LONG TIME GONE

Release Date : 2024-05-21

Duration : 9 Hours 19 Mins

Publisher : Recorded Books

SYNOPSIS

This is the eighth novel by Charlie Donlea, an international bestselling author of propulsive, female-driven thrillers including The Girl Who Was Taken, Don’t Believe It, Twenty Years Later, and Those Empty Eyes. Charlie, a late bloomer, was twenty years old when he read his first novel and knew he would someday write thrillers.

Dr. Sloan Hastings is embarking on a fellowship in forensic pathology, training under the renowned Dr. Livia Cutty. When it is suggested that she submit her DNA to an online ancestry site to expand her understanding of genealogy, she is hesitant, as she was adopted and isn’t sure she wants to know more about her birth parents. When she discusses the issue further with her adoptive parents and they are supportive of her going ahead with the DNA test, she agrees. The results of her test are shocking. Sloan’s DNA profile suggests her true identity is that of Charlotte Margolis, an infant who captured the nation’s attention when she mysteriously disappeared, along with her parents, in July of 1995. Despite an exhaustive search, the family was never seen again, and no suspects were named in the case. Sloan also discovers that she originally hails from the small town of Cedar Creek, Nevada, the site of her disappearance.

When a stranger seems to be trailing her in her car and then shows up at her doorstep, she becomes terrified. The stranger turns out to be Sheriff Eric Stamos, a sheriff in Harrison County, where she disappeared. The Margolis family’s influence permeates every corner of the county, and Eric is convinced that in learning the truth about her past, Sloan can also help discover what happened to Eric’s father, who died under suspicious circumstances soon after he started investigating her disappearance. Next, Sloan makes contact with her genetic relatives and travels to Cedar Creek to meet them. After a short time there, she is informed that the media has gotten wind of the story and is hot on her heels. When a mysterious woman confronts her, claiming to have been the one to have given her up for adoption, Sloan immediately calls Eric to get involved. As the media frenzy begins, Sloan is ushered away to a safe location, but she doesn’t realize she’s in more danger than she ever imagined!

REVIEW

This is a fast-paced, very original, and interesting book. The book deals with the topics of ancestry DNA and forensic genealogy, and the audience is given many fascinating facts about these subjects in order to move the story forward. As soon as Sloan receives her DNA test results with the shocking news of her real identity, the story quickly takes off, and a whole new set of characters are introduced.

Sloan herself is a very well-developed character and shows a lot of introspectiveness and emotional intelligence in all her decision-making. There is a very good chemistry between Sloan and Eric, and their relationship could have been further developed to make the story even more captivating. Because the story is so fast-paced, some events are not fully explained, such as how a body is removed so quickly from hotel room 303 without anyone noticing. This book could easily become the first in a series with Sloan Hastings as the protagonist, especially given her projected career path of working on national cases with the FBI!

Narrator Vivienne Leheny does an excellent job narrating this story. She uses her clear and compelling voice to accurately portray a highly intelligent, emotional woman under enormous pressure. Leheny’s delivery is also extremely well paced and full of underlying suspense and tension, especially during the dramatic scenes at the end, always keeping listeners fully engaged.

This book has been very well received so far, and for good reasons: it has a really likeable protagonist, a unique and fascinating storyline, and is suspenseful from start to finish. If you haven’t listened to Donlea’s work before or are looking for a more complex and layered thriller, look no further than this one!