Touchstone: Let's Fall in Love for the Last Time

by Andy Conway

Touchstone (5. Let’s Fall in Love for the Last Time) continues the time travel saga exploring the city of Birmingham through a century of change.

Rachel finds herself in 1934, where she must help Charlie stage a concert featuring renowned Jewish crooner Benny Orphan and an all-black swing orchestra.

But Danny is there too, seemingly intent on sabotaging things. And a group of murderous Blackshirts are determined to make sure the concert doesn’t happen.

As swing fans, nazis, communists and time travellers do battle on the dance floor, Rachel finds that it’s not always clear who’s an ally and who’s an enemy. Especially when disturbing new powers emerging from both her and Danny threaten to tear the city apart.

A gripping tale of love versus hate in the Depression, set to a backdrop of beautiful swing tunes.

296 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 14, 2013

About the author

Andy Conway is the novelist, screenwriter and time traveller behind the Touchstone series. He runs a publishing empire from a loft in Birmingham. A keen advocate for authors' rights, he is the founder of the West Midlands Screenwriters Forum, New Street Authors and Punk Publishers.

Read more and join his Touchstone mailing list at www.andyconway.net

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reviewing this book, the fifth in the Touchstone series by Andy Conway, but I haven't yet reviewed the first four books. This is because I didn't have time! I was in too much of a hurry to get the next book downloaded and started! What a find! I have never read anything by Andy Conway before - but I'm now hooked! I was enthralled by the first book, the story was just so enjoyable with our heroine Rachel slipping back to 1912 Mosely. My only criticism of the first two books in this series was that they felt far too short - like one novel cut in half! But Thankfully I could download the next one quickly and carry on. I think if I had had to wait for it to be written I might well have been quite annoyed! I loved the fact that the whole story was based around the village of Mosely in the suburbs of Birmingham - which the author obviously knows intimately - and our heroine travels throughout time visiting Mosely in 1912, in 1934, 1940, 1959 and 1966. The story has some wonderful twists and turns and the plot is so well worked out! There were a lot of 'I never saw that coming!' Moments for me.

Not only was the story thoroughly enjoyable, it was also very thought provoking. Andy Conway certainly makes you think about how ordinary people lived and how their values and belief systems have changed so dramatically over the past 100 years. I can't wait for number 6 in the series! My only disappointment is that I know it will be the last one!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book five in the Touchstone series and we’ve been whisked back to the big band foxtrotting quickstepping era of the 1930s. Rachel is meeting Charlie for the last (?) time, whereas it’s his first time meeting her. Danny is back with some supernatural powers (an interesting twist) and we delve a bit more into the Mrs Hudson/Kath Bright/Mitch relationship and who they really are.

I have to say that this series hasn’t let up yet. Andy has pulled you in and isn’t letting go. Just yet. It’s kept me intrigued enough to continue with the series, even if I do have to read the remainder of the books on my Kindle app. (I’ve been banned from spending £70+ on the paperbacks.)

I do love the relationship between Charlie and Rachel, even though it’s a bit odd, as it’s flipped on its head from the previous books. This is the first time that Charlie has met Rachel and it’s quite funny seeing his initial reaction to this strange woman in the graveyard who knows him.

As this is (apparently) the last time that Rachel meets Charlie, I’m curious to know if we’ll see him in the later books. Or if the Kath/Mitch/Mrs Hudson triangle will put paid to this - I can’t quite put my finger on it, I thought they were good, but starting to slowly suspect there’s something suspicious about them.

Danny is back, he features more in this book, and is back hunting for Amy. There’s a rather shocking revelation in this, which Rachel discovers, so I hope this isn’t forgotten about in the rest of the series. (There’s so much still to cover in book 6, which is the “last” of the current season - there’s still another 6 books set more around Kath - I think - plus spin offs.)

It took me a while to realise that the Harold “Arrr” in this book, was the Harold from The Very Thought Of You, and while I still think something is missing about this story in the timeline, it was interesting to see it from the point of view of an outsider. I have a funny feeling Jez is going to reappear at some point, or the story will be referenced again.

I really hope book 6 isn’t a letdown, and I am hoping that the rest of the series is good. I do know that Danny features in the first book of the new series (even though they’re all under the Touchstone umbrella.) I am glad that Andy hasn’t gone down too formulaic a route and each book has felt quite fresh.

[Martin C · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent read, full of twists and turns, wrapped up with well observed historical and social details

[[ J o ]]

Read the first book of the Touchstone series, The Sins of the Fathers. 1 Star, there fore will not be continuing with the series.