A Trail Through Time

Name: A Trail Through Time
Author: Jodi Taylor
ISBN: 9781472264428

St Mary’s · Novel 4 · 2015

A Trail Through Time sends Max and Leon across centuries, from ancient cities to London, with danger close behind them.

Book 4 of 15 in The Chronicles of St Mary’s · 14 published; 1 announced

AI-generated illustration inspired by A Trail Through Time; not a book cover.

What it’s about

A Trail Through Time sends Max and Leon across centuries, from ancient cities to London, with danger close behind them. The novel uses that journey to give the pair more space together, while the Institute’s wider mission keeps their route tied to the consequences of historical interference.

The central pleasure is movement: between periods, between immediate decisions and longer plans, and between what the characters expect from one another and what the situation demands.

The book continues the series’ interest in research under pressure, but its focus on two people gives the adventure a more intimate line through the changing settings. Readers can follow it as a race against time while also noticing how trust and partnership are being tested.

The historical stops are part of the excitement; they do not displace the continuing story of the Institute and its people. As the fourth novel, this is a point where the series’ relationships have enough history to add texture, so the earlier three books are the right preparation.

Listen or read

Listen on Audible

Buy from Bookshop.org

Can I start here?

This is book 4 in its series. Start with the first novel for its clearest introduction.

Reader questions

Do I need to read the earlier books first?

Starting earlier is recommended: this novel occupies position 4 in the novel sequence. This guide follows that numbered order. Later instalments continue a sequence already under way. Catch up on the preceding books, then return here. You can include their shorter companions if you wish.

Source: joditaylorbooks.com

Who narrates the A Trail Through Time audiobook?

For this novel, the linked Audible edition credits Zara Ramm as narrator. The narrator credit applies to this linked recording. Other editions may carry the same title. Open the product listing to check and sample the edition. Then plan your next listen through the series guide.

Source: audible.co.uk

Where this fits

Follow A Second Chance with this fourth novel, then continue to No Time Like the Past. Max and Leon’s partnership and the ongoing Institute story both carry forward, so this is not the best entry point for a first-time reader.

The story Ships and Stings and Wedding Rings is placed between these novels in the suggested sequence.

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Why readers love it

Our view

The combination of a travelling adventure and a close partnership gives the book a different rhythm from the Institute-centred opening. Readers who like two characters having to make decisions together will enjoy the shifting balance between urgency and mutual reliance.

The changing centuries bring variety, while the familiar St Mary’s humour stops the danger from flattening the story into one long chase. It is also a useful example of how the series can change its focus while keeping its larger world and recurring cast intact.

Listening notes

The UK unabridged recording is read by Zara Ramm and runs for nine hours and thirty-four minutes. It is a long-form listen, well suited to listeners who like settling into a sustained adventure rather than sampling a short episode.

The single-narrator performance keeps the book in the same audio line as the earlier novels. No separate full-cast adaptation is listed for this title on this page.