Book Review – The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus

The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus

by Jaime Jo Wright

1928
The Bonaventure Circus is a refuge for many, but Pippa Ripley was rejected from its inner circle as a baby. When she receives mysterious messages from someone called the “Watchman,” she is determined to find him and the connection to her birth. As Pippa’s search leads her to a man seeking justice for his murdered sister and evidence that a serial killer has been haunting the circus train, she must decide if uncovering her roots is worth putting herself directly in the path of the killer.

Present Day
The old circus train depot will either be torn down or preserved for historical importance, and its future rests on real estate project manager Chandler Faulk’s shoulders. As she dives deep into the depot’s history, she’s also balancing a newly diagnosed autoimmune disease and the pressures of single motherhood. When she discovers clues to the unsolved murders of the past, Chandler is pulled into a story far darker and more haunting than even an abandoned train depot could portend.

 

I’m a huge fan of Jaime Jo Wright’s stories. I also love Circus stories. Both of these combined in one book?! I had to read it ASAP!! (and I was fortunate enough to get an early copy of this book to read, it actually doesn’t release until September 1st)

Here is my review.

An old abandoned train depot. This is the setting of the beginning of the present day timeline. Chandler is lurking about there at night, even though she’s been told it’s haunted….this story has lots of creepiness right from the get-go (this is kind of a Jaime Jo trademark…). She is determined to bring it back into a useful, if not slightly glorious estate again….

Chandler is such a sweet heroine. A single mom, battling an autoimmune disorder, desperately doing anything she can for her beloved son.

And then there’s Pippa in the historical timeline….abandoned by the very circus people she so admires and would love to know. She’s been adopted by the wealthy Ripley family and is expected to live as a proper young lady, and has even been told whom she must marry. But when a mysterious stranger promises information about her real parents….

As always, mentally I attempt to pick a favorite character, and once again I find it  a much too difficult task. Both of these ladies wormed their way into my thoughts, and I just can’t choose.

I especially liked the details about the circus, the performers, etc. And the elephants! Elephants are so amazing. Pippa’s bond with the baby was so neat.

This story is just what I’ve come to expect from Jaime Jo Wright. Just the right elements and combination of mystery and suspense. And plenty of spookiness and dark undertones. I really enjoyed the suspense and watching it all come together. 

As always, the underlying question when I’m reading a dual time story—How do these play out? How does everything come together? I was kept guessing until the very end! You will need to read and find out as well!

Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255