Time Tunnel: The Twin Towers

Richard Todd’s first book in the Time Tunnel series called Time Tunnel: The Twin Towers explores time travel and what would happen if you went back in time to stop the attacks of September 11, 2001. The central characters in the book are Kyle Mason and Padma Mahajan. Padma is the daughter of wealthy Indian immigrants and is a successful investment banker in the World Trade Center. Kyle is a Special Forces soldier in the Delta Force. The book begins on September 10, 2001 when Kyle and Padma enjoy a honeymoon in a New York City hotel. As Kyle goes to the bathroom to brush his teeth, he is shocked to find his own copy from the future in the mirror’s reflection. The story then flashes back to 1947 when a farmer in Roswell, New Mexico finds pieces of alien spacecraft on his property. After government officials come to take the pieces away, that’s when the magic happens. We see a close look at Area 51 where brilliant scientists try to reverse engineer alien technology in order to build a time machine. We see a lot of cool science and gadgetry against the backdrop of real world events such as the 1966 UT Tower shooting and Operation Desert Storm where Kyle is at the beginning of his military career. We also see how Padma started her career in the World Trade Center of New York. On September 11, 2001 Padma is in the North Tower when the first plane slams into the World Trade Center, killing her and almost 3,000 people on that fateful day. When Kyle hears the news, he is devastated and vows revenge. He immediately joins the War On Terror, so he could avenge the events. As he’s fighting in Afghanistan and is about to get close to Osama Bin Laden’s cave, he is betrayed and quits Delta Force. Seven years later in 2008, he is approached by top brass of the United States Armed Forces and is offered a mission to travel back in time and stop 9/11 from ever happening. Naturally, he jumps at a chance to save Padma, the love of his life, and accepts the mission. This book ends with a great cliffhanger, and the story will continue in the second installment of the series, Time Tunnel: The Empire.

The novel is deeply researched and is very fascinating to read. Each chapter begins with time and location to orient the reader. Charts, diagrams, as well as photographs are likewise interspersed throughout the story to make the science understandable to the layman. Richard Todd does a great job of hooking the reader and making them commiserate with the characters who are very well developed and multidimensional. If you like time travel, then Richard Todd’s Time Tunnel series is definitely the book for you.