Twice Upon a Time: The perfect time-travel mystery

Spike and Merry #1

by Michelle Harrison

Can stopping time solve a murder . . . ?  A delicious mystery adventure for fans of Robin Stevens and Cressida Cowell from the award-winning and bestselling author of the Pinch of Magic series.
 
When the Morrow twins, Merry and Spike, arrive at dusty old Fox House, they think spending their holidays there is going to be dull. But they soon discover that there are secrets to the old house. A missing woman, a baby left on the doorstep, a locked study . . . As the mysteries pile up, the girls begin to investigate, using their own secret to help they can stop time!
 
What happened in this old house? And can their strange powers help them solve a decades-old crime?

Praise for the Pinch of Magic

‘A spellbinding story, steeped in magic. I adored it.’ Abi Elphinstone

‘Brilliant’ Emma Carroll

‘What a gorgeous, funny, creepy, page-turny story! If you’re yet to discover the Widdershins sisters books, you’re in for a TREAT!’ Lucy Strange

‘A stunner. Such great writing!’ Peter Bunzl

‘I love Michelle Harrison - I hadn’t read much fantasy but this series hooked me! Brilliant writing, beautiful!’ Lisa Thompson

‘Simply phenomenal’ Sophie Anderson

‘The wry enchantment of an E. Nesbit classic’  Guardian

‘Fantasy and adventure appear on every page of this spellbinding tale’  Daily Mail

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Mystery

334 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 11, 2024

About the author

My first children's novel, THE 13 TREASURES, won the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize. THE OTHER ALICE won the Calderdale Book of the Year Award. A PINCH OF MAGIC won a Dutch Bronze Pen Award. My books have been translated and sold in 25 territories worldwide.

Before becoming a full-time writer I worked in publishing as an editor, and before that, as a bookseller. Prior to that, I worked in bars, a bakery, and a second-hand record shop to make ends meet while trying to get my first book deal. I live in Essex and have a son, Jack, and two cats, Widdershins and Lucky.

My next children's novel is A CLOCK STRIKES MURDER, a sequel to TWICE UPON A TIME, publishing in March 2026 in the UK. My debut novel for adults is TWO LITTLE LIARS, a thriller partially set in the 1990s. It publishes in June 2026.

Reviews

[ikableu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my 1st book from this author, and i really loved it! The story is about a pair of twins, Meredith and Rose who has special powers that can stop the time, or have visions about the past or the future. One day, they follow their mom to her new workplace at Fox House. Here, they found many secrets, from the house itself, to their residents! Will they be able to solve the missing girl’s case?
It’s a fast paced book, and i think i love all the characters except for Alastair for sure! The friendship between the twins and Ben are adorable. Also, Nanny with all the secrets she’s holding! I’ll recommend this book to those who loves a middle grade and fantasy!

[Tim Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mystery with time bending child detectives: this book has all the right ingredients. And yet, it just didn't grab me. Maybe it was too "cosy". More action needed?

[Takealookinsideabook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh what a treat this was! I knew I was going to love this and it exceeded all my expectations! I adore Michelles writing, A Pinch Of Magic is one of my favourite children's series so I was very excited when I found out about this new magical and mysterious story.

I was hooked throughout and loved the sisterly bond between Merry & Spike. Ben was also a fabulous character who was sweet and genuine. There was also a certain character that gave me major Malfoy vibes!

A fabulous story filled with mystery and magic and alot of secrets🙊

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a proof copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Miyako Yukihira · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's an awesome story I loved
it. Michelle Harrison books got me into reading.
Michelle Harrison has outdone herself again. I have read most all her books and her stories make me feel like a child again.
Thank you Michelle Harrison I can't wait to read your next book.

