Time Frame

Split Second #2

by Douglas E. Richards

SPLIT SECOND was the 27th bestselling Kindle book of 2017—out of almost 6 million titles. Now, this blockbuster continues with TIME FRAME, a standalone sequel that will leave you breathless.

A daring attempt to go back a split second in time to destroy Kim Jong-un. A discovery so consequential it dwarfs even time travel. And a treacherous enemy bent on revenge.

Lee Cargill is the head of Q5, a secret organization that can send objects a split second back into the past. And while this seems utterly useless, it turns out to be the most powerful capability the world has ever known. Those who control it can transform civilization—or destroy it entirely.

When Cargill sends Aaron Blake, his most formidable operative, on an unauthorized mission to destroy Kim Jong-un, all hell breaks loose. As Blake battles for his life, his chances of thwarting the North Korean tyrant plummet. But they’re about to get far worse. Because China has learned of Q5 technology, and they’ll stop at nothing to hunt Blake down . . .

And all the while, a powerful enemy has reemerged. An enemy who seeks to use time travel technology to achieve a twisted, psychopathic vision that will leave millions dead—starting with Lee Cargill and the entire Q5 team.

TIME FRAME is a roller-coaster ride of a thriller, one packed with fascinating concepts that readers will be contemplating long after they've read the last page.

Genres: Science Fiction, Time Travel, Fiction, Audiobook, Thriller, Amazon, Action

430 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 14, 2018

About the author

Write to Doug at douglaserichards1 at gmail dot com, and visit the author's website to be notified of new releases.

Douglas E. Richards is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of science-fiction thrillers that have sold more than three million copies (see list below). Richards has been celebrated for his gripping, thought-provoking works that blend cutting-edge scientific concepts with heart-pounding narratives.

Richards burst onto the literary scene with his debut novel, WIRED, published in 2010. The novel garnered widespread acclaim for its ingenious combination of scientific speculation and thrilling storytelling. This success set the stage for a series of bestselling novels, each marked by meticulous research, riveting plots, and characters that resonate with readers.

Known for his ability to translate complex scientific concepts into accessible and engaging narratives, Richards has become a go-to author for readers seeking an intellectually stimulating and adrenaline-fueled reading experience. His works delve deeply into the ethical dilemmas posed by scientific breakthroughs and the potential impact of technology on society.

A former Director of Biotechnology Licensing at Bristol Myers Squibb and a former biotechnology executive, Richards earned a BS in microbiology from the Ohio State University, a master's degree in genetic engineering from the University of Wisconsin--where he engineered mutant viruses now named after him--and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

The author has two grown children and lives in San Diego, California, with his wife and dog.

Richards loves hearing from readers, and always replies, so feel free to write to him at douglaserichards1 at gmail dot com, and address him as "Doug". You can also Friend Richards on Facebook at Douglas E. Richards Author, or visit his website, where you can sign up to be notified of new releases.

SCIENCE FICTION THRILLERS BY DOUGLAS E. RICHARDS

SERIES

WIRED (Wired 1)
AMPED (Wired 2)

MIND'S EYE (Nick Hall 1)
BRAINWEB (Nick Hall 2)
MIND WAR (Nick Hall 3)
UNLEASHED (Nick Hall 4)

SPLIT SECOND(Split Second 1)
TIME FRAME (Split Second 2)

THE ENIGMA CUBE (Alien Artifact 1)
A PIVOT IN TIME (Alien Artifact 2)

STANDALONE NOVELS

QUANTUM LENS
GAME CHANGER
INFINITY BORN
SEEKER
VERACITY
ORACLE
THE IMMORTALITY CODE
UNIDENTIFIED
PORTALS
THE CURE (To become KU eligible for the first time in 2023)
THE BREAKTHROUGH EFFECT

Kids Science Fiction Thrillers (9 and up, enjoyed by kids and adults alike)

TRAPPED (Prometheus Project 1)
CAPTURED (Prometheus Project 2)
STRANDED (Prometheus Project 3)

OUT OF THIS WORLD

DEVIL'S SWORD

Reviews

[5ngela · Rating 2 out of 5]

First I want to say that I really hope Split Second make sequel. And my dream comes true when I see Time Frame. In fact it was perfect except for one thing. Now I regret for wishing the sequel. I don't know what happen. But I feel that this book is not like his writing. I don't know what's wrong but it just feel empty. Really empty. I find that I finish this book just for the sake finishing it. I gained no pleasure no sadness about it. The characters are not like their old self in Split Second. In fact it was better if they are new characters. Then no one will compare them. I cannot tell more without spoiling it. It really disappointed.

I don't even know where to begin with the story. The opening is really good. Wonder where it gone wrong. I think the biggest mistake from Mr Douglas is using real characters and blend it with fiction story, worse with science fiction. You feel the credibility was outstretched beyond limit until broken. No more the battle of wits. No more gray area. Instead we have a lot of plot hole and plot device. And I don't even know what the point of using Chinese characters when they don't involved in the main conflict. You'd think they play some role but I suppose it is what it is. Of course, it could be for another sequel. But at this point I doubt people will remember nor care about them.

Worse the romance looks cheap. I don't know how to say this but I feel sorry for Nathan. it feels like the girl say I love you but you are not macho enough so I also don't love you. It would be better if they broke up for good. Really leave the bad taste. I don't even want to talk about the bad guy. Talk about being cheap copies. Not living up to the expectation.

I know that I rant a lot. but it was because I really really have high expectations for this sequel. The strong point from every Mr Richard book is the capability to immerse reader in grey area and combined it with emotional story and science fiction theory. But it was none in Time Frame. It pains me to give this book low rating. Still Mr Douglas remains one of my favorite author. Hope he can make better book next time. I know he can do it.

Rating : 2.5 of 5 stars

www.sharing55tories.blogspot.com

[Adrian Durlester · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Douglas E. Richards. He writes fun-to-read speculative fiction that likes to tackle ethical and moral issues. This book, second in the "Split Second" series is no exception - but it is also not particularly exceptional. Though I believe the author strives for a reasonably balanced political perspective, there are times when his writing gets troublingly hawkish and jingoistic. I found that more so in this book, in which ethically questionable actions receive an undue amoutn (from my perspective) of rationalization. Also, I have written before about the prevalence of "infodumps" in Richards' writing. Sometimes, the very nature of how Richards writes requires them, and sometimes they are justifiable and not just lazy writing. I can usually get through them, but in this particular book I really started to find all the infodumps annoying. It was as if the author felt he needed to explain every plot twist lest the reader find them unbelievable. Trust us, Douglas. You already provided end notes to help explain some of the speculative science, and you could just as easily have used those to cover potential reader disbelief. Also, I found the book had a bit more gratuitous violence. There are ways to portray people as truly evil without putting really gross and disturbing pictures in the minds of your readers. I will keep reading Richards' books. He is a good author. He does his homework. He picks interesting ideas to weave into interesting stories. They just can't all be four or five star books, and for me, this one just wasn't.

[Yishai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh man. I can’t believe I liked this book. The first one was super bad: misogynistic, dumb. And this one too, mind you, suffers from the same crippling dialogue and regrettable character descriptions (ex: the lady protagonist is always described with relation to when she last had sex / her ability to have sex / etc.) it’s like - c’man dude there’s more ways to describe a human.

Also, wow the author needs to read “On Writing,” the King book. Writing 101 is avoid adverbs. Instead of “he said angrily,” write “he said through gritted teeth,” or whatever. This whole effing book is adverb town amateur hour.

But where tf do I get off thinking he’s a shitty writer when I’m not writing a goddamned word, so on to the 4-star justification. This is a book that does not take itself seriously at all, in a good way. Kim Jong Un?? Okay dude whatev you know what? I’m on board. And the continuation of the nifty thought experiments about how this time travel could work: great! Loved it. The action was cliche and overwrought, but that’s what we’re here for. Tell me more about super bikes and crazy AIs.

