March 2026
A Clock Strikes Murder is the exciting sequel to Twice Upon a Time. Together, they make up a captivating fantasy mystery series for older middle grade readers who love to be kept guessing until the very end of the story. This is an ideal holiday read for Easter or summer when there’s time to really get into it.
Twins, Spike and Merry Morrow, travel to Crete to stay at the unusual Museum of Cursed Objects. Their mother is an art restorer who is working with her friend Yiannis to repair items in his museum leaving the girls to explore on their own and get to know Yiannis’ son, Nikos. Yiannis has invited a group of art enthusiasts to the museum for an auction. He’s planning to sell “The Medusa’s Revenge”, a painting believed to be cursed. Much like the Greek legend, whoever looks at Medusa will drop dead. When someone is actually found dead in the room with the painting, there’s a mystery to solve.
Born either side of midnight on New Year’s Eve, Spike and Merry have a unique relationship with time. Clocks, calendars and sundials behave strangely whenever they touch them, Spike sees visions of the future and by saying “Just a Minute” in unison, they can stop time entirely. Combined with their quick thinking, ability to make connections, courage and teamwork, these powers allow them to uncover things others can’t. But like many siblings, the girls don’t always see to eye-to-eye. It will take compromise and listening to each other to discover the truth about the painting and reveal the identity of the murderer.
A Clock Strikes Murder is set on the beautiful island of Crete. The warmth of the sun, vibrance of the culture and welcome of the people radiates off the pages, giving readers a glimpse of another part of the world. Merry and Spike’s mum raises important questions about the morality of selling items that are a part of a nation’s history and challenges Yiannis (and readers) to think about where they really belong.
Perfect for fans of mystery series like Murder Most Unladylike, Adventures on Trains and Isaac Turner Investigates, readers will devour this book. Threat, peril, steep cliffs and a complex network of caves create very real danger for all involved. With a murderer on the loose, there isn’t any time to spare.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this book on NetGalley!
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| Primary English In Action by Kate Heap will be published in August 2026. Preorder it now! |
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