I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers Published by Redhook on March 23 2021
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 468
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: Filled with mysteries, magic and mayhem, The Ladies of the Secret Circus is a dark and layered tale of a family curse and the mysterious circus they can’t escape.
I knew that Constance Sayers was going to deliver something unique with her latest release, but I was not expecting such an unusual, magical and complex story. The Ladies of the Secret Circus is many things: a mystery, a coming-of-age story, a love story, a generational family saga and of course, a magical tale of a mysterious circus. Add in a trip to 1920s Paris and you have a mesmerizing, time-hopping story chock full of magic, demons, music, lost paintings and much much more.
The story opens on Lara Barnes’s wedding day. Set in the quaint town of Kerrigan Falls, Virginia, Lara is about to marry the love of her life, Todd Sutton. But when Todd never shows up for the wedding, Lara is thrust into a diabolical mystery involving a circus called Le Cirque Secret. Lara thinks Todd ran out on their wedding day, but when his abandoned car is discovered near the forest, she knows the truth is much more grim. With the help of local police detective Ben Archer, Lara follows a series of clues that lead her from the present to the past and back again, as she discovers her place in her family’s twisted history and a magical circus that might just be her birthright.
That is a very truncated recap of this lush and complex story, but honestly I’d rather spend time talking about all the elements I loved in this book. Sayers does a great job of combining the mundane and magical, a combo I’ve always loved. The story begins with a whiff of magic, as we see Lara standing before a mirror in her wedding gown. But she’s not quite happy with the way the skirt falls, so she magically alters it to be more to her liking. This sets the tone for the rest of the book, as we’re introduced to Lara’s mother Audrey, who has raised Lara to be wary of how she uses this magic. It must never be done in public and must be kept secret. Lara has been able to do simple magic like this since she was a young child, and through flashbacks we learn that she discovered this ability when a man named Althacazur approached her in a field one day and told her that magic was her destiny. From this ominous scene, we encounter Althacazur over and over in the story and gradually piece together who he is and why he’s so dangerous—as well as why the Barnes women can do magic in the first place.
The story is divided into three distinct parts, and I loved this structure. In the first part, we’re confronted with the disappearance of Todd Sutton and how the characters are coping. It is during this section that Audrey gives Lara a small painting that’s been hanging in her house for years, and we find out that it’s one of three “lost” circus paintings that artist Émile Giroux painted back in the 1920s. This begins yet another mystery as Lara shows the painting to a local artist named Gaston Bucher who insists it’s a genuine Giroux. By the end of this section, Lara and Gaston are headed to Paris to consult with a Giroux expert, although Lara has an ulterior motive as well.
The second section takes place in Paris, and this is where many of the mysteries are revealed. Lara has found an old journal belonging to her great-grandmother Cecile Cabot, and the reader gets a glimpse into the past as Cecile describes a fantastical yet heartbreaking tale of a circus called Le Cirque Secret. This was one of my favorite parts of the book, since I absolutely loved Le Cirque Secret and the marvels that are revealed through Cecile’s journal. The descriptions are rich in detail, and many of the circus scenes border on the weird and terrifying. Sayers is so good at immersing the reader in her magical world, I honestly felt like I was right there with the characters. We also learn more about the lost paintings and how they are tied to not only the circus, but to Lara’s family tree.
Finally in the last section, Lara and Gaston have returned from Paris, and Sayers gives her readers a thrilling climax that does a great job of wrapping up all the mysteries, although I did love that the ending is a bit open-ended!
There is quite a bit going on in this story, and I can see that some readers might be overwhelmed by all of it. Not only do we have a fairly large cast of characters, but there are so many elements to keep track of. Sayers gives her characters unique professions as well, which adds another layer to an already interesting story. For example, Lara owns a radio station, and her father James used to be a successful punk rock musician (and he now works at the station with her), so there is also a thread of music running through the story. Lara’s doomed fiance Todd restores vintage cars. Audrey’s boyfriend Gaston is a photographer and an artist and is the one who sets the whole “lost painting” storyline in motion. I found all of the characters to be simply fascinating! And that’s before we even get to Le Cirque Secret. I personally loved every bit of it and can’t imagine this story without all of these elements.
