Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Book Review: Death of A Clown by Heather Haven

Death of A Clown is an intriguing historical noir mystery from the award-winning pen of Heather Haven.

When up and coming Jeri Deane finds a young clown strangled inside a lion's cage, the local sheriff threatens to shut the Big Top down. Jeri isn't about to let that happen. Her investigation uncovers deceit, treachery, and long-held secrets. Can Jeri find the killer before the lights go out on the big show permanently?

I was already a fan of Haven's work prior to reading Death of A Clown. This book not only drew me in from the first sentence, by the end it showed me that Haven can write historical novels as well as contemporary ones.

Haven is the daughter of a Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus trapeze artist/performer and elephant trainer. It is not hard to imagine how much influence this had on the writing of this novel. She created such vivid pictures, I felt like I was living inside the book as it unfolded.

A fascinating storyline, well-drawn characters, and a shocking ending make this a superb murder mystery. It's no wonder this novel won the 2014 Silver IPPY for Best Mystery/Thriller. Highly recommended.


Paperback: 296 pages
Publisher: The Wives of Bath Press (February 13, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0988408635
ISBN-13: 978-0988408630

I received a free digital copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

I read this book for the following challenges:






1 comment:

fredamans said...

I do like noir, if done right. This one sounds good thanks to your great review!