Big Library Read

I decided to participate in the big library read on Overdrive this month.  The big library read is billed as "the first global eBook club through your library".  The basic idea is that everyone on Overdrive can read the same book at the same time without any waits or holds.  Previous books include American Sniper which I wasn't personally that interested in reading.

However, this month's choice was a time travelling mystery which is right in my wheelhouse.  A murder in time (Julie McElwain) is an engaging procedural mystery set in the 19th century.  I found the mix of procedural mystery and time travel a refreshing twist.  The main character, Kendra Donovan is an FBI agent who gets sent back in time while trying to enact (unsanctioned) revenge upon a man who was responsible for the death of half of her team on the FBI during a raid gone wrong.  While fleeing in the aftermath of her attempted revenge, she finds herself transported back to the 19th century and is assumed to be a lady's maid.  Soon after her arrival there is a suspicious death and she is able to insert herself into the investigation, using her 21th century FBI profiling skills to help solve the murder.

I found this book to overall be very engaging.  There is a great cast of characters, a light romance which promises to escalate in the next installment of what looks to be a series, and a compelling mystery.  My only complaint would be that it took way to much time to get to the time travel/mystery part of the book.  The beginning drags on a bit as Kendra's life in the FBI and raid-gone-wrong is described.  I also found the descriptions of her childhood, the product of two highly intelligent people who believe in eugenics to just not be very believable. It was used to set her up as a kind of lonely isolated character, but it could have been done better.  However, overall this book kept me up late reading to get to the end and I found it very enjoyable!