Once again, Fiona Davis wrote a novel that I found absolutely delightful and have made it my mission to share it with as many people as possible. Her characters are so fully brought to life and yet unexpected at the same time. I really enjoyed the plot of this novel, I wasn't familiar with the bombing story but I thought the Rockettes storyline was so entertaining. It was the perfect blend of glamour and suspense and it broke my heart and put it back together again. Just fantastic from start to finish.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Spectacular by Fiona Davis!!

I loved this book. I was a dancer growing up so it gave me all the feels. It has a great mix of fiction, romance and mystery to it. Very entertaining and fun to solve the case. Great historical fiction based on true facts.

Review will be posted on 7/28/23

Marion Brooks is living a pretty boring life in Bronxville with her father and sister. The year is 1956 and Marion pretty much has everything laid out for her. She is to get married to her fiance and live a pretty conventional life. This doesn't work for Marion. Her passion is in dancing and she hears about open tryouts for the Rockettes, the famous dancers from Radio City Music Hall, and she decides to take a chance and audition. Believe it or not, she gets the job. Her father, who is overprotective and controlling, throws her out once he finds out she is a Rockette, so now Marion is on her own. She lives in a boardinghouse for women and finds herself learning what it means to be a Rockette. But things aren't always amazing in glamorous New York City. There's the Big City Bomber, who police can't catch and has been wreaking havoc on the city for many years now. He has bombed Radio City Music Hall before and has plans to do it again, and this changes Marion's life forever. The Spectacular by Fiona Davis is a page-turner of a historical novel that fans of New York City, as well as the Rockettes, will especially appreciate.

I love how Davis highlighted the many issues creative women had to deal with in the 50s. Marion's lack of support from her family was heartbreaking, but I was happy to see her carve her own path in The Spectacular. The details surrounding the time period as well as the Rockettes were well done; Davis obviously studied their dance routines as it felt like a behind the scene glimpse into it all. I have always enjoyed the Rockettes and the details surrounding their dance numbers were a lot of fun. I was rooting for Marion through it all. The Big City Bomber kept me flipping the pages, but at the heart of the story are the Rockettes, female friendships, and what it takes to follow your dreams.

Another New York landmark brought to life by Fiona Davis. I like to imagine what could have happened in the NYC buildings in the past as I pass by them on daily basis. What kind of lives lived in them, what kind of stories came to life, and what type of memories were created. Fiona Davis does that for me through her books.

Rockettes! PanAm stewardesses of entertainment! Organization, coordination, and perfection in human form. Similar PanAm girls, they weren't taken so seriously when they began. They were showgirls, not doing respectable jobs. But no one understood the level of dedication required to get something amazing on the stage. On top of that, there was a serial bomber attacking them in addition to other NYC landmarks.

I'm curious to see what will be the next building Davis will explore.

This book gave a wonderful historical background of life as a rocket while also weaving in the mystery of the big apple bomber. I love the story that Fiona wove. I enjoy all of her books, but this one really intrigued me.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.


First off I have read all of Fiona Davis' past books and loved them all. I think its really neat that they all take place in famous buildings around New York City. I love her writing style and her dual storylines.

This book didn't disappoint me in the slightest. What starts out as a story about a woman wanting to become a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall, turns into a mystery. I didn't see that coming at all. There was a part of the story that I had never heard about, but was really fascinated by. There was only one part of the story that I didn't like very much, because it was really unbelievable, but it moved along pretty quickly.

I will be recommending this book to patrons!

I love Fiona Davis’s books and this one was an absolute delight! A fast-paced story of the grueling work behind the scenes of the Rockettes blended with an interesting whodonit!

Stunning, beautiful and exactly what I've come to expect from Fiona Davis. One of my favorite authors. I will read anything she writes.
The Spectacular was just that Super Spectacular. Wonderful research, a bit of a thriller aspect that was woven into the story so well. Magnificent characters and perfect setting. Highly recommend!

Fiona Davis expounds upon the Rockettes and Radio City Music Hall with her usual aplomb. The story is fascinating and there is a mystery which creates suspense throughout. Davis writes of difficult family relationships deftly. This will be a huge hit with book clubs.

Once again, Fiona Davis uses a New York City landmark to inspire a dual-timeline historical fiction page-turner - this time, it's Radio City Music Hall, 1956, and our heroine is Marion, a brand-new Rockette, who has walked away from an expected proposal in favor of adventure on the stage. "The Spectacular" might be Davis's best yet - Marion takes on challenges personal (a disapproving family!), and public (all those precision dance routines!), while growing close to a young doctor AND trying to catch a bomber terrorizing Manhattan. What more could you ask for?

Every time I pick up a Fiona Davis book, I’m reminded again how utterly fabulous her writing style is, and The Spectacular is a perfect example of her ability to set the stage, build the characters until you know them and care about them, and then take you on an epic journey, this time in 1950s New York.

Marion Brooks won’t be content to live her father’s dream for her, settling down, keeping a house, and raising kids. She wants more, and that dream takes her to Radio City Music Hall. Amid the lights and glamour, there’s a bomber targeting the city. When tragedy strikes, Marion becomes personally invested in helping unmask the villain.

The Spectacular has it all, intrigue, mystery, a little romance, all resulting in a book that’s, well, spectacular! Thanks so much for the opportunity to review!

is it lame that I just want to describe this book by its title...? because it was SPECTACULAR! Gosh, Radio City Music Hall is a NYC GEM and I am so glad to have gotten to visit there in the past and now when I go back I'll have this story to remember too. I love Fiona Davis, her writing, her stories, the New York of it all!! I hope she never runs out of NYC landmarks to craft her historical fictions about!!

This book set in New York City in 1956 is about Marion Brooks who decides to audition to become a Radio City Rockette. When tragedy strikes Radio City Music Hall, the city still in turmoil over the inability to catch the “big Apple Bomber.”

Soon, Marion finds herself helping the police with the search along with Peter Griggs, a young doctor who wants to use profiling to catch the criminal. I fell hard for this story, another example of a Fiona Davis book capturing my attention and holding it until the end.

She creates the best characters and weaves a historical fiction tale that feels like it could be true. I learned so much about the Rockettes and now I’m dying to see them perform.

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis was a wonderful read. All Fiona Davis novels always has historic location and landmark. This one is Music City Hall.

It takes place in the in two time lines, 1992 and 1956 in NYC. Marion is the daughter who wants to pursue a career in dance even though she is engaged to Nathaniel.

Judy doesn’t think she’s beautiful. She is school smart and works for her Dad. Their Dad, Simon is a big wig, works in management for years. He is also controlling and doesn’t trust Marion’s judgements.

Her Mom died years ago and didn’t pursue her life’s goal. Marion wasn’t going to let that happen. She has a chance to try out for the Rockettes. In the meantime there is a mystery through out the book, a bomber. A terrible tragedy happens to the family which connects to the mystery. Which makes the novel a page turner.

The book is a fabulous and easy read for the summer. Who wouldn’t like a novel about the Rockettes, and NYC. It is a such a fun read. I used to live in the city in the 1980’s. And can picture all the going on in the city. I recommend giving The Spectacular a try,

It’s 1956 in New York , Marion Brooks is nineteen, she lives with her father Simon and sister Judy . . She lost her mother to a horrible accident when she was young. Marian has dreams of becoming a dancer and a performer, yet her father has different ideas for her, he wants her to get married and settle down with her boyfriend.
After being let go as a dance teacher, Marion decides to audition to be one of the Rockettes, a member of Radio City Music Hall’s famous dancing troupe, she’s shocked when she’s chosen! She’s scared to tell her father and worries what his reaction will be, just as she suspected he’s angry and Marian packs a small bag and leaves her family behind, she dreams of something more for herself.
The rehearsals begin, the days are long and grueling . They perform four times a day, each show is ninety minutes and it has to be perfectly synchronized no mistakes are allowed. She becomes friends with a fellow dancer named Bunny, one night while out for dinner she meets Dr. Peter Griggs, he’s physiological resident and he introduces her to profiling people, he uses the information about a person’s past, upbringing, childhood, anything that’s happened to them to cause mental trauma.
The Big Apple Bomber hasn’t been caught and it’s sixteen years of him terrorizing New York, he plants bombs all over the city in crowded and busy places. The police haven’t caught him and none one knows his identity. One night he plants a bomb and it explodes in Radio City Music Hall, it’s a night Marion will never forget, she is sure she saw a suspicious man sitting in the front row and she tells the police.
Marian and with the help of Peters profiling they begin to help the police try to uncover who the Big Apple Bomber is, so they can try to stop him before he kills anymore people. Soon Marian becomes his next obsession and she knows he needs to be stopped before it to late. I really loves this story, I couldn’t put it down!

