Julius and the Watchmaker

A lost diary.
A spinning pocketwatch.
A gentleman wielding a deadly walking cane.
And a boy who's about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
When Julius Higgins isn't running from Crimper McCready and his gang of bullies he's working in his grandfather's bookshop in Ironmonger Lane.
Until Jack Springheel, a mysterious clock collector, turns up looking for the fabled diary of John Harrison—the greatest watchmaker of all time.
Before he knows it, Julius becomes a thief and a runaway and makes a deal with Springheel that he will live to regret. And all before he finds out that Harrison's diary is really an instruction manual for making a time machine.
 
'This will be a thoroughly absorbing read for 12-year-olds, who can engage as much or as little as they like with the historical detail and lessons in time, while getting swept along in the adventures and fates of Julius, our likeable hero, and his slowly evolving band of friends.' Big Issue
 
'[Hehir] self-deprecatingly states he has an old-fashioned style though one would more aptly describe it as timeless…it is a book that has appeal for people of all ages.' West Australian
'Alternate worlds, time travel, mechanical horror, the demi monde of Victorian England and evil trickery all come together to make this novel a compelling read...Hehir's first novel will be a winner for those who love good fantasy.' Reading Time