Review: When Time is a River by Susan Clayton-Goldner @SusanCGoldner

When Time Is A River

A Winston Radhauser Mystery #2

by Susan Clayton-Goldner

Published: September 6, 2017

Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing

Genre: Mystery

Blurb:

On a bench at the edge of the Lithia Park playground, someone is stalking two-year- old Emily Michaelson as she plays with her eighteen-year old half-sister, Brandy. The child’s laughter curves through the sunlight, as if on wings. The stalker is more enamored than ever, but aware of Brandy’s vigilance with Emily, knows a kidnapping won’t be easy. Planning to gain Emily’s trust, the stalker gives her a necklace—little girls love pretty things. A few days later, Brandy and Emily arrive at the park for the Children's Health Fair. When the stalker sees them enter the public restroom, the opportunity is seized.

Not long after Emily's disappearance, Detective Radhauser finds her rainbow- colored sneakers in Ashland Creek, their laces tied together in double knots. Brandy’s father and stepmother blame her for Emily’s disappearance. Radhauser feels sorry for Brandy, but insists she stay out of the investigation. Brandy can’t do that. She is obsessed with finding out who took her little sister, and why. Will Emily be found in time?

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My Review:

Brandy Michaelson is devastated when her two and half year old little sister Emily disappears from a park near their home. Brandy loves Emily very much and doesn’t mind looking after her but she is to meet a boy from school at the park on this particular day so that they can practice their lines for a school play. When the baby sitter cancels at the last minute her step-mom Christine ask Brandy to watch Emily for her. Emily loves the park and wants Band-aide to take her to the park with her so Brandy gives in. Besides it is hard to say no to such a sweet little girl. Band-aide is Emily’s nick name for her sister.

Brandy wants more than anything to find her sister and bring her home and she will do whatever it takes to find her even get in the way of Detective Radhauser’s investigation.

When Time Is A River is not the first book by Susan that I have read. I loved all of them and if I had to pick a favorite I don’t know that I could. But I can say one thing Susan’s writing gets better with each book.

Brandy is just an amazing and lovable person who could try to place blame for her sister's disappearance on someone else but she doesn’t even though she is getting some blame herself. Brandy will leave no stone unturned until she finds her sister she knows that she only has small window of time to find her before it is too late.

When I was reading When Time Is A River I kept thinking about that tv show 48 Hours where they try to solve the case within 48 hours after that it is harder to solve. I think Brandy knew this. She probably watched the show herself and knew that if they didn’t find her soon she may never see her sister again.

Susan left lots of little clues all through the book and I kept trying to put them together so hoping I could figure out who took Emily. I would think oh yeah he did it or no wait I think he did it or maybe not. But in the end all the clues came together and then of course made lots of sense.

I really enjoyed Emily and Brandy’s story and I did do lots of crying just imaging what Brandy or Emily was going through. I really connected with When Time Is A River because of the missing little girl Emily and Detective Radhauser’s little girl Lizzy who went to the same preschool as Emily. I have a niece named Emily and a niece named Lizzy all though they are both older I kept thinking what if it was one of my nieces missing.  

I would have to say that Susan Clayton-Goldner is my favorite mystery writer. If you are looking for a great mystery story or just a great story then you are going to love When Time Is A River. 

AUTHOR BIO:

Susan Clayton-Goldner was born in New Castle, Delaware and grew up with four brothers along the banks of the Delaware River. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona's Creative Writing Program and has been writing most of her life. Her novels have been finalists for The Hemingway Award, the Heeken Foundation Fellowship, the Writers Foundation and the Publishing On-line Contest. Susan won the National Writers' Association Novel Award twice for unpublished novels and her poetry was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

Her work has appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies including Animals as Teachers and Healers, published by Ballantine Books, Our Mothers/Ourselves, by the Greenwood Publishing Group, The Hawaii Pacific Review-Best of a Decade, and New Millennium Writings. A collection of her poems, A Question of Mortality was released in 2014 by Wellstone Press. Prior to writing full time, Susan worked as the Director of Corporate Relations for University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona. 

Susan shares a life in Grants Pass, Oregon with her husband, Andreas, her fictional characters, and more books than one person could count. 

Author Links:

Website ~ Amazon