the book had a great premise as its about a magic carousel & set in the 1900s, where you can hear the stories of different people. the writing style felt short at times and it didn't bring me into the story

The Midnight Carousel by Fiza Saeed McLynn is a historical mystery that absolutely kept me guessing as I followed the characters from Paris and London to Chicago in the 1920s as they tried to uncover the mystery surrounding a strange carousel that was linked to the disappearance of several people. The mystery begins in Paris in 1914 as detective Laurent Bisset begins his investigation into the disappearances. Meanwhile in England a young girl by the name of Maisie is captivated by a drawing that she finds showing the carousel. She never imagines that by a strange twist of fate she will find herself owning that same carousel and establishing an amusement park in Chicago. When a child disappears while riding the carousel its mysterious past comes to light and Detective Bisset travels to Chicago to investigate, which is when he meets Maisie. Together they try to unravel the mystery before anyone else vanishes and in the process they fall in love despite the numerous obstacles in their path.
I really found myself sinking into this story and trying to figure out along with the characters just what was going on, there were some nods to a potential magical aspect that could have taken me out of the story but actually worked really well in keeping me invested in the mystery. I also fell in love with the character of Maisie as I watched her grow up and struggle, and when I saw her making the wrong choices I found myself wanting to shake her, which is definitely a sign that she had really come to life for me. I do think the reveal at the resolution of the mystery was a little underwhelming but because I enjoyed myself so much along the way, I would still recommend this book,
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

If asked to put this book in a genre, I think it would be best described as a historical mystery. However, more importantly, it is a story about a young woman, Maisie, who despite a tough start in life is, above all else, a survivor. We follow Maisie from being raised in a group home, where her only source of happiness is her friend Tommy, to being swept up one day by her Aunt Mabel and being taken to a grand estate where Mabel works for Sir Malcolm, a widowed man with a young daughter. When tragedy strikes again, the now 12 year old Maisie finds herself making a new life in America. There, her life becomes entwined with a grand carousel which, unbeknownst to her, had previously been at the root of some mysterious disappearances in France.

We also follow Laurent, a French detective who had led the team investigating the previous disappearances. When he catches wind of history repeating itself, he journeys over to America where he and Maisie both try to solve this dark puzzle.

There was something enchanting and atmospheric about this story. Although it’s not fast paced, I did find myself intrigued at the start and becoming more gripped as the story progressed. I also didn’t realise how invested I’d become in the characters until the end (IYKYK). Maisie was a very likeable character to follow, and although she didn’t always make the right choices, she was a good person at her core and one that I found myself rooting for throughout. There was also something inherently magical about a story with this magnificent carousel at its heart. If the premise sounds interesting to you, it’s a book that I would absolutely recommend.

From the blurb, I thought this was a fantasy read, but it's not. It's a slow-burn mystery.

I enjoyed the build-up to the reveal of what was behind the disappearance of the people who rode on the carousel. I was expecting something more than what was revealed as the cause.

That said, for a debut author, this was such a good read. It was well written with some great characters.

This book absolutely sucked me in and I went for a wild ride on this magical carousel of a story! Told mostly from the viewpoint of Maisie with other bits by the French detective Laurent as they seek to discover the truth about the missing people and how it relates to a beautiful carousel with one special horse crafted by a grieving father. I really liked Maisie and her journey from being orphan in England to running the Silver Kingdom in America. She is sweet and strong and never gave up hope, even when faced with dark times due to the disappearances of the children. I had to keep reading and did not even notice new chapters because I had to find out what happened and why it was happening! Going between whether there was a sinister or supernatural element behind the disappearances, it did a wonderful job of keeping up the the suspense, while still being magical and bringing back the wonders of childhood when carousels are irresistible.

This is an absolutely fantastic story and I highly recommend it for an unputdownable read! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this gem of a book!

I have been looking forward to this book since it was first announced and I am so happy to have received an early copy.

It does skip from time period to time period, and it includes a lot of characters, and at first I was a little concerned because my ability to remember names is quite poor. But very quickly, it stopped being a problem.

Fiza has depicted this innocence that only children have. The first time seeing a carousel or a funfair. But on the flip side, we see how a child copes with grief and you see the innocence start to slip away and merge into the general worry that adulthood brings.

I have never been one for a fairground or funfair or rides, but I did love a carousel, and still do. Not to go on, as such, but just to admire. They've always been an example of childhood fun and magic. I never saw them as something to be fearful of, but having read this, I can really feel the eeriness within them.

I love books about women trying to forge their own path during a time they are meant to be seen and not heard, and Maisie is exactly this. It's not always a choice, mostly out of necessity, but she's a very interesting and very real protagonist. Our second main protagonist is Laurent, the detective, who is the constant presence, the link between the time periods, and I think that's what makes the jump from year to year more palatable, because there's a constant.

There are a range of characters, English, French, American; young, middled, old; goodies, baddies and inbetweeners. It's a great spectrum of humanity and she's captured them so well.

It is so rich and luxurious and umptious (not sure if that's a real word but I'm going with it). It's got so many layers, so much depth to the plot and the characters. The attention to detail produces such a fabulous sense of atmosphere, sometimes an uncomfortable atmosphere, but it is spectacular what she's managed to create.

It's a mixture of historical, thriller, fantasy, murder mystery, and gothic, with a hint of romance. I read another review that said it's less of a "whodunnit" and more of a "howdunnit" and I completely agree, that's the best way to describe it.

It is a very promising debut. It's just a beautiful book to read, very warming, and I don't think Fiza's going to have much trouble in forging a successful writing career. I could easily see this made into a movie.

The Midnight Carousel is an enjoyable historical mystery, with a vivid carnival setting and a touch of magical realism. Saeed McLynn's prose is breezy and easy to read: it feels almost like a YA novel at times. I loved the world she created, but struggled to engage with the lack of character development, and the instalove trope is a hard no from me.

A circus and especially a merry-go-round provide a magical backdrop for a story and I was instantly intrigued by the blurb for this story. The early chapter did not fail to disappoint either. We are introduced to the main character, Maisie, early on, seeing how she lives (survives) as a child living with minders called the Sixpenses allegedly because they charge a sixpence a week to look after children. As Maisie is rescued from this life and taken by her aunt to live in relative luxury.
Meanwhile in Paris, an engineer is constructing a special carousel for the Paris exhibition. He wishes to make the biggest and most striking ride ever seen. But soon after the carousel begins operating people disappear from it. It is sold and Maisie encounters the same ride in America where the mystery continues to confound the police.
This is an intriguing read with Maisie as a strong and determined lead character. Her early tough life gives her a strong survival instinct. I liked the descriptions of Paris at the beginning of the twentieth century when the ride was built, and enjoyed the setting in America where Maisie moved later. The building up of the amusement park felt realistic and I like the odd characters who made appearances: the milk delivery lady, Mrs Papadopoulos, and Arnold who became a sort of ring master for the carousel.
I did feel however, that more could either have been made of the magical element or more of the detective side of the story and there were times when I thought the carousel slipped from the most important part of the story. The story became a little sluggish in the middle after a wonderful opening but picked up pace again in the final quarter.
Overall a very intriguing premise and a good read with the carousel mirroring the ups and downs and fleeting moments of Maisie's life.
With thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

This book was beautifully written and captured my attention from the first page. The story is told from the perspective of two characters, Maisie and Laurent (both of whom, I loved). We meet a number of characters as well all of whom are well fleshed out and play an important part in the story.

This is a historical fiction mystery that drew me in. I loved the depictions of Paris in the 1900s and the detailing of the carousel at the heart of the story. The inventor of the carousel, Gilbert disappeared and then we had children mysteriously disappearing as they rode the carousel. The mystery of how this happened and who was responsible was intriguing and I never would have guessed the outcome.

Overall, this is Maisie's story and it is a wonderful story of grief, hope, love, and resilience in a world where you are seen as different. It is a story that will stay with me for a long time.

I inhaled this book in just 2 sittings. Partly, I suspect, because it's written with a lightness of touch that I'd usually expect from YA books )observation, not complaint). The blurb suggests it's for fans of The Night Circus, which I found a slog and DNF'd, where as this grabbed me from the start

It's hard to give much of the story without spoiling, but I'm not generally a fan of 'foofy' romance, and thankfully this doesn't divert into that (it does have a love story as part of the plot, but it's not the main feature).

The end resolutions were satisfying, and not ones I'd seen coming

Highly recommended

I received an advance copy for free from NetGalley, on the expectation that I would provide an honest review.

The Midnight Carousel by Fiza Saeed McLynn is a captivating tale that intertwines elements of historical fiction, mystery, and a touch of the supernatural. The novel spans two timelines—Paris in 1900 and Chicago in 1920—linked by the mysterious and eerie presence of a carousel.

In Paris, Gilbert Cloutier, a renowned carousel maker, is consumed by grief after the tragic deaths of his wife and son. As he works tirelessly to complete his masterpiece for the Exposition Universelle, his mourning takes a darker turn. Gilbert begins to entertain dangerous thoughts, and the carousel becomes a symbol of his emotional unravelling.

The story then shifts to Chicago in the 1920s, where Maisie Marlowe has journeyed to America seeking a new life after a difficult childhood. When she uncovers a neglected and beautiful old carousel, she sees an opportunity to build a new future for herself. However, she is unaware that the carousel is hiding a dark secret. Years before, it had been linked to a series of unexplained disappearances, and now the eerie cycle of vanishing children begins to repeat itself.

