Member Reviews

Author's a lovely writer. She knows how to describe the intricate human emotions and draws you to the scene each time. It was an interesting read. There are heartwarming moments especially when protagonist finally decides to be compassionate towards her own choices that her past self made. Changing some crucial moments during her time travel was unexpected yet worked so wonderfully well with the story.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book but I highly recommend against no audio for it! It takes a lot of focus to keep track of timing in this on an audio book!

After lots of slow listening and once I figured out the pattern in the writing, I was sucked in! It was suspenseful and it keep me thinking and guessing (wrong) the whole time!

Was this review helpful?

Wowza, this was a ride and I can totally see why this book receives such high praise!

Wrong Place Wrong Time is a Memento-esque / Groundhog's Day novel that mixes scifi and time travel elements with your standard mystery/thriller genre. When Jen's son Todd commits an unspeakable act in front of her very eyes, Jen is thrust in a vicious time loop that sends her back in time to solve the crime before it takes place.

I'm generally not a fan of groundhog's day-esque novels. They get repetitive and we've all seen it too many times at this point. However, Wrong Place Wrong Time was admittedly very unique and because Jen just kept being propelled further and further back in time, rather than re-living any one day over and over, it never felt repetitive.

I loved the time travel aspects, the hard and honest look at motherhood (SO many relatable moments and self-reflections!), and self-growth.

Admittedly, much of this book was a 3-star read for me. I enjoyed it, but I wasn't absolutely enthralled. But boy did my jaw drop in the last 15% or so and the deja-vu reference sealed the deal as a 4-star for me. There were things I never could have predicted and I loved how everything was explained and played out.

All in all, this book was gripping and so unique. It's definitely one I'll recommend!

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the copy.

Was this review helpful?

What would you do if you saw someone you love do a terrible thing and were given the ability to change the events of time? I was pulled in instantly when the book opens to Jen witnessing her son commit a crime. Thinking she will fall asleep that night with a terrible next day ahead of her for her family, she instead wakes up the day before the crime and instead of moving forward, she continues to move backward in time. Since watching what her son did was shocking, she has a lot of digging to do to see if she can figure out why he did what he did, all the while wondering if she will ever wake up where she started ever again. As a Mom, this reeled me in and I couldnt put it down. The audiobook was so well voiced and paced, I was hooked. A five star read for me, I have already recommended this title to so many people. It is by far my favourite of Gillian McAllister's books.

Was this review helpful?

From my blog: Always With a Book

This is only the second book I’ve read, or in this case, listened to, by Gillian McAllister and I am definitely a fan! Somehow I thought I had written this review but just realized I never did, so I apologize for it being so late…I did pick this one up when it came out but I guess life got in the way of me actually writing the review in a timely manner…but that is in no way a reflection of the book because I still vividly remember this one and recommend it all the time!

I loved the structure of this one – it was so unique and really kept me on edge as to how it was all going to wind up. I’m not usually a fan of the whole “Groundhog Day” trope, but that really wasn’t what was happening here. Jen was actually waking up a day earlier every day…a day further away from the murder and that made this one so original and kept me on guard as to what could possibly happen to cause that. Obviously this book has a bit of a sci-fi feel to it and that usually isn’t my jam but I’m telling you I could not put this one down once I started it and I have a feeling I will be rereading it at some point just to see if I can work anything out myself before all the reveals. It really is such a clever, brilliantly plotted story that I just loved!

Filled with secrets and some unexpected twists, this one really threw me for a loop and I cannot wait to see what comes next from this uber talented author. In the meantime, I am going to try to read some of her backlist if I can fit them in.


Audio thoughts: This book could be a tricky one to listen to with the structure but once I got the hang of it, I had no issue. I thought the narrator, Lesley Sharp, did a great job bringing the story to life.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this book for the most part but definitely found myself bored in parts. Some were longer and had more explanations than needed. I kept thinking to myself, this would make a much better short story. It would have been just as effective.

I did enjoy that it worked backwards, which you don’t see very often.

Also — what was the significance of repeating some words three times again and again? Didn't understand it.

Was this review helpful?

Wow! This book! Was not expecting the turn of events!!! This was such a unique story. Essentially told backwards. I expected it to be like ground hogs day with a repeat of the same day but it wasn’t. It was much more interesting to follow. Each time she goes back, there’s a bit more of the puzzle unveiled. I thought i had it all figured out but then, i didn’t! I really love the turn it took. I also loved how this capitalized on motherhood and love and it was so different in a thriller. It really highlights what you’re willing to do for love. The ending was pretty great!

Was this review helpful?

This was definitely a unique and interesting way of solving a murder. It starts out with a murder and works it’s way backward to the motives behind it, like other murder mystery thrillers I’ve read in the past, however, this one does so in a new, innovative manner (that I won’t go into in order to avoid spoilers). The characters were believable in their humanity and McAllister weaves a complex picture of how choices made in the past can be eye opening or blinding depending on the path taken. There were subtle inner connections that I appreciated as well, like with Cleo and Eve, or Kelly and Jens father. It kept me guessing until a surprising end, which I appreciated, and the humor behind some of the events, like the very ending (the unforeseen consequence) was a nice touch. I also really enjoyed the journeys that both Ryan and Jen take to get where they were meant to be. Near the beginning, at times, it did feel a touch cliche and a bit sloppy in the genre blending, but all in all it turned into a novel that I would recommend to anyone looking for a newer take on psychological thrillers, akin to authors like CJ Tudor.

Was this review helpful?

Well this was disappointing :/

I loved the concept of this one, it felt clever and I loved the time-travel element! It gave me serious Blake Crouch vibes, but unfortunately fell a little flat for me.

The best part of the book was the ending, but it just took so long to get there. The pacing was off for me, there were so many moments that felt like it just dragged and didn't feel necessary. Ultimately it was too long for what it was. This is definitely not a thriller, much more a mystery/drama so adjust expectations if you decide to read!

My book club picked this one, and I'm excited to chat more with them about it.

Was this review helpful?

I’m still processing my thoughts on this one, but somehow I saw the twists coming which spoiled the end for me. I’ve read quite a few time traveling themed books so far for 2022, and love this theme, but I just don’t think it worked for me in this one.

I did alternate between listening and reading, and found myself gravitating towards the audiobook which was narrated by Lesley Sharp who I loved!

*many thanks to William Morrow and Harper Audio for the gifted copy for review

Was this review helpful?

Another great novel by author Gillian McAllister that I kept me gripped throughout. Exciting premise and a fast paced plot that kept me guessing to the very end. Interesting characters, well written and a genuine page turner.

Late one night Jen witnesses her teenage son murder a stranger in front of her. Immediately her life and future disintegrates, leaving her speechless. Her son offers no explanation for his actions and very quickly he is arrested and taken away by the police. As a parent you always want to help them but what if your past hid a secret on which your own family’s future depends? And what if you could travel back into your past to find the answers and stop make changes to save her son.

This was a real page turner and one of the reading highlights of the year for me.

Was this review helpful?

Wow! This was so good! The author pulled me in and didn’t let go until the very last page. However I do wish that the ending wasn’t quite so rushed. Overall a great read!

Was this review helpful?

Wrong Place, Wrong Time is like an onion, that is pealed slowly to reveal the rotten core in the middle. As a mom, waiting up for my 17 year old son was a common occurrence, but watching him stab someone and kill him in the driveway was never on my radar. Jen, can’t believe it when she sees her son kill this stranger. Who is he? Why did her do it? Why won't he say anything? She has to find a way to help her funny, happy boy who is now in custody. Each day she wakes up, it is a day earlier and she is looking for something to help her prevent the events of that late October night.

