Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this title. Fiona Davis has written another historical love letter to New York City. The Spectacular is the story of Marion, an aspiring dancer in the 1950s. By happenstance, she auditions and becomes a Rockette, This is to the extreme displeasure to her dour father. Marion's mother died when she was a girl, and she has since felt like an outsider to the relationship between her father and sister. There have been several bombings in NYC, and this spate of domestic terrorism collides with Marion's job as a Rockette and a burgeoning love. The story is told in flashbacks by the aging Marion who is in the process of selling her home and moving into an apartment. Well-told with well-drawn characters.

Thank you to @netgalley, Dutton, Penguin Random House and #FionaDavis for this ARC. Marion has just been fired from teaching at a dance studio in Manhattan for not giving the little girls enough structure in class when she hears about an open audition for The Rockettes. Though she knows her father would not agree and she may be throwing away her chances of getting married, she can't pass up on the dream! To her surprise, she aces the audition and is asked to join the troupe. This book follows her story from before The Rockettes, during, and after and is full of mystery, love and tradegy. I LOVED IT and I venture to say that it may be Davis' best yet!!! #TheSpectacular #FionaDavis #June2023

Love all the books by Fiona Davis! I feel like she transports you to these settings and pulls you in. I loved hearing about Fiona and her time with the Rockettes and trying to solve the bombings. Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

This was one of Fiona Davis‘s best books. As usual she carefully researches the time period that the book takes place. In addition, there was an added element of suspense and mystery in this book. I learned a lot about the history of radio City Hall, and what it took to be a Rockette. I was surprised to see that terrorism existed back then and corporate wrongdoings. I had never heard about the mad bomber before.
The characters resonated with me, and I especially found Marion, Bunny, Judy and Peter likable. The book was a page turner and I did not want to put it down, it reads like a crime story with elements of romance. I highly recommend this book.
easy read

Fiona Davis's books always manage to surprise me, and The Spectacular is no exception. Yes, this is a book about the Rockettes, but it's also a book about a serial bomber, complex family relationships, unresolved trauma, and chasing your dreams.

Marion, our main character, bucks her father's expectations to chase her dream of dancing professionally and unexpectedly earns a position as a Rockette, one of the high-kicking stars of NYC's Radio City Music Hall. Marion's experience as a Rockette provides a lot of interesting information about the profession, the troupe, and the dedication it takes to be a professional dancer, and I enjoyed learning more about the group. But her new job is tied up in the complex relationships with her father and sister, and when tragedy strikes, Marion's job takes a backseat to hunting down the Big Apple Bomber.

I had never heard of the Bomber, although it seems like he's largely been forgotten by most people, even those who lived in NYC at the time. The fact that he wasn't caught for over sixteen years seems baffling, and the use of psychological profiling to eventually bring him in made for fascinating reading. Peter, the doctor who provides the profile for the Bomber, is an interesting character, and I liked his determination to help others and to change the field of mental health.

Together, Marion and Peter work to find the Bomber, and I really loved this aspect of the story. Reading the description for this book, I assumed this would be a secondary storyline, but once it gets going, the search really becomes the main plot. Yes, there's still dancing, but I loved following this unlikely duo as they basically play Nancy Drew and Frank Hardy to solve the case. Davis does a nice job of organically working in new clues and building off of plot points from earlier in the story.

The dual timelines aspect is small; there are several short chapters from Marion's POV in the early 90s, and they add a nice "modern" update to Marion's life. The final chapters are all in this timeline, and a surprise meeting creates for a lovely happy ending. I wasn't expecting it, but I loved that it happened.

The Spectacular really is spectacular as a work of historical fiction and as an intriguing mystery. Fans of Davis will love this novel as will fans of forgotten history and cleverly crafted whodunnits.

This book brought back many memories of growing up in New York and going to see movies and the Rockettes at Radio City. Marion Brooks has always wanted to dance, but she is stuck teaching at a local dance studio. When the opportunity arises to go to a try-out for the Rockettes, she jumps at the chance, though not very confidently. To her surprise she is selected and that leads her to the arduous training, a brutal dance schedule and being estranged from her father and sister. In the background is the Big Apple Bomber - someone is setting off small explosives in various landmarks including Radio City during the 50s and 60s but no one seems to know who he is. Drawn to the case, Marion and a young doctor believe psychological profiling might help discover who the bomber is. Riveting and imaginative mystery.