The novel delves into the mystery behind the carousel and the chilling events surrounding it. Gilbert's grief and the inexplicable disappearances from the past seem to be inextricably linked to the carousel's haunting legacy. As the story unfolds, readers are drawn into a world of loss, secrets, and the lingering question of whether the carousel is cursed.

Through its atmospheric setting and intertwining plots, The Midnight Carousel offers a blend of historical intrigue and suspense. McLynn's writing creates a haunting narrative that explores the consequences of grief, the passage of time, and the inescapable nature of certain dark legacies. The carousel itself becomes a metaphor for both the fleeting joys of life and the inevitable shadow that follows, making for a gripping and unforgettable read.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

What an intriguing read! The story centres around an orphan, Maisie and her life as she is rescued from the hovel where she and several other children are kept as a way to make ends meet and provide drinking money for the carers.
Woven into this is a story of a master craftsman in Paris who created a most beautiful and enchanting carousel with a sinister secret.
And so begins a story that brings the two together as Maisie is rescued by her Aunt and eventually travels to America where she sees the carousel arriving after it is taken there for sale.
Inspector Laurent is the Parisian policeman who is involved in the unusual case of the carousel and connections to missing persons.
Without giving anything away the story tracks Maisie’s life and loves and keeps the reader guessing to the final chapters about what befalls the riders of the caramel coloured horse
An enjoyable and interesting read.

The Midnight Carousel is an intriguing, magical book. Did it blow me away? No. But it still made for a fun, enjoyable and unique read overall and I would definitely check out more by this author.

Thank you to Michael Joseph and Netgalley for this advance e-copy.

I enjoyed reading this book, it was easy and quick. I was drawn by the appeal of a magical carousel. Set in the early 1900s, we hear the stories of different people in different countries and how this one carousel ties them all together.

This book had great potential, the storyline was intriguing and it could have gone many different ways. I was disappointed though with the lack of magic. Without spoiling anything, I think actual magic would have been more believable than the ending.

I felt that the characters were very wooden. People fell in love within a moment’s notice, with no gradual plot development. Sentences were short and to the point, which I felt was a bit childlike.

Overall it was a good read but the writing style and the ending let it down.

I adored this book from start to finish - a heart-wrenching story of a young girl’s strength in the face of poverty, abandonment, racism, chauvinism, grief & loneliness, wrapped up in a locked-room-style mystery. I am eternally grateful to Michael Joseph/Penguin Randomhouse publishers & NetGalley for giving me the chance to read an ARC of this truly enchanting book, in exchange for my honest review.

Fiza Saeed McLynn’s is a phenomenal writer, balancing beauty & darkness in her hypnotic writing style, and I am in awe that this is her debut novel. The pacing of this book was perfect, I couldn’t put it down, and the descriptions of the sprawling estates, the wondrous Silver Kingdom and (most importantly) the eponymous carousel were intoxicating.

The author fully developed a large cast of characters who I had such satisfyingly mixed feelings for (I enjoyed reading about every single one, even the ones I disliked). I don’t want to say anything specific about the characters that would risk spoilers, but I adored every moment with Arnold or Mrs Papadopoulos, and I felt the way Saeed McLynn handled the complexity & flaws of both Gilbert & Laurent within just the first 12 pages was masterful. Maisie is the true heart of this story though; she comes across so vividly in every chapter and I felt so deeply for her throughout her character arc.

I cannot recommend this book strongly enough - for anyone whose interest is piqued by feminist character studies, coming-of-age struggles against truly devastating & tragic circumstances, beautiful carnival settings, found family narratives, and locked room mysteries.

Finally, I will emphasise that this story involves a very large number of potentially upsetting topics, and while they are all handled sensitively, some readers may find them challenging. I am therefore including an extensive list of Content Warnings below, which does contain spoilers for some elements of the story.

So please STOP READING HERE TO AVOID SPOILERS:

—————-
Content Warnings:
- alcohol use/abuse
- animal death
- bereavement - including loss of a partner/spouse, young child, parent and other family members & friends (multiple throughout, death/grief depicted in some detail)
- bigotry - racism & xenophobia (throughout); classism; chauvinism
- body-shaming
- execution/capital punishment
- child abduction, neglect & abuse (including physical violence) and death of a child
- domestic abuse
- pandemic & life-threatening illness; potentially triggering re: Covid-19 lockdown restrictions & anti-restriction sentiments
- police brutality & coercion (described in some detail)
- pregnancy, miscarriage & trouble conceiving (discussed in detail)
- relationship infidelity (emotional & financial infidelity)
- sexual content (not described in detail)
- sexual harassment, assault & rape (including marital rape and sexual assault of a child)
- suicidal ideation & suicide (multiple instances, not described in detail)
- violence, murder & arson
- war (briefly mentioned a few times, not depicted).

