The Long Ago

by Michael McGarrity

In the early 1960s, Ray Lansdale returns from Vietnam to his Montana home to search for his missing sister.

In this gripping story, the broken lives of siblings Raymond and Barbara Lansdale are tenuously held together by their childhood fantasy of The Long Ago: a distant place where happiness and tranquility reign, far removed from the fears and fights at home. To escape his painful memories, Raymond joined the army and found a career that gave him purpose and a sense of adventure. But news of his kid sister Barbara’s sudden disappearance brings him back during a short leave before returning to active duty and another deployment to Vietnam. Embarking on a search that takes him from majestic Montana ranchlands and glittering Hollywood to the mean streets of LA, Ray is forced to confront his worst nightmare. What if Barbara’s search for The Long Ago ended in a shallow, unmarked grave, not the carefree life she’d once imagined? Richly crafted,The Long Ago is a spin-off from McGarrity’s Kevin Kerney family saga.

Genres: Fiction, Westerns, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Thriller

368 pages, Hardcover

First published July 4, 2023

About the author

With the publication of Tularosa in 1996, Michael McGarrity turned to writing full time. Many of his novels have been national best sellers. He holds a BA with distinction in psychology and a master's degree in clinical social work. As an undergraduate, he held a Ford Foundation Scholarship at the University of New Mexico. Additionally, he is an honor graduate of the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy.

His career in criminal justice spanned over twenty-five years and included creating treatment programs for drug offenders, supervising outreach services for at-risk juveniles, and re-establishing mental health services for the Department of Corrections after the infamous 1980 riot at the New Mexico Penitentiary. As a Santa Fe County deputy sheriff, he worked as a patrol officer, training and planning supervisor, community relations officer, and was the lead investigator of the sex crimes unit, which he established. Additionally, he taught courses at the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy, served as a caseworker and investigator for the Public Defender's District Office, and conducted investigations for a state government agency. In 1980 he was named New Mexico Social Worker of the Year and in 1987 was recognized by the American Legion as Police Officer of the Year.

In 2004 he received the New Mexico Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts -- Literature. He is also the 2015 recipient of the Frank Waters Exemplary Literary Achievement Award and the 2015 Santa Fe Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts – Literature. He has been instrumental in establishing the Hillerman-McGarrity Creative Writing Scholarship at the University of New Mexico, the Richard Bradford Memorial Creative Writing Scholarship at the Santa Fe Community College, and the N. Scott Momaday Creative Writing Scholarship at the Institute of American Indian Arts.

He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his wife Emily Beth (Mimi).

Reviews

[Abibliofob · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a big fan of Michael McGarrity since I discovered his writing many years ago. I started with the Kevin Kerney series and then continued with the Kerney family. Now he has a brand new series that is supposed to be a trilogy and I love it. The Long Ago is a very well written story on several levels as we get to follow a couple of characters and their struggles in the early 60s. I actually got a little angry when I finished the book because now I have to wait a year for the next one and that is the feeling I get with all his books. He is such a master of telling stories about peoples lives and what happens to them. I can really recomend this series it is just wonderful. I also recomend that you try some of his older stuff.

[Theodore Kinni · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess this was not the right place to start reading this author. A pointless, padded story which runs everybody around in circles — including cops — for no reason at all. But hey, all’s well that ends well. Read an advance copy, forthcoming July ‘23

[Hamlen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Long Ago should have stayed farther away.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to thank W.W. Norton and Company for the Advance Reading Copy of The Long Ago that I was gifted through Goodreads give-away program.
I enjoyed this book and learned a bit more about the Vietnam war that so shaped many of our lives. I could tell that this book was very well researched or the author had experienced the war himself.
Two things I felt could of been better. I would have liked more description of the landscape of Montana. It is so vast and beautiful that it could have become a character in the book.
The other thing was the character of Barbara Crawford. She wasn’t very believable to me. She was portrayed as a kind honest and loving individual. She’d made some decisions in her life that she regretted. Who hasn’t? Her Father was a drunk and a little crazy but yet nothing especially traumatic happened to her at his hands. But the main story plot is how she left everyone even her loving brother and kindly Uncle and Aunt with no knowledge of where she had gone or what had happened to her. That is not kind honest or loving. I didn’t like her and thought she was immature and selfish. I wish the story had stayed upon Ray and his associates and less upon her.
But I enjoyed the horse aspects and learned a bit about California. I’d recommend this book.

