Out of Time (The Nine Minutes Trilogy Book 2)
This is Book 2 of 3 in the Nine Minutes Trilogy.
Out of Time is not a standalone novel. I highly recommend that you read my first novel, Nine Minutes, to be able to understand the background stories of the main characters. There are many twists and turns in both books that can best be connected if read consecutively.
Although I do answer the outstanding questions from Nine Minutes, there is more to this story, and some readers may consider it a cliffhanger. Other readers may be satisfied with the answers and the ending. Regardless of which category you fall into, I hope you enjoy the story.
They thought with his execution it would all be over.
They were wrong.
The leader of one of South Florida’s most notorious and brutal motorcycle gangs has been put to death by lethal injection. Days later, his family and friends should have been picking up the pieces, moving on. Instead, they’ve been catapulted into a world so twisted and dangerous even the most ruthless among them would be stunned to discover the tangled web of deception, not only on the dangerous streets of South Florida but all the way to the top.
In this gripping follow-up novel to Nine Minutes, Out of Time takes readers from the sun-drenched flatlands of 1950s Central Florida to the vivid tropical heat of Fort Lauderdale to the halls of Florida’s Death Row as we finally learn the gritty backstory of Jason “Grizz” Talbot and the secret he spent his life trying to conceal.
Not even Grizz’s inner circle knows his full story—the tragedy that enveloped his early life, the surprise discovery that made him the government’s most wanted and most feared, and the depths of his love for Ginny, the tenderhearted innocent he’d once abducted and later made his wife.
Once Grizz’s obsession and now the mother of his child, Ginny has spent years grieving the man she’d first resisted and then came to love. Now remarried to Tommy, a former member of the gang, the pair have spent more than a decade trying desperately to live a normal existence far from the violent, crime-ridden world they’d once carved out on the edge of the Florida Everglades. For Tommy, especially, the stakes are high. Desperately in love with Ginny for years, he’s finally living his dream: married to the woman he never thought he could have. But even with the façade of normalcy—thriving careers, two beautiful children, and a genuinely happy and loving marriage—they can’t seem to put the past behind them. Every time they turn around, another secret is revealed, unraveling the very bonds that hold them together.
And with Grizz finally put to death, now Ginny has learned secrets so dark, so evil she’s not even sure she can go on.
Will these secrets tear their love to pieces? And how far will Grizz go to protect what he still considers his, even from beyond the grave?
Reviews (175)
WOW!!!
I am just blown away by this book. I feel like I was waiting forever for this book. Then I got it and waited about a week to read it because I was so nervous. Lots of questions ate answered. We get Grizz' s backstory, Grunt' s/Tommy' s backstory and even more about Kit. We still don't know Grizz' s real name. But it is such a relief to know more and have questions answered. I had a theory and I was semi right and so relieved. There is a diary that Moe wrote that shows up and gives more information. Then there is a letter from Kit' s mom that is shocking and eye opening! Big surprises are revealed in this book. But, as usual she saves the best most shocking stuff til the last chapter. But definitely don't head to the end, you have to experience this whole book. It is absolutely mind blowing and fantastic. I think this might be my favorite book this year, and I have read some awesome books this year! I love Grizz, he just loves Kit so much and is so protective of her. But, I do also love Grunt, he reveals lots of secrets and some are really surprising and really blew me away. I am just reeling from the end of this book and I am torn about what I hope will happen. Sadness and happiness mixed together. Just wow! Great job, Beth Flynn. Please don't make us wait too long for the next book. I really need to read it now. I also really need a support group. I hope there is one!
Need More Stars.....
If I could give more stars for this book (+ series) I would. But I can't. As I was nearing the end of this book I started to think what on earth I was going to write for my review. I have no words that could possibly express how much this book (and the first book) blew me away. I am loving this series so far but even that doesn't explain how mesmirised I am after finishing Out Of Time. The twist and turns plus all the revelations that came out in the second half of this book. Wow, just wow. I might need to lay down for a while to digest what I have just finished reading. I cannot get my head around Beth Flynn's amazing mind that could possibly think of all these twists and create this masterpiece. And on top of all that she made me fall in love with Grizz. WTH Beth!! I loved Tommy / Grunt from the beginning and who couldn't love and cheer on Kit / Ginny. To be honest I had a feeling about Grizz so wasn't overally surprised. I mean come on, he's Grizz lol. Nor about what he found on his road trip. Makes reading book 3 very exciting and I foresee another couple of nights with bearly any sleep. Oh well.... ;-)
Four "really liked it" stars
While I really liked this book, it was hard to get through at times. The story was not linear- it constantly jumped around to different points in time. It made it hard to follow, and the slower parts made it hard to stay invested. That said, I was determined to finish, and I did. I will read the third book because I do want to unravel the remaining mysteries. This series is far more complicated and involved than the blurbs would lead you to believe. It is so much more than just a typical MC book. I do recommend this series, but if you're like me you need to understand that this second book might not grab you by the throat the way the first book did. And that's okay. I still need the rest of the story. The answers to the remaining questions. And I will be diving right in to the next book as soon I finish this review. This series has been keeping me on my toes in that the characters are moving targets. Who is friend vs. foe changes from book to book, even chapter to chapter. And I'm here for it. Put this one on your list for a solid, twisty MC read!
How can anyone have this many layers?
So book 2 of the trilogy ends with a cliffhanger, however be alerted to the fact that unless you read book one, this one won't make much sense. And believe me when you get to the end, you'll be purchasing book 3 immediately. I am NOT a fan of cliffhangers, they usually aggravate me to the point I won't even consider buying the next book. Well not this time! I couldn't wait to get the next book. More of the story of Grizz and Kit are revealed, more layers peeled back, more love, angst, heartache, and violence continue in this book. Kit has moved on since Grizz was executed, she's raising her daughter and her son well with her second husband Tommy, aka Grunt. Only what Kit discovers is the possibility that Grizz didn't die, that he's out there somewhere. Her anger, angst, love, tears, fears are all explored. More truth comes to the surface in her and Tommy's marriage. Whether or not they can sustain their marriage in spite of all the deception is up for grabs. This is so well written, you will feel the joy, the fears, the laughter and sorrow throughout the entire series, but greatly so in this part of it. Buy the entire trilogy at once, then you won't have to wait the 30 seconds it takes to download the next book. Just amazing writing, this author is fabulous.
Taking Up A Lot Of Time
I have read all 3 books in the trilogy,but I read them out of order.I read the last one first,then read the 1st and 2nd one.The reason behind that was this.I read the sampled readings and it starts book one with the death of a main character.I thought that was depressing especially from further sampling on the other two books,that this was told in a POV style(EVERYONES POV!)That I found from reading the last book first got old very quickly as did the constant yoyo back in forth through the timeline of 25 plus years.It meant a lot of repeating info.I have read a lot of this sort of story telling ,as it seems the trend,but it makes me anxious and restless.I think the first two books should have been shortened and combined into one for sake of sanity,and then leave the last one as it is.I further think only the last one should have in the POV style.Now that is said,I will say I did like the story line very much.There were several places I got emotional and had to set the book aside for awhile and let my mind settle down before picking it up again.I think the settings were time accurate for the history of the late seventies and beyond,not so sure about the fifties setting though,but that was my birth decade and would be too young to remember it in a historical way,and I was on the west coast not south east either.It felt real and that is what matters.It is hard to wrap my head around the fact that everyone in the story except maybe young Jason Dillon had and kept major secrets from each other.I know it isn't covered much in this book,but I also found it hard to believe Mimi would" throw her mom under the bus",with Lesile and the interview just to get back at her,Tommy and Grizz.I haven't read the 2 spin offs yet ,but I am not certain I will now or not.If it wasn't for the POV thing and the constant rehashing of the same story I would have given this book 4 or maybe even 5 stars.It is a good story line ,it just wore me out reading it.
Emotionally rich and painful but worth it - great bridge to #3
Amazing accomplishment in keeping so MANY twists and turns on track throughout this book. At times I found some of the NNG (No Name Group) premise stretched my sense of what could be believable, but what IS believable about a group like that? This is what fiction is about, suspending belief in what you know for what could be. I found that believing Grizz could be allowed to live, at any point with his suspected knowledge and the cards he held, was not so difficult. Maybe because I wanted so much for him to have an HEA. For a man with as much ego and arrogance as he came to possess, to be allowed to live as if he was considered no longer significant is what I think Beth Flynn was conveying, that would be the ultimate insult. That he ran out of time in his high stakes game with them is the central premise to this installment in the trilogy. But, so MUCH detail and foreshadowing and backstory woven in, along with the treasure of Grunt/Tommy's relationship with Ginny was wonderful to consume. I was impressed with how cohesively Beth managed the varying POV's in this book. It was a bit dizzying at times as I was very invested in each character and I'd have to pull myself out of one to move in a new chapter to another, but it wasn't hard to do. I think it may have made it a little more difficult to stay emotionally connected at times, if you didn't allow for that, and that may make it more difficult for some readers to feel invested in the story overall. I didn't have that issue and loved every grueling minute of it. I know one thing for sure, although I can go straight to book 3, I really don't want this trilogy to end. I NEED these characters to find resolution and happiness and I also don't want my window into their lives to close. Love what Beth Flynn has done with this trilogy!!!
Hold On Tight!
Out of Time is the second book in the Nine Minutes Series and like the first book, it did not disappoint. I wouldn't say that Out of Time was a continuation of Nine Minutes but rather an overlap. Out of Time filled in many gaps and sequence of events that Nine Minutes didn't cover and also went beyond Nine Minutes to a few years in the future, so it skipped around. That can be confusing, however Author Beth Flynn did a great job of keeping the chapters separate and time frames clearly marked. The book flowed really well and the reader even got to see some POV's from Grizz and Tommy which was really great. Of course, the book ends with a cliff hanger that will leave you reaching for the one-click on Amazon! I have already started book 3, A Gift of Time and love it so far. I would highly recommend reading the books in order because they all tie together. Again, Ginny/Kit is completely naïve however, in this book she is grown and only reflects back on memories. You see her take on a more adult role and really try to not stick her head in the preverbal sand, but face her past and ghosts that still haunt her, head on. There are several twists and turns but I only saw one of them coming, so the reader will be shocked when things go in a completely opposite direction that only Beth Flynn can pull off so masterfully. There really is no redemption for the terrible things that Grizz has done, however in this installment, the reader sees a more human side of him and is beginning to understand the why behind a lot of his moves. Tommy/Grunt kind of annoyed me in this book. I wanted to love him and see him as the hero, but he kind of came off as a petulant child that didn't get his way so he schemed in order to get what he wanted. He came off sort of desperate at times and that is an unattractive quality in my opinion. There are so many story lines going on at once, but its not confusing because Beth is masterful at her craft and it was really a great book to read. But as always, things aren't always what they seem in the gang world and the reader will be taken on another wild ride.
Life has a funny way of giving you what you really need...
I absolutely LOVED Nine Minutes...loved it and was so distraught when it ended the way it did...gave me chills. Now I have spent the past two days reading this monster of a sequel...and yet again, Beth Flynn has left me almost speechless, in shock and yes, goosebumps up and down my arms at the end of one particular chapter near the finish (and still cliffhanger ending). I don't even know what to say about this one...it seems as if everyone, every single person in this epic drama, lived their lives full of dishonesty and lies (whether they knew it or not) and the only common good thing would be that love and "caring for another person before yourself" was motivation for it all. I am fascinated with the whole Grizz, Ginny and Grunt triangle and between all the lives that were ruined, spared, lost and saved, there were no real clear winners or losers in their story...just a lot of heartbreak and the will to keep going no matter how painful. The story itself is so intricate and detailed that I found myself going back and re-reading passages to keep it straight in my head (as well as skimming over the first book as a refresher) but came away with even more questions and the events that happen at the end of Out of Time, left the doors wide open for another book. There were a few parts that dragged a bit for me (and all the back and forth between the decades gets confusing) but for the most part, it was really enlightening to read the very intense and detailed history of what really happened during the course of the first book, besides what happens after Grizz is executed. Such an amazing and epic read (I love big meaty books I can sink my teeth into and get lost in) and I can't wait to see what this author has next up her sleeve for us! ***** 5 ***** "life has a funny way of giving you what you really need" stars
Great continuation of the first book, but it had some flaws
This sequel gets one less star than the first in the trilogy because of a few factors. First, the storyline is ALL OVER THE PLACE. 1950s, 1970s, 2000, etc., and with various players. I've read many books that go back and forth, but this one really takes that plot device to the extreme. Furthermore, the first book had the "hero" (Grizz) obsessed with Kit/Ginny, but this book takes it even further and reveals that his involvement with her extends all the way back to when she was around 6 years old. For some reason, the fact that he abducted a 15 year old and made her his property didn't bother me so much in book one, but the fact that he had designs on her from such an early age (even if that initial obsession wasn't sexual in nature) bothered me. Since I loved the first book so much, I truly did enjoy learning more about the characters and I've already downloaded and started book 3 in the trilogy. It's a great story and one I'm enjoying very much.
Absolutely fantastic!
Omg. I don't even have words. It's 3am and I just finished this book. It is so rare that I feel a book hangover. And this one takes the cake. Seriously, I can't even put a review into words. This book was PHENOMENAL. Let me first start off by saying this a sequel to book one "Nine minutes". You must read that one first. Book one leaves us with Grizz on death row. "Out of time" takes us back and forth from the past to present to the past to the present. There are so many twists and turns in this book that my head is still spinning wondering how the author pulled this off. And boy did she! Beth Flynn is a genius. A writing mastermind. We get to know so so much more of everyone's lives, past and present in this book. I literally just chewed off all my fingernails reading this. I loved that the book was long and detailed. There wasn't one single bore or filler in it. Every single page is a turner. My stomach is in knots! Seriously, I don't even know what to write about it. How do write a review when it's your mind, heart and soul are just flooding with feelings. Whatever you do, do NOT read reviews with spoilers!!! Just know if you loved "Nine minutes" you will love this a 1000 times more! Beth Flynn, you are on my top authors list.
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