History professors have a bad habit of living in the past. For Patrick O'Connell, "living in the past" takes on a very different meaning when he becomes the caretaker for Julia Wirth's beautiful family home. A decades-old murder reveals itself to him ... nothing more than indistinct shadows at the foot of the stairs, but their pull on Patrick is irresistible, drawing him back to 1929 Portland. An unlikely detective in any era, Patrick is driven to solve the long-forgotten murder of Julia's father. He's out of his time, and completely out of his element. Worse yet, Patrick can't even be certain whether his actions will keep history on course, or jeopardize the futures of the very people he's trying to protect.
A history professor moves into a house in 1991 that time travels him back to 1929 to solve a mystery. The tie-ins are done very well. And the author showed how well he knew the Portland area. Recommended.
What a page turner! I was continually--excuse the term--drawn back to this story. A wonderful mystery and an equally wonderful trip through time. Not only was I caught up in the story, but it felt as if I was experiencing the real Portland, Oregon of 1929. The sights, sounds, tastes and smells--not all of them pleasant--were presented in vivid detail. The characters were fully alive as well--we got to know them as real people, ones we cared about, they weren't used as cute, charming props in a quaint time machine. What I particularly loved about the book was that Patrick O'Connell's adventures in time were filled with danger and real risk. His decisions and actions mattered, and that kept the suspense--and stakes--very high. A terrific first novel. I look forward to the author's next book!
Loved the story, unique idea. After walking around Portland a little, the story really came to life. Characters were real, not two dimensional. Very well written for a first time author in the genre, wish he could write a sequel. Heard this author speak at 2015 Left Coast Crime and bought the book. Well worth the investment. More please!