[Margot · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I had not gotten an ARC of this in return for an honest review on BookBrowse, I don’t think I would have finished. Poorly written, amateurish, and predictable. McGarrity should stick to crime writing.

[Star Gater · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I read I suspected this was a debut book by a young author. That is not the case. The author has written several books and by photograph is in his 40-50s. My point? The story is all over the place. Early on I thought it might make a good Dad car book, but I would have been embarrassed at any age to be listening with my father the sex scene.

This was way too long. With a good edit, this could be a novella.


GoodReads Giveaway Kindle book win -- I am appreciative.

[Kelley Clemente · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to W.W. Norton for providing me an ARC of this book.

I fell right into this story. The lives of everyone from Montana to California to Vietnam. Ray is searching for his sister. Barbara is looking for a life she didn't have growing up. John and Neta are trying to right the wrongs of the past.

You follow the main characters throughout the years. It's easy to keep track of who you are reading about because the sections are broken down by describing the year and locations so the reader always knows which character is in that chapter.

McGarrity is at his best when describing the different locations. It truly brought pictures to my mind. I do feel some parts were rushed and just not developed enough, but I still enjoyed reading this book.

[Laurie Ann Jeavons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read!!

One of my favorite authors! I hated for the story to end. I happen to live in Tehachapi for the past 20 years. All the geography brought memories and my own Long Ago....

[Stacy Blomquist · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at page 92 - Life is too short and this novel is too SLOW. For a man whose sister has gone missing, Ray Lansdale lacks a sense of urgency in his search. On page 61, Ray has dinner with his sister's friend, Beth Stanton. Here's some of the scintillating details of that meal:

He knew she hadn't said a word about her parents being gone. It was unexpected and titillating.
"I hope you like pot roast."
"Love it," Ray replied.
"There's butterscotch pudding for dessert."
"I think I'm in heaven. What can I do to help?"
"Sit with me and have a glass of wine..."
"You like kids?"
"Love them. I want bunches."
"To teach or raise?"
"Both," Beth answered.

Really? They just had the "kids" conversation on a first date? But don't worry, "the butterscotch pudding for dessert was perfect." Of course, second dessert was a trip up to Beth's bedroom where "they undressed and fell on the bed in a frenzy of desire that quickly left them fully spent." Only then, does Ray finally remember that his sister is missing and asks Beth questions about his sister.

Ray has as much depth as a mud puddle.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael McGarrity is a new author for me. I was thrilled to receive the ARC from W.W. Norton & Compant through a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you, I enjoyed the book and Mr. McGarrity's characters.

The Long Ago is the first book in a new series. Ray and Barbara are siblings who, through a tumultuous childhood, forge a beautiful bond. Circumstances of growing up and moving toward adulthood separate them. Each of them embarking on their own journey. The book ends with a bit of a cliffhanger. Offering a solid lead into the next book of the series.

[Tom Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

My buddy Mike does it again.

Great read. Intense story with good twists and turns with characters that are so easy to love
Your treatment of Vietnam Veterans is top notch especially compared to other authors I won't mention. My mom was a telephone operator in San Jose while she waited for my dad to return from the Pacific in WWII
She also graduated from San Jose State. What a huge coincidence. I think there is a sequel in the future but make it quick. Oh, you will remember me as Unca Tom, MSW, AND Vietnam Vet from Facebook. A 5 ⭐ read for sure.

