The Wrong Year

by Victoria Reiby

206 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 13, 2026

About the author

Victoria Reiby is an Australian author who writes thrillers and mysteries shaped by the harsh grit of the Queensland outback.

Her stories are set in remote towns, isolated hospitals, cattle country and unforgiving landscapes where distance breeds secrecy, and help is never close. Drawing on years of experience as a doctor working in emergency medicine, she brings realism, tension, and a keen understanding of human behaviour to stories about danger, betrayal, survival, and the lies people tell when they believe no one is watching.

Victoria’s fiction explores ordinary people caught in extraordinary situations, where trust can be fatal, the landscape is as threatening as the people in it, and buried secrets rarely stay buried.

Reviews

[Ruslana Pidsadiuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what I call a “just one more chapter” kind of book.

It really pulls you in and makes you want to keep reading, moving through the story alongside the characters.

I especially want to highlight the dialogue and the interactions between the characters. The lines are sharp: sometimes funny, sometimes bitterly funny, and occasionally sarcastic. It feels fresh.

But despite how much I enjoy the dialogue and character interactions, I’d still say this is more of an action-driven story.

One of my favorite lines is: “Everyone had a reason. That was becoming the most frightening part.” And that’s exactly what makes the characters feel alive and the world feel logical.

It has everything: action, character interactions, and, of course, time travel.

[Terice Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thrilling read that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Sherry's father goes missing when she is ten and although a funeral is held, her father's body is never found. Fast forward and Sherry is now in her late twenties and has followed in her father's footsteps by becoming a clock repairer. Once rainy night, an old Grandfather Clock is delivered to her repair shop....and it sings a childhood nursery rhyme...in her father's voice.

This isn't any ordinary clock, this is a time machine that pulls Sherry into and hurls her through time to 1899, Queensland Australia. Here, things get even stranger...if that's even possible. What happened to her father? Who can she trust? What role does Arthur play in all of this.

This book will have you guessing until the very end. Just when you think you know what's going on, you're dealt another twist that sends you in another direction.

I loved how unique this story is, can't say I've ever read a book with a time travelling clock! Victoria's writing style keeps you interested and intrigued every step of the way and immerses you in Sherry's world.

[Vern Flaig · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wrong Year by Victoria Reiby is an imaginative time travel story with some intriguing twists and memorable characters. One of the story's strengths is the clever way the author weaves together different periods in time, particularly when her main character encounters her own mother as a child. This is a fascinating concept that opens the door to all kinds of possibilities. There is also a rather remarkable goat who occasionally lends a helping horn, and a charming young man who proves that appearances can be deceiving. The historical settings, including the mud and horse poop filled streets of 1800s Rockhampton, Queensland, provide a wonderful backdrop for the adventure. The story has such visual potential that I could easily imagine it adapted into a film. The cover art is stunning and deserves special mention.

[R. Busby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sherry Beaumont is living a quiet life in Victoria Harbour, Canada fixing clocks, when a grandfather clock is delivered to her workshop and begins to speak with her father's voice. She barely has time to digest this impossibility before she finds herself thrown back in time to a small Australian town in 1899. Out of place and out of time, she quickly discovers nothing she knew about her past can be trusted and no one is as they first appear. The Wrong Year is just over 200 pages of fast pacing, fast talking, wise cracking, rollercoaster narrative. I found it reminiscent of a 1930's screwball comedy, only with edge.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb!

I truly enjoyed the dialogue in this the most! This is a fast paced read that hits all the right notes. Time travel, family, friendship, mystery, suspense and a brush of romance. And the ending? Yes! I didn’t see that coming!

I appreciated the witty humor between the characters that helped lighten the mood at times and absolutely adored the goat! Such a fun little touch to this story.

Hands down I would recommend.

[Hayley Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by Victoria Reiby and it won't be the last. A fast paced story full of high stakes drama laced with humour and heart. Relatable characters, a fantastic villain, and an intriguing plot kept me turning those pages. A great read.

[Casey Meadows · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed the dialogue in this the most! This is a fast paced read that hits all the right notes. Time travel, family, friendship, mystery, suspense and a brush of romance. And the ending? Yes! I didn’t see that coming!

I appreciated the witty humor between the characters that helped lighten the mood at times and absolutely adored the goat! Such a fun little touch to this story.

Hands down I would recommend!