I was excited to get an eARC from the publisher via netgalley in return for an honest review.

I have read & loved previous children's books series written by Michelle Harrison., so I was very excited to see what she would conjure up with twins getting up to some mischief.

The beginning of the story has a very contemporary feel as we meet the twins, Spike and Merry, and their mother who is an art restorator on their way to their mother's next work place, Fox House.

The contemporary feel and the very precise characterisation of the twins flattens somewhat out when the mystery of Fox House that is quickly found to be a haunted house takes over.

The developments are fast and furious and topple each other over until at the end we come to the solution of the murder mystery, where all is revealed and the mystery solved.

And this is where I found myself gut punched.

<spoiler>The solution the author has come up with is so incredibly disappointing. On the last couple of pages an unsuccessful female to female relationship is revealed as having created the opportunity for the initial murder to take place.

I did not see that one coming. The book up to that point feels so very straight. To introduce a female to female relationship and related with it LGBTQ+ into the book on the last couple of pages and only hinting at it by using the pronoun 'her' two or three times is in my point of view just incredibly bad representation. There is no further explanation or discussion on the topic within the book.

It is doubly bad representation for female to female relationships as, firstly, it is so the speak the source of all evil within the story, and, secondly, it lets the reader unconsciously assume that female to female relationships are unsuccessful as we see the character in the book living a single life within the household 10+ years after the event.

And this comes from an author that up until now I perceived as being all there for empowering girls on their way of growing up and becoming women and being very much there for sisterhood, but possibly just not that kind of sisterhood.
</spoiler>

The resolution feels in all its parts very stereotypical and the bad guys have no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

Looking back at the excitement I felt at the beginning with Merry and Spike being born on two different calendar years and the magic that this conjures up feels at the end of this story rather flat and one dimensional.

A new Michelle Harrison book is always an invitation to magic and adventure and with Twice Upon a Time, Michelle Harrison delivers both in buckets. Merry and Spike Morrow (or Meredith and Rose) are twins born either side of midnight who can freeze time, a talent that can be used for mischief but which they take seriously when they discover that to use their gift brings troubling visions. When their mother is invited to spend the summer at Fox House to help restore its valuable oil paintings, the twins find themselves deep in the mystery of a girl who disappeared with her baby years before.

Twice Upon a Time is a delicious adventure and Merry and Spike's sisterly bond is beautifully drawn. Also brilliantly handled is Spike's tinnitus, a subject that I've not seen in a children's book before, and as a long-time sufferer, Spike's difficulties with this condition and her ways of soothing its symptoms rang very true.. The mystery is expertly drawn and also delivered with heart, and the plight of Jenny and her baby is one that often tugs at the heartstrings.

You'll wish you could stop time like the Morrow twins to spend more of it in this brilliant adventure!

Another stunner from Michelle Harrison. I've loved every book she's written. From The 13 Curses, to this one, they've all been stellar and I'm so glad she continues to write more because I just can't get enough.

Twice Upon A Time is a gripping time-twisting mystery adventure: an intriguing whodunnit which held me enthralled throughout.

The Morrow twins, Merry and Spike, were born in different years: Merry, two minutes before midnight and Spike, 9 minutes into the New Year. The two clocks in their home stopped at the time each was born, and the girls have kept a secret whilst growing up: they can stop time and have visions of the past and future.

When their mum gets a job at Fox House, restoring old paintings, Merry and Spike expect their time there to be boring – until they discover that the old house has held a mystery for the last 13 years – a mystery that they intend to solve. Can they discover what has happened to Jenny Crocker who disappeared from the house, with her baby son, in strange circumstances?

So begins the most riveting, action-packed, thrilling mystery as Merry and Spike, together with new friend, Ben, begin their investigations into Jenny’s disappearance. Could foul play have been involved? Who is the ghostly figure on the stairs? And, does someone in the present have a vested interest in keeping the truth hidden?

I absolutely loved uncovering clues with the three daring friends, following them as they piece together evidence and uncover possible culprits and motives. Merry and Spike use their ability to stop time to perfect effect when getting themselves out of danger, and their visions of past and future events helps them to uncover buried secrets.

The setting of the old, isolated house, owned by the reclusive Lady Belmont, with its turrets, well in the kitchen, locked rooms, forbidden areas, puzzles, maze and walled gardens is just perfect for this mystery. There is a real sense of danger for the children as they unravel clues and find themselves edging ever closer to the truth: a truth that someone will do anything to keep secret.

