Nick of Time

By: Ted Bell

Narrated by: John Shea

Nick of Time is the first young listeners' book written by best-selling author Ted Bell - a wondrous tale of time travel, adventure, and riches, in which 12-year-old Nick McIver sets out to become "the hero of his own life."

The setting is England, 1939, on the eve of war. Nick and his younger sister, Kate, live in a lighthouse on the smallest of the Channel Islands. Nick and Kate come to the aid of their father who is engaged in a desperate war of espionage with German U-boat wolf packs that are circling the islands. The information they provide to Winston Churchill is vital as he tries to warn England of the imminent Nazi invasion. One day Nick discovers an old sea chest, left for him by his ancestor, Captain Nicholas McIver of the Royal Navy.

Inside, he finds a time machine and a desperate plea for help from the captain. He uses the machine to return to the year 1805. Captain McIver and, indeed, Admiral Nelson's entire fleet are threatened by the treachery of the French and the mutinous Captain Billy Blood. Nick must reach deep inside, using his wits, courage, and daring to rescue the imperiled British sailors.

His sister, Kate, meanwhile, has enlisted the aid of two of England's most brilliant "scientific detectives," Lord Hawke and Commander Hobbes, to thwart the invading Nazis. She and Nick must face England's underwater enemies, a challenge made all the more difficult when they discover the existence of Germany's supersecret submarine.

In this striking adventure for listeners of all ages, Nick must fight ruthless enemies across two different centuries, on land and sea, to help defeat those determined to destroy his home and his family.

©2008 Ted Bell (P)2008 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

" Nick of Time amazed me, dazzled me, and swept my imagination off to sea....I've been craving an adventure story with a good mystery and this arrived in the nick of time to rescue me." (Diane Chen, School Library Journal)

Good story for kids and adults

I agree with most of the other reviews. This is a great story- well written, a little educational with a fun use of time travel, and the narrator is superb. But while I liked it, it just didnt have me dying to get back to it. I skipped a few parts when I was interrupted in my listening and ultimately never rewound it. So a great story-especially for kids-but not somthing that really excited me.

Favorite narrator of all time!

John Shea is a master of many voices and accents, taking any story to a magical level! The story itself I was not a fan of, it just did not capture and hold my interest.

Best new CLASSIC boys book

There are not very many really good books with moral character and courage for boys .... this is a GREAT book! Not just for boys but young people of all ages. Mr. Bell combines a great story that will capture today's generation and old fashioned strong moral character that parents will delight in bestowing upon their children. John Shea does a masterful job of narrating, putting voices with each character. I can still hear the mantra..."Nelson the strong, Nelson the Brave, Nelson the Lord of the sea.."

Fast Paced - Exciting

I am a 55 year-young woman who loved this book. This is the first listen/read for me by this author and I was not disappointed. The story started like a movie which grips you from the first scene. I recommend this book with much enthusiasm.

A frolicking good time

I'm a big fan of Ted Bell's Alex Hawke stories, so I had high expectations from this book, and I wasn't disappointed. The genre is very different from the Alex Hawke books, but the high excitement and excellent character development made this a joy to listen to. I love the way Ted integrated a fantasy pirate adventure with a time travel story, and grounded it all with historically significant characters. It was like Pirates of the Caribbean meets The Hunt For Red October. This is one I will definitely listen to again.

Exciting boy adventure for the whole family

Family friendly but full of murder and mayhem. Not a sissy story.
England. World War II, pirates, sea captains and time travel, a girl and boy hero...
It was great

I love it

It was very exciting suspectful Entertaining All the way through I love my dress

It's like the good guys always win!!

I'm 34 years old, and was wanting an adventure. This was IT! I wished it could go on forever.

Excellent for kids and adults.

This is a great book for all ages. My ten year old was thoroughly gripped by the story and the historicl insights, and my younger kids were completely absorbed by it all. Finally, a great adventure story for kids that doesn't rely on the ugly supernatural to capture their interest.

Kids book for adults to enjoy as well

Fun reading and I'm waiting for the sequel. I especially liked how it tied to other Ted Bell / Hawke stories.