A suspenseful, successful blend of historical fiction and magical realism, SPECTACLE weaves a tale of murder, journalism, and teenaged life in late 19th century Paris. Nathalie brings us along with her for the ride as she poses as a boy to write the morgue column for a daily Parisian newspaper, navigates friendships, grapples with a newfound ability, and uncovers family secrets that will forever change her life. A must-have for a library collection where historical fiction with a twist is popular.

The plot summary of this book was extremely enticing but the writing and execution slightly fell flat in parts to me. Redeeming quality, the strong female lead with a high level of maturity. The author is also really great at setting a scene. I would definitely recommend.

So I haven't read a historical fiction book in a bit I usually have a hard time following along and have a hard time connecting to this but from the very start this book had gotten me intrigued that I just wanted to know more about it. I am a fan of mystery novels which could be why it was easier to get sucked into and this book was a pretty good gruesome at times mystery book. What I did find refreshing is that it didn't include a romance at all, I'm so used to reading romance or mystery / romantic suspense novels that are heavy on the romance in between solving crimes and this book did not need that all. I really enjoyed reading this book, I read it as a ARC ebook but I'm going to have to have a physical copy of this book to add to my library so I can share it with others who might enjoy and get to reread it again because it really is a good book.

I went into this novel expecting to fall head-over-heels for the Parisian mystery, but found that it fell short. While I adored Nathalie and learning about the Insightfuls, there were times the novel felt "drab" and slow.

Allow me start with what I enjoyed. I found Nathalie to be a very relatable character, and the way in which she reacted to the events around her were believable. As a sixteen-year-old girl writing the daily morgue column, one would imagine her to be strange. Que her visions.

I found the visions to be intriguing as they took place silent, and in reverse, from the eyes of the murderer killing the victim Nathalie had come across. The aspect of Nathalie losing one of her own memories in return for experiencing a vision was unique. As the story progressed, the severity of her visions increased alongside with the length of her lost memory. I enjoyed this idea of "give and take", that magic comes with a price and you must be willing to pay it. This idea was furthered by the uncovering of "Insightfuls". These magic-touched humans were so interesting to learn about and I craved information about them just as much as Nathalie. The idea of blood-transfusions granting abilities was one I had never come across before. Finding out about how these humans were hidden in general population or found accumulating in asylums just made me more intrigued. I thought that Jodie did a wonderful job expanding on this theory and she made it easy to follow.

The setting and relationships added an extra depth to the story. The French setting was gorgeous, and in no way felt forced or stereotypical. Jodie had me feeling as though I was just casually in one of the outer quarters, enjoying myself at a quaint cafe. There were certain words and sentences written in French, and this had me smiling. As a student of the French-language, the dialect furthered the immersion into the novel and helped transport me to the period. It also did not detract my attention from any of the scenes - which can sometimes happen. I

n regards to her relationships. I thought the familial aspect of the novel is very reminescent of European culture. Seeing the struggles between Nathalie and her mother had me clutching my chest. I also loved seeing how their relationship progressed throughout the novel, and how communication and truth became a big theme in their resolution. In turn of her friendships, I found the relationship between Simone and Nathalie to be very relatable. It showed how even the best of friends can sometimes fade apart and that fights do occur, but at the end of the day a true friend is someone who is there for you at your toughest times. I was heartbroken over the development of Agnes and Nathalie's friendship - and shall leave it at that.

Now, let us turn to the murder-mystery aspect. I appreciated the gruesome nature and escalation of the murders, and found the "morgue-viewing" aspect very fascinating. It is hard to imagine (in modern day) having people just come off the street and line-up to walk through the morgue and view the dead bodies of the day. After the letter from the Dark Artist is printed in the newspaper I found myself constantly guessing at who the killer could be. The only problem was that Nathalie had no interest in seeking him out herself except for one time. The "mystery" aspect of the novel was lacking, but the "thriller" aspect flourished. There is a scene with Nathalie in the catacombs that had be utterly shaken. I found myself afraid for her and just overall creeped out - which is just what I wanted from this story. Yet, there was something in the mystery that had be unsatisfied. The pacing surrounding it was constantly up-and-down, leaving you excited one minute and bored the next.

