This book started slow but soon picked up speed.
It is a superb time twist novel.
At the Stroke of Midnight is a cross between Groundhog Day and an Agatha Christie.
I enjoyed it.

This is a clever murder mystery with a type of romantic end. The chase in search of the murderer is excellent in that it uses a ‘Groundhog day’ device where the main characters experience the same day repeatedly and find out more about the mystery as the repetitions of time continue.

I liked the sound of this book, and it was a pleasant read with a nostalgic feel. I think it just wasn't quite what I expected somehow, and I didn't really feel connected to any of the characters. I would probably try another book by this author though.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

I was on the blog tour with Rachel's Random Resources

http://ramblingmads.uk/2024/03/16/blog-tour-at-the-stroke-of-midnight-jenni-keer/

Cada uno tenemos nuestras preferencias a la hora de leer y si a mi me pones delante una historia de viajes en el tiempo es bastante complicado que la deje pasar, en especial cuando se recurre al tropo del bucle temporal del que parece imposible salir, entonces ya me tienes totalmente ganada. Lo malo de esto es que tras haber leído la maravillosa The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, es muy difícil encontrar algún libro que siquiera se le acerque en cuanto a complejidad de trama e inmersión en la lectura. Es por esto que aunque At the Stroke of Midnight es una buena novela, palidece en la comparación.


El principal problema de At the Stroke of Midnight es un comienzo bastante lento que lastra el desarrollo de la historia. Tanto la situación geográfica, con un misterio de “mansión cerrada” por llamarlo de alguna manera como el momento temporal en que Jenni Keer sitúa su historia son muy acertados para un relato de este tipo, pero quizá se demora demasiado en los detalles preliminares antes de llegar al meollo del asunto. El año es 1923, como buen misterio con toques a lo Agatha Christie, y la protagonista es Pearl Glenham, una joven apocada que siempre ha estado al servicio de su frío y distante padre. Todo esto cambiará cuando los inviten a una retirada mansión sin una causa clara y sobre todo cuando empiece el bucle temporal al que se ve abocada por enigmáticas causas.

Pearl vivirá un rito de madurez tras otro de forma muy acelerada en cada una de las iteraciones del día que le toca revivir, algo que la autora nos muestra de una forma concisa e inteligente, partiendo de la confusión inicial al disfrute de la libertad sin compromisos ni consecuencias y finalizando en la reflexión y madurez. En este aspecto, Pearl Glenham es el sujeto perfecto de anodino presente que va desarrollándose gracias a esta oportunidad para florecer en su vida adulta.

El casting mental que realizó la autora para los personajes no llega a sorprender tanto, quizá por lo escaso de su número o por lo estereotipado de algunos de ellos. Cumplen perfectamente su función, pero quizá son un poco bidimensionales si los comparamos con Pearl. Aún así, cumplen perfectamente su papel como figurantes en el misterio.

Respecto al misterio en sí, las causas de la repetición del día y también cómo salir del atolladero no son excesivamente originales, pero si que son funcionales y plausibles (dentro de cierta suspensión de la incredulidad) y dan a la novela cierto toque de verosimilitud que ayuda mucho a disfrutar de la lectura, ya que son coherentes dentro de la lógica interna del propio libro.

En resumen At the Stroke of Midnight es una novela agradable para leer, que no viene a revolucionar el género pero que tampoco lo pretende.

Deliciously quirky cozy mystery, intriguing historical characters with a time travel twist or groundhog day twist. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

In this historical fiction novel, Clue meets Groundhog Day and plays with the concept of time travel in early twentieth-century England. Jenni Keer brings readers into a house where Pearl Glenham and her father live an isolated and eccentric life until they are invited to a mysterious house party in Dorset. The first night, a fire burns the manor home down -- except Pearl wakes up and lives the day over again with all of her memories. As she continues to live, die, and relive the house party, Pearl must use all of her wits and skills to uncover the mystery of the house party, those in attendance, and stop the cycle from repeating itself. Keer’s characters are the star of the show, and Pearl is a particularly unique and complex heroine with a depth to her character that is not immediately apparent to the other figures in the novel. Location, too, plays a massive role in the story for reasons which will be revealed to the readers as Pearl continues to live the day over and over again. A fun take on the standard historical fiction mystery, fans of the genres are sure to enjoy Keer’s unique and innovative historical fiction novel.

