Sloan is studying to get her doctorate in forensic medicine. She is studying DNA which is of interest to her because she is adopted. In the process, she discovers her birth family and with it a family mystery which leads to quite the story - comprised of a complicated familial relationships and a long history. Brilliant as usual coming from Charlie Donlea. Thanks to NetGalley for this fabulous read! Loved the narrator as well!

I absolutely loved it! I listened to the audiobook and hung on every word! The narrator did an AMAZING job bringing the story to life and making each character distinct and believable. The premise of the book is such a hot topic right now and I loved the way it was handled. So good!!

Donlea does it again in this awesome page turning thriller!

4.5 🌟

Dr. Sloane Hastings is a medical pathologists that is currently training for forensic pathology. She's assigned the task of looking into genealogy databases and how they play a role in forensic pathology.

This project prompts her submitting her own DNA to a database. Sloane was adopted and is nervous to see what her results return as she never imagined finding her birth family. Her results not only link her to her biological family but also to a decades long unsolved case!

Sloane's character was pleasantly likable. Her determination to solve her own case and the grit she had in doing so!
I love the depth of the plot and how fast-paced it was. Truly a page turner.

I received an ARC audiobook copy. Narration was great! 4/5 stars. Easy to follow, easy to differentiate character voices.

While I found this easy to read like all of Donlea's books I found it failed as a mystery/thriller. The first half was overly repetitive and the second half spent more time describe the characters hobbies than developing suspects and motives. The final reveals felt both anticlimactic and silly.

🎧 Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea
Publication Date: May 21, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sloan is anxious when she submits her DNA for a forensic genealogy project, but the results are much more complex than anyone was expecting. Not only do the results reveal the identity of her biological parents but that she is long lost Baby Charlotte who vanished 30 years ago. This is one wild ride as she dives into this three decade long cold case.- determined to find out what happened on that fateful day that changed the entire trajectory of her life. This captivating story grabbed my attention and held on the whole book. I loved Sloan’s story and can totally see more books as she begins her forensic medical examination career specializing in genealogy. Vivienne Leheny did an excellent job narrating. Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for this audio advanced reader copy.

LONG TIME GONE by Charlie Donlea

Once again, Vivienne Leheny has nailed it. Her narration is spot on.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the audiobook
of this thriller; exploring the science of forensic genealogy.

An addictive read/listen told in dual timelines and moves along at a good pace. The tension builds rapidly in this story of a missing baby from decades ago named, Charlotte. DNA results from a research project that Sloan Hastings submitted, comes back that she is the missing baby Charlotte. And so begins this tangled web of long ago secrets, lies, murder and corruption.

I really enjoy Charlie Donlea’s writing skills and he knows how to weave a thrilling tale of mystery and suspense.

There is a bit of a quirky twist near the end that I chuckled at and thought——no way, but it didn’t change my rating of the book.

Wow wow wow! A unique and twisty thriller that had me zooming through the pages to see how it all would end. I absolutely loved the genealogy tie in that upturned and entire cold case and it just brought such a fun element to the story. Donlea wove such an intricate timeline between the past and present to an explosive conclusion. This was my first book from him, and will most definitely not be my last! The narration on the audio was also phenomenally done.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for my ALC in exchange for my honest feedback! An easy 5 stars for this one!

"Long Time Gone" by Charlie Donlea is a gripping thriller that delves into the world of forensic genealogy to unravel a decades-old mystery.

Here we will meet Dr. Sloan Hastings, a forensic scientist who, upon submitting her DNA to an online genealogy site, discovers a shocking connection to the infamous disappearance of Baby Charlotte nearly thirty years ago. As Sloan embarks on a quest for answers, she’s drawn into a web of family secrets, power struggles, and unresolved crimes in the small town of Cedar Creek, Nevada.

Donlea masterfully weaves a tale that moves between the past and present, keeping me planted on the edge of my seat. The tension is ever present as Sloan uncovers layers of deceit within the influential Margolis family, whose reach extends deep into the town’s fabric. The author’s attention to detail and deep knowledge of forensic science adds to the plot and makes for a compelling read that not only entertains but also educates.

The characters are well-developed, with Sloan Hastings standing out as a strong protagonist determined to uncover the truth of her past. Her partnership with Sheriff Eric Stamos adds depth to the investigation, as they both have personal stakes in solving the mystery. The Margolis family is portrayed with complexity, each member revealing different facets that contribute to the evolving story.

Donlea balances the technical aspects of forensic genealogy with human drama, creating a psychological thriller that resonates with authenticity and suspense. Fans of the genre will appreciate the intricate plot, while new readers (like myself) will find it an accessible and thrilling introduction to Donlea’s work.

Also, the narration by Vivienne Leheny was outstanding. Her inflection, tone, and character voices definitely enhanced my listening experience.

“Long Time Gone” is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a well-crafted mystery that challenges the mind and tugs at the heartstrings. It’s a story of identity, belonging, and the lengths one will go to uncover the truth. The relentless pace kept me engaged and allowed for this novel to be a standout as I start my Summer reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to listen and review this book. "Long Time Gone" releases on 5/21/2024.

I really enjoyed this audiobook! The story was interesting and didn't seem cheesy or conveniently written to set up some generic twist. I was pulled in to the story from page one and didn't feel like there was a boring period of character and story development.

The audio was great. I think the narrator did an amazing job and at times I even forgot she was impersonating a male voice. For a single narrator she did a great job at making me forget it was a single narrator. The chapters were short and flowed well. The transitions between chapters sometimes felt a bit choppy but the narrator made it feel very fluid. I was impressed by her intonation and inflection during the tense parts of the story. Overall, I really enjoyed the audio and would highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Charlie Donlea’s newest thriller, Long Time Gone. The narrator of this audiobook kept me captivated by this riveting story from beginning to end.

As Sloan Hastings embarks on her career in forensic science, she is persuaded to submit her DNA for genealogy testing. When she discovers that she is connected to a family that was connected to many unsolved crimes and disappearances, Sloan is thrust into an investigation into the past that takes her on a wild and often dangerous ride.

This is another compulsively readable winner by Donlea.

Wow! I could not stop listening to this! I really enjoyed Twenty Years Later by this author so I was excited to dive in. This story was told in dual timelines from 1995 and present day. It involves a forensic psychologist fellow, a missing couple and their baby, murder and plenty of investigating the past. I liked how old school photography helped to piece the puzzle together. The mystery throughout was excellent and I don’t want to spoil too much but the ending was a surprise to me!

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Charlie Donlea, & RB Media for the chance to read this awesome book!

I really enjoyed the genealogy portions of this book. I personally think I would have enjoyed the physical copy more as there was quite a few characters.

Thank you NetGalley, RB Media and Charlie Donlea for an advanced listener's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Long Time Gone is my first novel by Charlie Donlea and it was a first-class experience. The mystery is multi-layered and nuanced, as new and old connections 1re created throughout the book. I am very impressed with how seemingly unimportant people and details are discovered to be key aspects of the mystery. This book is chock full of people and connections, so I had to go back often to make sure I didn't miss anything. I love the subplots and how they all connect imthroughout and in the end. This author is a genius, really, to come up with such a complicated, but believable thriller. Thank you Kensington Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I can't wait to devour more by the author!

Another great book by Charlie Donlea! I was hooked right from the beginning and just kept wanting more. I wanted to know what was going on. At times I thought I had it figured out...then I was like wait maybe no it was someone else...then someone else. Yes, one of my many ideas ended up being right BUT throughout the book I bounced from who I thought it was to different people. I also loved how he incorporated characters from previous books but not so much that you needed to read those books. HIs books intertwine but you only know if you have read the other books and it doesn't ruin it if you haven't. I can't wait to see what else he comes up with in his next books!

Long Time Gone — ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Charlie Donlea and Vivienne Leheny are my favorite duo. You just don’t get better than them! Donlea’s writing paired with Leheny’s narrating makes for riveting story telling that keeps you on the edge of your seat. This story was no different — I couldn’t stop listening and thought about this book constantly when it wasn’t playing. Donlea is a master at writing multi-layered mysteries that come together in shocking twists and turns.

Long Time Gone follows Dr. Sloan Hastings, a pathology fellow studying under Dr. Livia Cutty (Twenty Years Later fans, there’s multiple little references in this!). Following a DNA test, Sloan realizes that she is actually a missing child who vanished 30 years prior from a small city in Nevada. Sloan travels to Nevada to discover what really happened to her and her birth parents three decades earlier and uncovers chilling family secrets.

This book will capture your attention and hold you until the very end!

This book was so well written.

Sloan knew she was adopted, but when she takes a DNA test for a graduate research project, she is shocked to find out that she might be at the center of a thirty-year-old missing person's case. In 1995, Annabelle and Preston of the prominent Margolis family went missing along with their infant daughter, Charlotte.

I was immediately hooked and drawn into the story involving a cold case. The book follows Sloan as an adult, as she travels to meet the Margolis family in the hopes of finding out what happened to her birth parents. The past is also covered in a timeline leading up to the disappearance of the Margolis family members

Donlea has a way of writing mysteries that makes it very easy to follow along. This is not my first book by him, and the writing feels comfortable and familiar once you have read a few. As the story progresses, you always have an inkling or an idea of what is going on. You have a general idea of what the answer is going to be but can never quite put your finger on it. The ending was laid out incredibly well throughout the book, and culminated in a final startling reveal.

I would recommend this book to all mystery and thriller lovers, especially if you are just getting into the genre.

Charlie Donlea uses the current trend of genetic research as the basis for his latest thriller, Long Time Gone. Dr. Sloan Hastings is in training to be a forensic pathologist. When her research project calls for forensic DNA tracking, she submits her own to a geneology research group to learn more about the process. What comes back startles her. She’s always known she was adopted. But the DNA proves she’s Charlotte Margolis, a baby who went missing along with her parents when she was only two months old. The Margolis family are powerful people in Cedar Creek, Nevada. And not everyone seems happy for “Charlotte” to reappear.
While the plot sometimes felt a little clunky and had some gaps in logic, I will admit to being thoroughly entertained through the first 80% of the book. But then, it went so far OTT I was literally rolling my eyes. It went from being an almost four stars to barely a three. I can’t believe his editor didn’t call him out on how outrageous the one main plot point was. Or maybe they expect readers to be too young to see the incongruity.
I found Vivienne Leheny to be a strong narrator.
My thanks to Netgalley and RB Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook.

My audiobook failed to finish playing after Chapter 40. I also had an ebook copy, so I was luckily able to finish the book.

This is my favorite Charlie Donlea novel to date. The mystery surrounding this missing family was consuming me! Some of my theories were right, but many of them weren't. This was more of a medium pace for me. I highly recommend you read this.

True crime meets suspense with a twist meet family drama.

I really enjoyed this audio book, I devoured it within 1 day.

Sloan Hastings is studying to be a forensic pathologist which requires her to do a fellowship specializing in genealogy. She has to submit her DNA to a database as part of her research, and comes to find out a big secret from her biological family’s past!

I was hooked from start to finish. Lots of twists and turns.

Thank you NetGalley, Charlie Donlea for the ARC of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

I liked it a lot! It was a really interesting story, I wish the Forensic Genealogy part was kind of a theme through the whole book, not just the beginning and end. But I enjoyed it! And the narrator is great!