Sunday 12 August 2018

BLOG TOUR: The Psychology of Time Travel - Kate Mascarenhas


1967: Four female scientists invent a time-travel machine. They are on the cusp of fame: the pioneers who opened the world to new possibilities. But then one of them suffers a breakdown and puts the whole project in peril...  

2017: Ruby knows her beloved Granny Bee was the pioneer that went mad, but they never talk about it. Then they receive a message from the future – a newspaper clipping reporting the mysterious death of an elderly lady...  

2018: When Odette discovered the body she went into shock. But when the inquest fails to answer any of her questions, Odette is left frustrated. Who is this dead woman that haunts her dreams? And why is everyone determined to cover up her murder? 


What did I think?

The first thing that struck me about The Psychology of Time Travel was the absolutely beautiful cover; it looks like it has been embroidered and I couldn't stop myself running my fingers over to see if I could actually feel the stitches (I couldn't but it didn't stop me from trying).  As impressive as the cover is, what awaits inside is a stunning, vividly imagined story.

The three different timelines mentioned in the synopsis, don't even begin to portray the timespan of the novel, for the pioneers can time travel to any year between 1967 and 2267.  It does take a little getting used to that each scientist can encounter several different versions of themselves without threatening their very existence, which did make me think about the many preconceptions we have about time travel and ultimately nobody really knows what would happen...unless someone has made a time machine and kept it secret.

As well as the time travel there is a very intriguing mystery to solve when Odette finds a body in a locked room on the first day of her new job.  To unearth the mystery we must travel through time to find out who the victim was, who killed them and how they did it.  This is all paced perfectly as we begin to understand the nuances of time travel as Kate Mascarenhas imagines it.  

Ruby's story is simply perfect; hers is a love story that is utterly timeless.  Ruby is the granddaughter of Barbara, the time travelling pioneer who had a breakdown on live tv.  When Ruby receives messages from the future, it awakens Granny Bee's love of time travel and I could feel her enthusiasm through every written word.  On a personal level, Ruby is the third person in Ginger's marriage until Ruby's one true love appears in her life, just like fate had planned it.

Mystery, intrigue and innovation abound in this imaginative, intelligent and remarkable debut.  You really won't have read anything like it before!

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:


Buy it from Amazon




About the author:


Kate Mascarenhas is a half-Irish, half-Seychellois midlander. She is a qualified child psychologist, dabbling in doll-making and bookbinding in her free time. She lives with her husband in a small terraced house, which she is slowly filling with Sindy dolls.  This is her first novel. 












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