Library Journal
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Griffiths (Ruth Galloway series) combines time travel with mystery in a new series introducing police detective Ali Dawson, who works on the coldest of cold cases with a team that's able to go back in time. They can't change history, but they can be there when a crime happens and perhaps gather evidence to assist in putting the cases to rest. Ali's latest investigation has her traveling further back in time than any have ever gone, to 1850 London, at the request of a powerful politician who would like to prove one way or another whether his ancestor was a killer and part of a sinister group known as the Collectors. Ali arrives just in time to find another dead woman and is able to insert herself into the household of the alleged killer. When her trip back home goes awry, Ali tries to make the best of it and continue investigating, while in the present, her son has become a murder suspect himself. VERDICT The time-travel element adds something fresh for the author and the readers. Fans of Griffiths, police procedurals, and/or historical mysteries will find a lot to enjoy.—Jane Jorgenson

Library Journal
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Narrator Maisey's exuberant delivery and top-notch characterizations perfectly complement Griffith's latest mystery/historical fiction/sci-fi mash-up, a fun departure from her popular mystery series featuring forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway. Police officer Ali Dawson works for the Department of Logistics, a secretive law-enforcement division that works on cases so cold that she and her colleagues must go back in time to solve them. While the department's physicist, Serafina Jones, has successfully developed a method for time travel, not all the glitches have been quite worked out—something Ali experiences firsthand when she heads back to the 1850s to investigate a triple-murder suspect. It's a high-stakes case, not only because Ali and her colleagues have thus far only traveled back to the 1970s but also because a prominent government minister requested the investigation to clear his great-great-grandfather's name. Maisey marvelously depicts the personal struggles that sassy, fiercely independent Ali faces as she navigates a repressive Victorian society. Her nuanced portrayals of Griffith's well-drawn secondary characters from across the era's class divide should captivate listeners, even those who don't typically enjoy fantastical elements in their mysteries. VERDICT Maisey's fabulous performance of Griffith's fast-paced, time-traveling police procedural will have broad appeal among mystery fans.—Beth Farrell

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

The author of the popular Ruth Galloway crime series introduces a new heroine, police officer Ali Dawson, recruited to work on cold cases for a low-profile new division, the department of logistics. Once on the job, Ali is shocked to learn that these cases are so cold they must be solved by traveling in time. When a prominent government minister requests that Ali personally clear the name of his great-great-grandfather, suspected of murdering three women in the 1850s, Ali accepts the assignment with trepidation. Until now, officers have travelled back only as far as the 1970s and never alone. Ali’s trip to Victorian London is successful—until she tries to return. Making matters worse, her son Finn, a special adviser to the government minister, is suddenly in serious trouble, and needs Ali’s help. Griffiths expertly builds a world where time travel is new, top-secret, and filled with unpredictable glitches and opportunities. Some loose ends in the story hold the promise that readers will see more of Ali in the future.

Publishers Weekly
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Edgar winner Griffiths (the Ruth Halloway series) launches an intriguing new series featuring time-traveling cold case investigator Ali Dawson. For years, Ali has worked at the Department of Logistics in London, a top secret office known only to a few higher-ups in government. She and her four colleagues handle cases gone so cold they often require inter-century travel to gather evidence, using cutting-edge technology developed specifically for their department. One morning, justice minister Isaac Templeton—who employs Ali’s son, Finn—asks her to get to the bottom of persistent rumors that his great-grandfather murdered three women in 1850. Though his ancestor was never convicted, Templeton insists that the allegations have left a “stain on the family honor,” and he won’t rest until they’re resolved. Ali heads to the past to investigate, but while she’s gone, Finn is accused of murder, and Ali winds up trapped in the 1850s. Griffiths buoys her potentially goofy setup with richly nuanced characters and vivid historical detail. This is a good bet for mystery buffs, historical fiction fans, and time-travel enthusiasts alike. Agent: Rebecca Carter, Rebecca Carter Literary. (July)

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

A trip back in time involves a British police officer and her son in a present-day murder. Alison Dawson works for the Department of Logistics, a name vague enough to hide its true purpose: experimenting in time travel, something for which brilliant physicist Serafina Jones has developed a method. Ali’s traveled for very short periods, but Tory minister Isaac Templeton—who employs her son, Finn—wants to clear his ancestor Cain Templeton, who was suspected of murder around 1850, and asks her to go back for a longer stay. After some study of Victorian habits and clothing provided by an expert in period dress, Ali’s ready to leave. Since so much about time travel remains unknown, it’s a dangerous trip. The team has learned, for example, that travelers must stand in the exact same place they landed in order to return. Proceeding to 44 Hawk Street, a boardinghouse owned by Cain Templeton, most of whose residents were artists, Ali is greeted by the sight of Cain standing over the body of a dead woman. Although people think Ali is odd, she manages to stay in the house and investigate. But her portal is accidentally used by someone else, rendering it inoperative for her and leaving Finn and her team desperate to find a way to retrieve her. The man who used her portal may be a murderer now living in Ali’s present. When Isaac Templeton is found shot to death by an old-fashioned gun and Finn is arrested for his murder, one of Ali’s colleagues takes her place so she can return to the present and help clear her son. Murder on several time planes is a fascinating premise enhanced by an enthralling look at Victorian London. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.