The Spectacular [Large Print]

By Fiona Davis

Book Overview

New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis transports us back to 1950s Manhattan and glamorous Radio City Music Hall....

New York City, 1956: Nineteen-year-old Marion is over the moon to have been selected to be one of the Rockettes, Radio City Music Hall's glamorous precision dancing troupe. It's an honor to perform in the world's most spectacular theater, an art deco masterpiece. But with four shows a day as well as grueling rehearsals, not to mention exacting standards of perfection to live up to, Marion quickly realizes that the life of a Rockette has both extraordinary highs, and devastating lows.

Then one night a bomb explodes in the theater. It's only the latest in a string of explosions around the city 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 decades-long manhunt, the police, at Marion's urging, turn in desperation to a radical new technique: psychological profiling.

As Marion finds herself pulled deeper into the investigation, she 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.

• Format: Paperback
• Large Print: Yes
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593743849
• ISBN13: 9780593743843
• Release Date: June 2023
• Publisher: Random House Large Print Publishing
• Length: 496 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

4.5 stars

THE SPECTACULAR by Fiona Davis This has just the right amount of facts and fiction which is what I love about historical fiction. The author combines the glamorous yet grueling history of the Radio City Rockettes with the “Mad Bomber” (a serial pipe bomber who terrorized NYC for 16 years) so seamlessly. Marion, Simon, Judy, Peter and the other supporting characters were interesting with well developed arcs that kept me engaged. Even though some of Marion’s thoughts and actions felt too modern for the 1950s setting, it was a minor blip in an otherwise great story. Overall, this was a fast paced, vividly written mystery that touches on corporate greed, mental health and feminism. The audio book narrators (Rachel L. Jacobs and Kimberly Farr) were great as well. I look forward to reading more of Fiona Davis’ work. Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️