[Valinora Troy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Merry and Spike are twins, born eleven minutes apart, one on either side on midnight on the last day of the year. This has led to an unusual experience with clocks and any kind of timepiece. If they touch clocks, strange things happen (such as people’s speech speeding up or birds flying backwards). Together they can freeze time for a minute, but using this ability brings consequences in form of a vision for the twins, of the future for Spike and of the past for Merry. Accompanying their art-restorer mother to the home of Lady Belmont (a recluse since her husband died), they meet the formidable Miss Burdock the housekeeper, Nanny Natter (not as crazy and incoherent as she seems), Ben, found on the doorstep as a baby and brought up in the house, as well as Alastair, the nephew of Lady Belmont. They also sniff out a mystery, with the disappearance of a maid (and her baby) who vanished thirteen years earlier. Merry and Spike are determined to find out what really happened to her.
I love the idea of the twins born on either side of a year changing over having the ability to manipulate time, and being able to freeze time for a minute was a fun element of the story. Speculative fiction fans beware, this story is a mystery rather than a time-bending story. The twins only freeze time to get out of trouble. The consequences actually are very useful visions that help them solve the mystery by either showing glimpses of the past or of the future. Convenience aside, I enjoyed this superpower, although I was surprised they didn’t use it in the face of a dangerous character in the story climax.
Merry and Spike are endearing characters, and I enjoyed their efforts to untangle the mystery. Ben is a good addition as is Nanny Natter. Alastair is a thorough villain, with zero redeeming features.
I couldn’t put my finger on what time period it was meant to be. It had an Edwardian melodrama vibe, but the mother had a car and wore dungarees and the twins clothes are quite modern. However there is no mention of any modern technology whatsoever (eg movies, tvs, mobiles, the internet, pop music, etc). It didn’t bother me, other than wondering if Twice Upon A Time was originally set in the past.
The story is well-written and I really enjoyed the twins’ investigation right up to the resolution. Unfortunately the backstory is so contrived that it really marred my enjoyment. Children are unlikely to pick up on the sheer contrivance and implausibility of it, but in my view that is not a good enough reason not to put in a better end. It was a shame because it was an entertaining read up to that point.

Overall a really enjoyable read but with a hugely disappointing end.

[Teri B · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited to get an eARC from the publisher via netgalley in return for an honest review.

I have read & loved previous children's books series written by Michelle Harrison., so I was very excited to see what she would conjure up with twins getting up to some mischief.

The beginning of the story has a very contemporary feel as we meet the twins, Spike and Merry, and their mother who is an art restorator on their way to their mother's next work place, Fox House.

The contemporary feel and the very precise characterisation of the twins flattens somewhat out when the mystery of Fox House that is quickly found to be a haunted house takes over.

The developments are fast and furious and topple each other over until at the end we come to the solution of the murder mystery, where all is revealed and the mystery solved.

And this is where I found myself gut punched.

The solution the author has come up with is so incredibly disappointing. On the last couple of pages an unsuccessful female to female relationship is revealed as having created the opportunity for the initial murder to take place.

I did not see that one coming. The book up to that point feels so very straight. To introduce a female to female relationship and related with it LGBTQ+ into the book on the last couple of pages and only hinting at it by using the pronoun 'her' two or three times is in my point of view just incredibly bad representation. There is no further explanation or discussion on the topic within the book.

It is doubly bad representation for female to female relationships as, firstly, it is so the speak the source of all evil within the story, and, secondly, it lets the reader unconsciously assume that female to female relationships are unsuccessful as we see the character in the book living a single life within the household 10+ years after the event.

And this comes from an author that up until now I perceived as being all there for empowering girls on their way of growing up and becoming women and being very much there for sisterhood, but possibly just not that kind of sisterhood.


The resolution feels in all its parts very stereotypical and the bad guys have no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

Looking back at the excitement I felt at the beginning with Merry and Spike being born on two different calendar years and the magic that this conjures up feels at the end of this story rather flat and one dimensional.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

This tweenage fantasy features two twins in modern times – they were born minutes apart, but also years apart, with New Year's Eve ending between their births. Shipped off to a strange country mansion, as their mother is restoring a damaged painting there for a while, they find no end of issues – a dead lord of the manor, a missing servant, a horridly bitter nephew of the house, potentially doolally old women talking of dangerous fairies and trouble, strange red-headed loiterers, ghosts, and a maze outside and all the tricksy traps and tests indoors. Oh, and of course the temporal super-powers their birth gave the girls. Over-stuffed, much?

Yes, much like the author photo in my edition showing far too much slap than was needed, this seemed caked with unnecessaries. But you know what? Just as the photo looks perfectly fine in black and white, this actually works on the page, too. OK there are issues from the start, in that they drive to the house and you'd have to hope this is in about the only car left on the roads without a clock in it, for reasons you'd discover. But settle down, go with the flow and you get something that is in the finish actually cogent and coherent, despite all expectations.

