** Shortlisted for the BOOKS ARE MY BAG Readers Award for Children's Fiction **

'Clever, inventive and a cracking read' - Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl

A locked-room mystery packed with rooftop chases, hidden codes and mind-bending science, The Clockwork Conspiracy is a must for fans of the Adventures on Trains series and Sharna Jackson's High Rise mysteries.

Aspiring inventor Isaac Turner lives with his dad, the horologist in charge of Big Ben. But when his father vanishes from the belfry on the night the clocks go back, leaving behind only a smashed pocket watch and a cryptic message, Isaac determines to find him.

Hunting a trail of clues through London's landmarks, Isaac uncovers a sinister plot in the gears of government and embarks on a race against time to save his father - and time itself.

'An ingenious mystery full of fascinating facts. Sedgman has cracked the code for an absolute triumph of a book' - A.F. Steadman, author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief

'The Clockwork Conspiracy offers a captivating and perilous adventure that surprises and delights at every turn' - Catherine Doyle, author of The Storm Keeper's Island

'A smart and pacey thriller. Time well spent' - The Times

'A taut, tense mystery with perfectly-timed plotting, this is guaranteed to make the time fly' - Maz Evans, author of Who Let the Gods Out?

'A gripping mystery delivered with panache' ­- The Observer

'A thrilling story from start to finish' ­­- Inis Magazine

'Action-packed with twisty turns and a gripping plot' - Daily Mail

'THE CLOCKWORK CONSPIRACY is a fiendishly clever contraption, featuring brilliantly savvy characters and a well-wound plot that ticks along like - what else? - clockwork' - Andy Sagar, author of Yesterday Crumb and the Storm in a Teacup

'A thrilling locked-room mystery, with a plot as beautifully engineered as clockwork' - Pari Thomson, author of Greenwild: The World Behind the Door

'An action-packed, thrilling adventure' - The Week Junior

'A rapid adventure, combined with an encyclopaedic focus on a particular subject - and an ability to make it sing' - The Telegraph

'I predict this will be a very popular addition to any library, home or classroom' - Books for Keeps

Sam Sedgman is a bestselling author, confirmed nerd and enthusiastic ferroequinologist. Before writing stories for children, Sam worked as a digital producer at the National Theatre, which meant nosing around backstage with a camera and a microphone, cajoling theatre makers into explaining how stories get made. Forever interested in piecing things together, Sam is a lifelong fan of puzzles, games and detective fiction, and once founded a company making murder mystery treasure hunts for adventurous Londoners. His books have been translated into more than 20 languages. When he isn't writing, Sam can usually be found admiring a handsome timepiece, watching Alfred Hitchcock movies, or explaining some weird fact to you. He lives in London, on top of a railway station.