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Oliver R. Simmonds
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The Timepiece and the Girl Who Went Astray: A thrilling new time travel adventure Kindle Edition

by O.R. Simmonds (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 712 ratings

♥♥♥ Selected for INDIE BOOKS WE LOVE by LoveReading.co.uk ♥♥♥
"The story is captivating...a thrilling and riveting read." LoveReading.co.uk

"A whirlwind of an adventure...a bold and meticulously penned thriller." SPR

" A page-turning, decade-vaulting jaunt through London’s past and present." Publisher's Weekly/Booklife

"Loved it!" Daniel Crocker, Reedsy Discovery

1980s LONDON. A SENSELESS MURDER, A BIZARRE DISAPPEARANCE AND A MYSTERY DECADES IN THE MAKING.
William Wells, a gifted but risk-averse US college dropout living an unadventurous life in London, stumbles upon a mysterious timepiece with the ability to alter time. When the Timepiece’s previous owner is brutally murdered by unknown assailants, Will flees, only to see his girlfriend, Abigayle, vanish before his eyes when she comes into contact with this remarkable watch.

He now finds himself alone in an unfamiliar city, wanted for a murder he didn’t commit and the prime suspect in a woman’s disappearance. Whether he knows it or not, Will does have one advantage – control over the most powerful force in the universe: time. The only problem is that he has no idea how to wield it. Those that do, members of a secretive and long-forgotten organisation, are also on his trail and there are no lines they won't cross to recover The Timepiece.

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  1. Print length
    396 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    July 30, 2021
  4. File size
    4.4 MB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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From the Publisher

Critics reviews
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Critic's review

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A whirlwind of an adventure...a bold and meticulously penned thriller." Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★★

♥♥♥ Selected for Indie Books We Love by LoveReading.co.uk ♥♥♥
"The story is captivating...a thrilling and riveting read." LoveReading.co.uk

"The Timepiece is a fresh and original tale that will keep readers on the edge of their seats." Writer's Digest

" A lovable everyman leads a page-turning, decade-vaulting jaunt through London's past and present... Witty dialogue bring a lightness to the story that will appeal to readers who don't ordinarily read heady time-travel fiction." Publisher's Weekly/Booklife

"Loved it! If you enjoy time-travelling novels, then this book is a no brainer." Daniel Crocker, Reedsy Discovery, ★★★★

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"A whirlwind of an adventure set in the eternally mysterious city of London, The Timepiece and the Girl Who Went Astray by O.R. Simmonds is a bold and meticulously penned thriller... A clever masterwork of time travel fiction. Simmonds' ability to build a believable landscape and immerse readers in England's capital - in multiple timelines - is impressive, and the physical descriptions are consistently convincing, bringing each scene and action sequence to life. Simmonds echoes the declarative formality of certain English mystery writers, but also displays a whimsical, philosophical bent that makes this book a delightful, epic, and thought-provoking escape. Boasting a sprawling vocabulary, visceral descriptions, and a discerning narrative voice, this time-bending novel will appeal to physicists, anglophiles, treasure hunters, and sci-fi lovers alike.." Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★★

"The plot flowed well, there's a lot of description and historic detail that the author is clearly either very knowledgeable, or has been very well researched. I liked Will, his character is well-rounded and dynamic, and I enjoyed following his story. The story is captivating with lots of mystery, suspicious characters and questions raised to keep you turning the pages, eager to discover more. Travel with William through his exciting journey and enjoy a thrilling and riveting read." LoveReading.co.uk

"The Timepiece is a fresh and original tale that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The events of the plot move in unexpected, yet inevitable twists and turns, leaving the reader just as unsure as William as to what will happen next. Yet despite the allure of time travel (which is well-executed and easy for readers to follow throughout the narrative), it is the characters who ultimately drive the story with their distinct personalities and complex motivations. The timepiece itself is a character in its own right, and the "rules" of how it functions are well explained." Writer's Digest

"A lovable everyman leads a page-turning, decade-vaulting jaunt through London's past and present. Simmonds' time-crossed romp leaps through the Londons of the 1800s, 1940s, and 1980s, moving swiftly but always finding time for evocative London period detail. Witty dialogue bring a lightness to the story that will appeal to readers who don't ordinarily read heady time-travel fiction... Simmonds manages the intricacies of time-hopping well, creating a consistent set of rules comprehensible to the reader while maintaining a sense of humor and excitement that keeps the story and its Londons fresh." Publisher's Weekly/Booklife

"Protagonist William Wells and his trusty sidekick Frenz Belingi both feel well rounded, and their excellent character development truly enriches the story. Simmonds has nailed the development of the characters throughout the book.
If you enjoy time-travelling novels, then this book is a no brainer. It is filled with fast-paced action that will leave the reader on the edge of their seat. In addition, the character progression is done brilliantly. I also love how Simmonds was able to masterfully weave real-world historical events into his narrative and tie them into the events of his novel." Daniel Crocker, Reedsy Discovery, ★★★★

About the Author

Oliver R. Simmonds is a writer, director and artist working in the games industry and the author of The Timepiece and the Girl Who Went Astray. For more info and to join his mailing list, head to https://orsimmonds.com/

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0918RJ2FS
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Appellation Press (July 30, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 30, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.4 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 396 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 712 ratings

About the author

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Oliver R. Simmonds

Oliver R. Simmonds

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Oliver R. Simmonds is a Writer, Director and Artist working in the Games Industry and author of The Timepiece and the Girl Who Went Astray.

Before working in the games industry, he spent nearly a decade dreaming up deep, detailed worlds with weaving narratives only for them to be 'value engineered' by clients. It was during this time that he decided he no longer wanted to be a frustrated writer and to try to be an actual writer instead.

He ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to help fund the publication of his first novel, The Timepiece and the Girl Who Went Astray, which is now due for release in 2021. His second book, Very Much Mistaken Perry, is currently being edited and slated for release sometime in 2022.

Oliver lives in surrey with his wife and two young boys. His eldest son is named after Doc Emmett Brown and the youngest’s middle name is Adventure (yes, really). It's not all that surprising that his debut is a time travel adventure then.

For more info and to join the mailing list, head to:

https://orsimmonds.com/

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
712 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this time travel adventure engaging and satisfying, with plenty of twists and surprises throughout the story. The book maintains interest, with one customer particularly noting the interesting items within the shop. The writing style and character development receive mixed reactions from customers.

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22 customers mention "Readability"22 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as an exciting and satisfying time travel story that keeps them engrossed throughout.

"...it all works, culminating in an entertaining and downright fun adventure/murder mystery through time...." Read more

"...Otherwise the book was an amusing and interesting read." Read more

"Don’t get me wrong, I had fun reading this book, but it makes absolutely no attempt to explain the unexplainable time travel paradox of having two..." Read more

"...with his descriptive abilities and the intrigue he created with good storytelling kept be glued to the pages throughout this story...." Read more

10 customers mention "Twists"8 positive2 negative

Customers enjoy the book's twists and surprises, with one customer describing it as a fun adventure/mystery through time.

"...it all works, culminating in an entertaining and downright fun adventure/murder mystery through time...." Read more

"This is a quirky novel about an American in England who finds himself an English girlfriend who accidentally gets lost in time...." Read more

"...Regardless, it is an exciting read, with some unexpected plot twists." Read more

"...This was a compelling time travel adventure, with plenty of twists and turns and unexpected surprises. The ending was great—I didn’t expect that...." Read more

3 customers mention "Interest"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging, with one mentioning the interesting items within the shop, and another noting it left them wanting more.

"...When Will arrives he is fascinated by all of the old and interesting items within the shop...." Read more

"...This story was different than others I’ve read and was interesting but confusing with the various characters and times traveled to...." Read more

"Lovely story. Well written, great characters, left me wanting more. Can’t wait for his next book. I highly recommend it." Read more

8 customers mention "Writing style"4 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing style of the book, with some finding it well written, while one customer found it hard to read past page 43.

"...It's a great start to his writing career and Timepiece, if you decide to read it, is time well spent. I loved it!" Read more

"...Certainly not as polished as more experienced authors but definitely worth a read (I'd give it 3.5 stars, if that were an option)...." Read more

"...Well written and full of period description, this one is a page turner. Read and enjoy." Read more

"I was very surprised at this book. Time travel is hard to write...." Read more

7 customers mention "Character development"4 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book.

"...The characters develop a deep bond and trust each other with their lives, something necessary in any adventure story (think Tolkien), and a natural..." Read more

"...than others I’ve read and was interesting but confusing with the various characters and times traveled to...." Read more

"...the past should’ve affected the present/future more, but the characters were enjoyable and the plot was fast-paced except for one place where..." Read more

"Well, the characters are so bad and weak that it is hard to even read to page 43...." Read more