Overall, this novel had a lot of potential and I feel as though a second novel would help tie-up loose ends. It was definitely a solid read, and I would recommend to fans of historical fiction. If there is a sequel, I'd be intrigued to see how Nathalie's struggles continue.

To be honest, I was let down by this book. The premise of the book was great, but the execution was not. I had a really hard time finishing this book due to the start and stop of the plot. Things would start to build and get good and then it would stall out.

Again, the plot of historical fiction meets magic was a great idea, but I developed in such a stilted way that by the time it all came to a head it felt out of place.

I felt the ending was rushed, and I thought the last chapter would tie somethings up but instead it left me hanging, but not necessarily wanting for more.

This was a really interesting and captivating read. It kept me very entertained and kept me guessing the murderer at every page. I loved the atmosphere of the story. The author did a really good job in bringing 1800s Paris alive. The minus is that the plot drags.. The pacing can be quite slow and it bores me at times

Every day, sixteen-year-old Nathalie Baudin visits the public morgue in Paris. She writes the daily morgue column for Le Petit Journal. Her job is to summarize the day’s new arrivals. But one day, as she touches the glass case, she has a vision of the newest body. She sees the young woman in her last moments as she is getting murdered. But one thing about the vision chills her to the bone – she sees in from the perspective of the killer. When more and more bodies show up, Nathalie is determined to investigate and her search for answers sets her on a dangerous path, and one that catches the attention of the killer.

Spectacle was an enjoyable read. There were a lot of aspects that I really enjoyed, such as the setting, the murder mystery, the pseudoscience, and the psychic aspect of it. The reason I’m giving this three stars is purely because it felt like a very long book and it wasn’t but the pacing really dragged in the middle and the plot sort of stagnated. But enough of that, I’m going to talk a little bit more in-depth about the stuff I did enjoy.

Spectacle takes place in Paris in 1887 and Zdrok managed to create an eerie and suspenseful atmosphere. It is great because Zdrok shows Paris as a city that is fascinated by death, from the public morgue which the citizens treat as a form of entertainment, to the catacombs that are both frightening and invigorating for the public, and finally, to the serial killer and that the public treat gleefully as a fascinating story. For Nathalie, the threat is very real and very disturbing as she stalks the killer and inevitably catches his attention but even she finds the chase alluring.

Nathalie is a formidable protagonist, as she was inquisitive and determined, but I did also love that she had flaws. She had some really great interactions with those around her, especially her Mother. When the pacing slowed in the middle, Zdrok did rely on her characters, rather than the mystery, to move the story and I personally don’t believe she was all that successful and I would have preferred if she kept the faster pace up, but each to their own as I know some people enjoyed the slower pace. Spectacle also has an interesting psuedo-science and psychic aspect that I enjoyed too!

Overall, Spectacle was a book that I did enjoy that was mainly a hit, but did also miss the mark a little bit too. If you are looking for a slower paced historical murder mystery then Spectacle is one I would recommend you check out.

Title: Spectacle
Author: Jodie Lynn Zdrok
Genre: YA, fantasy, historical
Rating: 3.7 out of 5

Sixteen-year-old Nathalie Baudin writes the daily morgue column in 1887 Paris. It’s her job to tell about each day’s new arrivals to the morgue, which the citizens of Paris are fascinated with. It’s morbid, but it’s just a job, until the day Nathalie sees a vision of the murder of the body before her…from the perspective of the murderer.

When the body of another woman is found a few days later, all of Paris is talking about it—and speculating it won’t be the last. Nathalie’s visions may be the only way to help find the killer, but can she figure out who the murderer is before her own life is forfeit?

This wasn’t a bad read. The premise is unique, but I found it a little erratic. Sometimes, Nathalie seemed very childish and naïve—who wanders around a busy city alone when they are the target of a serial killer? And who would go into the Parisian Catacombs like that, especially? I liked the concept, but the execution could use a little bit of polishing.

Jodie Lynn Zdrok holds two MA degrees in European History, and an MBA. Spectacle is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Tor Teen via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)

I had really high expectations of this one. I’d just finished Escaping from Houdini, and I was frantically looking for something like it when I stumbled upon Spectacle. I read the synopsis, and knew I had to read it. It didn’t quite live up to my expectations, but it was really good. Perfect for fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper.

I really liked Nathalie. She was relatable, and her reactions to suddenly having weird visions was very realistic. She very obviously struggled with her visions, and my heart went out to her. She was easy to relate to and interesting to read about. I think her struggles are something most teens can relate to, the feeling of being different and therefore alone, and although her problem is her powers, and I liked how this book showed that even though you may feel alone in your struggles, you aren’t.

The plot was a little slow. I had some trouble getting into it at first, because I felt like nothing really happened for the first 30% or so, but it picked up after that. The mystery deepened, and the plot picked up, and once things started happening, it was impossible to put down. I made the mistake of reading that last part right before bed, which I wouldn’t recommend if you value your sleep. This book is not good for your sleep.

So let’s talk about the mystery. The Dark Artist reminded me a little of Jack the Ripper, actually. The mystery was well-written, with twists and turns, some surprising, some not surprising. But the ending was definitely surprising, and it really fit. But back to the Dark Artist. As he spread fear throughout Paris, he terrified me equally, which brings me back to the whole reading before bed thing. Not a good idea.

I also have to mention the settings. I’ve studied French since I was a kid, I’ve always loved the language, and I’ve always dreamed of going to Paris. The setting of Paris was really the perfect setting for this murder mystery, and it added a lot to the plot. The settings were described in such a way that it felt real, even though I didn’t know the setting, and the mix of the touristy parts of Paris and the darker, terrifying parts of Paris (the Catacombs kept me up at night) really added tension to the plot.

Overall, I really enjoyed Spectacle. It was a little slow to start, but once it did, it was amazing. The murder mystery was intricately built, leaving the reader guessing and suspicious of everyone – I even suspected Nathalie’s friend at one point. It was terrifying, but written in such a way that it was hard to put down once you got into it. And the ending… I need 2020 to get here now, so I can read the sequel!

3/5 Stars

I have to say I liked this different paranormal YA mystery! I kept trying to guess who the killer was and what was truly going on throughout the story.

The world building was good and most of it was there once Paris and the time period was mentioned. However, there were certain parts that felt overly described and made me want to fast forward the book a bit. I felt the reader was constantly being reminded the story was set in Paris through the mentioning of every known Paris attraction. This caused the pacing to be a little slow than what I'm used to in a young adult book. I felt certain characters and parts could've been cut to speed the reading along which is honestly how the story lost stars for me.

My favorite parts within the story consist of the main characters, the overall story and the odd paranormal parts within the story. I really liked Nathalie and her position as a newspaper woman even if in disguise. The morgue columnist position was different as well and seeing how bodies were displayed within that time period was very intriguing. The way Nathalie slowly but surely finds out about her abilities, how she possibly came about the abilities, what was truly happening and certain story twists were definite story highlights for me!

Overall, I would definitely recommend this story if you love historical fiction, paranormal mysteries, murder mysteries, Paris, girls in disguise (somewhat), minimal to no romance, and a single point of view.

Thank you so much to publishers at MacMillan and TorTeen for allowing me the chance to read and review this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I truly appreciate it and I'm looking forward to more by this author!

I was sent an eARC of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. This does not change my view in any shape or form. Also found on Booked J.

In simple terms? Spectacle was breathtaking and intriguing.

If you are a fan of main characters with strong and individual voices and questions for days, this is the book for you. Further, if you like the above to be mingling with historical settings and supernatural vibes, this is bound to be your cup of tea.

What I liked most about this book, aside from its characters and delectable prose, was the fact that Jodie Lynn Zdrok throws readers straight into the thick of it quite quickly. A lot of authors struggle with the build of the first quarter but this is not one of those books--it is vivid and fast, drawing us into the atmospheric prose instantly and holding us in place. Sometimes, the plot slows down as it continues but it does pick itself back up.

Which feels very intentional and almost like the calm before the story.

Not only are her characters beautifully crafted, so is her setting and mystery.

This isn't to say that there aren't weak spots (there were some questionable choices re: history, in my opinion, but this doesn't take you out of the story), or that Spectacle will be for every reader, but it is damn enjoyable and kept me on the edge of my seat for the evening. Which goes without really saying: this was compulsively readable and is the type of story that demands your devotion. Once you pick it up, you are locked in place for the day.

Spectacle takes familiar story elements, such as mystery and paranormal traits, and twists the plotlines to tangle together uniquely. A good story teller takes the familiar and makes it their own, and this is what Jodie Lynn Zdrok accomplishes with Spectacle. I was really quite impressed with Spectacle and while it wasn't what I expected when picking it up, it was a thrill ride that I'd highly recommend.

Pro tip: read this book on a rainy night in. It amplifies the experience all the more!

3.5 Stars - This book gave me a lot of same vibes as YS Lee's The Agency series... historical setting (this time gilded age Paris), intrepid girl professional (this time a reporter on the morgue beat... yeah, that's a thing in this time period), and MYSTERIOUS MYSTERY (this time a serial killer). There's also an element of the supernatural, which I thought was handled well. Additionally, I appreciated that this is the rare YA novel that truly feels aimed at teens in terms of reading level and writing style - not to say it is simplistic, but I do think that it is not one of those YA's that is specifically written with an adult audience in mind. All in all, enjoyable, but be ye warned -- there is quite a cliff hanger at the end of this one

Spectacle was a huge disappointment for me. It was super slow and I was never really connected to the characters. I did love our MC though and her decision to be a journalist in a time where women weren't allowed careers outside of the home.

The mystery didn't feel connected or foreshadowed at all. When one part was solved, another three questions showed up, but they never seemed to relate to anything prior. I wanted satisfaction when I found out the killer, but instead, I was blindsided. A good mystery leaves clues that you notice later and the clues that are gone over when the mystery is solved seemed so consequential and minor.

I loved the idea of the Insightfuls and the idea of manufacturing magic in people. That part of the novel never felt fully developed though. I also couldn't believe that there were so many of the magic touched people in one area. If he only did experiments on so many people before his murder, how are so many of them in the same area?

The pacing was a huge problem for me too. I never felt the speed or thrill of a murder mystery. I had to put down this book because it was going nowhere. Unfortunately, when I picked it up again, it just kept dragging on. I skimmed the last 30% because I was just so bored.

Some of the revelations seemed cheap to me, such as who actually killed the doctor who experimented on people.

Overall, a big disappointment and a pass for me.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tor through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

title: Spectacle
author: Jodie Lynn Zdrok
pages: 368
format: eARC
buy it: Amazon | B&N | BookDepository | Goodreads
rating: 3/5
genre: Mystery, Historical
topics: Paranormal, Serial Killers, Crime, Friendship, Murder
warnings: Asylums, depictions of undefined mental illness

Summary
In 1887 Paris, Nathalie dreams of being a reporter and gets a break during the summer between school years. She's hired by her father's friend to do the daily morgue report, writing about the unidentified bodies that are displayed part to seek identification and part as a sideshow attraction. But when a murdered girl turns up in the morgue, Nathalie gets a strange vision of the last moments before her death.

As the death toll climbs, Nathalie must grapple with her strange visions and determine what they mean, not just for the investigation into the serial killer but also for her own sense of self.
A delightfully grim main character, and her friends
Nathalie herself was a fun character, someone who was fascinated with death and morbid subjects without necessarily being maudlin herself. I enjoyed her outlook, not just on her job but on the world in general. She seemed very grounded, with a strong sense of her goals and skills.

There were a variety of different relationships within the story, including two close female friendships that alter radically during the story's timeline. Nathalie's relationship with her mother is also explored, as her mother is both overprotective but hampered by a recent injury. There's a continuous push and pull between them as Nathalie tries to hold down her new job and find out about her past, while her mother tries to keep her in the dark for her own safety.

There's also a very slight romance that I really enjoyed, although romance is a bit of a strong word. More of a crush. I love crushes, I think that stage of things is underutilized in fiction in general. Nathalie's crush and the way she way she acts around the young man is sweet and very realistic, but it doesn't progress to anything else because complications, and I really liked that.

So...that magic...
While Spectacle is mostly rooted in the 'real world,' there is (obviously) an element of the paranormal with Nathalie's visions. Although, in fact, there's a whole group of people who have magical abilities. Seems about 20 years prior there was a man who figured out how to give magic to people through one of his experiments and he did the procedure on as many people as wanted it. There's just...scads of people out in the world, able to do superhuman feats.

And....no one cares?



