Killing Time: A Novel

A series of unusual murders in a small Kentucky town arouses the professional and personal interest of chief county investigator Knox Davis. They also attract the attention of FBI agent Nikita Stover - who is not what she seems and has an agenda of her own. Despite their initial distrust, Knox believes Nikita when she is forced to confess her big secret. The two of them work together while fighting their growing physical attraction, to foil a far-reaching plot that could have a profound impact on the present and the future.

The neglect of details, and the passiveness of the female who was supposed to be this "super-cop" brought her off to me as unassertive and borderline incompetent. She should have been in control of the investigation, show more not following the lead of the local constabulary. After all, what was she there for, to make the coffee? show less

Killing Time
3.5 Stars

Nothing ever happens in the small town of Pekesville, Kentucky. That is until a series of strange events occur including strange flashing lights, an unearthed time capsule and the murder of a local lawyer. County Investigator Knox Davis has his hands full, but the sudden appearance of FBI Nikita Stover does little to ease his mind as the mysterious agent is keeping secrets that will shake the foundations of Knox's orderly world.

Science fiction and time travel are not favorite tropes of mine, yet Howard somehow manages to weave the complex futuristic threads with the more recognizable romantic suspense themes to form a coherent and enjoyable story.

Howard's explanation of time travel is quite plausible and she show more manages to mostly avoid the annoying causal loop paradoxes that often plague this sub-genre. Moreover, her descriptions of life in the future are logical and realistic, especially considering that some of the devices (or rather primitive versions of them) have already come to pass (the book was originally published in 2005).

The romance is engaging as both Knox and Nikita are likable characters. Knox's unquenchable curiosity and Nikita's social and verbal slips are very endearing, and they have a sweet if rather lukewarm chemistry. The main conflict revolving around whether or not they can be together in the long term is resolved in a believable if rather simplistic manner.

The suspense plot is the weakest aspect of the story as the villain's motivation is obscure and the question of a wider conspiracy at work remains unresolved.

In sum, a pleasantly surprising read despite its issues, but Howard's more conventional romantic suspense books are better. show less

Knox Davis is the chief county investigator for Pekesville, a small town in Kentucky. He is stumped by a series of strange events. The time capsule that had been buried in front of the courthouse twenty years before is dug up and stolen, and a local attorney is found dead with a spear protruding from his back. Howard is known for her uber-alpha males but Knox is a true beta hero and I really liked him. I may be wrong but I can't recall a single beta hero in all of Howard's works.

Nikita Stover is an FBI agent who turns up at the murder crime scene. But she is no ordinary FBI agent. Nikita comes from the year 2207. Knox is very attracted to her but she tries to maintain a professional distance. She is very self-controlled, reserved and show more yet vulnerable. Because of her background, Nikita has spent her whole life trying not to call attention to herself. She came across at first as very cold but when her backstory was revealed, her personal characteristics were believable.

The suspense was well-plotted and compelling but the romance was a little on the light side. There was a fair amount of sexual tension but (frustratingly) the actual deed didn't take place until the last 100 pages or so but was satisfyingly hot. I also enjoyed the level of humor in this story. Modern day language was constantly tripping Nikita up and gave Knox lots of chuckles. I have to admit that the image of the pope in a space suit had me laughing out loud. Knox and Nikita were both easy-going likeable characters and there was not a lot of spark between them. But there were underlying layers to their relationship that I enjoyed.

Time travel is a bit tricky but Howard seems to have put a great deal of thought into this story and it was fascinating and plausible. Also, the epilogue was very inventive and I loved it. Many Howard fans may not like this book because she steps outside her usual fare but I enjoyed it. (Grade: B+) show less

This book started off strong and pulled me into the story from the first page. I was excited to discover that Linda Howard had written a time travel romance despite a few hiccups and slow spots here and there. I enjoyed the story as long as I didn't overthink the relationship between the couple.

I liked Knox and Nikita as individuals as they were strong characters and adept investigators. They were well suited for each other and I think sharing the same profession helped move their relationship forward, as did the danger of the moment. The romantic aspects felt rushed to me...especially at the end of the book. On the up side, as Nikita grew more accustomed to the slang of the 2005 timeline, the teasing with Knox grew more entertaining. show more

Overall an interesting mystery/romance with time travel elements.

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I enjoyed this book--listened to the audio version and for the most part it was intriguing. At the end, though, I was left thinking that I'd missed something in the plot...a few things didn't seem clear to me. This could, however, be a result of listening rather than reading; it's the one downside to audiobooks that you can sometimes miss something important and not even realize it's happened.

Overall a very good foray into the extremely-tricky-to-get-right world of time travel, with many nice SF ideas.

Very interesting read about the concepts of time travel, and how different types of articles can or cannot travel through time. That didn't get in the the way of the story, but somehow, there was too much detail and I got bogged down with it. Maybe, on a second reading...

I was a little worried at the beginning when it involved time travel, but ended up being a pretty good little mystery with a future slant. A little romance of course, but not bad.