Twelve Minutes to Midnight

Penelope Tredwell is the feisty thirteen-year-old orphan heiress of Victorian Britain’s bestselling magazine, the Penny Dreadful. Her spine-chilling tales—concealed under the pen name Montgomery Finch—are gripping the public. One day she receives a letter from the governor of the Bedlam madhouse requesting Finch’s help to investigate the asylum’s strange goings-on. Every night at precisely twelve minutes to midnight, the inmates all begin feverishly writing-incoherent ramblings that Penelope quickly realizes are frightening visions of the century to come. But what is causing this phenomenon? In the first book of this smart new series, Penelope is drawn into a thrilling mystery more terrifying than anything she could ever imagine!

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  • 256 Pages
  • 5.5" x 8"
  • 9780807581391
  • March 2015

Buy from Albert Whitman

  • 256 Pages
  • 5.50" x 8"
  • 9780807581339
  • March 2014

Buy from Albert Whitman

  • 9780807581346
  • May 2015

Reviews

  • The descriptions of Victorian London are vivid without being overwhelming, and the storytelling has a direct, focused clip, making this a possible candidate for readers just delving into historical mysteries.

    - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

  • Edge successfully delivers his own penny dreadful in the riveting style of a Victorian mystery. Original, chilling, atmospheric mystery with a heroine of remarkable mettle.

    - Kirkus Reviews

  • Debut author Edge has created an excellent mystery in a league with Jonathan Stroud’s Bartimaeus, Philip Pullman’s Sally Lockhart, and Eleanor Updale’s Montgomery series.

    - Booklist, starred review

  • The first book in a gothic series, The Penelope Tredwell Mysteries, includes mystery, suspense, fantasy, and a dash of horror.

    - Library Media Connection

Awards & Accolades

  • Best Older Fiction of 2014, Chicago Public Library

Common Core

RL.7.1,2,3,4,5,6,9,10 RL.8.1,2,3,4,5,6,10

 

  • Accelerated Reader Points: 9
  • ATOS Level: 7.5