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Sebastian Ritscher
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THE SPECTACULAR

Lindsey Rose Fiona Davis

New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis transports us back to 1950s Manhattan and glamorous Radio City Music Hall in her thrilling new novel about a talented young Rockette and a mysterious bomber terrorizing New York City.
New York City, 1956: 19-year-old Marion is thrilled to have been selected to be one of the Rockettes, Radio City Music Hall's glamorous precision-dancing troupe. But with four shows a day and grueling rehearsals, 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 - the latest in a string of explosions around the city orchestrated by a person the press has nicknamed the "Big Apple Bomber." With the public in an uproar over the lack of any real leads after a years-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 - she'll need to stand out and take a terrifying risk if she hopes to catch the bomber. But she may be forced to sacrifice everything she's worked for, as well as the people she loves the most.


Fiona Davis is the New York Times bestselling author of several novels, including The Dollhouse, The Address, The Masterpiece, The Chelsea Girls, The Lions of Fifth Avenue, and The Magnolia Palace. She lives in New York City and is a graduate of the Columbia Journalism School.
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Book

Published 2023-06-13 by Dutton Books

Book

Published 2023-06-13 by Dutton Books

Comments

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.

In this interview, Fiona and I discuss The Spectacular, how she decided to write about Radio City Music Hall and the Rockettes, the Book Club kit created for this book, taking the cover in a different direction than her previous covers, pre-orders and why they are important, her next book, and much more. Read more...

Jennifer Vido | Jen's Jewels Interview: THE SPECTACULAR by Fiona Davis Read more...

THE SPECTACULAR was included in the New York Posts's 28 books to bring to the beach this summer Goodreads's Summer's Biggest Historical Fiction Novels How Sweet Eats's My 2023 Summer Reading List! Read more...

Fiona Davis has once again written a great novel... It's keeps you engaged throughout, and adds to her stellar resume of books. Read more...

Bestselling historical fictional author, and longtime Upper West Sider, Fiona Davis, dazzles readers once again, with her seventh novel, "The Spectacular." The backdrop is Radio City Music Hall and a Mad Bomber who really did terrorize the city for 16 years before his arrest. And the idea that inspired the author all started when she got a random email from a former Rockette.... Read more...

Davis masterfully draws Marion into the story, setting the scene for a cinematic conclusion. Readers will be attracted to the intriguing history and moved by Davis' entrancing narrator.

Inspired by the real-life 'Mad-Bomber' and steeped in the storied history of the Rockettes, Fiona Davis' intricately woven thriller is, at its core, a love letter to Radio City Music Hall and the families found and made backstage.

As the plot builds to a dramatic climax that sees Marion putting her life at risk, Davis expertly incorporates behind-the-scenes details of the Rockettes, including the intricate choreography of their wooden soldiers number. This page-turner delivers the goods. Read more...

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.

Davis masterfully draws Marion into the story, setting the scene for a cinematic conclusion. Readers will be attracted to the intriguing history and moved by Davis' entrancing narrator.

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.

An engaging story... the novel is rich with historical details, and it comes most vividly to life in the passages about the Rockettes, with all the sweat, agony, and camaraderie that go into those miraculously perfect performances.

he 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!

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.

Weaving together love, revenge, ambition, and heartbreak, Davis brings her two story lines to satisfying - and surprising - conclusions. Read more...

Dust off your dancing shoes because we sit down with Fiona Davis to discuss her new book The Spectacular! We talk about what inspired her to write about the Rockettes and Fiona's journey from actor to journalist to writer. Plus, she tells a beautiful story about what the BOTM blue box means to her, which had everyone teary-eyed. Read more...

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.

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.

Interview with Fiona Davis - We chatted the inspo behind the book, being a GMA, NYT best-selling author AND JUNE Book of the Month pick! Read more...

Join BOOKSTORM as we interview The Spectacular author Fiona Davis. Step into 1950's Manhattan and the glamorous Radio City Music Hall in this thrilling new novel about a talented young Rockette and a mysterious bomber terrorizing NYC! Topics: Should we pursue our dreams even if we fail? The truth about the history of the Rockettes, their sisterhood, talent, individuality and passions. Life choices for ourselves and for others; is it ever anyone's decision but our own? Pursuing dreams despite obstacles, weakness and fear. Put your dancing shoes on and join the discussion! Read more...

We sat down with Davis to learn more about her latest novel, The Spectacular, and the history behind it. Read more...

The iconic landmark's secret passageways and dark history made for the perfect setting for a historical fiction masterpiece. Read more...