Fiona Davis does it again! The Spectacular takes the reader into the world of the 1950’s Radio City Music Hall Rockettes. Marion Brooks is a relatable, likable heroine. Her story is beautiful, yet flawed. As always, Davis weaves in a relatively unknown historical event into the tale. Her stories are entertaining and fascinating, and I’m already looking forward to her next book.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Dutton for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

The Spectacular is set in NYC in the 1950s, and features Marion, a dancer who defies her father and auditions for the Rockettes. She gets entangled with a bomber who has been setting off homemade bombs around the city for over a decade. This part is true to history. I liked the behind-the-scenes look at dancing at Radio City Music Hall and I enjoyed her pursuit of the bomber alongside a psychiatrist who helps create a criminal profile. The plot with Marion and her father, where he refuses to support her independence, was tiresome after awhile and could have been scaled back.

This was such an enjoyable, quick read--I loved this thrilling story about a crime-solving Rockette in the 1950s! When dance teacher Marion is fired from her studio job, she decides to audition for the Rockettes on a whim. She joins the company right before the busy Christmas season, and I found all of the details about being a dancer fascinating. The long hours and number of shows the dancers did each day was truly astounding. I also really enjoyed the mystery of the Big Apple Bomber that Marion helped solve; there really was a bomber who terrorized NYC for 16 years in the 1940s and 50s, targeting landmarks like Radio City. Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction and closed door romance, and is suitable for young adults--thanks to Netgalley, Dutton, and Fiona Davis for the librarian preview copy.

Fiona Davis takes us into another iconic building in NYC – Radio City Music Hall. It is 1956 and Marion auditions for the Rockettes without her family’s knowledge. It is Marion’s dream to be a dancer, but her father has a different path for her: marry her fiancé and become a doting housewife. Marion leaves home and moves into a boarding house with other dancers and artists. Davis takes us behind the scenes into the life of a Rockette – the endless rehearsals, the shows, and the camaraderie between the dancers.

As with most of Davis’ novels, there is a mystery to solve. New York City has been plagued with a bomber for years. The police have had no leads. The latest bombing is in Radio City Music Hall during one of the shows while Marion is onstage. Marion and her friend, Peter (a resident in psychiatry), investigate the bombings.

The Spectacular is well-written and well-researched. The plotline about the bomber is based on a real terrorist, George Metesky, who planted explosives in various places in New York City in the 1940’s and 1950’s. The behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to be a Rockette during that time was fascinating to me.

I highly recommend The Spectacular. Readers of historical fiction who like a bit of mystery and romance added to a historical timeline will enjoy it, as well as readers who like stories with a dance storyline. Fiona Davis has written another enjoyable novel. I look forward to her future writings!

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for providing me with an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

1950s Manhattan as experienced through a Rockette. Bombs explode and a mystery falls on the shoulders of the Rockette. What must she do to solve it?

I've been to New York City many times, but I have never been to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. After reading The Spectacular, I now have to go! This story recalls and fictionalizes the time in 1956 when there was a mad bomber causing havoc in NYC and places bombs in Radio City Music Hall. Marion Brooks is a young dancer that stumbles her way to becoming a Rockette. Her controlling father is none to happy she is following in her mother's artistic footsteps. When a bomb explodes in the Music Hall, Marion's life is thrown into chaos and with the help of some dear friends, she helps the police figure everything out. The second (and shorter) timeline is from 1992 when Marion is brought back to Radio City Music Hall for an anniversary celebration. In the end, the older Marion summarizes her life and makes a final choice that will leave readers smiling. The author creates such a detailed story that you feel like you are in 1956 New York and are walking through the halls of the iconic Radio City Music Hall. The characters felt true to the time period of controlling older men and more modern thinking younger people. The Author's Note at the end explains how was truth and what was changed for the story and I really like to have that information when the story is based on real events. If you have enjoyed the author's previous books, you will love this one as well.

Thank you to the Penguin Group and Net Galley for an ARC of The Spectacular by Fiona Davis in exchange for an honest review.

I was captivated by this book honestly from the cover. But everything inside was so pretty and fitting with the book too. The writing was pretty, the layout was pretty. I was so beautiful lost in this story I could have been in a dream. It was such a great read. I really want to look into it more to see how closely this was based on real events. I love books based on real events but I am not sure how much it is yet. Either way it felt so real and I felt like I lived this story along with the characters.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an ARC of this book. This was my first Fiona Davis book and I enjoyed it tremendously. I thought the characters were well developed and story line was interesting. I thought the story of a Rockette and the "Big Apple Bomber" of NYC was interesting. It is a story of finding your self, standing on your own two feet, and making hard choices. I was invested from the beginning and intrigued by the story.
I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from Ms. Davis.

Review: The Spectacular

I LOVE it when books are based on true events. This book is based on a man (“the big apple bomber”) who set off bombs around NYC in the 1950s, including an explosion at Radio City Music Hall. Radio City Music Hall is where the Rockettes perform. This story is about a Rockette whose sister died from one of the explosions.