It's not brilliant. I would hazard a guess that it could be trimmed and lose nothing. The magic/fantasy side is very minor, all told – when it's as clever as it is here it could easily have become the basis for a larger franchise, but this seriously underplays that side of things. One character turns out to be a lot younger than I'd assumed. Oh, and it features the world's longest one-sided letter, as well. But all told this has just about enough to tip this into the credit column – there is a strong control on the weirder potential of all the elements, to repeat, and a fine line in pacing the mystery. The girls are interesting characters – one cynical, snippier, a sufferer of tinnitus, the other a milder one, perhaps, and more suited to being the focus of the narrative more often.

All told I could see it grabbing the right reader, even if I felt it missing a touch of vim and pep, and je ne sais quoi. From me it's three and a half stars, but if someone told me I was too frugal in that rating I could accept that. But I still wouldn't really look at this a second time, hem hem.

[Joanne (Lyra) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Another wonderful, magical story from Michelle Harrison. The premise has such a hook: twins born on different years, months and days with the ability to mess with the flow of time. Placed alongside a mystery, this sounds like a great blend for adventure.

The opening chapters are pretty solid in channeling the tone and atmosphere of the story in a compelling way. Compared to her other novels, this feels more modern in tone, but still has that coating of mystery and mundane magic.

I love that the twin's abilities are slowly fed throughout the book without being overwhelming because there is a lot of nuance behind the time powers as it should be with an ancient human construct. While I loved that it can be reflected in the twin's unique personalities and quirks, one thing that does raise an eyebrow is the consequences to them meddling with the flow of time too much. I feel like there could have been more time slips to thwart the twin's sleuthing instead of said consequences conveniently aiding them to keep the plot moving forward. At the same time, the climax could have been more creative with other aspects of the twin's powers instead of just stopping time for a minute.

The rest of the cast were pretty interesting. I loved their mum, Ben and Nanny Natter the most. Alistair was also quite interesting in that he was such a menace, and later, a real danger to everyone. It's fresh seeing characters that have irredeemable qualities.

Final thoughts are that I wouldn't mind another book with these sisters. It was a fun book with surprisingly high stakes at the end. I wished we got to see more sides of their time powers and maybe more of their relationship with their mum, but it was great as is.

[Sky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graphic: Classism and Bullying
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Murder
Minor: Pregnancy and Animal cruelty

Representations: https://trello.com/c/5ZIvWrOE/113-twi...

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was most certainly one dark kids book 👀

i really loved all of the characters, they were so crazy but a great bunch together. There were a lot of characters but I think, somehow, there was actually a good amount of information for each. The twins were a fantastic POV and reacted well to situations and generally were just fun to follow, the other kids in the house were a great contrast both with the twins and between themselves, and the adults while mostly feeling the same nanny was excellent!

The mystery was actually really intriguing, I did get pretty curious about how it'd go and even if the twist wasn't the most suprising (at least for me, an adult lol) it was still a pretty solid plotline. The general worldbuilding though I thought was lacking a fair bit, and towards the end it ended up being just a lot of infodumping which managed to somehow slow down the pace a fair bit. Though despite the infodumping, there was still a fair bit of the fantasy side unanswered. There was a very basic reason given for what happens but I could only just ask "Why?". Why does it work like that? Why did it occur? Why does it happen?

I also have to mention the tinnitus rep! I felt so seen finally seeing some rep of that, it's so overlooked but it can just drive you mad.

I'd still really recommend this though honestly, it's a lot of fun and while really dark (so I'd more give this to older-middle grade and above) it's still just a very fun mystery read!

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.

TWICE UPON A TIME is a mystery with a fantastical twist.

I really liked how the twin's time powers played into the story. They can pause time - but not turn it back - and can get glimpses of past or future when in contact with objects strongly connected to an event. This leads to insights into the case and a way to get out of trouble in tricky situations. Plus the future visions are set up and then subverted in a really fun way.

The mystery itself is nice and twisty, with a few separate elements that come together very satisfyingly at the end. Even if you guess parts of it, it's still very enjoyable watching it come together - and then hurry through the breathless action hoping the twins will survive in order to tell the truth.

