I received a Page 1 Book Subscription as a holiday gift this past year. I really wanted it because the lovely people at Page 1 (based in Evanston, IL) curate books for you based on a questionnaire you complete when you subscribe and your GoodReads profile (if you have one). I was so excited to receive my first book, The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers.

Murder. Intrigue. Love. Demons. Magic. Sounds right up my alley!

Our main character, Lara Barnes, is plagued by the mysterious disappearance of her fiancé, Todd Sutton, on their wedding day. His disappearance matched an identical disappearance from thirty years earlier on the same day in the same place.

As I read the book, I found myself enjoying the cadence and pacing. The story wasn’t moving along at top speed, but it wasn’t unbearably slow. I know several of my favorite authors write slow first halves, so I was happy to be patient.

The story picked up in Part 2 as Lara traveled to Paris to investigate one of her potentially valuable paintings connected to her past and her magical origins. She meets a Prince of Hell and his demonic circus, where she encounters her grandmother and great-grandmother. She learns of The Secret Circus and the dark secrets the circus holds for the women of her lineage.

Overall, I give the book four stars.

I enjoyed it, but I wish the ending had been clearer and cleaner. Everything pointed to a polished conclusion, but the story felt messy in the epilogue. I reserve the right to change my mind if there will be follow-up books. For now, however, I recommend reading everything except the epilogue.