I adored the sibling bond between Merry and Spike who have very different natures, but who clearly love each other. Merry is more cautious than Spike who is more impetuous and a rule-breaker. Both girls show courage, determination and quick wits when piecing together the clues and extricating themselves from dangerous situations. I really enjoyed their friendship with Ben, who is incredibly likeable, and someone they quickly trust with their time secret.

This is an utterly unputdownable mystery where time will stand still as readers lose themselves in a world of danger, intrigue and secrets. Perfect for readers of 9+.

I really liked this one!

The premise of twins being born in different times was such an interesting one!

The book was full of fun, mystery and adventure. I would definitely recommend it. The writing was excellent - the whole family loved it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the earc.

Twice Upon a Time is a pacey, exciting and whimsical story about two sisters, navigating both the house and grounds of their current temporary home, and time. Merry and Spike are twins who can temporary freeze time, see visions of the future and flashbacks of the past, which they use to help them solve the mystery of a missing woman who once lived in the manor a decade before.
As with Michelle's other books (the glorious Widdershins sisters books), the characters are excellently formed. Merry and Spike as individuals, and the relationship between them both, add a real warmth and realness to the story, and the twists and turns with strange ladies wandering through fields and a bratty, conniving heir to a fortune, add to the mystery.
An excellent read and one that will enthral young readers. I'd say this is great for UKS2 - nothing stopping it from being in Y3/4, but be mindful that it contains death (not graphic though).
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon And Schuster for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

The opening chapter got me hooked instantly. The whole idea of having twins born in different years is interesting. The writing is done perfectly with a hint of magic and darkness. I love how the twins are portrayed in the book. The dialogue between them adds a humorous side to the story. It is in my shopping cart on Amazon already.

I was so excited to read this book, as Harrison's books are always brilliant!
The murder mystery tale was great, especially with the twist of the twins being able to manipulate time in little ways, in order to find out more about what happened in the past.
the story is a bit scary, but nothing too much for most children (though there are some mentions of blood, but it is a murder mystery, so that is kind of expected).
the whole tale is really exciting and very hard to put down!
my only complaint is that i didn't connect with the main characters in the same was as i did with Harrison's previous books, like her Pinch of Magic series, which I adored all the sisters deeply. The characters were still interesting, I definitely preferred Merry to Spike, and luckily she was the sister at the forefront of this story. And that was really the only thing that put me off. Otherwise it's an amazing story and definitely worth a read!

The Marlow Murder Club for children although all of the family actually enjoyed this exciting tale. Michelle Harrison is such a reliably good writer of this type of book.

Merry and Spike are twins, born eleven minutes apart, one on either side on midnight on the last day of the year. This has led to an unusual experience with any kind of timepiece. For example, if they touch clocks, strange things happen (such as people’s speech speeding up or birds flying backwards). Together they can freeze time for a minute, but using this ability brings consequences in form of a vision for the twins, of the future for Spike and of the past for Merry. Accompanying their art-restorer mother to the home of Lady Belmont (a recluse since her husband died), they meet the formidable Miss Burdock the housekeeper, Nanny Natter (not as crazy and incoherent as she seems), Ben, found on the doorstep as a baby and brought up in the house, as well as Alastair, the nephew of Lady Belmont. They also sniff out a mystery, with the disappearance of a maid (and her baby) who vanished thirteen years earlier. Merry and Spike are determined to find out what really happened to her.

I love the idea of the twins born on either side of a year changing over having the ability to manipulate time, and being able to freeze time for a minute was a fun element of the story. Speculative fiction fans beware, this story is a mystery rather than a time-bending story. The twins only freeze time to get out of trouble. The consequences actually are very useful visions that help them solve the mystery by either showing glimpses of the past or of the future. Convenience aside, I enjoyed this superpower, although I was surprised they didn’t use it in the face of a dangerous character in the story climax.

Merry and Spike are endearing characters, and I enjoyed their efforts to untangle the mystery. Ben is a good addition as is Nanny Natter. Alastair is a thorough villain, with zero redeeming features. The story is well-written and I really enjoyed the twins’ investigation right up to the resolution. Unfortunately the backstory is so contrived that it really marred my enjoyment. Children are unlikely to pick up on the sheer contrivance and implausibility of it, but in my view that is not a good enough reason not to put in a better end. It was a shame because it was an entertaining read up to that point.

Overall a really enjoyable read but with a hugely disappointing end. (5 stars for the premise, characters and writing, 1 star for the explanation/plot, hence 3 star rating)

This is my 1st book from this author, and i really loved it! The story is about a pair of twins, Meredith and Rose who has special powers that can stop the time, or have visions about the past or the future. One day, they follow their mom to her new workplace at Fox House. Here, they found many secrets, from the house itself, to their residents! Will they be able to solve the missing girl’s case?
It’s a fast paced book, and i think i love all the characters except for Alastair for sure! The friendship between the twins and Ben are adorable. Also, Nanny with all the secrets she’s holding! I’ll recommend this book to those who loves a middle grade and fantasy!

Michelle Harrison has done it again with this masterful tale of twins Merry and Spike, who have a secret magical power that allows them to stop time!

Little do Merry and Spike realise when forced out of their city home, for a stay in an ancient country house, that mystery and danger await. There is a missing woman, an abandoned baby, a secret room and a locked study. What exactly did happen at Fox Manor on that fateful night? Can Merry and Spike use their magical time stopping power to avert another disaster?

A wonderful, twisty adventure with characters to fall in love with and an edge of the seat plot - and surely a sequel in the pipeline? I absolutely loved Twice Upon a Time and can highly recommend it.

Oh my goodness, a brilliant return from Michelle Harrison. Her books never disappoint. Merry and Spike are twins born on different days, in different months and different years. They discover a connection to time and this leads them on a mission to discover the truth about the mysterious vanishing of a woman from the house in which their mother is working.
Lots of fun and adventures. I loved it.

Interesting and engaging mystery story where twins with a unique magical skill to manipulate time and have visions investigate a disappearance. It feels as though this is the start of a new series of books where the twins and their semi-itinerant mother move to different locations that just happen to have a mysterious past. There's a huge appetite for crime and mystery stories of all kinds amongst my readers and this new mystery series with a fantasy twist is a welcome addition.

A brilliant engaging storyline with twists and turns all the way through. The characters- especially the twins - are fabulous, their relationships constantly evolving and pulling in the reader.
A great story for all to enjoy.

When they go with their art restorer mother to a job in the middle of the countryside, the Morrow twins are expecting boredom and isolation. They get neither, as they are drawn into he houses many mysteries, most importantly finding what happened to a woman who went missing from the house over ten years ago. With Harrison's usual flair, she adds "a pinch of magic" to this new novel which I think will be loved by Key Stage 2 children (I can think of several of my Year 7s who would love it, too).

When Meredith and Rose (aka Merry and Spike) travel with their mother on one of her assignments to a house in the countryside, they have no idea of the adventure that awaits them. In addition to the reclusive owner, the place holds any number of secrets - including the story of a missing woman.

But Merry and Spike, identical twins with quite different personalities, have a few secrets of their own. Not least the mystery of what happens to the very nature of time itself when the twins are around...

This excellent story involves mystery, magic and mayhem (sometimes unintentional, though Spike can be a bit of a troublemaker!), with plenty to keep the reader engrossed. This is creative storytelling that will fire the imaginations of children in the target group. An enjoyable read. It gets 3.5 stars.

I thoroughly enjoyed the premise of this book - the combination of magic, mystery and adventure will really appeal to young readers. I thought the start was exceptionally strong and I was immediately intrigued. It’s set in a creepy old manor house and is suspense-filled and action-packed from the opening. I thought the ending was a strange combination of being incredible far-fetched whilst also being predictable: I felt the story telling was better than the story in this instance. I’m sure it will be enjoyed by young readers however.

A thrilling time-hopping murder mystery !

This story reads a bit like an Agatha Christie book : there's an old manor house, an elderly lady with quite a fortune, employers and family members who could all have motives to commit a crime. In addition, the magic brings an original twist and leads to more suspense and mystery.

The plot is well-paced and the mystery well constructed. I hope this is the start of a series, as I'd love to join the Morrow twins on a next investigation!

Many thanks to Simon and Shuster, as well as NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest opinion of the book. Review available now on Goodreads and on retailer sites after publication date.