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Gone Saga: Standalones
Two nailing-biting stories featuring side characters from the USA Today bestselling Gone Trilogy. DEAN'S LIST Every marriage has secrets. Some are deadly. Lydia Harris knows her marriage to Dean has problems, but when she finds a box of news clippings he took great pains to conceal, the problems go from disappointing to dangerous. Nation-wide murders… in cities where he has traveled. She doesn’t want to believe him capable of such violence, so she searches for clues to explain the hidden clippings. As the evidence begins to mount, Lydia is torn. Dean seems to be trying to rekindle their lost spark, and she yearns for what they’d once had. But can she look past her own feelings to uncover the truth, or will she be next on his list? NO RETURN Family comes first. Until it kills you… Rusty Caldwell is a lonely victim of tragedy. After losing his wife and kids to a drunk driver, he spends most nights towing drunks to keep them off the streets. His one-track existence takes a turn when he finds out his estranged sister Mandy has committed suicide. After flying out to offer his support, Rusty learns there’s much more to the story. It turns out his sister had been cheating on her husband Chris with Travis Calloway, the rich CEO of the biggest company in town. Before Mandy died, she claimed that Travis fathered one of her children and demanded that he pay up… While Rusty is trying to figure out the truth, Mandy’s friend Laura offers to help look into Travis. Sparks start to fly between her and Rusty, and soon neither can deny the attraction. Before they can catch a break, they receive death threats for their efforts. With Travis and Chris both looking guilty, Rusty better find out the truth before he or Laura are the next one to fall.
524 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 3, 2019
3 people are currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Stacy Claflin
190 books1,436 followersStacy Claflin writes about complex women overcoming incredible odds. Whether it's her Gone trilogy of psychological thrillers, her ongoing Transformed paranormal saga, or her Seaside Hunters sweet romance series, Stacy's three-dimensional heroines shine through.
Decades after she wrote her first stories on construction paper and years after typing on an inherited green screen computer that weighed half a ton, Stacy realized her dream of becoming a full-time author.
When she's not busy writing or educating her kids from home, Stacy enjoys watching TV shows like Supernatural, Pretty Little Liars, and Once Upon a Time.
Join Stacy's newsletter to get free books: http://stacyclaflin.com/newsletter/
Decades after she wrote her first stories on construction paper and years after typing on an inherited green screen computer that weighed half a ton, Stacy realized her dream of becoming a full-time author.
When she's not busy writing or educating her kids from home, Stacy enjoys watching TV shows like Supernatural, Pretty Little Liars, and Once Upon a Time.
Join Stacy's newsletter to get free books: http://stacyclaflin.com/newsletter/
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 21, 2020
this was enjoyable.. i dont feel like i need to have read the original gone series to understand these so that was good... however this does make me wanna go read those haha. i enjoyed it
January 20, 2020
4-4.5🌟 stars
These are true standalones. I have not read the Gone series 1-3 and it was not necessary to enjoy both of these stories. Of the two, I enjoyed No Return more, probably because the main characters were more sympathetic and their characters more developed and complex. But both were good, solid, worthwhile suspense reads. Here are my comments on each:
Dean's List
😥Good, suspenseful thriller😧
4🌟stars
I really enjoyed the fast-paced plot built around a woman fearing the secrets her husband has been keeping. The suspense keeps building to a high action end.
Lydia's comfortable suburban life crumbling apart thanks to a spilled perfume bottle gave good thrills as secrets kept tumbling out of the woodwork. Lydia is a bit naive and fumbles about a bit in her attempts to dig out the dirt on her husband's suspicious activities. She is in turns super cautious about covering up her activities and then totally oblivious of the trails she's leaving. I liked the realism of her mistakes as her panic and urgency leaves her vulnerable to discovery.
It's a good standalone story. My only issues are with the sudden ending and the lack of complexity to the characters. I felt the denouement could have been longer and the characters, particularly Dean and Lydia, needed more backstory.
No Return
👨👧👦Family lost and family found: suspense with heart😊👍
4.5🌟stars
I really loved hero Rusty Caldwell and this tale of loss, estrangement and addiction held at bay until tragedy strikes from the other side of the country and family needs draw him out of his self-imposed isolation.
