This audiobook is decent. I like the narrator, story was interesting. I wasn't able to figure out who dunnit, which I like. Seemed a little wordy, but not a bad story.

I'm a big fan of Charlie Donlea's writing and I was hooked the moment Dr. Sloan Hastings was introduced. Sloan is a fellow in forensic pathology. She is disciplined, intelligent and strong both mentally and physically. Even if the story would have stayed in North Carolina where Sloan is training I would have found the story to be fascinating, but in a huge plot twist she finds out that her DNA identifies her as missing Baby Charlotte, from Cedar Creek, Nevada. From here it is a whirlwind of non-stop investigating to solve the mystery of the disappearance of her parents, and just how she came to be adopted. The story is told in both the past and the present, and from multiple POVs. It was easy to follow and engaging. At times I felt rushes of adrenaline and fear, and I didn't want to stop listening! I liked all of the main characters and the setting, although Cedar Creek must actually be a river as I have never seen sailboats on any creek in Iowa. But I digress. I did figure out who did it, but there were still twists involved that I didn't see coming and had me gasping in shock. I was sad to see this book end and will consider it one of my top reads for 2024. I would love to see Sloan brought back as a character in a future book!

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for my copy of the audio book in exchange for my honest review. Vivienne Leheny did a fantastic job with the narration.

I love Charlie's books! Sloan Hastings submits her DNA to a database in order to complete her research. She discovers she is the missing Charlotte baby that dominated the news 30 years ago. Once that news breaks, people from her past are searching for her in order to get answers, the news scoop, etc. This book has amazing suspense and I could not listen to it fast enough. Love it! The ending was not what I expected but I really had no idea at all what to expect. Highly recommended!

Donlea always delivers a really great mystery providing all the elements that keep me invested from beginning to end. This one had a puzzling crime, atmospheric moments, good character development, and a surprising twist.

The only part that didn’t resonate with me were the breakdown of CrossFit workouts. I’ve never done it so that part of wasn’t necessary for my enjoyment of the story.

Overall this was another solid Donlea mystery that had me captivated and devouring it any chance I got. Coming May 21!

Thanks Recorded Books for the alc via Netgalley!

This story follows Dr. Sloan Hastings after her DNA test results reveal a connection to a decades old case involving the disappearance of a family and their baby. From the start I was hooked. I found the storyline about forensic genealogy fascinating, and loved how Sloan used her intelligence in this field to help solve the case. The short chapters alternated between past and present (1995 and 2024), which was great for building suspense and connecting some of the characters from the present to the past. The mystery itself was not super twisty (I didn’t guess the whodunit but I’m sure others will) but the story was so engrossing, I did not want to put it down!

If you are a fan of audiobooks, definitely listen to this one!

Read if you like:
-Forensics
-Solving cold cases
-True crime podcasts
-Intelligent FMCs
-Multiple POVs and timelines

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I absolutely loved this audiobook. Narration was great and the book itself was great. I was hooked right from the start and was anxious to find out what had really happened. I loved the variety of characters, but especially Sloan. Following her on her adventure to discover her history was fascinating. It was hard to put down this audiobook.
Great job by the author and the narrator.

Charlie Donlea's latest is a exciting thriller featuring the determined and ambitious Dr Sloan Hastings embarking on a 2 year medical examiner forensic pathology fellowship course under the well known Dr Livia Cutty. She is allocated the research topic of the latest developments in DNA and genetic genealogy, leading to a presentation at the end of the year. I listened to this on audio, approximately 9 hours and 20 minutes long, brilliantly narrated by Vivienne Leheny, who related the dual time line storytelling with aplomb, effectively capturing the suspense and tension, that had me gripped from the harrowing prologue, right through to the terrifying and tense conclusion.

Sloan was adopted by her dentist parents, having a wonderful loving childhood with little interest in looking into her actual parents. However, given her research area, she reluctantly submits her details of her DNA profile on a genealogy website, letting her parents know, that results in shocking results that turn her life upside down. It turns out Sloan is the famous 'Baby Charlotte'. Almost 3 decades ago baby Charlotte Margolis, a member of the powerful and wealthy Margolis family, along with her parents, went missing, resulting in a huge national media focus, with podcasts, and rampant speculation at the time.

In a narrative that goes back and forth in time, Sloan finds herself joining forces with Sheriff Eric Stamos, desperate to know the truth of what really happened to his father, unaware of just how much danger she will find herself in as she travels to Cedar Creek in Nevada. She is aided by her Aunt Nora, who married into the Margolis family, who provides her with information about her birth parents, fuelling her growing connection and curiosity about them. This is a dark and engaging thriller with twists and turns galore from Donlea, I have no hesitation in recommending this to crime and mystery fans, the audio is a terrific option. Many thanks to RB Media for an ALC.

Secrets, secrets, and more. I really enjoyed listening to the audio book "Long Time Gone", by Charlie Donlea. The narrator did a great job bringing all of the characters to life. I found the story to be an entertaining, interesting thriller.

A few years ago, you wouldn't catch me reading anything but thrillers. These days, I barely read them because they just never thrill me anymore and they're so predictable. I've joked that unless someone is getting murdered on the first page, then I'm probably not going to be interested.

Charlie Donlea has gotten me out of my thriller slump. There was a murder on the first page (yes!) and this was the most unputdownable book I've read in ages. I will occasionally audibly mutter out some type of reply while reading a thriller when something wild happens, but I did this numerous times during this book. This book was just so damn good. I don't know what else to say other than please read this one! Definitely my favorite thriller of the year so far.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Long Time Gone (audiobook), was an enjoyable listen from start to end. The story is about a medical examiner fellow (post-residency on-the-job training), in the same setting as previous Charlie Donlea books, and Dr. Cutter makes an appearance as well! This storyline focuses on Sloane, a strong female narrator that has a great relationship with her adoptive parents. Having known about her adoption from a young age, Sloan never felt the desire to look into her past and biological parents. In a twist of fate, she is almost forced into it as part of her research for her fellowship. By uploading her DNA into one of the well-known ancestry-type sites, her world is turned upside down. Is it possible she’s a missing child? Does her biological family have skeletons in their closet?

I truly enjoyed this audio book from the start. The presence of up-to-date science mixed in with fears and concerns anyone might have with looking into their family history is very real. The story kept me wanting “just one more chapter”, and the voice actor was easy to listen to. I gave this audiobook 4.5 stars. Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publisher for this advanced listeners copy!

I fell in love with Charlie Donlea when I read Twenty Years Later. I saw the opportunity to read this book early and jumped on it. I was not disappointed.
Long time gone is told in two alternating time periods. Present day, and 30 years prior. Initially it was a little confusing with alternating time periods and all the characters. But quickly becomes very clear. You follow the story of Sloan, a 30 year old medical examiner student and a cold case disappearance in Cedar Creek, Nevada.
You become completely immersed in the story and once you start, you can not stop. Thank you Charlie Donlea and Netgalley for the opportunity to read the ARC of Long Time Gone!

A gripping thriller about a woman who uncovers a past she never expected. The narrator did an amazing job bringing this book to life. The novel was engaging and kept me guessing until the very end.

I actually enjoyed this book, but it also had me howling at how over the top some of the "Thriller" tropes were. The red hearings all over the place, the entire photography and developing film storyline was inevitably going to come up again. The ending revelations truly sent me over the edge! We know who the killer is because a crying baby kicked a camera and took pictures of the murder as it happened 😂 That was insane! I felt like that was a parody of a thriller book.

I genuinely did enjoy reading this book though! It just felt way over the top in places. It was still enjoyable and I would recommend it for fans of this genre.

A million thanks as always to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of the book to read and review!

Pathologist Dr Sloan Hastings is tasked with a DNA research assignment in order to complete her fellowship and to begin she reluctantly submits to one of those DNA spit tests. She’s a bit nervous about the results because she is adopted and has never really wanted to know who her biological parents are. The results however are shocking - it turns out she is a notoriously kidnapped baby of murdered parents. Sloan realizes that it is now up to her to solve the unsolved murder of her parents and help the new sheriff of the small town of her birth (and place of her disappearance), Eric, solve the murder of his own father (murdered while solving the case) at the same time.

I picked this one up because it was recommended to me and I love a good thriller! This story was engaging from the first chapter. I listened to the entire novel and there were times I had no good reason to be listening to an audiobook but I made any excuse I could because I just had to know what happened (extra snack breaks for work may have been taken). The narration was excellent and I honestly had no idea where the story was going to take me (which may have led to the extra snack breaks). I ingested this entire one in a day and no regrets for anyone I ignored (e.g. children, clients, husband and dog). I’ve had one of @charliedonlea’s other books on my kindle for at least a year and now I am absolutely putting it higher on my TBR!
4.25 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the ARC to review

SO GOOD!!! Ahhhh I want to give this book all the stars and then some!

Long Time Gone has a unique and original storyline, strong character development, and an unpredictable twist which truly surprised me. The writing is skillful and distinguishes itself from others, easily making it a five star read for me.

Protagonist Dr. Sloan Hastings has started her fellowship in forensic pathology and submits her DNA to an online genealogy site for a research assignment. She was a bit hesitant at first as she is adopted and adores her parents. With her parents blessing, she submits her DNA and no expects what the results reveal. Sloan was born Charlotte Margolis, a baby who went missing almost 30 years ago without a trace.

Curious about her biological family and working on the sly with Sheriff Eric Stamos, she heads to the town of Cedar Creek to try and find out what happened all those years ago. The mystery begins to unravel as Slone tries to figure out what happened to her parents all those years ago.

One of the best crime mystery thriller novels I have read in a long time. This is definitely up there as one of my top five read this year so far and I 100% recommend this to others!

Huge thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for providing me the advanced audiobook to listen and review. The narration by Vivienne Leheny was stellar.

Interesting read from a new author for me. Following the journey of the main character as she tackles genealogy for her upcoming dissertation, she comes across some shocking discoveries. The book flows nicely and keeps readers engaged. Just the right amount of backstories of the characters without ever getting exhausted. Would definitely recommend as an easy suspenseful read!

★ 5 Stars ★
I knew from the first few chapters that this thriller would be a five-star read. It was so engrossing that I couldn't stop thinking about it once I started listening to the audiobook. The narrator's voice, Vivienne Leheny, was mesmerizing and perfect for the part!

I don't read many books by male authors, except for the awesome ones like Charlie Donlea. This was my second read by him, and I wish I could freeze time so I could read all his older books! This gripping tale revolves around forensic genealogy, which I find incredibly fascinating. If I could start my adult life over, this is definitely the field I would choose.

As part of her fellowship, Dr. Sloan Hastings (who was adopted) runs a DNA test on herself to create a family tree and better understand forensic genealogy. The book takes off quickly once she receives her results, and there isn't a dull moment! From the explosive moment Sloan discovers her true identity as the missing baby in a thirty-year-old famous case, the plot is a rollercoaster of unsolved mysteries, betrayal, lies, corruption, and murder. Every page reveals something new, keeping you on the edge of your seat.

"Long Time Gone" will undoubtedly be one of my top reads of the year!

Thank you to RB Media/Kensington Publishing for providing this ARC through NetGalley and Edelweiss. All opinions are my own and left voluntarily.

#LongTimeGone #CharlieDonlea #VivienneLeheny #audiobook #recordedbooks #kensingtonpublishing #thrillerbooklovers #thepulse #pulsepoint #netgalley

Thanks to #NetGalley and #RBMedia for the audiobook #LongTimeGone by #charliedonlea. I absolutely loved this book so much so that I listened to it in a day! It’s about a family with secrets some of them don’t even know they have. It’s built on lies, omissions, animosity, self loathing & love. What would your parents do for you to protect you until their dying breath? I was filled with all of these same emotions reading it & could relate to/with the siblings (to a degree) that I just had to finish it and see how it played out. I cannot recommend this book and author enough!! I was on the brink the whole time.

Long Time Gone is a fascinating thriller highlighting the ways forensic genealogy can revive cold cases. Sloan Hastings innocently submits her DNA sample to an online genealogy site as part of her fellowship, and then watches as her life is turned upside down by the unexpected results. This book hit many things I adore: family sagas, long-kept secrets, and genealogy, and turned them into a twisty tale that hooked me immediately. While there are a few elements that may strain belief, it is fiction and a very captivating read. This was the first book by Charlie Donlea I've read but it will not be the last! Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Storygraph on May 11th, 2024. Links provided.

Dive into the heart of this chilling mystery where forensics trainee Dr. Sloan Hastings stumbles upon a startling revelation about her past that turns her world upside down. Submitted as a part of a routine assignment, Sloan’s DNA test unexpectedly identifies her as baby Charlotte, an infant who was the center of a decades-old disappearance case that riveted the nation. Adopted and never feeling the need to question her past before, Sloan finds herself drawn into the tangled history of her biological family, the rich and powerful Margolis clan, in the shadowy town of Cedar Creek, Nevada. As she partners with Sheriff Eric Stamos to unravel the intertwined destinies of their families, they uncover a labyrinth of secrets where the stakes are life and death. With every chilling discovery, Sloan’s quest to find answers not only threatens to expose long buried secrets but also puts her own life in imminent danger. This fast-paced and captivating thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat as Sloan confronts a legacy of mysteries and lies, proving some secrets are worth killing for.

I absolutely devoured this book, finishing it in less than 24 hours. First of all, I listened to it on audiobook and I loved the narrator, Vivienne Leheny. She did an excellent job narrating in a way that kept me engaged and focused. The writing is very captivating and I loved the short chapters. It truly was a case of “just one more chapter” one after the other, as each chapter was so short and always ended with wanting to know what happened next. I also loved how the story unfolded over different time periods, namely the past (before baby Charlotte and her parents went missing) and the present. As someone who studied forensic anthropology, I absolutely loved the focus on DNA and how genetics can be used to trace back family lineages. I felt the ending was very well done and had enough of a surprise that I didn’t fully predict it, but it also wasn’t so far-fetched just to get shock value like some other thrillers can be. There was even one point during the climax of the book that I audibly gasped. All in all, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it. This was my first book by Charlie Donlea and it most definitely will not be my last!

Thank you to RB Media, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced audiobook of Long Time Gone in return for my honest review.