A throughly enjoyable murder mystery with a fascinating spin and twist!
What would you do if your day was stuck on repeat? Never destined to see midnight and wake up in the exact same point of time, in the same spot every morning?
That is the predicament Pearl finds herself in after she discovers a hidden cave full of weird and mysterious artefacts and bumping her head, rendering herself unconscious.
Up until her unexpected trip to Dorset with her father Raymond Glenham following an unexpected invitation by the mysterious Mr Mr Badgerwood, Pearl has led a very sheltered, subservient life with just her father.
Unused to being in the company of so many upperclass people, her only happiness she expects from the mysterious trip is the sea and Highcliffe House’s private cove where she can indulge her passion for swimming.
Along with her father and the other guests who all claim to have never met before and to have never met their mysterious host, Pearl instantly knows something isn’t right with the whole situation.
After dying the first night in a house fire that claims the lives of everyone there, except the male servant, Ellery, who was sleeping at the near by pub, she awakes the next morning back in the cave. But to her it is the next day, to everyone else it is still the same day as they arrived.
After living through several horrible deaths Pearl starts to investigate the other guests to try and work out how and why they are all stuck in this loop with only her knowing.
What follows will change Pearls life forever and in ways nobody will expect.
This book is full of some big characters and most of them insufferable but although the day is stuck on repeat for the other guests there are quite a few twists and turns throughout the book.
I love Pearl’s character, she is one of my favourite protagonists so far this year and I found myself willing her along, especially as the story picks up pace.
And as for the ending! Now that I was certainly not expecting. It is extremely clever and a real head spinner!
If you enjoy a really good suspense sprinkled with something special then you are going to love this book.
AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT is out now and I highly recommend reading this book to everyone and is a book you don’t want to miss!

I don’t know where Jenni gets her ideas from but I’m glad she does. A very different sort of time travel book this time. Peatland her father are invited to a party at Highcliffe House in Dorset. He claims not to know why or any of the other invitees but he’s been blackmailed to attend. Pearl doesn’t get on with any of them apart from the bought in waiter but escapes to a nearby bay and finds a strange mercury clock. She hits her head and swallows some of the mercury and has a ‘groundhog’ day experience resulting in her death but coming back to do it all again with changes. It’s very intriguing and unputdownable. I loved it.

oh. my. goodness. this book was absolutely incredible!!!! i had so much fun reading this book. it was lovely and wonderful and amazing. thank you so much to netgalley for letting me read this book before the publication date!!!

Plot

I am sure you are familiar with the concept of Groundhog Day. At the Stroke of Midnight unravels a mystery that results in just this occurrence. That is, until protagonist Pearl gets to the bottom of it!
What makes this an intriguing novel is that at the start of the book, we have no idea what historic events have brought these seemingly different and unrelated characters together. They all seem to have a past and secrets to hide. Pearl is seemingly the only guest with no agenda or understanding of what has happened before present day. She comes out of her shell as she finds the courage to start asking difficult questions, even of those she loves. 
In At the Stroke of Midnight, we have a set of core events that take place once, some that occur if timeline isn’t altered too much, and then we have some variation where alterations do occur. If that sounds like a lot to take in, I promise you it’s not! We see enough loops in the timeline that we are able to identify what sits where and recognise patterns in actions versus consequences.
I really enjoyed the mystery element to this story, and the resolution of the same fitting nicely with expectation, even if I didn’t predict it. The revelations that occur in the story are intriguing once teased out. Nothing is quite as it seems and we readers are left guessing up until the end how everything ties together. 
 


