I love Fiona Davis books because although they are historical fiction, they are written on a factual premise and generally occur in New York City. Her descriptions of the time period and geographical settings are accurate, and I have learned about actual events from the city’s past.

Her latest focuses on a Radio City Rockette in the 1950s. While Marion is excited to be part of this renowned group and their grueling performances, a mad person nicknamed the “Big Apple Bomber” is wreaking havoc all over Manhattan. So how is Marion involved in this mystery?

I never really had much interest in the Rockettes before reading this book. I only read it because I have enjoyed others by the author. However, I was sucked into the story and didn’t want to end. It kept my interest all the way through!

Round up to 4.5 stars

**Will post to Instagram on 05/30/2023

I’m running out of ways to express how much I love Fiona Davis’ writing. Seriously, if you haven’t picked up a book from her by now, YOU. ARE. MISSING. OUT. I am extremely grateful to have gotten an early copy of her newest novel, The Spectacular, which focuses on the historic Radio City Music Hall. Unlike some of her previous novels, there is only one protagonist, and the dual storylines are that character’s past and present narratives. All hail the wonderfully talented Fiona Davis!

Judge the book by the cover!! That alone is what caught my attention!!!

This was a really good story- family drama, bombers, psychological profiling, Rockettes. The back story is interesting-some flat spots where I found myself skimming. The brief chapters in 1992 are just okay except maybe the last one since it ties up all the loose ends and unanswered questions.

This is the second book I have read by Fiona Davis. Magnolia Place was just as good. I have another on my personal bookshelf I will make time to read.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for advanced reader e-book!!!

Fiona Davis certainly titled her new book appropriately - SPECTACULAR!!!! If I had had time to read this book in one day I definitely would have - again - it was SPECTACULAR!!! Then again, I have read all of her books and have not been disappointed yet. Thanks again Ms. Davis for a SPECTACULAR well written & well researched book.

Anything and everything I have ever read from author Fiona Davis has been absolutely amazing. This book is no exception. Her characters have a way of coming alive and feeling very real!

Bonus points, right off the top: The cover of this book attracted me instantly, as did the author, Fiona Davis. And, the book grabbed my attention from the first page. I love it when it doesn't take a long time to become invested in a book.

In a nutshell, this book is about Radio City Music Hall and the Rockettes. It is also about The Apple City Bomber who terrorized New York City for 16 years during the 1940s and 1950s. I knew nothing about this. This is one of the reasons I love a historical novel, an easy way to learn about the past.

The book focuses on two stories. The one is about a young woman, Marion, trying out for and becoming a Rockette at Radio City. It is a gruelling schedule and very exacting rehearsals.

And, the secondary story is about the bomber. Marion teams up with a young psychiatry resident who tries to help the police catch the bomber by using criminal profiling. This was the first time profiling was used in police work. I found it quite interesting how seemingly insignificant details put together could create a persona. While this may seem to be far-fetched, it is a NOVEL which is lightly based on actual events. The author uses literary license to change the details in order to make it more appealing to the reader. In the Author's Notes at the end, she does set the record straight. I still learned about events that I had never been aware of.

Ms. Davis hits it out of the park with this book. All of her books are set in New York City. Each book has a different historical building as a main feature. The stories revolve around each building respectively. I found her books very enjoyable, easy to read and informative.

I'm sure there will be some readers who will find it somewhat contrived. But it is fiction. It is entertaining. For me, that’s what it's all about.

Great storyline, great characters and great outcome.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

I really enjoyed the majority of The Spectacular by Fiona Davis. I became a fan of Davis after I read The Lions of Fifth Avenue by her. This story details Marion, a nineteen-year-old who becomes a Rockette in the 1950s. While Marion is living her best life on stage and experiencing independence for the first time, there is actually a bomber on the loose in Manhattan. Unfortunately, Marion has a close encounter with the bomber and decides to hunt him down in order to save others from her heartache.

While I liked that Marion was independent and stood up for herself, I thought her quest to find the bomber was a bit unrealistic. I liked that there was romance but that it wasn't the focus of the story. It is always refreshing to read about women in historical fiction who have a backbone, but I think some of Marion's actions were more reflective of life in current society rather than in the 1950s.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I think there were a few pieces that kept it from being a great read.

I love the Rockettes and this gave a look behind stage and rapt an event I was unfamiliar with. Characters were interesting and the mystery element intriguing. Good read.

The setting of this book had me from the start- NYC, Radio City Music Hall and the Rockettes. And the rest of the story lives up to the hugeness of that setting! I highly recommend with book with one warning be prepared to become totally immersed!

Marion has always dreamed of being a dancer but the men in her life want her to be the traditional 1950's wife. When she has the opportunity to audition to for the Rockettes she can't resist even if it means defying her father and boyfriend. The risk she faces is compounded by the Big Apple Bomber targeting popular New York City sites. Will she be able to make a life of her own and survive the Big Apple bomber? The story draws you in and as with all Fiona Davis books New York City play a role.

Fiona Davis is one of those authors where I can go into the book blindly and know I won't be disappointed. One of those authors who's book release you anxiously count the days down to. She's the auto buy you clear your calendar for the minute you get your hands on it. In my case, you stay up far too late into the night because you couldn't stop reading. That's how it's been for me with all of her books and her latest, The Spectacular, was no exception. Once again, I was putty in her hands and loved every minute of the story she told.

The Spectacular centers around Marion Brooks. Our main character has come of age in the 1950s. She's always felt like an outsider with her father and sister, Judy. Life after their mother's death was never the same. Judy took after their father, while Marion inherited her mother's love of performing. However, Marion's dream and that of her father's couldn't be more different. He has visions of her getting married to her high school boyfriend, Nathaniel, who will work alongside her dad. Her father envisions them all living under the same roof. Nowhere in her father's vision is Marion a Rockette. And when she dares to live out her dream, he refuses to support her.

On top of the grueling work, Marion finds out just how hard it is to achieve the illusion audiences look forward to seeing. While her father has next to nothing to do with her, she makes friends with some of the dancers. Life for everyone is brought to a screeching halt when the Big Apple Bomber sits next to Marion's sister for a performance. From the stage, Marion watches the devastation unleashed when a bomb her planted in a seat goes off. Marion's dream has now become a nightmare she blames herself for.

When the police don't seem to make any head way, Marion enlists the help of Peter, a doctor one of the city's mental hospitals. He's created something called a psychological profile- the first of it's kind. Based on information he's given, he's able to give the police a better understanding of who they've been trying to apprehend for 16 years. When they get a less than welcoming reaction from the authorities, Peter and Marion look for their guy on their own. But can they find him? And can they do it before anyone else gets hurt?

Once I started The Spectacular I was hooked. I loved every minute of the story. I loved seeing Marion choose to live the life she wants verses the life her father things she should have. I loved watching her come into her own as she navigated the unrelenting pressure that comes with being a Rockette. I especially loved all the behind the scenes history Fiona wove into the story. Watching Peter shape who the bomber would be was incredible. Watching he and Marion hunt their guy down was engrossing. Mostly, I loved seeing how seamlessly Fiona Davis has, yet again, woven fact with fiction.

If you love historical fiction, Fiona Davis is an author you want to read.

I was very excited to read this book, I love historical fiction, I love NYC, and I enjoy theater, whether Broadway or dance, like the Rockettes.

I thought the history included about the Rockettes was fun, and I didn’t know about the Mad Bomber, so this book introduced me to a new moment in history. That was the best part of it for me.

The story was really rushed but somehow the book was too long. The main part of the story took place over about two months, and the reader is expected to believe that so much happened to this one person and her family during that time. I won’t spoil it, but toward the end I found myself rolling my eyes at each new unlikely thing that happened to Marion. The book itself included so much unnecessary information and descriptions and at times it felt like the author was just cramming as many facts about New York in the 50s into the book as possible.

I also didn’t find the characters realistic or interesting. The book tried to make some of them morally gray, but they were just terrible. Marion was okay, but didn’t have much personality. She was also too perfect. She’s beautiful, an incredible dancer who can become a Rockette on a whim, comes from a well off family, meets the person she loves immediately, is able to figure out what is needed to solve a 16 year old case that the police haven’t figured out, and can easily do heroic things like fight off attackers and catch a bomb in her hands.

