The idea behind this book was intriguing, but still felt some of the character development was lacking. It was still enjoyable and interesting. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

This story threads the strands of time together to create a paradox around a seemingly ordinary journal that links the lives for Detective Jack from the late 1800's to historical archivist, Riley in 2017.

These two, seemingly singular lives soon find that fate or destiny has a way of reaching across the span of time to alter their plans life. Instead they find themselves pouring their thoughts to one another through the journey as Riley tries to help Jack in the present find a killer in the past before its too late. In this story, as always time runs short.

In some stories, the dual time-lines can cause confusion for the reader and often frustration if the story of kept in one reference for too long. The author does a wonderful job of circumventing this dilemma by the use of the journal to tie both eras. Just writing what one does can remind the reader what happened and also acts as a good segue into the next era's scene.

The characters were delightful and full of great depth that grew as the story progressed. There were only a few things that bothered me. Early on Riley found that Jack died young, drowned, but later he was old and married when he died. Obviously time changed, but nothing was noted in the story. It would seem like something important to me if I changed something in the past. Another thing is that there is almost this romantic air between the two, but with the space of time it seems illogical admitting can happen. What is the author planning? And last, the ending was very abrupt, though there is hope for another book but where can it go from here?

Overall it was a very satisfying read and I look forward to the next book

** Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to leave an honest review in exchange of a copy of this book **

First before I get into my review I just have to say that I love the cover of this book. I think the colors are so pretty and the design is great. Just had to get that out there.

I thought overall this was a fairly good start to a series. The premise is unique and I liked the idea a lot. You get a lot of dual timeline novels but you don’t really see them intersecting like they do in this one. You are able to see how it pans out for each character because they are communicating through a book. I also liked that if they were both touching the book they could almost feel each other. I do think there was something slightly missing in this book. I just didn’t feel the pull that kept me coming back to find out what happened next.

The book is written well and flows nicely between the timelines, which I like because nothing is worse than a dual timeline where you have to go back and go wait what happened before to get us here. I think the plot was good, it had some unique points to it and I liked that she was using her archivist job to help try and solve these murders. I thought it was interesting that somehow the connection between the 2 men wasn’t figured out by Winston earlier on. It was mentioned by both men’s families that they were interested in clothing and opening a shop so I found that odd that it took them a while to figure that out. I had a slight hint on who I thought might be behind it but I was surprised at the reason behind it and what ended up happening once they were found out.

The characters I thought were good and I liked that you learned a little about them as they got to know each other through their entries in the journal. I liked that in the beginning, they didn’t take too long to not believe what was happening, they went with it and this gave them someone to talk to about what was happening. I like that there was almost a slight romantic edge, but yet not really. You could tell if they were together in person it would probably be there. I do have hope for Riley and Winston’s grandson (you don’t really get as much of that as I thought from the description, instead you are dangled a thread and will surely find out what happens in the next book. I do think the way they interacted was cute). There aren’t a ton of supporting characters, you see Riley’s sister some and the Marshall helping Winston (he especially has a bigger role). I like that Winston interacts with him and they seem to have a friendship.

Overall I thought this was a good read. I do wish it had kept me pulling in a little more, however, I am still intrigued because of the uniqueness of it and definitely will check out the second one to see what other mysteries they solve.

The Dead of False Creek is a split timeline novel. Riley Finch is a researcher who finds a journal that somehow connects her to a police detective in 1897. Riley and Jack Winston communicate via the journal and as she tries to help him solve a missing person case. This novel had a lot of promise; but Jack Winston's character bothered me. He was constantly asking questions of another officer in the department and rather than forming his own thoughts or decisions. It seemed like he went around in circles a lot of the time jumping back and forth with his cases. Concept was great and held a lot of promise; overall it fell short for me.

In Vancouver, a twenty-first century archivist and a nineteenth century detective join forces to solve murders via a mysterious time-traveling journal. The narrative switches between the modern day and the past. As Detective Jack Wilson searches for a young lawyer who has disappeared in 1897 Vancouver, archivist Riley Finch discovers in the 2017 Vancouver History Museum a strangely new-looking journal belonging to Detective Wilson. Through some unexplained mechanism, the two begin communicating by writing in the journal. As the 1897 mystery deepens with the discovery of the lawyer’s dead body and the disappearance of a second man, Riley researches and puts together an exhibit on the early Vancouver police department and helps Detective Wilson solve the mystery. They develop a bond and Riley meets one of Detective Wilson’s ancestors, who becomes a romantic interest.

