What a fantastic book, I was completely gripped and drawn in immediately. Some books start as slow burners, but Wrong Place Wrong Time starts at a pace, with every parent’s worst nightmare. I don’t want to give away any of the story, as I think it is best experienced with no prior knowledge, just as I did. That way, the realisation of what is happening, dawns on you at the same time it dawns on Jen.

Jen’s situation is incredibly lonely. She is dealing with the most crucial situation, the hardest of her life, even those around her are unable to provide ongoing advice or help. Trying to explain to her friends and family, is virtually impossible. I really identified with Jen, not just because we share our name; the story puts you firmly alongside her, absolutely rooting for her and Todd.

There was a point in the book, where a big part of the plot was revealed. It surprised me so much, that I shouted out loud. My husband wasn’t expecting my outburst, so he was even more surprised than I was.

I absolutely loved this book, I read most of it in a single day. The story drew me in completely, I was so eager to find out why this was happening, where it would end. After reading the final page, I re-read the first powerful chapter, seeing with fresh eyes. The book is so well structured and plotted, the details so subtle, that you can’t see them until you understand. That understanding will come when the story ends, and begins. This is a very clever, 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ highly recommended read. As I finish this review, I will be checking Gillian McAllister’s back catalogue to add them to the top of my TBR.

I received an E-ARC with a request for my honest review.

This book follows Jen and starts near Halloween in 2022. She is up late waiting for her son to get home, just being a normal parent. Then suddenly she witnesses her son Todd murder a man in the street.

The next morning, she wakes thinking of the terrible night before, but then she realises it is yesterday. The murder hasn’t happened yet. Each morning when she wakes the same occurs moving further back in time.

Jen must work out why time is moving backwards and solve the clues in her past that may make sense of her son’s actions.

What will Jen discover? Will she be able to get back to her normal life?

This book is amazing and mind blowing, I have never read anything like it. Not only is it every parent’s nightmare but the fact Jen keeps going back in time is very different. I found this quite scary in a way too.

The way the clues are found by Jen and piece together everything behind the murder is very clever and I loved this style.

I really loved Jen’s character as she was determined to find out why her normally innocent and well-behaved son would act in the way he did. I think she dealt with the situation very well, I think I would be a bit more a mess.

Overall, a brilliant and clever thriller where a mother is thrown back into the past and must use the clues, she can find to work out the present.

WOW. You know when you really, really look forward to reading a book? Wrong Place Wrong Time gave me that anticipation and absolutely did not disappoint! I’d heard such great things about it (correctly it turns out) and it has such a unique hook. Wrong Place Wrong Time is a crime thriller with a real difference.

Set in Merseyside, Jen is married to Kelly and they have a teenage son, Todd. Jen experiences a mother’s worst nightmare when she witnesses her son committing a murder. Her reaction is visceral and extreme, as you would expect, but this seems to have a consequence Jen wasn’t expecting… every time she wakes up, she goes back in time. Back to before Todd killed a man, giving Jen an opportunity to solve the murder before it actually happens.

Now, if you’re thinking this all seems a little far-fetched, DON’T! What Wrong Place Wrong Time does exceptionally well is jump right in there and answer all your questions. Jen’s own disbelief about the time loop situation vocalises all your doubts, so it all feels quite genuine. You have to go with the flow, Jen has triggered a time loop (it could happen) and that’s the story we’re in.

There’s also a really interesting secondary theme of mum-guilt and parenting. Jen looks back to the way she parented her son. Being a lawyer meant she was at work a lot, or at least prioritised work, and now she gets to relive these days with her son, she sees things with a fresh perspective.

'What makes somebody commit a crime? Well, maybe it’s about her mothering of him.'

These kind of thoughts plague every working mother and it was refreshing to see them so eloquently captured here (although yes, in an extreme circumstance).

I had at least three jaw-dropping ‘whaattttttt????’ moments while reading this. It’s been a while since a thriller has taken me on such a adventure, I loved the twists in the already unique plot and didn’t see the big reveals coming.

Complex and so clever, Wrong Place Wrong Time is the best thriller with a heart I’ve read in a very long time. It’s an epic love story, it’s a time-warping crime thriller, it’s a family drama, it’s an exploration of a mother’s love for her son and it’s a master of disguise. I really didn’t want it to be over – loved every page of it, and will be recommending it to everyone!

I have only really read the last three or four books by Gillian McAllister, but I can easily say that of those I have read, this is definitely my favourite. Very clever, full of unexpected turns and packed with enough mystery to hold my attention through the very complicated timeline, this is a very unique story which sees our protagonist, Jen, go to any length to protect her son, a son she has just witnessed commit murder. Only that was yesterday. Or rather, it was tomorrow. Because, after a broken night's sleep, Jen wakes up the day before the murder. She knows what is going to happen, what everyone is going to say. The world's strangest case of deja vu. Only this is no groundhog day moment. It is far more complex than that.

This is the most unexpected of tales. A kind of Quantum Leap for the new millenium (for those old enough to remember it), only instead of Sam Beckett leaping back in time to a key moment that precedes some disastrous event and moving forward in time in a bid to change future history, Jen's journey is led entirely in reverse, each sleep seeing her take an increasingly large leap back in time. It's a journey she has to take solo, made to relive each day from the past to try and determine its relevance to the future. It means that we are always limited to Jen's point of view, but her discoveries become our discoveries, and together we can piece together the puzzle that may help Jen prevent the tragedy every occuring.

It's a brave move by the author, but one which works surprisingly well and keeps the question of the what why and wherefores of the story very much alive. Whilst time leaps are minimal in the early part of the book, the closer we, or rather Jen, gets to the truth or the precursory event, the large the leaps become. And yet with each move back in history, Gillian McAllister manages to keep a sense of authenticity, adapting our and Jen's surroundings to match the era. The ever growing and shrinking mobile phones, the changing cars. Even the dramatic shifts in fashion, all captured perfectly, only in reverse gear.

As well as Jen's narrative journey back in time, there are alternative chapters told from another point of view that serve to inform the story. We don';t know initially how or why they are important, how they will eventually intersect, but the more we learn of Jen and her families past, and the more we learn of rookie Cop Ryan's present, the clearer everything becomes. It sent my mind whirring in all different directions, trying to guess and second guess the relevance, the ultimate truth remaining well concealed until just the right moment in time.

I am always looking for something away from the norm in crime fiction, away from the sometimes formulaic tropes of psychological thrillers and Gillian McAllister has delivered that with aplomb. She has captured the real turmoil of Jen as a mother who only wants to protect her child, the intensity of her relationship with her husband Kelly, but also the growing mistrust the more she learns of the past. A kind of awakening as she travels through her past with eyes wide open, rather than being consumed by her career. It's the antithesis of the 'Dr Who' theory - never meet your past self and don't change history - as Jen is her past self, and her current self, a confusing set of circumstances in the wrong hands, but one which makes perfect sense here.

Original, engrossing and full of uncertainty, I was completely drawn into this story. It's one to savour and to pay attention to so that you don't miss the clues, but even when you think you have a handle on the story, has the capacity to surprise. Definitely recommended.

Gillian is a genius and her new book Wrong Place, Wrong Time is absolutely fantastic. Thank you for sending me a copy Gillian 😘 Clearly I wore you down with all my begging 🤣

The twists kept coming, the plot was mind blowing and its so bloody clever. I cared about the characters, I was intrigued until the end AND that ending?! Perfect. I mean…I normally hate having deja vu but this was something else 😂

Time travel? Psychological thriller? 100% needs to be a Netflix film??? Yes to all of that. Gillian - can I do your PR?!! 😆

Get on it 😎

Wow! What have I just read? My mind was totally blown by this. An original and totally ingenious thriller.

