Turn Back Time

by Jacky Gray

They say three's a crowd. And Isaac doesn't like crowds.
He likes his cousin Lizzie even less. So the day she invites herself to stay and he gains a third woman sharing his life, he’s not a happy bunny.
Based on bitter childhood memories, he imagines she’ll pick up her cruel torment where she left off. He’s not wrong. And there’s no safety in numbers as all his housemates are fair game for her particular brand of torture. Even work holds none of its normal refuge as his boss sics a Rottweiler on him to scrutinise his every move.
2022 wanes, diminishing his opportunities to use the Time Machine for his grand plan. The trouble is, it requires a level of cooperation from certain individuals. And Isaac doesn’t do people.

If you like The Big Bang Theory, you'll see a lot of Sheldon in Isaac - and fans of Marvel's Thor movies (especially Loki) will appreciate some Norse myths which haven't yet made the cut.
Fifth in the Time Doctors series, this fun-filled romp could be read as a stand-alone, but readers will have massive spoilers in going back to read the previous stories. What can I say? Pretty inevitable in a serialised story.

The stories combine Dungeons and Dragons with Time Travel. Nutty, but it kinda works.
#1 Time and Time Again - Labyrinth & 1977 Silver Jubilee
#2 Just in Time - Haunted Castle & 1955 Wimbledon
#3 Time Kicks Back - Bletchley Park & 1966 Football World Cup
#4 Time After Time - Dragon Hunters & 1988 Rubik's cube
#5 Turn Back Time - Norse Mythology & 1999 Gameboy

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2024

About the author

As so often happens with these things, Archer was born while I was in the middle of writing another book. Events were conspiring to ensure I wrote this story, beginning with a trip to Warwick Castle where I stood enthralled with my friend and our kids while the Warwick Bowman talked us through the history of the long bow. He treated us to the ultimate demonstration, firing 100 arrows in rapid succession through a loop of rope, approximately the size of a human head. The warrior within me awoke - I was hooked.

I had recently read the first two books in Bernard Cornwell’s excellent Grail Quest series – these obviously made a big impact. I started writing it in march 2009; 18 days and 56,000 words later, Archer’s tale was told. After a year spent mostly in Wessex, the next four books were drafted and I was ready to go back and start editing the first two books.

I am currently writing the 6th book in the series and wondering if this will be the last.