Locked in Time

Lois Duncan

Oct 2011 · Sold by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

About this ebook

Nore Roberts didn't ask for a new life, but now that her mom is gone and her dad is newly married, she has to settle in at Shadow Grove, the old Civil War mansion her stepfamily calls home. When she meets her stepmother, Lisette, Nore is shocked by her youth and beauty that gives her chills- and a hint of something sinister. There's hope of becoming friends with her stepbrother and sister, until Nore realizes they're hiding something. When she begins to feel like the target of a deadly plan, Nore starts digging into her stepfamily's past. The skeletons in their closet are more real than she ever imagined. Can Nore expose her stepmother's dark secret before an old and evil magic swallows her up?

Ratings and reviews

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.

I read this book when I checked it out of my school's library. And turned it in two days later. I read it fast because it was so good I couldn't stop reading it that's why I got finished with it so quick.

I remember reading lois duncan"s third eye when i was a teen and i have never forgot this author.Great stories as always! So much suspense in all her books and thats what keep ppl at attention!

About the author

Lois Duncan is an acclaimed suspense author for young adults. She has published nearly 50 books for children, including I Know What You Did Last Summer, which was adapted into a highly-successful horror film, and Who Killed My Daughter?, a non-fiction book about the harrowing experience of her daughter's murder.