The Clockwise Man (novel)

The Clockwise Man
Doctor:	Ninth Doctor
Companion(s):	Rose
Main enemy:	Shade Vassily
Main setting:	London, October 1924
Key crew
Publisher:	BBC Books
Writer:	Justin Richards
Read by:	Glen McCready (RNIB) Nicholas Briggs (AudioGo)
Cover by:	Henry Steadman
Release details
Story number:	1
Release number:	1
Release date:	19 May 2005 (Hardcover)
Format:	Hardcover, 255 pages Paperback, 256 pages
ISBN:	ISBN 0-563-48628-7 (Hardcover); ISBN 1-84990-544-4 (Paperback); ISBN 978-1-4481-4197-5 (Epub)
BBC New Series Adventures
Next →	The Monsters Inside

The Clockwise Man was the first novel in the BBC New Series Adventures series. It was written by Justin Richards and featured the Ninth Doctor and Rose Tyler.

Publisher's summary

In 1920s London, the Doctor and Rose find themselves caught up in the hunt for a mysterious murderer. But not everything is what it seems. Secrets lie behind locked doors and inhuman killers roam the streets.

Who is the Painted Lady and why is she so interested in the Doctor? How can a cat return from the dead? Can anyone be trusted to tell — or even to know — the truth?

With the faceless killers closing in, the Doctor and Rose must solve the mystery of the Clockwise Man before London itself is destroyed...

Plot

Prologue

Peter Dickson reflects on his mother's superstition about black cats. She believed that a black cat approaching signifies good luck, but one that turns away, especially with green eyes, is a bad omen. She attributed the demise of Dickson's father, a sailor, to ignoring such a warning. Years later, in London, Dickson, who is skeptical about such superstitions, spots a black cat. Its distinct eye colour and fur are unclear in the darkness, and it soon vanishes. Preparing for guests, he dismisses the sighting and returns inside. Meanwhile, Rose Tyler, in the company of the Ninth Doctor, questions her 1920s-style dress. The Doctor, preoccupied with the TARDIS controls, engages in a light conversation with her. They are set to visit the British Empire Exhibition of 1924. Rose ponders about the possibility of meeting historical figures during their visit.

Simultaneously, Dickson hears a strange, mechanical noise outside. Curious, he investigates and notices a fleeting light at Gibson's Yard. Unbeknownst to him, a menacing shadow with inhuman fingers stretches behind him as he approaches the yard. The prologue ends with Dickson sensing danger, marked by the ominous chimes of Big Ben, hinting at a significant moment in his life.

Chapter One

Rose Tyler and the Ninth Doctor investigating a noise in a London alleyway in 1924. The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to unlock a gate where they discover Peter Dickson, a servant, being attacked by an unknown assailant. After the attacker flees, they assist the shaken Dickson, noticing peculiarities like oil stains on his white gloves and metal-like marks on his neck, suggesting the attack wasn't by human hands.

The Doctor and Rose escort Dickson back to his employer's house, where they meet Sir George Harding and his wife, Lady Anna. Despite Dickson's insistence that he's fine, Sir George insists on giving him time to recover and thanks the Doctor and Rose for their help. During their conversation, it becomes clear that Sir George is apprehensive about something or someone, possibly related to Dickson's attack.

Meanwhile, Rose encounters Freddie, Sir George and Anna's son, who shows her a secret way to the library where a gathering is taking place. From a hidden gallery, they observe the guests, including Colonel Oblonsky, Lord Chitterington, and Count and Countess Alexander Koznyshev and Nadia Koznyshev. They overhear a conversation between Sir George and two mysterious men, Major Aske and Repple, discussing a "noble cause" and the boy’s plight, hinting at a deeper intrigue. The chapter concludes with the Doctor and Rose returning to the TARDIS, only to find it missing. The Doctor speculates that the entity responsible for Dickson's attack might also be behind the disappearance of the TARDIS, suggesting a connection between the two events and deepening the mystery.

Chapter Two

Rose Tyler and the Ninth Doctor return to the house of Sir George Harding after unsuccessfully searching for the missing TARDIS. As they arrive, they encounter Melissa Heart, a mysterious woman wearing a colourful butterfly mask. She introduces herself and expresses her involvement in the ongoing conspiracy, hinting at her curiosity about the Doctor and Rose's presence.

They return to Sir George Harding's house, where they are greeted by Dickson and a striking woman named Melissa Heart, who is wearing an elaborate butterfly mask. Melissa indicates that she is there for the same reason as them, hinting at a conspiracy.

At dinner, the discussion revolves around the Russian Revolution, and the Doctor cleverly deduces the true nature of their gathering. It's revealed that the group, including the Koznyshevs, Colonel Oblonsky, and Lord Chitterington, is involved in a conspiracy related to the Russian Revolution. Rose correctly surmises that they aim to overthrow Lenin and reclaim their lost lands. Repple, who claims to be the Elector of Dastaria, expresses his intention to reclaim his birthright and offers his support to the cause.

The Doctor then proposes a theory that they intend to return to Russia with the heir to the throne, suggesting Freddie as the likely candidate. This revelation indicates that Freddie, being related to the Russian royal family, is next in line for the throne.

Later, Aske pulls Sir George aside for a private conversation, hinting at a delicate matter. Meanwhile, Dickson recounts the details of his attack, describing a cold, metallic hand and a quiet, melodic voice asking about Sir George and his guests. Before he can elaborate, Sir George and Aske return, looking somber.

As the evening concludes, Repple invites the Doctor and Rose to stay at the Imperial Club, where they can find accommodation. As they prepare to leave, the Doctor hears a mysterious ticking sound, which Dickson identifies as similar to what he heard during his attack. However, when the Doctor investigates, no one is found in the hall, leaving the source of the ticking sound a mystery.

Characters

• Ninth Doctor
• Rose Tyler
• Shade Vassily
• Sir George Harding
• Peter Dickson
• Lady Anna
• Freddie
• Edward Repple
• Aske
• Melissa Heart
• Crowther
• Colonel Oblonsky
• Beth
• Matty Black
• Ronald Cheshunt
• Count Alexander Koznyshev
• Countess Nadia Koznyshev
• Lord Chitterington
• Wensleydale
• Ranskill
• Coleridge
• Dilys

Worldbuilding

• The Doctor and Rose are accused of turning up "like a Bad Wolf".
• Wagner and Tchaikovsky are mentioned.
• Shakespearean characters Hamlet, Horatio, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are mentioned.
• The Doctor guesses that the grapes in Sir George Harding's 1921 claret came from a small vineyard just outside Briançon.

Food and Beverages

• The Doctor appreciatively drinks 1921 claret at Sir George's house and later drinks brandy with Wyse.
• Rose has bacon and eggs for breakfast at the Imperial Club.

Technology

• Wyse's ship runs on ion cells that require hydrogen extraction. Hence a large hydrogen supply is needed. One possible way is to ionize water.

Notes

• As the first novel in the BBC New Series Adventures line, this book ushered in a new publication format for BBC Books. It released exclusively this and all future New Series Adventures featuring the Ninth and Tenth Doctors, as well as BBC Torchwood novels in hardcover format. The Quick Reads novellas were paperback releases and some limited-edition promotional paperback issues of Ninth and Tenth Doctor books would occur outside the UK. The Clockwise Man is the first Doctor Who novel to be released in hardcover since Target Books discontinued hardcover editions of its novelisations in the 1980s. It is the first original Doctor Who novel ever issued in the format.
• Later reprints of this book removed the image of Billie Piper from the cover.
• This story was also released as an ebook available from the Amazon Kindle store.

Continuity

• Clockwork men also appear with the Tenth Doctor in TV: The Girl in the Fireplace, the Eighth Doctor in PROSE: Anachrophobia and AUDIO: Time Works, the Second Doctor in TV: The Mind Robber, and the Twelfth Doctor in TV: Deep Breath.
• There is a mention of Rose "dressing up" while the Doctor only has a "new shirt". (TV: The Unquiet Dead)
• Rose has a conversation with one of the servants in the Imperial Club, who makes her think of Gwyneth in TV: The Unquiet Dead.
• In the club, the Doctor looks at a painting of the French Revolution and says, "That's not right." In the first episode of Doctor Who, An Unearthly Child, the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan Foreman, reads a book about the French Revolution and says the same words.
• The Doctor mentions to Rose at the end of the Season 2 episode TV: Tooth and Claw that Queen Victoria's descendants suffered from a condition called Haemophilia. This was also mentioned when the Doctor and Rose visit the British Empire Exhibition.
• The Doctor mentions his second regeneration and his exile to Earth. (TV: The War Games, Spearhead from Space)
• Both the Doctor and Rose note the absence of the London Eye in 1924 and recall their adventure in the area. (TV: Rose)

Additional cover images

• 

  Alternate cover without Rose

Editions published outside Britain

• Published in Finland by WSOY in 2006 as a hardback edition.
• Published in Denmark by DR in 2006 as a hardback edition.
• Published in the Netherlands by Memphis Belle in 2006 as a hardback edition.

• 

  Finnish edition

• 

  Danish edition

• 

  Dutch edition

Audiobook

• This novel was released as an audiobook in November 2007 by the RNIB and read by Glen McCready.
• This novel was released again as an audiobook in June 2012 by BBC Audio and read by Nicholas Briggs. The audiobook was exclusive to the AudioGo website before the company went into administration.

• 

  Audiobook cover

External links

• Official The Clockwise Man page at Penguin Books
• The Clockwise Man at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
• The Discontinuity Guide to: The Clockwise Man at The Whoniverse
• The Cloister Library: The Clockwise Man