Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I instantly became a Charlie Donlea fan and have read/listened to all that I could get my hands on since this book.

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.

I am pretty sure my mouth was hanging open for the majority of this book. This is what thrillers are all about! Fast paced, great character development solid plot, and twists that are shocking yet believable. Bravo 👏

This is my least favorite book from this author. The premise was intriguing. But you'd have to suspend your disbelief a lot while readin this. That thing that happened in the past that helped people figure it out? It was, in my opinion, almost impossible to happen. It was too convenient and unbelievable. I was excited to read this after reading Twenty Years Later but was disappointed.

But I've read more of his books since this one and I've loved them! Especially the Rory/Layne series and The Girl Who Was Taken. I now want to read his backlist and of course, his new ones.

***Thank you to RB Media for providing an e-alc of this book via NetGalley (no obligation to post a review).***

Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea is a compelling and intricately woven thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. The story follows Dr. Sloan Hastings, a forensics trainee who, through a simple DNA test, uncovers a shocking revelation: she may not be who she thought she was. Sloan’s genetic results suggest she is Charlotte Margolis, a missing baby whose disappearance, along with her family, captivated the nation nearly thirty years ago.

The novel takes readers on a suspenseful journey as Sloan travels to Cedar Creek, Nevada, the site of her disappearance, where she begins to uncover dark secrets about her biological family. Alongside Sheriff Eric Stamos, Sloan delves into the mystery of her past, only to discover that the Margolis family holds powerful and dangerous secrets that some will kill to protect.

Donlea skillfully builds tension, masterfully blending the elements of family drama, small-town intrigue, and the thrilling pursuit of the truth. The complex characters, particularly Sloan and Eric, are deeply engaging as they navigate personal and professional challenges while unraveling a web of deceit. The mystery is full of twists and turns, keeping readers guessing until the very last page.

Long Time Gone is a standout thriller, packed with suspense, mystery, and an unforgettable climax. For fans of fast-paced, psychological thrillers with intricate plotting and rich, atmospheric settings, this book is an absolute must-read.

This book had a fresh, new plot line that I haven’t read before. Which I love. I’m getting tired of the same old plot lines over and over.
This book was told over different timelines, past and present. It was also told from different perspectives. I found the story intriguing. A cold case about a family gone missing, after the wife was suspected of a hit and run. But not just any family. One of the most prominent families in that area.
There is such a tangled web in this book. Twists I didn’t see coming. I really enjoyed this book. The audiobook narrator also helped keep my attention.

Donlea has been on my radar for a long time and I’m glad I finally got around to one of his books! this was a fast paced missing girl (or rather, former missing girl) crime novel, and while I didn’t think it really brought anything new to the table it’s a really well done and compelling version of these tropes.

This was so good! Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea is a mystery and thriller from start to finish. I loved the premise: Sloan Hastings, after submitting her DNA to a genealogy site, discovers she’s the infamous “baby Charlotte” who disappeared with her parents in 1995. We follow Sloan as she tries to determine what happened all those years ago, while also getting some narratives from other characters along the way. I thought the twists and turns were great, and it was great to flash back and forth from the past to present. A couple things felt like they were a little too convenient nearing the end, but overall this was a fantastic book. I had previously read and enjoyed Those Empty Eyes, which is what brought this one to my attention, and it did not disappoint! Also, the narration of the audiobook was excellent. I received a copy of the audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I have loved Charlie Donlea's books in the past, and this one, also, did not disappoint! I loved the science/pathologist aspect to this, and the genealogy parts. Although this seemed a little bit "ripped from the headlines" it did not appear to be too fantastical or something that wouldn't happen. I enjoyed the characters, and felt like they were fairly "normal" people, which I find does not always get written in these mystery/thriller books. It was a character that I could identify with, and I enjoyed reading this book to the end.

I also enjoyed the narrator, and would love to listen to more narrated by this gem!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an early copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a captivating read that held my attention from start to finish. The story was well-paced, and the characters felt real and engaging. I’m grateful to the publisher for providing an early copy—it was a pleasure to read!

Yet another banger from Charlie Donlea! This entire story was extremely creative and intriguing. The unsolved missing baby spin was chefs kiss!

Overall this was a very enjoyable thriller! I love Charlie Donleas books and this one was great, a fast read! Overall kept me on my toes throughout the whole book.

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆
This was a twisty mystery involving the secrets you can find out about your family through DNA websites. The storyline was great and had me up late wondering what was going to happen. The story highlighted the dark side of family secrets and the lengths they will go to keep those secrets hidden. There were alot of twists and unreliable characters which kept my attention. This was my first Charlia Donlea book but definitely won't be my last!

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸
Vivienne Leheny did a great job narrating this story! I really enjoyed listening to her. I listened at 1.5x speed and everything was clear and easy to understand. This audiobook was great and I absolutely recommend!

Long Time Gone
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Charlie Donlea

I requested an audio advanced readers copy from NetGalley and RB Media and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Thirty years ago, Baby Charlotte vanished. Today, she’s still in danger.

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 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 her disappearance.

