Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Gruesome murders taking place across 1920s London draw Lew and Alec together through the desolation of the East End and the smoky music clubs of Soho. They both have secrets that could get them arrested or killed. In the middle of a murder investigation that involves wild magic, mysterious creatures and illegal sexual desire, who is safe to trust?

Not Lew, who is struggling to get to grips with life a century before he was born. Or Alec, who wants Lew in his bed, despite liking him for murder.

 

First edition independently published, January 2017.

Second edition published at JMS Books, January 2018.

Book Review

"The important thing I that man is lost in time, in the moment that immediately precedes him – which only attests, by reflection, to the fact that he is lost in the moment that follows." ~ Andre Breton

When Lew Rogers decides to find his foster sister, Mira, he knows he's going into the “unknown”, but he doesn't realize that he will end up traveling almost one hundred years into the past. Even with this extraordinary development, he scrambles to make the best of his situation and is more determined than ever to find Mira.

Lew is from London, so he is familiar with most of the geography, but struggles to fit in because some things, like his 2016 accent, are slightly different from the speech of 1919. Therefore, he says as little as possible. Fortunately for him, but sad for the other fellow, he comes upon a motorbike accident in which the guy on the bike gets thrown into the ocean. Lew takes on his identity, including his profession as photographer. This circumstance enables him to have two jobs as a photographer, one with the newspaper and another with the police. Lew ends up finding Mira in a night club singing the blues. It seems she was dabbling in magic in order to obtain her dream job and that catapulted her into a job she enjoys but one in the past.

When Lew needs help, he goes to a gentleman who in the past was a Worker, a man familiar with the “Border”. It's a barrier between this reality and other lands where there are monsters that take any chance they can to break through to Lew’s world, attracted to the energy it produces. When murders begin to happen, Lew and his friends come to the conclusion that something must have followed Mira into their time period. They plot and plan for a way to capture and destroy it before it kills again.

Alec Carter is a detective with the Metropolitan Police who meets Lew while investigating one of the horrific murders. Lew is there in his capacity of photographer for the police. The man murdered is a friend-with-benefits which makes it nearly impossible for Lew to pretend he doesn't know him. He isn't convincing enough for Alec, who is suspicious of Lew from the start; his “senses” tell him that Lew knows more than he is admitting. Alex also guesses Lew's sexual orientation, but doesn't make a big fuss about it because Alec also favors men. Unfortunately, Alec and Lew's lack of communication ends up thwarting Lew's attempt to corner the monster, throwing everyone into chaos.

This story is a murder mystery thriller, full of suspense, more than a romance. The worldbuilding presented a good snapshot of the post WW1 era. I'd have liked to have known more about Lew and how he coped with living in the past as compared to his life in his time. I liked Alex and felt like I knew more about him. I had more of an emotional connection with him than with Lew. The magic in the story was unique, although I grappled with understanding exactly how it worked. All of this said, I this is the first book in a new series and, by necessity, had a lot of groundwork to cover. I liked the sexual tension between Lew and Alec and look forward to following its development. If you like time travel, historical romance, magic, monsters, and mayhem, this book may be one you will enjoy. Thanks, A.L., for your intriguing story.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. The second edition of this book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novel, 202 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date	14-March-2026
Price	$4.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GSJSV517