The setting and cast take cues from classic murder mystery tropes; there's an old house with a secret room, a staff with secrets, large grounds including a maze, and someone with key information with what appears to be dementia. I like seeing writers bring classic elements together in a new way, and the maze is put to especially good use here.

I think this is a standalone novel, but it could easily become a series with other time-travelling mysteries. Mystery series are self-contained stories with the same detectives after all - and I would love another time-turning tale from Michelle Harrison.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a creature of habit it takes something special to make me stay up past bedtime lol. But I simply had to get to the end of this one. Here we have endearing twins that, due to a curious accident of birth, can briefly suspend time and occasionally look both into the past and into the future. It makes for a fantastic plot device as they find themselves embroiled in a thrilling and gripping murder mystery that plays out like an Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmes novel. This is an author well versed in creating the elements that we love in middle grade: characters that leap off the page; a mysterious setting with hidden rooms and clues aplenty; dark deeds and whispered secrets that are slowly uncovered, leaving the reader unable to resist one more chapter. There’s also that welcome coziness that warms us up after we’ve been left chilled by another shocking revelation. The antagonist is fantastically wicked and left me shaking my fist at the pages and desperate for justice, but of course, this being a children’s book, wrongs are eventually righted, though not before we’ve been left breathless by the many twists and turns. I suspect this will prove to be a big hit and teachers will no doubt enjoy leaving their students dangling on one of the book’s many cliffhangers. I would recommend adding this one to the top of your TBR pile.

[V.S. Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up because it had characters that could stop time, something the main character in my next book will do, and I was curious how the author handled maneuvering her characters through a world without time time. Slightly disappointingly for me, this wasn't really covered; and there was a no reason given as to why the twins could stop time, they just could, which was also a little disappointing.
Aside from that, this was a lovely book. The characters were a joy, especially Merry's limericks, and the story flowed nicely. One area where the story falls down is the plot, as this can mostly be deduced in the first half of the story, which leaves little in the way of a big reveal at the end. I think the fault here lies with Robin Stevens, whose excellent Murder Most Unladylike books have set the bar far too high, leading every other MG author who dabbles in a crime novel to fall short.

My daughter has already asked to read this book next, and I am sure she'll love it. If you're happy with bending the laws of science without any explanation and are not yet a super sleuther, then this book it a great choice for your next read.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book from this author, the cover hooked me in so I bumped it up my TBR pile.


When the Morrow twins, Merry and Spike, arrive at dusty old Fox House, they think spending their holidays there is going to be dull. But they soon discover that there are secrets to the old house. A missing woman, a baby left on the doorstep, a locked study; as the mysteries pile up, the girls begin to investigate. The twins also have a secret that they can stop time. What happened in this old house? And can their strange powers help them solve a decades-old crime?

I absolutely loved this book, it had everything I wanted in a MG book, magic, mystery and a crime to solve.
I particularly loved the character of Ben and I was delighted how the ending turned out. The character of Nannie was also interesting.
The friendship between the twins and Ben was a delight to watch unfold, and this book highlighted the issues children have when they move about for a parents job.
Looks like I have another author's books to add to my pile to read.

[Farah G · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Meredith and Rose (aka Merry and Spike) travel with their mother on one of her assignments to a house in the countryside, they have no idea of the adventure that awaits them. In addition to the reclusive owner, the place holds any number of secrets - including the story of a missing woman.

But Merry and Spike, identical twins with quite different personalities, have a few secrets of their own. Not least the mystery of what happens to the very nature of time itself when the twins are around...

This excellent story involves mystery, magic and mayhem (sometimes unintentional, though Spike can be a bit of a troublemaker!), with plenty to keep the reader engrossed. This is creative storytelling that will fire the imaginations of children in the target group. An enjoyable read. It gets 3.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Zoé · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling time-hopping murder mystery !

This story reads a bit like an Agatha Christie book : there's an old manor house, an elderly lady with quite a fortune, employers and family members who could all have motives to commit a crime. In addition, the magic brings an original twist and leads to more suspense and mystery.

The plot is well-paced and the mystery well constructed. I hope this is the start of a series, as I'd love to join the Morrow twins on a next investigation!

Many thanks to Simon and Shuster, as well as NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest opinion of the book.

