The Price of Time

Watch What You Wish For #1

by Tim Tigner

Would your character change ...
if you had all the money in the world?
And all the time?
Would you become a better person?
Or worse?

Imagine Agatha Christie meets Michael Crichton in a fast-paced, philosophical mystery thriller.
_______________________________________

There’s a secret in Silicon Valley. A discovery. An invention. One so startling and surprisingly sinister that it needs to be kept—at any price.

Tim Tigner takes a step back from his bestselling Kyle Achilles series to introduce Zachary Chase and Skylar Fawkes in a fresh standalone novel that’s bound to keep you glued and guessing. With secluded meetings, sudden disappearances and strange murders; secret agents, skillful assassins and sexy locations; The Price of Time is packed with fast-paced action and first-class intellectual intrigue.

Propelling the thrills and perched at the middle of the mystery is one of humanity’s great questions: Would finding the Fountain of Youth be a blessing?

Prepare for sleep-deprived nights and skipped chores while repeating the phrase: "Just one more page."

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Science Fiction, Book Club, Time Travel, Audiobook

335 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 11, 2019

About the author

Tim began his career in Soviet Counterintelligence with the US Army Special Forces, the Green Berets. That was back in the Cold War days when, “We learned Russian so you didn't have to,” something he did at the Presidio of Monterey alongside Recon Marines and Navy SEALs.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall, Tim switched from espionage to arbitrage. Armed with a Wharton MBA rather than a Colt M16, he moved to Moscow in the midst of Perestroika. There, he led prominent multinational medical companies, worked with cosmonauts on the MIR Space Station (from Earth, alas), chaired the Association of International Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, and helped write Russia’s first law on healthcare.

Moving to Brussels during the formation of the EU, Tim ran Europe, Middle East, and Africa for a Johnson & Johnson company and traveled like a character in a Robert Ludlum novel. He eventually landed in Silicon Valley, where he launched new medical technologies as a startup CEO.

In his free time, Tim has climbed the peaks of Mount Olympus, went hang gliding from the cliffs of Rio de Janeiro, and ballooned over Belgium. He earned scuba certification in Turkey, learned to ski in Slovenia, and ran the Serengeti with a Maasai warrior. He acted on stage in Portugal, taught negotiations in Germany, and chaired a healthcare conference in Holland. Tim studied psychology in France, radiology in England, and philosophy in Greece. He has enjoyed ballet at the Bolshoi, the opera on Lake Como, and the symphony in Vienna. He’s been a marathoner, paratrooper, triathlete, and yogi.

Intent on combining his creativity with his experience, Tim began writing thrillers in 1996 from an apartment overlooking Moscow’s Gorky Park. Twenty years later, his passion for creative writing continues to grow every day. His home office now overlooks a vineyard in Northern California.

Tim grew up in the Midwest, and graduated from Hanover College with a BA in Philosophy and Mathematics. After military service and work as a financial analyst and foreign-exchange trader, he earned an MBA in Finance and an MA in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

Thank you for taking the time to read about the author. Tim loves to correspond with readers like you. You are welcome to reach him through Goodreads or directly at timtigner.com/contact

Reviews

[Bibi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a medical slash sci-fi thriller recommended for fans of Blake Crouch and Crichton.

When a group of scientists and financiers develop a youth serum which more or less guaranteed immortality, they imagined all their problems would magically disappear; however, two decades after the invention, they realize being young and super-rich with no one to celebrate their achievement was worse than ageing and thus they set in motion events with unimaginable and deadly consequences.

Love, love, love.

[Misty · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Price of Time wasn’t, for me, an enjoyable read. There’s a point where a story moves from encouraging the reader to suspend disbelief to asking the reader to accept the absurd—this was one of those novels. The premise here isn’t nearly as intriguing as the book jacket promises. A group of people invest in research that eventually leads to the discovery of the fountain of youth. They decide to keep it a secret (mmhmm) and each receive periodic injections that render them immortal. When they realize that others will start noticing their lack of aging (duh) they make a fateful decision to hire a hit man to find lookalikes whom can be murdered, thus allowing the immortals to assume their lives and identities. It’s just ridiculous. The only redeeming quality was Zach Chase, former member of the CIA, who begins to investigate the disappearance of his best friend. He teams up with a retired triathlon athlete, Skylar Fawkes, and together they seek answers. The ending is particularly unsatisfying, and though it doesn’t promote the possibility of a sequel to the story, this does appear to be the first in a Chase/Fawkes character series.

My recommendation is to skip this one altogether. There are too many other intriguing pieces out there to waste the time engaging in this one.

[Wendy'sThoughts · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Worth the Price of Admission Stars
* * * * * Spoiler Free-Perfect Timing, It's FREE!!!
Back in the day, I was a huge, massive mystery, thriller, police procedural, and sometimes philosophical reader. I loved coming to conclusions early and being proven true by the end of the story. There was a satisfaction in using one's mind and stretching to see clearly what was ahead. And if the author was crafty enough, you could be led on a path that was switched, turned around, and smacked right in your face with a surprise. It was fun when it happened and caused much thought to search for clues missed.

Over the years I changed my reading habits and landed in Romance land. Happy I did, however, every once in a while, something will catch my eye and I will dive into my old genre. The Price of Time by Tim Tigner came across my feed while I was home recovering from a very nasty cold. Bibi's review caused me to take a second look and off I went to purchase it. Now I normally will not spend big bucks for a kindle book and nope one of the few, silly me, not subscribing to KU. So when I saw the price for this book, I paused...but Click I did and as my tag says, it was worth the price of admission.

Before starting this, I knew a couple of things. I would need to buy into whatever the author was proposing in order to get the full enjoyment. I often will suspend disbelief if necessary as long as everything else is solid. Also, the subject matter was begging for it, Fountain of Youth...I had to be prepared. What I found out from the first page, though, was the skill and crafting Tim Tigner used allowed me to be pulled in without any effort from me.

Tigner wrote a story that is all-consuming. From the moment I started it, I didn't want to stop. I was kept curious, mind active, and entertained. As it went on, I had an idea of what was happening and the final outcome- hey I said I was an old mystery/thriller reader, but that didn't stop my desire to read each part fully and how it was intended.

This is a perfect book for those who love action, intrigue, and having your mind challenged. There was enough meat for all sorts of readers to appreciate. There were even Big Picture Questions about life, purpose, and the good for mankind.

So this is the second top-notch read I have had from this nasty cold. Lucky for you, you won't need the illness to find out about a great read.

~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~
Taking a turn from Romance...
Diving into this with the Anticipation of a Thrilling Ride...

●•●•●•●•●•●•●•
The desire to live forever...
Something which has been wanted through all of time...

Fountain of Youth...
Springs, Mountains, Journeys...
All been done...

But now we have the Advancements of the Ages...
The Minds and Billions to put towards this Ultimate Goal...
Eternal Life...

But with these multiple players, pure of heart or corrupt to the core...
They all forgot something we have been told forever...

Be Careful What You Wish For Because You Just Might Get It...
Now, these people have to pay...

The Price of Time

❤️💕❤️💕❤️ Bibi thanks for the Heads Up, I blame you! ❤️💕❤️💕❤️

For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways

[Allison · Rating 1 out of 5]

The premise of the book seemed super interesting at first, but the story missed my expectation by four big fat stars. It read like a really bad spy movie- like the super cliched, cheesy, somewhat cringey kind. The characters felt like too-perfect stock characters, the mystery was predictable, and the relationships between the characters were either underdeveloped, forced, or straight up made no sense. There were a lot of wtf moments and it was not in the good way. Maybe you will like it but it wasn't my plate of cheese.

[SHOMPA · Rating 2 out of 5]

What happens when a small group of highly resourceful, intelligent people have access to the key to immortality? It sounds very intriguing, right? I was curious too. The idea of this sci-fi story was really good. But somehow, I lost interest after 45% of reading it. I could not connect with the characters and had to stop reading because of the poor execution.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

For I wish this were better, #1. It doesn't matter if you have all the time due to science. Enemies who mean you harm are everywhere. 4 of 10 stars

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

The premise was interesting enough, but the writing is cringe-worthy, filled with rampant stereotypes and repetitive cookie-cutter descriptions (exactly how many times do the readers need Skylar described as "athletically built" before we get that she's fit and obviously desirable? I counted at least eight times. Good lord.). I should've stopped reading when the author, who must be a Harley-Davidson enthusiast, decided to dedicate several paragraphs to describe how unbeatable and awesome the bike is, but I didn't stop, and in the end, the denouement was not worth waiting for.

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good better than okay

This book has a pretty good plot and interesting heroes but also has its flaws. A lot of characters were hard to follow. The writing was just a step above mediocre. Nevertheless I enjoyed it and it had a satisfying conclusion. I wish I could give it 3 1\2 stars but I always give the author the benefit of the doubt give so I'll give it four.

[Grumpus · Rating 3 out of 5]

The grumpus23 (23-word commentary)
Description sucked me in. Sorry but, over-hyped. Intrigue yes, but I was hoping to have the initial questions in description more fully developed.

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started with a lot of promise. A small team of business professionals and researchers invent an anti-age serium, decide they can't allow all of humanity to have access to immortality, and sell the rights to only one person for more money than any of them could ever spend for the rest of eternity. 20 years of not aging later, they start to worry that their youth will become too much to hide. They determine faking documents to be too risky and instead want to find lookalikes with no connections they can dispose of to assume their identity.

In comes Tory / Tom Bronco, and he's easily the best character in this book. He's a tough-as-nails smooth operator who has no problem luring people to their death, until he starts being chased by the people he's scorn and suddenly he becomes an inept, stumbling idiot at every turn.

Every single one of the Immortals are shallow and boring. Aside from the first few chapters, it'd be more entertaining without any of their scenes.

There is a sex scene at the end of the book that just isn't needed and reads like a cheesy romance novel. This book doesn't even have any cursing in it that I recall, and it really feels out of place. The chapter left me wondering if the author had any first hand experience with sex or women at all. I'm fine with the sex happening, but honestly, 3 sentences would have been more than enough to get the point across and it wouldn't have interrupted my decent sci-fi thriller with text I'd expect under a Fabio cover.

All that being said, I'd love to read more involving the vigilante duo so long as we can keep glistening, sweating, throbbing bliss implicit instead of explicit.

[Vilius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantastinis trileris. Fantastinė dalis pasirodė labai menkai išvystyta ir nebūtina, o pats pats trileris skystokas. Jei tai būtų filmas, tai galima būtų priskirti "B movie" kategorijai.

[Daniel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've "hate-watched" plenty of movies in my life (where the primary enjoyment from the movie comes from pointing out how stupendously awful or clichéd it is), but never before had I "hate-read" a book. "The Price of Time" changed that, of course, possibly because the book reads like a mediocre action movie. Much like a run-of-the-mill summer blockbuster, it quickly moves from set piece to set piece, barely supported by a half-baked plot, hoping to give the reader enough dopamine to enjoy the ride. Sadly, there's nothing pleasant about the ride, and unlike said blockbusters, it's impossible to turn off your brain long enough to "just get through it."

My hackles were raised from the very first passage and never settled down thereafter. The tone is decidedly low brow and the author’s use of the third person limited had me questioning whether or not it could be successfully employed in a “good book” - I actually looked up other examples to reassure myself that it’s this book, not the entire point of view, at issue.

