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Kendra Donovan #5
Shadows in Time
In 1816 London, Kendra Donovan tries to track down a missing man, but also finds trouble brewing closer to home in the fifth book in Julie McElwain’s riveting time-travel mystery series.
When Kendra Donovan is approached by Mrs. Gavenston with an unusual request—to find her business manager, Jeremy Pascoe, who recently vanished—the FBI agent is eager to accept the challenge. To Kendra’s way of thinking, spending her time locating a missing person suits her more than perfecting her embroidery, painting watercolors, practicing on the pianoforte, or any of the other activities that are socially acceptable for young ladies in the early nineteenth century.
Unfortunately, the missing person’s case turns into a murder investigation after Kendra finds the man stabbed to death in a remote cottage that he’d been using as a writer’s retreat. Everyone who knew him says that Pascoe was a fine fellow. So who hated him enough to kill him?
Seeking the answer to that question plunges Kendra into the world of big business, as Mrs. Gavenston happens to run one of the largest breweries in England. And if there is one thing Kendra knows hasn’t changed, it’s that big business means big money . . . and money is always a motive for murder.
While Kendra works to sift through the truth and lies swirling around Mr. Pascoe’s life—and death—her world is rocked closer to home when a woman arrives claiming to be the Duke of Aldridge’s presumably dead daughter, Charlotte. It is a distraction Kendra cannot afford, not when there is a killer lurking in the shadows who will do anything to keep the truth from being exposed.
381 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 4, 2020
212 people are currently reading
1819 people want to read
About the author
Julie McElwain
10 books1,364 followersJulie McElwain began her journalistic career at California Apparel News, a weekly Los Angeles based trade newspaper. She has freelanced for numerous publications from professional photographers magazines to those following the fashion industry. Currently, Julie is West Coast Editor for Soaps In Depth, a national soap opera magazine covering the No. 1 daytime drama, The Young and the Restless. Julie lives in Long Beach, CA.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 315 reviews
August 27, 2020
Oh, how I’ve enjoyed this series!
I always look forward to taking these journeys with Kendra and watching her navigate her way through the early nineteenth century. With each book I have grown more and more attached to these characters and have enjoyed watching the relationships grow. The mysteries/crimes are light and a bit tidy, but I still can never guess the outcome. Reading this series reminds me of how I felt watching Downton Abbey... just a perfect world to loose yourself in and forget the world around you. Highly recommend this entire series.
I always look forward to taking these journeys with Kendra and watching her navigate her way through the early nineteenth century. With each book I have grown more and more attached to these characters and have enjoyed watching the relationships grow. The mysteries/crimes are light and a bit tidy, but I still can never guess the outcome. Reading this series reminds me of how I felt watching Downton Abbey... just a perfect world to loose yourself in and forget the world around you. Highly recommend this entire series.
September 28, 2021
Shadows in Time is the fifth book in this series. They keep on getting better and better. I have loved everyone of them.
I love Kendra’s character and all the trouble she finds herself in.
Kendra Donovan is an FBI agent who time traveled to the 1800’s.
This is my favorite. What will happen next? I can’t wait to find out
I love Kendra’s character and all the trouble she finds herself in.
Kendra Donovan is an FBI agent who time traveled to the 1800’s.
This is my favorite. What will happen next? I can’t wait to find out
November 7, 2020
What’s an FBI agent to do when she finds herself displaced over 200 years in the past? Investigate crime, of course. Shadows in Time is the fifth book in the Kendra Donovan series. Kendra is a 21st-century FBI agent who suddenly found herself displaced in 19th-century London. Now she is a ward of the Duke of Aldridge and accepted into elite circles, where she finds herself dabbling in her old occupation. Kendra is investigating the disappearance of a local brewery employee at the request of the brewery owner, who is, surprisingly, a woman. In addition, the Duke’s long-lost daughter, always presumed dead, has returned. Is she really who she says she is? Kendra, accompanied by Sam Kelly, Bow Street Runner, and Alec, the Marquis of Sutcliffe, fervently pursues both mysteries, using her skills as an FBI agent. Although this is the fifth book in a series, it can be read as a standalone novel.
This is a historical mystery more than a time-travel novel, as the time traveling was done earlier in the series. Kendra seems to have accepted her life in the 1800s, except for occasionally bemoaning the absence of Google and DNA analysis. The characters are well developed and engaging. The investigations are compelling and well-paced, and life in 1815 London is described in interesting detail. We are reminded of the restrictions put on women back then, as Kendra has to have a chaperone everywhere she goes. The two mysteries Kendra is trying to solve are complex and not easily predictable. Wonderful nuggets of history abound in the book, and a romance has developed as well. If you enjoy historical fiction, mysteries, or stories with a dash of romance and time travel, you will like this novel.
I received a free copy of this book from Pegasus Crime via Historical Novels Review Magazine. My opinions are my own.
This is a historical mystery more than a time-travel novel, as the time traveling was done earlier in the series. Kendra seems to have accepted her life in the 1800s, except for occasionally bemoaning the absence of Google and DNA analysis. The characters are well developed and engaging. The investigations are compelling and well-paced, and life in 1815 London is described in interesting detail. We are reminded of the restrictions put on women back then, as Kendra has to have a chaperone everywhere she goes. The two mysteries Kendra is trying to solve are complex and not easily predictable. Wonderful nuggets of history abound in the book, and a romance has developed as well. If you enjoy historical fiction, mysteries, or stories with a dash of romance and time travel, you will like this novel.
I received a free copy of this book from Pegasus Crime via Historical Novels Review Magazine. My opinions are my own.
August 20, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed Shadows in Time. The mystery was solid and the secondary story concerning the Duke’s daughter coming back into his life was very good. There were plenty of twists and turns. At the same time, Kendra’s and Alec’s romance was on solid ground.
Though I am not a writer, I couldn’t have written a better ending. Kudos to Ms. McElwain. I can’t wait for the next story in this series.
A side note: I would not recommend reading this as a standalone. Characters return from the previous books and I think it is important that you learn their background and the necessary buildup. That said, I think Shadows in Time is my favorite.
Though I am not a writer, I couldn’t have written a better ending. Kudos to Ms. McElwain. I can’t wait for the next story in this series.
A side note: I would not recommend reading this as a standalone. Characters return from the previous books and I think it is important that you learn their background and the necessary buildup. That said, I think Shadows in Time is my favorite.
June 3, 2020
Many series tend to get stale after a few instalments; some just get better and better. Fortunately for readers like me, the Kendra Donovan series falls firmly in the latter category.
Time-traveling twenty-first-century FBI agent Kendra Donovan is getting acclimated to her life as ward of the Duke of Aldridge in the early nineteenth century, but she is not going to let the strictures imposed on women in that era keep her from investigating if someone needs her help. When a real live nineteenth-century businesswoman, owner of the Barrett Brewery, asks her to help locate the brewery’s business manager, who has disappeared, Kendra’s search leads her to the man’s body. Kendra finds herself investigating another murder, to the amusement of the Duke’s young niece and the great distress of his sister. Her attitude towards Kendra is summed up nicely in this passage, “On a good day, the countess viewed her with thinly veiled tolerance. Unfortunately, there weren’t many good days with Lady Atwood.” It is also hard on her maid Molly. When Molly politely objects to something Kendra is about to do, Kendra says, “Having a negative attitude ages you, you know”, to which Molly replies, “Oi think being yer maid does that.”
As usual in this series, the writing is good, and the story is well-paced, with lots of suspects and interesting situations. At one point, Kendra makes a very unlikely leap of intuition that I found hard to swallow, but I’ll give the author one such item!
The characters and the setting are as important in this series as the plot, and author McElwain continues to do a good job of painting the society of that era, especially the role of women. The theme is doubly well treated in this installment, given that the brewery has a history of being owned and run by the women of the family for several generations, and some of the menfolk are not happy with the situation. Men are not universally painted as bad guys, though, especially the Duke’s nephew Alec, whose relationship with Kendra gets warmer in each book. Nor are women all angels, and when a woman shows up who claims to be the Duke’s daughter, who everyone thought had been lost in a boating accident when she was a child, Kendra also investigates to see if the woman is an impostor.
One of the pleasures in reading novels set in the past is learning some history. This is true for my enjoyment of the Kendra Donovan series. For example, who knew that the word “brewster” originally meant a female brewer? The author takes her responsibility to present an accurate historical picture seriously, does significant research, and provides her readers a nice Afterword to let them know where she has strayed from fact. Kendra does everything she can to avoid changing history, so I suppose the author feels she must also do her part.
Both new and old readers of the series will enjoy losing themselves in the book, but I recommend new readers begin with the first book to avoid spoilers. As the book ends, it looks like there may be some changes in Kendra’s future but there is no indication that these will prevent her from seeing justice is served whenever a crime is committed.
Time-traveling twenty-first-century FBI agent Kendra Donovan is getting acclimated to her life as ward of the Duke of Aldridge in the early nineteenth century, but she is not going to let the strictures imposed on women in that era keep her from investigating if someone needs her help. When a real live nineteenth-century businesswoman, owner of the Barrett Brewery, asks her to help locate the brewery’s business manager, who has disappeared, Kendra’s search leads her to the man’s body. Kendra finds herself investigating another murder, to the amusement of the Duke’s young niece and the great distress of his sister. Her attitude towards Kendra is summed up nicely in this passage, “On a good day, the countess viewed her with thinly veiled tolerance. Unfortunately, there weren’t many good days with Lady Atwood.” It is also hard on her maid Molly. When Molly politely objects to something Kendra is about to do, Kendra says, “Having a negative attitude ages you, you know”, to which Molly replies, “Oi think being yer maid does that.”
As usual in this series, the writing is good, and the story is well-paced, with lots of suspects and interesting situations. At one point, Kendra makes a very unlikely leap of intuition that I found hard to swallow, but I’ll give the author one such item!
The characters and the setting are as important in this series as the plot, and author McElwain continues to do a good job of painting the society of that era, especially the role of women. The theme is doubly well treated in this installment, given that the brewery has a history of being owned and run by the women of the family for several generations, and some of the menfolk are not happy with the situation. Men are not universally painted as bad guys, though, especially the Duke’s nephew Alec, whose relationship with Kendra gets warmer in each book. Nor are women all angels, and when a woman shows up who claims to be the Duke’s daughter, who everyone thought had been lost in a boating accident when she was a child, Kendra also investigates to see if the woman is an impostor.
One of the pleasures in reading novels set in the past is learning some history. This is true for my enjoyment of the Kendra Donovan series. For example, who knew that the word “brewster” originally meant a female brewer? The author takes her responsibility to present an accurate historical picture seriously, does significant research, and provides her readers a nice Afterword to let them know where she has strayed from fact. Kendra does everything she can to avoid changing history, so I suppose the author feels she must also do her part.
Both new and old readers of the series will enjoy losing themselves in the book, but I recommend new readers begin with the first book to avoid spoilers. As the book ends, it looks like there may be some changes in Kendra’s future but there is no indication that these will prevent her from seeing justice is served whenever a crime is committed.
July 30, 2020
Kendra finds herself doing some soul-searching in this fifth installment. As a missing persons investigation becomes a murder case, a distraction pops up in the duke's household. A woman comes to visit claiming to be the long lost daughter swept out to sea twenty years earlier. The sketchy tale told of the previous twenty years has Kendra's spidey senses tingling. She feels very critical of this interloper, but then begins to see her own situation with fresh eyes.It is edifying to see our misplaced FBI agent finding new ways to solve the case without the tools she is used to in our time. She is a force! Also love the cameo appearance of a famous author and other bits about history from her future perspective. This was an enjoyable ride although a bit tedious at times. Perhaps the murder mystery was too complicated alongside the "is she or isn't she the long lost daughter" dilemma? My original expectation for this series had Kendra finding a way back to the 21st century by the end of a trilogy. Not that our protagonist is firmly ensconced in the 19th century with no exit in sight, I has settle in and am looking forward to seeing what comes along in Book Six.
Thank you to Pegasus Books and Edelweiss + for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Pegasus Books and Edelweiss + for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
September 7, 2020
This series just keeps getting stronger and more interesting!
March 10, 2023
4.5 stars
August 8, 2020
I just love this time travel series !!
Edit (Now that I have read it )
Wow !! just wow!! it was worth the wait ,I just knew I'm going to love it and I freaking do !! this installment was brilliant just like the first one that got me hooked , I truly appreciate this author dedication and research to get fact right ! I adore all characters main and side both . Wish I can tell you what I loved precisely ;Which is whole lot in this amazing book - but I don't want to spoil it to anybody just like I read it without reading any reviews . So if you are reading this " What are you still doing here go read the book if you had it or buy it cause it's really worth it !!
**P.S dear author Julie McElwain Kindly never end this and I promise I'll wait always your next book with trepidation !!
Edit (Now that I have read it )
Wow !! just wow!! it was worth the wait ,I just knew I'm going to love it and I freaking do !! this installment was brilliant just like the first one that got me hooked , I truly appreciate this author dedication and research to get fact right ! I adore all characters main and side both . Wish I can tell you what I loved precisely ;Which is whole lot in this amazing book - but I don't want to spoil it to anybody just like I read it without reading any reviews . So if you are reading this " What are you still doing here go read the book if you had it or buy it cause it's really worth it !!
**P.S dear author Julie McElwain Kindly never end this and I promise I'll wait always your next book with trepidation !!
October 21, 2020
Oh my.... that ending... perfect! I am soooo giddy with how it ended. Now, I want the next book!
October 8, 2021
5 stars - Historical Mystery/Thriller/Time Travel
This series is so good! I've really enjoyed listening to the audiobooks over the past 10 days. I really hope there are more books coming in this series!
This series is so good! I've really enjoyed listening to the audiobooks over the past 10 days. I really hope there are more books coming in this series!
August 31, 2020
I really enjoy this series, BUT I have a hard time believing that Kendra Donovan has a genius or near-genius IQ, spent so many years with her rigid parents, graduated college early, speaks slang the way she does, and then continues to have such a difficult time acclimating to her change in position after all the time she's spent in the 19th century. I know police officers with high school degrees that speak better English than this highly educated and trained FBI officer.
August 26, 2020
This is book 5 in the Kendra Donavan series. For anyone who isn't familiar with the story, she's a modern-day FBI agent fallen back in time and basically stuck there.
