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Charlie Lowe #3
Marianne's Memory
Marianne's Memory is the third novel in Winona Kent's accidental time travel / historical romance series, featuring Charlie Duran and her 19th century companion Shaun Deeley.
A Beatles badge from 1965 accidentally sends Charlie and Shaun back to London at the height of the Swinging Sixties, where they're mistaken for KGB spies and subjected to a terrifying interrogation.
Rescued by top-ranking MI5 agent Tony Quinn, they soon uncover the details of a child born out of wedlock to Charlie's mum and the uncomfortable truth about Charlie's dad's planned marriage to selfish socialite Arabella Jessop.
Further complicating their journey into the past is Magnus Swales, an 18th century highwayman turned time-travelling assassin, and the timely arrival of William Deeley, Shaun's father, who's been persuaded to leap forward from 1790 in order to save Tony from Swales's deadly mission.
A Beatles badge from 1965 accidentally sends Charlie and Shaun back to London at the height of the Swinging Sixties, where they're mistaken for KGB spies and subjected to a terrifying interrogation.
Rescued by top-ranking MI5 agent Tony Quinn, they soon uncover the details of a child born out of wedlock to Charlie's mum and the uncomfortable truth about Charlie's dad's planned marriage to selfish socialite Arabella Jessop.
Further complicating their journey into the past is Magnus Swales, an 18th century highwayman turned time-travelling assassin, and the timely arrival of William Deeley, Shaun's father, who's been persuaded to leap forward from 1790 in order to save Tony from Swales's deadly mission.
259 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 10, 2018
1 person is currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Winona Kent
24 books71 followersWinona Kent is an award-winning author who was born in London, England and grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan, where she completed her BA in English at the University of Regina. After moving to Vancouver, she graduated from UBC with an MFA in Creative Writing, and a diploma in Writing for Screen and TV from Vancouver Film School.
Winona's writing breakthrough came many years ago when she won First Prize in the Flare Magazine Fiction Contest with her short story about an all-night radio newsman, “Tower of Power”.
Her debut novel Skywatcher was a finalist in the Seal Books First Novel Award and was published by Bantam Books in 1989. This was followed by a sequel, The Cilla Rose Affair, and her first mystery, Cold Play, set aboard a cruise ship in Alaska.
After three time-travel romances (Persistence of Memory, In Loving Memory and Marianne's Memory), Winona returned to mysteries with Disturbing the Peace, a novella, in 2017 and the novel Notes on a Missing G-String in 2019, both featuring the character she first introduced in Cold Play, professional jazz musician / amateur sleuth Jason Davey.
The third and fourth books in Winona's Jason Davey Mystery series, Lost Time and Ticket to Ride, were published in 2020 and 2022. Her fifth Jason Davey Mystery, Bad Boy, was published in 2024.
Winona also writes short fiction. Her story “Salty Dog Blues” appeared in Sisters in Crime-Canada West's anthology Crime Wave in October 2020 and was nominated as a finalist in Crime Writers of Canada's Awards of Excellence for Best Crime Novella in April 2021. “Blue Devil Blues” was one of the four entries in the anthology Last Shot, published in June 2021, and “Terminal Lucidity” appeared in the Sisters in Crime-Canada West anthology, Women of a Certain Age (October 2022). “On the Internet, Nobody Knows You’re a Dog”, will appear in the upcoming Sisters in Crime-Canada West anthology, Dangerous Games (October 2024).
A collection of Winona’s short stories, Ten Stories That Worried My Mother, was published in 2023.
Winona has been a temporary secretary, a travel agent, a screenwriter and the Managing Editor of a literary magazine. Winona's currently the national Vice-Chair and the regional BC/YT rep for the Crime Writers of Canada, and is also an active member of Sisters in Crime – Canada West. After many decades working in jobs completely unrelated to writing, Winona is now happily embracing life as a full-time author. She lives in New Westminster, BC with her husband, and a concerning number of disobedient houseplants, many of which were rescued from her apartment building’s compost bin after being abandoned by previous owners.
Winona's writing breakthrough came many years ago when she won First Prize in the Flare Magazine Fiction Contest with her short story about an all-night radio newsman, “Tower of Power”.
Her debut novel Skywatcher was a finalist in the Seal Books First Novel Award and was published by Bantam Books in 1989. This was followed by a sequel, The Cilla Rose Affair, and her first mystery, Cold Play, set aboard a cruise ship in Alaska.
After three time-travel romances (Persistence of Memory, In Loving Memory and Marianne's Memory), Winona returned to mysteries with Disturbing the Peace, a novella, in 2017 and the novel Notes on a Missing G-String in 2019, both featuring the character she first introduced in Cold Play, professional jazz musician / amateur sleuth Jason Davey.
The third and fourth books in Winona's Jason Davey Mystery series, Lost Time and Ticket to Ride, were published in 2020 and 2022. Her fifth Jason Davey Mystery, Bad Boy, was published in 2024.
Winona also writes short fiction. Her story “Salty Dog Blues” appeared in Sisters in Crime-Canada West's anthology Crime Wave in October 2020 and was nominated as a finalist in Crime Writers of Canada's Awards of Excellence for Best Crime Novella in April 2021. “Blue Devil Blues” was one of the four entries in the anthology Last Shot, published in June 2021, and “Terminal Lucidity” appeared in the Sisters in Crime-Canada West anthology, Women of a Certain Age (October 2022). “On the Internet, Nobody Knows You’re a Dog”, will appear in the upcoming Sisters in Crime-Canada West anthology, Dangerous Games (October 2024).
A collection of Winona’s short stories, Ten Stories That Worried My Mother, was published in 2023.
Winona has been a temporary secretary, a travel agent, a screenwriter and the Managing Editor of a literary magazine. Winona's currently the national Vice-Chair and the regional BC/YT rep for the Crime Writers of Canada, and is also an active member of Sisters in Crime – Canada West. After many decades working in jobs completely unrelated to writing, Winona is now happily embracing life as a full-time author. She lives in New Westminster, BC with her husband, and a concerning number of disobedient houseplants, many of which were rescued from her apartment building’s compost bin after being abandoned by previous owners.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 19, 2018
A delightful escapade taking place across three time periods: 2015, 1965 and 1790. The hero (Shaun Deeley) and heroine (Charlotte Duran, or Charlie) are both in their mid-thirties, but while Charlie is a modern woman, Mr Deeley was born in 1791 and speaks with the elegant restraint of those times. They are both time-travellers, but don't have the skill to direct their movements. Their time hops happen to them seemingly at random, but ultimately according to an overarching design, and usually conclude with a successful return to their present day lives.
Many other fascinating characters populate the lively pages of this complex tale, including Tony Quinn (a celebrated DJ operating on a pirate radio ship), Jackie Lewis (Charlie's secretive mother) and Marianne Dutton (the owner of trendy boutique Marianne's Memory in the heyday of The Beatles and other pop group personalities, collectively known as the British Invasion and lavishly name-checked).
This book can be enjoyed on so many levels. It's a fast-moving mystery, but it also taps strongly into a streak of nostalgia, and I was impressed by the faultless research that is evident in historical details of the Tube (the ever-expanding underground transportation network that spans the vast urban sprawl of modern-day London). It was great fun for me to be transported back to that carefree era when mini-skirts, long hair and colourful costumes defined a freedom of individual expression seldom experienced since. Strong characterization, non-stop action, delightfully rich narrative, and a multi-layered plot involving KGB spies, counter-espionage, pop concerts, and a highly skilled time-travelling highwayman bent on bloody revenge.
I loved getting lost in the crazy world of this book, and particularly enjoyed the spirited, but always time-appropriate, exchanges between characters born in the eighteenth century and their modern companions. In the layers of this narrative there is also not so much a message, but a core belief that sex and sexuality are “good” parts of life, without any of the sleaze. Although there are violent scenes, the author's deft touch and dry humour lighten their impact. Difficult book to describe, but easy to like.
Many other fascinating characters populate the lively pages of this complex tale, including Tony Quinn (a celebrated DJ operating on a pirate radio ship), Jackie Lewis (Charlie's secretive mother) and Marianne Dutton (the owner of trendy boutique Marianne's Memory in the heyday of The Beatles and other pop group personalities, collectively known as the British Invasion and lavishly name-checked).
This book can be enjoyed on so many levels. It's a fast-moving mystery, but it also taps strongly into a streak of nostalgia, and I was impressed by the faultless research that is evident in historical details of the Tube (the ever-expanding underground transportation network that spans the vast urban sprawl of modern-day London). It was great fun for me to be transported back to that carefree era when mini-skirts, long hair and colourful costumes defined a freedom of individual expression seldom experienced since. Strong characterization, non-stop action, delightfully rich narrative, and a multi-layered plot involving KGB spies, counter-espionage, pop concerts, and a highly skilled time-travelling highwayman bent on bloody revenge.
I loved getting lost in the crazy world of this book, and particularly enjoyed the spirited, but always time-appropriate, exchanges between characters born in the eighteenth century and their modern companions. In the layers of this narrative there is also not so much a message, but a core belief that sex and sexuality are “good” parts of life, without any of the sleaze. Although there are violent scenes, the author's deft touch and dry humour lighten their impact. Difficult book to describe, but easy to like.
April 6, 2018
Ms. Kent has skillfully crossed several genres—fantasy, historical romance, mystery—to produce a well-crafted story that spans three different time periods: 1790, 1965, and 2015. The third installment in the accidental time travel series, Marianne’s Memory follows the delightful escapades of modern-day Charlie Duran and her 19th-century companion Shaun Deeley.
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the previous two installments, I wondered if Ms. Kent could possibly raise the stakes any higher. I needn’t have worried! In addition to introducing a host of fascinating characters, among them a celebrated DJ operating on a pirate ship, a vengeful highwayman, and KGB spies, Ms. Kent demonstrates a wonderful eye for detail. Her research skills are impeccable. I could easily imagine myself traveling along with Charlie and Shaun as they hopped from one time period to another. My best time was spent in London during the Swinging Sixties.
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the previous two installments, I wondered if Ms. Kent could possibly raise the stakes any higher. I needn’t have worried! In addition to introducing a host of fascinating characters, among them a celebrated DJ operating on a pirate ship, a vengeful highwayman, and KGB spies, Ms. Kent demonstrates a wonderful eye for detail. Her research skills are impeccable. I could easily imagine myself traveling along with Charlie and Shaun as they hopped from one time period to another. My best time was spent in London during the Swinging Sixties.
April 16, 2018
A badge sends them back to the sixties and are mistaken for kgb spies. They are locked up and questioned for hours. They are rescued and they are caught up in a mystery. Can they help solve it? Will they get back to their own time? See if they can
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 24, 2018
Interesting journey. Some of which takes place in the past. The story flowed quite nicely and you enjoyed the characters you came across. So when you get a chance pick up a copy an enjoy.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews