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

Publisher's Summary

The fourth 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. 

Sometimes, surviving is all you have left. 

Max and Leon are safe at last. Or so they think. 

Snatched from her own world and dumped into a new one, Max is soon running for her life. Again.

From a 17th century Frost Fair to Ancient Egypt; from Pompeii to 8th century Scandinavia; Max and Leon are pursued up and down the timeline, playing a dangerous game of hide-and-seek, until finally they're forced to take refuge at St Mary's where a new danger awaits them.

Max's happily ever after is going to have to wait a while.... 

©2014 Jodi Taylor (P)2014 Audible Studios

The best book yet!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

While I loved all the books so far in the series, this is by far the best one to date! This has the history, action, and St. Marys' at its unique and courageous finest. Historians are the BEST "action warriors!" This book has a well rounded set of; awkward romance, action, historians in action, civilians saving the day, bravery, and cheeky humor as always with the St. Marys' crew!

What did you like best about this story?

The mixture of action, history, and a more indepth view of the staff and their courageous nature under "fire" from outside forces. Plus I like that it has a "real enemy" also that you believed could overcome the St. Marys' crew at any time....the suspense and inquinuity of St. Marys' was the best.

What does Zara Ramm bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I think she does a good job, but I think the book itself also would stand on its own. The really nice part is that she doesn't get in the way of the words...she lets them speak on their own. I do think she could add some inflection on occasion to make the funnier items more prevalent..but she does a great job overall.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The fight between the St. Marys' teams and the "enemy" was one I really loved...the courage, the ingenuity, the loyalty, and moxie....fantastic combo!!

Any additional comments?

This is definitely a GREAT READ, and HIGHLY recommend it. I let a friend listen while we were on a car ride and now she's hooked...she loved the history and romance, I loved the action, humor, and interpersonal relationships within the St. Marys' team.

Best series this year

Fast paced, best narrator, best storyline. Witty. Laugh out loud funny. Edge of your seat drama, love story, historical history book. Love this series. best one this year!

Purely delightful

I have fallen in love with the Chronicles of St. Mary's and I am 100% positive that Zara Ramm is half the reason. It is deeply British humor that shines with her pitch-perfect rendition of the subtle (and overt) humor in this series. The stories are fun, funny, action-packed, creative and wholly enjoyable.
Although I loved this book (#4), it was, in fact, my least favorite because of [[[[SMALL SPOILER]]]] the fact that this other dimension is just enough "off" that you're not sure where "old friends" stand and who our main character really is,[[[[END SPOILER]]]] Having said that, however, I still loved the book and the performance. Definite cliff-hanger for book #5.

Anther Adventure with the Timetraveling Historians

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, yes, and yes. I love this series. Get book 1 and start the mad adventure of Max, Peterson, Leon and the other crazy historians at St. Mary's. You have to read it to know. Every story is a different adventure. The pod is their mode of transport like Dr. Who uses a phone booth.

What other book might you compare A Trail Through Time to and why?

Dr. Who comes to mind with the spinning phone booth winding up somewhere else. At least the pods are programmed for their destination.

Which scene was your favorite?

Not a particular one but I do like the History Muse who shows up to tell Max to get on with her next special tour.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

And the world goes white....just before you land somewhere else.

Any additional comments?

These books are exceptionally good. They are light with minimal sex scenes for those who prefer fantasy, and you don't really miss them. Max and Leon do 'get together' but you don't have to suffer through it with them. These are just good fun books for those who can suspend reality and enjoy fantasy.

Wonderful

I want more but I am glad for a short breather between books. This is a wonderful series to read.

Fantastic series!

All of the books by Jodi Taylor are absolutely marvelous. Entertaining and packed with action. And Zara Ramm has become one of my favorite readers. Please keep them coming ladies!! I can't get enough of St. Mary's.

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Any additional comments?

...well, generally, everything goes wrong for Max and her crew. But, somehow, they always seem to make the best of it.

They're always, always "Perfectly fine" whether they are or not. Most times, they're not.

I've listened to the first four installments now, and Zara Ramm does an amazing job of capturing all the characters'..well, character.

Most of the books gave me the occasional chuckle, and smile, much to the wary-eyed looks of bystanders. But, on more than one occasion in this book I literally laughed loudly. Once, to absolute tears. That, dear readers, is what I call entertainment.

Go, buy all of these, listen in order, and try not to laugh your head off at times.

What could possibly go wrong?

Love love love!

This series of books is a little bit campy but I don't care at all. I love them!! The descriptions of the different historical periods, settings, and costumes are stunning. The narrator is really great. She brings amazing life to each voice and they all seem to be different.

