The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus
1928
The Bonaventure Circus is a refuge for many, but Pippa Ripley was rejected from its inner circle as a baby. When she receives mysterious messages from someone called the "Watchman," she is determined to find him and the connection to her birth. As Pippa's search leads her to a man seeking justice for his murdered sister and evidence that a serial killer has been haunting the circus train, she must decide if uncovering her roots is worth putting herself directly in the path of the killer.
Present Day
The old circus train depot will either be torn down or preserved for historical importance, and its future rests on real estate project manager Chandler Faulk's shoulders. As she dives deep into the depot's history, she's also balancing a newly diagnosed autoimmune disease and the pressures of single motherhood. When she discovers clues to the unsolved murders of the past, Chandler is pulled into a story far darker and more haunting than even an abandoned train depot could portend.
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Community Reviews
I guess I’m one of the few who didn’t love this cringey story with its equally cringey writing.
I didn’t like any of the characters, most of whom were annoying. The story was boring, and I was creeped out by the Peter Pan/Wendy reference to describe Chandler, the mother, to her son.
“She’d always told Peter she wanted to eat him, from the moment he was born. He was delicious and delectable, and the echo of her mother’s voice rang in her ears.
‘He’s a baby, not a Twinkie, honey.’”
The descriptions were just awful…
“Margie’s naturally curly red hair striped with gray-and-white strands was pulled back into a messy knot that revealed how thick Margie’s hair was. She was flushed, with sweat beads dotting her forehead. The only evidence that something might still be off in what remained in the day.”
And the dialogue was horrible. I’m guessing Denny, the landlord, is supposed to be small-town country or something, who speaks normally except for a few words here and there.
“‘Didn’t figure. You’re a cute-’un but ain’t no biker chick.’ He winked. ‘S’okay. I got your back anyway. So, what’s this Margie said about a leaky sink?’”
And…
“‘Yeeeeeup, looks like a bad seal.’ Denny gripped the edge of the sink, his knees cracking as he straightened. ‘I’ll have to run to the hardware store. I can be back later this afternoon to get it fixed. Meanwhiles, if you’re okay just cleaning up? Leave the water shut off till I get back.’”
Yeeeeeup, it’s a hard pass on this one, folks.
I didn’t like any of the characters, most of whom were annoying. The story was boring, and I was creeped out by the Peter Pan/Wendy reference to describe Chandler, the mother, to her son.
“She’d always told Peter she wanted to eat him, from the moment he was born. He was delicious and delectable, and the echo of her mother’s voice rang in her ears.
‘He’s a baby, not a Twinkie, honey.’”
The descriptions were just awful…
“Margie’s naturally curly red hair striped with gray-and-white strands was pulled back into a messy knot that revealed how thick Margie’s hair was. She was flushed, with sweat beads dotting her forehead. The only evidence that something might still be off in what remained in the day.”
And the dialogue was horrible. I’m guessing Denny, the landlord, is supposed to be small-town country or something, who speaks normally except for a few words here and there.
“‘Didn’t figure. You’re a cute-’un but ain’t no biker chick.’ He winked. ‘S’okay. I got your back anyway. So, what’s this Margie said about a leaky sink?’”
And…
“‘Yeeeeeup, looks like a bad seal.’ Denny gripped the edge of the sink, his knees cracking as he straightened. ‘I’ll have to run to the hardware store. I can be back later this afternoon to get it fixed. Meanwhiles, if you’re okay just cleaning up? Leave the water shut off till I get back.’”
Yeeeeeup, it’s a hard pass on this one, folks.
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