Review: The Timepiece and the Girl Who Went Astray by O.R. Simmonds

A whirlwind of an adventure set in the eternally mysterious city of London, The Timepiece and the Girl Who Went Astray by O.R. Simmonds is a bold and meticulously penned thriller. William Wells only wanted a special gift for his girlfriend Abigayle, but his thoughtfulness may be something he comes to regret, in this clever masterwork of time travel fiction.

After Will witnesses the brutal shooting of the kindly shop owner who sold him the titular watch, it doesn’t take long for him to realize that something much more dangerous is happening on the streets of London. The ornate watch transports his girlfriend somewhen else, spiraling back to another time and place, while William becomes more deeply tangled in a horological battle stretching back generations. With the coppers on his tail for murder and kidnapping, and a gang of cultish thugs chasing down his mysterious six-handed watch, Will has no choice but to manipulate the most powerful force in the universe, find the woman he loves, and clear his name.

As it turns out, the seemingly innocent shop owner was an Extra-dimensional Geohistorian who worked for The Office of Time Dissemination, none of which means anything to Will. As he carries out his own investigation of the Timepiece, thanks to a cypher and some conveniently successful sleuthing, the true depth of this dangerous adventure becomes clear. Once he time-leaps back to 1940, the tale kicks into full swing, and keeps the storytelling hand on the throttle. No era is safe when it comes to the powerful Timepiece, nor those who would do anything to claim it as their own.

Simmonds’ ability to build a believable landscape and immerse readers in England’s capital – in multiple timelines – is impressive, and the patient exposition throughout the novel provides necessary peaks and valleys in the energetic pace. The physical descriptions are consistently convincing, bringing each scene and action sequence to life. Will being a “cheapskate Yank” lends itself to plenty of extra tension and drama, as well as a general mistrust of him from other characters, adding another layer of suspense to every interaction.

There is an occasional tendency to explain Will’s thought process too explicitly, rather than letting readers put the pieces together in an organic way, but most of the narration is well-balanced and drives the plot forward smoothly. The dialogue is sharp and witty, and most of the characters are fully developed, though Abby remains somewhat blurry around the edges, considering she is the focal point of Will’s tireless rescue efforts. Simmonds’ consideration of temporal paradoxes, and his clever navigation of common stumbling blocks in time travel literature, shows a dedication to detail and a sincere love for this niche genre.

Simmonds echoes the declarative formality of certain English mystery writers, but also displays a whimsical, philosophical bent that makes this book a delightful, epic, and thought-provoking escape. Boasting a sprawling vocabulary, visceral descriptions, and a discerning narrative voice, this time-bending novel will appeal to physicists, anglophiles, treasure hunters, and sci-fi lovers alike.