Review: Long Time Gone - Charlie Donlea





book cover for Long Time Gone

Review: Long Time Gone - Charlie Donlea - May 2024

Sometimes the best hooks come from the most unexpected places. I'll admit, I wasn't planning to dive straight into another Charlie Donlea novel, but after finishing Those Empty Eyes, I found myself face-to-face with the opening chapters of Long Time Gone tucked right there at the end. Two chapters in, and I was completely hooked—there's something about Charlie Donlea's ability to weave DNA mysteries with missing persons cases that just hits all my reading sweet spots.

Long Time Gone follows Dr. Sloane Hastings, a forensic pathology student working under one of the world's best. As part of her thesis on DNA and crime solving, Sloane decides to submit her own genetic material—partly for research, partly out of curiosity about her adoption. What she discovers turns her world completely upside down. Sloane wasn't just adopted; she was stolen. And the day before her "adoption," her entire biological family vanished without a trace, leaving behind a thirty-year-old cold case that has stumped everyone.

What I love about this setup is how personal it becomes. Sloane can't remember anything from when she was just two months old, but returning to her hometown reveals that her birth family, the Margolises, were the wealthy power brokers who essentially ran the place. This isn't just any missing persons case—it's one that involves serious money and influence, the kind that makes people nervous.

Enter Eric Stamos, the local sheriff whose own father died during the original investigation thirty years ago. Eric's convinced his father got too close to the truth before his death was conveniently ruled an overdose and drowning. The partnership between Sloane and Eric feels authentic and necessary—they're both personally invested in uncovering what really happened that July 4th weekend.

Charlie Donlea excels at creating that small-town atmosphere where everyone knows everyone, but secrets run deep. The Margolis family's remaining members clearly know more than they're letting on, and watching Sloane navigate these family dynamics while trying to piece together her own identity adds an extra layer of emotional complexity to the mystery.

This was my third Charlie Donlea novel, and I'm consistently impressed by how he balances the technical aspects of forensic investigation with genuinely compelling character development. The DNA angle feels fresh and current, especially given how genetic genealogy has revolutionized cold case investigations in recent years.

While the pacing occasionally slows in the middle sections, the payoff is worth it. Long Time Gone delivers on both the mystery and emotional fronts, giving readers a satisfying resolution to a complex family tragedy that's been decades in the making.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4l49Heb








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