The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers is a story full of witchcraft and mystery. It is a mix of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus meets Oscar Wilde’s The Portrait of Dorian Gray. The story draws you in with a compelling mystery then adds the magic and the Secret Circus. The family history sometimes got messy and complex, but the ending was clear and concise, clearing up some of the plot point I had problems with. This is Constance Sayers second novel, her debut was A Witch in Time, a book I really liked and gave 4 stars, my one criticism was that she tried to have everything connect in a really neat bow which would be my biggest complaint in this one as well. That being said the writing is still good and she is able to draw the reader in and make me feel for these characters. The ending was exciting and wrapped up a lot of story lines. The midway point I was not sure about this book but the ending was really good and made my rating go up a point. I received an advanced readers copy of The Ladies of the Secret Circus thanks to Netgalley and Redhook Books. The Ladies of The Secret Circus by Constance Sayers is published on 3-23-21.

The Plot: Lara is a lowly witch ready to me married, the only problem is her husband to be has gone missing. His car is found with no trace of her husband and all evidence removed. Ben the local sheriff start to find similarities between this case and another that happen at the same places and same day 30 years earlier, with ties to Lara’s family. Lara always knew her family once ran a circus a long time ago, but she finds the Circus might still exist in her dreams and in death.

What I Liked: The the mystery of the missing men, dying every 30 years. I liked the Secret Circus and how you gained entrance. I liked the Paris backstory on the circus and family history. I liked the unconventional love story of Ben and Lara. The ending was so good and really emotional. I liked how A Witch in Time is loosely connected through the magician Angiers. I liked the magic and how it grew through out the story. I liked the twist with the family

What I Disliked: The Bad guy connection was too convenient, it was really unbelievable they could hide in plain that long with no real explanation when they’re caught how they stayed hidden for so long.

Recommendations: I would recommend this this witchy mystery. I liked A Witch in Time more but this is a great follow up second novel. If you liked The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstrern, then you will like this story. I rated The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers 4 out of 5 stars.