To Say Nothing of the Dog

"Amiable fluff, with a twist of speculative physics.<br/><br/>Ned Henry and Verity Brown are historians at late 21st century Oxford, where all decent historians participate in time travel as a matter of course. (Except the Black ones, for obvious reasons). Unfortunately, the time travel lab has been commandeered by the implacable Lady Schrapnell (such a marvelous Wildean moniker!) who demands that they be at her disposable for retrieving historical artifacts for a reconstruction of the Coventry Cathedral. Bombed during WWII, the cathedral is missing a hideous item known as "the Bishop's bird stump", and Lady Schrapnell will not rest until Ned, Verity, and their colleagues have traversed multiple time periods to retrieve it. But all is not well; a mysterious "incongruity" keeps popping up at the lab, suggesting that the space/time continuum has been tampered with. But was it during the 1940 cathedral bombing, or at an earlier crisis point in 1888? It's up to Ned and Verity to piece together a mystery involving mismatched lovers, a sketchy spiritualist, an imperious cat, a lugubrious bulldog, and 2 eccentric Oxford dons. Will they set things right before space and time unravel and Hitler defeats Britain? Will the bird stump be found? Will there be Victorian flirting, romance, and a comically interrupted seance? You betcha.<br/><br/>Willis keeps things moving, but unfortunately the incongruity details begin to drag the narrative down about midway through, and the denouement unravels rather hastily, as though the author was in a rush to make it to the printers. Still, this is a diverting romp with enjoyable characters, and some thoughtful questions on the role seemingly inconsequential details play in history."

"Much different feel than Doomsday Book. Whimsical, charming, light. "

"I read this book several times as a teenager. It was just that good. I recall the characters were very memorable. Overall an enjoyable read. "

"One of the greatest, most clever time travel books ever written. "

"I had to read it a few times to fully understand the solution, thats how great of a time travel mystery romance it was!!"

"My favorite book of all time. Hilarious, full of literary references and likable characters, this time traveling comedy is well worth returning to time and again. "

"If you've read Three Men in a Boat (Not to Mention the Dog) you will adore this novel!"