Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea

Years ago, I read The Girl Who Was Taken by Charlie Donlea, and was intrigued by the character Dr. Livia Cutty, who was at that time a fellow in forensic pathology.  I was excited to learn she makes a cameo appearance in Long Time Gone. 

The MC in Long Time Gone is Sloan Hastings, a fellow in forensic pathology under Dr. Livia Cutty, who is now Chief Medical Examiner.   Sloan's research  assignment is the field of forensic genealogy, and her first step is to contact a genealogist, who advises her to submit her own DNA to a site to better understand the process.  

A little hesitant because she was adopted and had never been interested in finding out about her birth parents, Sloan submits a sample of her DNA.  The results are shocking.  Her profile indicates that Sloan is actually Charlotte Margolis, a two-month-old infant who went missing in 1995, along with both of her biological parents.  The case made national news, but no trace of Preston, Annabelle, or baby Charlotte was ever found. 

  

Sloan and her adoptive parents are confused, to say the least.  They contact the police and the FBI gets involved.  Then Sloan gets a message from the genealogy website from Nora Margolis, who has seen the Sloan's DNA profile and wonders if Sloan could possibly be Charlotte Margolis, missing for nearly 30 years.

The story alternates between 1995 and the present,  and eager to know more about what happened to her biological parents, Sloan, encouraged by Sheriff Eric Stamos, goes to Cedar Creek, Nevada, to try to figure out the events that led to the disappearance of her biological parents and her adoption.

The little town of Cedar Creek, Nevada holds secrets that someone does not want revealed.  Sloan meets the Margolis family--her grandparents Reid and Tilly, her uncle Ellis and his wife Norah, and other assorted family members.  She also meets with Eric Stamos who has his own concerns about what happened in 1995, as his father was investigating an incident involving a hit and run and Annabelle's car before he died.  The two of them attempt to figure out the chain of events that led to the disappearance of Preston, Annabelle, and little Charlotte.

I was thoroughly invested throughout, although the conclusion felt rushed and was a bit over the top.  Nevertheless, Long Time Gone is an entertaining mystery, and I wouldn't mind hearing more from Sloan or Dr. Livia Cutty.  So many possible plots involving forensic pathology! 

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley

Publication date:  May 21, 2024

352 pages

The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig

 I first saw The Whistling Season on Jane's blog and ordered it at once.

Jane's review appealed to the same things I look for in literary fiction, and from the beginning, the Milliron family captivated me. Doig's writing inspires memories of a childhood before cell phones and the internet for those of you who remember that more innocent time.  

Even if we never experienced riding horses to a one-room school house, the visuals of the Milliron boys and others riding to school feel as palpable as if we are experiencing it ourselves.  The humor and empathy which Doig employs provides a remarkable feeling of intimacy with the characters and setting in 1909 Montana.

Falling in love with the father and his three sons Paul, Damon, and Toby happens quickly--the family dynamic is comforting and amusing despite the loss of the mother a year previously. When Mr. Milliron sees an advertisement for a maid, he stuns the boys with his decision to pay her train fare to Montana (Rose is a proficient negotiator).  When Rose arrives, she gets the house into shape with hard work, but the Milliron's dream for a cook is unsatisfied.  Rose warned them, and their hopes to  persuade her to take up the skillet fail. 

Morrie Morgan is another important character who influences the Milliron family. Having accompanied Rose to Montana, Morrie seems to have no apparent skills needed by homesteaders.  Eventually, when the current teacher elopes and leaves the school teacherless, Morrie finds himself thrust into a situation he had not expected.  Although scholarly, he has no experience teaching children.  As it turns out, Morrie is a brilliant, if eccentric teacher. Despite Paul's initial concerns, Morrie doesn't simply survive, he prospers as if it is the very role he was born to.  

Every time I read the name Rebrab, I cackled to myself.  I loved every minute of The Whistling Season: the backwards horse race Damon devises for Paul and Eddie; Aunt Eunice's snarky comments that annoy everyone but Toby; Eddie's bullying and background, Rose's willingness to clean, but not cook; Paul's cleverness and insight and ongoing battle with "Carnelia" and more.  

I will certainly be looking for more by Ivan Doig.  Highly Recommended.

Read in April.  354 pages.

Fixit by Joe Ide

 

Those who follow Joe Ide's IQ series will look forward to Fixit, but the book does have an end-of-the-road vibe.  

Isaiah Quintabe is suffering from PTSD after several particularly dangerous, violent cases. The fact that his girlfriend Grace has broken up with him doesn't help his ability to heal and recover. 

 Isaiah, known as "IQ" for both his initials and his intelligence, was initially the neighborhood fixer.  Lost cat, someone threatening your mother, problems with a loan shark?  Call IQ.  Yes, he'll take live chickens or a good meal in payment if necessary.  There are, however, also cases that have proven more difficult, dangerous, and violent.

IQ has made enemies along the way, one of which has taken out a $25,000 bounty on Isaiah and the other has kidnapped his estranged girlfriend Grace.  At his lowest point, IQ is dealing with more problems than he can manage.

The first section of the book concentrates on Grace, as she does her best after being kidnapped by Skip Hanson (hitman, lunatic, and a man who loathes IQ) who is determined on revenge.  Interfering at the same time is Manzo, former gang leader who blames IQ for his humiliation.  

An important and interesting element is how Joe Ide can list all of the awful things these villains do--and still create some sympathy for them.

Back to the neighborhood--this is where I think much of the success of the series lies.  Deronda, Juanell Dodson, Cherise, TK, and others lighten the atmosphere and contribute to the community feel of the run down, crime ridden neighborhood.  

What saved Fixit for me?  The diversity of characters, the neighborhood community, and Juanell Dodson.  Not IQ, this time.  I have to wonder if this was the author's intent.  Dodson has grown into his role at the same time IQ seems to have grown out of his.   

Is this the last of the series?  I don't know, but while Fixit was not as good as the first novels, I enjoyed reuniting with the characters that have given a such a strong backdrop to IQ's various adventures.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mulholland Books.

Publication date:  May 9, 2024.