The mystery and suspense kept going throughout and Rusty is in the middle of it all. The pace was good, the characters realistically flawed and complex, and the plot kept me closely engaged. I thoroughly enjoyed this standalone story (though policeman Nick Fleshman and Alex and Alyssa Mercer pre Claflin's excellent Alex Mercer series make cameo appearances), right down to the heart-to-heart talk with nephew Brady at the end.
With a choice of prime suspects in his sister Mandy's death and anonymous threats dogging him as he tries to discover the truth of her demise, Rusty is an amateur detective with regrets, misgivings and yet a strong sense of duty to his niece and nephew and, maybe, the chance to reach for a new happiness. He's the kind of stand-up guy that puts family first and can even cook a killer meal and win over a woman who has given up on men. What a hero!😍😍
I read a complimentary copy of the set; this is my voluntary and honest review.
These are true standalones. I have not read the Gone series 1-3 and it was not necessary to enjoy both of these stories. Of the two, I enjoyed No Return more, probably because the main characters were more sympathetic and their characters more developed and complex. But both were good, solid, worthwhile suspense reads. Here are my comments on each:
Dean's List
😥Good, suspenseful thriller😧
4🌟stars
I really enjoyed the fast-paced plot built around a woman fearing the secrets her husband has been keeping. The suspense keeps building to a high action end.
Lydia's comfortable suburban life crumbling apart thanks to a spilled perfume bottle gave good thrills as secrets kept tumbling out of the woodwork. Lydia is a bit naive and fumbles about a bit in her attempts to dig out the dirt on her husband's suspicious activities. She is in turns super cautious about covering up her activities and then totally oblivious of the trails she's leaving. I liked the realism of her mistakes as her panic and urgency leaves her vulnerable to discovery.
It's a good standalone story. My only issues are with the sudden ending and the lack of complexity to the characters. I felt the denouement could have been longer and the characters, particularly Dean and Lydia, needed more backstory.
No Return
👨👧👦Family lost and family found: suspense with heart😊👍
4.5🌟stars
I really loved hero Rusty Caldwell and this tale of loss, estrangement and addiction held at bay until tragedy strikes from the other side of the country and family needs draw him out of his self-imposed isolation.
The mystery and suspense kept going throughout and Rusty is in the middle of it all. The pace was good, the characters realistically flawed and complex, and the plot kept me closely engaged. I thoroughly enjoyed this standalone story (though policeman Nick Fleshman and Alex and Alyssa Mercer pre Claflin's excellent Alex Mercer series make cameo appearances), right down to the heart-to-heart talk with nephew Brady at the end.
With a choice of prime suspects in his sister Mandy's death and anonymous threats dogging him as he tries to discover the truth of her demise, Rusty is an amateur detective with regrets, misgivings and yet a strong sense of duty to his niece and nephew and, maybe, the chance to reach for a new happiness. He's the kind of stand-up guy that puts family first and can even cook a killer meal and win over a woman who has given up on men. What a hero!😍😍
I read a complimentary copy of the set; this is my voluntary and honest review.
January 31, 2020
Both books stand on their own!
I'm setting up this review a little differently because the bundle contains two books. Please note that I've real all of the Gone books in the series, and while these two are standalones and spinoffs, they contribute to a better understanding of these main characters.
Book #1 - Dean's List
I really enjoyed this book A LOT! It is told through the perspective of Lydia, who is in a troubled marriage. As the husband and wife try to reconnect, Lydia makes discoveries that alarm her greatly about her husband. As she digs deeper, she uncovers coincidences that further increase her fears. She can't trust anyone, even her "friends". Unfortunately, her inquiries leave bread crumbs that lead directly to her. Watch out!
Book #2 - No Return
Another worthwhile read! This book centers on Rusty, with a checkered past and estranged from his family. When his sister commits suicide, he returns to the family during this tragic time...only to begin to suspect foul play instead. Rusty needs to be careful with his niece and nephew as he seeks answers. Much is at stake: safety, family, justice, and potential love.
