The Girl in the Face of the Clock

THE GIRL IN THE FACE OF THE CLOCK glitters with intrige, captivating characters and the unique voice that sets Charles Mathes apart form other mystery novelists. I was hooked from page one, seduced by the engaging prose and irresistable players who people the shadowy world of the story. It's a page-turner, but my advice to the reader is to savor the words and garner the complete experience of this astonishing journey. In the author's competent hands, we travel with the heroine, Jane Sailor, from Cincinnati to New York, Seattle, and London as she attempts to unearth her family's secrets. Who was behind her artist father's tragic "accident" which put him in a coma eight years ago? And what is the connection, if any, to a family heirloom, a hideous ceramic clock? The asborbing story, seamlessly woven with irony, wit and cosmic insight, also includes a lesson about rare, valuable clocks that would make "The Antiques Roadshow" producers salivate with envy. Excellent writing! This is the best "Girl" book yet.

I've never been to London, but after reading Charles Mathes' latest mystery, The Girl In The Face Of The Clock, I believe I could successfully navigate the city with my eyes closed. You see, the protagonist, Jane Sailor, takes a very important side trip to London, and while Mathes guides us through the twists and turns of characters and plots, he also gives us a guided tour of one of the world's great cities. In fact, one of the supporting characters lives in the neighborhood where Jack the Ripper became infamous. Having read all 4 of this author's works of fiction, this may be the best one yet (and they are all excellent). What distinguishes Mathes from many popular authors is his ability to create characters and objects that are simultaneously on the fringe of credibility and completely credible. Very few authors out there really accomplish this effectively, but it makes for very interesting and thoroughly enjoyable reading. I read this novel partly on a long train ride, partly on the long train ride back, and partly at home; by page 50 or so you won't want to put it down. The mystery is solvable, but you won't solve it. And that's the way it should be, as Mathes takes you the reader on a wild ride from New York, to Seattle, to London, and back to New York. How does the clock enter into things in this book? Read it and find out!

While working at a Cincinnati repertory theater, dance choreographer Jane Sailor received the call she has been expecting ever since her father, a promising painter, fell down the stairs of his Manhattan loft into a coma. When Royamume Israel Hospital in Long Island finally called she expected to learn her beloved dad finally died. Instead, due to an accident, he has begun talking though still unconscious. Even if he is rambling, Jane must see him. At the hospital, Jane realizes that her dad is mumbling something about his fall being not an accident. She takes a job with Perry Mannerback who once bought a painting that Jane's dad did. When her father finally succumbs under questionable circumstances, Jane concludes that the clock in the portrait Peter bought is the key to her father's death. Though alone and with no sleuthing experience, Jane is determined to learn the truth behind her father's fall and his death. The latest stand-alone "Girl" novel, THE GIRL IN THE FACE OF THE CLOCK, is simply fantastic. The story line requires an acceptance stretch, but readers will gladly do so as the amateur sleuth invades the impenetrable art world. The characters including the comatose Aaron make the plot work as readers root for Jane to learn what really happened without suffering further harm and also make it with the "Boy" on the plane to London. Charles Mathes fourth "Girl" novel is an interesting tale.Harriet Klausner

Just like it is hard to pick my favorite child, it is also hard to pick my favorite 'girl' book. Let me say, this book is fantastic! Not wanting to give away a possible spoiler, I must say Jane Sailor's job is most interesting and skills unique to this job are woven throughout the plot. Intrigue in the art & antique world, the mysterious death of Jane's artist father, puzzles and romance combine to make this a book you will read in one sitting. You will be charmed by a real Valentine too. Charles Mathes has a magical way with words. He can also discuss serious issues in a deep & concise manner. For example, when Jane's father had a serious fall and went into a coma, Jane had come home from college and 'gone through the horrible process of American medicine in a state of panic and determination, barely able to . . . articulate the decisions that had to be made. Many nights she had just sat by his bedside weeping, overwhelmed by it all'. Do read this wonderfully witty book!