A Clock Stikes Murder - Michelle Harrison

Spike and Merry are back and this time they are on the island of Crete whilst their mum restores paintings for an old friend of hers. At the same time, Yiannis is holding an auction to sell a cursed painting that reportedly kills anyone who looks at it.  Competition is fierce between those who want it but when one of them ends up dead, things take a dramatic turn.  Can the twins and their new friend Nikos get to the truth  before it's too late?

It was lovely to be back with the twins and their unusual ability to stop time, and I liked that their back story was woven seamlessly into the beginning of the book so that those who haven't read Twice Upon A Time could pick up A Clock Strikes Murder and read it as a stand alone (although I highly recommend reading it - you can read my review here).

This time, it's a small Greek museum, taverna and villa as the setting, recently cut off by a landslide and only accessible through some tricky to navigate caves - perfect for creating isolation and a murderous setting.  The summer sunshine, and descriptions of delicious Greek food sent me back to long hot days spent in Crete myself and more than made up for the fact that I read it in rainy Britain over February half-term! 

The plot is pacey and leaves little clues as it goes so readers will be able to pit their wits and see if they can guess the identity of the killer before the twins do. With twists to fool and make you think, it's a book that will keep you guessing. 

Danger, daring and drama lurk around every corner in this race against time - it's a book that readers are going to love.

A Clock Strikes Murder publishes on the 12th March.