This installment has two mysteries to be solved simultaneously and one of them is right in the house of the Duke of Aldridge.
It's a great story and I love following along and trying to figure out who did it.before it's uncovered. The end of the book also gives us a step forward in Kendra and Alec's relationship.
A great series if you enjoy historical mysteries!!
This installment has two mysteries to be solved simultaneously and one of them is right in the house of the Duke of Aldridge.
It's a great story and I love following along and trying to figure out who did it.before it's uncovered. The end of the book also gives us a step forward in Kendra and Alec's relationship.
A great series if you enjoy historical mysteries!!
January 4, 2021
Another excellent book in the series!
I just knew that a pseudo-daughter would come out from the blue! LOL
The mystery is excellent, as usual with twists and turns!
Also the love story part is very well done!
I'm so looking forward to the next book!!!
I just knew that a pseudo-daughter would come out from the blue! LOL
The mystery is excellent, as usual with twists and turns!
Also the love story part is very well done!
I'm so looking forward to the next book!!!
July 7, 2020
This series just keeps getting better! Full review coming for Shelf Awareness.
May 24, 2021
4.25*
This fifth instalment turned out to be the best in the series yet!
The usual elements are present: Kendra takes on a case, this time of a missing man, which turns all too quickly into a murder investigation when his body is found, stabbed to death. But who could have wanted to kill a brewery business manager with no enemies? Circumstances take on an ever more serious tone when a young woman turns up claiming to be the Duke of Aldridge’s presumably dead daughter. All of a sudden, Kendra realises how much she has grown attached to the duke and what the loss of his fatherly regard would mean...
The murder mysteries have always had a stronger role than the romance in this series, with the added angle of the 'fish-out-water’ of a female FBI agent finding herself in the early 19th century. I’ve also always felt that it is the relationship between Kendra and the Duke that is at the fore in these stories, the two connecting on an intellectual wavelength which has grown into a daughter-father like quality, rather than the romantic one with his nephew, Alec, the Marquis of Sutcliffe. In this instalment, McElwain challenges this in a very effective fashion, forcing our characters to re-evaluate themselves, which enhanced the whole book.
This fifth instalment turned out to be the best in the series yet!
The usual elements are present: Kendra takes on a case, this time of a missing man, which turns all too quickly into a murder investigation when his body is found, stabbed to death. But who could have wanted to kill a brewery business manager with no enemies? Circumstances take on an ever more serious tone when a young woman turns up claiming to be the Duke of Aldridge’s presumably dead daughter. All of a sudden, Kendra realises how much she has grown attached to the duke and what the loss of his fatherly regard would mean...
The murder mysteries have always had a stronger role than the romance in this series, with the added angle of the 'fish-out-water’ of a female FBI agent finding herself in the early 19th century. I’ve also always felt that it is the relationship between Kendra and the Duke that is at the fore in these stories, the two connecting on an intellectual wavelength which has grown into a daughter-father like quality, rather than the romantic one with his nephew, Alec, the Marquis of Sutcliffe. In this instalment, McElwain challenges this in a very effective fashion, forcing our characters to re-evaluate themselves, which enhanced the whole book.
December 2, 2020
I just love this series and it's cast of characters. Kendra is a wonderful main character to follow as she navigates her way through traditional times . Her relationship with Alec is swoon worthy . The Duke is warm caring father like figure toward her . Her friendships with Sam and Rebecca are well written . I am enjoying the addition of Muldoon , he and Rebecca are going to hurt my heart . The mystery in each book is interesting.
November 10, 2020
I loved this series when it first came out, but I feel that it has lost some of its shine along the way. I really has trouble concebtrating on this book, and it just didn't keep me interested enough, and I find Alec more and more unbearable each book, especially since he is starting to resemble every romance novel hero ever with all the lounging and wit and good looks and overprotectiveness.. He is unbearablr and still Kendra keeps on sighing every time he looks at her.
Even though Kendra keeps on surprising everyone around her, she hasn't really grown as a character during the books at all. She still suffers from imposter syndrome, feels alone in the world, misses home while detesting mostly everything about the era she has found herself in, and all that is understandable, but doesn't really provide with an interesting reading experience. I'd like her to really carve herself a place in the world or look for a way home more actively, since it doesn't seem like she is doing either.
Even though Kendra keeps on surprising everyone around her, she hasn't really grown as a character during the books at all. She still suffers from imposter syndrome, feels alone in the world, misses home while detesting mostly everything about the era she has found herself in, and all that is understandable, but doesn't really provide with an interesting reading experience. I'd like her to really carve herself a place in the world or look for a way home more actively, since it doesn't seem like she is doing either.
