Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Circus Train at Sunrise is a tense and gripping suspense thriller that sees Denning spinning a convincing yarn with well crafted characters in a colorful and inspiring circus setting. The characters' natural and authentic dialogue combines well with the overall sense of tension to create a compelling and consistently entertaining story.
Prose: Circus Train at Sunrise is dense with lyrical prose that helps create a devilishly intense atmosphere. Denning cleverly draws the reader into the world of performance, effortlessly capturing the essence of circus life while dramatic events unfold all around.
Originality: Circus Train at Sunrise is a convincingly written thriller that excellently evokes early 20th century America and the world of circus performance. Denning's keen eye for detail elevates her novel above other like-minded mystery thrillers.
Character/Execution: The central relationship that develops between Charlotte Baxter and Jay Edwards is at the heart of Circus Train at Sunrise. The characters are well written, with convincing, naturalistic dialogue, and a real understanding of human emotion.
Blurb: A bold and intoxicating circus-set thriller.
Date Submitted: May 05, 2024
The rich smells, the growls of beasts, the excitement of exotics, leotarded bodies, and feigned danger beckon when the circus comes to town. Gasps and laughter, thrills and dreams. This story escorts us to a long-past time when the circus was the year’s most anticipated event, giving locals an evening of wistful and throat-catching dreams of living a life other than the mundane and droll. Through the eyes of the common folk and the performers, the good and the bad, the innocent and the manipulative, Circus Train at Sunrise is a study of people. The wealth of senses versus the dustbowl dryness only serve to suck us deeper. You’re warned from the outset that nothing good comes from a circus, and the author draws you in to prove it’s true. Nicely done. You can't ask for a better setup for a murder.
~C. Hope Clark, author of the award-winning Edisto Island Mysteries, Carolina Slade Mysteries, and Craven County Mysteries. www.chopeclark.com
