Table of Contents
Orinally posted April 2010 – Revised and Updated April of 2026
What would you do if one day you were a normal fourteen year old with a mother, father and brother. You get caught with a boy in a car at the mall drinking, your father pulls your butt out of the car. you go to bed, Then you wake up the next morning and YOUR FAMILY is GONE! no note, no evidence of a fight or struggle they are just gone! That what happens to Cynthia Bigge in Linwood Barclay’s No Time for Goodbye.
The Story
The story picks up 25 years later, Cynthia is now married to Terry Archer and they have an eight year old daughter Grace. She has lived with this mystery for twenty five years and now things are happening that are opening all the wounds. Is the brown car really following her family? How did her father’s hat get in the house? What’s happening?
My Thoughts
I loved this well crafted well paced book. I have enjoyed Barclay’s books for a while now and have read all four of the Zack Walker books and Too Close to Home also highly recommended) another standalone.
In No Time for Goodbye the characters are believable and story line keeps moving and the suspense building toward the surprising conclusion!
In this book, I really enjoyed the character of Terry Archer, who narrates the story. His character was a little like Zack Walker, someone, who at times is in a little over their head!
Anyway the book was great and rates at least a 4.5 if not a 5! Go find it and enjoy!
Links
About Linwood Barclay
Linwood Barclay continues to be a prolific author, releasing new, critically acclaimed thrillers annually. Known for his high-octane plots and relatable characters, his recent work has solidified his status as a master of contemporary suspense.
Update: There is now a sequel to this book – Linwood Barclay’s No Safe House – new problems for Terry and Cynthia Archer when their daughter becomes involved in a possible murder.Check out my review here
If you like standalone Mystery/Thrillers…….
Here are three Authors whose books might enjoy:
- Charlie Donlea — tightly plotted thrillers often built around cold cases, missing persons, and strong female leads, with twists that keep coming
- Michael Koryta / Scott Carson — blends crime, suspense, and sometimes the supernatural, with a darker tone and strong atmosphere
- Riley Sager — modern psychological thrillers with big twists, often centered on isolated settings and unreliable pasts