August 10, 2020
When this series started, I picked up the first book because I have always enjoyed time travel stories. It wasn't long before I came to recognize that it was far more involved than that. Oh yes, our heroine was from the 21st Century who had inadvertently been transported back to the 18th Century into England's Regency period. However, that just set up the entire series of books into an excellent murder/mystery series. Our gal, Kendra Donovan, was a prodigy who became an FBI agent in her time. In her time in the past, she has finagled herself into becoming a ward of a scientifically minded, wealthy, prominent Duke. It has been fascinating watching her become embroiled into solving various murders, working with her training as an FBI agent using the rather primitive and limited resources of the 18th Century without revealing her former life. Only a select few know the truth. The murders and the solving of those murders are exceedingly clever and keep you glued to the pages. It is a really very smart series and I have enjoyed each book immensely.
On a side note, if it was not for the generosity of a friend, I would never have been able to afford to purchase the Kindle versions of the series, especially the last two books. The first three books (ebooks, mind you) list at $12.99 per book and the last two at the outrageously priced $16.99 per ebook. It is most unfortunate that the publisher chooses to price the ebooks this way because they are depriving the author of a greater readership and enjoyment of such excellent books. Totally ridiculous, IMHO.
On a side note, if it was not for the generosity of a friend, I would never have been able to afford to purchase the Kindle versions of the series, especially the last two books. The first three books (ebooks, mind you) list at $12.99 per book and the last two at the outrageously priced $16.99 per ebook. It is most unfortunate that the publisher chooses to price the ebooks this way because they are depriving the author of a greater readership and enjoyment of such excellent books. Totally ridiculous, IMHO.
July 28, 2021
* audiobook edition *
I’ve binged this series so quickly- I couldn’t get enough of it. I just love it so much, especially what (finally!) happened at the end of this book. I cannot wait for the next book! I hope I won’t have to wait too long for it but it appears the author releases these once a year and this book was written this year. If I have to wait til ‘22, that’s such a bummer. 😛
I’ve binged this series so quickly- I couldn’t get enough of it. I just love it so much, especially what (finally!) happened at the end of this book. I cannot wait for the next book! I hope I won’t have to wait too long for it but it appears the author releases these once a year and this book was written this year. If I have to wait til ‘22, that’s such a bummer. 😛
May 20, 2022
It's 1816 London, and FBI agent, Kendra Donovan who hails from 2016, has once again found a case to work on, this time that of a missing man. But that's not the only mystery working her brain — there's also a woman claiming to be the Duke's long-dead daughter, Charlotte, which brings about its own set of troubles.
The Kendra Donovan time-travel series is just so enjoyable for me. While the traveling through time is not active — Kendra has fallen into the early 19th century by unexplained and unexpected circumstances, the effect and conundrum of being one who has traveled through time is a constant component for her. At this stage with the fifth book, Kendra has collected a wonderful arrangement of characters around her who aid her in these investigations and act as a team — and a found family.
There was a moment early on when I was struck by how difficult it would've been for Kendra (or me, as a Kendra) to recall specifics to the time and ensure nothing said is anachronistic. I wondered if I could, for instance, name the sitting US President or the reigning monarch for 1816. The short answer is no, I couldn't...the longer answer is that I could eventually get there, but nothing compared to the instant response someone of that time would be able to produce. And those are simple answers...something you ask people during for a concussion or lucidity protocol. That prompted me to look up train travel — which was not really a thing in Great Britain 1816. Still only in its infancy, the boom of railway travel would not occur until the 1840s.
But most of Kendra's gaffes are of the idiomatic variety...which plays out on the page in little bursts, relatable to the reader. For instance, Kendra says something to the effect of, "Let's see how this pans out—" but stops herself because she realizes that sentence only comes into existence with the California Gold Rush, a reference that immediately makes sense for its current usage. I not only speak in idioms and slang terms, but movie quotes and bookish phrases...I am loaded up with pop culture and it's strange to think just how foreign the language would suddenly become even knowing all the words — or most.
Regardless, with two mysteries to solve in this one, the desire to turn the page increased and, instead of seeing the outcome of both early on, it unfolded in bits and pieces as the book went along. Kendra's place as a ward of the Duke felt shaky and uncertain to her with the sudden potential for the return of his daughter Charlotte, and I loved the vulnerability McElwain allowed to peep through Kendra's normally tough exterior. As always, the crimes are a tad sensational, but entertaining and delightful in that exaggerated way. It's easy to look forward to the next book in this series, and I'm glad I have one that seems here to stay.
The Kendra Donovan time-travel series is just so enjoyable for me. While the traveling through time is not active — Kendra has fallen into the early 19th century by unexplained and unexpected circumstances, the effect and conundrum of being one who has traveled through time is a constant component for her. At this stage with the fifth book, Kendra has collected a wonderful arrangement of characters around her who aid her in these investigations and act as a team — and a found family.
There was a moment early on when I was struck by how difficult it would've been for Kendra (or me, as a Kendra) to recall specifics to the time and ensure nothing said is anachronistic. I wondered if I could, for instance, name the sitting US President or the reigning monarch for 1816. The short answer is no, I couldn't...the longer answer is that I could eventually get there, but nothing compared to the instant response someone of that time would be able to produce. And those are simple answers...something you ask people during for a concussion or lucidity protocol. That prompted me to look up train travel — which was not really a thing in Great Britain 1816. Still only in its infancy, the boom of railway travel would not occur until the 1840s.
But most of Kendra's gaffes are of the idiomatic variety...which plays out on the page in little bursts, relatable to the reader. For instance, Kendra says something to the effect of, "Let's see how this pans out—" but stops herself because she realizes that sentence only comes into existence with the California Gold Rush, a reference that immediately makes sense for its current usage. I not only speak in idioms and slang terms, but movie quotes and bookish phrases...I am loaded up with pop culture and it's strange to think just how foreign the language would suddenly become even knowing all the words — or most.
Regardless, with two mysteries to solve in this one, the desire to turn the page increased and, instead of seeing the outcome of both early on, it unfolded in bits and pieces as the book went along. Kendra's place as a ward of the Duke felt shaky and uncertain to her with the sudden potential for the return of his daughter Charlotte, and I loved the vulnerability McElwain allowed to peep through Kendra's normally tough exterior. As always, the crimes are a tad sensational, but entertaining and delightful in that exaggerated way. It's easy to look forward to the next book in this series, and I'm glad I have one that seems here to stay.
August 6, 2020
Loved it!
Have read all the books in the series and I think this was my favorite. All of the great characters are back and romance is in the air. Only bad thing is having to wait for the next one.
Have read all the books in the series and I think this was my favorite. All of the great characters are back and romance is in the air. Only bad thing is having to wait for the next one.
March 23, 2021
FBI Agent Kendra Donovan was 14 yrs old when she enter college. Her parents were more interested in her education and success than being a family including the expression of love toward her. It is odd that she found a family and love in Regency era England.
This is the 5th in the series about FBI agent gone rogue to seek revenge who finds herself transported back to 1815 when she escaped into a flight of stairs from a man. There is no time travel technology in these books; it is simply a literary technique similar to Gabaldon's Outlander series resulting in a "fish out of water" scenario.
It has been a year since she traveled into the past. In this novel there are two mysteries. After her success in solving a murder of an aristocrat in her previous novel, she is hired by brewery owner, Mrs. Gavenston, to find her missing financial manager, Jeremy Pascoe. When she does, she discovered his body, death arising from several stab wounds. Now she must use her deductive-reasoning skills to discover the murderer.
The second mystery surrounds a woman who appears on the Duke of Aldridge's doorstep claiming to be the Duke's long lost daughter who was presumed killed when she fell overboard as a young child. Kendra lucked out becoming the Duke's ward but now fears losing the family she cherishes. Therefore, she begins investigating her story. Both investigations, of course, will place her life in jeopardy.
This series has been a guilty pleasure for me picking up a new book when its released. I believe this novel was the best of the series. The author develops the characters well as well as the setting. There is budding romance with the Duke's nephew but it is discreet without the "bodice-ripping" descriptions. If you are a fan of English history and historical mysteries, I would recommend this series. I would recommend that new readers begin with the first novel, A Murder in Time, although each novel provides sufficient back story to read any as a standalone. However, I believe you will appreciate the character development over time if you begin with the first.
This is the 5th in the series about FBI agent gone rogue to seek revenge who finds herself transported back to 1815 when she escaped into a flight of stairs from a man. There is no time travel technology in these books; it is simply a literary technique similar to Gabaldon's Outlander series resulting in a "fish out of water" scenario.
It has been a year since she traveled into the past. In this novel there are two mysteries. After her success in solving a murder of an aristocrat in her previous novel, she is hired by brewery owner, Mrs. Gavenston, to find her missing financial manager, Jeremy Pascoe. When she does, she discovered his body, death arising from several stab wounds. Now she must use her deductive-reasoning skills to discover the murderer.
The second mystery surrounds a woman who appears on the Duke of Aldridge's doorstep claiming to be the Duke's long lost daughter who was presumed killed when she fell overboard as a young child. Kendra lucked out becoming the Duke's ward but now fears losing the family she cherishes. Therefore, she begins investigating her story. Both investigations, of course, will place her life in jeopardy.
This series has been a guilty pleasure for me picking up a new book when its released. I believe this novel was the best of the series. The author develops the characters well as well as the setting. There is budding romance with the Duke's nephew but it is discreet without the "bodice-ripping" descriptions. If you are a fan of English history and historical mysteries, I would recommend this series. I would recommend that new readers begin with the first novel, A Murder in Time, although each novel provides sufficient back story to read any as a standalone. However, I believe you will appreciate the character development over time if you begin with the first.
August 18, 2021
London, England. 1816. Julie McElwain’s Shadows in Time (Kendra Donovan #5) is a grand addition to this series.
