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.

Publication date: May 21st, 2024
Audio length: 9 hour 19 minutes
Narrator: Vivienne Lehney
Genre: domestic thriller
POV: multiple
Setting: various


An adopted woman does genetic ancestry testing- and mysteries unfold!
Thoughtfully written.
Excellent narration- a pleasure to listen to!
Very likable protagonist.
Did not want the book to end!

Thank you to author, publisher, NetGalley for advanced audio copy. This is an honest voluntary review.

3.5 stars. This author has become a must read author for me, but I do have to say although this was good and I flew right through it, it wasn't my favorite of his. There were a couple aspects that were too conveniently far-fetched that took away from the story. As always, though, the characters are great. The narrator did a great job with this one.

Wow! This book had quite the hook! As a project of Sloane's education to become a medical examiner, she decided to learn more about DNA testing by submitting her own. The story just gets action packed from here. Her DNA shows that she was not adopted from the mother her parents thought. In fact, she was a part of an almost 30-year mystery of a husband, wife, and baby gone missing. I have not yet read Charlie Donlea's work prior to this book, but I will now be looking for him as an author to read for fast paced mysteries! I did not want to stop listening to this riveting tale and how Sloane meets her biological family knowing they may be a part of the reason her parents went missing.

Very well done! While the book takes place in 2024/1995, there are hints of more futuristic tendencies with the focus on using DNA as a way to solve cold cases. In this particular story, a character who was adopted as a baby submits her DNA to a 23 and me like site and realizes she is a missing child. But, her adoptive parents didn't know this! The pacing kept me up at night listening to the book, and I recommend this for fans of family/domestic suspense. The ending, with how the pictures were taken, was the only fault I had with the plot. A solid add to a library collection!

. I found it impossible to believe several parts of the ending, particularly around old photos. I also couldn’t get past how much of this seemed inspired by or borrowed from the Murdoch family / murders.

The location also kept taking me out of the story. There was a lot of emphasis that they were in bend, or. At a vineyard. I live in bend. Bend is the high desert there is no way there can be a large, sprawling vineyard here.. There also isn’t the land for it. It made me nuts trying to read this-the author didn’t take a moment to research anything???

There were also other aspects that annoyed me, such as introducing a character at length, even setting him up to be a “love interest”, and then he’s more or less never mentioned or seen again. I’m not sure why he was introduced to me in such depth. Same for the MCs family, career, job, etc. None of it mattered to the story and after a lengthy setup was abandoned. Why couldn’t she have just been someone who submitted her dna to a site and go from there?

The only redeeming aspect or kind thing I can say is that the MC finding her biological family and her feelings about it were more authentic than lifetime.

This author has been a favorite but this was a huge miss for me. Thanks netgalley for my ALC.

Donlea skillfully weaves between past and present, maintaining a gripping tension throughout the novel as Sloan navigates a deadly maze to unravel hidden truths of not only herself, but that of a 30-year-old cold case. Can she do so unscathed?

Sloan Hastings, under the elite fellowship of highly skilled Chief Medical Officer Dr. Livia Cutty, receives a research assignment in the budding field of forensic genealogy. Subsequently, she submits her own DNA to an online genealogy site to better equip herself in understanding the extensive genetic information encompassed on ancestry websites—and maybe, just a little, to garner some insight on her genetic family ties, given she was adopted. However, the results she obtains are SHOCKING!

Her DNA profile determined that she is Charlotte Margolis, better known as “Baby Charlotte,” who gained national recognition when she and her parents inexplicably vanished in July 1995. Despite an exhaustive investigation and months of extensive, widespread media attention, there were no suspects identified in the family’s disappearance, and the case has since remained unsolved for decades.

After getting walloped with that tremendous piece of unexpected news, Sloan finds with her reappearance dredging the cold case back into the limelight. Striving to stay ahead of media scrutiny and public curiosity regarding the case of Baby Charlotte, Sloan embarks on a search for answers that leads her to Cedar Creek, Nevada.

The influential Margolis family holds sway over the community, and while Sloan’s biological relatives appear hospital and welcoming on the surface, there maintains an obvious air of secrecy brewing right below the surface. As Sloan delves deeper into her investigation, it becomes evident that the truths she seeks are concealed within a shroud of mystery and countless secrets of the Margolis family.

The story takes place in dual timelines—in 1995 when the family’s disappearance occurred—and the present with Sloan. Charlie Donlea did a wonderful job at swapping between the two timelines in a manner that developed the storyline in a very organic feel.

Per usual, Donlea hits another homerun with this masterfully crafted, edge-of-your-seat thriller! Once Pandora’s box was opened, everything unraveled at breakneck speed for Sloan, wherein she had to navigate a minefield of suspenseful twists and thrilling turns. The characters in the story are fleshed out very well and extremely likable, the places and events marvelously woven in a manner that chronically leaves you biting your nails for more.

I would like to express my profound gratitude to both NetGalley, RB Media, and Kensington for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions shared are my own.

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Thank you RB Media and Charlie Donlea for this amazing read!

Donlea has such a talent at writing addictive books! This book weaved mystery, secrets and suspense throughout. The author writes so many details into crime solving that it feels so believable.

I enjoyed the crime podcast feature because I always love books that feature crime junkies! It was told in past and present, had short chapters (My fav) and insane twists!

I picked this book up and before I even realised I was at 40%! Safe to say I binged this book and read it in 2 quick sittings.

PICK THIS BOOK UP WHEN IT RELEASES. This author is the perfect choice when you need a thriller book that won't let you down!!

4.5/5

I love a fiction book that can teach me something as well. Long Time Gone introduces the newer field of forensic pathology/geneology, where DNA evidence is used to trace the geneology of a suspect to help track them down. In this case, a woman doing a graduate school project discovers that her DNA matches that of a baby that went missing 30 years ago. The discovery leads her to web of unexplained events in a town largely controlled by one family - her relatives.

I enjoyed the dual timelines and multiple POVs. The story starts as more of a slow burn and picks up as it goes. Yes, it's a little farfetched, but it's fiction. I'm happy to suspend some disbelief to just enjoy the ride. I would happily pick up another book from the author. The narration was good.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #RBMedia for a free copy of #LongTimeGone by Charlie Donlea. All opinions are my own.

Huge fan of this author, his writing style, and the subtle connections to his other works interlaced into books. This was yet again, another great read. I couldn’t figure this one out until the very end and then all I can say is WOW! Perfect ending; so well written; highly recommend!

This reads like a police procedural as the two MC are a forensic anthropologist and a sheriff (two timelines)

Trainee forensic anthropologist Sloane, sends her DNA off as part of her research and discovers she’s “missing baby Charlotte”

I loved the premise and was very excited to listen to the audiobook

Although we get to know Sloane (loves Dr Pepper and CrossFit) I felt I was missing depth. As we’re introduced to more (a lot more) characters, this lack of depth continued, and I struggled to connect with anyone

I wouldn’t want to ruin anyone’s enjoyment of this book, but for me, it was the most obvious mystery I’ve read in a while. One of the reveals was so ridiculous it was hilarious and I think the high raters, must sweep past the unbelievableness of it

Oh the plus side, the writing flowed, the pace was steady and the audiobook was nicely narrated

Thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for access to this audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review

Sloan Hastings is in training to become a medical examiner in North Carolina, and a research project during her fellowship sends her down a genetic rabbit hole. By submitting her own DNA sample, she discovers that she is a missing baby from a national news story decades before. In a short time, she is inserted into the imposing Margolis family in Nevada, secretly trying to solve the mystery of what happened to her birth parents and how she ended up put up for adoption. But the mysterious circumstances and events around the time of the disappearance could possibly lead her into danger.

I plowed through this audiobook. I didn’t want to stop listening. The subject of forensic genealogy is really interesting. I really enjoyed the plot combination of finding family via dna websites like 23andMe and the murder mystery.

The pacing of this story was great, with little snippets of the past in flashback chapters sprinkled in. The ending was thrilling and satisfying. I also got a kick out of one itty bitty moment being set in Indianapolis, because it’s so rare, lol. The only thing that didn’t work for me was Eric, a Nevada resident, having a southern twang in the audiobook.

4.5 stars

Thanks to RB Media and NetGalley for the early listen.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced audio book.

Another great ride from Charlie Donlea. The set up to this thriller/mystery (a medical student working to become a medical examiner is assigned a research project on forensic genealogy and after completing her own genetic testing finds out that she is part of a long held secret about what happened to a well connected family) felt fresh, which is hard to do in this overly saturated genre. Can't wait to read what Donlea publishes next.

This seemed like such a long drawn out audiobook. Truth be told, it wasn’t much longer than a normal audiobook but it felt like it because of the constant back and forth between years and people. Normally, this kind of thing doesn’t bother me and I enjoy the different perspectives. However, this one seemed to confuse me a bit. Maybe because it just wasn’t as thrilling as I thought it would be in order to hold my attention. Not really sure.

However, it did have a mystery that ended up being wrapped up tightly at the end. All I’m going to say because I don’t want to give spoilers is, the person who ended up taking the pictures that showed the truth, was so so unbelievable. Like what?

I think this book would have been great if it had a bit more twists and a lot less character perspectives. All in all, I was able to finish it, so that counts for something

I really enjoyed this audiobook and it held my attention throughout the full story. Narration was wonderful. The pauses between chapters were sometimes so long I wondered if my audio stopped but other than that it was wonderfully done. Great story and the premise of genetic matching with a cold case is so interesting to me.