Book Review: Nick of Time by Tim Downs

About the Book: Tying the knot may be the toughest thing Nick Polchak has ever tried to do.

Nick Polchak is comfortable with bugs. Their world is orderly. He knows where he stands and exactly how to interpret the signs they give him. But a fiancée and an upcoming wedding? Not so much.

That's why—a mere four days before the nuptials—Nick finds himself driving to Philadelphia for the monthly meeting of the Vidocq society. Being among a group of forensic professionals consulting on cold cases will surely allow him to feel useful and normal.

But while there he discovers that a close friend has been murdered . . . and in classic Nick style, begins to follow the trail of evidence rather than returning to his fiancée. Fearing that his one-track mind won't lead him home by Saturday, Alena and three of her dogs go to track him down.

When she finally finds him, nothing is as Alena expected . . . because the twists in this case will surprise even the most dedicated Bug Man fans.

My thoughts: I knew by page 2 that I was going to love this book! The author's sense of humour had me laughing from the get-go and had me thoroughly entertained the whole way through.

The author also wrote the two main characters so convincingly that I really felt like I could empathize with them and relate to them - which is amazing because both of them are absolutely nothing like me. I'm not a bug person and I'm not a dog person - yet I found both of Nick and Alena's jobs and passions to be thoroughly interesting. Tremendous feat!

The book also tackles the HUGE difference between planning a wedding and planning a marriage. The fact that there is a difference and that one is far more important than the other (hint: it's not the wedding) should be simple common sense, but in reality, I don't think it is. I think usually women get so caught up in planning this wedding they've dreamed of their whole lives, and men try to just survive the onslaught (I realize I'm stereotyping here!) - that the marriage itself takes a backseat at a time when it needs to be front and centre.

And then amongst that all is a thrilling murder mystery with a twist I certainly did not see coming. Normally, I love it when I can't see the twist coming, but in this case, I wasn't overly impressed with the twist itself.

This book is considered Christian fiction, but, though the book is absolutely consistent with Christian morals, it is definitely not overtly Christian.

This is the first book I've read by Tim Downs, but you can be certain it will not be my last!

Thank you to Booksneeze for providing me with my complimentary review copy of Tim Downs' Nick of Time.