Finally, I found the sections of the book set in 1994 unnecessary and bland. All of those chapters only existed to make sure we knew she got with the love of her life eventually.

One of the reasons I love Fiona Davis’s historical fiction novels is because they are always based upon a location in New York City. The Spectacular continues to deliver her well researched locations with a compelling plot that will leave you wanting more.

The latest novel is based on Radio City Music Hall and tells the story of Marion Brooks, a young dancer hoping to find her place in life beyond being a wife and obedient daughter. Told through flashbacks to her youth in 1952, Marion tries to pursue her dream of dancing in New York City. A last minute tryout for the Rockettes may just be the opportunity. Meanwhile, Marion has to convince her controlling father that she is safe while a criminal, nicknamed The Big Apple Bomber, is on the loose in the city.

Davis has based this story on actual historic events that will compel you to do more research. She is truly an expert author at combining history with a compelling mystery. The Spectacular will appeal to both new Davis readers as well as those familiar with the author. A woman’s journey to find herself, the glamor of New York and the intriguing development of criminal profiling all add up to a captivating new release.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the opportunity to review this title.

Although somewhat predictable, I really enjoyed this novel. Based on a true historical event, it was well done. The characters were well developed and sympathetic.
Highly recommended

This book was in a word SPECTACULAR.
I loved the combining story lines, the flash backs and the peek into both the rockettes and radio City music hall. Great combo of historical fiction and thriller

Fiona davis has a way of weaving historically true events and stories into a fictional tale beautifully. Every single book of hers I read I find myself looking into the actual history of either the locations or people and this was no exception. Fans of historical fiction won’t be able to put this down and those who don’t typically read this genre should give it a try- she’s a great author to get you pulled in! But be warned, you will want more!

This book follows the story of Marion Brooks who is an amazing dancer stuck at the dance studio she studied at until she gets unexpectantly fired. She decides to take a chance and tryout for the Rockettes in New York City (where she lives). Even though her soon to be fiancé and father do not understand why Marion wants to be a professional dancer she proceeds. Marion becomes a Rockette even though her father does not approve. She decides to begin living on her own. Meanwhile, New York has had a series of bombings orchestrated from someone known as "Big Apple Bomber." After an unfortunate incident while Marion is performing she desires to get answers as to who this person may be.

This book! The combination of mystery and history is impeccable. I was so interested from the get go. I enjoyed the growth of the main character into a women. This book gave me such a variety of feelings while I read it. I do not want to give anything away so I will just say I went from happy to so sad and terrified to a bit of triumph for the main character at the end.

Content: bombings, verbal abuse, affair

Read if you enjoy
Dual timeline
Historical fiction
Dance
Mystery

Thank you Dutton publishing and Netgalley for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Leave it to Fiona Davis to snap me out of a reading slump. I read The Spectacular in 2 days! Rockettes, mystery, history, NYC, dance, choreography, twists, interesting plot, strong female characters... It has it all. Loved it!

Fiona Davis is at the top of my list of auto-buy authors. She writes historical fiction in such a way that makes you feel as though you have been transported to that time. For this novel, The Spectacular, we are transported to 1950s New York City and Radio City Music Hall where we meet Marion--a lifelong dancer and dance teacher. Marion is offered a spot as a Radio City Rockette, much to the chagrin of her family and boyfriend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable quick read about the Rockettes and NYC in the 1950s. The story focuses on Marion, a 19-year-old who wants to break free from her stifling NY suburban life and move to NYC and be a Rockette. As someone who grew up in the same suburbs and lives in NYC (and worked across the street from Radio City for years) I enjoyed the historical NY descriptions (as I do whenever I read one of Fiona Davis’ novels). The intrigue of the serial bomber added to the novel (I never knew about this little nugget of history).

I flew through this book and had fun reading about the Rockettes, NYC in the 50s and Marion. The characters were well written although I do think that the father was a little heavy handed and probably could have been scaled back a bit.

This is a 3.75 star review so I will round up to 4

Thank you to Penguin group and Netgalley for the chance to review