From the New York Times Bestselling Author of The Magnolia Palace: A thrilling story about love, sacrifice, and the pursuit of dreams, set amidst the glamour and glitz of Radio City Music Hall in its mid-century heyday.
New York City, 1956: Nineteen-year-old Marion Brooks knows she should be happy. Her high school sweetheart is about to propose and sweep her off to the life everyone has always expected they’d have together: a quiet house in the suburbs, Marion staying home to raise their future children. But instead, Marion finds herself feeling trapped. So when she comes across an opportunity to audition for the famous Radio City Rockettes—the glamorous precision-dancing troupe—she jumps at the chance to exchange her predictable future for the dazzling life of a performer.
Meanwhile, the city is reeling from a string of bombings orchestrated by a person the press has nicknamed the “Big Apple Bomber,” who has been terrorizing the citizens of New York for sixteen years by planting bombs in popular, crowded spaces. With the public in an uproar over the lack of any real leads after a yearslong manhunt, the police turn in desperation to Peter Griggs, a young doctor at a local mental hospital who espouses a radical new technique: psychological profiling.
As both Marion and Peter find themselves unexpectedly pulled in to the police search for the bomber, Marion realizes that as much as she’s been training herself to blend in—performing in perfect unison with all the other identical Rockettes—if she hopes to catch the bomber, she’ll need to stand out and take a terrifying risk. In doing so, she may be forced to sacrifice everything she’s worked for, as well as the people she loves the most.
Genre: Historical
New York City, 1956: Nineteen-year-old Marion Brooks knows she should be happy. Her high school sweetheart is about to propose and sweep her off to the life everyone has always expected they’d have together: a quiet house in the suburbs, Marion staying home to raise their future children. But instead, Marion finds herself feeling trapped. So when she comes across an opportunity to audition for the famous Radio City Rockettes—the glamorous precision-dancing troupe—she jumps at the chance to exchange her predictable future for the dazzling life of a performer.
Meanwhile, the city is reeling from a string of bombings orchestrated by a person the press has nicknamed the “Big Apple Bomber,” who has been terrorizing the citizens of New York for sixteen years by planting bombs in popular, crowded spaces. With the public in an uproar over the lack of any real leads after a yearslong manhunt, the police turn in desperation to Peter Griggs, a young doctor at a local mental hospital who espouses a radical new technique: psychological profiling.
As both Marion and Peter find themselves unexpectedly pulled in to the police search for the bomber, Marion realizes that as much as she’s been training herself to blend in—performing in perfect unison with all the other identical Rockettes—if she hopes to catch the bomber, she’ll need to stand out and take a terrifying risk. In doing so, she may be forced to sacrifice everything she’s worked for, as well as the people she loves the most.
Genre: Historical
Praise for this book
"The Spectacular has it all--fascinating history, heart-pounding suspense, and unforgettable characters! An electric, page-turning read that illuminates the lesser-known history of one of New York City's most famous landmarks, this is my favorite Fiona Davis book yet!" - Chanel Cleeton
"Another brilliant book from a brilliant author! This is historical fiction at its finest, combining elements of love, betrayal, and pursuing one's dreams amid the glamor of Radio City Music Hall and the shadow of a madman terrorizing the city." - Jamie Ford
"Fiona Davis has constructed another entrancing time machine, inviting us inside Radio City Music Hall circa 1956 not only to sit in the audience, but to dance on its fabled stage. Equal parts historical fiction and page-turning thriller, this book is propulsive, immersive, and terrifically suspenseful. Readers will dance and sleuth and fall in love with Marion Brooks, the brave Rockette who defies her father's wishes to insist on a bigger life. Never has a novel been so aptly titled -- The Spectacular is spectacular, a paean to following your dreams." - Nina de Gramont
