Time travel stories are complicated. Very complicated. Twists and turns in the story, cause and effect, same person but at a different age with a different identity, and the whole thing somehow needing to be explained as it goes along to the conclusion, hopefully making sense to the reader. Not an easy task! This story literally made my brain hurt. The fact that I read this in one sitting is testament to the skill of the author in hooking me into the story pretty much from the first page. Excellently written prose, great characters and a truly intriguing story make this a fantastic read. I have to say, though, that even though it did make my brain hurt, it was probably a lot easier for me to read it than it was for Mr Riddle to write it! This is a truly excellent work and one which the author should be extremely proud of.

I loved the idea of the storyline and for a while I was eager to see what happened next. The part where Sam is sent back in time to the Triassic period was done exceedingly well but this was, as it turns out, only a small part of the book. Though managing to follow the plot, I felt it started to unravel once Sam's daughter went back to her younger years and then had plastic surgery to look like another character. As the book progressed the plot became more far fetched, but not in a good way. This is a shame as the book could have been so much better without such a convoluted storyline. I anticipated a story of more adventure with Sam's ordeals in the past and his eventual return to the present time. For this reason I would hesitate to read more from this author.

Lost in Time is a pacy thriller with a lot going on. It's got it all; an unexplained murder, characters with secrets in their pasts, time travel and dinosaurs.

A group of scientists have invented a machine that can take a person back to the past. However it's not that accurate and there are multiverse issues, so their backers come up with a novel use for the technology. They license it to governments around the world to send dangerous criminals back to the Triassic, a cheaper alternative to Death Row.

Then one of the scientists is murdered and Sam, another of the team, confesses in order to protect his daughter Adeline. Adeline knows her father is innocent and dedicates the rest of her life to clearing his name. But all his colleagues have secrets, so who can she trust?

The plot stretches credulity a little (did I mention the dinosaurs?), but if you are prepared to suspend disbelief and just go along for the ride, it's both bonkers and a whole lot of fun.

This book was a roller-coaster of thought processing. The story was easy to follow and left wide open questions, making you think about the plot.

This is one of the better reads in this genre. Thoroughly recommend.

I don't like to dump on authors, because it's a big thing - to write a book - but to be fair, this novel is a little bit of a mess. It's a great concept, and it's worth reading if you like time travel, but it's a bit rushed. Could have done with more time attendant on developing the latter third of the book. But I'm glad I read it. It was fun, all in all.

I have read another book by the same author. I had the same reaction. A great idea at the start turns into a bit of a mess. In the end I couldn’t be bothered reading the last few pages.

Loved this story from start to finish. Well rounded characters. Complicated plot. Fabulous ideas. Looking forward to more by this author.

The book opens with a murder mystery as Sam Anderson and his teenage daughter, Adeline, are the last people to see the victim alive. The CCTV shows that nobody else visited the scene after they left. Yet neither committed the crime. So, who is the murderer?

What follows is a mixture of time travel and whodunnit genres with some huge twists to throw the reader off track.

Yes, there were a few unlikely contrivances to move the plot along, but overall this was an excellent thriller that cements Mr Riddle as one of the foremost Sci-Fi authors around.

You think you have it all figured out and then you don’t. Great read by A.J. Well rounded characters and a believable premise I hope is one day a reality ( if it isn’t already! Think déjà vous) I couldn’t put it down and binge read it.

What a wild ride indeed. A twisting and turning plot through the ages which kinda throws you for a loop. Hehe

I really enjoyed this book. It is definitely Sci-Fi but with a twist. A newly developed technology has the ability to send the worst criminals back in time where they are gone from society forever. They are sent hundreds of millions years in the past (and in a parallel universe to avoid tampering with history). Sounds really SciFi I know but the author does an amazing job avoiding to much quantum physics talks while making it seem very real and believable. I love when a story hooks you immediately with suspense and intrigue and this book does that before you even have your first taste of coffee. There are several protagonists in this story but the main two are father and daughter. The story begins with the father Sam and his two children add Adeline and Ryan at the grave of Sam's wife and their mother. While at the grave site memorializing, Sam notices a couple of strange people in the cemetery. Eventually a small drone flies over demands that Sam place his hands in the air and he is under arrest. But they don’t just arrest him they also arrest his daughter. We soon learn that Sam and Adeline have been arrested for the murder of one of Sam’s co-workers and co-inventor of the device that sends criminal back in time. Although, we don't know for sure, but we are led to believe that they are both innocent. They are both being held in separate rooms and interrogated. After one of the sessions Sam notices a note on his table that says look under the table. In this note, he is told that if he does not confess to the murder they would ensure that his daughter is framed and convicted and therefore sent back in time to die with the dinosaurs. What choice does he have? What would you do as a father? Of course he confesses to something he didn’t do even to the dismay of his co-workers and attorney. This means Sam will be sent back 200 million years to the Triassic period.

This is where the story get very interesting and mind-bending. The story alternates from Sam’s POV in the Triassic and his friends and family in the present. I don’t want to say more about the story to spoil it for you. If you like sci-fi, time travel stories this is DEFINITELY for you! If you are not sure about that but love mysteries or suspense this is STILL DEFINITELY for you. I really enjoyed reading this and had trouble stopping for things like bed or work.. Very captivating.

My only complaint is with a poor depiction of addiction in this story. I will share more about that below as it contains spoilers.

SPOLIER ALERT:

This time travel story is not like your usual time travel story. The characters cannot just jump in a machine go back in time and pop back to the present whenever they want. In the beginning of this story, it is only a one way trip. However, you eventually learned that new developments have been made that allows them to retrieve people and be more specific about where they send people. This is going to allow the inventors to get their friend Sam back from the Triassic. While in the Triassic Sam has many harrowing experiences that keep you on the edge of your seat. In the present we learn that Daniela (who is a team member and the funder of the project) is trying desperately to help Sam’s family even though the other inventors suspect she is the Reason Sam was framed. Our suspicions are validated when eventually Daniela Drugs Adeline (Sam’s daughter) and brings her to Absolum to send back in time because she is getting to close to the truth. However, this is one of the many, many twists and the start of the mind-bending events in this story.

This story discusses two types of addiction. Gambling and drug use. I have no problem with that as these are real addictions that afflict millions. I do have a problem with the story depicting how if they were transported to a peaceful Island everything would be ok. That wasn’t exactly how it was narrated but basically. Addiction does not work that way. But again, this is minor issue I have with this story.

Same opinion as other people who commented on it : It's definitely a great book. The only flaw (then ce the missing star) concerns the first half. It seems to drag along... So, my advice to new readers : Don't give up! Hold on until the second part!

There's too many things I would want to say about how amazing this book is!

Time-travel, dinosaurs, murder mystery AND, last but not least, family love: this is the definition of the perfect book for me!

Just when I was starting to think I figured out the story, a ground breaking plot twist shatters the whole thing! And then, I just couldn't put the book down!