Kill Time
by T.J.
MacGregor
Time Travel,
Dissidents, Corruption and Decay
Publisher:
Pinnacle (October 2007)
TJ MacGregor's Kill Time
depicts the corruption of society as a mother
is abducted by government agents and society's values turn extreme.
Protection from outside threats and and medical maladies turn rogue as
extremism and corruption enter the scene. Time travel heightens the
suspense and characterization as the author reveals history and future
influence.
Nora's mother disappeared when she was a child. Now, as she prepares to
tell her husband that she wants a divorce, her childhood fears come
back to haunt her as her husband is taken away from her right in front
of her in a restaurant by FREEZE (Freedom and Security). Labeled as a
terrorist, there is no recourse and her attempts to find out the charge
become much too similar to a Kafka novel. As she traces a trail of
clues left by her husband, she uncovers medical research gone awry,
disappearing dissidents, political corruption and power brokering,
greed run rampant and an eerie connection to a television show from the
past. The ending leaves some things hanging but it works well here,
giving a vision that makes the reader ponder.
Kill Time
addresses issues of our current culture, indeed issues faced
throughout history, but in de-familiarizes them through time travel and
a futuristic feel. TJ MacGregor gets down to timeless values,not
specific political personalities or events, and in doing so, reaches
beyond party politics into the heart of human values. I adore suspense
that takes parts of culture perhaps good in the original intention and
twists them, showing the underside when "good" things become too
absolute, too fanatical. TJ MacGregor reveals the dark underside of
aspects of today's society without preaching and without moralizing,
leaving the reader to form their own ideas. As homeland security and
medical research cross the boundaries into corruption and fanaticism,
TJ MacGregor provides an eerie portrait.
The references to Rod Serling, The Twilight Zone and Jerry Garcia and
The Grateful Dead are just downright fun. TJ MacGregor's thriller
amuses with its look into 1968 culture and chills as time travel brings
an all too real look at the influence of television albeit through the
twisted and delightful vision of TJ MacGregor's time travel suspense
hunt.
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