Long Story Short was published in 2019 and collects “Christmas Past; The Battersea Barricades,”“The Steam-Pump Jump,”“And Now For Something Completely Different,”“When Did You Last See Your Father?,”“Desiccated Water,”“Markham and the Anal Probing,” and “Little Donkey.” The series also has a recurring antagonist in the shape of Clive Ronan, an embittered former St. Mary's historian who blames the institute's head for the death of his love, and seeks to destroy it - and comes to bear a particular grudge for Max, who continually foils his plans. Not for now. The Chronicles of St Mary’s and the Time Police series continues. One inspiration behind the Chronicles of St. Mary’s This was a fast moving, highly descriptive, beautifully executed time bounce, and at times hazardous exploration in this the 14th novel of The Chronicles of St. Mary's series.

The time jumping logic is pretty good. The only time I recall being aware of some missed logic is when the characters need to “hurry up” and get to the past or future before something terrible happens… But in all honesty, it probably keeps things a bit easier for the readers to pretend for a moment that nonlinear time is a bit linear, and aids the narrative and enables a visit to the Great Fire of Rome, so I forgive it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

I appreciate that Jodi Taylor is going easier on Christians this time around. She’s still hard on politicians, but that’s okay with me. 🙃 This is Book 14, and Jodi Taylor has managed to keep this fun, fresh, interesting, hilarious, and unpredictable through 14 books. The Very First Damned Thing (Short Story), It’s a prequel, but it’s better to read it after Just One Damned Thing After Another. That’s quite a feat, as many series become repetitive, formulaic, and stale after the first few books. But Taylor seems to really enjoy writing this stuff.

No Equal-Opportunity Time Travel: Frequently raised as an issue for the female members of the St. Mary's team, who in some eras need a male figure to be able to interact with the locals. I think part of the reason this series is still working so well is because the characters age. They go through different life stages, have children who also age and take on trainees who grow into their roles. First off, this is book 14 in a series. These books are not standalone. I barely can keep up and I've read all 14 books. Do not start here. There will be spoilers for earlier books.Thank you, Netgalley and Headline Publishing, for providing me with one of the advance reader copies to read, evaluate and give my honest opinion. I absolutely love everything this author writes! I recommend it wholeheartedly to everyone! However, if you want to experience these series and up your enjoyment to the max, you have to get it on Audiobook and enjoy not only the hectic genius of Jodi Taylor, but the brilliance of the narrator, Zara Ramm!!! Separately, each of these ladies are powerhouses, but put them together, you have MAGIC ✨✨✨! I am spoiled by them and I never want the magic to end!

Zara Ramm is - as usual - fantabulous as voice performer (though she will persist in that idiosyncratic mispronunciation of 'wonder'/'wander' lol). As usual I found this utterly delightful. Max and Co, as I've mentioned previously, have a special place in my heart and I will devour any and all stories that Jodi has to tell about his wonderful found family. Max at this point in the series is starting to think about settling down, much to Leon's delight, and it was interesting to see her come to the realisation that she can't carry on jumping up and down the timeline forever. Even if she wants to. So what do you do when your whole life has revolved around your job? You get a new one working for a highly criminal organisation that may have links to your own chequered past, obviously. I was also nice to see more of Markham and Max's relationship. After recent Markham revelations he's much less the mystery man, and it's allowed Jodi to expand on his already overwhelming personality even more. I'm not alone in saying Markham is my favourite character.Behind the very academic facade of St Mary’s Institute, the teams of historians, technicians and researchers have discovered the secret of time travel. Here, historians don’t just study the past, they visit it… Santa Grint (Short Story, 2022) More about the Chronicles of St. Mary’s series The Story of the Chronicles of St. Mary’s Time Machine: The St. Mary's team travel the timeline in "pods" - these come in a variety of sizes, but most are the size of a smallish shed and are disguised to look like a dilapidated hut from the outside so they'll blend into most historical locations. While not indestructible they are extremely sturdy, and inexplicably their interiors always smell of cabbage. She gains insight (excuse the terrible pun) and eventually finally uncovers not only the organization's origins but also their supposed final gamble. And what a gamble it is! I expected them wanting to tinker with history, just like their founder, but for them to offing Washington's family line so there might never be a Revolutionary War in America or one won by the English crown as well as some other "tweaking" ... mad doesn't begin to describe it!