Time Crime

This novella is the last and longest of Piper's Paratime stories, apart from the novel [b:Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen 1440162 Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen H. Beam Piper https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1264374069l/1440162.SY75.jpg 1430769]. It describes the biggest threat that the Paratime Police have encountered: a large and wealthy criminal organization, including some politicians among its members, that has been slave-trading across different timelines for at least a decade without being noticed, because it operated on timelines unexplored by anyone else.Although it's a good story, it may be a bit confusing if read on its own: it would be better to read the preceding short stories first. In particular, “Police Operation” was the first story about the Paratime Police, and introduces the overall scenario more gently.Note: This novella was first published in 1955, so it is of course old-fashioned in style, in attitudes to men and women, etc. But it's silly to criticize old fiction for being old; if you don't like old fiction, then don't read it.