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis
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Set in Manhattan in 1956 when the “Big Apple Bomber” was still at large, we get to know Marion. Marion loves dancing and decides to audition to be a Rockette for Radio City Music Hall. She is learning to love her hectic life as a Rockette despite her family’s criticism, until a bomb goes off in Radio City.
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What I liked:
-I knew nothing about this time period and the Big Apple Bomber. I really enjoyed learning more about it from the author’s note. I did not realize this was the case that really made criminal profiling huge.
-Marion’s situation with her family was what hooked me from the get go! It drew me in and didn’t let me go till the end.
-I loved Bunny and I was glad to see how her story played out at the end too.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a story about a young woman searching for her independence in the 1950’s. It is expected that Marion will marry a family friend and live her life as a wife and mother. Marion has other ideas and she becomes one of the famed Radio City Music Hall’s Rockettes. There is a bomber loose in NYC during this time period that is setting off explosions in touristy high traffic areas. After a bomb goes off before her eyes it is now personal for Marion in many ways. There are a few different layers and subplots throughout the book which kept it very engaging. The storyline is told in the past and present which is always a dynamic I enjoy. Overall a very captivating book!

This should be one of this summer's must-reads. Loved the premise, the mystery, and the characters. Life as a Rockette was fascinating to learn about!

I’m a huge fan of Fiona Davis’ historical fiction. I love how she always centers her stories around New York City iconic buildings. Davis’ latest novel, The Spectacular, was especially appealing to me since this time, her iconic landmark of choice was Radio City Music Hall, the home of the world famous Rockettes.

Set in 1956, The Spectacular follows Marion, a young woman who wants nothing more than to become a Rockette. When Marion is invited to join the troupe, she is the only one in her family who considers it an honor. Her father is so appalled by her decision to dance instead of settling down to get married and start a family that he actually kicks her out of the house and ends all contact with her. We follow Marion as she sets out, determined to follow her own dream. Like many others, I’ve always been fascinated by this elite precision dance troupe. It’s truly mesmerizing to watch them perform, so I was very excited to get a behind the scenes look into the world of being a Rockette. It was very eye opening to witness their grueling rehearsals as well as all of the little details that go into creating that illusion of precision, such as the way they sew costumes for taller dancers vs. what they do for the shorter ones.

Marion loves what she does, but occasionally wonders if the cost of losing her family was too high of a price to pay. That cost grows even higher when the “Big Apple Bomber”, who has been terrorizing New York for over 15 years bombs Radio City Musical Hall. One of the victims of the bombing is Marion’s sister, who against their father’s wishes, had snuck out to see Marion perform. Fueled by her grief and the frustration that the police are no closer to catching the bomber after 15 years, Marion goes rogue and enlists the help of Peter, a psychological profiler, to try to find and catch the killer.

What I really loved about The Spectacular was that in addition to having a well researched strong historical fiction narrative, it also features this riveting murder mystery/thriller, a pretty substantial element of family drama, and even the slightest hint of a potential romance. All of these elements combine effortlessly into a riveting read that I could not put down. It’s a story that definitely has a little something for everyone. I highly recommend The Spectacular to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, New York iconic landmarks, suspenseful thrillers, domestic dramas, and especially to anyone who, like me, has always been fascinated by the Rockettes.