Double-Back

by Bob Blink

Jake's good friend Special Agent Susan Carlson has been kidnapped. Jim Laney calls from Washington, DC to inform him of the attack, requesting Jake's help to prevent the abduction. As unfortunate as the news is, it isn't anticipated to be a problem. Jake has easily solved far more complicated matters with his Back-Tracking ability before. After gathering the relevant details of the attack upon Carlson from Jim Laney, Jake Back-Tracks to a time earlier in the week to alert his FBI friends of the plan. A trap is laid, and the group of four, would-be assailants, are easily captured. Satisfied with the outcome, Jake initiates another Back-Track to a much earlier time to deal with an unrelated problem for his wife Karin, also easily handled. After completing the task for his wife and Jake relives the time of the abduction, an unprecedented thing happens. History fails to repeat itself as it always has during his previous Back-Tracking. When the trap is set to capture the would-be kidnappers, they simply don't appear. No plan is in place to make an attempt against Carlson. Uncertain what might have happened, the matter is tabled and life goes on, with some question as to whether Jake's ability has been somehow corrupted as a result of the extensive Back-Tracking he has done over the past couple of years. A second attempt in as many weeks against Carlson, this time an attempt to kill her outright, causes Jake to examine carefully what might be happening. Whoever has a grudge against Carlson, almost certainly has a Back-Tracker of their own. Soon, a complicated battle emerges, where Jake and the FBI attempt to discover who the people after Susan might be, and more importantly who their Back-Tracker is. Meanwhile, the criminals realize that against all probability, Agent Carlson must have someone who is able to Back-Track, assisting her in her efforts to locate them. In order to complete their plan to eliminate Carlson, the FBI Back-Tracker must be neutralized. The multiple time loops associated with the efforts of the two groups to uncover the identity of their counterparts becomes the most trying engagement of Jake's life, with the stakes being no less than the lives of all his FBI friends and himself. As the cumulative effects of multiple Back-Tracking threaten to limit his ability, Jake must balance Back-Tracking to preserve the facts they have learned, against the potential need to Back-Track in the event they are attacked. The battle of wits and ability result in a complex game of cat and mouse with an unexpected outcome.

362 pages, Paperback

Published April 23, 2016

Reviews

[Mike Goodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memory Sending Series

A guy working for the FBI can send his memories back to earlier version of himself with limitation to foil bad guys. In this book another person has powers like his. A serious chess match ensues. Good entertaining fast pace series.

[Larryhill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bob Blink's Jake Waters series is an enjoyable series with often complex plots and decent action sequences. But Mr. Blink is in desperate need of a good editor. Not so much for grammar and proofreading but to aid him in developing context, continuity and structure. While his plots move along appreciably well with a minimum of Clancy-like social preaching, he could move into the first rank with outside guidance to tighten and clarify muddied plot lines and character issues.

This is particularly the case in this book. The two main characters arc around one another in a complex time-dance, continually erasing each other's sense of present history.

Blink's series has engaging characters and an interesting precept driving his stories. With professional assistance he could easily move up a star or two.

[Alex Jackl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting ideas a n d storyline but....

This story is interesting and the idea of dueling backtrackers is a cool idea b u t this plot c poo lid have been resolved much easier and there are a lot foolish choices. It is an interesting series but not executed perfectly.