Slowly, over the course of a stifling summer, Sloan begins getting to know her relatives. Though initially welcoming, the Margolis family is also mysterious and tight-lipped. Not everyone seems happy about Sloan’s return, or the questions she’s asking. And the more she and Eric learn, the more apparent it becomes that the answers they both seek are buried in a graveyard of Margolis family secrets that some will do anything to keep hidden—no matter who else has to die…

My Thoughts: This is my first Donlea book and it will not be my last. It was riveting and it captivated my attention from the first word through the last word. Sloan Hastings is a doctor that is studying to become a medical examiner / forensenic pathologist in her last two years of school. As part of the program, she has to complete a dissertation of sorts and the focus is how DNA ancestry can solve cold cases. Sloan has always known she was adopted but was not interested in seeing who her birth parents were. When her DNA comes back to a three decade old cold missing person’s case, her whole world gets upended. When Sloan follows the path, will she find out what happened to her birth parents? Or will the path become too dangerous for her?

The story is narrated mainly by Sloan, in her POV. We do have flashbacks from 1995 from various other characters to fill in the backstory. Sloan is fierce, intelligent, and driven. Sloan is our MC but we have many other characters that play a part, some in big ways and others in small careful ways. Sloan submits her own DNA to one of these ancestry sites to better understand the process and when hers come back that she is actually the missing child from three decades ago and was presumed dead, along with her birth parents, her tenacious attitude propels her forward to figure out what happened. The characters were developed well with depth, intensity, secrets, and creatively woven throughout the storyline. The author’s writing style was complex, multifaceted, suspenseful, twisty, and engaging. The characters are built up slowly through present day happenings and what happened in 1995. The plot is developed through twisty layers and the ending was unpredictable and edgy. You can really feel the author did an amazing job at researching to develop the plot and felt authentic and real, really elevating this author up in the genre.

The story is narrated by Vivienne Leheny. The narrator had excellent pitch, flow, and pacing. The narrator did a stellar job with voice variation and character distinction. The flow and pace was perfect, allowing me to listen at 2x speed with no issues keeping up. This is everything you want a psychological thriller to be, it’s captivating, compelling, twisty, dark, disturbing, breathtaking, and will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole ride. I highly recommend picking this up today.

This book was so good. When I read the premise, I really didn't know what to expect except it sounded cool. DNA coming into play years later to solve a crime, yes its been done, but to find out you are in the middle of that crime, fun stuff. The book was full of mystery and thrills and chills. Fast paced. GREAT characters, and great story.

I enjoyed this book. The writing moves along at a quick pace and there were some genuinely suspenseful moments. My only complaint is that I guessed the end about a quarter of the way into it.

So many twist and turns you won't want to put it down. A thrill ride of suspense! The back and forth timeliness is not my favorite but I got past it in thriller.

Dr. Sloan Hastings is a forensic scientist working on a fellowship in forensic pathology, and is fortunate to be trained by the renowned Dr. Livia Cutty. Each of the participants are given a research assignment and Sloan’s is in genealogy, Her task in genealogy is a bit ironic as she was adopted thirty years ago. She is to submit her own DNA as an analysis tool. With her adopted parents’ approval, she proceeds and the results are no less than shocking. She’s THE “Baby Charlotte” who along with her parents vanished from Cedar Creek, Nevada under suspicious circumstances.

The narrator Vivienne Leheny was quite masterful in the voice portrayal of the various characters. I felt at times I was listening to more than one narrator.

This book will captivate readers immediately and the action and suspense doesn't let up!
Charlie Donlea is a thrilling and engaging writer. Bring on your next novel, I cannot wait.

This is definitely a 5 star read and one I recommend to fellow mystery and thriller readers!

This is my second book by Charlie Donela and I am really growing into this author!
We meet Sloan Hastings who is just such an authentic charakter! She has always known that she was adopted and it is just pure fate that she puts up her DNA on a genealogy website. The story gets into action when she hears back that her DNA is somehow connected to cold case of a missing family.
I just can say that I really enjoyed this story with a unique plot and a very satisfying ending!
Vivienne Leheny narrates this audiobook filled with emotion!
Thanj you #NetGalley # RB Media | Recorded Books for this audiobook

I have a new favorite book from this author, what a story!
Loved the pace, loved the mystery, loved the dual timelines, a story that will keep you at the edge of your seat wanting more.
I love strong female characters and Sloan’s was just perfect, I just don’t think Donlea can write a bad book, I’m a fan and can’t wait for his next one!

Thank you Recorded Books and NetGalley for this complimentary audiobook.

𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗻𝗲 by Charlie Donlea released May 21, 2024.

Could you imagine waking up one day and finding out YOU’RE a missing child?! 😲

Donlea is such a skilled storyteller and I always love how propulsive and suspenseful his books are!

This plot centering around genealogy and family drama and secrets is told through dual timelines of past and present sucks you right in! Donlea’s research is meticulous and he doesn’t stray away from shocking twists!

I paired this one with audio and found the narration was fantastic!

Highlights:
✨Dual Timelines, Multiple POVs - creates good character development.
✨Mixed Media - true crime vibe
✨Suspense & addictive plot
✨Vivienne Leheny’s narration is highly entertaining!

Bottom Line: Well crafted crime novel that’ll keep you guessing who stole Baby Charlotte. It’s really good - 4.25 ⭐️