The Long and Faraway Gone    by Lou Berney Order:  USA  Can William Morrow, 2015 (2015) Softcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth In 1986 in Oklahoma City, six movie-theater employees were murdered during a robbery and a teenage girl vanished from the annual state fair. Twenty-five years later, Wyatt is still asking himself why five of his workmates were lined up on the floor and shot to death. He was also lying on the floor with his hands tied behind him and the gunman passed him by. Why? Julianna still asks how and why her older sister Genevieve left her as a child sitting on a curb at the fair and never returned for her. What happened to Genevieve? Where is she? Julianna knows without a doubt that Genevieve never would have left her there alone if she had any choice. Wyatt's and Julianna's stories are told in The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney. And told well. Could the massacre and disappearance be connected in some way? Now, as an adult, Wyatt is a private investigator. The more he delves into his escape from death, the more he finds himself in danger. He returns from Las Vegas to his hometown to ask questions he isn't too safe asking. Julianna never has stopped looking for her beautiful sister. Genevieve and Julianna – even with six years between them – were inseparable. Genni looked out for Juli, almost as if she were raising her. Why did Genni leave her? Why was there never any sighting of her? Not only has Berney given his readers several mysterious questions to ponder, but he has created two driven characters who have been plagued for so long not knowing what happened in their pasts – or why? How can they move on in life without answers? I found myself caring very much about both Wyatt and Julianna. It was hard for them to live with the devastating loss they each suffered. If only they could go back in time to correct the events that changed their lives forever, leaving them with memories that never softened with time. That never allowed them to look forward – only forever back to a time they could never recover. The Long and Faraway Gone is hard to put down once the first page is perused. It's a very good read. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews