First published 2015
Thaniel Steepleton discovers a gold pocket watch waiting on his pillow in his cramped London apartment. He cannot explain how it arrived there in 1883. Six months pass before the watch reveals its purpose. It draws him away from Scotland Yard moments before a bomb destroys the building. The timepiece saves his life through means he cannot understand. Thaniel searches for answers and finds Keita Mori, the Japanese immigrant who crafted the watch. Mori appears gentle and solitary, but strange events multiply around him. Grace Carrow enters their lives as an Oxford physicist pursuing her own investigations. Her interference creates a conflict that forces Thaniel to choose between competing allegiances. The story moves between Victorian London's foggy streets and Japan during its civil war, where ancient customs collapse under modern pressures. Thaniel must decide who deserves his trust as the true nature of the watch and its maker becomes clear.
Genres: science-fiction, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, mystery, fantasy, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, intricate, lyrical, mysterious, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, love-triangle, mysterious-benefactor, trust-and-betrayal
Setting: London, Scotland Yard, Japan, Oxford
Period: 1883, Victorian Era, Japanese Civil War
336 pages · Paperback · Bloomsbury USA
Content warnings: death, violence