Jen and Kelly are a happily married couple with one son Todd, who has just turned 18.

The book starts dramatically with Todd murdering someone outside his home and then getting arrested.

When Jen wakes up the next morning, Todd is safely at home, nobody has been murdered and it is actually yesterday! Imagine Groundhog day and so much more.

Each day Jen wakes, she has gone back another day, or more.

This book is full of so many twisted secrets and massive lies.

Chapters are written mainly from the point of view of Jen and headed up with each particular day.

Also some chapters from the point of view of Ryan who is a young police officer new to the force.

Imagine solving a murder, but in reverse so that you can stop it before it happens and when every small detail could change the course of the future.

Can't praise this enough. Brilliantly written. Gillian McAllister is pure genius. The easiest five star read this year by far.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for an ARC. Thanks for taking me on a trip back in time!

Gosh this is really good! I haven't read anything by this author before but I'd heard positive things so I was set for a pacey thriller. It was; but it's more than that. It's really well written, with very engaging characters and believable dialogue. Some of the nostalgia in it made me a little emotional too! Will definitely buy more by this author.

My goodness, this book is a complete masterpiece, such a unique way of writing a story, I should imagine as an author it's hard enough to pull everything together anyway let alone if you're working backwards as Gillian does in this novel.
Jen witnesses her son Todd commit a crime but the next morning she wakes up and the crime hasn't yet taken place. How far back does she go to prevent the impact that this event will have on Todd's life. Its groundhog day but in reverse, is she crazy or are other forces taking over
It's really hard to put down as you're so engrossed in the story, kudos to Gillian for writing this her best novel yet, in my opinion

Absolutely brilliant page turner. What a different idea for a thriller. I was totally gripped throughout and couldn’t stop reading. The writing was so good it felt like you were living through the nightmare with Jen and her family. Totally brilliant novel. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this book. I am sure it will be a bestseller.

Mind blowing and intensely clever. I was slightly sceptical about whether I’d like this when I read the blurb as it sounded a bit twee, time travelling to stop a crime happening. This is anything but twee, it is a tightly woven, brain achingly clever plot which shows how incredibly complex lives can be and how deeply secrets can be hidden from those we love and how slightly altered events can completely change lives. I loved the idea that the answers to problems are in our subconscious and how things that didn’t seem consequential at the time can be deeply so. I also thoroughly enjoyed the paradoxes and scientific investigation of time travel as I’m a bit of a science geek. Add to that the organised crime and uncover policing aspects and this makes a really compelling journey and stacks of food for thought. An absolute recommend from me.

This was the first Gillian McAllister thriller that I had read but I will definitely look out for others now.
The interesting concept for this narrative is that it goes backwards. From the day Jen witnesses her son, Todd, stab and kill a man in the street outside their house, she travels back in time to significant points that led up to this. Aware that she is looking for clues and trying to change the outcome, Jen learns about family secrets and revisits treasured memories in a new light.
The gradual reveals and fast pace kept me engaged and wanting to know what was going to happen next and the resolution. The added jeopardy of losing any positive actions by going backwards, ie. emails sent but unanswered or reacquainting contacts made, was also a clever knock on effect in the investigation.
If you enjoy thrillers and are looking for something a bit different, you will definitely enjoy this.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

Jen is a mother to Todd and wife to Kelly, with a successful career, until one evening her son commits a terrible crime and Jen’s life is plunged into a time loop, which involves her going backwards through time and revisiting days over and over to try and stop her son from committing murder.

The plot was fantastic and the twists and turns made it such a fantastic read. The characters were brought to life by the fantastic writing.

Highly recommend. 5 stars.

Wow, wow, wow!!! What a really great mind bending and boggling book but it was so readable. I just wish that unless Crosby, Liverpool has a history of time slips could the protagonists not have been for a stroll down Bold Street, Liverpool? That’s where the last time slip event was. What a great book though, absolutely well done Gillian. You consistently smash and surprise with the books you write!!!!!!!!!!