[Twobchelm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining read…

[PattiAnn Polit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. I wanted more of an ending though

[Jim Thomsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read THE LONG AGO with high hopes based on a rave Sarah Weinman review in The New York Times, but it was an epic disappointment, between its flabby epic storytelling, stretched over several years and its Wikipedia-like prose, as bland and texture-free as chewing paper ("A walking tour to Ninth Street convinced them that a large part of Junction City was devoted to mining the pockets of free-spending soldiers from the fort. It looked and smelled disreputable" is a typical example.)

As I read, I pictured a much more satisfying, textured story involving the main character, Ray Lansdale, coming home from the Army in 1963 Montana to find his missing sister, and running into a wall of odd passive resistance. That's how the story starts and how it sucked me in, and how I wish it had stayed in that time and place and found depth and color within in, instead of trying to be a schizophrenic, disjointed survey of all things mid-1960s. And I could have lived with that had the quality of the prose transcended the Hardy Boys standard ("A walking tour to Ninth Street convinced them that a large part of Junction City was devoted to mining the pockets of free-spending soldiers from the fort. It looked and smelled disreputable" is another example.)

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of the Kevin Kerney series and the Kerney family trilogy, but this was almost unreadable. Besides the bland writing and storyline, it read like some old persons imagined memory of the perfect world of the 1950’s. Where is the complex characters and deep texture of the Kerney books? It makes me wonder if this was ghostwritten. Quit 30% in.

[Maureen Cziryak · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can’t believe I read the whole thing! Why would Beth just up and leave without telling her aunt and uncle and brother? All of whom she good relationships with. It just doesn’t make sense. And then to not think they would be worried and looking for her?!? It renders the whole thing unbelievable.

[Hal Rothman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book read like a Hallmark tv movie. McGarrity writes well but there wasn’t an ounce of excitement in the entire book for me. The more you read the less you cared about the characters.

[Anne, Unfinished Woman · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT

Raymond and Barbara Lansdale leave Livingstone, Montana, as soon as they are able, having created for themselves a fantasy life in "the long ago". Ray enlists in the Army and finds a home. Barbara simply disappears to escape their father who was stalking her. On leave, Ray commits to finding Barbara. He and Barbara had been helped by John and Neta Carver. They have a ranch and John is also the sheriff. Ray finds out that Linda Morris, a friend of Barbara's had helped her leave, and had also gone to LA. John connects Ray up with LAPD Detective Sgt Steve Donahue when he determines that she was headed to Hollywood. Ray also while in Montana goes out with Beth Stanton, Barbara's close friend, and they end up marrying, Barbara accompanying him too LA on his second trip.

During the time that Barbara is in LA she does small hand modeling in Hollywood, but after a run in with a Hollywood mogul who tries to rape her, she moves on to working with ranches. There she meets her future husband at Twelve Tree Ranch. Doyle Crawford, her husband gets drafted and she is on her own most of the time, working for radio and TV stations. She hates the area and the work.

Steve is well connected, having grown up in LA with movie stars and wealthy businesspeople. Over an extended period of time back and forth in his career, headed for officer candidate school Ray continues the search. Ray graduates officer candidate school, and he and Beth are sent to Fort Riley, Kansas. Ray is then sent to Vietnam. Unaware of any connection, Ray finds himself in the position of notifying next of kin for Doyle Crawford, and sees Barbara's name as his wife, and John and Neta's address.

Finally, John sends Dean Brannon, one of his deputies, to search further among the horse ranches in the San Joaquin Valley. The Carvers had received a notice that Barbara's husband had been killed in Vietnam. Barbara has used their address for emergency notices when she had not yet found a place. He finds her working Chancellor Harmony Ranch in Tehachapi Mountains, pregnant and unaware that Doyle Crawford, her husband had been killed in action. She returns home quickly as John is dying of terminal cancer. With his connections, Steve connects with the Pentagon and gets Ray home from Vietnam on compassionate leave.

