The Timepiece and the Girl Who Went Astray

A thrilling new time travel adventure

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Pub Date 30 Jul 2021 | Archive Date 20 Aug 2021

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Description

1980s LONDON. A SENSELESS MURDER, A BIZARRE DISAPPEARANCE AND A MYSTERY DECADES IN THE MAKING.

William Wells, a gifted but risk-averse US college dropout living an unadventurous life in London, stumbles upon a mysterious timepiece with the ability to alter time. When the Timepiece’s previous owner is brutally murdered by unknown assailants, Will flees, only to see his girlfriend, Abigayle, vanish before his eyes when she comes into contact with this remarkable watch.

He now finds himself alone in an unfamiliar city, wanted for a murder he didn’t commit and the prime suspect in a woman’s disappearance. Whether he knows it or not, Will does have one advantage – control over the most powerful force in the universe: time. The only problem is that he has no idea how to wield it. Those that do, members of a secretive and long-forgotten organisation, are also on his trail and there are no lines they won't cross to recover The Timepiece.

1980s LONDON. A SENSELESS MURDER, A BIZARRE DISAPPEARANCE AND A MYSTERY DECADES IN THE MAKING.

William Wells, a gifted but risk-averse US college dropout living an unadventurous life in London...


Advance Praise

"The story is captivating... a thrilling and riveting read.” - LoveReading.co.uk

"The story is captivating... a thrilling and riveting read.” - LoveReading.co.uk


Available Editions

ISBN 9781838477707
PRICE $4.99 (USD)

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Average rating from 21 members


Featured Reviews

I really enjoyed this book. The writing style was so nice and the world building was great. It had a dreamy feel to it. I can not wait to see more from this author and get this when it comes out. I would totally recommend. the characters were so nice.

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Will goes out to find the perfect birthday present for his watch loving fiancée, however he gets more than he bargains for when the timepiece he gives her makes her disappear.

Soon Will finds himself wanted for murder he didn’t commit and for the disappearance of his fiancée, and being hunted down for the watch that was meant for his fiancée.

I originally clicked on this book because the cover colour reminded me of Doctor Who, then I applied because of the synopsis.

The book picked up speed very quickly. There were times where I questioned something’s said throughout the book but it all ended up tying into one another beautifully.

The only reason I found myself getting a little bored at times is the overboard on some description throughout, almost every last detail was described and not leaving much to the imagination.

Overall the author did a wonderful job to build a world that expanded over many decades in a small time frame and left me wanting more at the end.

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A wonderfully eventful time travelling adventure. William Wells stumbles into a situation that soon finds him wanted by the police for murder. Will has to use all his resourcefulness to navigate through time to rescue his girlfriend and clear his name.
Full of action and plenty of twists, I read this book in one sitting. Great fun and cleverly plotted.

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This is pretty fun. Time travel stories have wide appeal, so it is a safe genre for authors. As the author's first book, it doesn't have the polish of a more experienced writer, but it's well structured, plotted, and written.. I stayed mostly engaged. I hope the author continues to write.

I appreciate the free ARC for review!!

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This is a mixture of genres - part historical part sci fi. I thought the title was a little misleading though since the girl is not in much of the story and the protagonist is actually her fiance who is trying to find her. The action takes you back and forth in time. I liked how the plot was structured ending more or less where it began.
May not be everyone's cup of tea but recommended for those who like a time travel Dr. Who type mystery.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the copy.

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Will, a young American lives in London with his British girlfriend, Abigayle. Given that he is in Britain illegally, he can't contribute much to their household but he wants to buy her something special. She collects timepieces and, at a little out-of-the-way second-hand store, he finds a very unusual watch at a ridiculously low price. However, he soon finds out the appearance of the watch is the least unique thing about it and he's got a great deal more than he bargained for. First, his girlfriend disappears when she comes in contact with the watch and when he goes back to the store to talk to the owner, he finds he's been murdered. And if that's not enough, he is the only suspect. Now, on the run, not only from the law but a shadowy organization that has shown a willingness to kill to get their hands on the watch, but determined to find Abigayle at any cost, Will is on the adventure of a lifetime with the watch the only clue to her whereabouts.

The Timepiece is the debut novel by O.R. Simmonds and it is one heck of a fun time travel tale crossing several timelines. At times, the story gets bogged down with descriptions of events and thought processes but never enough to make me want to quit reading especially as these slow bits are followed by breakneck action. For any Dr Who fans or just anyone who likes a well-written time travel tale, this one's for you.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

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First of all, I was given this ARC for review but I am extremely sorry I couldn't give my review on time because of my work these past two months. I did enjoy reading this book from the beginning. The story was intriguing from start to end. I used to read a little everyday whenever I got time. This book did not disappoint me. Time travel is a tricky concept because the chances of plot holes are high. But this book was perfect in every way. If you love sci-fi, this book is for you. The last line gave me chills. I was awake till 1 AM finishing it yesterday. I am really hoping there will be a sequel for this because I have some questions. But if there isn't, it's totally cool too because some mystery at the end leaves the readers wondering and wanting more. Such books make me think and create my own version of the story which I love doing. It did amaze me when I found out it's a debut novel. Highly recommended to all the sci-fi nerds like me. 🙌

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Actual rating: 4.5🌟

This is the story of how William is entangled in a conspiracy of huge proportions unknowingly.

This is a time travel book, with science and history as major part of it. William was thrust into multiple thrilling circumstances while trying his best to locate his fiancée. It is a bit more complicated as Abby, the fiancée is lost in time.

Equipped with a Timepiece that enables him to travel through time, William together with a renegade time agent Frenz, embarks on a journey to find Abby and along the way fight off the ones trying to get the Timepiece themselves.

At the start I was a bit frustrated with Will because he kept on messing up. When he's nervous, he tends to make huge mistakes.

Eventually, Will and Frenz grew on me. I love the concept of time travel and this one has lots of themes I enjoy. I think the most prominent one here is the egg and chicken dilemma. It wasn't very perfect and I was a bit confused at some parts but I enjoyed it so much.😊

I love how things ended. A great and thrilling read for fans of time travel books.👍

*Thanks to the publisher for making this book available for review via Netgalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest thoughts and opinions of the book.*

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I started this book being quite confused. The intro gives no true clue as to how enthralling and enchanting this book actually is.

It was a slow starter for me, the first few chapters you feel as befuddled as poor Will does, however once you allow it to get a head of steam it charges off. The plot, the characters and the setting are all well written and very descriptive. And by the end you just want to know what happens next. I do hope in the future this will be revealed.

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I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found the subject matter really interesting. The book was well written and easy to understand. I highly recommend this book.

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