Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Science fiction – audio
When Dr. Lucy Maxwell (Max) interviews for a historian position with St. Mary’s Institute she notices that things aren’t quite right. What kind of history institute has a large building named after a physicist? A history institute that goes back in time to witness history first hand, that’s who.
Soon she is training to be accepted into the program. Physical fitness, science training, wardrobe, craftiness, and quick thinking are musts. Failure means immediate dismissal.
As a historian she learns that her job is to observe and see what really happened. Don’t try to change anything. History will fight back.
She travels to see cathedral building in England, dinosaurs in the Cretaceous, a hospital in World War I, and the fire at the Library in Alexandria.
Nothing ever goes as planned.
I really enjoyed this book. I’m looking forward to listening to the sequels. They are equal parts funny and suspenseful with a little romance thrown in.
The audio performance was well done also. The only thing I had a problem with was the tendency for the story to say something like, “I thought we’d have a lovely evening but I was wrong.” Nothing like getting hit over the head with the foreshadowing. But other than that I thought it was a very original take on the idea of time travel.
