Just imagine, for a second, how useful it would be if we were able to get “mulligans” in real life. What if something went horribly wrong and we were able to pop back in time to have another go at getting it right this time? How useful would that be? This is exactly the premise that forms the basis of Tess Manchester’s debut novel, Pivot Point: True Time Book 1. U.S. Marshall Blake Parsons is noted for two things – her fiery temper and her uncanny ability to capture the bad guy and bring him in. Her temper has got her into more than her share of trouble with her bosses in the past, but with a record like hers, laxity was always going to be the byword. She was driven and successful, but when chasing a fugitive leads her to a small rural community in Tennessee and she meets the lovely Doctor Naomi, her outlook and her priorities change. The attraction is instant, but it must all wait for Blake Parsons to capture the man on the run, someone she chases relentlessly.

For a debut novel, I found Pivot Point: True Time Book 1 to be a more than respectable effort. Tess Manchester’s two main characters are strong, independent women in Blake and Naomi, and the author manages to show they are more than just bluster and anger on Blake’s part and brains and beauty on Naomi’s part. Manchester does well in showing the vulnerability that lurks underneath Blake’s bluster and anger. I did enjoy the idea of going back and getting a “do-over” when things didn’t quite go as planned. The story flowed seamlessly and the action was fast and furious, with little held back in the way of realism. The possibility that this story is just the beginning of a series featuring this premise and/or these characters is intriguing, and I look forward to what Manchester has to offer us next. As a thriller with a time twist, this debut is successful and I am certain the author will grow into her skin as a writer with the more she gives us. This is a successful start to her literary career.

Pivot Point by Tess Manchester is Book 1 in the True Time series. Marshall Blake Parsons is chasing down an escaped convict. He’s been sighted in a small town in Tennessee, but the locals don’t seem to be of any help – either they don’t know anything, or they don’t want to help. Déjà vu strikes Parsons and when she meets Naomi Preston, a local doctor, things seem to be looking up. There is a definite attraction there and Naomi decides to help Parsons by talking to the locals. Disaster strikes when the town floods – can Naomi and Blake find the killer, or will they be his next victims, a consequence of fate?

Pivot Point (True Time Book 1) by Tess Manchester is rather an intriguing book with a number of time resets in it. When I read the first one, I had to backtrack on myself to make sure I wasn’t seeing things but, after a while, you kind of get used to them. They add a unique perspective to the story that, once you get the hang of them, add an interesting angle. The plot was all go, from start to finish, with plenty of action to keep me reading. The character development was in-depth and neat, partly I suspect to lay some groundwork for the next book in the series. The romantic angle was different; it added to the story in an interesting way and, overall, I found Pivot Point an enjoyable book. Recommended for fans of thrillers and fast-paced detective stories.