Gone Forever

A True Story of Marriage, Betrayal, and Murder

De: Diane Fanning

Narrado por: Jane Cramer

Susan McFarland watched, powerless, as her husband, Rick McFarland, went into a downhill spiral of get-rich-quick schemes, quirky shopping trips, and prescription-drug abuse. Susan, a rising star at a major corporation, finally had enough. When she decided to call it quits, Rick ended her life, leaving three young boys - ages 5, 8, and 11 - without a mother.

A two-month long search by law enforcement and volunteers found no trace of the missing woman. Rick knew where her charred body was but told his boys that their mother would be back - she just needed a break from them. What would the future hold for the three innocent boys caught up in the perfect storm of betrayal and murder?

Diane Fanning is the author of the Edgar Award finalist Written in Blood: A True Story of Murder and a Deadly 16-Year-Old Secret That Tore a Family Apart. Her other works of true crime include the best seller Mommy's Little Girl, A Poisoned Passion, The Pastor's Wife, and Through the Window. She is also the author of the Lucinda Pierce Mysteries: The Trophy Exchange, Punish the Deed, Mistaken Identity, Twisted Reason, and False Front. She has been featured on 48 Hours, 20/20, Court TV, The Today Show and the Discovery Channel, and has been interviewed on dozens of radio stations coast to coast. Her books are sold throughout the English-speaking world, including the UK and Australia, and there are more than half a million copies in print. Before becoming a writer, Fanning worked in advertising, and she earned more than 70 Addy Awards.

©2006 Diane Fanning (P)2012 Diane Fanning

Very heartbreaking

What a very annoying and aggravating husband. So immature and pathetic. Constantly buying things. Not working. Yikes what weight that must of been.

Very Good Audiobook

Another great TRUE CRIME book from this author! She does such good research and does a great job in conveying the lives of the people involved! Excellent narration. one of the best I've heard.

Amazing tension for such clear guilt.

This true crime book really stands out in several ways. There's barely a sense of whodunit and no lengthy trial. (I think there's more on the custody hearing after he's been convicted than his actual murder trial). The tension is all built around the back story and law enforcement's attempts at finding the body. That being said, it still draws you into the very strange and unsettling world of the moral and mental decline of Rick McFarland. Jane Cramer's narration is excellent. I really felt at times she was telling me about people she knew rather than a recounting of details amassed from newspapers and police reports and put in to a narrative. This is due to Diane Fanning's clearly empathetic writing paired with Jane's soft accents and almost Christopher Walken's like gait to some of Rick's words, particularly as he's spiraling downwards.

Interesting story

The author definitely gave life to Susan despite hers having been taken. It’s not a whodunit book which is fine. I appreciated that the narrator didn’t try to lower her voice when speaking something said by a man in the book. That seriously gets on my nerves. She was very frank narrating and I think she did a good job, though if you prefer to hear different voices from the narrator you’ll probably find it a little monotonous.

a very good book

Would you consider the audio edition of Gone Forever to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version but I suppose so, the narrator's tone make you feel the story

What other book might you compare Gone Forever to and why?

I could compare with books by Ann Rule. I don't know much about Diane Fanning but, sure thing, I'll look up another of her books.

Which scene was your favorite?

None in particular.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

The worsening of the victim's husband

HOW SAD SHE STAYED<br />

Domestic violence that ends the life of a beautiful, hard working loving mother of three.

A complete biased account

I do not know or have any relationship with either party in this story. But it was one of the most difficult to get through. The author seemed to exhibit a complete bias to the victim's character, even though, she admits to not knowing her. The entire story, she adorned and memorialized the victim as if she were a perfect, stainless individual. It seemed very unrealistic. True Crime stories are better from an objective approach. The author should have given equal consideration to both sides for a more balanced story.

It was also unfair to criticize the accused and his family about every aspect of their very being. Clearly, there was a reason Sue chose to marry Richard. He must have exhibited some good towards her and their children.

This was a very tragic story. And only Sue and Richard know what transpired on the final day of her life. For whatever reason, Richard snapped, maybe through feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, maybe through mental illness and not being of sound mind. But one thing is for sure, Sue lost her life and her children lost their mother. Something that should never have happened. My only hope is that forgiveness and understanding can heal everyone involved.

Totally inappropriate narrator

Why in the world did this narrator end up doing this book? She should have been doing YA or children's books. Very young voice. Rapid delivery. Little or no expression. I finally gave up.