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Charlie Donlea

Biography

Charlie Donlea

Charlie Donlea is the USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of propulsive, female-driven thrillers, including THE GIRL WHO WAS TAKEN, DON'T BELIEVE IT, TWENTY YEARS LATER and THOSE EMPTY EYES. His eighth and latest thriller, LONG TIME GONE, explores the science of forensic genealogy.

A late bloomer, he was 20 years old when he read his first novel --- THE FIRM by John Grisham --- and knew he would someday write thrillers. Published in 40 countries and translated into nearly 20 languages, his books have sold more than 1.5 million copies in the U.S. alone and have been optioned for film and television.

Praised for his "soaring pace, teasing plot twists" (BookPage) and talent for writing an ending that "makes your jaw drop" (The New York Times Book Review), Donlea has been called a "bold new writer...on his way to becoming a major figure in the world of suspense" (Publishers Weekly).

He resides in Chicago with his wife and two children.

Charlie Donlea

Books by Charlie Donlea

Long Time Gone
by Charlie Donlea - Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

On the first day of an elite two-year fellowship, Sloan Hastings receives a research assignment in the emerging field of forensic genealogy. When she enthusiastically begins her research by submitting her own DNA to an online genealogy site, the results she receives are shocking. Sloane’s DNA profile suggests her true identity is that of Charlotte Margolis, aka “Baby Charlotte,” who captured the nation’s attention when she and her affluent parents mysteriously vanished. There were never any suspects in the family’s disappearance, and the case has been cold for decades. Sloan’s search for answers leads her to Cedar Creek, Nevada, a small town north of Lake Tahoe. Her birth relatives are mysterious and tight-lipped, and not everyone seems happy about her return or the questions she’s asking.

Those Empty Eyes
by Charlie Donlea - Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

Alex Armstrong hasn’t stopped searching for answers about the night her family was killed 10 years ago. As a legal investigator, she works tirelessly to secure justice for others, too. People like Matthew Claymore, who’s under suspicion in the disappearance of his girlfriend, a student journalist named Laura McAllister. Laura was about to break a major story about rape and cover-ups on her college campus. Alex believes Matthew is innocent and unearths stunning revelations about the university’s faculty, fraternity members and powerful parents willing to do anything to protect their children. Most shocking of all, as Alex digs into Laura’s disappearance, she realizes there are unexpected connections to the murder of her own family.

Twenty Years Later
by Charlie Donlea - Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

Avery Mason, host of "American Events," knows the subjects that grab a TV audience’s attention. Her latest story --- a murder mystery laced with kinky sex, tragedy and betrayal --- is guaranteed to be ratings gold. New DNA technology has allowed the New York medical examiner’s office to make its first successful identification of a 9/11 victim in years. The twist: the victim, Victoria Ford, had been accused of the gruesome murder of her married lover. In a chilling last phone call to her sister, Victoria begged her to prove her innocence. Emma Kind has waited 20 years to put her sister to rest, but closure won’t be complete until she can clear Victoria’s name. Alone she’s had no luck, but she’s convinced that Avery’s connections and fame will help. But the twisted puzzle of Victoria’s private life is just the beginning.