Julie McElwain |  Fiction

My friends Lois and Paul were on the Queen Mary 2 on their way from South Hampton, England to New York, over Thanksgiving weekend.   Paul was perusing the library when he ran into this book, A Murder in Time.  "Lo," he said, "I think this one is for you."  An FBI agent, Kendra Donovan, accidentally enters a wormhole and finds herself transported back 200 years, to 1815, to the Aldrich Castle in England. There, it seems, her skills are invaluable, if somewhat misunderstood, as she investigates and ultimately discovers  the identity of a brutal serial killer. 

Since Lois and I are great fans of the Outlander series, she knew I would enjoy this book as well.  The copy I read was NOT from the Queen Mary 2 ... it was a local Deschutes County Library borrow.

I loved this book!  Engaging, great characters, interesting tidbits about nineteenth century England  morays, values and social structures, and clear fast-paced writing all collude to make this a great read.  This is McElwain's first novel.  She is employed as the editor of a magazine on "daytime dramas."  But don't get the wrong idea!  This book is way more about mystery than romance.

The only criticism I have is this.  You know how mystery writers bury a clue or two so that when the murderer is revealed, it all makes sense?  Well, the author's clue was too obvious and too easy to spot.  Even though I knew before the end who the "unsub" was, i was still fascinated to see how it unfolds.

Enjoy this riveting read!

p.s.  I just this moment learned McElwain's second novel, A Twist in Time, will be released on April 4.  Oh boy!