Book Review: Time Trial

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Time Trial     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
R. E. Derouin
Class/Genre:   Mystery
Series: David Dean # 1
Western Reflections, Nov. 1999, $12.95, 273pp.

The kid with the thirty-eight panicked and shot Parkside, Pennsylvania police officer David Dean. After a three-week recovery in the nearby hospital, the doctors inform David he needs another two months of healing before returning to the force. Marian Anderson, the spouse of one of his officers, recently inherited a Colorado home that needs a house sitter so David volunteered and left for some rest and recuperation in the Rockies.

David’s peace and quiet is quickly interrupted by the appearance of friends of his host including the odious, ultra rich Henry Whitcomb and four of his followers. Someone murdered Henry’s wife and son two years ago in an unsolved Keystone State crime. Henry believes he possesses a time travel device that will allow him to go back and learn who killed his family members. He persuades David and his stepfather to join him on his trek beyond the nearby ghost town. If David only knew what he is stepping into he probably would have stayed in Pennsylvania.

TIME TRIAL is an excellent “Mountain Time” mystery that will please fans of Rocky Mountain who-done-its. The story line is engaging and filled with surprises and unusual twists. David is a wonderful character and his support cast augments the tale with a tender depth that takes some of the edge away from him. The Colorado Rockies bring perspective to the plot. The mystery works on several levels, but it is David and his personal entourage that will delight fans with R.E. Derouin’s debut novel, which demands sequels.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner