Jan Suzukawa

The beginning of this story is deceptively “normal”, in the sense that it focuses on Nick, a PI who is being asked to find some guy. As Nick gets more and more involved, pieces of his and Tori’s past turn up that make it clear there’s more to the situation than meets the eye. And then everything explodes into a full-fledged mystery, including a murder and attempts on Tori’s life. I really liked this slow unfolding of what was going on. Kept me guessing in a good way.

Nick is a typical PI in many ways. He does his job, is good at finding people, and goes out for the occasional one-night-stand. As soon as he gets handed Tori’s photo and starts realizing he may have seen this man before, it becomes obvious that there is much more to him than first meets the eye. As the story unfolds, the secrecy increases, and the true mystery is revealed, Nick’s personality becomes clearer. He learns a lot about himself as he goes, and I liked how honest he was about that. Rather than struggle with what he finds out, he takes it in stride and becomes a new person, in a sense.

Tori is more difficult to understand, since we only see him through Nick’s eyes. The picture that emerges is one of a shy guy who has landed himself in circumstances beyond his control. He does what most of us would attempt: he runs. Meeting Nick helps him figure out what is important though, and he shows a lot of courage and determination when push comes to shove.

‘Time Gone By’ is an interesting mix between mystery and psychological drama. Nick and Tori both learn more about themselves in the process of building first a tentative, then a more secure relationship. Set against the backdrop of some mysterious goings on, this makes for an exciting story.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.… (meer)