What do you think?
Rate this book
Saskia Brandt #2
Flashback
In 1947 a Santiago-bound plane crashes into the Andes minutes after confirming its landing time.
In 2003 a passenger plane nosedives into the Bavarian National Forest during a routine flight.
Although separated by more than 50 years, these tragedies are linked by seven letters:
S, T, E, N, D, E, C.
On board Flight DFU323 in 2003 is Saskia Brandt - a woman who holds the answers to the many puzzles of the two flights and who knows she must survive in order to prevent a catastrophic chain of events stretching well into the future.
But Saskia is not the only one to know this. She is being followed and her life is in danger - inside and outside of the plane.
Filled with twists and turns as it trips skilfully through time, Flashback is a gripping technothriller that reaches more than fifty years into our past - and one hundred years into our future - to solve the enigmas of the doomed Star Dust and Flight DFU323.
But is it enough to solve the enigma that is Saskia Brandt?
In 2003 a passenger plane nosedives into the Bavarian National Forest during a routine flight.
Although separated by more than 50 years, these tragedies are linked by seven letters:
S, T, E, N, D, E, C.
On board Flight DFU323 in 2003 is Saskia Brandt - a woman who holds the answers to the many puzzles of the two flights and who knows she must survive in order to prevent a catastrophic chain of events stretching well into the future.
But Saskia is not the only one to know this. She is being followed and her life is in danger - inside and outside of the plane.
Filled with twists and turns as it trips skilfully through time, Flashback is a gripping technothriller that reaches more than fifty years into our past - and one hundred years into our future - to solve the enigmas of the doomed Star Dust and Flight DFU323.
But is it enough to solve the enigma that is Saskia Brandt?
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2011
27 people are currently reading
240 people want to read
About the author
Ian Hocking
10 books23 followersI'm a university lecturer and researcher based in Canterbury, UK.
For the most part, I write thoughtful, character-based science fiction thrillers with a philosophical edge, like 'Deja Vu', which has been republished by Unsung Stories.
Déjà Vu won the Red Adept Science Fiction Award.
Otherwise, I have been known to write comedy fiction.
Drop me an email if you like: ihocking@gmail.com. I also maintain a mailing list for those interested in keeping up with my work.
For the most part, I write thoughtful, character-based science fiction thrillers with a philosophical edge, like 'Deja Vu', which has been republished by Unsung Stories.
Déjà Vu won the Red Adept Science Fiction Award.
Otherwise, I have been known to write comedy fiction.
Drop me an email if you like: ihocking@gmail.com. I also maintain a mailing list for those interested in keeping up with my work.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 11, 2014
Hocking’s sequel to ‘Déjà vu’ finds Saskia Brandt in Germany in 2003, embarking on a relationship with a blue-haired girl called Jem. Like Saskia, Jem is not all she appears to be.
The novel begins with a disorienting series of jumps in time. A plane crashes on the side of a mountain and an old German soldier, living alone in the wilderness, hears a voice from his mirror, asking for help.
We jump back in time a few weeks, and back again, discovering more of Saskia and her fledgling relationship.
Things get interesting when we jump ahead in time to an Airport Press Conference where an elderly man with a cane has enough technology to steal data from the plane company spokesman’s laptop. The old man is known as ‘The Ghost’ and has discovered that not only was Saskia on board but the codeword ‘STENDEC’ was transmitted before the plane crashed; the same sequence of letters that was transmitted by a chartered plane in 1947 before it crashed into the Andes.
The Ghost, like Saskia, is a time-traveller but a very dangerous one. He is on a mission to retrieve information that Saskia may have, and if she is dead then he may need to try and retrieve it from those closest to her.
A little like Charles Stross’ ‘Laundry’ novels, this is a heady mix of science fiction and espionage thriller, featuring time-travel, cyborgs, technological maguffins, credit card sized artificial intelligences and a complex plot that jumps between 1947 and 2003.
It’s much tighter, darker and complex than ‘Déjà vu’ and at its heart has the central question of how we define identity and whether a human personality is more than the sum of its memories.
