At the Stroke of Midnight by Jenni Keer

It’s an invitation that will change everything…

It’s 1923 when 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 secret shared history with several of the guests. Belatedly discovering that her father was blackmailed into attending, Pearl’s worries are compounded when their elusive host fails to even appear…

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 culminates 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 completely addictive and unforgettable 1920s mystery – with a timeslip twist – perfect for fans of Daphne du Maurier, Agatha Christie, and Lucinda Riley.

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I absolutely LOVED Jenni Keer’s No. 23 Burlington Square, but I’ve been very slow in getting to her other novels.  Prompted recently by Eva at Novel Deelights, I decided it was time to rectify that.  I had high expectations going into this novel, but I found myself immediately gripped by the premise of the novel and the mysteries within its pages.

It begins with a seemingly innocuous invitation for Pearl and her father, although it quickly becomes apparent that it’s not the simple work trip that her father is making it out to be when Pearl discovers that he’s being blackmailed into attending.  Things become stranger upon their arrival when their host doesn’t turn up and as it becomes apparent that this seemingly disparate group has some connection that they don’t want to confess to.  Puzzled and intimidated by the behaviour of her fellow guests, Pearl escapes to a sheltered cove to indulge her love of swimming and discovers a treasure trove of weird and wonderful artifacts hidden in a cave, including a clepsydra – an ancient timekeeping device.  

Returning to the party, the guests meet for dinner, and Pearl is eventually able to escape to her room for the night.  Her sleep is broken by smoke in her room and, unable to escape, she perishes in the fire before waking up on the previous afternoon.  Which then repeats largely as the previous day unfolded. And then it happens again. She goes through the range of emotions that you might expect were you suddenly caught up in your own Groundhog Day – bewilderment, fear, anger – before realising that she can use the opportunity to find out what’s going on, who wants to kill the guests, and why.  Finding an unexpected ally on the way, she begins to investigate, accumulating knowledge and gradually putting everything together.

Pearl is a great character, although one who is on the shy and quiet side at the beginning of the novel.  I felt a great deal of sympathy for her and anger on her behalf.  She’s a lonely character with few friends, and her father takes advantage of her, expecting her to manage the house just so with little regard for her needs and wants.  There’s more to her than meets the eye, however, and with a little encouragement, she soon begins to assert herself, speaking her mind and doing what she thinks is right, not just what she’s told.  It’s great to see her come out of her shell and essentially tell her father to stick it – it’s been a long time coming.

Ellery, one of the two servants at the party, soon becomes trapped in the same time loop as Pearl.  He’s another great character and exactly what Pearl needs.  He encourages her to braver, bolder, and to speak her mind – to be the person that she wants to be, not just the person that the world expects.  It’s the nudge that she needs to straighten her spine and take back some control of her life.  I adored the growing will they / won’t they relationship between these two characters who are clearly attracted to each other (the tension is palpable!), and while I’m not generally a fan of romance in books, it works really well here, adding another element to the narrative. 

I also thought that the time slip element of the novel was really well done.  It can be hard to repeat the same day over and over without it becoming tedious and repetitive for the reader, but Keer manages it brilliantly, and the reason they find themselves in this time loop is well explained.  And I love that they, at Ellery’s insistence, have some fun with the fact that the day will reset by midnight, borrowing expensive clothes and gatecrashing a (different) party and generally getting up to mischief even as they seek to understand the reason for the mysterious invitations, the secrets and lies, and who want to kill the guests and why. 

At the Stroke of Midnight is another absolutely brilliant read from Jenni Keer.  I love the golden age mystery vibes and the time loop gives it something a little extra, particularly as this aspect of the narrative is so well handled.  Highly recommended.