My first novel by Gillian McAllister and the first time I've ever listened to an audio book! This was a good one for me to start with, a woman sees a murder committed right in front of her house in the very first chapter so it kept my interest well. A suspenseful murder mystery that was chosen for Reese's Book Club back in August of 2022. We are dealing with a lot of stuff in this book: death and murder, a stabbing, blood, child abduction, the death of a parent, and the main character talks quite a bit about her weight and being unhappy with her body.
Jen is a lawyer, having worked her entire life in her father's practice and taking it over when he died months ago. She has a husband who she loves, who makes her laugh with his dry sense of humor, and who she still finds attractive; as well as a brilliant son who just turned 18 and who (luckily) was too into science and video games to get into any teenaged troubles. Until the day that he kills a man in front of their house. Jen sees the whole thing and struggles during the aftermath of Todd getting arrested and trying to see him in the police station. Why would he do such a thing? Jen doesn't even recognize the man he killed, he didn't even have a chance to speak before Todd stabbed him. Why is her husband reacting the way he is? Why is Todd refusing a lawyer?
After returning home from the station, sleep finally finds her. When she wakes up, Todd is just getting out of the shower. He doesn't have any idea what she's going on about...stabbing and arrests and police! When she checks the date, it's the day before the murder happens. Whenever she goes to sleep, Jen is transported back in time to another day that helps her fill in the blanks, why did Todd do this? Always backwards. How far back will she go? Do any of her actions have consequences in the future?
Short answer, about 20 years and yes. I must not have read the synopsis of this book very closely before getting involved because I was just as shocked as Jen the first time she traveled backwards in time. Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Living her life in reverse, Jen gets to see all the things she didn't have time for before. She heals these little wounds that she has about whether she has been a good mother, a good daughter, a good wife. This book was a nice reminder for me to really enjoy the moments I have with my kids, to try to be present with them and not distracted. And although I thought Jen was a little naive as she unraveled this mystery, and I did have much of the ending figured out by the time we got there, there were at least two moments that I audibly gasped in shock. Altogether a very enjoyable read (or listen), I'll be back for more books by Gillian McAllister.
I'm giving Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister 4.5 stars out of 5. The story was very interesting and took me in a direction I didn't expect; and I'm very intrigued by the epilogue.
To see more work by Gillian McAllister, check her out at https://gillianmcallister.com/
Pairs well with the light from a jack-o-lantern and some fish pie.
Comments