The Girl in the Face of the Clock

  “Mathes presents the fourth entry in this unique series, stand-alone novels sharing only the titular focus on a particular “girl.” In this quirky, captivating tale, Jane Sailor, a teacher of stage combat and choreographer of theater fights, receives a shocking phone call at her current job in Cincinnati. Jane quickly returns to Manhattan, where her father, a painter who has been in a coma for eight years, is starting to talk. He reveals the startling news that the cause of his coma–a fall down the stairs of his Soho loft–wasn’t an accident and that a man named Perry was somehow involved. After discovering that Perry is a childlike billionaire and collector of rare clocks named Peregrine Mannerback, she takes a job with the curious man to investigate the connection. As Jane struggles to find answers–both to Perry’s involvement with her father and to the significance of her grandmother’s hideous clock–she becomes a target herself. Superb storytelling and a truly memorable plot. “

—BOOKLIST, Bill Ott

Fans of Mathes’s three previous stand-alone “girl” mysteries will relish his latest glittering offering set in the cut-throat New York art world.  Witty dialogue and an engaging male romantic interest add to the fun. — Publishers Weekly.

A generous complement of lively, convincing characters, especially Jane.  Overall, an entertaining outing that promises a lot of fun. — Kirkus Reviews

An outstanding title in a growing series. — Library Journal