Laziness also seems to be a hallmark of the story: each character is fundamentally just a stereotype (the venture capitalist, the woman CEO, the scientist, the CIA agent, the wealthy sorority widow, the professional hitman, etc) and each plot hole is explained away with one line of nonsensical dialogue, my favorite of which being,

��We considered those options. Both jeopardize the prime directive we agreed on during our very first meeting, twenty years ago, right here in this room.” “Secrecy,” Aria muttered.

Unnatural additions, like Aria’s explanatory ‘secrecy’ comment, are prolific and act as shortcuts to any real character or story development. They also insult the reader’s intelligence, compounding nicely with gimmicks like explicitly informing the reader that all of the “Immortals” have names with the letter ‘i’ in them, or switching the point of view to the first person only for the protagonist, or explaining that a billion dollars is a lot of money.

With such a lack of depth, “hate-reading” was the only way I could get through this book, but it was so bad that I’ve begun to question books of the same genre which I’d previously loved. I’ve always known that Tom Clancy’s work probably wouldn’t hold up well post adolescence, but now I’m even questioning if I would still enjoy Jurassic Park, which I'll have to read again just to make sure that it's The Price of Time, not the genre, that sucks.

[Paula3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a reader who DOES judge a book by its cover. So, I really wasn't impressed at first - with the cover! I was pleasantly surprised with this book. At first, the vast cast of characters was a little tricky to navigate; however, as the story unfolded the characters' lives meshed together beautifully. I honestly had a difficult time putting the book down. The only reason I did not give this book five stars is for the simple reason that out of all the characters, there were only two that I honestly liked. For the first part of the book, there were none that I connected with until the character of Chase was introduced. If I don't care about what happens to at least one of the characters in the beginning of a book, it is very rare that I continue reading. There was just something about this book that kept me reading and I'm glad I did.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit of a change of pace for Tigner with a more science fictional bent than usual, but nevertheless also right in his thriller wheelhouse.
Muliple person points of view, a fascinating ex-CIA hero and another strong and believable woman character, along with the twists and turns one would expect from this growing author who has clearly mastered his craft. If you like his Kyle Achilles books it goes without saying that you will like this, but you might also give it a try if you enjoy such science fiction authors as Joe Haldeman.

[Irma (Blebleteka) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jeigu nuoširdžiai, man labai įdomi tam tikra prasme nemirtingumo tema. Mane be galo žavi dailios ir gyvybingos vyresnio amžiaus moterys arba žmonės, kurie bėgant metams nepraranda savo optimizmo. Tad imdama šią knygą į rankas galbūt ne iki galo įsigilinau į anotaciją, bet tikėjausi pasakojimo apie jaunystės eliksyrą ir pamąstymų apie tai, ar verta gyventi amžinai.

Bet to nebuvo.

Knygoje radau mano manymu gana vidutinišką trilerį. Siužetas pasakoja apie mokslininkų grupę, kuri iš tiesų atranda jaunystės eliksyrą. Po ilgų svarstymų, kaip pasinaudoti savo išradimu, jie nusprendžia patys tapti nemirtingaisiais ir niekam apie tai nepasakoti, idant auganti populiacija nepadarytų žalos mūsų planetai. Bėga metai ir aštuoni nemirtingieji išlieka tokie pat jauni, kokie buvo kada susileido jaunystės eliksyrą. Ilgainiui jie jau nebegali slėpti savo nesensatnčios išvaizdos priežasties ir sugalvoja, kad jiems reikėtų naujų tapatybių. Jie nusprendžia surasti į save panašius jaunus žmones, pavogti jų gyvenimus, o pačių žmonių atsikratyti. Klausimas tik, ar nemirtingieji galės gyventi su tokia sąžinės našta?

Romano autorius Tim Tigner yra dirbęs JAV kariuomenės specialiųjų pajėgų kontražvalgyboje. Savo špionažo žinias jis puikiai panaudoja ir "Laiko kainoje". Tad romanas sudėliotas gana vyrišku stiliumi, be didelių išvedžiojimų. Iš tiesų pasakojimas tiktų standartiniam filmui, kur blogiukai, išgelbėtojas ir jo gražuolė mergina.

