IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE
- Vanessa Bettencourt
- 13 minutes ago
- 4 min read
A locked study, a brilliant physicist, and a device built to test the limits of time form the core premise of IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE by @blumyo.
Professor Yonatan Brand is found dead in his sealed study beside a machine he spent his life perfecting—a device meant to explore the dangers and paradoxes of time. When the police can’t resolve what happened, Benjamin “Bunker” Kronovic and Abigail Canaani unexpectedly take on the case. They move through Brand’s old friendships and long-buried tensions, uncovering a story shaped by shifting perspectives and uncertain timelines. The deeper they look, the more they must question not just who is responsible, but how the sequence of events can be understood at all.
Yoav Blum writes speculative fiction that blends big ideas with mystery, tension, and thoughtful exploration of human nature. His novels often center on extraordinary situations—time travel, consciousness shifts, or the unseen patterns shaping coincidence—and use these elements to examine identity, fate, and the delicate line between choice and inevitability. With a style that mixes suspense, introspection, and subtle philosophical depth, his stories invite readers to question how much of life is shaped by intention versus circumstance.
4 stars
Audacious move from the author to take on time-traveling and paradoxes as the main core to refresh the "locked-room" trope. The investigators are fun to read because they are out of their depth. This is no cheating spouse or missing cat case, but solving this one could bring benefits. I loved Abigail. She is a fun one. The author sprinkles some humor and pop culture references. The narrative showcases well the chaos of time traveling, may be jarring for some readers, but if you like time traveling, this one will be a refreshing read, out of the box kind of story.
Learn more at https://yoavblum.co.il.
@therealbookgal #YoavBlum #IntheBlinkofanEye #ThrillerBooks #SFReads #SpeculativeFiction #TimeTravelThriller #MysteryBooks #Bookstagrammer
Amazon: https://bit.ly/4abKZ8V
Writing Process & Creativity
How did you research your book?
I usually start by diving deep into the “what if” behind the story. With In the Blink of an Eye, I read so many scientific papers about time travel that I had to remind myself I wasn’t actually trying to build a time machine...
My research is really about building a world big enough to feel real before I write every single chapter.
What’s the hardest scene or character you wrote—and why?
Any scene that hurts my characters is tough for me. They feel a bit like friends, and putting them through pain always comes with a pang of guilt. But those moments also create the strongest emotional payoff, so finishing them feels incredibly meaningful.
Where do you get your ideas?
Mostly from daydreaming and from the big “what if?” questions that won’t let go of me. The essence of self, the meaning that is hidden in the day-to-day. Sometimes a book or article sparks something; sometimes it’s me challenging myself to try a new structure or narrative trick. Everything starts with curiosity.
What sets your book apart from others in your genre?
I always try to mix fast-paced plots with a deeper philosophical question underneath. Each book is my attempt to explore something existential—identity, fate, time, consciousness—wrapped inside an accessible, emotional story. I want the story to stay with readers after the last page.
What’s your favorite compliment you’ve received as a writer?
When someone tells me the book made them think long after they closed it. If the reading experience continues beyond the actual reading, that’s the best compliment I can imagine. That means they were not just reading, they were experiencing something.
Your Writing Life
Do you write every day? What’s your schedule?
Not every day. It comes in waves, different periods of time come with different goals. Some periods are for drafting, others for editing, and some are just for thinking and daydreaming. It all balances out.
Where do you write—home, coffee shop, train?
Mostly at home, at a small desk in the corner with music in the background. I just need my laptop and some quiet. But sometimes I’ll sneak out to a café or a park to shake the routine.
Any quirky writing rituals or must-have snacks?
No real rituals, but I do make custom playlists for whatever I’m writing. Playlists for action scenes, for emotion scenes, for a character’s monologue… The right soundtrack feels like switching on the creative engine.
Behind the Book
Why did you choose this setting/topic?
I wanted to combine a non-linear narrative with a locked-room mystery and time travel. Eventually, it became a story about how we’re all trapped by our past in different ways—through trauma, nostalgia, or the stories we tell ourselves.
Fun & Lighthearted Qs
What are you binge-watching right now?
Honestly, I’m not a big binge-watcher. Long series tend to lose me by the second or third season when the story drifts. I prefer movies or short formats with a clear beginning, middle, and end, and shows with short, self-contained episodes where each one stands on its own. Comedic, episodic series are my sweet spot: Rick and Morty, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and lately Exploding Kittens. They’re perfect for a quick escape without a 25-hour commitment.
If you could time-travel, where would you go?
To the turning points of history—the moments that shaped religions and cultures. I’d want to see what really happened versus what turned into myth. It would be amazing to understand the truth behind the stories we live by.
What 3 books would you bring to a desert island?
Honestly? Probably none. Re-reading the same books forever would make me hate my favorites. I’d take blank pages instead—so I could keep writing a story that never really ends.
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