“Book Review: Time for Redemption”

Reviewed by Robyn-Lee Samuels

It’s time for a thrill

Time for Redemption is the second book in Susan C. Muller’s Time’s Up series.

This murder mystery, set in Houston and Louisiana, follows attorney Tom Meyers and Fiona Drake as they try to prove Kara Grimes’ innocence. Kara faces trial for killing her husband, Devin Grimes. As Fiona digs into Devin’s past, she finds her own life in danger. Lucky for us, the intrigue and suspense start right away—and never stop.

Susan C. Muller’s ability to weave together such an intricate plot is impressive. From start to finish, the world is vivid, imaginative, and the stakes are always believable. The description of food, culture, and landscapes in both the Louisiana and Houston scenes make for an immersive reading experience and add textural layers to an already thoughtful setting. Instead of limiting characters to city regions, Susan allows them to explore the small town feel with strip malls, diners, and dollar stores as well as the swamps of the Bayou.

Mystery novels with multiple points of view can go really well or really wrong. In this case, Time for Redemption does not disappoint. Not only does it offer us a brisk and steady pace, but the interlinking plot arcs create tension and make it easy to keep on flipping pages. Muller masterfully juggles each POV chapter by focusing on the action and adding other POVs when necessary. As a result, chapter lengths vary. There are longer chapters as things unfold for a character and shorter ones when little is happening. The shorter chapters give us a chance to “come up for air” at just the right moments before diving back into the heat and action.

The novel digs into social issues as well, such as homelessness, domestic violence, drug use, and psychological abuse. There is also a good amount of violence in the novel, but that is to be expected when dealing with drug cartels.

The mysteries are well thought-out and keep us guessing. Fans of The Good Wife’s Kalinda Sharma will love this novel, especially Fiona’s chapters. She is a strong female lead who can really hold her own in tricky situations. And Kara is smart and calculating but does not let it show, a great quality for wives in psychological thrillers. Also, Tom is a resourceful character who adds a lot to the intricacies of the plot. He likes the finer things in life and wonders what his mom would think if she saw him now. His witty banter and mommy issues make it easy to warm up to him.

Strong characters and a smart mysterious plot combine for an overall great reading experience in Time for Redemption.

Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Print Length: 366 pages

ISBN: 978-0996079792

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