"Filled with intrigue, suspense and captivating characters, The Spectacular has everything I love in a novel. Fiona Davis has shaped this true crime-inspired story like a master choreographer, mesmerizing her audience with every breathless twist and turn of the narrative, right up to the thrilling finale." - Ann Leary
"Fiona Davis once again shines while spotlighting the fascinating yet lesser-known history of a New York City landmark. A propulsive novel packed with mystery, thrills, and long-buried secrets, The Spectacular is a unique, spellbinding read not to be missed. I loved it." - Kristina McMorris
"Fiona Davis returns with yet another dazzling novel set in one of New York City's most iconic venues: Radio City Music Hall. Set in the 1950s, Marion Brooks is the Rockette's newest dancer, but she soon learns that the stage is a cutthroat place for a young woman -- and so is the big city. When an elusive bomber targets Radio City, Marion begins to hunt for the truth, but doing so puts herself and her family in peril. Especially after she realizes her family has hidden a few truths of their own...Secrets, sleuthing, young romance, and glittering kicklines: Fiona Davis' latest has it all. Theater lovers, or anyone who dreams of a life onstage, will relish this one." - Sarah Penner
"Fiona Davis just gets better and better! Nineteen-year-old dance teacher Marion, feeling trapped by her straitlaced father and her upcoming engagement, impulsively auditions for the Rockettes and is soon flung into a sequined world of grueling rehearsals, stage glitter, and four shows per day. When an anonymous bomber targets Radio City Music Hall, Marion's glittering new life reveals a dangerous dark side and she is flung into the search for a killer--but how can a kick-line dancer help save the city she loves? The Spectacular dazzles from start to finish." - Kate Quinn
"Another brilliant book from a brilliant author! This is historical fiction at its finest, combining elements of love, betrayal, and pursuing one's dreams amid the glamor of Radio City Music Hall and the shadow of a madman terrorizing the city." - Jamie Ford
"Fiona Davis has constructed another entrancing time machine, inviting us inside Radio City Music Hall circa 1956 not only to sit in the audience, but to dance on its fabled stage. Equal parts historical fiction and page-turning thriller, this book is propulsive, immersive, and terrifically suspenseful. Readers will dance and sleuth and fall in love with Marion Brooks, the brave Rockette who defies her father's wishes to insist on a bigger life. Never has a novel been so aptly titled -- The Spectacular is spectacular, a paean to following your dreams." - Nina de Gramont
"Filled with intrigue, suspense and captivating characters, The Spectacular has everything I love in a novel. Fiona Davis has shaped this true crime-inspired story like a master choreographer, mesmerizing her audience with every breathless twist and turn of the narrative, right up to the thrilling finale." - Ann Leary
"Fiona Davis once again shines while spotlighting the fascinating yet lesser-known history of a New York City landmark. A propulsive novel packed with mystery, thrills, and long-buried secrets, The Spectacular is a unique, spellbinding read not to be missed. I loved it." - Kristina McMorris
"Fiona Davis returns with yet another dazzling novel set in one of New York City's most iconic venues: Radio City Music Hall. Set in the 1950s, Marion Brooks is the Rockette's newest dancer, but she soon learns that the stage is a cutthroat place for a young woman -- and so is the big city. When an elusive bomber targets Radio City, Marion begins to hunt for the truth, but doing so puts herself and her family in peril. Especially after she realizes her family has hidden a few truths of their own...Secrets, sleuthing, young romance, and glittering kicklines: Fiona Davis' latest has it all. Theater lovers, or anyone who dreams of a life onstage, will relish this one." - Sarah Penner
"Fiona Davis just gets better and better! Nineteen-year-old dance teacher Marion, feeling trapped by her straitlaced father and her upcoming engagement, impulsively auditions for the Rockettes and is soon flung into a sequined world of grueling rehearsals, stage glitter, and four shows per day. When an anonymous bomber targets Radio City Music Hall, Marion's glittering new life reveals a dangerous dark side and she is flung into the search for a killer--but how can a kick-line dancer help save the city she loves? The Spectacular dazzles from start to finish." - Kate Quinn
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