Two things caught my attention when I first saw this book. The cover, for it was interesting, and the title, which I had no idea what to think of. Then I read the summary and I knew I had to read.

I swear, I really, really wanted to like this book. It is queer and mystery, two things I like a LOT, but while the description and premise itself seemed great, the execution didn't work out that well.

Most times I dislike books that are made up of only dialogue and never stop to actually describe what is going on, but there should also be a certain limit (or maybe the right word is balance) when it comes to over describing things. I believe I am a fast reader, but the amount of unnecessary descriptions made it so I had to stop a few times, go do something else, and then come back to try reading this book.

It is a cool concept and the bluntness of the writing style may not be for everyone, but I am sure there is a public for it, especially if you are looking for a book that is murder mystery but not too gorey like I know some books are. Also, obviously, the LGBTQ+ rep is always a plus.

Not a bad book, it just wasn't for me.

So this book is very much in line with the first Hayden mystery in the series. If you liked that one, odds are you'll like this one too. Let me tell you what's really good here: this isn't a coming out story, or an accepting oneself story, or a boy-meets-boy story; it's just a good ole fashioned mystery novel with a queer cast of characters. In that sense, like the first mystery, this is refreshing fun. The mystery part is straight-forward, lol, for the genre --- nothing reinvented here. I imagine we'll get more from Osler, and I hope his future books do more to push the genre itself, while keeping the queer fun/family components so unique to his corner of the mystery genre.

*published on Goodreads also*

When I saw that Cirque du Slay was a mystery title focusing on a group of queer friends, I was super excited. As a fan of mysteries like this one, ensemble casts, and a member of the LGBTQ2IA+ community, it feels rare to come across a book like this.

Let's start with the things I loved about this book: the setting, being both Seattle and the backdrop of a high-end circus, is both familiar and fun. The local "about town" locations give the book a cozy quality without it feeling *too* cozy. I enjoyed that two characters are neighbors, and that the main character, Hayden, has a cast of people in his life that we get to know, too. The book has humorous moments, and the format - occasionally featuring blog posts by Hayden - feels easy to read and fun. The chapters are short and quick, so it's easy to keep going with a "just one more" kind of feeling as you turn the pages.

Now, there is one thing that I felt was disappointing, and that was the descriptions of female- or femme-identifying characters. Two of the main characters, one a Black woman and one a plus-size woman, are depicted as large in many ways. The second one is...well, even named for it-- Burley. Her hands are always described as "enveloping" and any time she's described, there's constant attention to how hard it is for her to fit into spaces or how much bigger she is than other people. The first, Hollister, is initially compared to Serena Williams. While I personally find Serena Williams an incredible, inspiring world-class tennis player and entrepreneur, she's also someone whose body has been heavily ridiculed and exoticized, especially in racialized ways. Juxtapose this with the fact that the main character also says he won't date men with "pot bellies" and lusts after a muscular acrobat, and you've got a whole lot of fatphobia that makes this book less accepting and welcoming than its Pride Flag-wearing cast would have you believe. I found this irritating and recurring enough that I started marking the page numbers on which it occurred, and it was numerous. I would add that the book's description of characters' physicality and the physical world of the book, in general, is not a strong suite of Ostler's writing nor a key element of the plot of the book, and it feels even more unnecessary and frustrating.

This book slots well into the series, but as someone who hasn't read the first one, there was also just enough information to give me the details on previous events, without feeling like a full-on recap. It also made me a bit curious to go back and read previous books in the series. Given the aforementioned character description "issue," to put it politely, though, I'm in the middle of the tightrope as to if I will or won't. The moments I could overlook this point, it was a fun read, but the recurring issue definitely marred my experience. I'm curious how the series will progress and if Hayden, and the inclusivity of the book series, will widen to be truly one to be proud of, but it falls a bit short as of now.

First, let me say that with a name like “Cirque Du Slay” I had no idea what to expect. The premise was interesting, as it talks about Hayden and Hollister, two best friends who try to solve the murder of the artistic director of the circus Mysterium, so they can save their not-so-friend from being unjustly charged with the crime.

As you can see, the book was promising, but the execution was a complete letdown. From all the characters being one-dimensional and cringey dialogue, to phrases that were more than uncomfortable to read.

