Terry Archer is a high school English teacher enjoying his life with his wide Cynthia and their daughter Grace. Cynthia has a troubled past however which occasionally puts a strain on their marriage: when she was a teenager, her whole family (parents and brother) vanished one night, leaving Cynthia not knowing if they are dead or alive. In an effort to find answers, Cynthia and Terry decide to appear on an unsolved mysteries segment of a Dateline-like television program. As clues come in which could unravel the mystery of Cynthia's past, her marriage starts unraveling as well.

No Time for Goodbye is a fast-paced thriller that will appeal to fans of Harlen Coben: the plot takes some twists and turns and has a surprise ending, but there is not as much violence as in some of the Coben standalones. My only criticism is that the characters were not particularly well developed until the latter part of the book - this story is mostly plot and dialogue driven. That gripe is a minor one, as the pacing of this book makes it perfect for a plane ride or morning train commute.

This is one of the most suspenseful books I have ever read. It grabbed me from the first paragraph and didn't let go. The story revolves around a 14 year old girl who wakes up one day to find her mother, father and older brother gone. No note was left, no sign of a struggle, no blood, nothing indicating what happened to them. The story fast forwards 25 years where the girl is now a married woman with a daughter. She's still trying to find out what happened to her family all those many years ago. This is one book that I will read again and again. The writing is fantastic!

This was an enjoyable read. I don't understand why readers are saying how suspenseful it was. I figured out the story line early on and because it was so obvious, I thought I might be in for a big surprise at the end. I was not. It was a quick read though

....EEEEEE! This is a book that you read and think........"this could really happen...to me!" Great book, lots of surprises! MMMM!

Title: No Time for Goodbye
Author: Linwood Barclay
ISBN: 9780553590425/ Bantam
Mystery/Thriller
Protagonist: Terry Archer, high school teacher
Setting: present-day Connecticut
Rating: A+

First Line: When Cynthia woke up, it was so quiet in the house she thought it must be Saturday.

When Terry Archer's wife Cynthia was fourteen, she had a small run at being a Wild Child. One night she told her parents that she was going to study at a friend's house and instead went drinking and necking with her Bad Boy boyfriend, Vince Fleming. Out past curfew, Cynthia's father tracked her down, dragged her out of Vince's car, shoved her in his, and took her home. A rather loud argument ensued, ended by Cynthia screaming, "I hate you! I wish you were dead!" She stomped upstairs to her room and promptly passed out on her bed.

When she woke up the next morning, her mother, her father and her brother had vanished without a trace.

Twenty-five years later, Cynthia is happily married to Terry Archer, and they have an eight-year-old daughter, Grace. A television news program approaches them to spotlight the case. Cynthia, who was raised by her Aunt Tess, has always been haunted by what happened, and she wants answers so she agrees. Once the program airs, no one phones in with any new leads--but things start to happen. Will Cynthia ever learn what happened to her family?

Barclay made a wise decision to tell this story from the point of view of Cynthia's husband Terry, who loves her deeply. Even through Terry's sympathetic eyes, Cynthia doesn't always seem rational, and this adds an extra dimension to the suspense. Normally when I read a book--even mysteries or thrillers--I'm along for the ride. I don't make a special attempt to figure out who did it or why. No Time for Goodbye was different. Fortunately part of my employment (although it does require concentration and observation) allows one portion of my brain to roam free because I found myself sitting there going over and over this story, trying to deduce the outcome. To me, it's always a very good sign when a book I'm reading won't leave me alone and insists on following me everywhere I go.

Linwood Barclay's characterization, plotting and pacing were excellent. This is the first book of his that I've read. It won't be my last!

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book. Quick paced, easy to read and keeps you guessing the whole time. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

By no means a "great read", but it was a fairly decent book. I thought the pace was uneven at times. I would read another book by this author, whose style does resemble Harlan Coben.

No Time for Goodbye had me on the edge of my seat with each page I read. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it. I looked forward to each new detail of the unfolding story.

One of the best suspense thrillers that I've read in awhile. Fourteen year old Cynthia wakes up. Her house is empty. Her family has disappeasred without a trace. There's "No Time For Goodbye".

This story had an intriguing plot once the story got moving, however I think it probably could have been shortened by 100-200 pages - it just lagged a bit in some areas. But if you are able to plow through those parts, you'll enjoy this one. It reminded me a lot of Harlan Coben's books. I picked this one up on a whim after reading the back at the book store - overall, it was worth it.

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Very good, will written. Couldn't put it down. A mystery until the very end. Best book I've read in along time.

I considered putting this book down for the first few chapters, then it got interesting. The end was predictable but interesting. A good, light mystery

This is a great book about a teenager who wakes up one morning to find that her whole family is missing. It is a little slow at the start but really picks up and has a great ending. Definitely worth reading.

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