Fiona Davis does not disappoint. I liked that she told the history of the Rockettes and Radio City Music Hall through the eyes of Marion, a typical woman of the 1950's, who was expected to marry and have children. Most interesting was the advent of criminal profiling, as the mystery of the bomber evolves.

I loved this latest historical fiction novel by Fiona Davis. Her books are becoming "sure thing" selections for me. This is an intriguing story set in a historical location in NYC. I knew little of the Rockettes before this, so I enjoyed learning about the dancers and the history. Marion is an interesting character. I loved the combination of mystery and historical fiction. Davis always throws something extra in her books and this time it was the criminal profiling aspect. I will recommend this to my students and my friends, and I will be purchasing both the ebook and print book for my library!

Fiona Davis has written another winner. I love how she intertwines history with her story. While the story of the Rockettes and Radio City Music Hall is the background she developes a great story. Marion is the main character who dreams of a career in dance but her father thinks she should be a wife and mother. This is a story of her struggle, family dynamics and tragedy with the choices made. Highly recommend!

LOVED IT.

This book was amazing. It kept me turning pages and I didn’t want to put it down. As a dancer this book especially resonated with me, and I loved the theme of pursuing your passions. The Parkinson’s aspect with dance really touched me as well as my grandfather has Parkinson’s.

The mystery elements kept me turning pages and I was engaged seeing where the plot would go.

The mental health themes were interesting. I was slightly disturbed by the language and the circumstances but do think they were an accurate depiction of the times.

The full circle moment with the MC and Peter was soooo sweet and perfect.

I enjoyed the plot and would have liked to see a tiny tiny bit more character development / introspective moments.

4.75/5

This book follows Marion, who becomes a Rockette in 1956 against the wishes of her father. In the background, the case of the Big Apple Bomber looms and casts anxiety over the city as a whole.

This is the third book I've read by Fiona Davis. I love how she always picks an iconic setting in New York and anchors her story around that. In this one, it's Radio City Music Hall. I love how much history and detail about the building and the Rockettes are in the book.

I felt like some of the characters were a bit shallow and one-dimensional. They just didn't seem as well fleshed out as they could have been. It seemed like characters took a backseat to plot development. There was a lot going on in the plot and there were a few times when things were just a little too conveniently worked out.

I liked the Magnolia Palace a bit better than this one, but this is also a great read. I do find the release timing a bit strange. I feel like an early fall release would have been a nice tie in with the story since it deals a lot with Radio City and the Christmas Spectacular. Thanks @netgalley for the ARC!

Thoroughly enjoyed this story! Ms Davis has taken us to Radio City Music Hall and has given us behind the scenes look not only of the building, but our beloved Rockettes. She has intricately weaved in a dual timeline giving us a look into lives of women in the 1950’s who were brave enough to break out of the roles they were expected to have so they could live their lives to the fullest. Wonderful mystery where we learn about the first criminology profiling . Bravo Ms Davis!

#TheSpectacular #FionaDavis #Iconic #historicalfiction #netgalley
Prepared to be swept away by FionaDavis’ latest New York City drama. This kept me turning pages late into the night with a plot full of details. Radio City Music Hall and the renown Rockettes of the 1950’s come to life in this first person novel about a forgotten crime spree in NYC. You will feel the thrill and strain of becoming a Rockette as you fall in love with Marion and her family. And you will be amazed as the Big Apple bomber terrorizes amidst the famous Christmas show!
Fiona Davis brings yet another famous NYC landmark to life amidst a forgotten historical event with a spectacular, entertaining read! Dont miss this great read !
Thank you #netgalley and #PenguinRandomHouse for the electronic arc provided and the opportunity to review a favorite author!

I really enjoyed The Spectacular for the characters, story and feel of a classic Hollywood film. Suspense, humor and love are all blended in this superb story of a girl following her dream of dancing, the Rockettes and a mad bomber in NYC.

Fiona Davis has great character writing and makes all the characters feel real while also allowing them to fit in a story that feels fun and exciting. Reading this felt like cutting on TCM and watching Singin in The Rain (one of my favorite movies) and mixing it with Chinatown. The mystery is great with the Bomber making the story propel emotionally and letting us see characters and their reactions.

Overall I really enjoyed The Spectacular and highly recommend it!

