There is something deeply unsettling about the premise of this novel. In my review of Time to Burn by Ellery Lloyd, I want to focus on how the idea “perfecting” time travel from tech entrepreneur Inigo Frank only to sell tickets to the Blitz is a haunting reflection of the worst parts of human nature. It is hard not to draw a parallel to the spectators of World War II who watched mass shootings in Europe as if they were public events, even bringing their children to witness the horror.
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Exploring the Dark Side of Wealth in Time to Burn by Ellery Lloyd
In Lloyd’s novel, the wealthy tourists of Tempus Tours treat 1941 London as a playground, proving how foolish and twisted the elite can be when they have the money to turn someone else’s tragedy into a polished enterprise for entertainment. To help market his new venture, Frank hires award-winning filmmaker Phoebe Hunt to capture the historic moment on camera. She is there to film the homecoming of a billionaire property developer and his family, providing a front-row seat to what should be the ultimate luxury experience. However, the scene Phoebe records is far from the triumphant return Frank imagined. The group emerges from the past bloodied and in shock, and it quickly becomes clear that one traveler—a woman named Sasha—has been left behind in 1941.
A Personal Vendetta Across the Timeline
The story takes a sharp turn when Phoebe realizes that Sasha is an impostor. Phoebe recognizes her immediately, and their shared history is filled with enough bitterness to make her presence a warning sign. The revelation that Sasha has sinister, personal motives for staying in the past shifts the book from social commentary into a high-stakes thriller. As Sasha’s actions in 1941 cause the present-day timeline to warp and shift, the danger becomes immediate for everyone close to Phoebe. It is a race against a changing timeline where the past is being used as a weapon of revenge.
My Final Thoughts
As I have noted in this review of Time to Burn by Ellery Lloyd, the author has delivered a propulsive, genre-bending page-turner that forces us to look at the ethics of technology and the persistent gap between the “haves” and “have-nots.” It is a chilling reminder that some parts of history should remain untouched, especially by those who only wish to use it as a backdrop for their own amusement.
Time to Burn is expected to be published on August 4, 2026. If you are looking for a mystery thriller that challenges your perspective on history and wealth, this is one to add to your preorder list. Seriously, you are going to love this time travel mystery. So check this haunting book out when it hits store shelves!
Thanks to Harper and HarperCollins for this #gifted book for this review.
