Dr. Sloan Hastings, adopted at birth, has spent years getting to where she is now. Her newest project is to understand how genealogy impacts forensic pathology. In order to learn more, she submits her own DNA, only to discover that she’s been missing since she was a baby. The Margolis family has spent the last 30 years looking for ‘Baby Charlotte’ as the press coined her, and to find out what happened not just to her but to her parents as well. As Sloan investigates her disappearance more, she’ll soon uncover that not everyone is happy for her to be back or for her to be asking questions.

I’m a big Charlie Donlea fan, and all you really need to know is that Long Time Gone is a captivating thriller that has the perfect amount of suspense and plenty of clues. I really enjoyed the mixture of the past and present settings and Sloan and Sheriff Eric Stamos made a superb team. My only complaint and the reason for dropping a star, is I found it so hard to believe a doctor as smart as Sloan, in this day and age, had basically zero knowledge about genetic testing. I’m talking bare bones knowledge, even I know more than that having done a genetic test on my dog. But minus that one thing, this was another gripping thriller from Donlea. It definitely sounded as if he’s setup Sloan to have her own series, which I for one am excited for!

Long Time Gone comes out May 21, 2024! Huge thank you to Kensington Books for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof.books or on Tiktok @speakingof.books

Definitely a complex story with many twists and turns which will keep you at the edge of your seat. This book was fast-paced with likeable main characters.

WOW! What an absolute show stopper! How do I even begin to touch on the feelings and emotions this book evoked? The characters were fantastic and only gained strength and momentum as the story evolved. Secrets, lies and wicked intent.. the perfect storm. Charlie Donlea is my newest go-to author.
Thank you NetGalley, Charlie Donlea and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a good story but my favorite by this author is still "Don't Believe It."

The story takes place in Raleigh, NC. Dr. Sloan Hastings submits her DNA for a research assignment. It comes back as her true identify is one of missing baby "Charlotte Margolis."

Secrets are revealed in this captivating thriller. Sloan is adopted and she uncovers a mystery about both set of parents. Sloan travels to Nevada to meet her biological family. She has many questions.

The book is told in dual timelines. There is tension in the last half of the book and the ending is a great wrap up and completion! This keeps the reader captivated from start to finish!

Riveting, Gripping and Shocking! 3.5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy! This book will be released 5/21/24.

I love Charlie Donlea as an author he creates the most amazing mysteries! He’s a must read!
Sloan Hastings dreams of becoming a forensic pathologist. Her dream was to land a fellowship with the renowned Dr. Livia Cutty and it’s happened! In her meeting with Dr. Cutty she is told she will need to present her research on a topic assigned to her-and knock it out of the park plus it’s a four hour presentation! The area of interest she has been given-Forensic and Investigative Genealogy. It’s the DNA Science that has solved a few high profile cold cases in the last few years, most notably that of “The Golden State Killer”.
In an attempt to better understand the controversial “treasure trove” of information contained on ancestry websites, such as Ancestry.com, Sloan reluctantly submits her own DNA, with her adoptive parents permission.
When her results come back she’s shocked, she knows she was adopted but never knew her birth parents. Her DNA profile says that her true identity is that of “Charlotte Margolis”aka Baby Charlotte who captured the nation’s attention in July of 1995 when she and her parents mysteriously disappeared never to be seen or heard from again. The book alternates between the PAST (1995) and the Present (2024). As Sloan tries to uncover what happened to her birth parents she heads to Cedar Creek, Nevada, she has the help of the previous sheriffs son Eric who is now the sheriff but believes his father was murdered while investigating Sloans parents. But someone wants to make sure the secrets stay in the past and will stop at nothing to make sure it stays that way.

Enjoyed it but it wasn't my favorite. I loved all the author's previous books, but this one was missing something. I wasn't shocked about who was behind everything. I suspected this person all along. What happened to Annabelle was another story. What happened to her and who was involved was extremely shocking. Sandy Stamos knew the identity of the killer, so how did he find himself alone with him/her. The sheriff would have kept his guard up and not allow that person the car with him. Sandy should have left clues in the cabin about what was really going on. Clearly he knew his life was in danger. Margot sealed her fate when she told Sloan everything. Not surprised at what happened to her. The killer was getting careless. Thirty years ago, there wasn't a camera on every building, store or house or a true crime podcaster lurking around. Going to Margot's hotel guaranteed he/she would be caught on camera. My favorite character was definitely Nora. She was so welcoming of Sloan. Without her love of genealogy, baby Charlotte would never have been identified.

Definitely recommend giving the book a try, I'm probably in the minority with not loving it. Charlie Donlea is still one of my favorite authors!!! It was a good premise with using forensic genealogy to solve crimes. Enjoyed the characters, story and writing style. Look forward to reading more books by the author. The next one can't come fast enough.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

An incredible, jaw-dropping book that hooked me by the first paragraph and read it in one day. Some of the best writing and character development I’ve encountered.
I was completely invested in Sloan’s story as well as the study of forensic genealogy. This book is much more than a mystery thriller. Highly recommend to everyone; I just can’t say enough about this fantastic novel!!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I’ve read all of Donlea’s books. I love when I find tidbits while reading that relate to other books of his. I love his storytelling style.

However, I am confused as to why certain plot points are repeatedly drilled into the reader’s head. We keep getting told who Sloane is, why she’s working with Eric, and what she’s here for. The reader doesn’t forget who she is in the few chapters between the next reminder, and it feels like filler.

But the positives in this book make for a strong, compelling read. You get sucked into the past, and then Donlea throws you into the present, which also sucks you in. Back and forth, you weave, drawn into each timeline, desperate for resolution. So, if you can stick with reading this through the repetition, it’s the rewarding experience you come to expect in Donlea’s books.

Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea is a decades old murder mystery coming to a thrilling conclusion in the present. The story in Long Time Gone of course is one that takes place in dual timelines of the past and present and with some changes of the point of view.

Dr. Sloan Hastings is still in the process of studying for the career she has always wanted in forensic pathology. During her studies Sloan is asked to look into how DNA and ancestry websites have helped solve crimes so she contacts a specialist to help answer questions on the subject. Sloan is told the best way to study is to submit her own DNA for analysis so she does with some shocking results.

Sloan finds the ancestry website matches her to the Margolis family in Cedar Creek, Nevada where thirty years ago Sloan was known as “Baby Charlotte”, the daughter of two of the Margolis family who had gone missing along with their infant daughter. Once it becomes known of her match Sloan meets Sheriff Eric Stamos who’s father originally was investigating the Margolis family and let’s her in on a few secrets hoping the two can help one another find answers.

Charlie Donlea is an author that certainly knows how to weave a tail that keeps the pages turning. The story in Long Time Gone quickly became an addicting one with both the past and present pulling me in and not wanting to let go. I really did fly through this book faster than any others I have read in probably a few months. The characters were interesting and held my attention and I enjoyed navigating the twists and turns until the very end. Definitely an author to check out for the thriller fans!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

RIVETING, COMPULSIVE READING!
You won’t want to put this book down!!

Dr. Sloan Hastings is embarking on a two year fellowship in forensic pathology under the renowned Dr. Livia Cutty (from Donlea’s book The Girl Who Was Taken). If she is to succeed in reaching her goal of one day working side by side with a major homicide unit, she will have to do more than just complete the required number of autopsies…

She will also need to present her research on a topic assigned to her-and knock it out of the park.

The area of interest she has been given-Forensic and Investigative Genealogy. It’s the DNA Science that has solved a few high profile cold cases in the last few years, most notably that of “The Golden State Killer”.

And, she will have to make a case for furthering this method.

In an attempt to better understand the controversial “treasure trove” of information contained on ancestry websites, such as Ancestry.com, Sloan reluctantly submits her own DNA, with her adoptive parents permission.

The results are SHOCKING!

Her DNA profile suggests that her true identity is that of “Charlotte Margolis”aka Baby Charlotte who captured the nation’s attention in July of 1995 when she and her parents mysteriously disappeared never to be seen or heard from again.

Until NOW.

Ryder Hillier, the host of the popular podcast “Unsolved” has covered many cold cases-some well known ones such as JonBenet Ramsay and others more obscure such as the death of Julian Crist, the American medical student who fell to his death under mysterious circumstances in St. Lucia (from Donlea’s book Don’t Believe It).

She is successful because she relies on her fans (Unsolved Junkies) to help get her answers.

And, she has just been given a lead about Sloan…

This will drive Sloan to Cedar Creek, Nevada, the place where “Baby Charlotte” vanished from-in search of answers.

The book alternates between the PAST (1995) and the Present (2024).

I am a big fan of the author’s backlist so nobody was more surprised than I was, when I decided to DNF last year’s “Those Empty Eyes.”

But this book reminded me of why I usually LOVE the author’s work. His meticulous research lends authenticity to his stories, raising them above many others in the genre.

I sat down to read a few chapters this morning and cancelled my plans so I could finish this one today!

And, I have no regrets!

Right from the start, you will be a fan of Sloan. All of the characters in this book work well playing off Sloan. The plot is clever and the ending is totally unexpected. The author keeps the story moving, and goes from the past to present in a way that makes the storyline all meld together in a good way. I’m a big fan of the author’s writing. He’s a great storyteller, and I’m always drawn into his books to the point I don’t want to put them down.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions are my own.

