Sloan Hastings is working on a fellowship and assigned the task of researching forensic genealogy. Knowing she's adopted she's hesitant to use her DNA to sign up for an online genealogy site to further her research. With her adoptive parents blessing she signs up only to find out that she is a missing baby from Cedar Creek, Nevada. As she comes to terms with her new found knowledge of her birth family, the local sheriff detective reaches out for her help. His father's death by apparent drug overdose and drowning doesn't ring true and he suspects it's linked with Sloan's disappearance. Sloan travels to Cedar Creek to meet her family and help get background information on her parent's disappearance. But as she meets family, she uncovers dangerous family secrets

This was a great read! Charlie Donlea did a great job of tie past and present together to lay out a fabulous mystery. I was hooked from the start, and had to know how baby Charlotte ended up adopted and researching her own disappearance.

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.

Charlie Donlea does it again with “Long Time Gone.” This book is full of all the twist, turns and shocks I didn’t see coming just like the authors previous reads. Thank you to NetGalley the RB Media for this advanced copy of the audio book. I couldn’t stop listening and needed to know what happened next. It was captivated and cried at times because I was so invested in the story.

I was pulled right in to Dr. Sloane Hasting’s compelling story. As an avid Charlie Donlea reader I enjoyed that Slone is working under Dr. Livia Cutty. Dr. Cutty gave Sloane an assignment on geneology that sent her and us readers on a wild ride. Baby Charlotte and her parents disappeared almost 30 years ago. A rich family, multiple murders and mystery.

This book does flip from different times and POV’s. I found it easy to follow along because the various characters let the reader know which timeline they were on and adding to the story thread. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time and highly recommend this enjoyable thriller.

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 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.

What a propulsive thriller, you won't want to put it down! I loved the story of this novel. Can't wait for the next from Charlisle Donlea!

When DNA results reveal a disturbing connection to the mysterious disappearance of a famous baby nearly three decades ago, a forensic scientist is plunged into a dangerous search for answers in this engrossing, propulsive new novel from the internationally bestselling author of Twenty Years Later.

4.5/5 stars, rounded up

Thank you Recorded Books Media for the advanced listening copy!

SYNOPSIS -- Dr. Sloan Hastings is thrilled to work until her idol: the renowned Dr. Livia Cutty. When assigned a project on forensic genealogy, Sloan decides to submit her own DNA to an online genealogy site to gather more research into the process, despite having some reservations due to being adopted. Sloan finds not only her birth family, but a huge mystery: Sloan, aka Charlotte Margolis, disappeared with her parents in July 1995 and was never seen again. After connecting with Sheriff Eric Stamos and her birth family, Sloan uncovers a million questions that echo those unanswered from the last nearly 30 years.

This story truly hooked me from the very beginning! First of all, this was great on audio and Vivienne Leheny did a fantastic job giving voice to a number of characters. It can be challenging to follow so many characters, especially with told from anything other than first person, but I followed this super clearly, with only 1 or 2 moments of "wait who is talking again?"

LONG TIME GONE was a really unique and interesting story. There wasn't any unnecessary drama where I was expecting it, and the side characters/story arcs were well-woven into the overall mystery. I do think the guilty party was slightly predictable but the route there certainly was anything but, and kept me on the edge of my seat start to finish. There was a ton of complexity to the plot line and watching it all unfold was extremely entertaining. My only real complaint is like... we get it, she does CrossFit (LOL). Other than that, this was great, fast-paced and I couldn't put it down!

This was my first by Charlie Donlea and I definitely want to read more!

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the Audio ARC.

First I will preface by saying I only very recently found Charlie Donlea, but since I have found his work I have read every single one of his books. Long Time Gone was a release I was over the moon about. And, for me, it did not disappoint. I loved the world of the Margolis' the interweaving of true crime and the chaos of its obsessed followers and I really enjoyed Eric Stamos.

The audio experience was also lovely, I found it to be super enjoyable and hard to stop listening to.

I will admit parts of this book seemed to be repetitive, as in the same phrases/lines were repeated throughout. And, I wanted a bit more from the conclusion TBH. I wanted more time to learn what happed afterwards and the fallout.

Either way, 4/4.5 stars easily.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #RBMedia for the book #LongTimeGone by #CharlieDonlea. Sloan takes a dna ancestry test and finds out she is a missing girl from 30 years ago. Her biological parents were never found. As she delves into her past and finding out why she was put up for adoption. What happened to her parents and who is behind all of this. This book is a non stop thriller that will have you sucked in until the very end.

4.5⭐️

This was good! An interesting plot that kept me invested throughout the book! Multiple POVS and jumps from past to present to help tell the story. Genealogy being used to solve cold cases is my Roman Empire👏🏼. Imagine submitting your DNA to a genealogy website, only to discover you were kidnapped and your biological parents have been missing since you were taken😲.

It was also fun to have repeat characters from other Charlie Donlea books pop up!

I received an ARC for this audiobook from NetGalley! 🎧. This book will be published on 5/21/24. Thriller readers-add to your TBR!

Overall, this was a solid and intriguing mystery that I enjoyed much more than the last book I read by this author. However, it lacked real suspense and the twist wasn't very "twisty" for me. The audio was ok, just wish it had a little more enthusiasm behind it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Recorded Books for the audio ARC!

Ever since reading my first book by Charlie Donlea (Suicide House) I have read and reread all of his books. He really knows how to hook a reader, keep them intrigued and then throw a wonderfully twisty bombshell that makes the book so exciting and impossible to put down until you get to the end. This book, with the unsuspecting Sloan opening up a whole can of worms with one little DNA test that she took to help write her dissertation for forensic pathology. DNA can solve so many cold cases, finding serial killers and helping people find family they didn't know they had. Sloan has loving parents, knew she was adopted but had no desire to find the mother who gave her up nearly thirty years ago. When she learns she is baby Charlotte, part of the famous Margolis family who went missing along with her parents, I can see why she would want to learn about exactly what happened. So, along with Eric the Sheriff of Cedar Creek on his own mission to find out the truth about his own father, they dodge reporters and delve deep into the Margolis family history. So much excitement as the body count rises and the ones who will do anything to let the past stay buried wield garrotes and guns to silence those who would dare to unbalance the status quo. Yes, I am keeping it vague as I do not want to ruin this great story for others. Read it and be pulled in!

I would call this book another winner and I loved being able to listen as the thrilling story unrolled. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book to listen to and review.

Thank you to netgalley for an ARC of this book.

Okay let me start with the good things about this book
- Intresting side characters
- Okay mystery

as for the things i didnt like
- Weirdly alot of training montages???
- An unnecassery not quite there romantic sub plot that did absoulutly nothing
- More of a Mystery than a Mystery & Thriller book.
-I did not care about any of the characters

I can see why alot of people love this book because it is well written and tought out and i will try more books by this author.

Long Time Gone⏱️
By Charlie Donlea🧬

Review👏🏻

This was an excellent book with fantastic storytelling. I was totally immersed from beginning to end. Lots of interesting issues, including genealogy, which causes the main character's life to spiral. There were numerous fantastic twists and turns that genuinely surprised me. I think the author has a remarkable talent for stitching together a fantastic plot. I am looking forward to reading more from him!

Mystery⁉️
Thriller🔪
Crime🚨
Suspense😲

4.5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was such a great book that just kept me wanting to read more!
It’s a story about a young woman that was adopted and she’s doing her residency for becoming a doctor when she is asked to start working with genetics and she gets her DNA sent off…only to find out that she has no idea what she has just started to unravel. This was such a ride and I didn’t want it to end. Charlie Donlea is a fantastic writer! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow wow wow! This was my first experience with a Charlie Donlea book and I am blown away! I started listening as soon as I was approved and didn’t stop until the book was over. What a wild ride! Beyond impressed with the writing style, all of the research that must have gone into this book, and the crazy way everything ties together. I was hooked from the very beginning!

Thank you to Charlie Donlea, Kensington, and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review!

This audio book was utterly fantastic! This is my second book by Charlie Donlea. Sloane is a forensic fellows who’s job at the medical examiner’s office who’s final dissertation is about forensic anthropology and how DNA is used to catch cold case killers. Sloane (who is adopted) decides to take a DNA test to better learn the process and is shocked to learn that she’s actually the child of a prominent couple who went missing in 1995. Sloane’s whole world is turned upside down as she tries to uncover her past and what happened to her parents. Let me tell you guys the twists kept coming in this one and I was so engrossed in the storyline. I liked how the book went back and forth between now and the past to weave the tale into a seamless story and explain all the events to took place!

Rating: 4.5 Stars!

Charlie Donlea was a new author pick up for me and I am NOT disappointed. I have already added more books from the stack to my ever growing TBR.

Long Time Gone is a murder mystery / thriller where we follow Dr. Sloan Hastings on an adventure to find her birth parents after an online DNA profile suggest she is not who she thinks she is. There is twist and turns, deceit, and a found family in a way. The characters had amazing dynamics, the conversations always had a purpose, and the subtle nods to CrossFit kept the story interesting.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media | Recorded Books for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5⭐️

Sloan Hastings was only trying to better understand how DNA genealogy sites worked for her forensic pathology research project, when the results led her to a startling discovery. Sloan always knew she was adopted but now she knows the identity of her biological parents and the fact that she has been considered a missing child for almost 30 years.

This was well written and easy to devour. The reader received bits and pieces of information from present and past and various characters. Watching it all come together and reveal answers was fantastic.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for this audio ARC.

Pub Date May 21 2024

3.5 stars
Dr Sloan discovers that her adoptive parents were part of a NV crime family syndicate so she goes undercover to help the FBI solve their murders. It was both interesting and predictable at the same time. I’m glad that it all came together at the end without any crazy, unexpected twists. That said, there was a lot going on with this book- pathology info, DNA info, unsolved murder, undercover investigation, podcaster subplot, etc. I did enjoy it, but it was a lot. The narration was good!

This was pretty great! I really enjoyed the audio and found myself swept away in it at the beginning. I feel like it did start to drag a little in the middle but I enjoyed the mystery going on plus the main character Sloan. It reminded me of another book series that I liked. I'd definitely enjoy seeing more romance (of course) and for her to solve more cases! Overall, a good audio to listen!