Thirty years ago, a prominent young couple and their infant daughter disappeared. Just before the vanishing, a man associated with the family dies under mysterious circumstances. During the investigation of both cases, the Chief of Police investigating those cases dies supposedly by suicide. Now, thirty years later, Baby Charlotte, as she was known, has surfaced. How and why now? Dr. Sloan Hastings always knew she was adopted and had never considered looking for her birth parents. Now enrolled in a fellowship for forensic pathology, she decided to submit her DNA to a genealogy site as part of her research assignment. Results indicated she was indeed "Baby Charlotte". She needed answers as to how she became adopted and about what happened to her parents. She was not the only one looking for answers. She had survived once before. Can she do it again?
LONG TIME GONE, by Charlie Donlea, has a unique plot. Skillfully told, it is packed with vivid details that bring the narrative and the characters to life. As Sloan placed herself amongst her birth family, tensions rose. Someone knows what happened thirty years ago and has managed to keep it secret. With the news media bringing the cold case back into the forefront, it becomes imperative to keep that long-held secret a secret. So much so that it becomes a matter of life and death. LONG TIME GONE is well-paced from start to finish. For those who enjoy an engrossing psychological thriller, LONG TIME GONE is the book to read. Highly recommended.
When DNA results reveal a disturbing connection to the mysterious disappearance of a famous baby nearly three decades ago, a forensic scientist is plunged into a dangerous search for answers in this engrossing, propulsive new novel from the internationally bestselling author of Twenty Years Later.
For fans of Alice Feeney, Karin Slaughter, Riley Sager, and Megan Goldin.
Thirty years ago, Baby Charlotte vanished. Today, she’s still in danger.
When Dr. Sloan Hastings submits her DNA to an online genealogy site for a research assignment, her goal is to better understand the treasure-trove of genetic information contained on ancestry websites. Brilliant and driven, Sloan is embarking on a fellowship in forensic pathology, training under the renowned Dr. Livia Cutty.
Sloan has one reservation about involving herself in the experiment: she’s adopted. Grateful for a loving home, she’s never considered tracking down her biological parents. The results of her search are shocking. Sloan’s DNA profile suggests her true identity is that of Charlotte Margolis, aka “Baby Charlotte”, who captured the nation’s attention when she mysteriously disappeared, along with her parents, in July 1995. Despite an exhaustive search, the family was never seen again, and no suspects were named in the case.
Sloan’s discovery leads her to the small town of Cedar Creek, Nevada, the site of her disappearance. It also leads her to Sheriff Eric Stamos. The Margolis family’s influence and power permeate every corner of Harrison 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 the case of her disappearance.
Slowly, over the course of a stifling summer, Sloan begins getting to know her relatives. Though initially welcoming, the Margolis family is also mysterious and tight-lipped. Not everyone seems happy about Sloan’s return, or the questions she’s asking. And the more she and Eric learn, the more apparent it becomes that the answers they both seek are buried in a graveyard of Margolis family secrets that some will do anything to keep hidden—no matter who else has to die…
© 2003-2026