[Melissa H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twice Upon a Time is a pacey, exciting and whimsical story about two sisters, navigating both the house and grounds of their current temporary home, and time. Merry and Spike are twins who can temporary freeze time, see visions of the future and flashbacks of the past, which they use to help them solve the mystery of a missing woman who once lived in the manor a decade before.
As with Michelle's other books (the glorious Widdershins sisters books), the characters are excellently formed. Merry and Spike as individuals, and the relationship between them both, add a real warmth and realness to the story, and the twists and turns with strange ladies wandering through fields and a bratty, conniving heir to a fortune, add to the mystery.
An excellent read and one that will enthral young readers. I'd say this is great for UKS2 - nothing stopping it from being in Y3/4, but be mindful that it contains death (not graphic though).
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon And Schuster for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The opening chapter got me hooked instantly. The whole idea of having twins born in different years is interesting. The writing is done perfectly with a hint of magic and darkness. I love how the twins are portrayed in the book. The dialogue between them adds a humorous side to the story. It is in my shopping basket already on Amazon.

[Hannah Rials Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been waiting for a long time for another story from Michelle Harrison, and this one did not disappoint! I loved the time twisting twins, the old manor house mystery, and Nanny Natter. It was well paced and written so smoothly. My only hesitation for a five star is the ending does get a tad scary, so I’ll have to be a bit careful of who I sell it to. Definitely feels a bit older

[Afrodite Petridou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twice upon a time is a murder mystery classic. The twins Merry and Spike born on a different year, month and day move to a hotel in the countryside due to their mothers work. When they arrive they are unaware of the happenings at fox house but are soon to find out that it is up to them to solve an important mystery. Great book!

[Mrs Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I loved meeting the twins and hearing about their back story. The further in to the book I got, the more confused I was by the mystery (which is a good thing). Lots of twists I didn’t see coming and overall a really nice read.

[Jedi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. This is a bizarrely morbid kid's book, I really enjoyed it, and think it's something I would have been obsessed with when I was 12, but characters are killed in this novel!!! It did keep me page turning for sure.

[Jo Tynan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Rebecca Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the way this book is set out. The riddle at the beginning of each chapter hooks you to read on!

[Dreximgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. The writing was great, characters engaging and the story was entertaining. Recommend.

[Leila S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of mystery and unexpected plot twists!

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Michelle's stories, the characters are always intriguing and the story line never disappoints. I struggled to put it down as the mystery was being solved.

[Olive Hocking · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing such a cliffhanger you must read it is amazing is you love murder mystery’s I highly recommend it

[Omiai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book, as Harrison's books are always brilliant!
The murder mystery tale was great, especially with the twist of the twins being able to manipulate time in little ways, in order to find out more about what happened in the past.
the story is a bit scary, but nothing too much for most children (though there are some mentions of blood, but it is a murder mystery, so that is kind of expected).
the whole tale is really exciting and very hard to put down!
my only complaint is that i didn't connect with the main characters in the same was as i did with Harrison's previous books, like her Pinch of Magic series, which I adored all the sisters deeply. The characters were still interesting, I definitely preferred Merry to Spike, and luckily she was the sister at the forefront of this story. And that was really the only thing that put me off. Otherwise it's an amazing story and definitely worth a read!

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a lot of fun! I'm not going to lie, I did struggle to get into it for a couple of chapters at the start, but I think that was a me thing. And once I did, I was fully on board with the concept of the time magic and how the twins used it. But honestly it's not really SFF, other than they use a little bit of time magic here and there. It's a mystery!

I liked the main characters, and had a lot of fun trying to figure out all the aspects of the mystery. I think it was clear throughout who the bad guys were, but Ben's mystery was a little more nuanced! I felt quite sorry for Ben, he definitely got a bad deal in it all! All in all, I had a good time even if the ending was a little contrived. 3.5 stars.

[Lily Golding · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was exactly the kind of story I’ve come to expect from Michelle Harrison. She’s exactly the right choice for any child who likes reading about quirky magic and interesting characters.

I loved the way the twins magic worked. It was a unique way to solve a murder, with stopping time and predicting the future and the past. I liked how each twin had a different time related power, but they could also work together to stop time. I found that really interesting.

The family dynamics within fox house were interesting too. Although perhaps a tiny bit predictable in places, I enjoyed watching the twins and Ben solve this mystery immensely.

A great choice for young readers who like a little magic and mystery.

I received this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. Cross posted to thewhisperingofthepages.co.uk