Another amazing book from Fiona Davis! I love historical fiction, and this book did such a great job of transporting you back in time. I really connected with the characters while I was reading this. There were so many emotions in this book with Marion going through so much at such a young age. I really liked that the book focused a lot on how women were expected to act and what they were expected to do with their lives back then. Definitely still a relevant topic today. The author did a great job describing the buildings, the outfits the Rockettes wore, etc. and that detail really helped you to feel like you were there. I also enjoyed the fact that it wasn't a typical love story ending.

Love Fiona Davis and was so happy to read her new book Spectacular. It was just that. I was brought to 1950's New York City on a whirl win tour. It is amazing how she takes a little remembered event and spins a tale. It should be on every book clubs must read list. Marion and Peter are amazing characters. Thanks again Fiona for a book that I could not but down and now that I have finished can't stop thinking about. Thanks for sharing your personal struggle...

Fiona Davis's historical fiction books never disappoint! She manages to weave together details from NYC"s history (in this case, the Rockettes and a bomber who terrorized the city for many years) into a compelling and entertaining story. I loved the theme of women in the 1950s struggling against societal norms to choose their own path. The historical research and vivid descriptions transported me to midcentury NYC. I enjoyed this book very much!

Marion wants to follow her dreams to continue to dance and find a job teaching dance. When she is fired from the dance studio she was working at she finds out about an audition to become a Rockette. He dad and boyfriend this it is the worst idea possible and she should put her childhood shenanigans aside. She leaves them goes to the audition and gets asked to join! When the Big Apple Bomber hits Radio City Music Hall the bombing becomes for personal than before. Marion with the help from a friend try's to support the police with the bombing but they don't seem to want the help and dismisses them. They take the investigation into their own hands to try to catch the bomber.

In the modern age with women being given so much choice as to their life’s trajectory, it is hard to envision a time when young ladies did not have much say in their lives. But this freedom enjoyed by women of today is a newfound luxury; one not so readily afforded to our sisters of the past. In her new novel The Spectacular, Fiona Davis introduces us to Marion, a young woman who dreams of following in her deceased mother’s footsteps by pursing a career in the arts, much to the dismay of her traditional father.

When she attends a Rockettes’ audition on a whim and surprisingly finds herself cast, Marion finds her life headed down a path that looks quite different from the one her conservative father wants for her. With her father refusing to acknowledge her talent and passion for dance and a madman dubbed the “Big Apple Bomber” planting explosives around New York City, including Marion’s new place of employment, Radio City Music Hall, Marion discovers that striking out on her own is a whole new ball of wax, but one that she is willing to explore. She just hopes that she can stay sane amid her father’s protestations and pressure for Marion to marry her high school sweetheart, and the critique she receives as a Rockette for standing out so much due to her individualism. Not to mention that the bomber is striking closer and closer to home. When tragedy affects Marion on a personal level, her life sets off on a course that she couldn’t see coming.

The Spectacular is my first Fiona Davis book, but it won’t be my last. I was delighted to learn in the Author’s Note that Davis always picks a New York City building for her novels and then spins an intriguing narrative around it, grounded in some historical fact. What a fascinating concept! I can’t wait to explore more of her books, as I am a big fan of the historical fiction genre, and this seems like such an interesting way to learn about some of the more famous places of NYC. As in the case of The Spectacular, Davis bases her book at Radio City Music Hall, delving into the life of a Rockette, while also shedding light on New York’s “Mad Bomber.” While Davis changes much of the facts surrounding NYC’s notorious terrorist who remained at large for nearly two decades, this plot line of her novel was inspired by George Metesky, who was eventually caught after planting explosive devices in the city for 16 years. While The Spectacular is not factual, it did serve as a jumping off point for me as I researched Metesky and how early criminal profiling was used in his takedown. Quite intriguing stuff!

In all, The Spectacular is a fine piece of work! Davis expertly weaves history, style, and substance with a compelling coming of age tale about a young woman in the 1950s finding her way in the world. I was so enraptured by this story and found it to be entirely bingeable. The Spectacular comes highly recommended.

The Spectacular was a wonderful book by Fiona Davis. The dueling timelines (which is a personal favorite!) was actually from the perspective of the same character throughout. Therefore, the reader can see the difference time makes on the same person.

On a personal note, as a resident of NYC, you really relate to the note that... your first time in New York City is the best impression you'll have. Everything changes from then.

Ms. Davis did a SPECTACULAR job with her newest book and I cannot wait for her next novel.