Book Review The 13th Hour by Richard Doetsch

Synopsis: A mesmerizing thriller -- told in reverse "The 13th Hour" is the story of a man given the chance to go back in time in one-hour increments to prevent a vicious crime from destroying his life.Nick Quinn is being held in jail, accused of the murder of his beloved wife, Julia. He knows she's dead; he saw her bloody corpse, shot in the head at point-blank range. The police tell him they found the murder weapon with his fingerprints on it in the trunk of his car. Nick is confused, grief-stricken -- "and completely innocent."

At 9 p.m. on July 28, a gray-haired gentleman visits Nick in the police interrogation room and asks him a simple question: ""If you could get out of here, if you could save her, would you?"" He hands Nick a golden talisman that allows Nick to go back in time, one hour at a time, for a total of twelve hours. With each hour that Nick travels back, he finds more clues to the identity of Julia's real killer, but he also discovers that his actions in the past may have unexpected repercussions in the future.

In his race against time to save the woman he loves most in the world, Nick will find that friends become enemies, old loyalties are tested, and Julia's murder is part of a larger scheme that has its roots in greed and vengeance. Nick has the ability to save Julia, the chance to put his own world in balance, but he is venturing down a precarious route. If he hasn't set things right by the thirteenth hour, his desperate attempts to save Julia's life may lead to a far greater catastrophe than he could have ever imagined.
The Nerd's ramble:  This book was amazing. From the first page to the last I couldn't leave it alone. I read this in one sitting, all afternoon curled up in a cozy chair as a nasty spring storm raged outside. The 13th Hour is a science-fiction thriller, due to the element of time travel; that manages to keep things tense, interesting and smart, revealing little clues hour by hour as to the motives behind Julia's death and the plane crash.

The story is told in reverse and in fact the author leaves a note saying that the book starts with chapter thirteen. Nick is an interesting and compelling character, risking everything to protect the woman he loves. Julia is very much a secondary character, in the worst way, but the other supporting cast really help with the mood and desperation of this book.

I liked the overall idea of this book, and the characters. The pacing was nice, the development of plot as the story progressed (regressed?) was something really well thought out. As time ran out the narrative moved faster, events were sped up, contributing nicely to the overall mood of the book. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Rating: ★★★★★
Total Length:  389 pages
Format: Traditional, Kindle, Epub
Publication Date: December 29, 2009 (Aria Books)
Author's Page: Richard Doetsch