Review of Time Stays For No Man

[Timothy Rucinski]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Time Stays For No Man" by Melvin P. Tiley.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Until her recent passing, I had always hoped that Sharon Kay Penman would have written a new installment in the Justin de Quincy mystery series. Sadly, that will never come to pass. Similarly, C. J. Sansom's Matthew Shardlake series appears to have ended. Happily, we now have Melvin P. Tiley’s Time Stays for No Man to compliment the English thriller tradition of these great historical writers.

Set during the reign of Elizabeth I, Tiley captures the tension and uncertainty within London as it expands beyond its city walls. It is a city in which Roman Catholics are persecuted for their beliefs as Queen Bess strives to strengthen the Protestant ethos begun by her father, King Henry VIII. Because of this war between the faiths, Elizabeth's cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, believing herself to be the true heir to the Tudor throne, is imprisoned at Chartley Manor, and the threat of Spanish invasion, with the aid of the Pope, looms large over the populace. Within this framework, a clandestine troop of Catholic gentry plot to assassinate the Queen and restore the “true faith” to England.

Tiley beautifully renders the events of “The Babington Plot” through lucid, fast-paced storytelling. Many characters, such as the lead conspirator, Anthony Babington, are drawn from history, as are most events. However, the author fictionalizes the perpetrators' activities, conversations, and planning broadly and effectively. Conversely, the author provides a vivid portrait of England’s formidable spymaster, State Secretary Francis Walsingham, and his loyal network of spies.

Even though the plot of Time Stays for No Man is known to the historically savvy, the story moves like a modern-day thriller, keeping the reader on the edge of the seat. Tiley injects some memorable fictional characters into the story with the historical, enabling the reader to more closely identify with the common folk caught up in the intrigue. Until they are sucked into the religious fervor of the politicians and conspirators, commoners such as Edward Stokes and Tom Winter, best friends from Walworth Wood outside London, are more concerned about safeguarding their land and their businesses. Their world is in sharp contrast to the world of the gentry, which is more concerned with religious conflict and wielding power.

What I liked most about Tiley’s masterful work were the characterizations. The author brilliantly captures the nuances, beliefs, strengths, and weaknesses of the assassination plotters and the hopes and wishes of the minor, less significant personae. My two favorite characters were Thomas Phelippes, the young cryptologist and forger employed by Walsingham, and Lizzie, the lovely commoner working undercover for Walsingham on the streets of London. It was an enjoyable experience to see these two strong individuals draw closer to one other throughout the book's pages. I also liked the great dialogue, which rings true, helps to move the story, and clarifies the strategies of both plotters and government agents.

Tiley also does a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of the times by accurately portraying the environment. He masterfully represents goings-on along the Thames, the bustle of the London streets, the grandiosity of homes of the wealthy, the architecture of houses built on London Bridge, and everyday life in the rural communities. The author also incorporates some important topics still of interest today, such as the issue of equal pay for equal work, in which he highlights the inequities in compensation between men and women. The author also focuses on the importance of punishment meted out for specific types of crime. Imbalances in the system were as prevalent then as they sometimes are in our present day. The only thing that I didn't like about the book was a large number of errors, mostly in punctuation, that demonstrate the book was not professionally edited. Unfortunately, these errors become unnecessarily distracting.

Although I would like to award Time Stays for No Man a perfect score, the errors compel me to grant a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. Otherwise, this is a wonderful, exciting, and compelling novel. Readers of historical fiction, particularly of tales centered within the reign of Elizabeth Regina, will enjoy this novel. But even without the historical background, readers of thrillers will thoroughly appreciate this book. Finally, I heartily hope that Mr. Tiley continues his writing career because I, for one, would be first in line to purchase his subsequent works.

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Time Stays For No Man
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[Aisha Yakub]

I a think I'd enjoy the characterizations used in this book. Great review.

[derick scribbles]

Wow! This is an exquisite and outstanding review. Personally, I'm impressed. I will make an effort and read this book.

[Elijah0007]

Time indeed waits for no man. This book sounds packed. I would so love to enjoy reading this. Thanks for the elaborate review.

[Mabosi paul brian]

Indeed time awaites for no man. Wow! It is quite educative to all, i look forwad to reading this. Great review.

[Obadan Dee]

You know, I've always been interested in events that happened during the time of Queen Elizabeth I, I think this book might offer some insight into that. Great review too, I should say.

[wmeki510]

I love the title of this book. I can already guess what to expect from the book.

[wmeki510]

You know, I've always been interested in events that happened during the time of Queen Elizabeth I, I think this book might offer some insight into that. Great review too, I should say.

Hopeful that your expectations will be met.

[wmeki510]

Indeed time awaites for no man. Wow! It is quite educative to all, i look forwad to reading this. Great review.

Please do. Wishing you a satisfying reading experience.

[wmeki510]

Wow! This is an exquisite and outstanding review. Personally, I'm impressed. I will make an effort and read this book.

Yeah. Good luck to you, then.

[wmeki510]

Time indeed waits for no man. This book sounds packed. I would so love to enjoy reading this. Thanks for the elaborate review.

Wishing you a wonderful reading time.

[Sanju Lali]

A historical fiction story, which is set during the reign of Elizabeth 1 is nicely presented in the book
"Time Stays For No Man" by Melvin P. Tiley, which moves forward as a modern day thriller. A nice entertaining book.

[Timothy Rucinski]

You know, I've always been interested in events that happened during the time of Queen Elizabeth I, I think this book might offer some insight into that. Great review too, I should say.

Hey, thanks much. It's a good intro to the reign of Elizabeth I from the perspective of those in her royal orbit.