Well plotted, engaging, and full of surprises… Not to be missed.
Mulligan’s first installment in The Liam Flannery Chronicle series provides a splendid genre-blend of time travel, YA contemporary, and cozy mystery. When nineteen-year-old Charlene Mackinson goes missing, Connor O’Mara, his childhood friend and the boy she has always loved, knows something is wrong about her disappearance. After the police fail to locate the young woman, Connor knows he must do something on his own if he wants to locate Charlene. But a strange incident transports Connor back to the 1970s. Traveling through time mingling with his would-be ancestors and becoming involved in the Flannerys affairs, Connor learns the true meaning of danger and what it means to be an outsider in a time period that’s vastly different from his own. What appears to be a fast-paced and plot-driven mystery, gradually veers into time-travel territory with an intriguing take on the 1970s era. With an elegant prose and an acute eye for telling details, Mulligan skillfully constructs the two different timelines, and his intermingling of various characters from the past and the present is artful. Connor is a sympathetic protagonist, full of youthful vigor and profound love for Charlene. The bond between the two is endearing, and their interpersonal dynamic (despite Charlene’s absence in the story) is rooted in reality. It takes a while for Connor to enter the 1970s timeline, but once that happens, the story advances at a rapid speed while still allowing for quieter moments of character development and rich descriptions. Measured pacing, deft characterization, and relentless tension keep readers anchored. A vividly atmospheric page-turner—readers will eagerly anticipate the next in the series.
Throwback
The Liam Flannery Chronicle #1
Joseph Mulligan
Pub date May 23, 2022
ASIN B0B25PPZBD
Price $4.99 (USD) Kindle edition
