Caitlin's Song

I had the pleasure of reading a digital ARC of Caitlin's Song provided by author John A. Heldt.

Caitlin's Song is the fourth and penultimate entry in the Carson Family Chronicles, the time travel adventures of the five Carson children attempting to track down and reunite with their parents. Reminiscent of the 60's tv show The Time Tunnel.

I have read all of MR. Heldt's books so far and thoroughly enjoyed each one of them. Caitlin's Song has decidedly lifted his game. I have commented before on witnessing his growth as a writer through his books, but wow, this book demonstrates his evolution perfectly. 

I know, I know, talk about the book. Caitlin is the youngest (and possibly smartest) Carson sibling. She has a very tumultuous time of things, some of which have carried on from the last book. I actually emailed the author and asked him if Caitlin had made him mad or something. She has to endure a lot. Her family remains steadfast in their support of her. The ongoing story is well crafted and tight, no sloppiness, no explaining away complications as "time travel" as if that explains it. 

Some time travel complications are explored here more than in previous books. Mainly; can we alter history? A very good sub-plot. As readers have come to expect from John Heldt, he develops characters so well that we feel their emotions, experience their triumphs and tragedies. This book has plenty of each to emotionally hook the reader.

Without giving a spoiler, there is a scene which will have many readers (myself included) screaming "Gotcha, that's a mistake" and like me they will be wrong. I leave it to you to find it. The Carson's are becoming more noticeable on the radar of certain governmental agencies as the series progresses. I am eager to see how this plays out as well. 

While there is tragedy to deal with, there is also comedy, romance, intrigue, and heartbreak. The story is uplifting and life affirming at its core. So even though there were a lot of emotions to deal with I still came away with a good feeling after finishing the book. The last several chapter had my heart racing. I was torn between wanting to read faster to get the whole story and wanting to slow down and savor because I knew I was nearing the end.

The downside? Now we have to wait until probably early next year to read the conclusion to the saga. 

An aside I must share here, not related to The Carson Family Chronicles. Mr. Heldt has made his catalog available in print. I recently purchased his first two series; Northwest Passage and American Journey. Although I have both in digital form, I am really happy to be able to have them in print. More permanent that way. 

Anyway, if you like history, romance, love, loss, intrigue, comedy, suspense and oh yeah, time travel, you really should give John A. Heldt's work a look. I know you won't be disappointed. Caitlin's Song is his best work yet. Enjoy!

Mike