Beyond the Mist

By: Casi McLean

Narrated by: Amy Deuchler

Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's Summary

Piper Taylor concedes she’ll never fall in love, until a treacherous storm spirals her into the arms of the handsome Nick Cramer. Unrelenting remorse over a past relationship haunts Nick, but he can’t deny the mysterious connection and hot desire Piper evokes.

The allure of a secret portal hidden beneath Atlanta’s Lake Lanier tempts him into seizing the opportunity to change his mistakes. But his time slip triggers consequences beyond his wildest dreams.

Can Piper avoid the international espionage and terrorism of 2001 New York, find Nick, and bring him home before he alters the fabric of time, or will the lovers drift forever Beyond the Mist?

©2017 Casi McLean (P)2018 Casi McLean

Book 2 in Time Travel Romance

Can saving the life of a single person alter the future so dramatically? That is the question that Beyond the Mist asks- can a man desperate to escape the trauma of his past cause irrevocable changes to the future of his friends by saving the life of a woman from his past- a woman who has more secrets than Nick knows? And the girl who loves him in the present will do whatever she can do to bring him home alive without damaging the world further.​

​Book 2 literally picks up where book 1 ends, with Lacey recuperating in the hospital ​after getting back from her time travel jaunt and 3 day coma and all her friends and family coming to terms with what really happened- and that time travel is for realsies. I highly recommend that you read the first book in the series Beneath the Lake before Beyond the Mist because you will be 100% lost without.

​I was really confused as to Nick's motivation- he meets Piper and feels an intense ​overwhelming connection to her thinking she might be his soulmate which in turn spurs him to go back to 2001 and save his girlfriend Carly from dying during the terrorist attack at the World Trade Center (how would saving your old pregnant girlfriend mean you get to be together with your soulmate?). And on top of that, he feels obligated to Lacey and Rob- so he takes advantage of his friends kindness and money to go back in time for his own selfish reasons and alter the past for his own gain, which in turn may hurt the future. Yeah, I don't understand him at all (I am not Team Nick, in case you didn't pick that up). I liked the idea of him going back in time (...and maybe elsewhere in time...) and all the drama around the terrorist attack, but I am not getting Nick as a person- he is suppose to be smart, yet he continually makes strange errors and I wanted to shake him.

I will say that Piper is such a kind competent person, with a big heart and a moral compass that always points true. Hands down, she was my favorite character in the story and I am so glad that she got the chance to have a chance to be a main character and have her story told. I hope there is more to come and that she will be a part of it.

The love that Piper and Nick experience for each other is intense and easily transmitted though the pages- the reader can feel the bond the two formed from the short time they were together. While there was a lot of mystery, science fiction, and danger that made up the plot of the book, the underlying core of the story is the romance and connection between Piper and Nick.

The narrator did a good job of creating voices and distinct character for each person in the story. She enunciated clearly and I was able to lose myself in her reading. I will admit that I have gotten in the habit of listening to my audiobooks not at normal speed and I listened to this one at 1.5x the speed (maybe I would not have not enjoyed the audiobook at a slower narration speed?). I would listen to Amy bring more stories to life in the future.

Beyond the Mist was full of action, time travel, and tons of twists. I found that I actually liked this story more than the first book just since it kept me guessing and on my toes. I am interested to see what will happen next in this time travel world. Each book adds more character to get invested in and I am curious to see who will show next.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Enjoy the first of this series then dive in . . .

Sci-fi Time Traveling Mystery Romance . . . Piper and Nick have that chance meeting that sends them both a jolt of realization. This journey for the two of them starts off well in good in the present time but slips to the past with good intentions and not so good possible outcomes. Nick had once loved and lost and still held on to those tragic results. He now have another chance at love and finds that he wants to amend the past with the present. Not quite seeing straight or fully grasping the consequences of his decision. He goes head first in to the waters of Lake Lanier and slips further Beyond the Mist.

There was much here. The writing was good. The characters were rich and flawed. The imagery was vivid. The heavy subject of 9/11 and the events that took place on that day will forever be a subject that needs to be handled in the right way when approaching it. There will always be someone that finds offense in the events of that day. There will be those that want very much to change that day, but we have to understand it was the past and even the simplest change to that day could have ramifications that could make things a 100x worse. I found that the way in which Casi approached the events was constructed well. She gave a different view. She showed that events of the world happen and it could have a lasting effect on you but its you that makes the choice to move forward with you life. Going back and changing those events could in fact change everything that followed.

I enjoyed watching how Piper and Nick navigated the events of their present and then once they slip in to the past. There was suspense, action, drama, and intensity. But most of all they had each other and the love they were building with each other.

Narrator Amy Deuchler did justice to this piece. She had the diction, clarity, and pacing down. The audio ran smooth. I could detect no lengthy pauses, gaps and no hiccups. I enjoyed it more after the feel the narrator out phase and was able to kick up the speed. This provided me with more like a picture playing in my head.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Return to 9/11

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

In this fantasy world of time traveling, going back to one of the greatest tragedies in modern times, is as heart breaking as when the horrible day's event took place. You can relive the horror, desperation, and helplessness of the events that unfolded. But there is a sign of hope for the protagonists in their quest of saving a mother and her unborn child from sure death.
The paranormal and fantastic world they inhabit will offer them the opportunity of traveling through time, reach out to each other through different worlds and spaces, find a way to make a difference without interfering with the future, even though we can but hope that maybe one of those futures will never happen.
Good writing and excellent interpretation. I have not read or listen to the previous book in this series but I was still able to follow the story. A good read.

What A Ride!

What A Ride!

This is #02 in the Lake Lanier Mysteries Series.

HEA with No cliffhangers!

I HIGHLY suggest reading them in order to get the best experience. These are too connected.

Content Advisory:
There is mild sexplay.
This involves the events of 9/11 up close and personal, and may be upsetting to some.


This story picks up right at the ending of the first. I really hope you've read or listened to the first one, because you won't be lost so much as behind. You are thrust into the thick of things really quickly and the ride never stops or pauses. It's great, but more meaningful to those that are up to speed already. And to those that think they know whats going on because of past experience, I say to you, that was only the ground work and you will still have so much to learn.


Nick Cramer and Piper Taylor shared charged moments together on the night of the big storm that was at the center of book one. They have an undeniable chemistry despite their shared opinions on falling in love. They are mystically drawn to one another, even through time.


Nick gets caught up in his past to the point he jeopardizes his future, and everyone else's as well. I really wish I could say more because this is so good, but it would be easy to spoil something. It is an intense roller coaster ride that had my stomach in my throat in anticipation of the outcome. It ended a bit too fast, but the little nugget left in the last few words says there is a method to that madness.


Casi McLean is an author I can count on to take me on a fun but ultimately loving ride! I look forward to next one.


Amy Deuchler was excellent with all character types. Her performance aloud me to get lost in the adventure!.


Normal speed was fine.


Ebook obtained through my local library (Overdrive).
Audiobook obtained at my request and I am voluntarily leaving this unbiased review.

Nice Story

Beyond the mist is a story of time traveling via a lake in Georgia. It was a fun story. Dad born in the 1930s and mother in the 1980s. As we know whenever you mess with time there are issues. Love comes to the rescue in spite of. I liked it. The narration was ok. I got this ARC via audiobook boom.

A romp through time

This is my first book by Casi McLean even though it is the 2nd book in the Lake Lanier Mysteries Series. I will be checking out book one very soon. This can be read as a stand alone, but you do have to really pay attention at first until you get used to which time line each person is from. For instance Nick's father was born in 1921, his mother in 1983, they bump into Nick when he is 30 years old. I do want book one to get more of a the back story though, some things would make a lot more sense. Casi has done a really good job with this book. It is a Time Travel Novel. Casi has brought September 11, 2001 back to our memories. She is very respectful to the victims of 9/11

Nick Cramer has always blamed himself for his girlfriend Carlie dying in the 9/11 attacks. Then he finds a way to travel back in time to save Carlie. Their is secret portal hidden beneath Atlanta’s Lake Lanier. Nick knows he should not mess with the time line of events in the past or the future but with a big heart and also a broken heart he still wants to save Carlie.

Nick meets Piper Taylor and knows there is something special between them, but his guilt over Carlie urges him on.

Piper must avoid the terrorism in 2001, find Nick, and get them back to their correct time before before Nick makes any changes that will put a rip in time and they become lost in time forever.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Casi McLean. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Wow This is everything you could wish for!

Wow what a book, this one had everything you could wish from a time travelling story. This is book two in the Lake Lanier mysteries. Book one is referenced in this one, and some of same group of people are involved.
I have not listened to book one, but I could follow very easily, but because I enjoyed this so much. I have purchased Beneath the Lake and I’m looking forward to listening to it.
Nick Cramer a friend of Lacey and Drew decides to travel back to 2001 9/11 so he can try to save his then girlfriend Carly, Carly died in 9/11 attack. So even though he feels an immense connection to Piper, he wants to set things right before he can move on. So he sets TESS the time travelling device to 7th Sept to set things right.
Those left in the future soon realise somethings are changing and not in a good way. So Piper goes back to try to stop Nick and bring him home.
That’s all about the story that gripped from me from start to finish.
The narration was superb, the voices flowed from character to character so much so I was in the adventure with them. The narrator kept me there, not once breaking the magic. This one is 5 STARS across the board.
Can’t wait to see what is the next instalment in the Lake Lanier Mysteries.