Thank you NetGalkey, RB Media and Charlie Donlea for the ALC for my hinet eview.

"Long Time Gone" by Charlie Donlea is a gripping thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Set in a small town with dark secrets, the novel follows the investigation of a cold case that intertwines with the present in unexpected ways.

Donlea brings depth to each individual character, making them feel relatable and authentic. The protagonist's journey is particularly compelling as they uncover layers of deception and danger lurking beneath the surface.

The plot is intricately woven, with twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the final pages. Donlea skillfully builds suspense, gradually revealing clues while maintaining an air of mystery that propels the story forward.

The writing style is engaging, with vivid descriptions that bring the setting to life and add to the overall atmosphere of tension and intrigue. The pacing is well-balanced, alternating between moments of high intensity and quieter, reflective scenes.

Overall, "Long Time Gone" is a must-read for fans of suspenseful thrillers. Charlie Donlea delivers a captivating story filled with suspense, secrets, and unexpected revelations that will leave readers eagerly anticipating his next book.

After taking a DNA test through a genealogy website as part of a research assignment, forensic scientist Sloan Hastings learns more than she bargained for about her biological family's history--including her own kidnapping and the disappearance of her parents. I'm a fan of Charlie Donlea's writing, and LONG TIME GONE did not disappoint. I was drawn into the intrigue from the start, and really enjoyed reading the smart, engaging female characters, especially Sloan. Loved the relationships that developed alongside the mystery.

Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for the great listen.

Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea
Release Date: 5/21/24
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Vivienne Leheny

Cold cases, and drama, and murders, oh my!!

I gotta say I loved this book so much! I saw @forthebookstagram_ give this book 5 stars and I took my behind to @netgalley to request it so fast! This book is easy to binge, engaging, and for a thriller has surprisingly likable characters!

Despite this book having dual timelines and a decent amount of characters, I thought it was pretty easy to follow on audio! Narrator Vivienne Leheny did a great job keeping you in the story without being over the top too!

I don’t want to say too much because there are several twists in this one so I recommend you just go in blind! Highly recommend grabbing this one when it releases next week! Thanks to Nergalley for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a wild ride. This was such an unputdownable thriller following Sloan a forensic pathologist who enters fellowship which requires her DNA. Little did she know providing this DNA sample would uncover secrets about her life. This is heart pounding from the beginning and the small town secrets make it even more thrilling,


Thank you to NetGalley, Charlie Donlea, and Kensington Books for this e-Arc in exchange for an honest 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!

ncestry-type sites. Sloan, being adopted, agrees to submit her DNA to one of these sites to learn more about her background. Bam, that is where the chaos ensues as Sloan, or should I say, baby Charlotte, gets more than she expected when the results come in.

My sole complaint would be the lack of character development for some characters, and some of whom seemed unnecessary at times as they didn’t seem pertinent to the storyline. Honestly, I don't remember much about them. There's a chance that we'll see more of them in a follow-up book, and this was just a brief introduction.

The book has a lot of procedural elements, which involve anthropologists, a sheriff, a medical examiner, and the FBI just to name those I remember. This focus means you don’t get a lot of emotion or connection with the characters. I personally connected with the story, and some will love it for what it is, but others might find it lacking in this department.

If you are a fan of suspenseful mystery stories without graphic content, this would be a great read for you. I quite enjoyed the writing and narration; it read very much like a whodunit and was pleasant to listen to.

It’s a yes for me!
@deannsdailydrop 🖤

Thanks you to NetGalley, RB Media and Charlie Donlea for the Advance listen copy in exchange for my honest review. It was my pleasure.

Another fantastic novel by Charlie Donlea! I really like how diverse his books are: you can really tell that a lot of research goes into each new book. This one is no exception! I've been a fan of Mr. Donlea for a while and this one did not disappoint as well. Highly recommend!

Charlie Donlea’s "Long Time Gone" is a masterclass in suspense and intricate storytelling, earning a well-deserved five-star review for its compelling narrative and richly developed characters. This latest thriller showcases Donlea’s talent for crafting multi-layered mysteries that keep readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

The story follows forensic scientist Sloan Hastings as she embarks on a quest to uncover the truth about a decades-old disappearance in the small town of Cedar Creek, Nevada. What begins as an investigation into her own murky past quickly spirals into a deeper exploration of the powerful and enigmatic Margolis family. As Sloan digs into the family’s secrets, she forms an uneasy alliance with Sheriff Eric Stamos, whose father’s suspicious death may be linked to the same dark forces surrounding Sloan’s disappearance.

Charlie Donlea has once again proven his mastery of the genre, delivering a story that is as thought-provoking as it is thrilling. With its compelling characters, intricate plot, and atmospheric setting, this novel is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers.