Saskia, as we know from ‘Déjà vu’, is an artificial personality grafted on to the subdued consciousness of a serial killer. Saskia’s memories of life before the grafting are artificial. The Ghost, it seems, may have similar issues and Jem, for different reasons, has problems of her own with memory and how it relates to her everyday life.
All in all, it’s a proficient thriller and an excellent sequel to ‘Déjà vu’. taking Saskia and Jennifer Proctor onto a completely different character level.
The novel begins with a disorienting series of jumps in time. A plane crashes on the side of a mountain and an old German soldier, living alone in the wilderness, hears a voice from his mirror, asking for help.
We jump back in time a few weeks, and back again, discovering more of Saskia and her fledgling relationship.
Things get interesting when we jump ahead in time to an Airport Press Conference where an elderly man with a cane has enough technology to steal data from the plane company spokesman’s laptop. The old man is known as ‘The Ghost’ and has discovered that not only was Saskia on board but the codeword ‘STENDEC’ was transmitted before the plane crashed; the same sequence of letters that was transmitted by a chartered plane in 1947 before it crashed into the Andes.
The Ghost, like Saskia, is a time-traveller but a very dangerous one. He is on a mission to retrieve information that Saskia may have, and if she is dead then he may need to try and retrieve it from those closest to her.
A little like Charles Stross’ ‘Laundry’ novels, this is a heady mix of science fiction and espionage thriller, featuring time-travel, cyborgs, technological maguffins, credit card sized artificial intelligences and a complex plot that jumps between 1947 and 2003.
It’s much tighter, darker and complex than ‘Déjà vu’ and at its heart has the central question of how we define identity and whether a human personality is more than the sum of its memories.
Saskia, as we know from ‘Déjà vu’, is an artificial personality grafted on to the subdued consciousness of a serial killer. Saskia’s memories of life before the grafting are artificial. The Ghost, it seems, may have similar issues and Jem, for different reasons, has problems of her own with memory and how it relates to her everyday life.
All in all, it’s a proficient thriller and an excellent sequel to ‘Déjà vu’. taking Saskia and Jennifer Proctor onto a completely different character level.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2016
I love puzzles. I like taking something that is totally chaotic, and then putting the pieces back, bit by bit, until the final picture emerges. I say this because Ian Hocking’s unique writing style reminds me a lot of putting together a puzzle. Hocking gradually relinquishes bits and pieces of information throughout Flashback, which on the surface may seem confusing, but as the ending begins to approach, the pieces finally fall into place. The subject matter of Flashback is time travel, which for a story topic can be challenging to read as well as to write, but Hocking does it with finesse in an almost poetic style.
Flashback begins with an investigation into the crash of a German airliner in the year 2003 which had transmitted an unusual message minutes before crashing which was identical to a message left by another airline crash that took place in the Andean Mountains 56 years prior. Investigators are lead to believe that a passenger by the name of Saskia Brandt may be central to the cause of the accident which leads them to Jem Shaw, an acquaintance of Brandt’s, who may have been the last person that interacted with her before the fateful flight. Shaw, who had only known Brandt for a short time, had come to the conclusion that something about Saskia was different. Shortly after the accident an unusual stranger, Richard Cory, enters into Jem’s life that leaves her with the sense that Saskia had survived the crash, and with that knowledge Jem believes that both she and Brandt are in imminent danger. It is up to her to find Saskia before Cory tracks her down.
Besides time travel, Flashback delves into the concept of technology interfacing with the human body and its consequences. Specifically, Hocking focuses on how technological enhancements has the potential to strip us of our individuality. Both Brandt and Cory struggle with the technology that has invaded their souls, each dealing with it on their own terms.
I found Flashback to be a pleasant read, but for those of you that are sequential readers, you may find difficulties in reading it. Because of this, I do strongly encourage reading the first in the series, Déjà Vu, as it gives a lot more background on some of the characters in Flashback as well has their circumstances which will make things less confusing.
If you are interested in learning more about the Saskia Brandt Series check it out on my blog A-Thrill-A-Week
Flashback begins with an investigation into the crash of a German airliner in the year 2003 which had transmitted an unusual message minutes before crashing which was identical to a message left by another airline crash that took place in the Andean Mountains 56 years prior. Investigators are lead to believe that a passenger by the name of Saskia Brandt may be central to the cause of the accident which leads them to Jem Shaw, an acquaintance of Brandt’s, who may have been the last person that interacted with her before the fateful flight. Shaw, who had only known Brandt for a short time, had come to the conclusion that something about Saskia was different. Shortly after the accident an unusual stranger, Richard Cory, enters into Jem’s life that leaves her with the sense that Saskia had survived the crash, and with that knowledge Jem believes that both she and Brandt are in imminent danger. It is up to her to find Saskia before Cory tracks her down.
Besides time travel, Flashback delves into the concept of technology interfacing with the human body and its consequences. Specifically, Hocking focuses on how technological enhancements has the potential to strip us of our individuality. Both Brandt and Cory struggle with the technology that has invaded their souls, each dealing with it on their own terms.
I found Flashback to be a pleasant read, but for those of you that are sequential readers, you may find difficulties in reading it. Because of this, I do strongly encourage reading the first in the series, Déjà Vu, as it gives a lot more background on some of the characters in Flashback as well has their circumstances which will make things less confusing.
If you are interested in learning more about the Saskia Brandt Series check it out on my blog A-Thrill-A-Week
March 17, 2013
Flashback is the second book in the Saskia Brandt series. I have read the first book, Déjà Vu—which you can see my review under that book—so I'm not sure how Flashback would be for someone who has not read the prior book. [I believe the reader should be able to read this book without reading the first one.] Flashback focused on two mysterious plane crashes (one true to history and the other fictionalized for the book.) It's a technothriller mystery as the reader tries to piece together what happened during the crashes.
Characters: Although Saskia is a focal point in much of the novel, her third person narrative is much less than the first book, mainly because she was on the plane that crashed. The third person narratives are mostly through Jem and Cory. Jem is a British girl who is trying to figure out Saskia and her successful gambling tactics. She is a complex character with a shady past and hardcore personality. Cory is another time traveler who is involved with both crashes. How? Well, I'll let you read about that. He, too, has a complex personality and struggles with the burden of his mission.
Plot: The plot jumps between 2003 and flashbacks to 1947. I struggled at points trying to keep everything in order (time-wise), especially at the beginning of the novel. For example, the first few chapters on Saskia and Jem go backwards in time. I would have preferred a regular timeline with less details building up to more (a character recalling something that was left out before) if information needed to be withheld. By the end of the book, everything makes sense in what has happened. The reader pieces together how and why the plane crashes took place and who (if any) survived.
A few small things that the reader might have trouble with when reading this book: there are a few conversations completely in a different language with minimal translations, a few instances where the character is talking and thinking simultaneously, and the timeline of the plot (see above). Other than that, if you like techno-thriller with a mystery and some action, you should like this book. I do recommend reading Déjà Vu first. Despite being busy, I was able to read this book over the weekend. I think I liked Déjà Vu better than this book, but I'm still interested to see what happens to Saskia in the third book – The Amber Rooms. [Hence, I would give the book 3.5 stars.]
Characters: Although Saskia is a focal point in much of the novel, her third person narrative is much less than the first book, mainly because she was on the plane that crashed. The third person narratives are mostly through Jem and Cory. Jem is a British girl who is trying to figure out Saskia and her successful gambling tactics. She is a complex character with a shady past and hardcore personality. Cory is another time traveler who is involved with both crashes. How? Well, I'll let you read about that. He, too, has a complex personality and struggles with the burden of his mission.
Plot: The plot jumps between 2003 and flashbacks to 1947. I struggled at points trying to keep everything in order (time-wise), especially at the beginning of the novel. For example, the first few chapters on Saskia and Jem go backwards in time. I would have preferred a regular timeline with less details building up to more (a character recalling something that was left out before) if information needed to be withheld. By the end of the book, everything makes sense in what has happened. The reader pieces together how and why the plane crashes took place and who (if any) survived.
A few small things that the reader might have trouble with when reading this book: there are a few conversations completely in a different language with minimal translations, a few instances where the character is talking and thinking simultaneously, and the timeline of the plot (see above). Other than that, if you like techno-thriller with a mystery and some action, you should like this book. I do recommend reading Déjà Vu first. Despite being busy, I was able to read this book over the weekend. I think I liked Déjà Vu better than this book, but I'm still interested to see what happens to Saskia in the third book – The Amber Rooms. [Hence, I would give the book 3.5 stars.]
February 12, 2013
Flashback
This book was given to me as part of a series in exchange for an honest review. Although I had the Omnibus I opted to review each book individually, keeping in mind the fact that it was related to other books that expanded the story. This is not a summary - for that read the description. For a review, read on (no promises it will be good though)!
Crisp and contained, the writing manages to instill a sense of fullness with few words. Ian Hocking contrives to write a non-linear linear story, and for the most part has succeeded.
Flashback continues with most of the same cast of characters, and introduces some new ones as well. The story continues in the same non-linear, linear fashion that was introduced in the first of the books . Events and people circle round themselves and each other, appearing and disappearing without any visible guidance. Yet this book seems to be more convoluted than the first (& a good thing too, as I don't know how many people would continue with the series had it begun with this book). And yet, in some ways it did begin with this book - ways which defy the tidy logic that most humans crave, if not require.
There is no shortage of action and mystery for the continuance of the story, and an overarching theme begins to make itself felt and seen. Well written, in an exceptionally creatively voice, Flashback leaves you lusting for more. With numerous story lines still incomplete , the reader can only hope for some form of resolution by the end of the third book.
This book was given to me as part of a series in exchange for an honest review. Although I had the Omnibus I opted to review each book individually, keeping in mind the fact that it was related to other books that expanded the story. This is not a summary - for that read the description. For a review, read on (no promises it will be good though)!
Crisp and contained, the writing manages to instill a sense of fullness with few words. Ian Hocking contrives to write a non-linear linear story, and for the most part has succeeded.
Flashback continues with most of the same cast of characters, and introduces some new ones as well. The story continues in the same non-linear, linear fashion that was introduced in the first of the books . Events and people circle round themselves and each other, appearing and disappearing without any visible guidance. Yet this book seems to be more convoluted than the first (& a good thing too, as I don't know how many people would continue with the series had it begun with this book). And yet, in some ways it did begin with this book - ways which defy the tidy logic that most humans crave, if not require.
There is no shortage of action and mystery for the continuance of the story, and an overarching theme begins to make itself felt and seen. Well written, in an exceptionally creatively voice, Flashback leaves you lusting for more. With numerous story lines still incomplete , the reader can only hope for some form of resolution by the end of the third book.
March 14, 2013
I won an ebook of this book from a giveaway on another website.
I delved into this book without reading Déjà Vu, though my friend let me read the summary from the third book in the series that she won.
It was a quick read, seeing that I managed to finish it within one day. I enjoyed the characters, particularly Saskia and Jem, immensely. Each one was carefully crafted and full of dimension. The relationship between Saskia and Jem tugged at my heart a bit and kinda wish to see more of their interactions. The mystery within the plot was interesting as well.
The only two drawbacks for me were its non-linearity and lack of translations for phrases spoken in other languages. Now, I don't mind non-linear stories but with the way the book started off like this, it was quite easy for me to get confused and lost, causing me to look back a couple of times. Conversations in German and Spanish were thrown about and I was completely lost as to their meanings as there are neither a translation provided right after or even context clues to allow the reader to figure them out.
However, in spite of this, I would be interested in going back to read Déjà Vu just to read more about Saskia and then continue with The Amber Rooms.
If I could, I would rate this a 3.5/5 but I have rounded up.
I delved into this book without reading Déjà Vu, though my friend let me read the summary from the third book in the series that she won.
It was a quick read, seeing that I managed to finish it within one day. I enjoyed the characters, particularly Saskia and Jem, immensely. Each one was carefully crafted and full of dimension. The relationship between Saskia and Jem tugged at my heart a bit and kinda wish to see more of their interactions. The mystery within the plot was interesting as well.
The only two drawbacks for me were its non-linearity and lack of translations for phrases spoken in other languages. Now, I don't mind non-linear stories but with the way the book started off like this, it was quite easy for me to get confused and lost, causing me to look back a couple of times. Conversations in German and Spanish were thrown about and I was completely lost as to their meanings as there are neither a translation provided right after or even context clues to allow the reader to figure them out.
However, in spite of this, I would be interested in going back to read Déjà Vu just to read more about Saskia and then continue with The Amber Rooms.
If I could, I would rate this a 3.5/5 but I have rounded up.
February 10, 2013
Dr. Ian Hocking brings a refreshing aspect to time travel. The books are an embodiment of the terminology "technothriller". Though the Saskia Brandt Omnibus may be placed under the sci-fi category, it is most definitely in a class of it's own. I most enjoyed the fact that being a "sci-fi" book, the entire story stayed rooted on planet Earth. These three books are an obvious culmination of the time and study the author dedicated to the idea of travelling through time and addressing well-known historical data.
We smash into FLASHBACK, this is where the magic happens. As we delve into the realm of time-travel, and face human turmoil, we jump between continents and several various points in time. Saskia's character takes a bit of a backseat as the author demonstrates an intricate web of peril and outright exposure. We meet some of the characters from DEJA VU, but there are new intriguing faces that come into play. Dr. Hocking's cunning story development and quick-witted repartee made this book an absolute page turner.
Find the entire review here:
Bookend Chronicles
We smash into FLASHBACK, this is where the magic happens. As we delve into the realm of time-travel, and face human turmoil, we jump between continents and several various points in time. Saskia's character takes a bit of a backseat as the author demonstrates an intricate web of peril and outright exposure. We meet some of the characters from DEJA VU, but there are new intriguing faces that come into play. Dr. Hocking's cunning story development and quick-witted repartee made this book an absolute page turner.
Find the entire review here:
Bookend Chronicles
August 10, 2013
I loved Deja-Vu, and this book continues the time travel theme, with the first few chapters written in an almost Memento-esque style where each steps back further into the past to add additional context to the chapter you've just read.
Flashback is less about the technology and process of time travel, and more about the effects it has on the psychology of the travellers, particular those who have spent a few too many years in the past...
It is intelligently written and quite complex in places, and I am certain that some aspects of the plot have missed me (my fault, it was a hectic time when I read it!) but such books are more rewarding, and linger in your head long after the final page has been turned.
Overall for me it was a 3.5 stars to Deja-Vu's 4, with Amber Rooms definitely in my future timeline!
Flashback is less about the technology and process of time travel, and more about the effects it has on the psychology of the travellers, particular those who have spent a few too many years in the past...
It is intelligently written and quite complex in places, and I am certain that some aspects of the plot have missed me (my fault, it was a hectic time when I read it!) but such books are more rewarding, and linger in your head long after the final page has been turned.
Overall for me it was a 3.5 stars to Deja-Vu's 4, with Amber Rooms definitely in my future timeline!
September 9, 2013
Saskia Brandt is magical (or so it seems) and Ian Hocking has a mind that few of us can follow, as Flashback shows us so clearly.
Flashback has to be absorbed, not just read in the lackadaisical way we read most fluffy novels. You must really pay attention to where and when you are to make sure keep up. Sketch out a timeline … write notes … whatever it takes to keep from falling way behind. If not, you are the one who becomes lost in time with no choice but to go backwards and reread it. That’s exactly how reading this book made me feel; completely lost in time. But I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.
Describing this book would be as difficult as grabbing a handful of air. You know it’s there, but it’s impossible to achieve. Suffice it to say that I really, truly enjoyed the experience.
Flashback has to be absorbed, not just read in the lackadaisical way we read most fluffy novels. You must really pay attention to where and when you are to make sure keep up. Sketch out a timeline … write notes … whatever it takes to keep from falling way behind. If not, you are the one who becomes lost in time with no choice but to go backwards and reread it. That’s exactly how reading this book made me feel; completely lost in time. But I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.
Describing this book would be as difficult as grabbing a handful of air. You know it’s there, but it’s impossible to achieve. Suffice it to say that I really, truly enjoyed the experience.
November 23, 2012
Book two of the Saskia Brandt series jumps between two different times, years apart and two different plane crashes that are somehow connected.
I was often confused, had to back up, reconnect and plunge forward, kind of like the story. Saskia, the main character did not play a huge roll this time out and another time traveler, Cory, seemed to be the main focus. Fortunately, Jem gave us her flare for warmth and being 'human'-in spite of her appearance!
If you enjoy techno-thrillers with TONS of dark twists, you will enjoy this, me, not so much.
I was often confused, had to back up, reconnect and plunge forward, kind of like the story. Saskia, the main character did not play a huge roll this time out and another time traveler, Cory, seemed to be the main focus. Fortunately, Jem gave us her flare for warmth and being 'human'-in spite of her appearance!
If you enjoy techno-thrillers with TONS of dark twists, you will enjoy this, me, not so much.
November 2, 2019
I really like the way Hocking writes. The depth of characterization and world building, the technology, the approach to time travel. All excellent. And the way he draws out the mysteries of the story is just fantastic! I didn't have trouble keeping up with the differing time lines, nor the characters identities though I can see how some might. The tone of this book is less hopeful than the first, more world-weary, but that's fitting given the change in circumstances. I greatly appreciated Saskia's and Jem's relationship and the way it was treated within the text.
June 6, 2013
As with the first book in the series, the story is complex and switches through time, it has time travel as a core so that's not surprising. Very well researched as expected, but this detail gets in the way of the story not too much, I like detail, but it can become annoying. Then there are jumps to the next section which could do with more character interaction. If you haven't read the first you will feel lost not because of plot links but because the background isn't clear.
September 5, 2012
I can't say I enjoyed this a much as the first book to be honest it was a bit of a slog towards the end. The plot was a bit vague and difficult to follow and some sections seemed to drag on, not a book I would recommend or read again, sorry Ian
January 6, 2013
Downloaded this a while ago but never got around to reading it. I liked it better than the first one as I was able to understand it better - the first one was very confusing. Hopefully the third book will be as easy to understand and read.
February 16, 2013
A promising sequel to the first book, although confusing at times. A great storyline none the less. This book appeared to focus on Cory rather than Saskia which was a bit surprising but I think it was a great way to see the world from a different perspective.
Looking forward to diving into book 3
Looking forward to diving into book 3
December 11, 2011
Almost better than the first one!
And really looking forward to book 3!
And really looking forward to book 3!
February 14, 2012
Very much looking forward to the third book being released this year. :)
October 13, 2014
Time travel and I never get on well. I find the jumping in time inherently confusing - especially when it is not always noted!
That aside this was a good story with a few nice twists.
That aside this was a good story with a few nice twists.
May 29, 2012
The general concept was good, liked the characters and the general premise. In the middle of the book, i got totally confused as to who was doing what and why.
Read
June 5, 2016I struggled with this one but made it through. Not a patch on the first book. Just found it very confusing. Still not sure what happened.
April 2, 2013
A very well crafted book with twists and turns everywhere
I recommend this to everyone as a thriller as well as a SciFi
I recommend this to everyone as a thriller as well as a SciFi
June 12, 2013
A bit confusing, but that's the nature of time travel I guess.
Read
December 7, 2013False
January 23, 2014
Very, very different but good.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews