The Clockwork Conspiracy: Nominated for the 2024 BOOKS ARE MY BAG Readers Award (Isaac Turner Investigates)

An author once said in his book that his books weren't 'children's books', but rather 'books for everyone' - they are suitable for children, but accessible to everyone. That's definitely this book! I'm an adult (with a 10 year old who will read it also) and I read lots of different genres of books, but a great 9-12 mystery book is always something I love! I have read all of Sam Sedgman and MG Leonard's mysteries on trains which were absolutely amazing, and now this new book from Sam which absolutely does not disappoint!Such an interesting subject matter that will no doubt further increase popularity of tours of Big Ben! I have learned a lot about clocks, time in general and the history of it, and Parliament. Isaac and Hattie are brilliant characters, and I love the balance between them - they learn from each other. The mystery is the perfect balance of not too hard to follow, but also keeps the reader guessing.I can't wait to see what's next from this amazingly talented writer.

This is a great book!

I really enjoyed all the wonderful love for clocks and time in this middle grade adventure! I also thought that the way the author wove in elements of UK parliament, and the political system, was really clever and would make a great read for schools. I thought the characters were really well crafted and loved the friendship that formed between the two children on their mission, each bringing their own skills to follow the breadcrumbs! I found parts of this a little slower and I couldn’t quite match the nerd level love of clocks for some sections, and I really didn’t like the interior illustrations (which aren’t plot essential but I didn’t feel they matched the quality of the cover). However I will definitely be reading the next Issac Investigates!

A remarkable combination of a thrilling, puzzle filled adventure with lots of really fascinating information about time and even parliament.

My grandson loves the book and even told us of the books review on the TV

There's a lot to like about this adventure novel, which I read to my two 8yo children. The story is original, the setting in the Palace of Westminster intriguing, the writing generally fluid, and the characters solid. However, the book is far too long, with the plot taking an age to unfold. It needs a strict editor to chop it down in length, so it moves along at a more suitable pace, while keeping its more rewarding elements. As it stands, I was getting impatient for the book to finish by the time we were half way. To be fair, my kids were less critical than my wife and me, but I think the criticism stands. Sometimes less is more...

What an amazing MG adventure this book is! It’s exciting, pacy and action packed. What more would you expect from the co-author of the Adventures on Trains series. Despite a very modern day setting, there was still a ‘Dickensian London’ feel to it with the rooftop scrambles and secret underground passageways. It’s a bit steampunk, a bit Famous Five, a bit Dr Who - all the good stuff.The UK parliament is set to vote on whether to adopt New Time, a revolutionary new way of measuring time using a decimalised system. Many experts are worried about the repercussions and opposition is strong, but is it enough to stop the vote being passed. Over the last few weeks, several of the world’s leading scientists and horologists have mysteriously disappeared. Is this linked to the implementation of New Time? When Diggory Turner, the technician in charge of maintaining the clockwork inside Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben), goes missing, his son is determined to find out who is responsible and why.The main characters, Isaac and Hattie, are ones which young readers will definitely warm to. Brave, slightly quirky and just that little bit rebellious. Hattie is bold, courageous and sharp-witted; Isaac is more introverted but determined, intelligent and a great problem solver. Together, they make perfect team to solve the mysterious disappearances.As well as being thoroughly entertaining, this novel also included a lot of information: parliamentary process, longitude and latitude, time zones, atomic clocks… My mind was blown many times!My younger self would have adored this book. And to be honest, the grown-up me was pretty impressed too!

This is truly a brilliant read, I massively enjoyed it. Sam Sedgman proves himself to be the Dan Brown for young people, he's brought us a fast-pace adventure, jam-packed full of action and end-of-your-seat moments as well as LOADS of interesting facts about clocks, time and time-keeping. I found the premise of the story very original and the short chapters made it nearly impossible to put the book down. The only reason I didn't finish this book in one sitting was the fact that I started reading in the afternoon! Living in London myself and very close to all the landmarks mentioned, I was thrilled to gain so many exciting bits of knowledge and I felt like I was taking a virtual tour of the Elizabeth tower and the palace of Westminster alongside Isaac and Hattie. Who ever knew?! Finally, I don't know whether it was intentional or not, but I loved how we also got to learn a fair amount of parliamentary and law-making procedures, I think this will appeal greatly to young people.Isaac's bond with his father came through beautifully and in Hattie he found a friend who is not afraid to take risks, questions authority and pushes him out of his comfort zone, exactly what he needs as he embarks on the adventure of finding out the answers behind his father's sudden disappearance. I think this books falls easily into the 'books young readers will love reading and adults will find themselves enjoying a bit too much themselves' category. Highly recommended.Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy, all opinions are my own.