Enchanting and mysterious from the get-go, this time slip novel has everything you need to get your adrenaline pumping, and by the end, your heart thoroughly warmed.

With its masterfully woven murder mystery than spans almost a century, entwined with the whimsical and sometimes creepy elements of the circus, and the lovable group of misfit characters (including a sweet baby elephant!!), Jaime Jo Wright has delivered yet another fantastic and unforgettable story.

Disclaimer - I received a free e-copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. A positive review was not required. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Reading the “The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus” will make your heart flip like the acrobatics of a trapeze artist. In typical Jaime Jo Wright fashion, this book is spooky and perfectly unique. I will say this book freaked me out more than her previous novels, but with a book by Wright, I knew that nothing was as it seemed and in the end it would all make sense. I wasn’t disappointed!

There are so many things I love about this book. First off, there’s a baby elephant. I mean, you can’t not love a baby elephant! I found myself rooting for this sweet baby to survive as much as I did the human characters. Speaking of the human characters, Wright outdid herself. As I read, I kept thinking that these characters felt so REAL. The setting is my home state of Wisconsin. I live just a couple hours from the small circus town this book is inspired by. Many of the phrases Wright uses are typical Wisconsin phrases. I could hear the words coming out of characters who looked like people I know, right down to the burly bikers with hearts of gold! Then there was the connection to an autoimmune disease. Chandler was diagnosed with the same autoimmune disease I live with. Her symptoms are a bit different than mine, but it’s powerful to read about a character who struggles with the same thing in life that you do. I had a lot of personal connections to this book.

“The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus” is a fantastic suspense full of more twists and turns than a night under the Big Top. The characters, even the heroes, are flawed and trying to figure out life and faith and love. They question God’s involvement in their lives and struggle to understand why things are happening to them and if they will ever be loved for who they are. They struggle with things that we all struggle with and I think many people will find themselves in the pages of this book. Finally, I just have to say the men in this book are not your typical heroes and I love that so much!

*I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel through Netgalley but was not required to write a review.

No ones pens a more eerie tale than Jaime Jo Wright. She has mastered the craft of writing suspenseful split time novels with haunting plots that are chilling and full of surprises. The Haunting At Bonaventure Circus kept me guessing until the conclusion! Prepare yourself for twists and turns as this story unfolds! This has such a suspenseful and shocking ending, like hold your breath and just keep turning the pages! I love it when I’m surprised by an ending or shocked by a reveal of facts and this one delivers! This isn’t your typical trip to the circus, but it will definitely grab your attention and intrigue you!

This was a heart thumping time slip novel set in 1928 and current day. It evolves around a circus that has its headquarters in a small town. Strange noises, screams, ghosts and serial killers all play a part in this story, especially in the dark of night. The not so perfect characters won places in my heart. Pippa in the 1928 tale was born of circus parents and had a deformed leg. Given up at birth, she was raised by the owner of the Bonaventure Circus along with his wife. A very strict father kept Pippa under his thumb most of her young life. She found time to sneak off to the wonders and people in the circus world feeling a connection deep in her soul. Pippa was lost and felt so unloved, always searching for acceptance. Baby Lily also won me over. Her rejection by her mom left lots of hurt and scars that formed in big tears and whines from within. Pippa could relate so well to Lily and they formed a close bond beyond explanation.
Chandler in modern day was just trying to survive and raise her young son Peter alone. She was working on a renovation of the old circus buildings under her uncle who purchased the property. Strange sounds and moans and scraps across the floors that couldn’t be explained sent Chandler on a search into the past. Rumors of a serial killer, the Watchman, surfaced as she dug deeper and deeper. What was it going to cost her in the end?
And who couldn’t love an author that uses such fun words as “heebie-jeebies” and “flibbertigibbet”?
Look for them! And my favorite reference to my all time favorite TV show, Andy Griffith on Loc 1695.
My takeaway from this book, “the best families are made of broken people.”
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the author through Netgalley but was not required to write a review.