But maybe not so much with the monologuing - no one wants to hear hot takes about human nature etc. that read like I imagine a typical Scott Adams fan / red pill reader, would say. Hurr durr men be like. Hurr durr women be like. Gtfo and stick to silly time travel.

[Danika Fedeli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just fantastic!

Douglas E. Richards has quickly become one of my favorite authors. The way he intricately weaves near futuristic scientific possibilities into an action packed plotline is one of the many reasons I devour his books as soon as they're released! I have Kindle Unlimited, so I can read all his novels for free, but I BUY THEM! Why? Because I always want them available. I reference them in conversations and then pull them up on my phone.

Now, I know can be a stand alone novel, but do yourself a favor and read Split Second first. Then, you should read all his novels. They're just THAT good!

If you're hesitant about this because of the Kim Jung Un part, so was I. I will tell you that I was pleasantly surprised by how well it was worked into the plot. I'm not one to give away a bunch of spoilers, so just read it!

Finally, if you are someone who skips the "Author's Notes" when you read a book, you do NOT want to miss Richards'! He always has a section at the end of his novels titled "What's real and what isn't." Knowing it's there makes me want to get through the story faster so I can learn more! It's fascinating to learn about new scientific developments that are in the works! Some may even shock you!

So, basically, JUST READ IT!

[Rick Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I thought he'd jumped the shark this time. I nearly put the book down. I'm glad I didn't. The story moves, the speculation remains acute. But by its end you have to realize that Richards is gunning for Hollywood. He departs lived life and rams into the sound and fury of SciFi on the big screen.

The time machines, called kettles now, lose their fun as literary devices and become this reliable appliance for duplicating anything. Branches to quickly camouflage a truck, say. Create an instant army. Manufacture, by cloning, explosives whose manufacture is too complex beyond a smidge.

Still, somehow, this sort of Science Fiction remains more grounded in lived life than most of the genre. So why do I want more messy details? I guess because I want actual literature and not just good story telling.

Or do I? Rock on!

[Maria Fledgling Author Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the Last Second or Maybe the Third

Time Frame was an enormously satisfying second half of the Split Second series. We pick up with Nathan Wexler, Jenna Morrison, Lee Cargill, Aaron Blake and Edgar Knight just after the destruction of Knight's compound at Lake Las Vegas.

The integrity of the Q5 team is being called into question by President Janney due to the scale of the carnage and the mystery of how it was destroyed. Cargill is called on the carpet to answer for Q5's involvement.

Douglas Richards takes a fantastical technological discovery and creates even more brain burning applications. Ethical evolvement of science and humanity are explored in real world situations.

And, once again, Richards folds all the science, technology and philosophy into an un-put-downable book. Every page brings another terrifying or exciting twist right to the very end.

[Marika Charalambous · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also read last year, but forgot to mention it on Goodreads. I remember I've enjoyed it a lot.

[Tolga Can · Rating 2 out of 5]

It would have been a better book if the author skipped re-explaining the events and characters of the first book. Also, throughout the book, most sentences felt like the author is trying to explain things to a 5-year old.

[Dchamp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second book in a series... and a real good one!

Lots of very thought provoking time travel/transporter moral issues that you never thought of!

Highly recommended.

[Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Split Second and I thought the story was amazing. It honestly was a book that could’ve kept up really well all by itself. But this explored so many more ideas and there were many plot twists that I didn't see coming, which makes me happy that there is a sequel. You start off shortly after where Split Second ends. Q5 is trying to figure out how time travel should be limited between everyone and set ethics for using the kettles. Things really start to get rather interesting towards the end of the book (which I won’t talk about since I’d rather not spoil too much). Some of my favorite parts of this book were the fun mind games that it liked to play on you. It always helped me look at things in a different way. This book most certainly deserves 5 stars, it was written really well and I love how it doesn’t just stay with one character. It pops around and you see a bigger picture. My favorite part was definitely the ending, even though some people may hate it. It definitely left on a really good note (like the first book). I recommend to everyone who enjoys mind games and strategy here and there. I’d want to say that if you like mysteries that this is also a good book if you enjoy that as well.