Thanks to The Publisher, Net Galley & Charlie Donlea for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, “Long Time Gone,” by Charlie Donlea, was truly a great thriller! It was exactly the type of story I had been looking for. It follows Dr. Sloan Hastings who submits her DNA to a genealogy website in order to fulfill a research assignment. She is reluctant to do this because she is adopted and knows little to nothing about her birth parents. Well, she was certainly justified in her apprehension. When her results come back, she discovers she is really Charlotte Margolis, or better known as Baby Charlotte, who with her parents disappeared in July of 1995. She soon finds herself in the middle of a true crime mystery and as the summer passes by, she discovers more and more about what really happened on the day that she and her parents disappeared.

I loved this book. I was instantly taken in with the whole genealogy plot. I find all of that fascinating, especially since it’s been helping solve decades old murder cases. I think the author did a fantastic job of explaining on how all of that stuff works and utilizing it to develop a really compelling tale. There was only one small part of the book that I found a little far fetched but it ultimately did not detract from the story for me. I also really enjoyed the narrator, Vivienne Leheny. She was very good and made listening to the book entertaining. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good thriller. It really checked all of the boxes for me.

I really enjoyed this book!

You are brought right into the action from the first page, and I always love a book that pulls you in like that. The premise of DNA genealogy being the answer to questions Sloan didn't know existed felt fresh and new. The character of Sloan was so well written. You see her as strong and tough, willing to do what needs to be done, even when she's discovering earth shattering news about herself the entire journey.

I wasn't blown away with the twist, but I also didn't feel like I needed to be. This is a story that unfolds piece by piece until you get to the end and you see the whole picture. And it was done so well!

Highly recommend this book!

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 RB Media for my gifted ALC.

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

I liked this book. I thought it was a great premise. I really enjoy this author and how his books are always so intricately woven.

For me this one was a little drawn out and repetitive at parts. But it still held my attention and I wanted to know how the mystery was solved. I was a little surprised with the conclusion but one piece seemed a little obvious. I think ultimately it was a good read but it could have done with some editing of the repetitive parts to shorten it.

The narrator did excellent and was great to listen to.

Once I started listening I couldn’t stop!
The excitement and drama begins in the very first chapter and is prevalent throughout the entire book.
I love that this book didn’t start with a ton of boring background information but instead provided little background details along the way.
The characters were well developed and his writing style made it easy for the reader to keep track of the many different characters in the book.
The plot is unique and captivating, covering the subject matter of genealogy databases through sites like 23-and me. It leaves the reader wondering what other information can be discovered through these sites.
I will definitely be recommending this intriguing, well-written book to anyone looking for an fast-paced read!

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

This was my first Charlie Donlea novel, and I was so excited when I got approved to listen to the audiobook because I have heard such amazing things about this author. When reading the synopsis, I was immediately hooked. Mysteries involving DNA through genealogy is beyond interesting to me, and you can tell that the author did his homework when writing this book. I can say that I did enjoy this book throughout, but I found the ending to be simply a bit silly. I even guessed the "twist" but thought there was no way that it would actually happen that way, because it is truly such a goofy ending. I can't say this was my favorite book, but I do look forward to reading more by Charlie Donlea. His writing style, the short chapters, and the detailed writing is something I enjoyed; however, this book tended to be a bit repetitive and slow.

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.

Really enjoyed the audiobook, the narrator did a great job with all of the voices.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

Long Time Coming had everything I want in a thriller! It had science, secrets of powerful families, revenge, cover up, true crime, podcasts, influence of media, adventure, the coolest women sleuth (Sloan), twists where you don’t know who to trust. I loved every second of this book! It was perfectly paced. At moments in this book the only thing I could think was how Murdaugh coded a few details were. IYKYK.

Dr. Sloan Hastings is in one of her last years of her education to become a forensic pathologist (which is so cool) and she has to do a research project. The topic she was given was, DNA testing and how these genealogy sites are now comparing DNA and finding who committed crimes in the past. Because she’s a bad ass and dedicated to her education she dives right in and gets in contact with other people in this field. It is recommended that she gives her DNA to go through the process for herself. However, Sloan was adopted 30 years ago and knows nothing about her birth family. Which she’s hesitant to learn about. This is where the story starts, you don’t need to know anything else other than it’s so good.

I received the audio book from NetGalley. The narrator was fantastic!! She brought every character and this story to life.

I recommend this to anyone who loves a good fun thriller. This book was so refreshing and different compared to the past 100 thrillers I’ve read. I hope there is a book two where Slone starts to solve crimes in general!!

