Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Gone But Not Forgotten
SERIES: TIN, Book 1
AUTHOR: Charlie Cochet
NARRATOR: Gary Furlong
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 7 hours and 19 minutes
RELEASE DATE: February 11, 2022
BLURB:
Codename: Chaos.
Former THIRDS agent turned TIN operative Dexter J. Daley is a legend. Just ask him, he’ll tell you. Chaos isn’t so much a codename as it is Dex’s state of being. As a spy for the Therian Intelligence Network, Dex has spent the last four years bringing down the bad guys. Hell, his middle name is literally Justice. But a new mission brings him face-to-face with a different kind of monster, one with a weapon that can alter the course of history. Failure is not an option, but as the mission goes from dangerous to deadly, Dex finds himself up against a far more terrifying force, and this time, there’s no escape.
Codename: Atlas.
As former team leader for Destructive Delta and now a TIN operative, Sloane Daley knows what it feels like to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. But no matter the challenge, Sloane knows that together, he and his husband, Dex, can overcome anything. When their latest mission takes a personal turn, Sloane is forced to confront the very thing that created him. Looking back to a past he thought he’d left behind is the least of Sloane’s problems, because the greatest threat he’s about to encounter…is his own husband.
REVIEW:
I suppose you could jump right into Charlie Cochet’s new TIN series, a spinoff from her uber-popular THIRDS series, without reading any of THIRDS. She provides enough context and background to allow you to understand and enjoy this first TIN story, Gone But Not Forgotten, without any prior reading. But you’d be short-changing yourself.
In Gone But Not Forgotten, the main characters are Dexter J. Daley and Sloan Daley, née Brodie, two deeply complex characters painstakingly crafted and developed by Cochet throughout the ten-book THIRDS series. The dynamics of their relationship and their personal histories, motivations, and triggers are crucial to the riveting plot of Gone But Not Forgotten. Plus, the THIRDS series is inspired and engrossing. So read it first, which you can easily do through the three box sets, The THIRDS Collection, Volumes One, Two and Three.
Gone But Not Forgotten is chock full of action and adventure with a twisty-turny plot and plenty of Dex and Sloane goodness as our two super-charged alpha males once again sacrifice themselves for the greater good. While the story here has a much tighter focus on just Dex and Sloane than in the previous books, the engaging found family element is still present. We get appearances from some of the THIRDS characters, including Dex’s brother Cael and his boyfriend, Sloane’s BFF Ash. We also meet Dex and Sloane’s new teammates.
Cochet’s witty banter is sharp and on point, with plenty of laugh-out-loud Dex antics to balance some serious, dramatic content. The particular storyline here has Dex and Sloane going undercover to rescue some young, kidnapped Therians from a psychopath who has gotten his hands on some of the virus that started it all – the death and destruction from the virus and then the evolution of the Therian species from the genetic mutation caused by the vaccine. It’s a gripping story with a momentum that carries you along and makes it impossible to put down.
Cochet’s excellent writing is enhanced by the vocal performance of Gary Furlong on the Gone But Not Forgotten audiobook. Furlong has an inherent ability to tell a great story. He actively engages with his characters, bringing their story to life in surround sound for the listener. You will feel like you are in the pages of the book, that’s how immersive an environment Furlong creates. He embraces the complex personalities of Dex and Sloane, and he channels them through vocal characterizations that accurately communicate who they are, what they are feeling, and why. The story features a host of secondary characters, and even those get similar, thoughtful treatment, with all these varied voices delivered consistently with distinction.
Furlong is one of my favorite narrators because of his acting ability, but also because of the sheer versatility of his voice. He can authentically roll off his tongue any number of accents, and he can successfully tackle any pitch, timbre, inflection, or intonation. When you listen to a Furlong audiobook, you forget there’s a narrator. You just hear the characters. He steps into the characters’ shoes and brings them to life in a completely natural, believable way.
For example, Dex’s irreverent antics, insane energy, crazy, kooky behavior, and ability to find humor in just about anything conceals a bleeding heart that seeks justice for those who have been taken advantage of. He also fiercely protects those he loves and is exceptionally loyal, dedicated, and skilled at his job. Dex’s vibrant, dynamic personality comes out through Furlong’s sarcasm, incredibly intuitive interpretation of Cochet’s dialogue, and fantastic use of intonation and inflections to convey his point. This is top-notch narration. You really can’t ask for better.
Gone But Not Forgotten is a unique, fascinating, wholly absorbing, and enjoyable listen that I give my highest recommendation. Cochet’s writing and Furlong’s narration pair perfectly. So even if you enjoyed the narration from the THIRDS series (which was voiced by a different narrator), have no fear about Furlong’s take on these characters in TIN. His interpretation is accurate, faithful to the source material, and produces one of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to this year.
RATING: 
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