Musing Mondays - May 9

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme now hosted at Jenn's new blog Books And A Beat that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

• I’m currently reading…
• Up next I think I’ll read…
• I bought the following book(s) in the past week…
• I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…
• I can’t wait to get a copy of…
• I wish I could read ___, but…
• I blogged about ____ this past week…

THIS WEEK’S RANDOM QUESTION: What is the best book you read LAST year?

Well, this shouldn't be too hard to figure out since my reading is so much less the past two years than it used to be. Sigh!

There were actually two books that were my favorite in 2015--for very different reasons: one because of the author's steady work in and knowledge of the genre she writes, and the other, because she went outside of her comfort zone and tried a different style in a genre she has already established herself in. The second author is today's pick.

Why I love Heather Haven's work: Strong female leads are her trademark and she creates them well. 

How is Death of a Clown similar to her previous work?

In creating Jeri Deane she stayed true to her trademark. Whether or not her main characters realize their strength all the time, it is there. In this book, Haven truly got into Jeri's head and dissected everything she feels, creating one of my favorite characters.

How is Death of a Clown different from her previous work?

Everything else I have read by Haven has been light and funny. Her main characters are sarcastic, witty young women who kick ass. While murder is a serious business, in Haven's other books there isn't the intense drama and powerful nature that is found within Death of a Clown. This book is set at a circus during World War II. Since the author is the daughter of former circus performers, this also allows her tap into that family history to create a book whose setting is equally as well-drawn as her characters.

You can learn more about the author at http://heatherhavenstories.com/

What was your favorite book from 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:

First Chapter Review: Death of a Clown by Heather Haven

I had the opportunity to help Heather Haven promote the first book in her humorous P.I. novel, Murder is a Family Business, Book One of the Alvarez Family Murder Mystery series. I also wrote a First Chapter Review of her seasonal mystery, Persephone Cole and the Christmas Killings Conundrum. When she mentioned she had a new book coming out at the end of January, I was eager to take a peek at it. Death of a Clown is a stand alone mystery noir novel set in the early 1940s.

BLURB:  Up and coming performer, Jeri Deane, finds a young clown strangled inside a beloved lion's cage. The town sheriff's threat to close down the Big Top won't stop her from finding his killer. Beneath the spangles and sawdust of the canvas sky, Jeri uncovers deceit, treachery, and secrets more dangerous than any death-defying trick in the circus. Even she has much to hide. If the Big Top survives the season, will she be able to face her own hidden past?

Written by the daughter of real-life circus performers, former Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey trapeze artist and elephant trainer, Heather Haven brings the daily existence of the circus during World War II to life, embellished by her own murderous imagination.

COVER:  I love historical photos, so it was a given this one would catch my eye. This is actually a picture of the author's mother. I love how Haven is using her family history for this novel, so this cover photo is an extra treat.

FIRST CHAPTER: Jeri Deane is practicing her trapeze act when a blood-curdling scream fills the air. She and another circus perfomer approach the lion's cage to find Catalena, a sixteen-year-old assistant knife thrower leaning over the body of Eddie Connors. The youngest of the clowns, Eddie had felt the circus was his new home. A quick view of the surroundings tells Jeri this wasn't an accident.

KEEP READING: Oh my gosh, yes! I love when an author or artist can show her versatility, which is what Haven has done here. Her earlier books are light and humorous with witty, smart female leads. From the opening lines of Death of a Clown, Haven's voice is there, but the climate, the tone, even the manner of description is decidedly different. And it's more than just a sub-genre change. Haven has gotten into this character's head and dissected everything she feels, so that it comes out in a powerful, gripping manner. I was hooked with the first sentence, and wanted to immediately push aside everything else I was reading to continue.

Strong female characters are Haven's trademark. While this novel is unlike what she has written in the past, she does not abandon her brand. Readers of her previous books will find much to enjoy in Death of a Clown. I am going to go out on a limb here and say this is her best work yet. I must find a way to make room for this in my reading schedule. I'm totally hooked!

Coming soon from

 The Wives of Bath Press!

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