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allonsyechoes's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
adriana21's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
blibana's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
caitz's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
kappafrog's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Another fantastic entry in the Pentecost and Parker series! I am loving this series so much. I was so absorbed by this book I finished it in two days. At first I was nervous about the departure from NYC, but WOW did I love the rural circus setting. I loved humanizing the people behind the "freak shows" of earlier decades in American culture. There were so many interesting characters here, floating through society at its fringes and forging a tightly bonded community. I particularly liked Bob. I wish Sam had gotten a bigger role in the story though - he dropped out pretty quickly after seeming important in the beginning. There was a hint he might turn up again in future books though, so I'd like to see that.
The southern small town setting was often very absorbing too. I loved the porches, the iced tea, the corn fields, and how well Lillian blended in wearing borrowed clothing when she had to stay in the house with her sprained ankle. The people were very different than the ones we meet in NYC, and I liked seeing their characterizations explored, though more could have been done with some of them (like the police chief, whose racism never comes up after that chilling first scene with him).
The ending here didn't reach the heights of the first book. While in that book everything got tied together, here there were a lot of red herrings. I didn't find that as satisfying and exciting as the first book. The end felt like it came a little too quickly - I would have liked to see more aftermath with some of the other characters like Bob, though I liked the final scene with Maeve a lot. Carl was begging for a followup we didn't get too. I was a little disappointed by the way things ended in this one. More realistic perhaps, but the first one was so deviously clever I was a little let down this time around.
My favourite scene in the book was the funeral held for the murder victim. I teared up at that. I loved all the beautiful little touches of circus life, like the decorated coffin and the parting words everyone gave her: "See you along the road."
This mystery was more personal for Will, which meant Will made a lot more mistakes and crossed a lot of lines in conversations that she normally wouldn't have done. Sometimes that was a bit frustrating. I wasn't as interested in her romance this time around. However, I liked Joe's character. Some of the side characters who were interesting but underdeveloped were Evelyn, Carl, and even Doc.
Overall though, this was another wonderful novel! I was totally drawn into its world and absolutely loved seeing a mid-20th century circus behind the scenes. You truly got the feeling for the passing of an era.
The southern small town setting was often very absorbing too. I loved the porches, the iced tea, the corn fields, and how well Lillian blended in wearing borrowed clothing when she had to stay in the house with her sprained ankle. The people were very different than the ones we meet in NYC, and I liked seeing their characterizations explored, though more could have been done with some of them (like the police chief, whose racism never comes up after that chilling first scene with him).
The ending here didn't reach the heights of the first book. While in that book everything got tied together, here there were a lot of red herrings. I didn't find that as satisfying and exciting as the first book. The end felt like it came a little too quickly - I would have liked to see more aftermath with some of the other characters like Bob, though I liked the final scene with Maeve a lot. Carl was begging for a followup we didn't get too. I was a little disappointed by the way things ended in this one. More realistic perhaps, but the first one was so deviously clever I was a little let down this time around.
My favourite scene in the book was the funeral held for the murder victim. I teared up at that. I loved all the beautiful little touches of circus life, like the decorated coffin and the parting words everyone gave her: "See you along the road."
This mystery was more personal for Will, which meant Will made a lot more mistakes and crossed a lot of lines in conversations that she normally wouldn't have done. Sometimes that was a bit frustrating. I wasn't as interested in her romance this time around. However, I liked Joe's character. Some of the side characters who were interesting but underdeveloped were Evelyn, Carl, and even Doc.
Overall though, this was another wonderful novel! I was totally drawn into its world and absolutely loved seeing a mid-20th century circus behind the scenes. You truly got the feeling for the passing of an era.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Racism, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Homophobia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Car accident, and Abortion
skylarclouser's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
idlevera's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I rate based on immediate impressions after reading, and this one scored slightly higher than Fortune Favors the Dead—I don't know if I truly liked it better, I just know that I'm INVESTED for sure and the circus setting and delving deeper into Will's history were fun.
I even kind of enjoy the idea of Will having a different love interest each book, James Bond style, hahah. That said, one bit took me out for a hot second.At one point Joe was upset with Will, the next second he's asking her out again... I really had to go back and frantically try to emotionally piece it together. (I guess there was her heroism during the fire in between?) Anyway, that's the only strike.
I love this series!!!!
I even kind of enjoy the idea of Will having a different love interest each book, James Bond style, hahah. That said, one bit took me out for a hot second.
I love this series!!!!
bee_vee's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25