This book is in desperate need of sensitive readers. There were so many comments, jokes and situations in which they were needed, and I truly believe the book would’ve been a bit better with them.

Aside from that, the writing style relies too much on description, and reminding of you of things that happened a chapter ago. This was all unnecessary, and although I can comprehend the need to remind the reader what has happened in a mystery book, it was repetitive and at some point it just got annoying.

Rating: ☆ 1/2

Thank you Net-Galley for the e-arc!

Cirque du Slay is the sequel to Rob Osler's The Devil's Chew Toy. All the unique, quirky characters from the first book are back, ready for more adventures, this time at an elite circus show. Sara Lee, Hayden's former nemesis, upgraded to frenemy, has been accused of murdering the headliner of the show. It's all hands on deck to save her from being charged with the crime. Osler is a master of character, giving each of his characters dimension and form and inviting us to give our affection to them, quirks and faults and all. But Osler is also no slouch when it comes to mystery. He's given us a solid puzzle to solve, with twists and turns along the way. If you haven't read The Devil's Chew Toy, I'd recommend starting there. If you've already read The Devil's Chew Toy, I'm sure you will be ready to enjoy Cirque du Slay.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to review "Cirque du Slay" by Rob Osler!

A LGBTQ+ group of friends, headed by Hayden and Hollister, must solve the murder of the artistic director of the coolest circus troupe, Mysterium, in order to save their frenemy from being charged with the crime.
While the premise sounds amazing and checks so many boxes, the execution is a letdown.
The characters are one-dimensional, poor imitations of traditional archetypes, the majority of whom are blurting out sarcastic or cringy quips with every piece of dialogue.
There's also way too much unnecessary description. Yes, we want to be able to visualise what the characters are seeing, but there's a line where description just becomes useless padding. Along with that, the author has the characters verbally repeat what has already happened in the story over and over again. At some point, the author must have a little faith in his readers to remember what happened five pages prior.
There's also a cruel thread throughout the book of commenting on people's weight which is very ironic considering the general theme of "accept who you are/be who you're supposed to be" etc. This is especially prevalent with one of Hayden and Hollister's friends. She's a bigger woman and practically every scene where she is present is making a joke or a jab at her size. At one point, when Hayden is hugging her, he even likens her to a MATTRESS. Oh, and did I mention that her name is BURLEY? It's almost laughable.
If you can ignore all that, which it's kind of difficult to, the actual setting of the circus is pretty fun and provides some nice gags and set-ups throughout the story.

Overall, "Cirque du Slay" has very little going for it, but if you'd like to read something mindlessly, then there could be worse books to go for.

Gods, this was awful. It is very poorly written and, at times, just downright offensive. The author needs to completely rethink this book and maybe get a different hobby.

Thank you NetGalley for this e-arc! The premise of this story is what first brought me in. Queer best friends investigating a murder with a circus setting? There was potential. But that's sadly where the pros end for me.

First and foremost, this book desperately needed sensitivity readers. I can't count how many times I read a description or an encounter and could only think: yikes. There were even some comments that the mc made towards his best friend that were intended as jokes but they came across in bad taste at best.

On top of that, the writing style itself seemed to rely too much on describing things that weren't important to the story (or even the mystery). Whatever intrigue the premise had was lost. I could tell that the author was trying to achieve a lot and sprinkle in some important messages, but they ultimately fell flat.

Unfortunately, the above issues (and some other pet peeves of mine that showed up) took away from the potential enjoyment.

Once again, thank you for the arc!

Thank you, Rob Osler and NetGalley, for the ARC. I leave this review voluntarily and happily. Also, thank you publishers for your hard work!

At first, I had to DNF as so much was going on in my life during that time, but I picked it back up. I'm glad that I did. I enjoyed the book. The mystery of going through the steps the main characters did to find out who the killer is. This book isn't gorey, or violent. It's definitely for those who enjoy who done it. It makes you think about who the killer is and whether they will figure it out.

This book shows you that friendship means something, and no matter who you are, you are perfect the way you are. I enjoyed that this book was part of the LGBTQ+. You don't get to see much of those. Well, at least the area I live in anyway. It was refreshing, and truly, I enjoyed every moment of it.

Thank you once again for allowing me to read this book.