Across Time

by Daniel Side

On May 18, 2019, Ethan McGuire, a Dodge City detective, finds the diary of his ancestor, Declan McGuire, a Dodge City Deputy Marshal. There is only one entry – from May 18, 1876 – exactly 143 years ago.

The next night he is shocked when he finds a second entry. Ethan tentatively pens a question, and soon a conversation begins.

With a link to the past, Ethan creates a desperate plan. He will change events in the past to save the life of his fiance.

However Ethan is unaware that a contrived change to the past creates a new history - one that could threaten the lives of all.

283 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2019

About the author

My first book was co-authored with my cousin at age eighteen, written on two old typewriters using carbon paper. An English mystery novel, he wrote one chapter, I wrote the next, usually late on a Friday night. It was a sure fire scheme (one of many) to make us a lot of money. Surprisingly enough, the offers didn’t roll in. Go figure. But I guess it was the first feeble start of my writing career.
Put that career on hold for 20 years. With my wife and three boys I was busy with a teaching career, writing and directing school plays, building our log home and restoring a classic mustang. For car enthusiasts – a 69 Mach 1.
I had always been a science fantasy fan, cutting my teeth as a youngster on the likes of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Andre Norton and Albert Otis Kline among others. Although I continued to read the new fantasy authors, (really enjoyed the early Terry Brooks), as the genre evolved, I tired of gnomes, elves, magic and “the evil dread growing in the west – or north”. As an answer to my problem, I wrote what I felt was the perfect science fantasy adventure – for me. And so my writing career had its second start.
Since then I have continued with a variety of projects. I have taken courses at The Humber School for Writers and Sheridan College, and have continued to, as my site tagline suggests, “write novels that this author would like to read”. I hope you enjoy them too.

Reviews

[Hana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review will be quite biased. While objectively the book was good and interesting; it is a detective story with a twist. The twist being communication between the main character and his ancestor, leading to two separate stories - one in present, the other in 19th century. Lets focus on present first, since this is the case which made me not love the whole book. There are two murders, illegal organ harvesting and revenge, all connected. The main character, Ethan, is a police detective who investigates the murders. He is also the one whose fiance was murdered in the past... seemingly just under unfortunate circumstances but with the plot thickening, we and he learn that she was targeted by man who organizes illegal organ harvesting, since she was the perfect match for his daugther. While this story line can be a bit nauseous, it's the fact that Ethan asks his ancestor to kill the man's ancestor in order to prevent Ethan's fiance's murder, which made me dislike him and be rather unenthusiastic about the book. The other story of Declan, Ethan's ancestor, is good and I enjoyed it.
To sum it up, the writing is really good and if you don't mind some unmoral thinking, you will enjoy it.

[Dean Paul Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre defying. The best Daniel Side book yet.
Imagine CSI, meets Back to the Future 3, with a bit of Quantum Leap and The Terminator thrown in.
This might not be to everybody's taste but for me it worked like charm. Part Western, part mystery, part Police procedural, it zips along and keeps you interested throughout. You can't help but warm to the characters and you can see that a hell of a lot of historical research went into this book.
It never gets bogged down, and even though the time frame shifts between modern day and 1876, you never get lost or confused.
It has a good mix of action, suspense, and drama, without getting melodramatic. It could have become a mess in the hands of a lesser writer but somehow Daniel Side pulls all the disparate elements together to tell a cracking story. Highly recommended.

[JenniferFour · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read, definitely kept me entertained. Man in 2019 finds a diary from 1876 or so and corresponds through it with his ancestor. Both are law enforcement. Mystery is not very mysterious (written that way) so the pleasure of the book is really the life of Declan(1876 guy).

Some typos in the book distracted...worst was the final chapter “May 27” which includes the line “ what’s the date today? The 18th”.