I loved the behind the scenes peek at the Rockettes. The author did a great job with her research. I also loved the romance, the family drama, and the mystery.

For me, the biggest missing piece was the interiority. I feel like things were happening with little to no buildup, and then not enough grieving/processing afterwards. But overall it was a solid read!

In 1956, Marion Brooks has been fired from her job as a dance teacher and given an ultimatum by her father Simon, an esteemed executive at the Met Power firm in NYC - get married to her long-time childhood friend Nathaniel and become a housewife, or leave his home. Marion's mother passed decades ago when she was a child and her sister Judy, the picture of obedience and stability, can offer little help to Marion as she struggles with what to do next. On a whim, Marion auditions for the Rockettes, the famed dancing troupe that performs regularly at the Radio City Music Hall and just makes the cut off. Thanks to her newfound friend and fellow Rockette Bunny, she's able to find a place to stay and a job that will allow her to support herself.

In the midst of this, however, is the ongoing threat of the Big Apple Bomber - an individual that has left and detonated a number of pipe bombs in many of NYC's most prominent places. For Marion, his latest actions hit too close to home and with little support from the police department, she pulls in the help of Peter Griggs, a psychiatric resident at Creedmore Psychiatric Institute, to try and find him before it's too late.

"The Spectacular" has an intruging plotline, blending elements of historical fiction and mystery surprisingly well. As a NYC-er, I loved the tribute to the city's landmarks and institutions and in her afterword, author Fiona Davis goes into more detail the actual events and individuals she modeled her characters and stories off of. I struggled to get through this novel, however, for a few reasons. The writing style felt clipped and limited, despite being told from a third person perspective for the majority of the novel, and Marion's character didn't feel well-developed. There isn't much growth from her and many of her actions and words felt anachronistically feminist for the time period and her situation. Pacing-wise, the beginning third of the novel felt incredibly slow as well and the last third had so much packed into it that it novel felt unbalanced.

As a whole this was an enjoyable read, but wasn't one of the stronger novels I've read this year.

Thank you to net galley and Fiona Davis for the opportunity to read and review this “Spectacular” new novel. I love how Davis takes on an iconic building and brings it to life. This story not only brought the building to life but also sheds some light on the Rockettes. The story centers around Marion a young dancer who realizes a dream by auditioning and becoming a Rockette in the 1950s. The story takes an exciting turn when a bomb explodes in Radio City Music hall. Marion joins forces with to find the bomber who has been plaguing NYC for quite some time. Well researched, very suspenseful a fantastic historical fiction read.

Wow, historical fiction fans will love this book based on events in New York City from the 1930s to the 1950s. This story spans over 50 years. It follows Marion, a dancer. Marion is a dancer, living with her father and teaching dance classes. Marion decides to audition for a job as a Rockette. Her father, an executive at Met PoPower, disapproves of her decision. But Marion decides to audition anyway.
Marion becomes a Rockette and moves to a house with other dancers.

At the same time Marion is starting her new life as a Rockette, there are bombings throughout the city. The bomber leaves notes, and through them, it is revealed the perpetrator is connected to Met Power, The company where Marion's father works as an executive. Tbstoryn follows Marion as she begins her new life. When the bomber strikes close to Marion, killing her sister, she seeks the help of Peter. Peter is a doctor working in the field of mental health. He has done groundbreaking work profiling criminals to help law enforcement find offenders. Paul and Marion start t collaborate in trying to find the bomber.

The story follows Peter and Marion as they work to find the bomber's identity, using Peter’s profiling technique to assist them. As the story unfolds, the reader gains more insight into Marion and her family dynamics. There is glamor, danger, and love in this story. I was drawn in from the beginning of the book. The characters were fascinating. I was on the edge of my seat as the story unfolded. I was rooting for Marion and Paul. I was hoping they would find the bomber and each other. I read this book over two days, and l could not put it down.

While not everything for Marion worked out as I had hoped, I was rooting for her. And the ending was a total surprise.

I have been a big fan of Fiona Davis and her historical fiction. The Spectacular refers to the Rockettes and the Spectacular Christmas show they put on at Radio City Music hall in 1956. Marion Brooks is a nineteen year old dancer who tries out for the Rockettes as a lark after she loses her teaching job at a dance studio. When she makes the team she doesn't know how to tell her family who just want her to get married.

I really enjoyed the historical aspects of the book and the misogyny of the time was spot on. The life of a Rockette and living in that time were well done. And as in all of Davis' books, she takes real events of the time and fictionalizes them; in this book it is a mad bomber who has been terrorizing New Yorkers for sixteen years and who places a bomb at one of the Rockette's shows.