Genuinely couldn’t put this down.

I could see this being made into a Netflix series, it’s so clever and draws you right in.

Puts you right in the characters shoes and makes you think about what you would do if it was you.

Brilliant writing! This book is quite unique and I can't begin to imagine the amount of work that went into it. It is just so clever. Jen witnesses her son, Todd, stab another adult outside their home and fears for her son and his inevitable conviction... however... when she wakes the following morning she has gone back in time to the previous day and then day by day she goes further back in time. Can she solve the mysteries that she encounters as she re-lives her past? Can she change the outcome? There are so many parts to the story that it's impossible to give a full review without spoilers and I won't do that. Suffice to say that there are some shocks along the way and one wonders who can be trusted and is everyone who they are believed to be? Where does her husband, Kelly fit into it all? Solving a mystery by going backwards is pure genius and I applaud Gillian McAllister for such a superb endeavour. It was good to re-visit some fashions, trends and shops as we go back in time over the years - many of which I had forgotten but many memories were rekindled. Altogether a fascinating, page turning and memorable book that deserves every one of its glittering five stars. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

DNF @ 30%

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. I was expecting a thriller style of book but it leaned more towards sci-fi with the time-travel elements.

What I read was very well written and had it not have been centred around time-travel, I probably would have enjoyed it more.

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Having discovered Gillian McAllister’s books over the last few years I have been working my way through her back catalogue of books (with still a few more to go!) but needless to say I was very excited to receive an advanced readers copy of her latest title ‘Wrong Place, Wrong Time’

‘Wrong Place, Wrong Time’ begins with a mother who witnesses her son commit a murder, right in front of her as she looks out the window. At the police station following his arrest she wonders what the future will hold for him, will he spend a life in prison? Why did he commit this crime? After going home when the police won’t let her see him she finally falls asleep in complete despair. The next morning she wakes up and finds it’s not what she was expecting, it’s the day before the murder and each day she seems to wake up further back in time, what secrets must she uncover to change the effects of that one day?

What a book! Unfortunately I have had limited time to read over the past few weeks so this has taken me longer than normal to complete but I could easily have devoured it in a day if I’d been able to, it’s such a good book! Very cleverly written and the idea wonderfully executed, I particularly enjoyed the references to days gone by (always love a Woolworths reference!) and the little attention to detail that really enraptured the reader into each scene as the character goes backwards.

Another great thriller from Gillian McAllister with lots of twists and turns along the way to keep you guessing, a five star review from me and already looking forward to the next one! A definite recommendation!

An unusual book - a story told by backwards time travel.
Jen witnesses an event that could destroy her family, but then she finds herself going further and further back into the past. She’s determined to try and prevent what happens in the future but wary of any butterfly effect.
I was gripped by this, Jen unravels bit by bit tiny pieces of information she was unaware that her future self knew plus becomes aware that other things she barely noticed the first time are important to the future. Fascinating stuff

By all rights Gillian McAllister's latest extraordinary and ingenious thriller should not work with its surprising travelling back in time premise, but it really is enthralling to observe how she pulls it off with style and panache. It is not often I give barely any details about a book, but this time, it is for the best. Jen finds herself living her worst nightmare when her teenage son, Todd, finds himself arrested for murdering a complete stranger. She goes to sleep distraught and in despair, only to wake up to find its the day before the horrifying events. As she travels further back in time, she is a mother looking for answers, how did this all come to happen, and more to the point, can she stop it happening? This is an intelligent and compulsive read as all the puzzling parts come together in a emotive, imaginative and unexpected story of twists and turns, so well written, and with characters that hold your interest, in what I think is her best novel to date. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

What a fantastic read. Such an unusual storyline that totally works and held my attention from the word go. Loved it!