The Third Rule of Time Travel

by Philip Fracassi Narrated by Abigail Reno

Overview

Rule One: Travel can only occur to a point within your lifetime.
Rule Two: You can only travel for ninety seconds.
Rule Three: You can only observe.
The rules cannot be broken.

In this riveting science fiction novel from acclaimed author Philip Fracassi, a scientist has unlocked the mysteries of time travel. This is not the story you think you know. And the rules are only the beginning.

Scientist Beth Darlow has discovered the unimaginable. She's built a machine that allows human consciousness to travel through time-to any point in the traveler's lifetime-and relive moments of their life. An impossible breakthrough, but it's not perfect: the traveler has no way to interact with the past. They can only observe.

After Beth's husband, Colson, the co-creator of the machine, dies in a tragic car accident, Beth is left to raise Isabella-their only daughter-and continue the work they started. Mired in grief and threatened by her ruthless CEO, Beth pushes herself to the limit to prove the value of her technology.

Then the impossible happens. Simply viewing personal history should not alter the present, but with each new observation she makes, her own timeline begins to warp.

As her reality constantly shifts, Beth must solve the puzzles of her past, even if it means forsaking her future.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Tense, fast-moving, surprising, and above all else, entertaining."—Owen King, New York Times bestselling author

"A clever premise digs its heels into a sci-fi thriller that breaks into a fast gallop from the first page––exciting, haunting, compelling stuff."—Chuck Wendig, author of Wanderers and The Book of Accidents

"Fracassi's prose is deliberate, clean and straightforward, able to convey well both abstruse info and moments of suspense... highly recommend."—Locus

"Fracassi weaves a tightly plotted story here, tying up loose ends in nice, neat bows... A solid new entry in the time-travel genre that never gets too bogged down in the science of it all." 

—Kirkus

"Probes the endurance of grief, the importance of memory, and the ultimate malleability of reality and perception."—Wall Street Journal

"A page-turning adventure with a mind-bending conclusion."—Les Johnson, futurist and space technologist

"Corporate politics and experimental physics clash in this exciting sci-fi outing...Sci-fi fans with a taste for noir will savor this one."—Publishers Weekly

“A novel of frighteningly plausible science fiction, Fracassi blends deft character work with suspense to create a story that’s simultaneously focused in its approach and massive in its implications. Part Crichton, part Blake Crouch, part Bradbury, and all Fracassi. Chilling and unpredictable, The Third Rule of Time Travel further demonstrates why Fracassi is one of the best writers working today, regardless of genre.”—Tyler Jones, author of Midas and Burn the Plans

“Fracassi paints this gloomy tale with painfully beautiful and detailed prose.”

—Library Journal on Boys in the Valley

"[Fracassi is] especially skillful at creating, and sustaining, suspense.”—The New York Times

“This Fracassi guy is damn good.”

—Richard Chizmar, New York Times bestselling author

"This sci-fi thriller offers three simple rules that draw the reader in — travelers can only visit moments that occurred in their lifetime, they can only visit for a minute and a half, and they can only observe and not interfere — before brazenly pulling the rug out from under them." 

—Seattle Times

"Recommended for fans of technothrillers and those looking for a different take on time travel."—Library Journal

Product Details

BN ID:	2940192186244
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	03/18/2025
Edition description:	Unabridged

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