Kendra, a 21st c. FBI profiler, who has been transported to the Regency Era in London finds herself and her ‘team’ attempting to find a missing person. Kendra is requested to locate a Mr. Pascoe, a business manager for a large brewery run by a woman 🤗, Mrs. Gavenston. Kendra and Bow Street Runner, Sam Kelly, are about to search for Mr. Pascoe. Mrs Gavenston has explained to Kendra that she has given a cottage to Mr. Pascoe in Cookham where Mrs. Gavenston’s home is. Kendra and Sam are just about to head out of London to Cookham to ‘check out’ this cottage, but just before they leave a woman appears at the Duke of Aldridge’s Grosvenor Square home and makes a claim that shocks the Duke and Kendra, but Kendra and Sam leave to begin the investigation. Unfortunately, they find Mr Pascoe - dead. Kendra immediately starts an investigation into Mr. Pascoe’s death, but the woman’s claim to the Duke never leaves Kendra’a mind. The author has Kendra noticing how London’s architecture is changing which she knows being from the 21st c. and shows her awareness of being in the Regency Era as washing her hair takes two hours. The author even has Kendra ‘meeting’ Edgar Allen Poe as a youth when she is attempting to hide from an assailant. That is great fun! In addition, Lord Alec Sutcliffe is front and center to protect Kendra at a masquerade ball. A brilliant edition to this favorite series of mine. 5 stars.
Kendra, a 21st c. FBI profiler, who has been transported to the Regency Era in London finds herself and her ‘team’ attempting to find a missing person. Kendra is requested to locate a Mr. Pascoe, a business manager for a large brewery run by a woman 🤗, Mrs. Gavenston. Kendra and Bow Street Runner, Sam Kelly, are about to search for Mr. Pascoe. Mrs Gavenston has explained to Kendra that she has given a cottage to Mr. Pascoe in Cookham where Mrs. Gavenston’s home is. Kendra and Sam are just about to head out of London to Cookham to ‘check out’ this cottage, but just before they leave a woman appears at the Duke of Aldridge’s Grosvenor Square home and makes a claim that shocks the Duke and Kendra, but Kendra and Sam leave to begin the investigation. Unfortunately, they find Mr Pascoe - dead. Kendra immediately starts an investigation into Mr. Pascoe’s death, but the woman’s claim to the Duke never leaves Kendra’a mind. The author has Kendra noticing how London’s architecture is changing which she knows being from the 21st c. and shows her awareness of being in the Regency Era as washing her hair takes two hours. The author even has Kendra ‘meeting’ Edgar Allen Poe as a youth when she is attempting to hide from an assailant. That is great fun! In addition, Lord Alec Sutcliffe is front and center to protect Kendra at a masquerade ball. A brilliant edition to this favorite series of mine. 5 stars.
August 7, 2021
A tough, brilliant FBI agent pulled back in time to Regency England faces the clever, gritty murder mysteries presented without a forensics team in sight, but it is the intricacies of her own life and heart that are the true mysteries she must figure out. These historical mysteries with a time-traveler heroine captured my attention from the beginning and I am thrilled when each installment releases.
Shadows in Time is the fifth in the series that work best read in order because of the strong series plot threads and growing relationships.
Kendra finds being a society lady rather tedious and dull even while she feels that she owes it to the duke and Alec not to be a big odd ball to their grand aristocratic circles and, for her own part, she’s tired of being the weirdo outsider. But, it is hard going conforming so she leaps at the chance when a lady brewery owner sets her a problem of locating a man. That case keeps her busy, but it is the appearance of the duke’s long thought deceased daughter that really stirs up Kendra. Is she or isn’t she? Carlotta sure plays a good game if she is a fake because she knows and does things that only the true woman could know.
I’ve had, at times, a love-hate thing going with Kendra. She has made a tough situation ten times as difficult on herself because she has been so messed up emotionally from her past. Treated like a lab experiment by her parents and a protégé in the FBI as their youngest agent ever for her brilliance, she has no clue how to act when true-hearted people want to embrace her. She also has this chip on her shoulder to prove her worth as an investigator so she rushes stupidly into danger without back up many times. Slowly, through the series, she has learned and gotten better at all that. This was the first book where I felt comfortable settling in and whole-heartedly cheering for her and marveling at how far she has come.
But, the character-driven side of the plot was still no walk in the park because she must face the vulnerability of having the duke’s daughter back in his life and feeling all at sea as to where this places her with him. Then there is her struggle to whole-heartedly embrace a committed relationship with Alec. He loves her and wants her just the way she is, but she must be the one to let down her guard and trust him.
Meanwhile, she has more crime-solving action with Sam her Bow Street Runner colleague, Bear the crime lord help, and Alec assisting. I loved the suspense, the action, and the twists and turns to the end and that finally confrontation that had me worried how it would all turn out. I love most of all how the author blends modern forensics including autopsy and crime-solving work with the available methodology at the time because of Kendra’s time traveling and FBI training paired with people in the period who are no slouches in spite of their low-tech knowledge.