As you can tell, I was completely swept up in this story. If you haven’t read Constance Sayers yet, I urge you to check out her books, and The Ladies of the Secret Circus is the perfect place to start.
Big thanks to the publisher and Sparkpoint Studio for providing a review copy.
This sounds wonderful. Books set in a circus are uncommon.
Mervi recently posted…Firefly: The Sting
The circus was definitely the draw for me, and didn’t disappoint:-)
This sounds lovely. I love the magic/circus theme
The circus was so interesting, plus there is a lot more besides that:-)
Your mention of “weird and terrifying” scenes concerning the circus dovetail perfectly with some narrative threads that paint it as a place where the outward amusement covers some deeper, terrible secrets. And this is one of the reasons I’m fascinated by your review, besides the intriguing story. Sayers is an author unknown to me, but I’m now determined to know more…
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I think you’d love her. Her books just feel so fresh to me, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered an author before who combines so many interesting elements into one book:-)
I’ve been waiting for your review on this book and I’m SO happy you enjoyed it so much. Sounds like it absolutely deserves the 5 stars!
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…Cover Reveal: Jagged Line Paradise by Brynn Ford
It does! I hope you get to read it too:-)
Excellent review! It sounds fascinating and I love the cover too.
Anne – Books of My Heart recently posted…Drown Her Sorrows by Melinda Leigh
Thanks Anne! The cover really sets the tone for the story.
5 stars – I’m sold!
Hard to argue with 5 stars!
It sounds like you really loved this, thanks for sharing!
I did, I’m ready for her next book, lol.
It’s so great to find a book where you find all the characters fascinating. And then to have them populate a world and weaved into a story you also enjoy? Can’t beat it. Really glad to see how much you enjoyed this.
I knew from her last book that I was going to love this, it also had fascinating characters. Lots of fun:-)
Yay, this is my next read and I can’t wait!
Enjoy!
I haven’t read anything Constance Sayers yet and I’ve got this on my Goodreads TBR based on the blurb alone. But I love your review and I’m fully convinced I should really read this!
Hasini @ Bibliosini recently posted…Why I don’t run a BookTube: Let’s Talk Bookish
You should, and her last book A Witch in Time is also amazing:-)
“mysteries, magic and mayhem” sound pretty good! And your review was intriguing!
Thanks Susy, it’s so good!
I love the sound of this so much, the magic, mystery and the circus. And 5 stars too. Definitely adding this to my TBR list 😀
Pages and Tea recently posted…Book Review: The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower #1) by Stephen King
There’s a lot to love:-)
Okay, so I initially had no interest in this book, but after your review I’m reevaluating my life choices!! I really don’t know why I skipped over this other than I wasn’t excited about circuses at the time?? And therefore never even read the synopsis?? Silly me!
LOL well, it isn’t just about the circus, there are lots of other cool elements. I say go for it!
This sounds just as incredible as I hoped it would. I’d had a thing for books with a circus setting ever since I read The Night Circus years ago. This will be my first time reading one of Sayers’ books and I’m really looking forward to it.
There are some Night Circus vibes, I think. I didn’t mention it in my review because it’s been YEARS since I read The Night Circus and I wasn’t sure, lol.
On the one hand I am HIGHLY intrigued. On the other hand this one does seem a bit daunting for me, especially in my current mood. I will keep it in mind though! Great review, Tammy. I’m glad you loved it.
I bookmarked your review last week and wanted to wait until I finished the book to come back and read it. 🙂 I just drafted my review and will likely post it tomorrow. I think you and I had really different experiences with this book! I really loved A Witch in Time, but I just didn’t connect with this book at all, sad to say. I liked some of the elements, but there were some pretty big pieces that just didn’t work for me. Oh well…
I’m so curious to read your review now!
I loved this and couldn’t agree more with your review. I’m still putting my thoughts together but basically they’ll involve lots of adoration for this one.
Lynn 😀