Yeah, no one cares. The scientist was disgraced because of some very severe negative side effects that popped up and...that's it. The magic people just quietly dropped out of the public consciousness, and apparently NO OTHER SCIENTIST AFTER THAT wanted to figure out how he did it? Wanted to study the people? Maybe expand on it? Just...nope, go on your way magic people, no one's even going to keep track of you and your literal superhuman abilities that could lead to, like, murder maybe.

It just struck me as really weird and I had a problem with it.
More endings that Return of the King
The pacing of the book was generally repetitive, with Nathalie having a huge problem coming to grips with her vision ability. Which is fine if there's something still pushing her into the plot, but there's really not. She hates it, she waffles about hating it, that goes on for a few hundred pages before we get going again. There were points where it was a real stretch to keep her involved in or even aware of the plot because 'coincidence' seemed to be the only outside force acting on her.

And then at the end, there were so many false climaxes that it was honestly kind of a let down. The main bad guy we'd been following for the majority of the book had an underwhelming conclusion, then we had a couple of false starts for a new bad guy, and then the final-final bad guy was introduced out of the blue, barely 50 pages before also being taken out. The stop and start nature of the final act made what should have been a catharsis into more of a confusing muddle.

Will I read this author again? Maybe
Will I continue this series? Probably not, but you can add the next book, Exposition, on Goodreads.

Note: I received this copy from the author/publisher. The price of the book and its origin in no way affected my stated opinions.

What I Liked
OKAY where do I even start?? I love historical fantasy, and this was definitely that. I also love Paris! So a historical fantasy set in Paris is like, directly up my alley. Set in Paris in the late 1800s, the setting and scenery are lusciously described--sometimes, like when we're in the morgue, this lusciousness is pretty macabre and visceral. The fantasy story of Nathalie and the Dark Artist are framed around a factual grisly murder: the Pranzini murders. Nathalie is herself a great protagonist, and her family and friends are all such great pieces of her life. And pain au chocolat is MY FAVORITE TOO!!

What I Would Have Liked to See
I yelled out loud at the end because I turned the page expecting more and it's not there. ARG! Give me the second book! There better be a second book.

My Favorite!
The magic of this Paris. I don't mean how the city is magical and has a life of its own, which is does, but I mean literally the magic system that Nathalie comes to discover over the course of the book. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but it seems to be shaping up to be a new spin on a very popular form of magic I see a lot in fantasy these days.

TL;DR
Intrepid Parisian girl reporter gains the ability to see a murderer commit his horrible crimes, and too late she realizes that the murderer sees her, too.

Paris! Summer! 1887! Two years before Gilded Wolves! 16-year-old Nathalie Baudin takes a job anonymously writing the daily morgue column in Le Petit Journal (which, I’m going to take a wild guess here, means “The Little Journal”? I dunno, what do you want from me, Deutsch ist eine wunderschöne Sprache). While it’s unusual for a teen girl to be writing an anonymous column for a newspaper, Nathalie needs a little extra cash since her dad is off in the navy and her mom, still recovering from being badly burned, can’t handle as much seamstress work as she used to. Plus, it helps that the owner of the paper is old friends with Nathalie’s dad.

Anyway! Morgue column!

Back in ye olde Victorian Times, the Paris Morgue would put bodies of unknown dead people on display. That display was open to the public so people would come by and gawk at corpses, ostensibly so they could be identified, but really, it was more for the thrill of it. You know, the thrill of gawking at dead people. As one does. The Paris Morgue became one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions. The 19th Century, amirite? (Someday, people in the far, far future will look back at our modes of entertainment - such as staring blankly into our phones for hours - and feel the same way, but hey, at least we’re not gawking at dead people for funsies. Well, I know I’m not…I just listen to true crime podcasts like a normal person).

Back to Nathalie, her job is to visit the Paris Morgue every day and do a write-up of who’s on display. All of this seems relatively normal…until one day, Nathalie, upon seeing the body of a girl who was brutally murdered, has a vision of the murder…from the perspective of the murderer. What the what?? Soon, it becomes clear that there is a serial killer on the loose in Paris, calling himself “the Dark Artist” - and every time she goes to the Morgue and touches the viewing pane in front of one of the victims, Nathalie sees the murder. These visions, however, come with a weird price: every time she has a vision, Nathalie looses part of her memory, often not realizing it until a while afterward. But are they real, these visions? What if she’s just hallucinating, and the memory loss is a symptom of something worse? Is Nathalie going crazy, like her aunt Brigitte? Or is she actually experiencing something that might help police (including the cute morgue liaison, Christophe) catch the Dark Artist?