For some reason I love circuses or carnivals as a backdrop for books, so I was instantly interested in The Midnight Carousel. I will admit though it took me until about 40% into the book to get hooked. This historical, murder mystery does a great job of developing its main character, Maisie. She is a strong and independent young lady with a keen survival instinct. I really liked Laurent’s character, even though he wasn’t perfect he tried to make up for any hurt he caused. I would have liked a bit more of their relationship to be honest!
I liked the descriptions of Silver Kingdom, I liked the twists that the story eventually took, I liked the side characters as well.
It’s a good read that may just take some getting into, but worth it by the end.

An interesting story full of twists and turns. It took me a little while go get properly into it. But once I did I was hooked. I really wanted Maisie’s life to improve and although it did it was never straightforward. The end was fitting. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the advance copy.

As soon as I saw the front cover and then I saw The Night Circus meets Water For Elephants I knew I had to read and review it and it didin't disappoint. I couldn't put it down

I picked this book on a pure whim. Perhaps, like so many characters within the book, it was the lure of the carousel that drew me in.

This is a treat, with the start of the book taking place at a couple of different time periods while the bulk of the tale is set in America from 1919 onwards.

A carousel, something magical, innocent and yet people vanish from it. Adults and children are snatched away with nobody seeing anything - aside from our main character who is haunted by the look of fear on the face of a little boy, moments before he is gone...

Its hard to go into detail without spoiling the plot, but this is a mystery, a love story, an exploration of what it means to be a woman in American at that time - and a woman born from two different heritages at that. The many strands are woven skilfully together, and while there are a few choices I couldn't understand the main character making, she was a powerful, well written character who was fighting to make her place in the world, while also protecting that world from an evil she thought only she could see.

The last 100 or so pages felt almost rushed, with everything being rapidly tied up - answers were given, storylines were resolved, but after the magical, almost mystical build up, it was a bit of a shock to the system. I am glad there was resolution however, and was satisfied by the solution even if I didn't quite buy into the motive.

~Thank you to NetGallery for the ARC in return for an honest review~

Whenever you decide to read a book by an author who’s new to you, you never really know what to expect and there’s always a risk you won’t like it, particularly when it’s a debut novel like this one. Fortunately, I loved The Midnight Carousel from the beginning; it’s such an original, unusual story that I was completely captivated by it.

The carousel of the title is built in 1900 by Gilbert Cloutier for the Grand Exhibition in Paris. Gilbert is struggling to come to terms with his grief over the recent loss of his young son, so he decides to add some special features to the carousel in memory of the boy. This is the last thing he does before disappearing without trace. Over the years that follow, the carousel gains a sinister reputation when it becomes linked with further disappearances and Detective Laurent Bisset is asked to investigate. He thinks he has caught the culprit, but several years later history begins to repeat itself, leaving Laurent questioning whether he has made a terrible mistake.

Meanwhile, in England, Maisie Marlowe is being raised by abusive foster parents in Canvey Island, Essex. Maisie has no idea who her real parents are and the only things that sustain her through this miserable period of her life are her friendship with her foster brother and a picture of a beautiful carousel that she found on the beach. Eventually, an aunt comes to rescue her and takes her to live in the home of Sir Malcolm Randolph where she has just taken a job as housekeeper. Due to an unexpected sequence of events, Maisie ends up emigrating to America with Sir Malcolm where they open an amusement park in Chicago with a magnificent carousel as the star attraction – the exact same carousel as the one in Maisie’s picture and the same one that was built at Gilbert Cloutier’s factory in Paris.

When the disappearances begin again, Laurent Bisset is sure there must be a connection with the earlier incidents in France, so he travels to Chicago determined to uncover the truth this time. Here he crosses paths with Maisie, bringing the two threads of the novel together. I loved both characters and was interested in their personal stories – Maisie’s Dickensian childhood and her incredible change of fortune and Laurent’s dedication to making amends for his past mistakes – but I also enjoyed watching their relationship develop as they come together over the mystery of the carousel.

The mystery element of the book is not so much a whodunit as a howdunit. How can people be disappearing into thin air while riding the wooden jumping horses? Is the carousel itself haunted? Did Gilbert Cloutier place a curse on it? Is someone somehow snatching people from the horses without being seen? Although there were a few clues that I thought could and should have been noticed by Laurent and the police, I can also understand how they could have been missed. When we eventually get some answers, they are both clever and creepy and what I found particularly unsettling is that all through the book I never really knew whether I was reading magical realism or something with a more human explanation. The eerie atmosphere, along with the fairground setting, kept reminding me of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, but I think this is a better book.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Midnight Carousel and loved getting to know Laurent, Maisie and the secondary characters – I particularly liked Mrs Papadopoulos the dairy seller and Madame Rose the fortune-teller. I’ll certainly be putting Fiza Saeed McLynn on my list of authors to look out for in the future.