I was drawn in by the premise of this book and the beautiful cover. The story follows a Detective Winston from the late 1800s investigating the disappearance of prominent men. Fast forward to present day and we meet Riley, a young girl who has found a job at a museum restoring old police files. She comes across an old journal belonging to the detective and the two find out they can communicate with one another through writing in the pages of this journal. The duo then works together to try to solve these crimes.

The author does a good job of drawing readers in right off the bat and smoothly transitions between the present and past. The one qualm I found with this book was that it contradicted itself a lot.

For example, at one point the author states that Riley, the present day main character, goes to sit on her couch. In the next sentence she is actually sitting in her reading nook made by her and her sister with its own special chair. So not the couch. Another example, Winston, the main character from the past, has a journal he keeps in his locked desk at work. In the next chapter that desk is now at the boarding house he resides in.

All in all these things don’t take away from the story necessarily but it was noticeable as it happened several times. The plot of the story itself was good and I would give this author another try.

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

Riley and Jack an unlikely duo solving a crime that crosses centuries. The thing is their communication is connected by a seemingly inconspicuous journal. I loved the way the book jumped back and forth between modern day and the Victorian era throughout the chapters and it is cleverly written. Altogether a joy to read. Thank you for proof copy.

I really enjoyed this mystery! Actually, the book cover and the title is really what hooked me in. They both have pretty sinister vibes to them and honestly, the book was perfect for me and really hit the spot for my craving, I really enjoyed this! 5 out of 5 stars!

I loved this book. The whole time travel thing was so interesting and expertly crafted and written that this book had me hooked. The two main characters were both fun and completely relatable. The story itself had some twists and turns and kept my interest. Highly recommend and can’t wait to read more from this author!!!

I don't read much historical fiction, but I was drawn to this book by the setting - 1800s Vancouver. I enjoyed the dual timeline, and particularly warmed to the character of Jack. Riley was not as fully formed or as convincing a character, which disappointed me. Overall, though, this is a book I would recommend, and I would certainly read the next one.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the author for this eARC
In 1897, Jack Winston, a new Detective, in Vancouver is stuck solving the disappearance of a young man from a prominent family. He keeps a journal with his thoughts about his work. In 2017, Riley, an archivist, is fascinated with his journal when she discovers it in a box of files. They soon realise the pair can communicate via the journal through time. Can Riley help Jack solve this crime?

This book combines my two favourite genres, historical fiction and time travel/slip, and I wasn’t disappointed. I couldn’t put the book down and finished this off in one sitting.
The underlying mystery is complex, intriguing with a perfect amount of red herrings. I haven’t read much historical crime fiction set in the 1800s and set in Vancouver. The world-building was fresh and unique especially the descriptions of how Vancouver before it became a city. I liked how the author portrayed the tensions between the various classes.
I warmed to Jack and Riley. Their initial confusion about their connection through the journal felt real as did the development of their relationship. Riley’s increasing fascination with Jack’s life, career and descendants was understandable and well written- it could easily have come across as strange.
Perfect for fans
Historical crime fiction, time travel
Summary
I loved this book and almost found myself pre-ordering the next book ( not really possible with an eARC), The Hanging at Hollow Tree.