I had mixed feelings about this book. The premise captured my attention because I love time travel and mysteries. It’s a great idea. The mystery was intriguing enough to propel me through the book. Stephen does a good job of bringing to life late-nineteenth century Vancouver. We get a clear picture of how it looked, the powerful interests in the city and the type of people who ventured west to a rough-hewn frontier town. She fleshes out Detective Winston with some compelling backstory. I also liked the idea of Riley getting involved with Winston’s ancestor. And the mystery had a satisfying conclusion. The side characters are well-drawn, providing additional texture and heft to the story.

On the other hand, it’s clear from the get-go that this is an inexperienced author. The writing can be clunky and awkward. Riley is thin as a character and extremely socially awkward, which I found annoying and weird. There are scenes that seem unnecessary and boring which slows down the story. There’s a lot of Winston questioning people and finding out literally nothing, which seems like filler instead pulling the story forward. There are some strange, inexplicable coincidences that I can only guess are put in as red herrings, e.g. the two men who disappeared both wanting to open a clothing store.

Most importantly, we never find out anything about how the time-traveling journal works! You can’t have this be the main driver of the story and explain nothing about it. This seemed like a complete cop-out to me. The two main characters write entries in the journal that magically appear in their time. They both have a copy of the same journal. There’s even a hint that they can physically feel each other through the journal. It makes no sense and it’s never explained. AT ALL. I kept waiting for it and it never came. Not even a hint. This the biggest flaw of the book.

So overall, I finished the book and enjoyed it to some degree. But I don’t think I’d read a second installment and I’m not sure I would’ve finished it if it hadn’t been an ARC. I can’t honestly recommend it.

Thanks to Net Galley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC.

In 1897, Detective jack Winston investigates a missing man in Vancouver. He keeps the facts and his thoughts straight in his private journal that no one else touches, so he is dumbfounded when someone writes back to him. In 2017, Riley Finch works as a museum archivist and is puzzled when the journal she founds keeps getting new entries when no one has touched it. Connected across time, can these two find a killer?

I don't often read books with a basis in time travel, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The idea of two people able to communicate across time with a journal was an intriguing one. The way it was presented here was...interesting. There were more instances of the supernatural than I was really comfortable with, but maybe I should have expected that with an unexplained time traveling journal?

While both characters were interesting, I didn't believe their reactions. They both accepted the unusual faster than I think anyone would, and began confiding personal information. Riley's point of view didn't add much to the actual mystery. She constantly worries that she will change history with what she says, but she gives the detective the information she finds. And it changes nothing and there are no consequences.

Since the majority of the story stays with the detective, I did end up liking him more. In some ways, he reminded me of Detective Murdoch from the tv show. However, as much as I like him, I was let down by the ending.

So, I would actually rate this somewhere around 3.5 stars, but rounding up to be generous. I don't know if I would continue in the series, but I might. Readers who enjoy time travel might enjoy this more than I did.

Riley Finch is working as an archivist in a museum in Vancouver in 2017, when she finds a journal written by Jack Winston, a detective in the Vancouver police force in 1897. She is alarmed to see notations appear that weren't there before but cannot remember writing them herself, she then reads a completely new entry from Jack & comes to the conclusion that the journal is somehow connecting them through time. Riley writes a message to Jack & after his initial shock, they decide to work together to solve a case involving two missing men.

This book was a pleasant surprise. The main characters, Jack & Riley, work well together & the connections across time angle gives it an edge, although I enjoyed the chapters set in 1897 more than the modern ones. I did think the plot was a little thin & certain aspects of it weren't explained fully enough for me, but as the first book in a series, it was intriguing. I would definitely be interested in reading the next book to see how things develop. The cover is rather nice too.

Thanks to NetGalley & publishers, BooksGoSocial, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

The Dead of False Creek got my attention from the description and didn't disappoint me. The setting of Vancouver, a city that I know well, was just the start. Adding the two time periods and how Riley and Jack can communicate through Jack's diary, well I couldn't put it down. I usually don't like alternating chapters and different POVs but I'm glad I took a chance on this gem. It's a well written mystery with engaging characters. Walking the historic streets of Vancouver was a bonus - it was vivid enough that I could hear it and smell it and then compare it to the city I know now.
Jack is in 1897 Vancouver, a detective just starting out and doubting his abilities. Tasked with tracking down a missing lawyer, he chronicles his investigation in a journal. Fast forward to Riley, an archivist in a museum who finds his journal and makes a massive mistake - she writes in it. The connection is then made between Jack and Riley and his case. They are able to communicate through the journal and the way it was presented had me wanting the book to go on and on. I will be preordering the sequel as soon as it's possible.
My thanks to the publisher WZE Press and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I really loved this book. It was well-written with great characters. The story is a dual timeline with one in the late 1800s and the other present time. Riley finds a journal and after thinking she had made some marks on it, she realizes that someone is writing in it...from a different time. She ends up communicating with Jack, a police officer on the other end of the journal, and they set out to figure out a murder mystery. The characters of Riley and Jack are wonderful. I really loved the relationship they forged. The mystery was good, I kinda had an idea who did it but I still really enjoyed the work put into it. I can't wait to read what happens next.

‘What was the journal a sign of?’

A nineteenth century detective, a twenty-first century archivist and a journal which connects them.
In 1897, Detective Jack Winston is trying to find a missing man. In 2017, Riley Finch is working as a museum archivist in Vancouver, cataloguing police files from the nineteenth century. She comes across Jack Winston’s journal.

The story unfolds in alternate chapters: Jack trying to solve a missing person case which, when a body is found, could be an accidental death or might be murder. And Jack discovers that more than one man has disappeared. Riley is torn between her work as an archivist and a desire to research the cases Jack is investigating. Somehow, the diary enables them to communicate with each other. Neither Jack nor Riley accepts this portal of communication easily but once convinced it works, they embrace it.

Jack is filled with self-doubt. The disappearance of his older brother Ellis has changed his life, and while his family connections have landed him a position as a detective, he wants to prove his worth. Riley’s research in the present provides Jack with some additional information, enabling him to investigate more thoroughly.

I quite enjoyed this novel with its dual storylines and mystery. I wonder if Jack would have (eventually) identified the culprit without Riley’s help? In a neat twist at the end, Riley contacts one of Jack’s descendants.

This is the first book in Ms Stephen’s Journal Through Time Mysteries: the second book is planned for publication in 2022. I am keen to read it.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

4 stars

(this review contains mild spoilers)

I really enjoyed this book! I'm not usually a fan of historical fiction, but this book was very character-driven rather than veering off into pure historical content, and the mystery itself kept me engaged all the way through.

A quick summary: the book follows two protagonists. First, we have museum archivist Riley Finch, living in 2017. On the other side, we have Detective Jack Winston, living in 1897. Despite the centuries between them, the two protagonists strike up the unlikeliest of partnerships when they find a mysterious journal that connects them. Throughout the novel, the two build an emotional connection while Riley helps Winston with an investigation into a double disappearance, and he helps her with a museum exhibit she's working on.

What I liked:
- I found the mystery itself very interesting. I figured out the culprit about halfway through, but I certainly did not understand the motive until the characters did.
- I really loved the characters, especially Winston who I feel was the most well-developed. Winston's mentor relationship with Miller was really sweet, I adore their dynamic. I found myself surprisingly attached to some of the secondary characters like Riley's sister, as well as her potentially-future-love-interest Jack. I'm looking forward to seeing more of them!
- There was a lot of subtle commentary and insight about the difference between the times (such as Winston assuming Riley was male, and some discussions about class and respectability). However, it never came off as forced, something I really appreciated.
- Police detective mysteries and historical fiction are among the most "serious" or sombre genres of fiction, at least in my experience. However, I found this book full of sharp wit, humor, and irony. It was quite a refreshing change from my expectations.

What I didn't like:
- The one LGBTQ+ character, Riley's friend Jules, is in exactly one scene. He leaves to a different continent and no background is given about his relationship with Riley, his partner, or his character in general. It felt like a cheap attempt at checking the representation box without any of the effort, so I hope to see more of him in future books.
- I connected the dots about the link between the two missing men much much earlier than Winston did. It kept taking me out of the book that he didn't notice that connection, especially since he is otherwise shown to be very detail-oriented and intelligent. I went back through the book to make sure, and the character had the same information I did which led me to connect the dots, so I was frustrated by this.
- I feel like the characters didn't explore the mystery of this journal enough. They just accepted the situation without much investigation into why it was happening. I'm again hoping we dive deeper into this later in the series.

