Locked in Time

Locked In Time. Lois Duncan. New York: Dell Publishing,1985. 210pp.
Nore Robbins, a seventeen-year-old girl, had just arrived in Louisiana from Boston. Her father was waiting for her, but he did not bring his new wife and family. Charles Robbins is an author who loves his daughter but is blinded by love for his new wife and family after his first wife’s death by cancer. As the story progresses, it is clear that Lisette Berge feels threatened by Nore. This could be due to Gabe Berge’s crush on her or Josie Berge’s sisterly bonding with her. Throughout the story, Lisett
e tries to kill Nore several times. First, she has Gabe take her out in a boat and push her out. For most, this is no big deal, but Nore cannot swim. She makes it safely out. Later, once Nore realizes that Lisette, Gabe, and Josie do not age at all, Lis tries to kill her again. This time, she locks Nore and Dave, Nore’s boyfriend, into a shed containing all the evidence of their timeless secret. Then, she sets it on fire and leaves. Before too long, Josie comes back and sets Dave and Nore free. Then Nore explains that Lis and Gabe got in a car accident on their way out of town. Josie lived with Nore and her family for generations to come. This book is geared for young adult mystery buffs.
Locked in Time is a great book. Lois Duncan captured and held my attention right at the beginning. This book is unique because of the way Ms. Duncan played out the irony. Nore has an internal watch, and time is non-existant to the Berge’s. The story could have had a better ending if Nore had gone on to say that she and Dave were married and they took care of Josie until she died. This book is good but compared to some of Mary Higgins Clark’s books this one pales. Node is a believable character and she makes a good detective. On a scale of one to ten, I rate this book a 7.
Reviewed by: Jessica