I’m delighted today to be joining the blog tour for At the Stroke of Midnight, the latest book from the wonderful Jenni Keer, and sharing my review. Published by Boldwood Books on 12th March, it’s now available as an ebook (free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback, and as an audiobook. Thank you, as ever, to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to the publishers for my advance reading copy (provided via netgalley).
You might well have discovered Jenni’s lovely writing, as I did, through her early lighter romances – I can still remember how much I enjoyed The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows, thoroughly deserving of its inclusion in my 2019 Books of the Year list (you’ll find my review of it here). But her writing then took a rather different but equally enjoyable direction with The Secrets of Hawthorn Place (you’ll find my review here), followed by The Legacy of Halesham Hall (review here) – and then, with her move to publishers Boldwood, perhaps the most exciting book of them all, No. 23 Burlington Square. I do hope that one didn’t pass you by – and if it did, do try to catch up with it because it was quite wonderful, and one of my 2023 Books of the Year. Such a clever “what if” story with alternative timelines, intriguing at every turn, and so emotionally engaging – I really couldn’t have loved it more (you’ll find my full review here).
But might her new one be even better? Let’s take a closer look…
It’s 1923 and in a decade that promises excitement and liberation, Pearl Glenham and her father are invited to a mysterious country house party on the Dorset coast, by a total stranger.
Her father claims not to have any prior association with Highcliffe House, but upon arrival, it is apparent that he has a shared history with several of the guests, although he won’t admit it. Belatedly discovering that her father was blackmailed into attending, Pearl’s worries are compounded when their host fails to arrive…
Intimidated by everyone at the party, she escapes to the nearby cove and stumbles upon a mysterious mercury clock hidden in a cave. This strange encounter sets in motion a series of events that will culminate in an horrific house fire, claiming the lives of all the guests, including Pearl herself.
But then Pearl wakes up back in the cave, seemingly destined never to live past midnight. She can repeat the day. But can she change its outcome?
A 1920s house party with a cast of random invitees who profess to not knowing each other or their absent host, an obedient daughter dutifully accompanying her austere father for his stay, a bizarre loop in time that compels her to repeatedly relive the day before they all die, and the threads of a mystery to be disentangled before the day once more resets itself – it’s a fascinating premise, the product of a quite extraordinary imagination, and a wholly compelling and well told story that held me in its thrall from the opening pages through to its unexpected and immensely satisfying end.
Pearl, the daughter – and our heroine – has something of an obsession with timepieces, collecting them (some might say stealing…) and setting them to the precise time of her mother’s death. Escaping the company of the other guests, she’s finds a forgotten watch in a bureau – but is seen placing it in her pocket by Ellery, one of the two members of staff engaged to look after them during their stay, who goes on to become an unexpected friend and ally. But she also has a passion for swimming, and is delighted to find that Highcliffe House has a private beach – exploring the rocks after seeing someone emerge from among them, she discovers a hidden cave full of artefacts, including an unusual mercury clock (a clepsydra) that she accidentally disturbs, spilling a few drops in the process. That night, everyone in the house is killed in a house fire – but Pearl wakes again, in the cave, lying under the table bearing the clock. When she finds herself repeatedly reliving the same day, she’s driven (with some help from Ellery) to try to establish the links between her fellow guests, the identity of whoever invited them, and hopefully to prevent their deaths.
The time loop scenario could – in less skilful hands – easily have become repetitive, and at first I was worried it just might. But the mystery becomes entirely absorbing, and the characterisation simply wonderful – as the same engagements play out again and again, Pearl herself becomes considerably braver and more self-assured, and as the guests’ true characters begin to emerge, she draws ever closer to uncovering the truth. Every individual is superbly drawn, each one of them with layers of secrets to be uncovered – but there’s also unexpected fun for Pearl along the way, with new experiences she can try without any fear of the consequences. The way she slowly blossoms is an absolute joy, as is her relationship with Ellery, drawn into the same loop – there’s a touch of unexpected romance too, that I found entirely believable and thoroughly lovely.
The mystery itself is impeccably plotted and incredibly clever – there are clues that combine to make you feel you might have got there before her, but so many red herrings and bits of misdirection that you’re more than likely to find yourself looking in entirely the wrong direction (I certainly was….). And there’s that ever present time constraint, knowing that everything will reset once more when everyone retires after dinner – until the night finally arrives when Pearl and Ellery finally hope to stage a Poirot-esque big reveal, when all the pieces have finally fallen into place, but only if they’ve successfully managed to escape from the loop in which they’re trapped and don’t find themselves back where they started.
I was completely in awe at the complexities of the story, the multiple twists and turns, and the firm grip the author had on its many threads – and while the suspension of disbelief at its basic premise just could have proved difficult, I never found myself questioning it for an instant. The author really has never written better, with endless imagination and originality, glorious storytelling, and the most wonderful character development – you get the feeling that she’s really enjoying playing with the reader, and it means you can’t fail but equally enjoy the whole experience. Whatever your preferred reading, this is a book I’d highly recommend you add to your reading list – I absolutely loved it.
About the author
Jenni Keer is a history graduate who lives in the Suffolk countryside. Her lifelong passion for reading became a passion for writing and she had two contemporary romance novels published in 2019. She has now embraced her love of the past to write twisty, turny historicals, and The Legacy of Halesham Hall was shortlisted for the Romantic Historical Novel of the Year in 2023.
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Awwww… Anne! This is just lovely. Thank you so much 🧡
Jenni x
Always a pleasure, my lovely xx
Rather kicking myself that I couldn’t fit this one in!
I do hope you’ll manage to catch up with it later – you’d love it!