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Gone
A SUSPENSE THRILLER WITH AN ALMIGHTY TWIST IN THE TALE.
How can an entire family disappear into thin air?
An empty house on the edge of a small town . . . a teddy bear abandoned . . . a half drunk glass of wine . . . the TV left on and all the computer equipment missing. Where have Hutchinson Kemp and his wife and two children gone?
Detective Rondeau doesn't think they left by choice. However he is on the verge of cracking up as he pursues the trail of the film-maker and his family who have disappeared without a trace. Rondeau discovers disturbing evidence that big money and government might have something to do with the chilling crime, but no one seems to believe him anymore. Ignoring his sceptical police colleagues, he puts his life at risk as he races to find the family in this twisting-turning crime thriller. Are the family even still alive, and what are their abductors trying to hide?
How can an entire family disappear into thin air?
An empty house on the edge of a small town . . . a teddy bear abandoned . . . a half drunk glass of wine . . . the TV left on and all the computer equipment missing. Where have Hutchinson Kemp and his wife and two children gone?
Detective Rondeau doesn't think they left by choice. However he is on the verge of cracking up as he pursues the trail of the film-maker and his family who have disappeared without a trace. Rondeau discovers disturbing evidence that big money and government might have something to do with the chilling crime, but no one seems to believe him anymore. Ignoring his sceptical police colleagues, he puts his life at risk as he races to find the family in this twisting-turning crime thriller. Are the family even still alive, and what are their abductors trying to hide?
281 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 8, 2016
739 people are currently reading
691 people want to read
About the author
T.J. Brearton
46 books387 followersTimothy James Brearton lives in the Adirondack Mountains with his wife and three children. He's loved thrillers and police stories for most of his life. HABIT follows broken cop Brendan Healy down the rabbit hole of a human trafficking conspiracy. DEAD GONE delivers Florida cop Tom Lange into a criminal underworld and THE KILLING TIME introduces FBI agent Shannon Ames, a country girl in the big city.
http://tjbrearton.net/about
http://tjbrearton.net/about
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
September 26, 2023
EXCERPT: The brown house sat back from the road on the edge of town, a single-story home with a full basement. The garage door was open, a red tricycle inside. An empty coffee mug sat on the deck. Orange leaves stirred in the breeze. As the October sun sank in the west, the house grew dark. No one turned on a light.
ABOUT 'GONE': How can an entire family disappear into thin air?
An empty house on the edge of a small town . . . a teddy bear abandoned . . . a half drunk glass of wine . . . the TV left on and all the computer equipment missing. Where have Hutchinson Kemp and his wife and two children gone?
Detective Rondeau doesn't think they left by choice. However he is on the verge of cracking up as he pursues the trail of the film-maker and his family who have disappeared without a trace. Rondeau discovers disturbing evidence that big money and government might have something to do with the chilling crime, but no one seems to believe him anymore. Ignoring his sceptical police colleagues, he puts his life at risk as he races to find the family in this twisting-turning crime thriller. Are the family even still alive, and what are their abductors trying to hide?
MY THOUGHTS: I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. I love a good conspiracy theory, and there's a few featured in Gone. The ending was a total surprise. I just loved that twist! I certainly didn't get what I was expecting - instead I got a far more interesting outcome.
The plot isn't always easy to follow - there's a lot going on both in the investigation and in Rondeau's own life. The plot encompasses conspiracy theories, mental illness, police corruption, abduction, and the power that large corporations are able to exert on the economy and politics.
Overall this is a fast-paced action thriller with a surprise ending. There were a few things that weren't fully resolved at the end but, that's life. There are some excellent supporting characters. And I love that cover - very atmospheric!
⭐⭐⭐.7
#Gone #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: Timothy James Brearton lives in the Adirondack Mountains with his wife and three children. He's loved thrillers and police stories for most of his life.
DISCLOSURE: Thanks to Joffe Books via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Gone by T.J. Brearton for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own personal opinions.
ABOUT 'GONE': How can an entire family disappear into thin air?
An empty house on the edge of a small town . . . a teddy bear abandoned . . . a half drunk glass of wine . . . the TV left on and all the computer equipment missing. Where have Hutchinson Kemp and his wife and two children gone?
