THE TIME KEEPER

Thirteen-year-old Malcolm McKenzie’s wits are tested in this atmospheric mystery set in Scotland in 1902.

The orphaned Malcolm lives in Mrs. McCardle’s Home for Children and is apprenticed to Jack Alexander, a clockmaker and inventor. Malcolm’s good friends with Jack’s son, Peter, and is a regular visitor to the Alexander home, where Peter’s aunt also lives. The novel unfolds around two intertwining and mysterious misfortunes that strike the family: a strange illness that Peter succumbs to, followed by Jack’s murder. Mahoney explores the world of Edinburgh’s first generation of female physicians through the character of Dr. Fiona MacIsaac, who plays a prominent role in Peter’s care and is present when Malcolm discovers Jack’s body in a locked church tower. When Malcolm takes up Jack’s interrupted quest to help Peter, Dr. MacIsaac provides a crucial piece of the puzzle—an item that may lead to a healing serum. Malcolm’s sleuthing leads him all over the city and offers insights into the fascinating and intricate worlds of early-20th-century medicine and clockmaking. This mystery, which features a white-presenting cast, will appeal to readers who enjoy historical settings, intriguing puzzles, and some element of danger. The author brings to life the richly evoked Edinburgh through descriptive writing as well as its residents’ speech patterns.

A thrilling, transportive historical adventure that offers hope and explores themes of found family.