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Gone  By  cover art

Gone

By: Jonathan Kellerman
Narrated by: John Rubinstein
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Publisher's summary

It's a story tailor-made for the nightly news: Dylan Meserve and Michaela Brand, young lovers and fellow acting students, vanish on the way home from a rehearsal. Three days later, the two of them are found in the remote mountains of Malibu, battered and terrified after a harrowing ordeal at the hands of a sadistic abductor.

The details of the nightmarish event are shocking and brutal: The couple was carjacked at gunpoint by a masked assailant and subjected to a horrific regimen of confinement, starvation, and assault.

But before long, doubts arise about the couple's story, and as forensic details unfold, the abduction is exposed as a hoax. Charged as criminals themselves, the aspiring actors claim emotional problems, and the court orders psychological evaluation for both.

Michaela is examined by Alex Delaware, who finds that her claims of depression and stress ring true enough. But they don't explain her lies, and Alex is certain that there are hidden layers in this sordid psychodrama that even he hasn't been able to penetrate.

Nevertheless, the case is closed, only to be violently reopened when Michaela is savagely murdered. When the police look for Dylan, they find that he's gone. Is he the killer or a victim himself? Casting their dragnet into the murkiest corners of L.A., Delaware and Sturgis unearth more questions than answers, including a host of eerily identical killings. What really happened to the couple who cried wolf? And what bizarre and brutal epidemic is infecting the city with terror, madness, and sudden, twisted death?

©2006 Jonathan Kellerman (P)2006 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The author's ability to convey the unrelenting sadness of his characters' lives and his deep psychological insights will satisfy those looking for more than mere thrills." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about Gone

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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Performance
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  • 4 Stars
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Good but not great...

My 3-star rating for this novel is in comparison to Kellerman's other Alex Delaware novels. The previous one to "Gone", ("Rage") was an outstanding thriller and as good as anything Kellerman has ever written. This one is okay. It moves Delaware's personal life forward a little bit, and gives him a little lovin' when he needs it. Milo is as ornery and unkempt as ever, and seems to have made peace with the LAPD, which suits the current political climate. The crimes and criminals are ultra-bizarre, and Alex just doesn't have the stomach for it anymore. This mystery will keep you guessing whodunit up until pretty late in the book, but after the case is solved I just kept wondering why the book didn't end! There are no loose ends here, but if you turn the book off an hour or so before it closes, you ain't gonna miss much.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Kellerman is always great

I love Kellerman's books. Rubinstein does an awsome job...again! Alex and Milo are very witty and I found myself laughing and trying to guess who the bad guy was through out the whole book. I didn't guess who this time till the end.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    out of 5 stars

don't buy it

slow, very slow and boring.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Familiar territory

What did you love best about Gone?

You like or dislike the Alex Delaware series by Jonathan Kellerman, most of the story is made of long interviews and research by Alex and Milo, this one in the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles acting classes and performance art, a trap for the many hopefuls who come to the city of dreams to make a career. Especially toward the end this book has more action than usual but until then it is interview after interview to reveal the ugly truth. I must admit: I like it very much. Kellerman gives you just as much information as he wants to reveal and keeps you guessing. His dialogue is real and lifelike. No big surprises in this one but I like the series and I never encountered a dud. Even Alex on-off partner Robin is tolerable but I hope Delaware will shag up one day with the female psychologist.

What does John Rubinstein bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

John Rubinstein has become my favorite reader for this series. He does not 'act' the different characters but just uses his considerable skills as a reader. Because the books are set in southern California, we meet characters from many different ethic backgrounds and social classes. Rubinstein reads they perfectly without turning them into caricatures or 'types'. It is like hearing a full staged radio play without any exaggeration.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Overall decent listen

I border on rating this one between average and above average. It's a decent story and worth the listen, there just wasn't anything that reached out and grabbed me about this book. The ending is good, so I will lean to "Just barely 4 stars" instead of 3.

The reader does a good job and is enjoyable.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Alex at his best

Certainly if you like Kellerman, this won't dissappoint. Alex and Milo find the guilty person(s), quite good.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Not Typical Kellerman

I have read many Johnthan Kellerman books and listened to a lot of them before. I really like him, but this one was way to long. If this is your first Johnthan Kellerman, try at least one more this is not his usual syle.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Another Fantastic Listen

I love Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware novels. This one is EXCELLENT... it made me want to get back to my headphones ASAP every time!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Gone

I really liked this book. It grabbed my attention from the start and I found myself anticipating what would happen next. The plot involves a series of want-to-be actors who seek stardom quickly by circumventing hard work, reputable people and companies and what can happen when one meets with unscrupulous people. Through numerous interviews, I was kept guessing the identity of the real killer. In addition, the book mixed romance, mystery, comedy and seriousness and I began to ride along with the Dr. Deleware and Milo as they pursued the killer. Dr. Delaware and Milo complement each other and make a great team. Together, they take you through a maze of dark and unique characters while moving you towards the ultimate climax - catching the killer. I am waiting for Kellerman's next book--I know I won't be disappointed.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

please be over

I have always enjoyed Johnathan Kellermans books. Milo is one of my favorite characters. This book just was so long it was painful. I made it to the end but at that point I didn't care who did it or why, I just wanted it over

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