The Long and Faraway Gone: A Novel

I love how this novel took a few different stories and wove them together, keeping a lot of the mysteries alive throughout the entire book. Great characters who will stick with me for awhile. Recommend!!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I felt such empathy for the characters, and the plot was so well designed. The story is told by alternating main characters, and the way the two different stories come together at the end is beautiful. A book with deep meaning and a redemptive ending.

Outstanding.... Do read this, I don't think you'll be disappointed. I even placed a quote from it on my Facebook page. This is the first book I've read by Mr Berney but most certainly will not be my last.

Two parallel stories about separate murders and disappearances, set in 1986 Oklahoma City, skip along at a good clip. The storylines, whilst never quite overlapping are both quite engrossing and more than adequately steered towards a well veiled and satisfying conclusion.
The characterization is a bit shallow and some attempts at wisecracking humour don't quite hit the mark or fit in with the genuinely intense subject matter.
However these shortcomings are minor in the overall scheme of some good storytelling which will keep you turning the pages.

I enjoyed this book. I learned much more about Oklahoma City than I ever knew before. I liked the parallel "ships passing in the night" plots, and the down-to-earth yet quirky characters. But the ending, unsatisfying as it was in its incompleteness, had way too many improbabilities. Didn't leave a good afterglow which is too bad.

I don't enjoy the prototype wisecracking private eye; although Wyatt is a smart-ass, he's actually funny in a way that makes him approachable. He and Julianne made so many mistakes getting there, and in the end nothing was wrapped in a pretty package for either of them.

I'm looking forward to more books by this author.

Thanks.

This mystery handled two separate plot lines with enough clarity to keep them from becoming entangled. Their accidental convergence near the end was handled with finesse. The author used vivid descriptions of characters and scenes, and the action didn't overwhelm the protagonists. A few proofreading lapses weren't enough to spoil the fun.

After a major life trauma, one character tries to erase the event from his life and another focuses completely on what happened that stopped their world . Neither coping strategy allows room for a life to fully develop. That premise is at the heart of this very entertaining and enlightening novel. Oklahoma is the perfect setting for a novel to blend nostalgia with reality.

Read this book. Lou Berney is a gifted storyteller. The two main characters in this book are absolutely haunted by grief and loss and he takes you into their world in a way that you don't mind actually being there. What could be incredibly depressing is not - it is funny, touching and in the end redemptive. These are people you want to know. This is not as light as his previous work but it is infinitely more interesting and absolutely satisfying.

This is a hard to put down page turner. Absolutely great. The characters are true to life people, not heroes, not just good or bad. And what a story with one surprise after another. I hope this author keeps writing many more.

After some summer lite reading, I was ready for something more engaging and with more depth. Long and Faraway Gone fulfilled these requirements with a masterfully told story and an ending I wouldn't have guessed. I was fully engaged from cover to cover but not overwhelmed or bogged down. I just downloaded two of the author's other award-winning novels, Whiplash River and Gunshot Straight.

A good read. The juxtaposition of the two main characters and how their lives (though strangers) are connected by events in both of their pasts was well-balanced and easy to follow. Strong characters, believable situations. I'll definitely look for books by this author again.

The twists and turns that this story takes. The search for answers from the traumatic events of their past, haunt the two main characters. Their relentless quest for truth warps their present lives and leaves them scarred and unfulfilled. The author is skillful at weaving the stories and characters through common but dissimilar events.

This was so unexpectedly good, like a wonderful surprise. After so many average books that were entertaining but unremarkable I feel lucky I came across this great one. A well developed plot with great insight into pain and friendship , and decades old mysteries.

I was very surprised by both endings to the stories. Berney did a great job of leading us down the spiral of each character's mind as Wyatt and Julianna were trying to figure out two different yet similar cases of murder. During the story I disliked Genivieve for who we were meant to think she was and at the end realized that she really was trying and Julianna was her reason for trying. As in Wyatt's case I was sorely disappointed with that outcome, but happy that Wyatt was the one who was "unintentionally" saved.

The main character, Wyatt, is worthy of a sequel. I was so caught up in the story that the resolution to the mysteries caught me by surprise. I will definitely seek out other books by Lou Berney. But please give Wyatt another book. Think this book is a 4.5.

This is a really remarkable book. The author has a way with dialogue and character development that is truly rare in novelists. The plot is complex but well thought out, with plenty of surprises both big and small. Highly recommended.

Bernie's writing is exquisite. As I read, I found myself getting lost in the moment. From page one, the story is intriguing. Two separate characters in a parallel yet different universe. The mysteries are shrouded in complex and intricate stories. Both characters must come to grips with a past that affects their lives today. The writing moves at a good pace. And when I was away from the book I kept thinking about it. Bernie is an amazing storyteller. This story leaves me wanting to read more from author Lou Bernie.

I was convinced that these things actually happened. I had to Google them to find out it was actually fiction. The two story lines were told so well, I never once thought it was impossible. He described Oklahoma City so well. The only thing I didn't understand was why he renamed the theater and shopping center.

What a great mystery with parallel stories overlapping each other tangentially. The experience of loss at an early age with its lingering idealized memories made for great parallel developments in the characters. The author resolves the plot with the retrospective view of some of the victims' thoughts and experiences just before their untimely deaths. Made the story feel full and resolved.

I read constantly but this is usually not my type of genre. That being said, I loved this book. The characters were well drawn and the plot was unusual, with an incredibly satisfying ending. I can't say too much more ; don't want to give anything away, but read this and see if you don't agree!!

This novel ranges through the lives of two people from the same town who suffered tragic losses long ago. Well written with great characters, it weaves a magic spell around the reader that keeps her thinking of the story long after irbid finished.

I truly enjoyed this book. It was incredibly well written and I love the author's voice. Although the subject matter was quite dark, at times it made me laugh out loud. The character's thoughts and actions seemed very genuine and true to life. I'm looking forward to reading more from Mr. Berney!

I have blown through several other books since I read this one, so I am a little fuzzy on the details. However, I do clearly remember that I thought this was one of the best books I have read this summer. It is well-crafted, with wonderful development of the characters and their respective situations. Of all the books I have read this summer, this is the one I have recommended to friends.

I like to read, mostly for entertainment, and this was a great book. Most books I read, I would rate as decent, or good. I seldom re-read books now, but if I had a hard copy of this book, I would hold onto it. It was a little confusing in the very beginning, not knowing right away who the main character was, but I liked the format once I got used to it.

This was such great book!!! I could not stop reading it, and when I had to put it down, I continued to thing about it! I recommended it to my boyfriend's mom and she finished it in a day! An amazing story by a talented writing.

This book comprises two separate stories which occasionally intersect. The dialog rings true and one gets a real sense of the locale (Oklahoma City). The character development is well done. In the end, however, it seems like a Seinfeld show.

I enjoyed the two story lines very much and found both had interesting premises, but the intertwining connection but a little too thin. Terrific characters, and I would love to find Wyatt in other books by this author

This is a fun and intriguing story for anyone who has a history with Oklahoma City. I loved the "weaving" of different past and current historical events. It is also a riveting novel and once started, it is difficult to put down.

I loved reading this book! I have lived in Oklahoma City for over 12 years now and I enjoyed following along with the characters as they weaved their way around the city. Visiting sites through the book make me want to explore the city now more than ever. I also really liked the way the author told the two stories in unison, I would finish a chapter about Wyatt and couldn't stop myself from flipping the page to see what Julianna was up to next... never a dull moment and always wanting to know more. You know it's a great book when you're sad you've reached the last page.