This is a story that needs you to suspend belief, and if you can do that and just go with the premise, then you will enjoy this very different, well-written story. My heart broke for Jen. I can not imagine what she was feeling, but she never gave up trying to figure out how to sort everything out and prevent her son from becoming a murderer. She was smart, flexible and tenacious when it came to saving her son. She has a wonderful marriage and loves her husband, but as she uncovers secrets and sees events in a different light, will it destroy her family? I was kept guessing throughout and was so far off, it was laughable. The twists were all there and kept my head spinning. What would I have done as a mother to save my son? The reason for my four stars instead of five? The middle dragged somewhat and was a bit overlong, but the end more than made up for it. If you enjoy a twisty suspenseful mystery, then I recommend Wrong Place, Wrong Time. Lesley Sharp narrates this story and does a good job. It is my first book she has performed and I enjoyed her voice and presentation.

Was this review helpful?

Wrong Place Wrong Time is another creative thriller written by Gillian McAllister. McAllister has such a knack for writing well woven stories that all tie together in the end, This is by far one of the most creative and original books I have read and I know you will love it as much as I did.

The story begins with Jen witnessing her son kill someone in the streets just outside their home. The police arrive and take him into custody. Jen has never seen this man before and tries to work out who he was and why her son would do such a thing. The next morning Jen wakes up ready to fight for her son and she realizes that she has traveled back in time by one day. Each day she wakes up and she is transported to an earlier time- each date being more important than the last. Jen learns that she can learn things from each of these days and even slightly change the future. Can Jen alter the past to change the future?

At first, I felt that this book wasn't going to be for me as it seemed very Sci-fi. After reading several chapters, I was enthralled by the story and transported through time with Jen in the hopes of changing her son's fate. This book had a ton of mind-blowing twists that I didn't see coming.

If you are looking for an original thriller.... this is definitely the one for you!

Was this review helpful?

Wonderful story; playing with time and place. In order to save her son and her marriage, Jen wakes up in her own body in the past, where she day by day learns more about herself, her family and all the things she didn't notice the first time around.
Having Jen going back in time, might be cheating by Gillian McAllister, since she is free to introduce new twists in the middle of the book, but it really works. I didn't want to put the book down, and the twists kept me interested all the way through.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Unpopular opinion time. I didn't really enjoy this one. I just could not get into the story at all. Part of my issue was that you basically know the ending before you could get into the book so the push to finish the book became whether the ending could be changed or not, which made it seem like a slow read for me. I also felt like it took the main character too long to just accept what was going on and get into detective mode. I felt like the flashback parts of the story didn't really work for me either. The narrator and writing were great but it just wasn't a good fit for me.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks Netgalley and Harper Audio for the audio ARC of this!

I was expecting a regular time loop for some reason, so time going backwards only threw me for a, well, loop. Once I got into it, though, I really enjoyed it. The pacing was really well done, and it was plenty twisty and tense. For fans of the 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, Neverworld Wake, and Recursion.

Was this review helpful?

I really like time travel/grounhog day themes so I had high expectations going into this one. I couldn't get into the audiobook, so I tried the physical book and had trouble with that too, but I kept switching back and forth until I finally got into it. Overall, it was a bit slow for me. I think I may have needed more character development to care about the characters, we got there at the end, but I could have used more earlier on.

Was this review helpful?

At first, I couldn't put it down but halfway through my head was spinning. The jumping timelines and background details wore me out-too much minutia. I had to skim to the end.
In my opinion, this book was just way too long and could have been revised for brevity. I felt there was too much repetition.

Was this review helpful?

his was my first Gillian McAllister book but it will not be my last. Such a fantastic premise and the execution was simply perfect!

What if you could turn back time and stop a murder, stop your son from the biggest mistake in his life? How far back would you need to go to change the chain events that lead to a crazy night where you see your quiet, brilliant, quirky son do the unthinkable? What will you find out about the people in your life while you work through the past to fix the present (or prevent the unthinkable)?

This book was a brilliant, tightly wound web of secrets. I was so engrossed in this story from the very first chapter and couldn’t wait to see what it would take to unwind the murder.

I loved the main characters and I truly did not see any of it coming. Every big reveal, I gasped. And the end…. Simply perfection! So absolutely satisfying!

Was this review helpful?