Characters

Pearl undergoes quite a bit of character development throughout the book. At the start of the story, she is a quiet, meek girl who has grown up running a household and taking care of her working father. Keeping house and waiting to be wed to a man so that she can run his household instead are her future prospects. 
The events of this book change her life trajectory completely. Without the same constraints of modern day life, Pearl starts to reinvent herself. Free of the consequences of not being able to take back her actions, she becomes far bolder and explores what it is like to live in the shoes of others. The freedom this grants her gives a taste of what it is like to be more than a wallflower, and it suits her.
Whilst Pearl is the main character of this story, she cannot come to be without the supporting cast. The group also invited to the party come from a diverse background and they all have a unique flavour. Some personalities are stronger than others, but each are distinct and enjoyable in their own right! 
If a touch of romance in your mysteries is something you enjoy, then the dynamic relationship that forms between Pearl and Ellery is one to look out for. Whilst I’m not especially one for romance, I found their relationship touching given Pearl’s background and encouragement he gives her to come out of her shell.
 


Setting

The vast majority of events in At the Stroke of Midnight take place in Highcliffe House. The books is set in an exclusive, well cared for location with elusive owners and a sketchy past. It definitely has us readers asking questions early on. What is this place, and who are the owners? What relationship do the characters of present day have to these people? 
This setting and the tension created by the plot make for an intriguing setting. The Groundhog Day element of the story, coupled with this particular setting, cemented the comparison for me with The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. There are differences in these two books clearly, but it is reminiscent enough that fans of either book will enjoy the other. 
There are some small deviations in setting which add some variety and opportunities for character development. However, I broadly enjoyed this exclusivity; I wanted to focus on the events taking place at this recurring party and the aftermath. This is the aspect of the book I enjoyed the most. In my opinion, the execution of this fit in perfectly with the period and setting set out at the beginning.
 


Narrative Style

The style of At the Stroke of Midnight is compulsively readable and easy to digest. I personally felt the chapter lengths were perfect to convey action without unnecessary detail. That said, there are hints of detail if you are keen enough to pick them up. Consequently, if you like to try and work out the mystery as you go along, then At the Stroke of Midnight will appeal. 
I picked up this book in the evenings whilst sat cosy at home, and even in my lunch hour at work. As my experience shows, it is a perfect book to pick up and put down as and when time and opportunity suits. 
 


Summary

If you enjoy cosy mysteries or books with a historical setting, At the Stroke of Midnight is a book I strongly recommend. With a compelling storyline and complex characters to unravel, together with a protagonist who finds in herself an inner strength she didn’t know she had, there was plenty here for readers to enjoy. 
I thoroughly enjoyed picking up At the Stroke of Midnight. It is quite a quick read if you are invested in finding out what is going on in the storyline, as you’ll always be picking up just one more chapter.

I’m not sure where to start with my review other than to say I really enjoyed this book! I loved the character development of Pearl as she goes from a quiet, unassuming woman to something else entirely. The events of this story go a long way to showing Pearl new sides to herself. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with not only Pearl but with this very intriguing story. This book has serious Groundhog Day vibes but somehow makes it feel fresh and new. The reader is given new bits of information and snippets of the past each time. I loved the differences and similarities of these days along with subtle clues interspersed for Pearl and the reader to discover.

The plot itself moves at a great pace especially as more of the mystery begins to unfold. I kept changing my mind and my opinions over what could have happened. Along with the reasons for why this group of people were brought together. The best parts of this story for me was seeing Pearl’s personality really shine through. It was lovely to see this take place and of course the time travel aspect was always going to be an intriguing side of the plot.

At the Stroke of Midnight was a stand out read from start to finish. Giving me engaging characters, a mysterious tale and a hint of romance that was woven beautifully into the story. At the Stroke of Midnight had a magical feel, it really was a joy to read!

At the stroke of midnight is a quirky tale of love, family and time travel!