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for an arc of Long Time Coming by Charlie Donlea!

Long Time Gone
By Charlie Donlea
Read by Vivienne Leheny

I dislike prologues.
I dislike random chapters in books that convey what WILL happen.
I dislike the killer's pov taking up a large portion of the story, carefully ambiguous so as not to give you a clue about who it is.
I can tell you, with 96% success, I have entirely skipped these portions and NEVER MISSED A THING.
Try it. You'll thank me unless you just like listening to words.

I was ensnared by chapter four. But then it all went wrong. Literally every event was recounted like 5 times. By chapter 50, precisely three things had happened. Half of the book was devoted to three things happening.
They each deserved a chapter. By my math, that's THREE chapters. So we have FIFTY chapters out of THREE.
Just a note: in 1995 there weren't pocket sized cell phones available to the general public, if anywhere. My dad was a trucker and he had a CB radio and nothing else. There were car phones that came next, with huge antennaes that mounted with strong magnets to the top of your vehicle to be sure you could reach the teeny tiny signal that was projecting somewhere far off IF you were fortunate. Do some simple fact checking, guys.
And another note: the Audi didn't become the "it" vehicle until some time in the past 10-15 years in the US.
Another note (because I'm a nit picker...gross,why do people SAY that?) hawks screech, cry, call, and make odd "cak-cak" sounds. What they do not do is "crow".
There's quite a lot of re-hashing. It gets a little tedious hearing the events recounted when the protagonist is explaining the situation to other people. It would be more conducive to just write "she/he filled them in on what she/he knew/experienced" rather than going through it over and over in a blow by blow. It turns into filler or what I call "word carbs".
*The term is "bald faced liar" rather than "BOLD faced". Just sayin'.
Sloan is ridiculously slow on the uptake ("35 mm? Develop pictures? Dark ROOM? Yes, Sloan, to develop photos in the 90s, we had to actually go into a DARK ROOM-literally.)
I was born in the 70s and I wasn't aware of what life was like back then, but when I was in my 20s, I had read things (Like BOOKS, Sloan! Imagine!) that taught me things ABOUT the 70s because I didn't think life began when I was old enough to remember it. It's like the woman thought digital cameras always existed, sheesh! She's a freakin' DOCTOR!
There was nearly an entire chapter devoted to the explanations to Sloan of things my kids learned from a Nancy Drew game! (Back in the olden days, Sloan, we had actual DISCS we had to put in the computer-on an actual DESK!) It grew tiresome listening to the wonder Sloan got from watching her face appear like magic on film.
It was time to speed it up to double time.
Listening to the podcast stalker's pov was absolutely painful. Skip it, trust me.
At least 5 solid minutes listening (several times) to Sloan's entire workout routine. Including water consumption and the wiping of sweat.
Just.
Please.
8 hours of my life I'm never getting back.

Charlie Donlea is a master storyteller. He can weave together a storyline so that the reader is riveted by every word. I especially enjoyed this because much like Sloan I also was adopted and discovered my birth parents through an Ancestry test. Because of this I really appreciated the way in which Donlea handled it with care and understanding for all those involved. I, also, appreciate that there was no ‘love’ story. I’ve gotten to where the inclusion of a contrived ‘love match’ really distracts rather than adds to a storyline. Men and women can work closely together without becoming romantically involved. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Audio narration wasn't my favorite, but the story made up for it.

Another winner of a novel and one I have no problem recommending.

***ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Listened at 1.5 speed.

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.

I have read every Charlie Donlea book that has been published to my knowledge. I have enjoyed all of them. Long Time Gone ranks up there with his best. I couldn't believe how fast I tore through it. While it is not quite as unique as Twenty Years Later, it is just as addictive. I just checked myself and verified I have never given a Charlie Donlea novel less than 4 stars. That is really rare for me. He is just a must-read thriller author for me. I would recommend him to any of my like-minded friends. None of his books are too formulaic or predictable. He's just good at what he writes!

In this one, I loved the forensic aspect of it and how the use of commercial DNA testing played a part in the story. It also asked the reader to think about the ethics of these companies participating with law enforcement without patient consent, a subject that is coming more to the forefront in social issues in the real world. The book doesn't try to answer it, but by simply asking the question, it makes the reader think about it.

An up-and-coming medical examiner learns her own project turns out to be related to a nearly 30-year-old mystery of a family's disappearance. Soon she is embroiled in a family drama as well as a murder mystery of her own. I loved how her relationship and upbringing with her adoptive parents was portrayed. It really was a point of view many books go the opposite, negative direction on. I loved that the book had funny moments to lighten the heavy ones. Overall, Long Time Gone is one of my favorites by the author and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.