Hope for the Best

Name: Hope for the Best
Author: Jodi Taylor
ISBN: 9781472264251

St Mary’s · Novel 10 · 2019

Hope for the Best takes Max away from St Mary’s to work alongside the Time Police, where a disrupted Tudor timeline requires urgent attention.

Book 10 of 15 in The Chronicles of St Mary’s · 14 published; 1 announced

AI-generated illustration inspired by Hope for the Best; not a book cover.

What it’s about

Hope for the Best takes Max away from St Mary’s to work alongside the Time Police, where a disrupted Tudor timeline requires urgent attention.

The change of workplace gives readers a closer look at the other organisation’s methods and lets Max’s established instincts meet a different set of rules. Even at a distance from home, her ties to the Institute remain part of how she approaches the assignment.

The novel is therefore both a St Mary’s continuation and a useful connection point for readers curious about the shared time-travel world. Its focus stays with a specific historical problem and the people trying to manage it, rather than turning into a guide to the companion series.

The ninth book’s cross-series encounter has already introduced the Time Police; here that relationship becomes more immediate. Readers can enjoy the new location while following Max’s ongoing responsibilities.

As the tenth numbered novel, it is best approached after the earlier books, where the shift in her role has context and the existing team relationships remain clear.

Listen or read

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Can I start here?

This is book 10 in its series. Start with the first novel for its clearest introduction.

Reader questions

Do I need to read the earlier books first?

Yes. This novel is novel 10, so begin with the earlier numbered books. Follow the sequence to meet the returning cast in context. Their original introductions appear in the preceding books. Short stories are optional additions along the way. They complement the novels in this reading route.

Source: joditaylorbooks.com

Who narrates the Hope for the Best audiobook?

The listed unabridged UK recording is read by Zara Ramm. Its Audible page identifies this novel and the narrator together. Check that product before selecting an edition. Continue listening through the numbered novels. Add the companion pieces when their placement suits your route.

Source: audible.co.uk

Where this fits

This is the tenth St Mary’s novel, following An Argumentation of Historians and leading to Plan for the Worst. It continues the cross-series thread with the Time Police, whose first novel is Doing Time.

Read the St Mary’s sequence to understand Max’s changing place before following the next book. It carries the numbered arc forward.

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Why readers love it

Our view

A change of setting refreshes the rhythm without losing the warmth of the original ensemble. Readers get the pleasure of watching Max operate outside familiar routines, where her experience helps but cannot solve every problem.

The connection with the Time Police also rewards curiosity about the wider universe, particularly for readers who enjoy seeing different teams interpret the same responsibility in different ways. Historical research, workplace friction and the familiar St Mary’s voice all remain in play.

The new setting and familiar companions balance novelty with continuity.

Listening notes

Zara Ramm reads the UK unabridged audiobook, which lasts twelve hours and thirty-one minutes. It is a long listen, so the change of setting and the novel’s ongoing team relationships offer natural points to pause and return. The recording keeps the same narrator across Max’s St Mary’s sequence.

It should not be confused with a separate audio adaptation: no full-cast production is listed for this book.