Book Review: The Chimes of Midnight, by Robert Shearman (Mild Spoilers) 5/5

Preamble

The Doctor is only ever as good as his companions. If one is dull, then the other becomes plain.

In this adventure with the eighth Doctor, Charley immediately shines through with the charisma we have come to expect from the modern era - but with a hint of the hubris you would expect from an upper-class child of the Edwardian era.

And I must say modern, because although the audio drama was published in 2002 - three years before the television show revival - the sensibilities of the drama push beyond the pacing of the classic era, and has a strong sense of the campness that has so defined the age of Russel T. Davies.

And yet, the grizzly tone of the classics still persists.

Perhaps “pre-modern” is the best fitting description.

The Novelisation to Robert Shearman’s audio drama, The Chimes of Midnight, was released in October 2025, and I was so lucky that it fell into my hands as a Christmas gift from a lovely friend of mine, and a fellow Who lover - it goes without saying.

With the current television show (while being enjoyable) having failed to live up to expectations, I had often thought to seek out other Doctor Who media, but the urge had not yet impressed itself upon me enough to prioritise it above anything else.

How fortunate was I, then, to receive a Doctor Who Christmas story during the holidays.

Review

Charley’s bubbly energy immediately captivated me. We know the Victorian is a nationwide favourite for Christmas tales, so the Edwardian era was a nice change of pace.

The Chimes of Midnight begins as it means to go on: the Doctor entombed, waking after death.

This prologue provides a vital insight into the mystery that is about to unfold, but refreshingly isn’t resolved in the story (because we know how the Doctor’s predicament ends from the 1996 Paul McGann film), but this unresolved conundrum lends itself to the nature of life and death as it is conveyed in the story; because like the Doctor, the victims of this adventure are resurrected, only to be slain again and again in comical (and very camp) circumstances. Revealing the sadistic personality of the antagonist that has all the hallmarks of a certain returning villain, but surprisingly - and refreshingly - that expected reveal never comes to pass.

But I get ahead of myself.

In an attempt to impress the Doctor, Charley lands the T.A.R.D.I.S. in a darkened pantry. Endearing as ever, the Doctor coaxes Charley out of her embarrassment, and as they step into this unknown world, Shearman pricks us with a tantalising anticipation. Testing their detective skills, the duo correctly surmise that they are in Edwardian England, and waste no time in the pantry.

The belly of this house is our setting - servants quarters. And Shearman quickly gives us cause to be uneasy, as Charley is able to interact with elements of this house, where the Doctor is not.

We get the sense that there is an entity with no corporal form that is manipulating events, and the Doctor himself intimates this when he and his companion are separated across time.Charley is given a chance to investigate solo.

Enter the first cast member of this whodunnit, Edith: a scullery maid who we immediately sympathise with in defence of the terrible treatment she is shown by the other members of the household staff. And indeed, she is the first victim,

After Charley and the Doctor are reunited, what follows are a series of interviews by our duo with some supernatural events sprinkled in for good measure. And I find it is these supernatural events that distinguish this story from others. Because while Doctor Who indulges in the occasional supernatural thriller, it often does not stick the landing. I think, perhaps, this is because Doctor Who is hardwired as a science-fiction/fantasy show, and so supernatural elements are difficult to be made sense of by out protagonist who is rooted in science. There is no magician to explain the arcane to us, not a palmister to see into the future, nor a necromancer to explain the rising dead. Such characters feel incompatible with the fabric of the show. This is not to say it can’t be done - anything can be done. But doing so in a way that pleases the fanbase, the general audience, and the story itself is a difficult task.

The genius of The Chimes of Midnight, is that the resolution of the story is directly linked to the presence of the supernatural element, which in turn, was sparked by a rather traumatic incident. We don’t need a supernatural actor to explain it to us, as it explains itself - which is a tricky concept to wrap your head around, until you read the book for yourself.

As with Steven Moffat’s The Empty Child, and Matt Jones’ The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit, The Chimes of Midnight represents the best of the supernatural genre in Doctor Who, where a heavy supernatural element initially throws the Doctor out of his depth, but the question of the supernatural is resolved by the nature of the plot itself that simultaneously hooks you emotionally, as well intellectually.

Rating

I give the Chimes of Midnight by Robert Shearman 5/5 stars - Eminently re-readable