Reviewed by Rich Follett for Readers' Favorite

James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge’s Gone is a fast-paced, sure to please, twist-a-minute thriller that will have even those familiar with the genre white-knuckled and breathless after only a few chapters. Detective Michael Bennett (a recurring character in this series) battles evil drug lord Manuel Perrine in California and Mexico using methods not found in any handbook. Along the way, he receives help from unexpected sources and works against impossible odds to gain an advantage over a despotic villain who has no regard for human life and, seemingly, nothing to lose.

As fascinating as the many plot twists may be, it is the characters who shine most brightly. Patterson and Ledwidge’s Michael Bennett is a complex, deeply feeling man, contrasted brilliantly by the unthinkably evil Manuel Perrine. In addition, each of Bennett’s ten adopted children, his hippie neighbor and Irish nanny all behave in real, motivated, complicated ways - in short, they are far closer to real people than most characters in popular fiction. Time after time, this taut thriller exceeds expectations, playing out with cinematic intensity to an eagerly anticipated and nonetheless surprising conclusion.

Gone is a runaway freight train, straining against the rails and inches away from disaster at every curve. The action is relentless and just barely contained, with new and compelling obstacles following upon each other at a breathtaking pace. James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge have crafted in Gone a precision-tuned narrative that never disappoints and always surprises. Danny Mastrogiorgio and Henry Leyva tag-team characters to provide a dazzling array of voices and personalities. Their colorful, well-modulated and unusually consistent performances are a worthy complement to the masterful text. Gone by James Patterson is a thrilling audio book that may have many listeners taking the long road to work in order to squeeze in one more chapter.