Reviewed by Janet Jensen for Readers' Favorite

When motherless boarding school student and New York native Nore Robbins travels Shadow Grove to meet her new stepmother and her two children (after losing his wife, novelist Chuck Robbins has remarried very quickly), she experiences culture shock. Not only is the south hot and muggy; the spacious Civil War era mansion where her father now lives is steeped in history and mystery too. It isn’t long before Nore realizes there is something very strange about her new stepfamily. Chuck’s new wife, Lisette Berge, seems too young to have teenagers. In unguarded moments Gabe, 19, and Josie, 13, talk about being present at events which actually occurred many decades earlier.
Through research and old-fashioned snooping, Nore pieces together a fantastic story about the new family that her father refuses to believe. She learns that Lisette and her children are truly “locked in time” and cannot get out, and anyone who discovers their secret must be eliminated. Since they eventually outlive anyone Lisette marries, they are always on the move, establishing new stories about themselves, and then returning to Shadow Grove as the look-alike “descendants of the former owners.” When Chuck leaves town for a few days, Nore realizes that Lisette and her children are plotting to kill her because she knows too much. Now she has to survive by using her wits as she tries to outsmart them. She finds an ally in Sam, a local she dates who believes her story and corroborates elements of it through an interview with Charlie, an ancient resident of the sleepy little town.

In this audio version, narrator Jaselyn Blanchard’s voice matches Nore’s age and she adopts a charming southern accent for the Louisiana characters; however, it is a bit jarring when the accent carries over from the dialogue into the narrative, told in the words of Nore, a native of New York. This book is targeted to a young adult audience but is an enjoyable read for adults. The willing reader is drawn into the plot readily. History, murder, voodoo and family secrets, as well as touches of romance and the paranormal, are all woven into the well-constructed story.

I always enjoy a mystery that leaves me wondering, “What if?” or “What next?” The explosive climax of "Locked in Time" and its surprising aftermath leave the reader speculating; there are definitely more stories to tell as Nore moves on with her life, and I hope Lois Duncan writes a sequel.