The thing about advanced reader’s copies is that the text is 100% not final - what ends up in the published book might be very different than the text that I read. Most of my complaints about Spectacle had to do with the writing: in places it was fairly stilted, repetitive, and featured long lists of “and then this happened, and then this happened…” I’m going to reserve my judgement, though, because that’s the sort of stuff that can be easily revised before publication. Story-wise, I really, really, really liked Spectacle. I mean, what’s not to like: 19th century Paris, girl journalist/detective/clairvoyant, the hunt for a Jack the Ripper-style serial killer… Yes, count me in. And a gift that comes with weird lapses in memory? Again, yes I am here for it. Put the copy through one more round of revisions and I am here for it.

Jodie Lynn Zdrok’s debut novel Spectacle is a book I really wanted to love. It’s a YA murder mystery set in Paris during the 1880s, and it features a female protagonist, Nathalie, who is a newspaper reporter and who also happens to have supernatural visions that could come in handy when it becomes clear a killer is on the loose in her city, targeting young women. It sounds great, doesn’t it?

And there are quite a few things I did enjoy about it. I liked that the novel reads as part thriller, part historical fiction, and that it even has a little supernatural twist. I thought the author did an especially nice job of capturing 1880s Paris and of filling her murder mystery with lots of creepy twists and turns, many of which kept me guessing until the very end, and I was also very intrigued with the idea of the main character being a teenage girl who writes the daily morgue report for the local newspaper.

My struggles with the book, unfortunately, were many as well. The pacing felt very slow at times and Nathalie felt rather underdeveloped even though she had several subplots swirling around her. While I felt like some of the subplots helped show how Nathalie ended up working where she’s working, unfortunately, they didn’t offer me anything else to make me feel much of a connection to her. I also found her incredibly frustrating in that she knew full well there was a murderer on the loose who was targeting young women but yet was constantly out walking about the city by herself and at one point even makes a trip down into the Catacombs.

The ending also felt rather awkward. I think it was meant to be open-ended, but the way it just trailed off, it just felt like pages were missing. Between that, the lack of connection I felt to the main character, the slow pacing, and the fact that I predicted who one of the murder victims would be as soon as the character was introduced, I ended up pretty disappointed. Hopefully other readers will have a better experience with this since it does have such an interesting and unique premise.

Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok was a surprising read for me. I initially requested it because the synopsis reminded me so much of Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco. And I wasn't wrong. Spectacle just had way more paranormal elements in it than I was anticipating. Which worked and didn't work for me.

Spectacle takes place in Paris 1887 where the Eiffel tower is just beginning to get build and the city is being tormented by a serial killer in the vein of Jack the Ripper. Our MC is the morgue columnist writer for the Paris newspaper who seems to have visions of the victims death through the perspective of the killer. I loved the fact that Nathalie seemed to have psychometry and her reaction to finding out she did was very believable. I also really enjoyed the morbid fascination people had with the dead back then. To bodies on display and there intrigue into the afterlife via seances and tarot readings. Very historically accurate. And don't forget the description of late 19 Century Paris was amazing I felt like I was there on the streets of Paris with Nathalie. Kudos to the author.

The only issue I had which is why its not getting a full five stars was how the magic system was incorporated into the story there were a lot of questions I had that went un answered. SPOILERS AHEAD Example, how did the doctor incorporate magic into blood? Also how did the one antagonist use the victims blood, who were never part of the doctors patients was able to gain there unique attributes? Especially since the antagonist was seen as not being one of the doctors patients either. I found these plot hole took away from the story and overall experience of my read. And that ending there had better be a companion.

Besides from the lack of explanation in the paranormal aspect of the story, I found this to be a very intriguing historical murder mystery. And look forward to what this author does next.

Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok is a pretty fantastic debut YA historical fantasy mystery set in fin de siècle Paris. I enjoyed all of the historical detail that's gone into the story, like the construction of the Eiffel Tower for example. I also particularly enjoyed getting to know Nathalie. She's a great protagonist. Her curiosity (things get a bit morbid, fair warning), determination, and dedication are quite refreshing. All that said I was also hooked on working out the mystery surrounding the fantastic abilities Nathalie has discovered she has while working on her morgue report for the newspaper and a Jack the Ripper-esqe killer behind a recent string of murders in the city. Plus, I just have to mention that I appreciated the female friendships and the scenes between Nathalie and her mother. Honestly, this was almost a five star read for me, but sometimes the pacing drags and that ending was a bit cruel. Fingers crossed that Zdrok's upcoming release, Exposition, is going to be a sequel because I need to know more. I highly recommend Spectacle to fans of Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco and Penny Dreadful.

Another historical fiction! I never seemed to enjoy this genre much before because I felt that they were either too dense or too slow. And while this book was a tad on the slow side, it was also really interesting and quite an adventure! After falling in love with the Stalking Jack the Ripper series last year I’ve been dying for another gory old timey mystery and when I read the blurb for this one I was so hopeful that I had found just the right book to bring my search to an end. While I thoroughly enjoyed reading Spectacle, there was also something that kept me from truly loving it.

Spectacle is also one of the many books set in France that I have read here lately. I seem to have a theme I am chasing in my book selections lately. Or maybe its the authors that have been on a theme to their writing lately. Did the chicken or the egg come first? The world may never know.. But I digress, the setting, while familiar also took a peak at the darker more dangerous side of Paris. It wasn’t all cafe life and trips to the Eiffel Tower. This book was filled with murder, serial killers, and danger. This was a side of France that didn’t thrive in romance and wealth.

This book is about a girl named Nathalie who after her mother is injured and her dad leaves on business, she must find a job through her fathers connection at the local newspaper to help provide for her family. Missing out on a summer away with her best school friend, Nathalie is the new journalist for the local morgue column. Her job entails daily visits to the morgue to deliver the news on the latest passings of life. But on one strange visit while studying the body of a young girl close to her own age, she just happens to touch the glass only to be trapped in a vision through the eyes of the murderer. From that point on Nathalie must decide if this strange new power is real, or if she is losing her mind like her poor aunt Brigitte. And is she willing to accept the consequences of using such power? Is finding the murderer of these girls worth possibly becoming insane?

I really liked the bond of friends and the focus on family and the relationships between them and the main character Nathalie. It all seemed real and honest, there were hardships yes, and regret, but it also showed the real range of emotions one might go through if stuck in a tough position like Nathalie was. She experienced so much death and fear at the hands of this psycho killer and no one person would ever come out of something like that unchanged. It was also refreshing that while there were hints of romance and flirtation, it wasn’t the main focus of the book. While this is normally what I live off of in books that I read, it was nice to know that even though there wasn’t a romance per say, it was still an engaging and interesting read.

My main complaint would be the ending. I don’t want to give away too much as to spoil anyone, but I don’t think its even fair to call it a cliffhanger. The ending was more like missing the top step while climbing the stairs in the dark. One minute you’re trekking along thinking everything is fine and normal, and then whoof, no step. No more stairs to climb. Totally unexpecting. Just like the ending to this book. It just hits you out of nowhere, almost feeling like its right in the middle of a sentence. I kept flipping pages thinking, there’s no way that’s how this ends. It feels completely unfinished and that is the worst feeling in the world at the end of a book. I’m not sure if there is another book in the future to continue on with this story, and if there isn’t then I would say don’t even bother reading this because you will never have closure in your life again. Okay, maybe that was a little dramatic, but still. YOU CAN’T JUST END A BOOK LIKE THAT! In the meantime I am going to believe that there will be a Spectacle #2 otherwise this will just make me even more angry.

In summary, this was a really interesting and captivating read. I was extremely interested in finding the killer and found it to be a really well written book. Although I didn’t care much for the ending, I would continue reading this if it ever becomes a series. I’m starting to like more of the historical fiction genre here lately, its fun branching out to find that you do actually enjoy some different styles of writing than what you might be used to reading. Because isn’t that what reading is supposed to do, take us out of our norm, break us out of our shells to experience what we normally wouldn’t? I’d like to think so.