[Charlene Roberson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Probably actually 4.5 stars. The only thing I didn't love was the rushed ending. I realize the story was finding the girl, but to condense the next, what, two years, into 2-3 pages kinda cheated me as a reader. And the sort of cliffhanger ending? I hope there are more from this author about these characters, because I enjoyed meeting and getting to know them.

When Ray Lansdale finishes a tour in Vietnam and re-enlists to attend OCS, he uses his leave to visit the hometown he left years ago and to try to find out what happened to his little sister, who left without a trace after she finished high school. His parents are both dead, but his uncle the sheriff and his wife were always more parents to the siblings than their own parents, so that is where he heads. He finally gets a clue that his sister may have been headed to Hollywood, so he gets in contact with an old WWII buddy of his uncle's, who has some time to help him in the search. But, despite getting tantalizingly close, he fails and has to leave to report for duty.

The book also follows his sister Barbara, who is not aware she has been reported missing as she says, she "just got away". She DID go to Hollywood, but found her lifelong love of horses led her to stables and ranches around LA, rather than into movies.

In the end, everyone finds who they are looking for, but the hunt is the main story and it is a good one.

[Cheryle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read many Michael McGarrity books but it has been quite a while ago. Most of his books are set in America's southwest but this is a departure as it is set mainly in Montana.
In the early 1960s, Ray Lansdale returns from Vietnam to his Montana home to search for his missing sister.

In this gripping story, the broken lives of siblings Raymond and Barbara Lansdale are tenuously held together by their childhood fantasy of The Long Ago: a distant place where happiness and tranquility reign, far removed from the fears and fights at home. To escape his painful memories, Raymond joined the army and found a career that gave him purpose and a sense of adventure. But news of his kid sister Barbara’s sudden disappearance brings him back during a short leave before returning to active duty and another deployment to Vietnam. Embarking on a search that takes him from majestic Montana ranchlands and glittering Hollywood to the mean streets of LA, Ray is forced to confront his worst nightmare. What if Barbara’s search for The Long Ago ended in a shallow, unmarked grave, not the carefree life she’d once imagined? Richly crafted,The Long Ago is a spin-off from McGarrity’s Kevin Kerney family saga.

[PennsyLady (Bev) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Long Ago

"The Long Ago: a distant place where happiness and tranquility reign." is a mainstay and mental retreat for the Landsdale children.

I chose this book because the time frame resonates with me and the places interest me.
Although I am unfamiliar with the childhood traumas that formed the characters of Ray and Barbara Lansdale, I do understand the impact the war registered on our material and spiritual lives.

For fear of disclosing elements of the plot, I will simply say I appreciated traveling beside Ray, even to the jungles of Southeast Asia.

It's been some time since I was immersed in a bittersweet family saga.
Although this could not be my primary type of read, it does definitely have a place in my reading roster.


Thank you to W.W.Norton and Company for my advanced readers copy.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We all lose people, Ray. Sometimes you can’t do a damn thing about it, sometimes you can.”

Michael McGarrity’s new novel The Long Ago is a stand-alone set in the early years of the Vietnam war. This Montana family saga tells the story of a brother’s search for his missing sister – and I was enthralled from the very first page. Over the three-year span of the novel, Ray Lansdale’s quest leads him from Montana to California and Vietnam and back as he seeks answers to his sister’s mysterious disappearance. For longtime fans of McGarrity’s Kevin Kerney mystery series, The Long Ago is more focused on a family mystery than crime story, but don’t let that hold you back from reading McGarrity’s well-written, satisfying story. Highly recommend!

(Received a Goodreads Giveaway Advance Reader's Edition from the publisher W.W. Norton).

[Naomi · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is written for and by a man nostalgic for the early 1960s. The women had zero depth and no agency. The interior lives of both the two main female characters consist of the exact same elaborate details on how to please their husbands and be the best homemakers possible. The author did make sure to include detailed physical descriptions of every single woman in the book, though. Melodramatic dialogue. Soooo many pages dedicated to describing the two married couples on their respective vanilla dates - what they ate, where they went, what time they left. I was bored to death and could see the end coming from the first few pages.

The “search” at the end made no sense and seemed like just another way for the author to squeeze in additional plot points involving men saving helpless women.

I hated this book. I only finished it to see how bad it actually got.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

After serving a tour of duty in Vietnam during the early 1960’s, Ray Lansdale has returned to his home in Livingston, Montana. Ray’s younger sister, Barbara, has disappeared and it’s of utmost importance for him to locate her. Their parents are deceased, so Barbara is the only direct relative that Ray has. He spends most of his time and money to search for his sister despite the need to return to active duty.

The novel is simply written in a direct sequence of events, with a few new details revealed daily. There are only minor details about Vietnam, keeping the violence to a minimum. Historical accuracy for the early 1960’s is spot on, and after reading this piece of historical fiction, I appreciate the convenience of technology that we have today.

[Atomicmass1969 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge Michael McGarrity fan. I have read all of the Kevin Kerney novels, including the 3-book prequel trilogy. The Long Ago is awesome. It is rich in detail of 1960's Southern California, Montana and set against the backdrop of the on-going Vietnam War. Michael McGarrity continues his craft of making the reader believe they are in Montana, or California or New Mexico (Kevin Kerney series). This is Michael's first book since concluding the Kevin Kearney series with the 2020 release of Head Wounds (against the protestations of his fans!). You cannot go wrong with a Michael McGarrity novel and The Long Ago is the purest example of it. I hope this is the start of a new series.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of this author's Kevin Kierney series. I've been reading it for years before I ever started posting on Goodreads. This one is supposed to be a spin off of that series.

I liked Ray Lansdale. He has re-enlisted in the Army but is on leave to look for his sister Barbara. I would have liked to see more of the Montana scenery before he left on his quest for Los Angeles. I liked the story and all the characters.

This is a time progression story told in several parts. It's the story of family but does not cover a long time period. I thought the story was emotional in several parts and heartwarming.

[Janie Prim · Rating 3 out of 5]

After recently finishing the Kevin Kerney series, by Mr. McGarrity, I was excited to read his latest, "The Long Ago", and boy, was I disappointed. I knew what was going to happen very early in the book, and I was disappointed in the development of characters, other than Ray, who proved to be (in my mind) the most interesting. Is Mr. McGarrity planning on writing stand-alones? What about a spin-off from the Kevin Kerney books, starring Patrick, with Kevin in the background? And, please, Mr. McGarrity, stay in New Mexico: that's the reason I started reading your books!!

[Joe Stack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story that doesn’t necessarily blow you away. McGarrity’s pleasant writing simply engaged me with likable characters grappling with the ups and downs of life. It also explores how difficult it can be to find a person who disappears.

This is a story rooted in the exploration of evolving relationships within families and friendships. There is longing, regret, joy, and heartache as the story builds on true to life emotions to a finale that wrenches the reader’s emotions.

One of the characters ruminates that “being human meant a life of unknown, unrelenting consequences, coincidences, and circumstances that were outside anyone’s control.” This best sums up the story; what readers will experience.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up in Montana with a drunk for a father and a mother with mental health issues Ray and his sister Barbara imagined a place where things would be better, they called it The Long Ago.
Ray joins the Army and Barbara is declared missing.
This is a very enjoyable book about family and love. It takes place in the early 60s with the war in Vietnam beginning and the part it plays in their lives.

[James Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ended Abruptly

Where’s the rest of the story? I was rocking along getting invested in the characters and their life arcs when suddenly the book ended. I don’t mind an ambiguous ending when a book is clearly part of a series or is a day-in-the-life sort of novel, but this book seemed to be about Ray’s and Barbara’s whole life, so I was disappointed when it ended the way it did.