[Chabs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mind-Blowing-Definitely A Must Read

Just As Every Book Douglas E Richards Publishes This Book Is Absolutely Mind Blowing And Awe Inspiring, The Characters Bring You In And Develop So Much, The Story And Sequels Just Keep Getting Better And Better. Amazing Use Of Science, Technology And What Our Future Could Be Like, I See This Can Definitely Happen In The Near Future. Amazing Writing, Well Explained And Keeps You Turning Pages Until The End, Which I Didn’t Want It Come. I’ve Read All Of Douglas E Richards Books And It’s Always Been A Pleasure, A Great Book That Takes You Into It’s World. Can’t Wait For Fingers Crossed New Book Releases And Hopefully A Third Book For The Split Second Sequels.

[Louise Pass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good stuff

As the second book in the series there is less new science and more social impact speculation, delving into the effects of multiple beings and the ethics of duplication. I have a question , about the mechanics of transporter tech, that I probably missed an explanation of, is the dark energy actually converting into matter directly or is it somehow altering matter in the regular universe to create duplicates of everything? There is not likely to be enough speciality chemicals laying around in nature to make 100 complex electronic devices in one place without serious conversions.

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great short story

Oh wait, this isn't a short story. Could have been effectively told in 200 pages. Repetitious. I was hoping that after the first one the author improve the story line. But, sadly no.

[Shane Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is just something that rubbed me wrong with the writing. Something in the level of description maybe. Felt like it was over descriptive.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I have read nearly all of Mr. Richards' books and several are on my "favorites" list. The first book in this "Split Second" series just barely missed the cut. I remember being very intrigued by the mystery of why a man that discovered a seemingly useless technology (the ability to send something back in time by a fraction of a second) would be hunted down and killed. Then getting to see how powerful that technology could be. But where that book lost me was in the ending. It went way over the top with characters making multiple copies of themselves and raiding a man-made island filled with black ops mercenaries. It was kind of fun, but it removed the stakes by allowing the characters to cheat death.

When I stumbled across the sequel, I wasn't sure I needed to read it. But the "stand alone" line in the description gave me hope that this one might go off on a new tangent for split-second time travel. Maybe a new scientist discovered the possibility and used it in a completely different way? Nope. This book follows EXACTLY where the last one left off... right down to yet another duplicate of a main character that undermines the climax of the first book. Great. Well, maybe the main characters will settle down and rein in the craziness once they get back to their base. Wrong again. They go right to cooking up another assassination attempt that involves more human copies and adds nested time machines. Now my brain is hurting in all of the wrong ways. Rather than my mind struggling to keep up with plausible scientific advances (which would be awesome), I'm trying to keep track of which version of the current character is in what country and how much they know. It's not engrossing, it's distracting. As far as the "stand alone" aspect of this one goes, it amounts to retelling the plot points and technology of the first book over and over again. Not just in the beginning either. A new character is introduced around the 50% mark and has the whole first book rehashed to him; then a government official is brought into the loop around the 300 page mark and gets all of the technology explained yet again. Even if you hadn't read the first book, this would feel like overkill and padding.

At any rate, this is not the best work from Mr. Richards. However, despite how this review sounds, it's not an awful book. It is a quick read with lot of action sprinkled around. It just doesn't add a whole lot to what came before it.

[jacob.eru · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, fresh off the end of the first book (which i admittedly enjoyed without thinking critically about it until reading a critical review like this one, which gave me a warning flag for entry to the second book,) i plunged into the sequel expecting the promised interstellar, or at least interplanetary travel. What do i get? More of the most annoying criminal mastermind i've ever heard, including saturday morning cartoons! Then HOURS of recap of every detail from the first book. Then i'm certain we're getting to space, but no, gonna take down North Korea with 17 copies of Blake, keep 'em coming. Time Machines are now called Kettles, that's called innovation, kids. Instead of clear plastic, they're stainless steel. And best of all, we can nest them now, one smaller inside the larger, enabling transport of a kettle, used solely for the Korean assassination. Cargill walks himself and team into a trap of Knight's, *WITHOUT* making backups copies! The good guys are so stupid they deserve to lose, but the hero Blake (copy #11) saves everyone's ass again. Then the best (worst) part is when Knight kills himself instead of being taken alive, they all just say, well, maybe he's got another copy, not our problem. (!) FACEPALM oh, but he BIG revelation is that we discovered that at sometime in the past, some other intelligence built a device on Flabby's Star which makes the time travel limit 45 milliseconds. Woo. We don't know they still exist, we have not communicated, no information whatever, purely an existence proof of a technological time travel suppression device. That's all ya get.

[Vince · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a big fan of time travel. It is just too easy to get out of bad situations.
But Split Second was great because there were real constraints put on the technology. It was fun to follow the characters as they worked within these constraints.
Time Frame loosened those constraints quite a bit. Maybe too much. There didn't seem to be a limit to the size of the objects manipulated. Nor was there any limitation on the number of copies of people that could be made. These things meant that I never really felt that what was happening had any consequence. There was always a duplicate vehicle or person entering the picture and throwing off the narrative.
Still, it was fun to read and the chess match between the characters was well done. It's annoying that there were no limits, but since both sides had roughly the same tech they were on a level playing field.
Richards is definitely one of my favorite authors and I look forward to his future work (no pun intended). :)

[Bob Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first installment of this series (Split Second) and this follow-up was a terrific sequel.
I really like his take on time travel being just microseconds in time, but feet and miles in distance.
The plot of this story was a bit complicated at times while I tried to follow who was the original character and who was the copy.
A few times I had to go back a few pages to re-read a section to confirm my understanding of what was going on.
I also liked the way his characters had to deal with the ethical questions that this version of time travel created.
I think the ending left the story open to a book #3 in the future.
I also enjoyed the way the author walked you through some of the science and history he uses in the book in a section at the end.
Interesting to get that type of insight from an author.
All-in-all it was a fun read and a book I would recommend. I don't think you have to read book #1 to enjoy this book, but it would bring a few things together more easily if you do.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a schizophrenic novel, Everyone had split personalities primarily because they were duplicated if not once then many times. It made the story almost annoying in that it became difficult to keep track of which member of a split duo or triple was in the action. So many copies were made by both the good guys and bad guys it was impossible to tell who was left at the end. The story also had two separate plots. One featured the destruction of a current ruling despot and the other the destruction a sick minded megalomaniac. Both of these plots were outlandish. The science used to build the foundation for the action was junior high at best. I gave it four stars by mistakes I should have given it two.

[Baskar Angappan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truth to be told, I kind of kept it aside for a day after finishing first few pages when Kim came into picture and Blake started his travelling... Because somehow not felt the action was warranted and this is just taking an off course from what the first book had been going to. But nevertheless, started resuming again just to give it a try and the book didn't give me a chance of snoozing it again.
It is a good story plot, that gives the full capacity to revive anyone or kill anyone for any number of times, and at the same time, the same goes against the story itself, because it was not giving a way for nail-biting thriller because you know you will may not loose any character that soon/easily...

[Rob Morton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Dizzying Trip

Wow... just the science of time travel - even the handwavium kind - is mind boggling but Mr. Richards does a good job explaining it while mixing real deal facts and science, making this a very good book to read... if you have the time, of course.

Very black operation trying to do ethical things with their invention of time travel but forced to do unethical things x including lying to POTUS - to stop the ultimate bad guy who has the same device to travel through time... 45.15 microseconds at a time. This book will have you rethinking what time is while leaving you on the edge of your seat with all the action.

[Nicholas Lefevre · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the sequel to a book I read about two years ago, Split Second. I avoided describing the main time travel trick in my review of that book, but now the jig is up. Both are based on the ability to travel back in time by a fraction of a second. That doesn't seem very useful except that it results in duplicating the time travel and moving him through space. It worked reasonably well the basis for a thriller in that book but this sequel gets carried away with it. Duplicating turns into a away to make disposable humans including central characters offing themselves in favor of their copies. It loses all emotional impact and creates ridiculously complex scenarios. I can't recommend it.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Down-to-Earth SciFi, but A LOT of Fighting, too ...

This was a good continuation of the Series’ 1st Book, both in characters and plot function.

I found the tale-end of the story’s action to be kind of hard to believe (as if some of the other parts were more realistic? Hah!), and this part of the ending seemed to just cut off the story rather than giving it a graceful fade-out. Worse, it deliberately left doubt about at least 1 character, and whether or not this person would re-appear in whatever Book #3 gets written — I don’t like when Authors drag things out over multiple books — the continuation of a series is MUCH BETTER when the stories are refreshed.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything that I have read by Douglas E. Richards has been exceptional. 'Time Frame' is no exception. His unique twist on time travel, in this two-book series, sets the stage for some interesting plot developments. Note that, if you read his 'Alien Artifact' two-book series, the time travel aspect is handled in a completely different way. The characters are both believable and engaging, even those you will love to hate. The story feels complete, and yet leaves this reader expecting a book three. Doug is quickly becoming one of my must-read authors, and there are very few of those. I going on to read 'Oracle' next. If you haven't yet, give his work a try.

[linda murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take Notes

The premise of this book is time travel, but not forward! This is a sequel to the previous book, Split Second, and Jenna Morrison, Nathan Wexler, and Blake are caught up in a scheme to kidnap Koreas Supreme Leader, but are also discovering alliances that could bring down the Free World! Things can get very confusing in this book and you may want to take notes to keep everything straight, since duplicates of the characters are all over and involved in many scenarios, through time travel and the ability to make copies of themselves or others! Its an interesting premise! But can be very hard to keep straight!

[Sean Randall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic way to continue the series, I really enjoyed it. A good opening set of chapters to refresh the mind as to what happened in book 1, and a brilliant continuation of the story with so much real world material, it's hard to believe it's all fiction. it did perhaps get a bit much, with everyone having multiple copies and it being a bit of a stretch to work out who was whom and with which other version of that other person's same self and whatnot, but all rollicking good fun really and spot on with Richards' usual tone and style.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining book series. The main characters are awesome ... and I could not believe how cool some of the plot in this second book was. I don't want to spoil it for anyone ... but I was blown away by the journey into N.K. Wow ... what a crazy trip. If only it were so easy to take out the bad guys. Ha!
The only thing that would have made it more insane ... was if Donald Trump were the President. Well, we know that's never going to happen, so what do we have to worry about right? If anyone ever does invent time travel, I hope to God we can go back to 2015 and get a do-over.

[Dexter · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's nice to have a sequel that manages to continue the plotline from the first book while also making the first book feel complete and closed out by the end of it.

It's been a year it two since I read Split Second, so I definitely appreciated the exposition at the start that recapped the previous novel while introducing the setting for this one.

Overall, Time Frame was a very enjoyable read. The characters are interesting and fairly unique, the plot enjoyable, and the action sequences will choreographed.

[Brian Swartzfager · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining sequel to "Split Second" which picks up right where the first book ended. Bit of a different vibe: the plot of the first book focused on the mystery as to why one of the characters was killed to suppress a seemingly harmless scientific breakthrough and who could be trusted. This one was more about what the heroes could do - and should do - with and about that breakthrough. And as in the first book, the characters are amazingly good at what they do: not perfect, but pretty close.

If a third book comes out in this series, I'll probably read it.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad...but I liked the first one better

I still enjoyed the story but I wasn't crazy about the Kim Jong Un storyline. It just seemed to be crow barred in there as a distraction to the main storyline. It just didn't seem like an action that the characters would really do at this point in the story arc and it was ultimately used in order to justify a duplicate to stay alive. Regardless it was still entertaining and not a bad sequel. I am not sure if I will continue if there are more to the series. To be determined.