Lucy Rayner continues to narrate the series. I took a bit getting used to her voicing of Kendra, but by this fifth book, I find it familiar and relaxing to slip into the story with her telling it. She gives a depth to the emotion and tone that enhance the listening experience.
All in all, I love this time travel historical mystery series and this last was my best encounter yet. I hope there are many more mysteries for Kendra and her friends. Definitely recommend.
My thanks to Tantor Audio for providing a digital audio copy to listen to in exchange for an honest review.
Shadows in Time is the fifth in the series that work best read in order because of the strong series plot threads and growing relationships.
Kendra finds being a society lady rather tedious and dull even while she feels that she owes it to the duke and Alec not to be a big odd ball to their grand aristocratic circles and, for her own part, she’s tired of being the weirdo outsider. But, it is hard going conforming so she leaps at the chance when a lady brewery owner sets her a problem of locating a man. That case keeps her busy, but it is the appearance of the duke’s long thought deceased daughter that really stirs up Kendra. Is she or isn’t she? Carlotta sure plays a good game if she is a fake because she knows and does things that only the true woman could know.
I’ve had, at times, a love-hate thing going with Kendra. She has made a tough situation ten times as difficult on herself because she has been so messed up emotionally from her past. Treated like a lab experiment by her parents and a protégé in the FBI as their youngest agent ever for her brilliance, she has no clue how to act when true-hearted people want to embrace her. She also has this chip on her shoulder to prove her worth as an investigator so she rushes stupidly into danger without back up many times. Slowly, through the series, she has learned and gotten better at all that. This was the first book where I felt comfortable settling in and whole-heartedly cheering for her and marveling at how far she has come.
But, the character-driven side of the plot was still no walk in the park because she must face the vulnerability of having the duke’s daughter back in his life and feeling all at sea as to where this places her with him. Then there is her struggle to whole-heartedly embrace a committed relationship with Alec. He loves her and wants her just the way she is, but she must be the one to let down her guard and trust him.
Meanwhile, she has more crime-solving action with Sam her Bow Street Runner colleague, Bear the crime lord help, and Alec assisting. I loved the suspense, the action, and the twists and turns to the end and that finally confrontation that had me worried how it would all turn out. I love most of all how the author blends modern forensics including autopsy and crime-solving work with the available methodology at the time because of Kendra’s time traveling and FBI training paired with people in the period who are no slouches in spite of their low-tech knowledge.
Lucy Rayner continues to narrate the series. I took a bit getting used to her voicing of Kendra, but by this fifth book, I find it familiar and relaxing to slip into the story with her telling it. She gives a depth to the emotion and tone that enhance the listening experience.
All in all, I love this time travel historical mystery series and this last was my best encounter yet. I hope there are many more mysteries for Kendra and her friends. Definitely recommend.
My thanks to Tantor Audio for providing a digital audio copy to listen to in exchange for an honest review.
October 9, 2021
4.5 Stars
I can't wait for more books from this series!
I can't wait for more books from this series!
September 9, 2020
These just get better and better.
Kendra is working on a missing person and possible murder case that involves family relationships. When a woman claims to be the Duke's missing daughter, Kendra examines her own relationships in this time. She still rails at the loss of her independence and technological advances, but she is realizing that the bonds she has formed as the Duke's ward mean so much more to her than those in her former life.
The development of the secondary characters continues to grow as does the romance between Kendra and Alex. Since the third in this series, the author has been allowing Kendra to settle into this life instead of trying to find the way out. I love the continued dissection of idioms and language use and the appearance of a future famous figure.
Kendra is working on a missing person and possible murder case that involves family relationships. When a woman claims to be the Duke's missing daughter, Kendra examines her own relationships in this time. She still rails at the loss of her independence and technological advances, but she is realizing that the bonds she has formed as the Duke's ward mean so much more to her than those in her former life.
The development of the secondary characters continues to grow as does the romance between Kendra and Alex. Since the third in this series, the author has been allowing Kendra to settle into this life instead of trying to find the way out. I love the continued dissection of idioms and language use and the appearance of a future famous figure.
August 17, 2020
I love this series soooo much!!!!!!!!! This is the 5th book in the Kendra Donovan historical fiction/time traveler series. I would advise that you read these books in order. It's just easier that way to keep up. Kendra Donovan gets thrown into another murder investigation in this new book and a 2nd investigation that is very close to home for her(at least in her present home). She discovers some very shocking secrets in both of her investigations this time and you will not want to miss this one. Thank you to my author friend Julie McElwain for gifting me a signed copy of her newest edition of her amazing Kendra Donovan series.
June 5, 2021
The beginning is rather slow and unengaging in my opinion, but then it picks up. Enjoyed it all in all.
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