My problem with the book is with Marion herself. Over and over she talks about how important this time of her life was, in reality, it was all of two months. She also started out as the cowering young woman who couldn't say no to her dad, so I had a hard time buying into the choices she made to try to find the bomber. She just didn't seem to be a strong enough character to pull off the things she did.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Couldn’t resist this ARC (thank you NetGalley) as Fiona Davis is an author to whom I enjoy coming back, with her historical fiction always set in (my beloved) NYC during the early / mid 20th century.

The Spectacular centers on talented and bright Marion (my own mother’s name, which I loved seeing in print this way). It is 1956 and Marion is a part time dance teacher, living at home in Westchester with her dad Simon and sister Judy and on the brink of being engaged, when she has an opportunity to audition for the Rockettes, and to her surprise is offered the job. Her father is deeply opposed. Their mother had chased her own performer dreams and died too young; Simon is a traditionalist and wants his daughters under his wing. But Marion aspires to more, defying his wishes and embarking on an exciting new life living with fellow Rockettes and actresses in a boarding house in Manhattan, learning the challenging ropes of being this kind of precision dancer.

Then, a madman dubbed the Big Apple Bomber, who had been terrorizing the city for years, strikes Radio City Music Hall, and Marion becomes deeply invested in trying to find this man who the police have had no luck in identifying all these years. She enlists her new friend Peter, a psychiatric resident at Creedmore Psychiatric Institute to help, as Marion finds herself more and more at the center of these events.

I assumed this bomber plot was pure fiction; it turns out this really happened in midcentury NYC, and that case marked the beginning of the use of psychological profiling in police work. (I used to drive past infamous Creedmore in Queens on my way to school on Long Island growing up).

I love how Davis takes historical events and places from 20th century NY and infuses them with strong women characters, and usually a mystery of some sort that adds excitement and suspense to the plot. Even if it’s a formula each story is different, interesting and entertaining. I really enjoyed The Spectacular - releasing June 2023. And I will have new appreciation for Radio City and the Rockettes next time I see them.

The Spectacular was my first book by Fiona Davis and it was very enjoyable. I loved the chance to peak into a period in time, especially with a focus on the Rockettes. The bomb search and the fact it was based on a true story made it even more interesting. The ending was a little far-fetched but made for a satisfying conclusion to the plot. While not my absolute favorite, I definitely enjoyed it and found it very deserving of 4 stars.

I have read all of Fiona Davis’s books - and this one, based upon my favorite type of plot - entertainment industry, should have been a slam dunk.

I am unclear if I am in a reading burn out - but I was struggling to get engaged in the plot even 25% in. The writing didn’t feel the same as her other books, the flow almost stilted and “simple”. The progress for thr first 25% was slow and almost boring.

Unfort, I had to take a pause at 25%. I will return for another attempt when my mind is fresh.

Another spectacular book by Fiona Davis! Once again, she masterfully transforms a NYC landmark, Radio City Music Hall, into the most important character of the book. This particular story had me running to Wikipedia for more details about the events it was based on. The characters are well developed and the twists and turns are exciting! Thank your for the ARC in exchange for this review.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an early copy of The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

Enter the world of New York's Rockettes as main character Marion Brooks fulfills a lifelong dream and is chosen as a dancer for the famed troop. It will take an incredible amount of punishing rehearsal and sacrificing her personal life to meet the high standards of the Rockettes.

When a bomb goes off at Radio City Music Hall during the Rockette's Christmas Spectacular, Marion's sister Judy is killed in the audience. This tragedy will set Marion on a mission to discover who the New York Bomber is and put an end to his destruction. Marion will also come into contact with psychiatrist Peter Griggs whose expertise in the field of criminal profiling may help to identify the perpetrator. Davis has based these aspects of her novel on real events in New York City.

Interspersed within the story are chapters featuring Marion Brooks much later in life as she prepares for a reunion with fellow Rockettes. These chapters offer the readers a rich background into New York life through Marion's eyes.

Fiona Davis again has readers completely immersed in the workings of New York City, including the architecture of Radio City Music Hall, the ups and downs of big-city police departments and the treatment of those institutionalized with mental issues.

One very interesting side note is Peter Grigg's reference to Phineas Gage, the railroad worker in Vermont who suffered irreparable brain damage when a tamping iron shot through his head due to the misplacement of TNT. The book about Gage is in the curriculum of many middle schools today.

Fiona Davis is one of my all time favorite authors. Yet again in The Spectacular she transports the reader into the heart of the rockettes. The beautiful descriptions allow you to watch the timeless show even if you’ve never been. Ironically I went this December for the first time and truly felt like I was there all over again in the best way possible. On top of the wonderful Rockette experience there is a mystery twist that has you captured until the end to figure out “who done it”. I will read every one of Fiona’s books!!

Davis never disappoints and The Spectacular lives up to its name. While not my favorite in her repertoire ( and I’ve read them all ) it was solid. I love the ties between fact and fiction and that they always take place in the best city in the world.