Relatable and complex characters, ensnared in a clever, twisty, and satisfying plot.
Jen, a family law solicitor, is happily married to Kelly, a painter and decorator. They have a delightful, nerdy son, Todd, who is in his final year at school, is doing really well, and has a delightful girlfriend. One night, Jen is waiting up for Todd after a night out. She sees him arrive home, but before he can get to the front door, he has stabbed and killed a strange man in their front yard. After a night of police, paramedics, shock and horror, she and Kelly reluctantly leave Todd in custody and finally get some sleep. Jen wakes up the next morning … to find it is, in fact, the day before.
So begins Jen’s journey back through time to try to prevent her son becoming a murderer.
Gillian McAllister is a prolific and popular British crime author, with a background in legal work. In less skilled hands, this plot could seem contrived and silly. But this gripping novel is anything but.
In the manner of Sliding Doors and other similar narratives, Wrong Place Wrong Time explores ideas of alternative lives and alternative decisions. If we stop the butterfly from flapping its wings, can we really prevent the earthquake? Most of us sometimes indulge in “what if” thinking. And particularly, parents are prone to examining their own role in any poor decisions their offspring make. This novel explores the psychology of that thinking, whilst having fun with its narrative possibilities.
In Jen, McAllister has created an unusually relatable protagonist for this type of work. She is a woman who is always second-guessing herself, as both a mother and a lawyer. Is this journey backwards a chance for her to redeem herself as either, or both? Is it a lesson for her in life’s priorities? And can she really save her son from becoming a murderer? The characters of Kelly and Todd are also beautifully drawn. Any parent of an adolescent will recognise those moments of sudden growth (shown backwards!): the significant changes that seemingly happen overnight. This work sometimes hits the reader from left field with small moments of powerful emotions.
Rest assured, however, that along with great characterisations and emotional depth, McAllister delivers a rollicking, twisty, very clever thriller, which resolves itself beautifully and satisfyingly. This is a pacy page-turner, that still gives some space in which the reader can settle in with the characters. Unlike some contemporary authors, McAllister never forgets her contract with the thriller-reader. No wonder it was chosen for Reese Witherspoon’s book club.
Wrong Place Wrong Time is everything you could want in a modern crime thriller, plus a little bit extra. If I were a betting woman, I would go all-in on this being made into a TV series very soon.
Now to go back and read her other six novels … !
Reviewed by Tracey Korsten
Twitter: @TraceyKorsten
This review is the opinion of the reviewer and not necessarily of Glam Adelaide.
Distributed by: Penguin Books Australia
Released: June 2022
RRP: $32.99

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