Wrong Place Wrong Time: A Novel

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK

“It’s perfection, every word, every moment. A masterpiece . . . One of the best books I’ve ever read.” —Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author

New York Times bestselling author Gillian McAllister has created a thriller unlike any other in this endlessly clever, twisty story of a mother who must move backward through time to prevent tragedy from striking at the heart of her family.

Can you stop a murder after it’s already happened?

It is midnight on the morning of Halloween, and Jen anxiously waits up for her 18-year-old son, Todd, to return home. But worries about his broken curfew transform into something much more dangerous when Todd finally emerges from the darkness. As Jen watches through the window, she sees her funny, seemingly happy teenage son stab a total stranger.

She doesn’t know who the victim is, or why Todd has committed such a devastating act of violence. All she knows is that her life, and Todd’s, have been shattered. 

After her son is taken into custody, Jen falls asleep in despair. But when she wakes up…it is yesterday. The murder has not happened yet—and there may be a chance to stop it. Each morning, when Jen wakes, she is further back in the past, first weeks, then years, before the murder. And Jen realizes that somewhere in the past lies the trigger for Todd’s terrible crime…and it is her mission to find it, and prevent it from taking place.

Both the story of a mother’s love and the sacrifices she will make for her child, and a thriller with a brilliant twist, Wrong Place Wrong Time is a one-of-a-kind novel that begs to be read in one sitting.

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Published May 23, 2023

416 pages

Average rating: 7.38

2,189 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

jess.withbooks
Jun 05, 2025
10/10 stars
“It’s pointless asking them. Clearly, they will lie. And clearly, too, there is a secret at the heart of their relationship that they will do anything to keep. They will do anything, except tell Jen.”
Anonymous
Jan 14, 2025
8/10 stars
You see your 18 year old son murder a man. This can’t be! What is it you don’t know about your son and how can you help him now? This is the dilemma that faces Jen. She then goes to bed and wakes up the previous day as if the murder never took place. And so begins Jen’s quest to find clues of what could have led to her son Todd getting caught up in this.
I really enjoyed the perspective the author gave on motherhood- the guilt we all feel that we never did enough or did too much. I also thought she did a great job showing the frustrations that come with each stage of parenting and how looking back it really wasn’t as bad as we made it sound.
I honestly don’t usually like time travel but this one held my interest and I enjoyed the different twists.
Ckinison
Dec 30, 2024
10/10 stars
Plot twist I didn't see coming. Loved it.
Anonymous
Jul 05, 2024
8/10 stars
Fun read.
Angela328
Feb 12, 2023
7/10 stars
Not my cup of tea. Could not stay interested enough to finish.

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