The Golden Minute, by John Birmingham

This sequel to A Girl In Time sees game developer Cadence McCall and 19th century cowboy John Titanic Smith back in Cady’s right time in Seattle. The pair has reset and restored everything that went wrong in their previous adventure and now aim to use their two mysterious time travel appliances to retrace Smith’s steps through time and reunite him with his lost daughter. You would think that after their earlier experiences Cady would have learned not to spend a fortune amassing elaborate equipment to aid their quest – given that they inevitably lose it all when things go pear shaped. Again her confidence is misplaced as she and Smith are separated by centuries, each winding up in very troubled times. Can they manage to reunite and get back on (time) track? Or will Cady remain stranded among witches and pirates? Fast paced and action packed, like the first book, Cady and Smith are larger than life, rather exaggerated characters that border on cliché and caricature. But it is fun to see them contend with experiences well outside their respective comfort zones. Wry humour is the story’s saving grace, although there are few too many Handmaid’s Tale references and a rather unlikely romance, setting up for the next book.