What a timely book!
5 out of 5 stars
What a timely book!
I was looking for something to read, and having recently read several time travel books, I was open to this one. Even better that it was written by a Brit and the timeline was from the 1980s. I was not disappointed. O.R. Simmonds is a wonderful writer who pays fantastic attention to details. He constantly surprised, confounded and amazed me as the story went on at a wonderful pace. I think I will have to read this one again just to revisit the characters, the places and the times set fourth in this gem. O. R. Simmonds has a fan for life, and I can hardly wait for his next novel, due in 2022! Happy reading to all who pick up the Timepiece and the Girl Who Went Astray!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • P.J.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Be kind, rewind ;)
    Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I stumbled upon this book completely by accident and was very pleasantly surprised. Simmonds story- telling talent is leaps and bounds above many so-called best selling authors. First time novelists are unfortunately often subjected to unnecessarily harsh criticism as I've seen with some of the previous reviews of this book. I would say Simmonds falls into some of the same pitfalls of many well-published authors, but also avoids quite a few. Simmonds very obviously thought through the plot details (and their are a lot of them!); it all works, culminating in an entertaining and downright fun adventure/murder mystery through time. The good guys are likable and realistic, while the bad guys make your stomach churn every time they show up. I agree with some of the reviewers about getting bogged down in certain parts (on my Kindle this was at about 70%). It's the exposition that does it. It's tricky to get the right balance of explanations woven into the story without boring the reader. Regardless, I'm still giving this book 5 stars because I enjoyed it so darn much. Will's unwavering dedication to his fiancé was beautiful and endearing; a quality Abigayle must have glimpsed in him (and relied upon) despite his past. (Speaking of his past, Simmonds must be an American Pickers fan. I found the similarities between Will and one of the pickers funny, but then wondered why Simmonds didn't create a completely unique backstory for Will.) The characters develop a deep bond and trust each other with their lives, something necessary in any adventure story (think Tolkien), and a natural occurrence when right-hearted people come together for a common cause. The fact that Simmonds gets this shows in his characters willingness to do the right thing despite the cost to themselves. On a side note, it was nice to travel back to a time when people were actually polite to each other, and getting your video back to the video store on time took top priority. I don't think we need to travel to the future to see that Simmonds career as a novelist will be a successful one.
    One person found this helpful
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  • William S. Morris
    4.0 out of 5 stars Amusing
    Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This is a quirky novel about an American in England who finds himself an English girlfriend who accidentally gets lost in time. He's desperate to find her and bring her back from wherever she's lost. Getting lost in time apparently happens frequently, and the term used for it is going "astray". Hence the title of the book. We have many fascinating adventures along the way as time agents (bad guys belonging to a corrupt organization) go around killing people making the boyfriend look guilty. He's being chased by the police for murder of his lost girlfriend and others. He's trying to find where his girlfriend got lost, and unexpectedly finds an ally to help. All gets resolved in the end. All loose ends get resolved except for the last one which is a jaw dropper made in the final paragraph. The book is composed of all sorts of idioms, words, and construction that I presume are examples of British English. There was one paragraph that had three missing words in its construction. I think that was an error although there were other times that a significant word was left out of a sentence. The objective case of "who" was not used several times when appropriate. I mention the above for possible improvement in editing. Otherwise the book was an amusing and interesting read.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great time
    Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The time piece is hard to follow. It seems to violate many laws of history by changing the past. It is a great collection of how life is in construction.
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  • Jayrb
    3.0 out of 5 stars Fun time travel read, but even more improbable than others of this genre
    Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Don’t get me wrong, I had fun reading this book, but it makes absolutely no attempt to explain the unexplainable time travel paradox of having two of the same person in the same place at the same time. Or, how about having the same person kill himself! Or how about having a person die in the present, but still be alive when that same character comes from the past to the present at a younger age. Ok, we always need to abandon reality when it comes to time travel fiction, but anything goes with this authors approach. Regardless, it is an exciting read, with some unexpected plot twists.
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  • Tom Riddell
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read! TIME well spent!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    William Wells, a moneyless, American college dropout, now living in London, was directed, by his girlfriend Abigayle, to go to an old thrift store in Frying Pan Alley. When Will arrives he is fascinated by all of the old and interesting items within the shop. He is reminded of his and Abigayle's upcoming first anniversary and her love of old clocks and watches and soon he is shown an unusual and interesting but inexpensive time piece, produced by the proprietor of the shop. He decides to buy it but then something horrific happens. The shop owner is shot to death, after two men entered, just as Will was leaving. Will is now a witness to a murder and then he becomes a suspect and if that is not enough, Abby vanishes after holding the gifted watch that William gave her.

    The story, now plotted as a murder mystery and a time travel tale, took me into the past, present and future. The author did a very good job in the opening pages of this book, where he hooked me with his descriptive abilities and the intrigue he created with good storytelling kept be glued to the pages throughout this story. You will love Timepiece- it has the appeal of Stephen King's Needful Things and the Back To The Future trilogy, all rolled into one.

    In the story, some of the characters are afraid of traveling into the future. The author, however, shouldn't be afraid of the future. It's a great start to his writing career and Timepiece, if you decide to read it, is time well spent. I loved it!
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Book
    Reviewed in Australia on September 3, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I have read a lot if time travel books, however this is the best book I’ve read yet.
    Wonderful characters, even a bit complicated I still kept up with the story.
    So pleased I got this.
    I hope there are more books by this author to come .
    Thank you for a wonderful ride, brilliant.
    Report
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fresh young author
    Reviewed in Canada on November 4, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Written in captivating style. Could be the start of another fantasy series for the Fantasy genre.
    Report
  • ruthc
    5.0 out of 5 stars I liked this book!
    Reviewed in Germany on January 21, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    The time travel "science" makess sense. The characters are likeable, The story has interessting twists and turns. To that 1 star comment: Who tf cares when exactly footloose was released??? I really do not!
    Report
  • Mihir V
    5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, Gripping and Intersting
    Reviewed in India on April 13, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    After a long read a piece that kept me interested through out. I will watch out for more works from Mr. Simmonds!
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  • Elizabeth B
    4.0 out of 5 stars Time travel mystery romance
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 7, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I liked the story although it got a tad confusing at times, the middle
    Part of the book got a bit bogged down/ slow. It's worth a read though thinkin.more
    About it - it would make a great film!
    Report

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