Kaip jau turbūt supratot, čia neradau pamąstymų apie tai, ką reiškia gyventi amžinai. Negaliu dėl to kaltinti pačios knygos, nes greičiausiai nebuvau pakankamai įsigilinusi į jos aprašymą. Visgi kaip trileris ji tempia taip pat tik iki trejetuko.

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

A beach read

This book is painful to read but the plot was engaging and pulled me through to the end. I didn’t find the resolution satisfying, though, so I can’t recommend it.

[✨Susan✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the human spirit and the lengths at which we would go to protect it. What makes us happy after achieving every wish. A good look into the human psyche.

[Todd Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, I loved it. I’ve really enjoyed every book I’ve read by Tim Tigner, and this book is no exception. He certainly knows how to write exciting and action-packed Thrillers. The plot is elaborate and suspenseful, with plenty of twist and turns to keep you guessing. It’s very easy to get lost between the pages of this amazing novel. Zachary Chase is a great character, and it’s always one of the standouts in reading one Tim’s stories with the background and work he puts into each character. A great read from the first page to the very last. 5/5 Star Rating.

Verified Purchase - Amazon Australia

[Karina Stakelytė · Rating 2 out of 5]

<...be juodos spalvos, kurią paskui sieki pakeisti balta, viskas tampa pilka...>

[Robert Enzenauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW1 it's hard for me to remember when I have enjoyed a book more than Tigner's most recent release - THE PRICE OF TIME. Tigner's background is important - He is a Special Forces -trained Russian linguist, who after his military service worked in Russia with multi-national medical companies, and ended up in California launching new medical technologies as a start-up CEO. He has adeptly shifted from the Clancy-esque military-techno-thriller in his Kyle Achilles series to an incredible medical-techno-thriller will a totally believable abuse of a new medical technology. Tigner's new character - Zachary Chase is a scientist, philosopher, and ethicist. But just as in his other books, the plot moves very fast, and the characters, both the good guys and the bad guys, are very well-developed and interesting. As other reviewers have said, this book is impossible to put down, so don't start it during the work-week if you have jobs that you have to do. The fictional medical technical innovation is so plausible, it makes the reader wonder if he was pitched this idea in his early life before he became an author. Also, lots of action. Fast moving plot. Really satisfying to Tigner fans, and also a great book for someone who hasn't read Tigner's earlier books and wants to be introduced to a fantastic new author. Strong work Tim Tigner.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this read! It was relatively quick to get through. There were a lot of characters to keep straight, but once I knew who was who, the story was quick paced and easy to follow. I always wonder if I were in the same position if my character would change that much....

[Savsandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cost of Eternal Youth

Tim Tigner has done it again with a rip-roaring, gut-twisting thriller that will put the fear of God into anyone over the age of 40. Say what you will but our society disrespects age and reveres youth. What’s not to like when a group of scientists comes up with the formula that halts aging? No more faces lined with wrinkles, no paunchy guts or cracker butts and no more middle-aged spread. In “The Price of Time” Zachary Chase and Skylar Fawkes pair up to solve the mystery of the seemingly random disappearances that keep popping up. What’s happening to them? They simply disappear, never to be seen or heard from again. This is heart-pounding action and an original plot that may cause some sleepless nights. Tigner’s prose is at times elegant, always crisp and tightly written, with ‘nary a wasted word. He is a master craftsman and has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Truly a writer’s writer. Five stars.

[Bob Mayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stand alone novel from a master of thrillers. Technology, action and twists and turns abound.

Highly recommended.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my usual genre but despite the characters seeming a little flat, this was interesting and tense.

