SYNOPSIS: 1928
The Bonaventure Circus is a refuge for many, but Pippa Ripley was rejected from its inner circle as a baby. When she receives mysterious messages from someone called the "Watchman," she is determined to find him and the connection to her birth. As Pippa's search leads her to a man seeking justice for his murdered sister and evidence that a serial killer has been haunting the circus train, she must decide if uncovering her roots is worth putting herself directly in the path of the killer.
Present Day
The old circus train depot will either be torn down or preserved for historical importance, and its future rests on real estate project manager Chandler Faulk's shoulders. As she dives deep into the depot's history, she's also balancing a newly diagnosed autoimmune disease and the pressures of single motherhood. When she discovers clues to the unsolved murders of the past, Chandler is pulled into a story far darker and more haunting than even an abandoned train depot could portend.
MY THOUGHTS:
I adore this book. The front cover completely drew me in with its image of the circus elephant and the old, damaged, poster appearance. The title had me with the word haunting! I do love a spooky, ghost tale and I was very intrigued by this. Lastly the appeal of a novel based around a circus was something I just had to read. And that was before I had even read the synopsis!!!
From the moment I started to read this book I knew I was in for a thrilling read. I loved the dual narrative of Pippa and Chandler and the two different time periods. Although, both characters have different stories to tell you are aware that the theme of the circus is centred around them both; Pippa living with the owners of Bonaventure circus and Chandler having the job of redeveloping the circus depot. I found myself invested in both women and was eager to find out more about them and how their story would come full circle. I loved the ghost element in Chandler's narrative and the setting of the dilapidated circus depot. I could really imagine all the circus performers from the past and their haunting of the building. Pippa's story was much darker and as the story developed you knew something sinister was just around the corner, filling me with dread. I adored Pippa's involvement with Lily the elephant calf and was fascinated by the Watchman and finding out who he was.
Wright's portrayal of the colourful characters, as you would expect to find in a circus, were larger than life and all had their own back story which I loved. All the characters had their own struggles and faults which made them more realistic and relatable. Although I tried very hard to piece everything together I failed miserably and was both shocked and delighted with the hidden twists and turns that occurred. This is a book I can see myself re-reading in the future and will definitely be recommending The Haunting At Bonaventure Circus to all my family and friends.
Many thanks to the author for such an enjoyable read, to both the publishers and Love Book Tours for inviting me to join the blog tour and for my gifted book which I will treasure. Highly recommend The Haunting At Bonaventure Circus for all fans of ghost stories and novels centred around the circus. Such a delightful read.
AUTHOR:
Jaime Jo Wright is the author of five novels, including Christy Award winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond.
She's also the Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestselling author of two novellas.
Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her cat named Foo, her husband Cap'n Hook, and their littles, Peter Pan, and CoCo.
To learn more, visit www.jaimewrightbooks.com.
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