Overall conclusion: It's a really great read, I'd highly recommend it! I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

Set in 1800s Vancouver and present day, this story is told between a male detective and a woman archivist. They begin communicating through the journal, as the male detective searches for missing men. There is a bit of a slow burn romance building and the mystery itself wasn’t what kept me going it was the journal. Unfortunately I will have to wait until summer of 2022 for the next book in the series as it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. I really enjoyed it and I’m eagerly awaiting the rest of the series.

time-travel, archivist, detective, law-enforcement, paranormal, urban-fantasy, missing-persons, murder, murder-investigation, family, friendship, Canada*****

Interesting premise involving two-way written communication between a police detective in the late 1890s and an archivist in present times. First, each of them has to get over the weirdness, then she tries to help him with his current investigation without changing the continuum. Very good tale and I'm thrilled that it is only first in series! The characters are engaging and the world building is superb!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley. Thank you!

The Dead of False Creek hooked me by chapter 3. As soon as I was introduced to Jack Winston and Riley Finch, I wanted more. Jack is a detective from the late 19th century and Riley is an archivist in the early 21st century, and their story begins with a journal that defies all logic. While Riley is working on a museum exhibit, she stumbles across the journal and finds herself drawn to write in it. After realizing her mistake, she keeps a close eye on the journal and realizes that it is updating, in real time, with the thoughts of Detective Winston. Detective Winston uses the journal to keep track of his missing person case: a young man has disappeared and it is a race against time to find him. Detective Winston also realizes that the journal is connected to Riley, and he accepts her help as an archivist to help him find the missing man.

This book is a very fun read. Each chapter shifts focus between Jack in the 19th century and Riley in modern times. Jack’s chapters are interesting and fast paced, following him through the city as he interviews suspects. These sections helped me to put myself into the story, getting into his head and becoming emotionally involved in the case. The amount of detail and description was well done and at no point did I find myself lost. I appreciate when I can read a novel about a place I have never been, but it still feels familiar. I enjoyed reading about Jack’s interactions with both the fellow officers at the constabulary as well as the suspects in the case. The dialog was interesting and flowed naturally.

Riley’s chapters in the novel took a backseat for me and I found myself looking forward to Jack’s sections more and more. While critical to the plot, Riley’s interactions didn’t hold the suspense or gravity the way that Jack’s story did. This is not to say that these sections were boring, they just didn’t hold the suspense the way the 19th century sections did.

When I first read the synopsis for the book, I was slightly concerned about the journal that transcends time. It was something that could very easily go wrong, with the journal turning into a Deus Ex Machina plot device, but I am delighted to say that story mechanic was incredibly well written. I was worried that it would feel forced, but it felt natural to the flow of the story. I may not have particularly cared about Riley, the story wouldn’t be nearly as interesting without her.

The mystery itself was my favorite part. I loved being kept on my toes and guessing until the very end. I thought I had it all figured out several times, but I am happy to say I was wrong because what actually happened was much more interesting. I enjoyed the fact that even though I guessed some parts of how everything would play out, I never could figure out everything. This made me even more excited about the reveal and kept me on my toes until the very end. As a final thought, I have been obsessing about this book since I finished, and that is always the sign of a good book.

I found out that there will be a second book coming out next year and I am already upset it isn’t coming out sooner. I can’t wait to see where this story goes and how some of my lingering questions will be answered.

4.5/5 ⭐️

I received this book from NetGalley and the author in exchange for my honest review.

Can time and distance add a different insight to the case …

I do believe this is my first dual time read. Until now, none had caught my attention enough to want to read it. It is sure the mystery and paranormal sides helped to tip the scales.
Jack has turned his back to his legacy, needing to make his own mark in the world, a different one. His older brother’s disappearance turned his world upside down, then opened him to a different life. So he has his doubt about his abilities to solve crimes, still he is one to look at a case from every side, never overlooking a clue. He is kind to his colleague and his breeding allows him to navigate more easily among the wealthy.
Riley has finally landed her dream job, but she never expected during her research to find an intriguing diary. What she thought to be a prank is turning into the adventure of her life. One which connect her with a man from an other time, an other life, an other job. But she is torn between what she can write or not, plus she has her own job to accomplish, how to combine both.

It was so much fun to see them tiptoeing around the diary, each making its own experiences before accepting the impossible was probable.
The case’s culprit is soon obvious, but his reasoning and methods surprised me.
I loved following those two, Jack doing his best but limited by his era’s lack of true forensic services. He mostly has his brain and deductive skills, while Riley is struggling between what she can divulge and the amounts of documents left for her to dig into.
So I wonder how their relationship will turn in the future, will they continue hold to back as they are both locked in their own time or is there way for them to interact more outside the diary…

I decided to overlook some details as I hope they will be corrected for release day, like the woman Huntington is in love with mentioning early what new career he wanted to pursue, it took Jack quite some time to learn/acknowledge it, then Chase last being seen at his club on the evening then it is said to be in the afternoon instead of later.

In all, this first book intrigued me, how the characters processed in their researches, the dual time narrative, it left me eager to read the next one.
4.5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 none

I have been granted an advance copy by the author, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

This book is an easy to read murder mystery.
Riley is an archivist in modern Vancouver, Jack is a detective in 1897 Vancouver. When they realize that they're able to communicate, they start investigating a murder.

Jack and Riley are realistic and sympathetic characters, the mystery is complex and intriguing and the split narrative of the book is well done, it was interesting seeing the differences between 1897 Vancouver and present day Vancouver. The way Jack and Riley solve crimes and communicate with each other is super unique.
The beggining was a bit slow and I noticed that there were a few contradictions throughout the book (something is said to happen in a place but in the next scene it's in a different place).
Overall I totally recommend this book, it's a good and gripping mystery.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC.

Thank you Netgalley and WZE Press for early access to this fun little mystery! Set in a dual timeline, we meet a modern-day woman, Riley Finch, as she begins her new position as a museum archivist. While cataloguing early documents of the Vancouver, British Columbia police department, she comes across a 100-year-old journal written by one of the department’s earliest detectives, Jack Winston. She soon realizes however, that this is no ordinary diary, as entries, though written a century prior, begin to appear on the pages. Shocked at her own daring, Riley begins to write her own entries, and to her unbelievable delight, she realizes Jack can see her additions. As Riley and Jack begin to communicate thru the journal, they forge an unexpected friendship as they work together to solve an 1897 murder case.
I really enjoyed reading this little story. I loved the dual timeline and Jack and Riley’s communication thru the shared diary. A bit of a history buff myself, I appreciated the heavier emphasis on Jack’s era as opposed to the present day. I specifically liked the 1897 look at what was then a brand-new police department, and the rudimentary resources available to the ‘Constables’ at that time. The mystery was intriguing, as were the supporting characters and the various possibilities of ‘who dun it’. I found myself snatching minutes here and there to read; sneaking pages in on my break, waiting for the stop light to change, or waiting for water to boil on the stove. Even though this is not a ‘bombshell’ or ‘most anticipated’ release, I still found it very enjoyable, and plan on picking up the second volume in this Journal Through Time mystery series when it releases in 2022.

This was a compelling read with a dual narrative set in Canada in 1897, which appealed to me as I have not read many historical novels set in Canada and it all really worked, I was gripped and couldn't put it down before i saw how it played out, I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

The Dead of False Creek by Sarah Stephen. #1, Journal Through Time Historical Mystery Series. BooksGoSocial, 2021.

Living in Vancouver but separated by 120 years as they solve a series of murders, police detective Jack Winston and museum archivist Riley Finch use a journal to communicate in a fashion similar to the mailbox Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves used in The Lake House, 2006.

This book by a relatively new author was a refreshing surprise. Main characters were realistic and appealing, supporting characters were credible, the writing flows well with few distractions, the plot is intriguing but not unnecessarily complex with enough detail in the case descriptions for readers to start guessing, despite a few red herrings.

I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to the next one.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of The Dead of False Creek for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. #TheDeadofFalseCreek #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story would be great for a movie! This book flips between 1897 and 2017 Vancouver. In 1897, Jack Winston, detective, keeps a journal while trying to solve the mystery of the disappearance of a young man. In 2017, Riley, archivist, finds his journal after discovering it in a box of files. Then, they realize they can communicate through time. Will Riley be able to help Jack solve the mystery?

Jack and Riley can communicate with each other through writing in the pages of his journal. I think that’s super unique and works perfectly in the story as the pair works to solve crimes.

I also kind of like that they’re both newbies but it does make for a lot of slow judgement on their end. I preferred the character of Jack because I felt that Riley just wasn’t fleshed out as much as Jack was. I also found the book was a bit slow to start. There were also few contradictions throughout the book where something was said to happen in x place, but then the following scene, it would be moved, or they would be elsewhere. Not enough for it to be concerning, but just noticeable.

Overall, I enjoyed the book a lot and would definitely read future mysteries in the series or by the author!