Pearl finds herself accompanying her father on a visit to a house he claims never to have been to before. She finds a strange collection of people and somehow finds herself stuck in a time loop. Pearl has to work out why they are all there and how she can avert a disaster in order to return time to its natural path.

She has some unlikely helpers along the way and finds out quite how many secrets are being hidden in the house and by its inhabitants!

Quirky and unique.

It's July 1923, Pearl and her father have been invited to an overnight stay in a manor at the coast. They neither know the host, nor the location, or any of the other guests, or the two people on staff. At night, after the dinner party, the house burns down with all guests inside. But, just like Bill Murray's character in Groundhog Day, Pearl wakes up again in the early afternoon of the the same day. She has to find out who is trying to kill her and the other guests to break the vicious time loop.

Because Pearl has less than twelve hours each day/loop to find out who is behind the mysterious invitation and wants to kill the guests, and why, the story drags in the middle. I skimmed the middle of the book, since nothing much happened and I could catch up with what Pearl had found out in a later chapter.

This is my fourth book by Keer and another well deserved five star review.

At the Stroke of Midnight is a brilliant mix of mystery and history, with romance and elements of something akin to Groundhog Day and 50 First Dates, where the main protagonist Pearl finds herself stuck in a loop of the evening when she and countless others lost their lives in a house fire - but can she solve the puzzle and break the loop?

This was such a hard book to read several chapters of and then put to one side, it was such a compelling plot that I had to keep going.

Brilliant book with brilliant characters. Highly recommended.

Creative and imaginative, this is a clever spin on the Christie type stories. There’s just enough darkness to make the story grip you but also light as we follow Pearl on her journey of self discovery. I really enjoyed how she was able to take the opportunity of the time changes each day to grow in confidence, and learn that life is so much more than she’d been led to believe.
With twists and intrigue on every page, this story takes you on a magical adventure as we join Pearl in trying to understand some of the secrets and mystery around her.

I fell in love with the gorgeous cover and the fell in love with the strong plot, entertaining and compelling.
Well plotted, excellent storytelling, fleshed out characters
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

At the Stroke of Midnight by Jenni Keer is an addictive read that took my by surprise—I knew I’d like it, but once I hit chapter 5, I was glued to the page until I finished the book over the course of a day and a half. I highly recommend pairing this read with a beach day as the detailed seaside descriptions felt so vibrant in combination with the smell of sea salt and the feel of the sun.

Our main character, Pearl, is a 19-year-old girl in 1923 England living with and caring for her father when they receive a mysterious invitation inviting them to a long-abandoned mansion by the sea! While at the surface-level this book is an interesting mash-up of Groundhog’s Day and Clue, it is so much more than that. It’s about coming of age and discovering yourself. There’s a sweet romantic subplot. The internal journey is as important and engaging as the the external journey and overall plot. The mystery is unique and keeps you on your toes. I did guess one of the twists, but in a satisfying kind of way.

I will say the first four chapters took me a bit (I blame beach distractions) but don’t be discouraged if that is the same for you—it is sooo worth making it past that.

Thanks so much for this ARC!

Another sublimely addictive story by this talented author. It has everything you might want in a book. A murder mystery. A groundhog Day time warp. A fabulous set of characters.. A beautiful setting. A coming of age storyline. Historical, just to add another layer of interest. And to glue it all together a dashing of romance. It really is the perfect escapist read and I loved every minute of it. This is not a book you can fit into a genre box. It is unique and rather fabulous, darling!

I loved everything about this mixed genre book. A twist on the Groundhog Day plot line set in the 1920s combined with the shared history of the characters brought the mystery/thriller part of the story, then swirled in a little paranormal/scifi to bring an interesting path to the MC as she tries to break loose from dying every day. Jenni Keer manages to keep the "dark" parts of the story from taking over, leaving the surprising reveal. This is the first Keer title I've read but now I'm on my way to check out her back library.