. This story had an amazing plot and I loved the way the genealogy part of Sloan’s job tied into the plot. The idea of someone finding out they are actually a missing child is intriguing, and adding in the powerful family was a great background. I also love that Donlea brought in characters from some of his other books.

The pace wasn’t always fast, and I found myself getting bogged down by the pathology scenes at times. I felt the reveal was a bit much, but still enjoyed the plot and the path the book took. I think this book will be a fan favorite, and if you like Donlea’s past books, you will love this one! 4 stars