Twice Round the Clock. Illustrated

Originally published in 1935, Twice Round the Clock is a rare gem of Golden Age detective fiction—fast-paced, theatrical, and packed with intrigue.

A glamorous house party at a country estate promises an evening of music, merriment, and high society. But as the clock ticks toward midnight, the mood shifts from festive to fatal. One of the guests is found dead—and it becomes clear that beneath the elegant surface lies a tangled web of secrets, lies, and rivalries.

Over the course of 24 hours, suspicion falls on nearly everyone in attendance. With each hour that passes, the mystery deepens: motives emerge, alibis unravel, and loyalties shift. It’s a classic country-house murder mystery where time is both the enemy and the key to solving the crime.

Written by stage performer Sarah McMahon Gribbin under the pseudonym Billie Houston, this novel blends the flair of the theatre with the sharp logic of classic detective fiction. Houston’s intimate knowledge of performance, timing, and human behavior lends a unique energy to her only known mystery novel.

Now rediscovered and reissued as part of the British Library Crime Classics series, Twice Round the Clock is a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and the art of the perfectly timed whodunit.