An Extract From At The Stroke Of Midnight By Jenni Keer

Who Is Eva Glyn? An Extract From A New Arrival In Bort...

An Extract From At The Stroke Of Midnight By Jenni Keer

A regular visitor to my blog, Jenni Keer released a new novel At The Stroke Of Midnight on 12 March 2024 and I am delighted that she is here to share an extract of the new book published by Boldwood Books …

Thank you so much for inviting me on to your blog again. It’s always such a pleasure to be asked, and your virtual biscuits really are the best I’ve ever had.

Also, HUGE congratulations on your January release of A New Arrival in Borteen Bay. Such a great cover! (Thank you, Mx)

I’ve had an exciting week over here in sunny Suffolk, with the release of my sixth novel last Tuesday, so it gives me great pleasure to share an extract of At the Stroke of Midnight with you all today. But, first things first, let me tell you a bit about the book…

What it says on the back of the book –

It’s 1923 and in a decade that promises excitement and liberation, 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 shared history with several of the guests, although he won’t admit it. Belatedly discovering that her father was blackmailed into attending, Pearl’s worries are compounded when their host fails to arrive…

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 will culminate 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?

This is the first time I have dipped my toe in the waters of cosy crime, with a book my publisher describes as “Rebecca meets Agatha Christie meets Groundhog Day”. It was such a fun book to write, so now let me whet your appetite with a scene where the guests first have lunch, and Pearl begins to suspect strange things are afoot…

***

Céline had all eyes on her from the moment she stepped back onto the terrace to join them for lunch. A waft of expensive scent both preceded and followed her, and her movements were graceful and considered. She had changed into another stunning ensemble – a yellow and turquoise jewelled turban was about her head, and she was swathed in yards of matching oriental-style silk. It was all terribly modern, and far too extravagant for daywear. The blue suit was obviously just her travelling ensemble, and Pearl wondered how many changes of clothing the woman usually wore during the course of a day.

A pleasant, if simple, meal was served, where Pearl contributed little, but observed a very great deal. Her father immediately rearranged the cutlery and glassware set before him so that everything was perfectly aligned, looking across at his daughter as he did so as if to imply this was something she should have seen to. But it was Céline who held most of her attention. The older woman casually brushed the arms of the men and frequently ran her tongue across her painted red lips. (She only ever wore red lipstick, she confided, as it was the most sensual. Poor Pearl didn’t know how to respond.) There was a considered pause before the Signora spoke and, was it Pearl’s cynical imagination, or was the woman deliberately stretching out those Gallic vowels in her honey-coated voice, just to trap the buzzing insects of men seated around the table?

Mr Standfield, on the other hand, was all bluster and impetuous pronouncements.

‘Dammit, it’s so hot, a fellow could strip to his undergarments and throw himself in the sea.’

Everyone looked up from their food, even Aldo, who Pearl noticed was finally looking engaged, if only by his plate of cold chicken pie and salad.

‘I have no desire to go to the cove,’ Céline said, pulling a face that demonstrated exactly how objectionable the thought was to her.

‘No, well, quite,’ Standfield said. ‘Perhaps a cold bath is preferable. The sea is for paddling children and impoverished fishermen.’

Pearl said nothing but thought he was being rather snobbish, considering Queen Victoria herself had been an exponent of the health benefits of an ocean dip.

Despite their protestations otherwise, it quickly became apparent to her that, with the possible exception of the silent Aldo, the other three guests had met before. There was something about the way they sat, bodies tilted away from each other, and the awkward pauses in the conversation. Everyone was still avoiding the usual civil enquiries about family, occupation and background, which convinced her this was a trio of people who had a shared history but, for some unfathomable reason, were not prepared to admit it…

***

I hope you are intrigued enough to want to read on. If you are, the book can be found here – mybook.to/strokemidnightsocial

I try to write quirky books because I enjoy reading quirky books. I hope that the twists and turns catch you out, and if they don’t, I hope you enjoyed the smug feeling of being right. You clearly have a brain that works like mine.

It’s been a real rollercoaster of a ride in the five years since I’ve been published, but with each release, I have grown in confidence as a writer, and I was thrilled that my 2023 release, No 23 Burlington Square, stayed for such a long time in the Amazon Kindle top 100 chart. Buying link – mybook.to/burlingtonsqsocial

Thank you so much for having me over, Morton. Do connect with me on social media. I’m easy to find as I’m Jenni Keer everywhere. (Thanks goodness my husband’s surname was more unusual than mine!) Have a glorious Easter and roll on the summer weather.

Jenni x

Thank you for visiting Morton S. Gray’s blog.

My latest release is A New Arrival in Borteen Bay