Another fantastic mystery thriller by Donlea that is impossible to put down. Having read all Donlea’s previous books, I was thrilled to get an early copy of this one and it did not disappoint. This book focuses on Dr Sloan Hastings who is doing to fellowship to become a medical examiner. As part of her classes she submits a DNA sample to an ancestry site with surprising results. Having been adopted, Sloan has no idea what her biological family is like or where they are located, but the results she gets turns her life upside down. Fast paced, excellent thriller. I look forward to Dr Sloan getting her own series hopefully. Would give way more than 5 stars if possible.

I wish it were possible to give this more than five stars. Could this be Charlie Donlea's best book so far? He truly never misses, but this one really just gripped me right from the prologue and never let me go. The alternating timelines between 1995 and 2024 had me eager to discover some answers to my endless questions, and that ended up being a theme throughout the entirety of the book and in both timelines because the plot twists didn't seem to let up. Not only that, but some of the twists actually made me elicit an audible gasp which is rare given how many thrillers I read.

If you're looking for a fast-paced, well-written, twisty book that will keep you guessing from start to finish, this is the book for you. I can't wait for more from Donlea because he never misses!

My Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

The premise of this novel was interesting. A missing baby found alive thirty-years later while her birth parents are still no where to be found comes home to reconnect with her biological family, but more importantly try to find out what happened to her parents when she was just two-months old.

For the most part, I enjoyed this story. Sloan was an interesting character, and I think I was just as invested in her past as she was. I also enjoyed getting to know her Aunt Nora, I as I could definitely sympathize with the woman being in the hard place of explaining to Slone that her mother hadn't been fully accepted into the family. I thought the character had the perfect blend of telling the truth, while also pointing out that it was a long time ago and that Sloan shouldn't think too unkindly of her grandparents. And I have to give Sloan credit for giving her grandparents the benefit of the doubt, because knowing what I knew about them and how they treated my mother, I'm not sure that I could have been as open as she was.

Another thing I enjoyed was the way that Sloan was able to help Eric solve his own questions regarding what happened to his father without there being a romance between them. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against romance in my thrillers, but most of the time that romance is just out of place, seems forced and/or takes over the plot, so I was happy not to have to worry about that here.

Now for me, here is what I didn't like about this story. To begin with, there was a lot of repetition. Something (kind of funny and completely avoidable) happens between Sloan and Eric the first time that they meet (and before she agrees to help him). The story movies along, and then a couple of chapters later those same things are brought up again. Yes, I remember how their first meeting went. And I remember that she agreed to help him. I don't need the reminder.

The two things that dropped my rating however would be this...

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

Seriously? I'm going to overlook the fact that the cameras I used in 1995 had to be wound forward before you could take the next shot. But you expect me to believe that a scared, irritated, whatever TWO MONTH OLD, was not only able to hit the button with enough force to capture an image, but also somehow in all of this chaos managed to frame certain shots perfectly? Get out of here.

*** END SPOILER ALERT ***

And then the way the perpetrator was taken care of? Well that was just so completely over the top and unbelievable that I rolled by eyes.

But hey, it was still an interesting story, and I feel like other people might enjoy it more. I would read more from this author.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea is the seventh book I've read by the American author, almost all of which have been consistently good four-star reads. His latest is no different and touches on a whole stack of contemporary and popular themes, including the solving of cold cases using DNA harvested from genealogy sites as well as the burgeoning popularity of true crime podcasts and the like. Of course we see the pros and cons of both here as Donlea wraps them up in a fascinating long-buried mystery.

I very much liked Sloan who's on her first day as an intern with a coroner when she's assigned her 'research project' which involves the use of genealogy sites for solving cold cases using DNA gathered for evidence. She's adopted so checks in with her adoptive parents before sending her own sample as a guinea pig and is - of course - bewildered to discover her DNA matches that of 'Baby Charlotte'.

As the FBI start questioning Sloan's adoptive parents (who believed the 'mother' giving up their daughter was legit) Donlea takes us back to the days around the time of the Margolis's family's disappearance. We're also introduced to local cop, originally on the case, Sheriff Stanford Stamos.

In the present Stamos's son Eric is now Sheriff in Cedar Creek which is still under the thumb of the Margolis family. He approaches Sloan in confidence, knowing there were several discrepancies in the old investigation and believing Sloan may learn things from her birth family that he's unable to.

We move back and forth in time. To the days leading up to the family going missing and learn that Charlotte's mother was the suspect in a hit and run which killed a partner in the Margolis family's law firm. There's clear evidence placing her there but the original Sheriff Stamos had questions... resulting in an unfortunate outcome for him.

I loved the complexity that Donlea offers here. Crimes to cover crimes to cover crimes... kinda thing. And slowly the past catches up with the present as news of Sloan's identity becomes public.

I appreciated that Sloan is offered several versions of her birth family - who they were then and who they are now - and needs to understand what's true or false or (indeed) what's changed them.

I was probably a little disappointed in the climax which felt a little rushed (perhaps even anticlimactic) - the pace perhaps picking up a little too quickly towards the end but it was certainly a satisfying ending which is always a good thing.

Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea is a very highly recommended, fast-paced, engaging thriller that expertly switches between events from the past and the present. Genealogy and DNA play a major part in setting up the complex, high-speed plot.

Sloan Hastings is starting a two year fellowship in forensic pathology under the renowned Dr. Livia Cutty and her research assignment is to look in-depth into the emerging field of forensic genealogy. Her first step in understanding the field is to submit her DNA to an online genealogy site. Sloan has always known she was adopted, so when her DNA ties her to a cold case, she is shocked. Apparently Sloan was Charlotte Margolis. As a baby she and her affluent parents, Preston and Annabelle Margolis, mysteriously vanished in July 1995, nearly 30 years ago.

Sloan and her parents immediately contact law enforcement and work with them. Nora Davies Margolis, who’s active on genealogical sites, contacts Sloan, eager to meet her. Cedar Creek Sheriff Eric Stamos, whose father, Sheriff Sanford (Sandy) Stamos was killed while investigating the case, contacts her and asks Sloan to go undercover when she meets the all-powerful Margolis family. Sloan is suddenly part of a 30-year-old cold case as she travels to where it began, Cedar Creek, Nevada, located north of Lake Tahoe.

The intricate narrative moves at a lightning-fast pace, switching between chapters telling events from the past and current occurrences in the present. The setting is primarily in the fictional small town of Cedar Creek where the Margolis family controls almost everything. There are a few of the plot points that I found implausible but it is easy to accept them as they serve the job to propel the narrative forward, and you will want the action to keep moving quickly as there is so much going on in both timelines.

Sloan is portrayed as a fully realized, believable character and you will like her. She does have questions as she is working with Eric, but she is also meeting her biological relatives under very unique circumstances. Being suddenly part of a cold case also puts her in the site of the media and cold-case enthusiasts.

The suspense, tension, and action all gallop along as the hidden corruption, power, and lies become suspect. Long Time Gone is an immersive, un-put-downable thriller. Thanks to Kensington for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, X, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

Charlie Donlea is a must read author. Some may find that some of the topics and the details he writes in his books is too much buy I think that the more he provides, the better. I fell in love with his writing when I first read Some Choose Darkness and the reason I read it was because somebody returned it because they couldn't make it through the first chapter due to the graphic detail and me being me I knew I had to read it and I was hooked from that first chapter. I will read whatever he writes because everything he writes is worth the read.

This novel is told from multiple viewpoints from two separate timelines that are all interconnected. This is 5-star read but I would give it more if I could.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy of Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea in exchange for my honest review.

Sloan Hastings is a brilliant doctor on her fellowship path to forensic pathology, when for a research assignment, she must enter her DNA into an ancestry database. Always fully aware that she was adopted, she doesn't know what she will find, but she doesn't expect to learn that she is part of an ongoing kidnapping case from almost thirty years ago...

She learns that she is Charlotte Margolis, aka “Baby Charlotte." She went missing along with both of her parents in July of '95 in an ongoing but suspect-less case. She wants to reach out to any remaining biological family that she may have in order to get answers, thus beginning her own investigation into the whereabouts of her biological parents and what really happened to all three of them all those years ago...

In true Donlea fashion, this is a roller-coaster ride of intensity and emotion. I loved how this story progressed, getting more suspenseful as it went along. The explosive ending clicked EVERYTHING together in the best, most enigmatic way.

Charlie Donlea is a master of storytelling and making sure you're good and hooked. I loved this one!

4.5 stars rounded up.
Once again, Charlie Donlea has written an incredible book. The storylines are always addicting and just keeps you needing more until the end. This was absolutely no different. Read this one in a few hours.
Sloan is a student who tests her DNA for her school project. She’s adopted and never cared to find out her biological parents but she’s shocked by her results. She’s actually a missing child that was famous over thirty years ago. She ends up finding her birth family and uncovering a lot of missing answers.
Again, this book is awesome and a quick read. Highly recommend! Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea will be published on May 21, 2024.

I loved this book and read it in one sitting. Donlea is quickly becoming an auto buy author for me! I loved the concept of Sloane finding out she was a missing baby. This story was exactly what I was in the mood for.

Spoilers ahead…
My main issue with this book is that the lady who posed as Sloane’s birth mother does not know who she was… but this was a very popular case involving a very prominent case. Not once is the last 30ish years did she think “I wonder who that baby was”? Yeahhh right especially since she still kept in contact with the kidnapper… she didn’t know who he was? No way. Don’t buy that at all. Also, Sloane really didn’t contribute much to investigating anything… beyond showing up and bringing attention to the case again, she didn’t solve anything… so why’s the FBI trying to hire her at the end? Silly in my opinion.
Beyond this, I thought it was perfect and super fun. I didn’t guess the killer!