·
Strange Times: Richard
III in the 21st Century Book 3. Joan Szechtman. Amazon Digital
Services LLC. May 2017. 169 pp. ASIN: B071NMQBJS.
.
Some
background history is vital to understanding this account: A famous quote from
William Colyngbourne refers to a rat, a cat and a dog who served under a
hog. The rat and the cat, Richard
Ratcliffe and William Catesby respectively, are dead. The dog refers to the
only survivor, Francis Lovell, who survived. This all occurred in the 1480s,
and obviously, the hog, Richard III, who supposedly died when defeated by Henry
Tudor, has borne a terrible reputation through the centuries. He is labeled a tyrant and a murderer of the
Princes of the previous King. However, in
the 21st Century, his reputation has undergone a complete revision
and now the real Richard III is living in America. In the previous two books in this series, he participated
in clearing his name, although there are still descendants who want him
captured and killed! Richard now longs to tie up one loose end. Lovell, the dog who was truly a loyal servant
to Richard, fought against Henry VII at the famous Battle of Stoke Field. When we meet him, he’s hiding in a basement
vault, fearful of capture and death.
Richard’s obsession in finding Lovell is understandable and serves as
the beginning of this intriguing story.
Richard
is running for a political office in Oregon but unforeseen circumstances block
any further progress in that venture. He
and his wife, Sarah, are involved with a company that has built a time
machine. This is the story of two
figures who accidentally get exchanged in the 15th and 21st
Century. Adrian Strange is a colleague
who appears to monitor the progress on the time machine; he seems overbearing
and suspicious about everything. Because
of this machine, he will be transformed in more ways than one although Richard
and Sarah will have no idea what Strange is experiencing after he accidentally
steps into the active time machine. In trying to get him back, Richard and Sarah
wind up bringing Francis Lovell into this future time. What a disaster!
Obviously,
Richard realizes things must return to the way they were but that plan is not
so easily accomplished. The important
issue throughout this entire novel concerns what happens when individuals are
transported to the past? How much of history can be changed, and should it be
changed? Would Francis Lovell have survived? Were the Princes truly killed or did they
survive and their descendants as well? How
will the past change Adrian Strange if he returns to the present?
Joan
Szechtman has crafted a story with several mysteries running through the
overall plot which keep the reader riveted to the story. Most knowledgeable readers are rooting for
Richard in whatever he plans and does but even the best laid plans go
awry. This author clearly knows her
topic, with all its twists and turns, and carries the reader through all of them
with thrilling skill! Highly recommended
historical fiction!
