A pretty gripping story, if you can get into the trappings.

The protagonist, April Malone, is a fantastic character, and she basically carries the book for me. I had a harder time with suspending disbelief about Smith (the other protagonist), and the way he seems to be able to pull magic out at unexpected times; but Mayne's writing, and April Malone herself, managed to get me through it.

I think I didn't realize exactly what genre this was when I picked it up. Unlike Mayne's other books like The Naturalist or Station Breaker, you are not in a world that's just like ours, where you know what to expect. There's some mysterious technology that is never made quite clear, so I felt like I didn't know the rules of the world. I feel like this genre tends more toward what you see in comic books, or the X men, or something, where readers seem completely comfortable with unexplained rules or implausible technology; not that this book has anything really implausible, but it tends in that direction (at least when you compare it to Mayne's present-day thrillers).

The book basically is a detective story set in late 19th century Boston, and Mayne is quite capable of writing excellent detective fiction. But you find out there's really more going on than *just* a detective story.... and that's what I was, unfortunately, not quite as thrilled with. ( )

I loved this book! ( )

Sort of a steampunk meets Jules Verne story concept with some diverse characters. It was hard to sustain my interest but I hung in there for the characters. I will try the next volume in the series. ( )

This is a light, enjoyable story very reminiscent of Dr. Who.
In late 19th century Boston, people are disappearing in the mist.
April Malone is a young woman who has been hired to read, research and file her findings. She is amazed when a man, Smith, suddenly appears from the basement, where he has apparently been sleeping for an untold length of time.
April fills the role of an intelligent, feisty sidekick/companion while Smith does his Who impression of tracking down what the danger is and going after it with advanced technological inventions he happens to have at his disposal.
Andrew Mayne, the author, has a light touch and the two protagonists are a good pairing. ( )

“She couldn't decide if he was a bit mad or if the world moved too slowly for him. Perhaps a little of both.”

Steampunk, time-travel, a secretary that buys newspapers and pastries for a nonexistent employer every day, and man that stumbles out of a locked room and only knows what’s written on the card in his pocket. The summery states it all: very Doctor Who-esque, crossover with Sherlock Holmes and add a steampunked Iron Man in the mix and you have Mayne’s first book of The Chronological Man.

Smith (seem familiar, Whovians?) is our Doctor’esque character, a time-traveler who seems to remember nothing and relies on a card in his pocket to give him the essentials (such as his own name!). He’s bubbly and stumbles his way through the mystery. Most of the time I had no idea what he was up to, but he’s one very entertaining character to say the least.

April Malone is our female Watson. She’s smart with a sharp wit and quick to go from secretary jobs to running through foggy streets and damp sewers to assist Smith in solving the mystery.
The action scenes in the book were really well written. The novel was simple, but engaging and left plenty of room for the characters and story to grow in the sequel. Whovian (Doctor Who fan) or not, if you’re a fan of the genre I recommend The Chronological Man for a quick, entertaining read.

www.readingbifrost.com ( )