When Lorraine "Rainie" Conner suddenly vanishes from her parked car in the middle of a rainy night, her husband Pierce Quincy is quickly called.  Since they had been separated, Quincy was either a prime suspect or a good resource to finding out what happened to her.  A former FBI profiler, Quincy helps the local police gather up clues to try and find her.

Rainie struggles against the madman who has kidnapped her.  Between terrifying flashes of consciousness and failing attempts at escape, she starts remembering the details of her life.  How she had been unable to help save a young girl and her mother from a killer; how she had turned to alcohol to help control the images coursing through her mind; how she had squandered precious time with her husband, only to end up like this:  a pawn in some game of which she had no control.

As other experts are brought in, the kidnapper contacts the police and media, claiming he only wanted a small ransom.  However, as the kidnapper thwarts every move, the situation turns precarious when a second victim is kidnapped - Dougie, a seven year old boy whom Rainie has been helping.  As the circle starts closing in tighter and tighter, Rainie and Dougie's time draws shorter.  The list for "persons of interest" yield only a few names, but hopefully, somehow, a break will develop before time runs out.

With an exciting mix of characters, action and suspense, GONE is an incredible gripping suspense.  Quincy has his own past hauntings he has to live through everyday, as well as his current situation. His only surviving daughter, Kimberly, who is a budding FBI agent, has arrived to help.  A neatly woven thriller, GONE is also laced with bittersweet angst as Rainie begins to understand her life and  what it means to her, only now that it seems out of reach.  GONE is not so much about the crime and finding  out "whodunnit", but rather about the complexity of emotions everyone has to face about the decisions and circumstances of  their lives.  Dougie's guilt plays into the story convincingly, making him a strong secondary character.  The ending seems more like a continuation with the characters that I hope to see in the next book by Ms. Gardner.  GONE is definitely worth checking out if you like a character driven suspense.