The year is 1923 and a Mr Badgerwood has invited a handful of seemingly unconnected people to Highcliffe House, the domicile of Virgil and Lenora Brockhurst, to a dinner soirée but then he doesn't turn up. The guests are Pearl Glenham, her father Raymond, Céline and Aldo Ravello and Harlow Standfield. They are being looked after by Mrs Dawson and young Ellery Brown. In the night a fire ravishes the building and all guests perish.

Luckily, Pearl had before been exploring a nearby cave where she found and knocked into an old clepsydra - a water or in this case mercury clock. The knock created a time loop (don't ask) and at midnight she simply wakes up, it's 2pm of the same day, everything starts up again and she has to figure out who wants to harm the guests and why, and why no one has heard from the Brockhursts in twenty years.

So begins a story of secrets, lies and hidden identities. It's a murder mystery a la Agatha Christie, a supernatural thriller and romance in a historical setting all rolled into one, with a hefty dose of Groundhog Day.

I have just read Jenni Keer's The Ravenswood Witch and there are definite similarities though I preferred that book. The tendency to big twists at the end is appreciated though as I was getting a bit tired of the Groundhog Day middle, which definitely dragged as all Pearl and Ellery were doing was going to parties.

It's an enjoyable fast read in a historical setting but it doesn't pack a punch as The Ravenswood Witch did. The cover is incredibly beautiful though.