Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this novel from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Paris, 1925: To enter the Secret Circus is to enter a world of wonder-a world where women tame magnificent beasts, carousels take you back in time, and trapeze artists float across the sky. But each daring feat has a cost. Bound to her family's strange and magical circus, it's the only world Cecile Cabot knows-until she meets a charismatic young painter and embarks on a passionate love affair that could cost her everything.

Virginia, 2005: Lara Barnes is on top of the world-until her fiancé disappears on their wedding day. Desperate, her search for answers unexpectedly leads to her great-grandmother's journals and sweeps her into the story of a dark circus and a generational curse that has been claiming payment from the women in her family for generations.

Review:

I first became familiar with Constance Sayers when I read her novel, A Witch in Time, for my book club.  It was a good blend of the modern with the supernatural.  The Ladies of The Secret Circus moves further into the fantasy realm, with much of the novel set in the magical "Secret Circus", and the rest set in a small Virginia town.  Both settings had wonderful world-building, intriguing characters and a plot full of mystery and suspense.  This was a fun, exciting read.

What I Liked:

World-Building:

I enjoyed both the small town of Kerrigan Falls, Virginia and the chic world of Paris in the nineteen-twenties.  Sayers got the details of a small town just right.  Everyone had known each other since childhood.  This could be stifling, but also a comfort in difficult times.  I loved the details of how the downtown area changed over the years.  While there were several new businesses run by the younger generation, they were all housed in older buildings.  The radio station used to be a pharmacy, and the new coffee shop had been repurposed from a feed and supply shop.  

In the world of nineteen-twenties Paris, there was both excess and destitution.  While the young and carefree lived it up in bars and nightclubs, many people barely eked out a living.  Artists, especially, suffered in order to afford their paints.  

The Circus itself was a gothic nightmare, run be a daemon, Althacazur.  All of the performers were living in their own personal Hell.  There was a whole mythology associated with the Circus.  People in Paris would need to desperately willing to do anything in order to the Circus, and only then would they receive a ticket.  Did they sell their souls for this?  Possibly so.  But the Circus itself was so magical, people were eager to do whatever it took to get in.

Characters:

In Kerrigan Falls, Lara has been left on the altar by her fiance, Todd.  Is he really missing or did Todd just skip out on his wedding?  Lara is both angry that he abandoned her, and worried that he may actually be missing.  It's hard for her to move on.  

Lara relies on Ben, the police chief. At first, he is a strong, reassuring presence as Todd's disappearance brings news outlets from all over the U.S.  But when a year passes and there is still no lead on what happened to Todd, Lara begins to see Ben as a person she enjoys spending time with.  Ben, a divorced man who is a good ten years older than Lara, is obviously interested in Lara.  But he also worries that Lara isn't ready to move on.  I liked that even though Ben was very comfortable with himself, he still wasn't sure about starting a relationship with Lara.  He was also a shot of realism to the story that kept the novel from going over the top with the fantasy elements.

Cecile (of the Circus) is very innocent considering she lives in actual Hell.  Her Father, Althacazur, seems to indulge her, but is harsh with her twin sister, Esme.  Yet, Cecile is terribly jealous of Esme, who is the star of the circus.  Cecile doesn't feel as though she is really a part of the circus, since she only helps behind the scenes.  She is constantly looking to be valued by others.  It's no wonder that when a Parisian painter is interested in her, she falls madly in love.

Esme is both a tragic figure and a villain in the story.  Given how she is punished by Althacazur, it's no wonder she resents Cecile.  She has many reasons for hating her sister, which are revealed as the story progresses.  While this doesn't excuse her behavior, it does explain it.

Plot:

The main plot takes place in the more realistic world of Virginia, where there have been several mysterious disappearances, each thirty years, to the day, apart.  Somehow, they are connected to the Barnes family and their ancestor's past in the Secret Circus.  As Lara grieves for her missing fiance, she begins to learn about the Secret Circus, and it's connection to her family.  The portion of the plot reminds me more of a crime novel than a fantasy book, with Ben, the no-nonsense cop, following the clues.

Whenever the story switches to 1925 Paris, we are transported to a strange, gothic world.  Cecile and her sister are humans living among daemons and magical creatures.  One false move, and the punishment could be being sent to the White Forest (where people go mad) or worse.  

The main plot in the circus portion of the book revolves around the rivalry between Cecile and her sister, Esme, and their infatuation with a French painter.  This is a wonderful vehicle for the author to delve into the fabulous Paris of the nineteen-twenties.  Famous artists, such as Hemingway, Picasso, and Gertrude Stein make cameo appearances.

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  March 23rd, 2021

Author:  Constance Sayers

Publisher:  Redhook

Genre:  Fantasy

Page Length:  448 Pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  A suspenseful fantasy tale with the excitement of the circus and a murder mystery, as well.  A page-turner.