[SuKnyga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Užteko perskaityti tik, kad veiksmo trileris,kaip kvapą gniaižiantis siužetas. Nebeskaičiau net aprašymo. Ir nenusivyliau. Nenutuokiu, kodėl kiti skyrė 3 žvaigždutes.

[Vilmute Kocak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perskaičius knygą pagalvojau,kad aš tikrai nenorėčiau tokios injekcijos,kuri stabdo senėjimą ,bet turi mirti nekalti žmonės.Įdomu buvo skaityti šį trilerį.

[Christina Rothfusz · Rating 2 out of 5]

A group of scientists, with the backing of business professionals discovers a way to halt the ageing process by injecting a serum they call Eos. They agree not to make their invention public, the consequence of an Immortal Human Race is to far reaching and possibly devastating to consider.

They decide to use the serum only for themselves but to ensure the big payout they would sell their secret to one other person, a multi-millionaire who would, in exchange for Immortality, share her fortune equally. Twenty years later, to disguise the fact that they are not ageing, they agree to employ a professional to assist them in swapping identities with a lookalike.

At this point it goes from the bizarre to the ridiculous. The idea they come up with are so far fetched its hard to believe a group of professionals would see that as the only possible way to proceed. In comes the hard hitting soldier type, tough as nails professional - totally awesome and indestructible. Of course until the Hero of our story arrives, when he turns from Jason Borne to Mr. Bean. Suddenly making a host of crazy, stupid mistakes.

And then there were the loves scenes. Ai!

The premise is a good one. What would be the consequence to your life if you had all the money you needed with no ageing process to interfere with your enjoyment of live. Would you contribute to society in a meaningful way? Would you pursue your dreams? Or, would you like the characters in this novel turn from dreamers to murderers.

Yet, the writing is not great, the dialogue very flat and the characters so shallow that I battled distinguishing the Immortals from each other. None of them ever felt real or interesting. The plot is full of holes and the sex scene just cringe worthy.

[Robert Tan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is absolutely terrible.

This book reads like it is a Chinese knock off of American mystery novels.

The main overarching plotline is terrible even if you suspend disbelief over scientific innovations like Eos.

1) did none of the Immortals have friends to begin with? If so someone would have recognized them.

1a) Especially Pierce the VC. What about all the network in Silicon Valley he cultivated? Did everyone just forget about him?

2) is replacement really the only method? These ppl have 20 years to do nothing, and murder as a replacement was the only option.

3) the subplot of running for office made no difference on the overall plot

4) David the “super genius” invented Astreaus but decided to ruthlessly murder everyone anyways?? The injection for Astreaus happened before the first murder...


The only saving grace is that the author gets the smaller details (G650s, yachts, etc) correct.

A for effort
F for plot and writing.

[Angie Boyter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very good THRILLER, with all that implies, of the international ilk. I feel a bit bad giving the book only a 3 rating, because for the right kind of reader it would probably be a 4 or 5. It is written very well, with many of the same good characteristics that I liked in Stolen Thoughts, like great chapter endings. The writeup, though, made me go in with the wrong expectations. Stolen Thoughts indeed had some nice philosophical musings, and I expected more of that in this book. The Agatha Christie element was there but not nearly as prominent as I expected. In short, the things that drew me to the book took a backseat to the action-oriented aspects. In addition, I am perfectly willing to accept the initial "Fountain of Youth" discovery, but some of the details of the plot were not too plausible and not well explained.

[Otilija · Rating 4 out of 5]

Viršelis išdidžiai skelbia “Veiksmo trileris mąstantiems žmonėms”👀🤣 Bet iš esmės knyga labai paprasta ir aiški, prigrūsta stereotipų ir nuobodžiai pasikartojančių veikėjų aprašymų. Bet vis tiek daviau 4⭐️, nes 1) patiko idėja, nors gaila, kad taip menkai išvystyta; 2) norėjau sužinoti, kaip baigsis; 3) patiko pabaiga (na, pats paskutinis puslapis).