This story renews with each book!

I keep thinking there can be no more to tell, but even though the main characters have no peace in their relationship, they keep going like the energizer bunny- more lives than you can imagine!

Silly, Lovely

These are such odd books and a bit disjointed, just by time stream. But they are so much fun and so tongue in cheek. They're just a delight and are even more so as the series goes on. Enjoy.

Max grows up in her new world

At the end of “A Second Chance”, I was more than a little unsure where this series was going. I enjoyed the book, even the harrowing section about the fall of Troy, but the ending, which took Max into an alternate universe, seemed a little weak. I’d been concerned that the ideas had dried up and St Mary’s was no longer going to be part of the story-line.

I needn’t have worried. “A Trail Through Time” actually boosts the series: some of the gloom and doom of the old St Mary’s is lifted without diminishing its anarchic character and recalcitrant nature; Max is delivered from life in the office to spend more time in a pod – well, actually, more time running away from people and things that are trying to kill her; and we get to visit London during the Black Death and again during a seventeenth century Frost Fair, Pompeii during the great eruption and Egypt at the time of the heretic Pharaoh, Akhenaten.

There are new set of bad(ish) guys – the sinister, black-clad Time Police – and a new, but still familiar, St. Mary’s.

What held everything together for me was the way Max embraced her second chance. She doesn’t take it for granted and she doesn’t get off easily but she commits herself to her new world with her usual passion, bravery and wonderfully dry and quintessentially British humour. We learn more about the darkness of her childhood and see her tested to her limits. She comes out of it stronger and somehow more grown up but without being any less of a walking hurricane.

“A Trail Through Time” reinvigorated the series for me. I’m looking forward to seeing what Max gets up to next.

It's still St Mary's

Pre-ordered this and seriously was counting the days till it was released. Jodi Taylor didn't fail to deliver again. A fast paced romp (including PJ's) through time, then some serious storylines.

I'm a bit disappointed that Zara Ramm has dropped Dr Bairstow's accent (slight Scottish, I think - I'm a New Zealander and don't pick between Scottish and Irish well). Still, she still reads the books with an understanding of pace, suspense and emotion.

I hope there will be more of these books. I fell in love with the first one and haven't been able to stop listening to them. I tried to listen to this in one sitting and sadly fell asleep almost right at the end (just at the interesting fight) so I had to finish it today. Jodi Taylor left it open ended enough for there to be more books and I hope her muse doesn't fail her.

People have complained about plot holes in these books but I've found that Ms Taylor is quite adept in filling them in (not always in the same book). Let's face it, time travel allows the filling of plot holes.

More please.

I am addicted

I love this series. This one is a bit of a hodgepodge of stories woven together rather than one great adventure but equally as enjoyable as the others.

good read.

As always I enjoyed this book. The tangles that Madeline Maxwell gets herself into are delightfully improbable. This book is a little more violent than the other books but I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Death cannot be the end!

Max is on her last adventure across the tide of time before taking on a promotion. But she is an historian. Nothing quite goes to plan!

St Mary's is on danger and Max is in the middle of it all.

Poor narration

Omg, if you don’t know what the word is, ASK.

What colour is oc-ra? could that be ochre, maybe?
Pompeii: pro-clastric flow? What is that? She says it about 10 times. Pyroclastic- not so tricky, is it?

Does my head in.

Not as good as Book 3

I very recently enjoyed Book 3 in this series and had high hopes that this imaginative way of telling history, as if witnessed first hand, would continue. Book 4 does have visits to historical events but is dominated by a war between the St Mary's historians and the Time Police following them on their time travels. It was more Star Wars than the illumination of history. The final battle is an interminable description of fighting and injuries that I just wanted to end. The witty dialogue that leavened Book 3 is over done and became tedious and jarring at times.
The narrator is good.

A fun romp accross time

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This whole series of books are just outstanding... how is it I had not heard of this series prior to the recommendation from Audible. Both my hubby and I are now hooked and consumed the first 4 books at a rate of knots.

What did you like best about this story?

Its a fun if slightly irreverent look at what time travel could be like. Borrows more than just a little bit from shows like Dr Who. But by the same token I think it has enough uniqueness to become4 its own TV show eventually. We would certainly watch it!!

So so good

I am addicted to Jodie Taylor's stories. Such a light hearted way to look at history through the ages. There a few places I would love to go to with the team dreams dreams

A good listen but not the best in series

After book three the story of this one was a little disappointing but still a good listen