I'm setting up this review a little differently because the bundle contains two books. Please note that I've real all of the Gone books in the series, and while these two are standalones and spinoffs, they contribute to a better understanding of these main characters.
Book #1 - Dean's List
I really enjoyed this book A LOT! It is told through the perspective of Lydia, who is in a troubled marriage. As the husband and wife try to reconnect, Lydia makes discoveries that alarm her greatly about her husband. As she digs deeper, she uncovers coincidences that further increase her fears. She can't trust anyone, even her "friends". Unfortunately, her inquiries leave bread crumbs that lead directly to her. Watch out!
Book #2 - No Return
Another worthwhile read! This book centers on Rusty, with a checkered past and estranged from his family. When his sister commits suicide, he returns to the family during this tragic time...only to begin to suspect foul play instead. Rusty needs to be careful with his niece and nephew as he seeks answers. Much is at stake: safety, family, justice, and potential love.
January 18, 2020
The First Book- Dean's List.
Lydia's marriage to Dean has not be good for awhile. She is getting ready to go out with her friends, when she has to clean up a mess. While cleaning up, she makes a discovery of box her husband has hidden. She finds a box a newspaper clippings about murders that happened in cities he was at. Lydia doesn't want to think her husband is capable of these crimes.
Lydia will start looking into these crimes to see if her worst fears are possible. The more she looks into it, the more worse it looks. That is just the tip of the iceberg, everything will unravel around Lydia, she will discover a lot of truths concerning her husband but her friends as well.
Book 2-
Rusty Caldwell is dealing with the lost of his family from a drunk driver towing people that should not be driving. He looks at a paper, finds out his sister has died. The paper states it is a suicide. He is completely thrown and calls his parents. He gets the contact information he knows his parents has for her. Due to her drug issues, they stopped talking, now he will never get the chance.
Rusty speaks to his brother in law. He flies out to Florida to help her family during this time. This will be the first time he will be meeting them.
Once he gets there, he tries to make sure the family is taken care of with meals and his presence. He speaks with her neighbor Laura. Finds out that Mandy might not have commited suicide. That she had plans for the future. That her marriage to her husband was not going well.
Rusty decides he needs to find out what happened to his sister. Together will Laura, they will work together to find out what happened. The more they dig, the more it looks like only two people have motives.
With anonymous text messages threatening, they will continue to look into it. But things turn deadly the closer to the truth they get.
Will Rusty be able to clear his sister's name and bring the killer to justice or will he lose more than he bargained for.
Both of these books were so good. The book jumps right into the fray and keeps the pace. You will be hooked reading both of these stories. This author never disappoints with her books, she knows how to weave her stories to keep you going.
I received an ARC copy of this book and this is my honest review
Lydia's marriage to Dean has not be good for awhile. She is getting ready to go out with her friends, when she has to clean up a mess. While cleaning up, she makes a discovery of box her husband has hidden. She finds a box a newspaper clippings about murders that happened in cities he was at. Lydia doesn't want to think her husband is capable of these crimes.
Lydia will start looking into these crimes to see if her worst fears are possible. The more she looks into it, the more worse it looks. That is just the tip of the iceberg, everything will unravel around Lydia, she will discover a lot of truths concerning her husband but her friends as well.
Book 2-
Rusty Caldwell is dealing with the lost of his family from a drunk driver towing people that should not be driving. He looks at a paper, finds out his sister has died. The paper states it is a suicide. He is completely thrown and calls his parents. He gets the contact information he knows his parents has for her. Due to her drug issues, they stopped talking, now he will never get the chance.
Rusty speaks to his brother in law. He flies out to Florida to help her family during this time. This will be the first time he will be meeting them.
Once he gets there, he tries to make sure the family is taken care of with meals and his presence. He speaks with her neighbor Laura. Finds out that Mandy might not have commited suicide. That she had plans for the future. That her marriage to her husband was not going well.
Rusty decides he needs to find out what happened to his sister. Together will Laura, they will work together to find out what happened. The more they dig, the more it looks like only two people have motives.
With anonymous text messages threatening, they will continue to look into it. But things turn deadly the closer to the truth they get.
Will Rusty be able to clear his sister's name and bring the killer to justice or will he lose more than he bargained for.
