Out of the Loop

Siegel (Charlotte Illes Is Not a Teacher) combines mystery, romance, and time travel into a deliciously entertaining tale. Amie Teller, 28, is a frustrated journalist writing about health and science for an online magazine. More notably, she’s been stuck in a time loop for more than two years, doomed to relive September 17 again and again. One morning, Amie wakes up to find that the calendar has turned to September 18—and her neighbor, bookshop owner Savannah Harlow, has been murdered overnight. When Amie learns that her 50-something neighbor and friend David is being questioned by the police, she’s spurred to investigate, assuming that her familiarity with the events of September 17 will offer her unique insight into the case. To help her sleuthing, Amie recruits David and her ex-girlfriend Ziya, with whom she’s trying to maintain a friendship. Though the chronology initially seems daunting as it dips in and out of Amie’s time loop, Siegel quickly orients the reader, making it possible to settle in for a well-crafted whodunit and a charming will-they, won’t-they rekindled romance between Amie and Ziya. This is a blast. Agent: Melissa Jeglinski, Knight Agency (Feb.)