After finishing The Carson Chronicles, and loving the series, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to start another journey with another family. I should have known better. John a Heldt had me hooked from the first chapter. Who needs to do housework anyway?
Each of Heldt’s series uses a different method for time travel. In this series it is a time box developed by Physicist Mark Lane.
Mark discovers his business partner, Robert Devereaux, plans to use the timebox for his own greedy and evil purposes. With the help of a friend, he steals the time box, destroys the program, and whisks his to family back to 1865. They arrive just as the American Civil War is coming to an end.
His family includes his wife, Mary who has brought cosmetics from the present time to sell. His children are sons Jordon (ex-military) and Jeremy and daughters Laura and 12 year old Ashley.
They blend in with the time, making friends and fitting in as best they can. Laura volunteers at an army hospital.
But best laid plans can always go wrong. A key to one box is left in a farm building and the other is damaged. The second one is seized by the Union Army, suspecting it to be a device to aid the Rebel Army and Mark is arrested as a traitor.
That’s not the end of their troubles.
Devereaux wants revenge. His team builds another time box. He then sends a hit man, Silas Bain, back to 1865 to retrieve the original boxes and assassinate all members of the Lane family.
The cold hearted assassin has no qualms about who he kills including anyone who may get in his way or reveal his presence.
Meanwhile the Lanes, aware Bain is after them, desperately try to retrieve both their boxes.
The badies, Devereaux and Bain were easy to dislike. No, make that despise.
As always Heldt’s research is impeccable and his characterisation of historical figures including Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth are believable.
Two characters I particularly liked were Jane and Lewis. Both former slaves they are now free, but the Lane family know it still will not be easy for them in post-civil war times.
I have loved John A Heldt’s writing since the first book I read. I didn’t think his story telling could get any better, but it does with every new book.
He manages to combine dramatic action, adventure, and plenty of twists with love, endearing family relationships and friendship. It’s like a tapestry woven on a background of history featuring believable historic figures. The result is an engrossing page turner.
In The Lane Betrayal he includes the issues of the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery.
Each Chapter is told from a different character’s point of view, including Devereaux and Bain. It builds suspense, switches the emotions of the reader, and makes it a fast paced story.
When I first started reading John A Heldt’s books I thought they couldn’t get any better. How wrong I was. I believe he must set himself a bar higher and higher with each series, and he achieves his goal every time.
Do yourself a favour, read The Lane Betrayal. You won’t be disappointed but be warned as with all Heldt’s series you’ll want to jump straight into the next book.
I received a complimentary copy from John A. Heldt for an honest review.
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