Detective Rondeau doesn't think they left by choice. However he is on the verge of cracking up as he pursues the trail of the film-maker and his family who have disappeared without a trace. Rondeau discovers disturbing evidence that big money and government might have something to do with the chilling crime, but no one seems to believe him anymore. Ignoring his sceptical police colleagues, he puts his life at risk as he races to find the family in this twisting-turning crime thriller. Are the family even still alive, and what are their abductors trying to hide?
MY THOUGHTS: I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. I love a good conspiracy theory, and there's a few featured in Gone. The ending was a total surprise. I just loved that twist! I certainly didn't get what I was expecting - instead I got a far more interesting outcome.
The plot isn't always easy to follow - there's a lot going on both in the investigation and in Rondeau's own life. The plot encompasses conspiracy theories, mental illness, police corruption, abduction, and the power that large corporations are able to exert on the economy and politics.
Overall this is a fast-paced action thriller with a surprise ending. There were a few things that weren't fully resolved at the end but, that's life. There are some excellent supporting characters. And I love that cover - very atmospheric!
⭐⭐⭐.7
#Gone #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: Timothy James Brearton lives in the Adirondack Mountains with his wife and three children. He's loved thrillers and police stories for most of his life.
DISCLOSURE: Thanks to Joffe Books via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Gone by T.J. Brearton for review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own personal opinions.
March 9, 2020
Excellent!
You won’t see the ending coming. Also a great start with a whole family going missing from their house, food on the table, etc. What happened to them, that is the question.
Highlights:
-Takes place in upstate NY
-Big city detective with a past hired for a small local police force.
-Involved are the FBI, CIA, local cops, and the mob.
-Conspiracy theories with the government involved run rampant, and it looks like some of them may be real.
-There are shootouts, kidnappings, abandoned mines, hazardous waste, and investigative reporters.
-Also, have some drones involved.
The book is good with the build-up, then it is very fast paced and action filled until the end.
Good book! Try it! You might like it!
Mike Slavin
Author of award-winning thriller Kill Crime
You won’t see the ending coming. Also a great start with a whole family going missing from their house, food on the table, etc. What happened to them, that is the question.
Highlights:
-Takes place in upstate NY
-Big city detective with a past hired for a small local police force.
-Involved are the FBI, CIA, local cops, and the mob.
-Conspiracy theories with the government involved run rampant, and it looks like some of them may be real.
-There are shootouts, kidnappings, abandoned mines, hazardous waste, and investigative reporters.
-Also, have some drones involved.
The book is good with the build-up, then it is very fast paced and action filled until the end.
Good book! Try it! You might like it!
Mike Slavin
Author of award-winning thriller Kill Crime
June 3, 2016
This book is hyped as a 'gripping psychological thriller'
It's not! It was a struggle to read and I was glad when it was over!
It's not! It was a struggle to read and I was glad when it was over!
June 19, 2016
Good book.
This throw away society creates a lot of garbage and very dangerous illegal chemicals buried in the dump sites. This book about exposing this and testing of new drugs. Interesting twists, but ending left me with lots of unanswered questions.
This throw away society creates a lot of garbage and very dangerous illegal chemicals buried in the dump sites. This book about exposing this and testing of new drugs. Interesting twists, but ending left me with lots of unanswered questions.
August 9, 2016
A family goes missing without trace. Detective Rondeau thinks that Hutchinson Kemp, his wife and two children left by their own accord. There is evidence that a large sum of money and the Government might have something to do with this crime.Detective Rondeau puts his life at risk trying to find the family in this twist turning crime thriller.
May not appeal to everyone's taste but I quite enjoyed it.
I would like to thank Net Galley, Joffe Books and the author T. J. Brearton for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May not appeal to everyone's taste but I quite enjoyed it.
I would like to thank Net Galley, Joffe Books and the author T. J. Brearton for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2017
I found this book randomly on Netgalley and was instantly intrigued. An entire family goes missing without a trace. I had no clue what I was getting into when I started and there were some points of the book I struggled with. This is a hardcore crime thriller that digs deep underneath the layers of the justice system.
A man who is a documentary film maker has gone missing, along with his entire family. Detective Rondeau is called to the case. Struggling with the loss of his sister, Rondeau has his own inner demons to overcome as well. Along with his colleagues, they delve behind the scenes of the film maker's life. I had a little bit of a hard time following this because it REALLY focuses on a lot all at once. Conspiracy theories, sickness, abduction, mental issues, relationships, etc. However, I kept going and was thrown for several loops at the end! If you like crime thriller with a bit of psychological "wtf" moments (think Shutter Island, V for Vendetta, Minority Report all rolled in one). Then this book is for you.
Side note: A week prior to reading this I had a really scary vivid dream about being in a quarry. Inception....
A man who is a documentary film maker has gone missing, along with his entire family. Detective Rondeau is called to the case. Struggling with the loss of his sister, Rondeau has his own inner demons to overcome as well. Along with his colleagues, they delve behind the scenes of the film maker's life. I had a little bit of a hard time following this because it REALLY focuses on a lot all at once. Conspiracy theories, sickness, abduction, mental issues, relationships, etc. However, I kept going and was thrown for several loops at the end! If you like crime thriller with a bit of psychological "wtf" moments (think Shutter Island, V for Vendetta, Minority Report all rolled in one). Then this book is for you.
Side note: A week prior to reading this I had a really scary vivid dream about being in a quarry. Inception....
August 3, 2016
2.5 stars.
Okay, so I absolutely suck at conspiracy theories. I find some of them quite hard to get my head around which made this book quite tricky to me. I did have to read certain sections more than once just to understand parts but the plot kept me reading on instead of giving up.
The twists in the end, although you saw some of them coming as they were brought into the story earlier, were all really good. Like, really really good.
I really liked the characters as well. Rondeau, Stokes, Addison, Peter and Althea were all fantastic and such a good team.
This would've got a higher rating if I weren't so stupid and understood the theories hahaha
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, so I absolutely suck at conspiracy theories. I find some of them quite hard to get my head around which made this book quite tricky to me. I did have to read certain sections more than once just to understand parts but the plot kept me reading on instead of giving up.
The twists in the end, although you saw some of them coming as they were brought into the story earlier, were all really good. Like, really really good.
I really liked the characters as well. Rondeau, Stokes, Addison, Peter and Althea were all fantastic and such a good team.
This would've got a higher rating if I weren't so stupid and understood the theories hahaha
I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 18, 2017
This book held my attention from beginning to end. I consider it a dark thrilling masterpiece, and I couldn't get enough. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves books packed with suspense. Truly my favorite book so far.
June 19, 2016
Did not like this book at all. To many things left unanswered and the ending seemed very rushed.
November 14, 2016
I'm sorry I can't write a good review about this book. I just couldn't "get into it".
The plot is interesting: a family of 4 suddenly disappears. How can people just vanish?
All I can say is it was not the book for me. There were too many things going on and I'm not one for conspiracy theories.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The plot is interesting: a family of 4 suddenly disappears. How can people just vanish?
All I can say is it was not the book for me. There were too many things going on and I'm not one for conspiracy theories.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 24, 2016
Mystery Reader
I chose a rating of 2 stars because the story did not flow. The characters should've been developed more and better transition from one subject to the next. Also the ending could be a lot stronger than it was. I would not recommend this book unless it's free.
I chose a rating of 2 stars because the story did not flow. The characters should've been developed more and better transition from one subject to the next. Also the ending could be a lot stronger than it was. I would not recommend this book unless it's free.
May 15, 2016
I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. What a twisted and Intense thriller. I devoured this book! Just when I thought I knew the answers, another twist blew me away. Incredible writing and great story. Any thriller fans will love this.
June 10, 2016
Couldn't really get into it.
I think calling this book "gripping" is a bit exaggerating. I was bored by the first couple of chapters. I couldn't connect with any of the characters. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
I think calling this book "gripping" is a bit exaggerating. I was bored by the first couple of chapters. I couldn't connect with any of the characters. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
January 26, 2018
This book was a conspiracy within a conspiracy within a conspiracy! A family goes missing and Detective Rondeau opens an investigation. However things may not be as they seem with him - for one thing he has a crazy paranoid conspiracy theorist brother-in-law who has just shot down a drone making a film. And the missing family - the father was a film-maker. He had recently released a film about the damage the meat industry was doing to the environment and his current film was about bad waste management practices. So there was no shortage of suspects for who the kidnappers could be. But things weren't adding up for Rondeau and soon he found himself trapped in a nightmare, himself being kidnapped. Or was he?? Really good fast paced thriller.
February 5, 2020
Ok
The book takes off pretty good. Then it rambles and the writer gets back on track and winds up with a really good enfin.
The book takes off pretty good. Then it rambles and the writer gets back on track and winds up with a really good enfin.
June 22, 2020
This book had way too many characters, very confused plot - just could not bear it!
I wish I had spent the time reading a different book, now I am wondering if I should consider reading any other books by this author - while the synopsis for this was good, the whole narration was awful!
cringing and giving 1 star!
I wish I had spent the time reading a different book, now I am wondering if I should consider reading any other books by this author - while the synopsis for this was good, the whole narration was awful!
cringing and giving 1 star!
December 11, 2017
I have finally read this book! A book that i kept putting to one side when another book caught my attention. What drew me to wanting to read this book initially, was the thought of a missing family and an abandoned teddy bear. My imagination went into overdrive. Maybe a little too much, as it wasn't what i was expecting. Admittedly there were plenty of twists, but a little too far fetched for my liking.
October 8, 2019
Intriguing storyline
Wow! This box was a wild rollercoaster ride. Keeps you trying to figure out just what was going on. I was a bit disappointed when it all ended. I just wanted more from Rondeaux and Addie. Great read and you won’t be sorry if you read it for yourself.
Wow! This box was a wild rollercoaster ride. Keeps you trying to figure out just what was going on. I was a bit disappointed when it all ended. I just wanted more from Rondeaux and Addie. Great read and you won’t be sorry if you read it for yourself.
January 14, 2020
I genuinely don’t understand the last third of this book. I’m not sure what actually happened or how any of it makes sense. It was very A Beautiful Mind-goes-cop-thriller, but with more writing errors. These people piled into a Jeep, sped up in a Subaru, and then still managed to exit the Jeep. How? Who edited this?
I don’t hate it, it just seemed contrived and confusing. If your aunt who splits one Facebook post into three wrote a book, this would be it.
I don’t hate it, it just seemed contrived and confusing. If your aunt who splits one Facebook post into three wrote a book, this would be it.
May 18, 2016
Gone by T.J. Brearton. A family has gone missing. Things are looking bleak as Detective Rondeau and his team consider the possibilities, including murder/suicide or kidnapping. Or is it a government conspiracy?
Interesting and tense. There were red herrings, but they were as often for Detective Rondeau as well as for the reader.
The father of the missing family is a documentary filmmaker, who had recently finished a documentary about factory farming and was investigating toxic waste disposal when the family disappeared.
The novel mentions that factory farming is worse for the environment than any other single factor. Although I have read similar statements and a few articles before, a little research made me appropriately ill: 11 Facts about Factory Farming, Factory Farming and the Environment, Factory Farming and Human Health, and there is plenty more about these topics out there--including the "humane" treatment of animals. (links are on A Garden Carried in the Pocket)
Anyway--Brearton has a tense novel (although the conclusion was a bit too psychological), but what I mainly took away was more what occurs in the real world, and it isn't pretty. Fiction can make the government's role in allowing these abuses more offensive than simply reading articles by environmentalists.
NetGalley/Joffe Books
Mystery/Suspense. May 2016. Print length: 212 pages.
Interesting and tense. There were red herrings, but they were as often for Detective Rondeau as well as for the reader.
The father of the missing family is a documentary filmmaker, who had recently finished a documentary about factory farming and was investigating toxic waste disposal when the family disappeared.
The novel mentions that factory farming is worse for the environment than any other single factor. Although I have read similar statements and a few articles before, a little research made me appropriately ill: 11 Facts about Factory Farming, Factory Farming and the Environment, Factory Farming and Human Health, and there is plenty more about these topics out there--including the "humane" treatment of animals. (links are on A Garden Carried in the Pocket)
Anyway--Brearton has a tense novel (although the conclusion was a bit too psychological), but what I mainly took away was more what occurs in the real world, and it isn't pretty. Fiction can make the government's role in allowing these abuses more offensive than simply reading articles by environmentalists.
