Time Rep: Time Rep (Paperback)

I was absolutely charmed by the book, Time Rep, by Peter Ward. It is reminiscent of the Douglas Adams “Hitchhiker's Guide” series, but updated. The lead character, Geoffrey Stamp, is the epitome of a modern-day slacker but, eventually, we discover there are hidden depths. His inner dialogues are continuous and funny, and helped to reveal his growth from slacker to capable hero material. Roommate Tim, who turns out to be a recruiter for Time Tour, Inc., the time-travel travel company, is a wonderful straight man throughout. I found myself rooting for both his safety and his sanity. Along with the “smack-in-the-face-you're-totally-insignificant” storyline, the major plot of the book involves someone in the tour company working to change the past so an alien race hiding in plain sight on Earth can destroy the human race. There are a number of suitable candidates in the company to choose from which makes for a good mystery as our heroes struggle to stop the traitor. (I so didn't want for it to be Tim!) I really enjoyed the depiction of London and life in the future, and the concept of the time-travel tour company with Time Reps (tour guides from the actual period being visited.) There was quite a bit of silliness with that. The book was entertaining from start to finish (and I was delighted to see that it is the first book in a trilogy!) I literally laughed out loud over dialogue. The book is fast-paced and the action is constant. There are unexpected “left turns” all along the way to the final page. And Ward's handling of the problems of the past changing the future was fun. I look forward to reading more. I highly recommend this book to readers that enjoy humorous SciFi/Fantasy, tales of time travel, and the aforementioned “Hitchhiker's Guide.” I stayed up reading this way later than advisable; it was that entertaining. I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.