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.

4.5 rounded up to 5

Dr. Sloan Hastings, a forensic pathology fellow, discovers through a DNA test that she is actually Charlotte Margolis, who vanished with her family in 1995. Returning to the town of her disappearance leads Sloan to Sheriff Eric Stamos, who believes her uncovering her past could solve his father's suspicious death. As Sloan delves into her roots amidst the powerful Margolis family, she realizes that unveiling the truth may unearth dangerous family secrets, putting her and Sheriff Stamos in danger.

Charlie Donlea is one of my favorite authors, and I was so excited to receive an ARC of this book.

As someone who reads A LOT of thrillers and mysteries, it’s easy to get used to the cookie cuter books with 4 characters, no character development, and where a coin flip could guess who the antagonist is. This book is NOT that. I love how Charlie Donlea weaves a story, and I enjoyed the different perspectives shared throughout the book. I was thoroughly engrossed and couldn’t wait until work was over to finish up the book.

There were a couple plot holes, but I really enjoyed this one.

Publishes on May 21

This was a super quick read that really kept me hooked; there weren't really any slow parts. I like that all of Donlea's books take place in the same universe, so you're constantly seeing names you recognize if you'd read his other books.

I think the conclusion to the mystery was a little bit obvious, but I was still on the edge of my seat for most of it!

I started this one on audiobook and I liked the narrator. You should understand though that I really only listen to audiobooks while I am driving or out for a walk. So when I was done driving for the day I decided I absolutely couldn’t wait to know what happened and abandoned that audiobook for the kindle and devoured this one. Dr. Sloan Hastings has just started the most prestigious fellowship in forensic pathology and she is given the topic of using genealogy to help solve crime as her dissertation project. After consulting with a genealogist she decides to upload her own DNA to one of those sites to really understand the process to give her a better foundation. While she always knew she was adopted she was shocked to find out she and her parents disappeared almost 30 years ago and the adoption her parents did wasn’t completely above board. Sloan is quickly drawn into the mystery of Charlotte Margolis and her parents and is determined to figure it out. I loved this one. I like Charlie Donlea but I felt like this one actually blew me away. It’s not that the mystery was super twisty, but the book was so engrossing I literally did not want to put it down.

Sloan Hastings is training in autopsies and specializing in familial genealogy and DNA testing. One of the easiest ways for her to learn about the process is to submit her own sample for testing. Being adopted, this makes her slightly nervous but her parents support her and would also love to reconnect with her birth mother. The results turn everything upside down. Sloan is actually Charlotte, who has been missing for 30 years along with her biological parents. How could she have placed for adoption if her parents are still missing? Sloan is determined to find out what happened to her and her parents. The path leads to even more questions when she learns about the mysterious circumstances of their disappearance.

Wow! This book was fabulous! I could not put it down without finding out what happened! A fast paced thriller for sure!

3.5 stars rounded up.
I realllllllly wish I had read this one instead of doing the audiobook….the narrator killed the story for me in a lot of ways. It sounded like a matter-of-fact news anchor reading a teleprompter and it killed the vibes.

That being said, I did my best to separate the story from the narration and it was a good story. I’m hoping this is just the first in a series (seemed like it would be). Excited to read more.

Securing an ARCand ALC for a contemporary DNA mystery and a family saga felt like discovering a literary treasure. The book intricately wove the intrigue of DNA secrets with the complexities of familial relationships, delivering a reading experience that immediately captured my attention.

What struck me was the seamless blend of genres. The mystery intertwined with family dynamics in a way that kept me engrossed, turning page after page in anticipation.

What made this book stand out was its storytelling finesse. The author crafted an intricate plot filled with surprising twists and turns, keeping me guessing throughout. Each character felt authentic, with their own secrets driving the narrative forward.

As I explored the mystery within this story, I appreciated the meticulous attention to detail and the depth of research evident in every revelation. Each piece of the puzzle felt integral, urging me to piece together the clues and unravel the truth.

This book had a profound impact on me, lingering in my thoughts long after I finished reading. It's the kind of story that provokes thought and sparks discussions, appealing to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted tale. Whether you're drawn to mysteries, family sagas, or simply enjoy immersive storytelling, this book is a must read