The Midnight Clock: A Curious Clockwork Mystery, #1

When ruthless estate appraiser Arthur Petrucci collapses and dies during a VIP preview at her antique shop, Penny Reed has three hours to prove her loyal apprentice didn't do it — before Detective Mike Russell's crime scene unit takes over her shop for good.

The poison wasn't in the pot. It was wiped onto one specific teacup, which means the killer knew exactly which cup belonged to Arthur — and exactly how much time they had to get away with it.

As guests wait under police guard in her own gallery, Penny turns her trained eye for detail — the same eye that authenticates brushstrokes and spots forged provenance — on the four people with the strongest reasons to want Arthur dead. A swindled schoolteacher. An embezzling brother. A wealthy collector with a secret worth protecting. And her own apprentice, whose walnut-stained hands might just be the thing that saves him.

Racing a deadline she can't stop the clocks from counting down, Penny has until 1:30 to catch a killer hiding in plain sight, in The Midnight Clock, Book 1 of The Curious Clockwork Mysteries.