The Ladies of the Secret Circus

Starred review from November 30, 2020
Sayers (A Witch in Time) weaves romance, mystery, and a family curse into a spellbinding historical fantasy that stretches from 1920s Paris to modern-day America. In Jazz Age Paris, the Secret Circus is a place of both beauty and horror, unique because it has no physical building and only becomes visible to ticket holders. Twins Cecile and Esmé Cabot are confined to the mysterious world of the circus, where Cecile has always lived in Esmé’s shadow. But when Cecile falls for a charming young artist, the affair worsens Cecile and Esmé’s already strained relationship and the consequences of their rift stretch through time. In present-day Virginia, Lara Barnes is floored when her fiancé disappears on their wedding day, and, after coming across her great-grandmother’s journals, she sets off for Paris in search of answers. There, Lara uncovers both her family’s secret past and a curse that has plagued the women in her family for generations. The rich descriptions and fascinating settings create engagement in both timelines, and the secret of Lara’s bloodline is original and surprising. Fans of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus will love this page-turning story of dark magic, star-crossed love, and familial sacrifice. Agent: Roz Foster, Frances Godlin Literary.

Starred review from March 1, 2021

Lara Barnes's fianc� disappears the morning of their wedding, the "runaway groom" making Lara a figure of pity in her small town. When the police discover that this is just the latest in a string of creepy disappearances, Lara and her family find themselves at the heart of mystery, madness, and obsession, as they learn that the magic they have always hidden has reached out to draw them back in. That is, unless they can find their way back to Paris and the Secret Circus that will either claim them, kill them, or send them straight to hell. Encompassing as many genres as a circus carousel has animals to ride, this is ultimately a story about love. Not just romantic love, although that lies at its heart. Rather, this tale of dark fantasy, obsession, and the Lost Generation turns out to be the story of a father trying to do his best for his daughters. That the father is a prince of hell means that his solution is quite literally on the road paved with good intentions. VERDICT Highly recommended for lovers of timeslip fiction, readers who enjoy their genres very bent indeed, and those who have dreamed of running away to the circus.--Marlene Harris, Reading Reality, LLC, Duluth, GA

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 31, 2021
Lara Barnes grew up hearing tales of her family's long-retired circus, and its allure never faded away for her as an adult. After her fianc� goes missing on their wedding day, she is understandably distraught, especially when it seems her mother knows more about the situation than she lets on. As Lara unravels the mystery with the town's chief of police, she discovers more about her family's past, including a different, secret circus that remains legendary decades after its last performance. Told in alternate perspectives, from Lara in the early 2000s and her great-grandmother Cecile in the secret circus' heyday of the 1920s, the novel's many twists will surely keep readers guessing. While Lara is easy to relate to, it is the supporting cast of characters that truly shines in Sayers' latest (after A Witch in Time, 2020). Cecile's life in the secret circus is interesting enough to fill a novel on its own. The Ladies of the Secret Circus is a delightful blend of supernatural horror and mystery that readers of both genres will enjoy.

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