Time of Departure

Starred review from October 26, 2015
Schofield’s engrossing debut with a Twilight Zone twist teams feisty Florida state prosecutor Claire Talbot and much older—but still sexy—retired cop Marc Hastings. For reasons Claire can’t understand—yet—Marc tries to interest her in taking a fresh look at the unsolved string of abductions of eight young Gainesville-area women in the late 1970s, his final investigation. Not 24 hours later, skeletal remains of two women are discovered during a highway excavation—and at least one looks to be a match with a ’70s victim. Needless to say, Claire finds this puzzling, and more than slightly suspicious. But she begins to become equally unnerved by the uncanny way that Marc, with whom she is rapidly falling into a relationship, knows so many personal, even intimate details about her. It’s a tribute to criminal lawyer Schofield’s
persuasive powers that his characters,
procedural elements, and atmosphere are convincing enough to keep those pages turning without logic getting in the way. Agent: Kim Witherspoon, Inkwell Management.

October 1, 2015
A tough Florida prosecutor trying to prove herself in a male-dominated environment finds unsettling personal connections to a 1970s cold case involving eight abducted women. Claire Talbot, 31, is acutely aware that few of her fellow lawyers in the State Attorney's office (and none of the Gainesville cops) like her personally, and they only grudgingly respect her professional achievements as the youngest Felony Division Chief in the state. Schofield imbues his protagonist with so many "Strong Female Lead" stereotypes that it's difficult to remember that Claire is a distinct character and not simply an amalgamation of overused tropes. When a road construction crew unearths two skeletons, forensics show that the bones are linked to the unsolved abductions of eight local women in 1977 and '78. What makes the discovery even stranger is that a mysterious man, whom Claire soon identifies as ex-cop Marc Hastings, left her a file about the case before the bodies were found. Despite her initial misgivings, Claire and Marc are soon working the case together]like any good cop haunted by an unsolved crime, Marc kept copies of the old files. Though Claire predictably falls for him, despite their massive age difference, Marc is less appealing to the reader, with his constant riddle-speak and his knowledge of Claire that borders on stalker-ish. The unexpected twist]which, if revealed, would deflate any suspense Schofield managed to conjure]is what allows Claire (and Marc) to improbably solve the case. There's little new ground trodden in this debut, and the jarring narrative shifts do the paper-thin plot few favors.

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Starred review from December 1, 2015

Florida state prosecutor Claire Talbot becomes the youngest Felony Division chief in the history of the state. After court one day, Claire is approached by an older man, who seems to know her intimately and asks for her assistance in solving a series of murders from the 1970s. Claire is slowly drawn into a bizarre relationship and an even more bizarre murder case. In a twist worthy of a Rod Serling tale, the time-space continuum is ripped apart. VERDICT Schofield makes a big splash with this original debut mystery, which mixes a hard-boiled police procedural with time-travel elements. At first, the two protagonists seem to have nothing in common, but as the story unfolds, we find they share too much. Don't expect to get any sleep if you start this novel tonight. [See Prepub Alert 6/8/15; previewed in Kristi Chadwick's mystery feature, "Not Your Usual Suspects," LJ 4/15/15.]

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2015

There's lots of in-house love for this debut mystery featuring Florida state prosecutor Claire Talbot, just promoted to Felony Division chief and feeling the pressure to prove herself owing to her gender and relative youth. When a highway construction crew unearths two skeletons in a single grave, Claire must reopen investigations into several abductions that took place in the 1970s, before she was even born. She's getting help from retired cop Marc Hastings, who once worked on the case, but she's really spooked by how much he seems to know about her--and how convinced he is that only she can solve the case.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2015

Florida state prosecutor Claire Talbot becomes the youngest Felony Division chief in the history of the state. After court one day, Claire is approached by an older man, who seems to know her intimately and asks for her assistance in solving a series of murders from the 1970s. Claire is slowly drawn into a bizarre relationship and an even more bizarre murder case. In a twist worthy of a Rod Serling tale, the time-space continuum is ripped apart. VERDICT Schofield makes a big splash with this original debut mystery, which mixes a hard-boiled police procedural with time-travel elements. At first, the two protagonists seem to have nothing in common, but as the story unfolds, we find they share too much. Don't expect to get any sleep if you start this novel tonight. [See Prepub Alert 6/8/15; previewed in Kristi Chadwick's mystery feature, "Not Your Usual Suspects," LJ 4/15/15.]

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.