NetGalley/Joffe Books
Mystery/Suspense. May 2016. Print length: 212 pages.
March 4, 2019
I didn’t like this book much. The idea of a missing family leaving no trace was enticing, and that pulled me in, but the story was riddled with conspiracy theories and government coverup theories. Nothing was particularly gripping or suspenseful. A slow start led to a plodding middle. Police work can be dull, so I read on. About halfway through, the action started to ramp up, but was quickly doused by more conspiracies and coverups. The ending seemed contrived and rushed. Not believable. Too many characters with little or no development. This author did so much better with “Buried Secrets”. I was disappointed and eventually glad to be finished with the book.
July 15, 2016
I don't get all the great reviews for this. It IS a good story idea and there ARE interesting characters. The first two-thirds of the book were pretty good, but the last third--one conspiracy theory topped with another and then the whole 'there is no Millard' thing...ugh, just ugh. I think I finished it because I wanted to see how it ended. The fact that I cared more about Pete and Althea being OK than anything else tells me just how bad this was. This is the first book I've read by this author, and I don't plan to attempt any others.
August 23, 2016
The story is about a detective investigating the disappearance of a whole family. Struggling with a dark past, his judgment is compromised, affecting the case. Government conspiracies are woven through and around the plot. There was some resolution at the end, but still a number of open issues that readers would have to put conclusions themselves.
I am giving this an average rating as it did not get me so much into the story. I don't think it's the genre. In my opinion, it lacked a certain pull.
I am giving this an average rating as it did not get me so much into the story. I don't think it's the genre. In my opinion, it lacked a certain pull.
July 22, 2016
Unfortunately this book was just not for me. A family goes missing and Detective Rondeau is the lead detective in finding them. I found this book to have too many holes. There were two or three main conflicts happening and they just sort of ended. I was left with a lot of question do. As a reader it was hard to follow when you kept going down one rabbit hole and then finding out if wasn't true, but then later finding out it might have been.
May 13, 2018
Not gripping or suspenseful
The story was not well developed and failed to spark imagination of any kind. I had started the book with much anticipation, hoping to find some gripping twists and turns, but what did happen was not well developed and what could have been suspenseful fell flat. Characters were not well developed either and it was hard to connect with them.
The story was not well developed and failed to spark imagination of any kind. I had started the book with much anticipation, hoping to find some gripping twists and turns, but what did happen was not well developed and what could have been suspenseful fell flat. Characters were not well developed either and it was hard to connect with them.
May 12, 2016
ell written quick read with some interesting characters (I liked the interplay between the various officers) but the twists near the end diminished some of it for me. I think Brearton went a tad overboard on the conspiracies. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.
May 27, 2016
Unexpected
This is one of those books that definitely keep you guessing until the very end. Sometimes when we start a book we can guess or predict what is going to happen. I can honestly say I never would have guessed this ending.
This is one of those books that definitely keep you guessing until the very end. Sometimes when we start a book we can guess or predict what is going to happen. I can honestly say I never would have guessed this ending.
September 30, 2020
High-speed action, with some real twists.
An enjoyable thriller, with enough unexpected turns to keep the reader on toes! Involved conspiracy theories but somehow they ring true (almost). Well worth
a read if you enjoy thrillers.
An enjoyable thriller, with enough unexpected turns to keep the reader on toes! Involved conspiracy theories but somehow they ring true (almost). Well worth
a read if you enjoy thrillers.
August 10, 2022
Incredible!
I truly wanted to write a great review for this amazing book. I just couldn't. I'm not a writer but have read literally millions of books. This one goes on my list as one of the best. Enjoy!!!
I truly wanted to write a great review for this amazing book. I just couldn't. I'm not a writer but have read literally millions of books. This one goes on my list as one of the best. Enjoy!!!
August 2, 2016
I enjoyed this book, a tad bit waffling at times but enjoyed it
Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews