-
A Second Chance
- The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 3
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Series: The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 3
- Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins
- Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fantasy
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Audible Premium Plus
$14.95 a month
Buy for $16.35
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
A Trail Through Time
- The Chronicles of St. Mary's, Book 4
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"St Mary's is back and is facing a battle to survive in this, the fourth installment of the Chronicles. Max and Leon are re-united and looking forward to a peaceful lifetime together. But, sadly, they don't even make it to lunchtime. The action races from 17th century London to Ancient Egypt and from Pompeii to 14th century Southwark as they're pursued up and down the timeline.
-
-
The best book yet!
- By Stephanie Miller on 11-18-14
By: Jodi Taylor
-
A Symphony of Echoes
- The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 2
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dispatched to Victorian London to seek out Jack the Ripper, things go badly wrong when he finds the St Mary's historians first. Stalked through the fog-shrouded streets of Whitechapel, Max is soon running for her life. Again. And that's just the start. Max finds herself in a race against time when an old enemy is intent on destroying St Mary's. An enemy willing, if necessary, to destroy History itself.
-
-
Witty and fun
- By C. lewis on 04-11-14
By: Jodi Taylor
-
No Time Like the Past
- The Chronicles of St. Mary's, Book 5
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jodi Taylor’s best-selling series The Chronicles of St. Mary is back with a bang…St. Mary’s has been rebuilt, and it’s business as usual for the history department. But first there’s the little matter of a 17th-century ghost that only Mr. Markham can see. Not to mention the minor inconvenience of being trapped in the Great Fire of London…and an unfortunately timed comfort break at Thermopylae, leaving the fate of the Western world hanging in the balance.
-
-
Ms. Taylor Does it Again!
- By DarleneL on 04-22-15
By: Jodi Taylor
-
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
- The Chronicles of St. Mary's, Book 6
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Max is back! New husband, new job, and a training regime that cannot fail - to go wrong! Take one interim Chief Training Officer, add five recruits, mix with Joan of Arc, a baby mammoth, a duplicitous Father of History, a bombed rat, Stone Age hunters, a couple of passing policemen who should have better things to do, and Dick the Turd. Stir well, bring to the boil – and wait for the bang! Join Max in the sixth instalment in the off-the-wall Chronicles of St Mary’s series."
-
-
Another great visit with the St. Mary's historians
- By MJ on 08-30-15
By: Jodi Taylor
-
Lies, Damned Lies and History
- The Chronicles of St. Mary's, Book 7
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
I've done some stupid things in my time. I've been reckless. I've broken a few rules. But never before have I ruined so many lives or left such a trail of destruction behind me. As Max would be the first to admit, she's never been one for rules. They tend to happen to other people. But this time she's gone too far, and everyone is paying the price. Grounded until the end of time, how can she ever put things right?
-
-
Why do her books have to end????
- By janet on 05-07-16
By: Jodi Taylor
-
Christmas Present
- A Chronicles of St. Mary's Short Story
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 1 hr and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's Christmas Eve at St Mary's. And all through the house. Nothing is stirring.... Except for Max, Peterson, and Markham, sneaking out at midnight for an assignment that is very definitely off the books. It was ten years ago tonight that senior historians Bashford and Grey went missing in 12th century Jerusalem. So how did they end up in AD 60 Roman Colchester? Max has a theory. Peterson has a plan. Markham has bacon sandwiches. Colchester has Boudicca and her bloodthirsty Iceni hordes.
-
-
Time Travel Fluff
- By Ellenaeddy on 08-08-15
By: Jodi Taylor
-
A Trail Through Time
- The Chronicles of St. Mary's, Book 4
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"St Mary's is back and is facing a battle to survive in this, the fourth installment of the Chronicles. Max and Leon are re-united and looking forward to a peaceful lifetime together. But, sadly, they don't even make it to lunchtime. The action races from 17th century London to Ancient Egypt and from Pompeii to 14th century Southwark as they're pursued up and down the timeline.
-
-
The best book yet!
- By Stephanie Miller on 11-18-14
By: Jodi Taylor
-
A Symphony of Echoes
- The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 2
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dispatched to Victorian London to seek out Jack the Ripper, things go badly wrong when he finds the St Mary's historians first. Stalked through the fog-shrouded streets of Whitechapel, Max is soon running for her life. Again. And that's just the start. Max finds herself in a race against time when an old enemy is intent on destroying St Mary's. An enemy willing, if necessary, to destroy History itself.
-
-
Witty and fun
- By C. lewis on 04-11-14
By: Jodi Taylor
-
No Time Like the Past
- The Chronicles of St. Mary's, Book 5
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jodi Taylor’s best-selling series The Chronicles of St. Mary is back with a bang…St. Mary’s has been rebuilt, and it’s business as usual for the history department. But first there’s the little matter of a 17th-century ghost that only Mr. Markham can see. Not to mention the minor inconvenience of being trapped in the Great Fire of London…and an unfortunately timed comfort break at Thermopylae, leaving the fate of the Western world hanging in the balance.
-
-
Ms. Taylor Does it Again!
- By DarleneL on 04-22-15
By: Jodi Taylor
-
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
- The Chronicles of St. Mary's, Book 6
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Max is back! New husband, new job, and a training regime that cannot fail - to go wrong! Take one interim Chief Training Officer, add five recruits, mix with Joan of Arc, a baby mammoth, a duplicitous Father of History, a bombed rat, Stone Age hunters, a couple of passing policemen who should have better things to do, and Dick the Turd. Stir well, bring to the boil – and wait for the bang! Join Max in the sixth instalment in the off-the-wall Chronicles of St Mary’s series."
-
-
Another great visit with the St. Mary's historians
- By MJ on 08-30-15
By: Jodi Taylor
-
Lies, Damned Lies and History
- The Chronicles of St. Mary's, Book 7
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
I've done some stupid things in my time. I've been reckless. I've broken a few rules. But never before have I ruined so many lives or left such a trail of destruction behind me. As Max would be the first to admit, she's never been one for rules. They tend to happen to other people. But this time she's gone too far, and everyone is paying the price. Grounded until the end of time, how can she ever put things right?
-
-
Why do her books have to end????
- By janet on 05-07-16
By: Jodi Taylor
-
Christmas Present
- A Chronicles of St. Mary's Short Story
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 1 hr and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's Christmas Eve at St Mary's. And all through the house. Nothing is stirring.... Except for Max, Peterson, and Markham, sneaking out at midnight for an assignment that is very definitely off the books. It was ten years ago tonight that senior historians Bashford and Grey went missing in 12th century Jerusalem. So how did they end up in AD 60 Roman Colchester? Max has a theory. Peterson has a plan. Markham has bacon sandwiches. Colchester has Boudicca and her bloodthirsty Iceni hordes.
-
-
Time Travel Fluff
- By Ellenaeddy on 08-08-15
By: Jodi Taylor
-
And the Rest Is History
- The Chronicles of St. Mary's, Book 8
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Behind the seemingly innocuous facade of St. Mary's Institute of Historical Research, a different kind of academic work is taking place. Just don't call it time travel - these historians investigate major historical events in contemporary time. And they aren't your harmless eccentrics either; a more accurate description, as they ricochet around history, might be unintentional disaster magnets.
-
-
Darkest St. Mary's Yet...
- By Alyssa on 05-31-17
By: Jodi Taylor
-
An Argumentation of Historians
- The Chronicles of St. Mary's, Book 9
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They say you shouldn't push your luck. Max gives her own luck a massive shove every day - and it's only a matter of time until luck pushes back.... January, 1536 - the day of Henry VIII's infamous jousting accident. Historians from St Mary's are there in force, recording and documenting. And arguing - obviously. A chance meeting between Max and the Time Police leads to a plan of action. And it's one that will have very serious consequences - especially for Max.
-
-
Re-download for final chapter
- By Townsend on 04-13-18
By: Jodi Taylor
-
Hope for the Best
- Chronicles of St. Mary's, Book 10
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Max is no stranger to taking matters into her own hands. Especially when she's had A Brilliant Idea. Yes, it will mean breaking a few rules, but - as Max always says - they're not her rules. Seconded to the Time Police to join in the hunt for the renegade Clive Ronan, Max is a long way from St Mary's. But life in the future does have its plus points - although not for long. A problem with the Time Map reveals chaos in the 16th century and the wrong Tudor queen on the throne. History has gone rogue, there's a St Mary's team right in the firing line and Max must step up.
-
-
Max sets in motion a plan to capture Ronin
- By Richard S. Swol on 05-01-19
By: Jodi Taylor
-
Just One Damned Thing After Another
- The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 1
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Madeleine Maxwell is recruited by the St Mary's Institute of Historical Research, she discovers the historians there don't just study the past - they revisit it. But one wrong move and History will fight back - to the death. And she soon discovers it's not just History she's fighting....
-
-
Too Bigoted
- By Bosco on 03-14-20
By: Jodi Taylor
-
Christmas Past
- A Chronicles of St Mary's Short Story
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 1 hr and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Max, Leon and Matthew - together at last for Christmas at St Mary's, a time of conspicuous consumption, riotous misbehaviour and the traditional illegal Christmas jump. And this time it's intergenerational. Donning her unfamiliar mother hat, Max takes Matthew back to 19th-century London, where they plan to deliver a parcel of Christmas cheer to his former friends but find themselves confronting the terrifying Old Ma Scrope in the process.
-
-
I wish I could give more stars than 5
- By D on 12-26-17
By: Jodi Taylor
-
When Did You Last See Your Father?
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Jodi Taylor, Zara Ramm
- Length: 2 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Have you ever wondered what would happen if Max's husband met Max's father? What would Leon do? They're normally a fairly amiable bunch, but this is the story of what to expect if St Mary's doesn't like someone. As in, really doesn't like someone. Warning: contains a unit-wide criminal enterprise, a great deal of illegal activity and a sad misuse of public resources. All the things a father will do to protect his family. It is also a story of revenge. Because this is payback - St Mary's style. Includes bonus St Mary's escapades 'Desiccated Water' and 'Markham and the Anal Probing'.
-
-
Interesting Combination of Fiction and Biography
- By Glitterific on 10-20-19
By: Jodi Taylor
-
Why Is Nothing Ever Simple?
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 2 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's Christmas at St Mary's and time for the traditional illicit jump. Except this one is perfectly legal. It's Major Guthrie's last jump. To the Battle of Bannockburn, no less. An important moment in history for two nations - one that warrants everyone's full attention. But Max soon finds herself grappling with a near-lethal game of pooh sticks, another avian incursion and two turbulent teenagers intent on piloting their own illegal jump. And that's all before they even get near 14th-century Scotland. For this is St Mary's, and nothing is ever simple.
-
-
Wonderful !
- By Colonelswife on 12-26-19
By: Jodi Taylor
-
Plan for the Worst
- Chronicles of St. Mary's, Book 11
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
You know what they say. Hope for the best. But plan for the worst. Catch up with the tea-soaked disaster magnets in their latest madcap adventure as they hurtle their way around history....
-
-
I will read ANYTHING by Jodi Taylor
- By Tracy Gilbert on 08-21-20
By: Jodi Taylor
-
The Long and the Short of It
- The Chronicles of St. Mary's
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Follow the disaster magnets of St Mary's as they hurtle around history! The ninth book in The Chronicles of St Mary's Series collects the best-selling short stories in audio for the first time.
-
-
Yes people it's a collection of shorts
- By Anna on 06-10-17
By: Jodi Taylor
-
Doing Time
- Time Police, Book 1
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A long time ago in the future, the secret of time travel became known to all. Everyone seized the opportunity - and the world nearly ended. There will always be idiots who want to change history. And so, the Time Police were formed. An all-powerful, international organisation tasked with keeping the timeline straight. At all costs. Their success is legendary, and the Time Wars are over. But now the Time Police must fight to save a very different future - their own. This is the story of Jane, Luke and Matthew - arguably the worst recruits in Time Police history....
-
-
Good Teenager Book
- By Brutis on 05-03-20
By: Jodi Taylor
-
Hard Time
- The Time Police, Book 2
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Time Police do not have problems. They have challenges. Idiots who want to change history have always proved 'challenging'. But now temporal tourism is on the rise - highly illegal but highly lucrative. If you're prepared to take the risk. To face down this threat the Time Police will despatch their toughest undercover agents. Which is fine until the unthinkable happens. Replacements are needed fast, and who better than three young officers who don't even look the part?
-
-
Team Wierd is "Fire-Trucking" Fantastic!
- By Barbara on 10-18-20
By: Jodi Taylor
-
The Ordeal of the Haunted Room
- Chronicles of St. Mary's
- By: Jodi Taylor
- Narrated by: Zara Ramm
- Length: 2 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the longest night of 1895, a terrible storm rages above Harewood Hall. Max, Markham and an injured Peterson are welcomed in by the Harewood family but quickly realise that the gathering is far from celebratory. For tonight marks the Ordeal of the Haunted Room. Every Harewood heir must endure one terrifying night alone in the Haunted Room before he can inherit the family seat. Legend says that ghosts will murder anyone who isn't the true heir. Francis Harewood's ordeal will begin at midnight and end at dawn, but it isn't long before everything goes horribly wrong.
-
-
Another winner!
- By Richard S. Swol on 12-28-20
By: Jodi Taylor
Publisher's Summary
The third book in the best-selling Chronicles of St Mary's series which follows a group of tea-soaked disaster magnets as they hurtle their way around History. If you love Jasper Fforde or Ben Aaronovitch, you won't be able to resist Jodi Taylor.
History happens all around you. And, occasionally, to you.
I could have been a bomb-disposal expert, or a volunteer for the Mars mission, or a firefighter, something safe and sensible. But, no, I had to be an historian.
It began well. A successful assignment to 17th century Cambridge to meet Isaac Newton, and another to witness the historic events at The Gates of Grief. So far so good.
But then came the long-awaited jump to the Trojan War that changed everything. And for Max, nothing will ever be the same again.
With the bloody Battle of Agincourt playing out around her, Max risks everything on one last desperate gamble to save a life and learns the true meaning of a second chance.
Critic Reviews
More from the same
What listeners say about A Second Chance
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- MJ
- 09-06-14
This series is just gettihg better and better.
Any additional comments?
This series is fast becoming one of my favorites. I love the lead character, Max, for her snarky humor, and she is surrounded by a wonderful cast of characters at St. Mary's. There's humor, adventure, history (some interesting re-tellings and speculations) and romance.
Do yourself a favor and don't start with this book--go back to the first in the series, Just One Damned Thing After Another, and get to know these people from the beginning. You won't be sorry.
Zara Ramm does a wonderful job of narration--I will look for other books that she reads just to hear her interpretation of them.
Highly recommended! I can't wait for the next one, which is due out in print in January 2015. I'm hoping the Audible version won't be far behind.
18 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jean the Urban Walker.
- 07-29-15
No one can get enough of Dr 'Max' Maxwell
Where does A Second Chance rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Outstanding storyline & the narration is {pun intended} pitch-perfect. Zara Ramm IS Max; you can hear how much she loves her character as she bring her to life time & time again.
What was one of the most memorable moments of A Second Chance?
The great cheese roll. I'd like to get my hands on one of those 'I survived' tee shirts. They could write 'duck' on the rear and make it an instant best seller. Followed by the 'Smurf' episode. I listened to both more than once as I started laughing so hard I could not concentrate initially.
Which character – as performed by Zara Ramm – was your favorite?
Max - hands down.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes. I actually walked totally out of my way several times to get more listening time in. This needs to be a movie.
Any additional comments?
I THINK I purchased the first book, 'Just One Damned Thing After Another' during a special sale. It made such an impression on me that I wanted to hear more from & about Max. I already have book 6 on pre-order and starting to mildly panic as I am already starting Book 4 and it's only been a little over two weeks since I first met Max and the quirky crew at St Mary's. Max is such an identifiable and wonderful character; you just want her to be your friend/boss.
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- loralou
- 11-03-14
New favorite author found!
Love this series this book was even better than the first one couldnt wait to read the second one finished the third one in a week ( which is a record for me) preordered the fourth one.
Sent to Troy her long awaited destinations causes her to make a everlasting life changing decision.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tom Coppler
- 10-16-15
Could not follow
What disappointed you about A Second Chance?
Taylor's jumping all over between past and present and different parallel time lines without any reason (did not have to be logical or possible) left me lost and very disappointing because I enjoyed books 1&2 and looked forward to the whole series.
Please someone tell me she gets back on tract so I can read the rest.
Has A Second Chance turned you off from other books in this genre?
Probably
What about Zara Ramm’s performance did you like?
Everything she is Max.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jessica
- 05-15-15
I love this series!
This is a great series. If you have listened to the previous books, you will like this one as well. It has all of the really dark bits, the really funny bits, the craziness that is St Mary's. This one ended in a way that I'm not sure I like, but I believe that the next one will be amazing and will totally make up for it. Let me be clear, it wasn't badly written, it just went in a direction I wasn't prepared for. It is still Jodi Taylor writing a great story and Zara Ramm narrating in her most excellent and awesome way. Looking forward to starting the next one right away!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sheryl
- 10-08-14
A series well worth reading
Let me start off by saying that I loved the first two books in the series. So, I was a little disappointed that this book didn't thrill me as much as the others. It started off very slow for me and I actually got a bit bored with all the details about Troy (but then, I'm not a history buff). This book just had a different feel to it and I missed the feel of the first two. The second half of the book picked up considerably for me (hence 4 stars instead of 3). I don't like some of the choices Ms. Taylor made and given the end am not sure why she made them in the first place. It was all a bit too heart-wrenching for me and then totally shocking come the final chapters. Regardless, I am still looking forward to reading the next book to see where the storyline goes. I adore these characters and the audio narration by Zara Ramm. I hope book 4 comes out in audio sooner rather than later.
Just a note- be sure to read the series in order and don't start from the middle. It really won't do the books justice.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Robin
- 06-30-17
One of the best of this series
I love The Chronicles of St. Mary's. Funny, well written and very smart. This is one of my favorite installments. Doesn't matter if you're a teen or an oldster .... you will have a great listening experience!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Gwen K.
- 01-20-15
Did anyone notice a change at chapter 16
What did you love best about A Second Chance?
I have enjoyed the first three books in this series and hope it continues for a long while. I love the combination of adventure and humor with a little romance.
What does Zara Ramm bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
I think Zara Ramm is a wonderful reader and I have enjoyed listening to her on the first two books and the first 15 chapters of this book, but as I was driving in my car today we switched to chapter 16 and to my ear there was a different reader. The voice was off and the cadence was different. I am still in chapter 16 so I do not know if this continues but I am interested to know if anyone else has experienced this, since I have not seen another reader credited and no one else has mentioned it.
Any additional comments?
I love this series and Zara Ramm and I hope she continues to read, voice act, not sure what the right word is, but she adds to the experience for me.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- S. S.
- 04-06-17
A Second Chance
I have enjoyed this series of books immensely. The narrator is what makes them so enjoyable. She does a marvelous job. This book of the series is not the best though. It's full of second chances. Maybe it's too full . At the end it felt like the author was trying to set up future storylines and like she had not been happy with some story decisions she had made in this book.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- john
- 05-24-16
Nice story but big plotholes
This is a really interesting story line with a unique device for getting into history. Unfortunately just when you relax and start to enjoy it the main protagonists do something completely out of line for their character yanking you uncomfortably out of the suspension of disbelief
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mike
- 11-18-15
Great balance between fun and fear
The Historians at St.Mary’s have a straightforward approach to discovering what really happened at an historical event, they get in a POD, travel back in time and take a shufftie at what’s going on.
Of course, that means that they risk getting abducted, maimed or killed by the locals or simply by their own clumsiness, but they are a plucky lot who are willing to take their chances and get on with things in their own anarchic way.
The lead Historian, Madeleine Maxwell, “Max”, is the embodiment of what a St. Mary’s Historian should be: insatiably curious, unthinkingly courageous, capable of great compassion but implacable in dealing with those she sees as evil.
She’s come a long way from her rookie days in the first book, “Just One Damned Thing After Another” when she had “damaged misfit” written all the way through her like “Brighton” in a bar of rock.
She is a leader: doing the detailed planning, wrangling the St. Mary’s mob into almost acting as a team, winning the respect and even the love of her people. She’s getting her personal life together after a series of disasters.
Of course, in a Jodi Taylor novel, where every silver lining has a cloud, this degree of happiness and accomplishment can only mean that Max is doomed. Which indeed she is, though I won’t disclose her fate here.
The St. Mary’s books really are chronicles, describing events in the order that they happened, although, with time travel involved, the timeline can still have twists and turns in it. In “A Second Chance”, we follow the intrepid Max to Sir Issac Newton’s London, the fall of Troy and the battle of Agincourt. There are also a few unexpected side trips that you’ll have to read the book to find out about.
Troy has been a long-term obsession for Max. She wants to know if Greek soldiers really hid in the belly of a wooden horse and how they stayed hidden and how they got out and whether Helen’s face really launched a thousand ships, and hundreds of other things, so going there is a big deal and is described at length. What I enjoyed most about this part of the book was that, while original, plausible, surprising answers are given to all these questions, their importance fades as the scale of human suffering becomes clear. Max and her team spend months in Troy before the siege, sharing the way of life of the people only to it strangled by the siege and shattered by the assault on the city. The killing, rape, enslavement and greed-driven destruction hits home hard. This is not some Homeric glorification of war, but a description of the human cost of the phrase: “Troy fell.”
Towards the end of the book, after Agincourt, Max’s life takes a strange, world-changing, series-altering turn that finally explains the title, “A Second Chance.” This twist makes me certain that the next St. Mary’s book will be different from its predecessors. I’m looking forward to seeing what Jodi Taylor does with it.
18 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Hevpais
- 09-12-15
I loved it
I really enjoyed this book. I stumbled upon the series by accident and have now listened to the first three (plus a short) in four days. Its a good job I can carry it round with me, or I'd be stuck in the house forever! Some other reviews have not been quite so good, but it really worked for me. Maybe that's because I'm a romantic and much, much prefer the happy ending. Made me cry, made me laugh out loud - and when you're out in the garden digging, that can be dangerous! Within one hour of finishing it, here I am back at Audible, getting the next one. What more can I say? Ah, I know - Zara Ramm is excellent too.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Robyn
- 08-07-17
Another chaotic, but fun outing
CBC - Concussion By Cheese. It's these little anecdotes that make this such an entertaining series. I'd like to believe that I learn a little bit about history too - even if it is ancient history when nobody actually knows what the real truth is. Still, it always feels quite well informed.
They've been a fun first three books to the series - light-hearted and jovial in tone (even if it's in the middle of the an epic historical battle) and exactly right to cleanse the listening palate after something more gritty.
A cliff-hanger ending, so straight onto book 4.
Narration exactly same as previous books in the series - perfectly reflects Max's attitude.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- A Friend
- 05-25-16
Still very enjoyable, but a bit of a jumble!
Good narration and all the characters are still there, but not as strong as the first or second. The pace is a bit all over the place and the plot loops and turns as stories about time travel are like to do! I'll still listen to the next one though I should think!
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- SHADOW smash
- 05-04-15
Another mind boggling tale of love and loss
Each book in the series gets more and more tangled in history and now time dimensions! Not a book to fall asleep with - you'll never find where you got to!
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kindle Customer
- 04-03-16
Great as ever but where has the professors Scottish accent gone
I enjoyed this enormously
As always it was captivating and well read tho I do miss Professor Bearstow's Scottish accent. Where did it go. It made him Stand out from the rest of the department.
Looking forward to the next instalment
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- GlosterLass
- 03-08-16
Fun, fast-paced, but confusing
The third in the series, I enjoyed this more than the previous book. Characters become more rounded and events in history better presented. However, still that bland 'the world went white' to indicate a leap in time, to the point it began sounding like school-children droning "Good Morning Mrs . ." at morning assembly.
The latter half of the book moved far too fast and wasn't given enough explanation, so I was left saying, "yes, but how? What? Why?" on more than one occasion.
The narrator fits the tone of the book well but does sometimes put the emphasis on the wrong part of the sentence and mispronounces some classic Greek names, which I found irritating.
On the whole it was a fun romp, a light, easy listen all ages and sexes would enjoy - just don't try to take it seriously.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Simon
- 08-23-16
A good instalment
This was a good instalment. I would have marked it four stars but the is a distinctly episodic feel. Perhaps it is being written as a TV series. I certainly can see the BBC doing a good job. And the question in the back of my mind is what is going on in America and why is it only people from the future trying to take the time pods?
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Paul Hamer
- 07-20-15
Enjoyable, but a series of short stories
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, but the friend needs to have previously listened to the earlier episodes.
What other book might you compare A Second Chance to, and why?
It compares with Dickens: as it is written in an episodic manner, with a series of cliff hangers and narrow escapes, followed by the next set up and cliff hanger.
Which scene did you most enjoy?
The description of the fall of Troy. To say more gives away too much plot, but everyone knows that Troy fell.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Out of Africa, or out of time?
Any additional comments?
Horses feature, but so do dinosaurs, blue skinned megalith builders and huge wheels of cheese.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Alan
- 05-14-15
Unexpected twist
Builds on the earlier books with new twists and turns an enjoyable listen pushing the realms of time travel.
The ending means you have to go straight out to by the next one.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Steve
- 01-09-21
My favourite to date!
Have listened to the first 3 books in the series and this is my favourite to date!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Barry
- 12-01-20
Love this series
I’m hooked on this series, especially with the lack of Dr Who lately, not the same but a cracking series.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Toadee
- 02-24-20
I want to work for St Mary’s
Just download and start your odyssey with our Max and her team. Go on. Just find a pod and do it.