The Missing Chime

By: Vatvani, Karim

YA Supernatural Mystery Set in Gibraltar

What if the one hour a clock refused to strike... was the hour something was waiting for you?

When thirteen-year-old twins Ali and Lucas Cabrera return to Gibraltar, their new home comes with creaking stairs, salty sea winds, and an old grandfather clock known only as El Silencio.

It chimes every hour.

Except midnight.

As strange events begin to follow them beyond the house, Ali becomes convinced the missing chime isn't a malfunction. It's a warning.

Gibraltarian folklore warns of The Grey Lady, a nun bricked up alive centuries ago. But Ali quickly realises the legend isn't the full story...and the truth is far more dangerous...

With the help of her reluctant brother, an eccentric history teacher, and a mysterious girl who seems to know too much, Ali uncovers threads of a story buried in Gibraltar's past, one involving forbidden love, erased names, and a moment in time that refuses to stay silent.

But the closer she gets to the truth, the more the clock stirs.

Midnight is waking.

And some secrets don't want to stay hidden.

A haunting mystery about family, courage, and the power to break the cycles we inherit.

Perfect for fans of ghost stories, folklore, and atmospheric YA adventures such as;

The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, A Wrinkle In Time Coraline, or City of Ghosts.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1067686908
• ISBN13: 9781067686901
• Release Date: March 2026
• Publisher: Karim Vatvani
• Length: 340 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.0" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 13 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary