Very interesting read about the concepts of time travel, and how different types of articles can or cannot travel through time. That didn't get in the the way of the story, but somehow, there was too much detail and I got bogged down with it. Maybe, on a second reading... ( )

Knox Davis is the chief county investigator for Pekesville, a small town in Kentucky. He is stumped by a series of strange events. The time capsule that had been buried in front of the courthouse twenty years before is dug up and stolen, and a local attorney is found dead with a spear protruding from his back. Howard is known for her uber-alpha males but Knox is a true beta hero and I really liked him. I may be wrong but I can't recall a single beta hero in all of Howard's works.

Nikita Stover is an FBI agent who turns up at the murder crime scene. But she is no ordinary FBI agent. Nikita comes from the year 2207. Knox is very attracted to her but she tries to maintain a professional distance. She is very self-controlled, reserved and yet vulnerable. Because of her background, Nikita has spent her whole life trying not to call attention to herself. She came across at first as very cold but when her backstory was revealed, her personal characteristics were believable.

The suspense was well-plotted and compelling but the romance was a little on the light side. There was a fair amount of sexual tension but (frustratingly) the actual deed didn't take place until the last 100 pages or so but was satisfyingly hot. I also enjoyed the level of humor in this story. Modern day language was constantly tripping Nikita up and gave Knox lots of chuckles. I have to admit that the image of the pope in a space suit had me laughing out loud. Knox and Nikita were both easy-going likeable characters and there was not a lot of spark between them. But there were underlying layers to their relationship that I enjoyed.

Time travel is a bit tricky but Howard seems to have put a great deal of thought into this story and it was fascinating and plausible. Also, the epilogue was very inventive and I loved it. Many Howard fans may not like this book because she steps outside her usual fare but I enjoyed it. (Grade: B+) ( )

diffrent for Howard, involving time-travel ( )

"Twenty years after a time capsule is buried under the front lawn of a small-town courthouse, the capsule is dug up and its contents stolen, an event that coincides with the murders of the contributors to the time capsule." ( )