Both of these books were so good. The book jumps right into the fray and keeps the pace. You will be hooked reading both of these stories. This author never disappoints with her books, she knows how to weave her stories to keep you going.
I received an ARC copy of this book and this is my honest review
January 28, 2020
You do not want to miss these two books a great bundle that give you more insight into the characters from the Gone Trilogy. The first book DEAN'S LIST, takes a great look into the lives of Lydia and Dean. We never really got to know that much about Dean in the trilogy other than he was the never there husband of Lydia, the sometimes mistress of one of the main characters in the trilogy. We get a much better understanding of why Lydia did what she did as we get to know her and her friends better. Lydia is lucky to have a great support system in her friend's Bri, Savannah and Cara. But when Lydia stumbles upon a deadly secret she doesn't trust anyone to share with. This is a great story of one woman learning who her friends really are, as she lives a life of terror. Lots of suspense, action and some romance.
The second book NO RETURN is one of Ms. Claflin's best. It is so lifelike and emotional there are places that tore my heart, others that made me cry and some that had me in suspense of what was going to happen next. This story deals with a family suffering through loss, but also with the suspicion of what really happened to Rusty's sister Mandy. Mandy has 2 beautiful children that I fell in love with, my heart went out to them. Not only for the loss of their mother but for the horrific things going on around them. My heart broke and cheered for Rusty and his battles. I truly enjoyed this story. You can see a more in depth review of my opinion on the separate books website.
I received a free download of this bundle from the publisher. This review is totally my own honest opinion.
The second book NO RETURN is one of Ms. Claflin's best. It is so lifelike and emotional there are places that tore my heart, others that made me cry and some that had me in suspense of what was going to happen next. This story deals with a family suffering through loss, but also with the suspicion of what really happened to Rusty's sister Mandy. Mandy has 2 beautiful children that I fell in love with, my heart went out to them. Not only for the loss of their mother but for the horrific things going on around them. My heart broke and cheered for Rusty and his battles. I truly enjoyed this story. You can see a more in depth review of my opinion on the separate books website.
I received a free download of this bundle from the publisher. This review is totally my own honest opinion.
January 27, 2020
Dean’s List: twists, turns, great ending! One of those books you can’t put down, who needs to eat, sleep, shower etc. Suspense, mystery, trying to piece things together n see if you can solve it correctly or be totally off base.
No Return: I loved everything about this story! Great characters that you can’t help but cheer for, cry for the, laugh with them, want to hurt those who hurt them. So easy to fall in love with Rusty, Laura, Brady, Kaylie, even Chris n Angeline. Then there’s Wes...class A jerk in his own right. And Travis who has it all-money, looks, House, beautiful wife, friends-some not even on his payroll, dishonesty, lack of values, a job he loves (although again those “friends”). I absolutely love the ending!
No Return: I loved everything about this story! Great characters that you can’t help but cheer for, cry for the, laugh with them, want to hurt those who hurt them. So easy to fall in love with Rusty, Laura, Brady, Kaylie, even Chris n Angeline. Then there’s Wes...class A jerk in his own right. And Travis who has it all-money, looks, House, beautiful wife, friends-some not even on his payroll, dishonesty, lack of values, a job he loves (although again those “friends”). I absolutely love the ending!
February 1, 2020
Two outstanding suspenseful stories that are standalone reading. I definitely had to read all of them anyway. I was immersed in the characters and the plot. Don’t miss out.
January 23, 2020
I read the first book in the Gone series so I was familiar with both Lydia and Rusty. However, these 2 stories are truly standalone books.
Dean’s List - 4.5 out of 5 stars
A simple accident leads Lydia to find some disturbing information that her husband is hiding.
The story was very intense. If it had been a movie, I would have had my eyes covered. I had no idea how it would end. The ending did really wrap up quickly.
No Return - 5 out of 5 stars
Rusty has lost his family to a drunk driver and now his sister has committed suicide. He flies across country to help out his sister’s family.
I enjoyed this more than Dean’s List because Rusty, niece Kailey, nephew Brady, and neighbor Laura are decent, likable characters and I cared about what happened to them.
I received a free review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews