crime-thriller, multiple-perspectives, psychological, suspense, mysteries, secrets, families, family-dynamics, family-history, unputdownable, DNA, dishonest-business-practices, dishonest-people, entanglements, multiple-timeline*****

Terrible book to stick my nose into because I just couldn't get it unstuck until the wee hours!
The publisher's blurb is well done and I'd be afraid to do a spoiler if I tried to add anything to it.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you ( )

This is the first book by this author I have ever read. I love discovering new authors and this one is definitely one I won’t forget. I enjoyed how this story unfolded.

Sloan is a forensic trainee and her project for the year is genetic information that has solved cold cases. To better understand her project, Sloan submits her DNA to an ancestry website. Sloan knew she was adopted but she had no idea she was stolen!

When Sloan discovers her history she immediately reaches out to her adoptive parents and then she has to get the FBI involved. This leads to her finding her birth family. And boy…they are a piece of work!

This is a tale full of family secrets, family drama and pure lies!

The narrator, Vivienne Leheny, did a fabulous job. I will be on the lookout for her!

Need a good story which may have you questioning your DNA…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review. ( )

Recently accepted into a prestigious fellowship program in forensic pathology, twenty-nine-year-old Dr. Sloan Hastings is assigned the topic of forensic genealogy as her research project. To enhance her knowledge and gain a better understanding of the field, she submits her DNA to a genealogy website. She has always known she was adopted but little did she know that the results of her DNA analysis would result in a shocking revelation about her real identity – a revelation that connects her to the mysterious disappearance of three members of an influential family in Cedar Creek, Nevada in 1995 - a young couple and their two-month-old daughter, Charlotte.

As Sloan embarks on a quest to find out more about the cold case, her biological family and the mysterious circumstances surrounding her adoption, she travels to Cedar Creek where she meets members of her biological family who are overwhelmed to be reunited with “Charlotte” after all these years. She finds an ally in the local Sheriff who has a personal interest in the cold case but finding out what happened to her biological parents after all these years won’t be easy and whatever information she does gather leaves her with more questions than answers. Complicating matters further is the media frenzy brought on by “Charlotte” being found and the fact that there are people who would resort to any means to prevent Sloan from discovering the truth.

The narrative is presented in dual timelines – the present day where we follow Sloan as she pursues her search for the truth and 1995, wherein the events that led to the disappearance of Charlotte and her parents are slowly revealed.

Charlie Donlea’s Long Time Gone is UNPUTDOWNABLE! It’s been a while since I found a thriller that kept me glued to the pages and I couldn’t be more pleased. With an intriguing premise with a solid mystery at its core, interesting characters and dual timelines that are equally absorbing and seamlessly woven into a fast-paced, suspenseful narrative – this book checks all the boxes!

I paired my reading with the audiobook narrated by Vivienne Leheny, which made for a riveting immersion reading experience. I finished this one in a single day!

This is my third time reading Charlie Donlea and I can’t wait to explore his backlist while I wait for his next book!

Many thanks to Kensington Books for the digital review copy and RB Media for the ALC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. ( )

Absorbing mystery thriller dealing with a young woman’s search to uncover her past.

Sloan Hastings, a 29-year-old forensic pathology fellow on the way to becoming a medical examiner, was adopted when she was 4 months old. Raised by her wonderful dentist parents, she’s a bit loath to submit a DNA sample to a genealogy site despite her research assignment. When the results come back, she’s shocked to discover that she is Baby Charlotte Margolis. Apparently, she and her birth parents had disappeared almost 30 years prior, but she somehow ended up with a private adoption agency. The family disappearance has been a cold case now for years after the powerful Margolis family closed ranks when no answers were found and the sheriff who was investigating was found dead. Now Sloan/Charlotte wants to know what happened to her birth parents and decides to travel to the Margolis family home in Nevada. She’s welcomed by the family but her questions just lead to further intrigue. She isn’t sure who can be trusted but can’t let it go.

This was entertaining with a good plot even though it was a bit predictable and most will be able to discern the good guys from the baddies. There were some coincidences and convenient happenings that will require suspension of disbelief, but overall it was an easy read. A few things that bothered me (the whole camera and picture thing for one) but I am not going to belabor that and the boring CrossFit details.

I was able to listen to the audiobook and follow along with the ARC e-book as both were provided by the publishers. The narrator did a good job with all the voices though often I have found that all the males sound alike. She also had to do a few accents that helped to differentiate the characters. ( )

Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea is a very highly recommended, fast-paced, engaging thriller that expertly switches between events from the past and the present. Genealogy and DNA play a major part in setting up the complex, high-speed plot.

Sloan Hastings is starting a two year fellowship in forensic pathology under the renowned Dr. Livia Cutty and her research assignment is to look in-depth into the emerging field of forensic genealogy. Her first step in understanding the field is to submit her DNA to an online genealogy site. Sloan has always known she was adopted, so when her DNA ties her to a cold case, she is shocked. Apparently Sloan was Charlotte Margolis. As a baby she and her affluent parents, Preston and Annabelle Margolis, mysteriously vanished in July 1995, nearly 30 years ago.

Sloan and her parents immediately contact law enforcement and work with them. Nora Davies Margolis, who’s active on genealogical sites, contacts Sloan, eager to meet her. Cedar Creek Sheriff Eric Stamos, whose father, Sheriff Sanford (Sandy) Stamos was killed while investigating the case, contacts her and asks Sloan to go undercover when she meets the all-powerful Margolis family. Sloan is suddenly part of a 30-year-old cold case as she travels to where it began, Cedar Creek, Nevada, located north of Lake Tahoe.

The intricate narrative moves at a lightning-fast pace, switching between chapters telling events from the past and current occurrences in the present. The setting is primarily in the fictional small town of Cedar Creek where the Margolis family controls almost everything. There are a few of the plot points that I found implausible but it is easy to accept them as they serve the job to propel the narrative forward, and you will want the action to keep moving quickly as there is so much going on in both timelines.

Sloan is portrayed as a fully realized, believable character and you will like her. She does have questions as she is working with Eric, but she is also meeting her biological relatives under very unique circumstances. Being suddenly part of a cold case also puts her in the site of the media and cold-case enthusiasts.

The suspense, tension, and action all gallop along as the hidden corruption, power, and lies become suspect. Long Time Gone is an immersive, un-put-downable thriller. Thanks to Kensington for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion. 4.5 rounded up
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2024/05/long-time-gone.html ( )