Alice Payne Arrives

In 1788, Alice Payne is bound by 18th-century rules and strictures, at least in public during the day. In the evenings, she makes a living as a highwayman known as the Holy Ghost. When she inadvertently sends her latest mark into the future, setting off events that put her in the middle of the Time War of the 2070s, she becomes key to ending the conflict and righting the world's wrongs. This includes reversing the damage done to her father in America over the War of Independence and finding money to keep his debtors, and her would-be suitors, at bay. Because of the narrative pacing, there's little time for character development, which unfortunately does a disservice to an otherwise excellent tale. There's a whiff of steampunk with Alice's tinkering, scientifically minded companion Laverne, an automated robot who helps in highway robberies, and the time wheel that makes travel between location and eras possible.