Full of Beans

A Back-In-Time Mystery #1

by Mark J. Wilson

Phil Beans has a lot on his plate. A dead professor. A cheating husband. A missing graduate student. A mysterious Umbrella Guy. And a suicide that doesn’t make sense.For the ambition-challenged and exertion-adverse private investigator, Phil Beans, who is usually content to use his time-traveling skill working straightforward divorce cases, solving each of these seemingly disparate crimes seems like a lot of work, and (maybe) not worth the effort. But he’s made promises that he must keep, so Phil sets off on his mission of discovering the truth about these crimes, and maybe even gets the girl in the end, as a bonus. Full of Beans is author and scientist Mark Wilson’s highly engaging new time-bending novel in the Back-in-Time book series, set in Oxford, England. Tightly-woven and a fun story, it is filled with eccentric characters, engrossing plots and sub-plots, and a detailed sense of place that will keep readers hooked from the first page to the last.

378 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 17, 2025

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're willing to accept the premise that a person can travel back in time with the aid of a Polaroid camera and some carefully documented prints, this is a delightful book. The protagonist is just goofy enough, and has a good heart, which unfortunately gets him into trouble, in the present and the past. The author has a lot of fun with British surnames and place names. The story seemed a lot like a disc world novel, but without the trolls and golems. All in all, a fun read. Highly recommended.

[Kate Wilson-Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Usually I am a firm fantasy reader and rarely deviate, but I’m glad I did. Phil Beans is very lovable and you end up rooting for him from the start. The time travel is clever and strangely plausible. I couldn’t stop reading, Phil’s decision-making created a sense of jeopardy that kept you hooked. I was even reading this while brushing my teeth and making a cup of tea, wanting to know what happened next. It was fun, exciting and enjoyable. Roll on the next book.

[Jennifer Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The storyline started sort of slow but picked up pretty quickly and then had me on the edge of my seat. The author has created a clever concept by adding time travel to the murder mystery genre. If you love a good mystery then I would definitely recommend you read this book as its twists and turns provide something different from the old standard. Hope there are more to come as implied at the close.

[Jim Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timetravel with a twist

Great light read. Murders occur and then are erased, love is won and lost and won again. If you enjoy light sci-fi, this book is for you. Looking forward to the next one.

[Diana Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bloody brilliant

Fun-filled story with interesting characters and a lovely feeling of "wonder what is happening next" or "what happened before now. "