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Marked by Magic
Her Cruel Dahlias
Cricket Wakefield had a bright future. A life filled with love and dreams of dance. A future that was shattered the night she was brutally murdered.
But the dead don’t always stay dead. And the living moves on without them.
A year later, Cricket is awoken by a necromancer’s magic with no choice but to join the woman’s carnival, to hone her newfound skills amongst others like herself.
When the Carnival arrives at her old town, Cricket learns that more victims have been discovered. Victims decorated with black dahlias just as she had been.
Now, with the help of a handsome and infuriating fellow performer, Cricket must stop her killer before she winds up dead again.
This time for good.
Her Cruel Dahlias is a stand alone story with an addicting mystery and a steamy romance. Perfect for fans of The Night Circus, Stalking Jack the Ripper, Holly Black, and Kerri Maniscalco.
But the dead don’t always stay dead. And the living moves on without them.
A year later, Cricket is awoken by a necromancer’s magic with no choice but to join the woman’s carnival, to hone her newfound skills amongst others like herself.
When the Carnival arrives at her old town, Cricket learns that more victims have been discovered. Victims decorated with black dahlias just as she had been.
Now, with the help of a handsome and infuriating fellow performer, Cricket must stop her killer before she winds up dead again.
This time for good.
Her Cruel Dahlias is a stand alone story with an addicting mystery and a steamy romance. Perfect for fans of The Night Circus, Stalking Jack the Ripper, Holly Black, and Kerri Maniscalco.
301 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 11, 2024
74 people are currently reading
871 people want to read
About the author
Candace Robinson
61 books1,114 followersI spend my days consumed by words and hoping to one day find my own DeLorean time machine. My life consists of avoiding migraines, admiring Bonsai trees, watching classic movies, and living with my husband and daughter in Texas—where it can be forty degrees one day and eighty the next!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
May 12, 2025
Candace Robinson, a prolific author of fantasy and Gothic tales, delivers another powerhouse release with Her Cruel Dahlias, a summer 2024 novel. My favorite flower, so of course I had to read an early version when it became available. Leaning more toward a mystery than her normal vibe, I connected on additional layers with the quest to learn who killed Cricket and why... but that's just one of the plot lines in this thrilling, dark ride into necromancy. A circus filled with curious performers. Love that crosses between the living and the dead. A possible serial killer with a thirst for blood beyond any imaginable consequences. Stage presence was bright and touching. Descriptions of the flowers coming to life were intense. Definite recommendation for those who love balancing the line between reality and fantasy, especially one filled with a darkness of intent and the beauty of color unfolding from the body like a living tattoo on your skin, in every sense of your being.
February 9, 2025
True rating 3.25
The premise and magic of this book were so cool and unique, I really can’t think of anything to compare it to. But the world building and character development was lacking. I really wanted to know more about the curiosities and the carnival. The mystery was predictable, yet creepy. I think overall I was a bit disappointed since there was so much potential here.
Spice rating: 🌶️ 🌶️
The premise and magic of this book were so cool and unique, I really can’t think of anything to compare it to. But the world building and character development was lacking. I really wanted to know more about the curiosities and the carnival. The mystery was predictable, yet creepy. I think overall I was a bit disappointed since there was so much potential here.
Spice rating: 🌶️ 🌶️
February 26, 2024
I loved writing this story so, so much! 🖤💀
June 15, 2024
I loved this. It's wonderfully gothic with a travelling carnival full of performers who, after being murdered, were brought back by a necromancer, each with a 'curiosity'. There's a man who can turn himself into wood, a woman who can contort herself into any shape, a woman who can make blood dance across her body, a man who can summon vines and a woman who can make her skin translucent to show her skeleton and sprout dahlias. The only issue is these dahlias are meant to be roses and serve as a morbid reminder to her death where her killer decorated her body with dahlias.
Now the carnival is back in her home town and the murders have started again. None of the murdered women have anything in common besides the colour of their hair and eyes and Cricket races to discover who the murderer is while battling with her own inner demons in a bid to change her dahlias into roses and take back control of her life.
Now the carnival is back in her home town and the murders have started again. None of the murdered women have anything in common besides the colour of their hair and eyes and Cricket races to discover who the murderer is while battling with her own inner demons in a bid to change her dahlias into roses and take back control of her life.
December 17, 2024
I want to start by saying I wanted to like this. The premise seemed interesting. But it fell flat, almost like it was an early draft of the story. Sure it’s an easy read but ultimately lacked any punch that would have made it memorable. It’s just okay.
September 5, 2024
This was okay. I feel like the world needed to be fleshed out more. Like we didn’t even really get to enjoy the carnival? Or other peoples curiosity’s. I feel like it could have been richer and more magical with just some more depth.
Cricket was also always running away from things. Just overall made her feel childish. Her love interest seemed to be instalove as well. Especially since he was always with other women and then just happened to be all in for her.
Cricket was also always running away from things. Just overall made her feel childish. Her love interest seemed to be instalove as well. Especially since he was always with other women and then just happened to be all in for her.
August 24, 2024
Rating: 4.5 stars
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
🎪Carnivale
🎪Witch/Necromancer
🎪Magic/Curiosities
🎪Found family
🎪Murder mystery
🎪Slow burn
🎪Gothic paranormal
🎪Elements of horror
Cricket Wakefield was gruesomely murdered, then brought back to life to perform alongside a cast of other revived cast members in a traveling carnival. For the first year of her revival, she’s asleep for reasons unknown. When she finally wakes, she has none of the “curiosities” her cast mates have, nor shows any sign of the gift she’s been foretold to have by the necromancer who brought her back. She was supposed to produce red roses from her body, but instead they’re black dahlias, a macabre reminder of her own demise. While she struggles to master her gift and earn her place in the carnival, a string of new murders comes to light in her hometown—and they’re all copycat murders just like hers, the victims blond and blue-eyed and left covered with rare black dahlias. Now Cricket and her friends are in a race against time to discover who the murderer is and conquer her own inner demons and traumas to allow her dahlias to become the red roses they should be before either the carnival is shut down, or someone she loves becomes the next victim.
This book was excellent. Brilliant. Incredible. Amazing. Show-stopping. Spectacular. Anyway, memes aside, this story really was awesome. The gothic horror elements woven into a tapestry of macabre carnivale was brilliant. The slow-burn romance, though the MMC is super flirty and has the hots for our FMC almost immediately, was very well executed. Their banter was always on point, never cringy. The found family of those at the carnival was beautiful. Our FMC Cricket is just so appropriate for lack of a better word. She’s so confused when she wakes on how she should feel about everything; should she just try to resume the life she had before she was murdered? Or take advantage of the one she has now? But at the same time, she’s not a Mary Sue just letting the plot happen to her. She’s an active participant in her life, she’s flirty and funny and determined to better herself and earn her keep. The MMC is so fun and over-the-top flirty. The one aspect I loved the most was the murder mystery. I’m a lover of true crime as it is, and this book despite being a romantasy first and foremost read almost like a nail-biting true crime investigation story. You’re left guessing and two steps behind the murderer the entire time, and false hints are dropped to mislead throughout. I had the wrong person pegged for almost half the book! The real murderer came as a shock to even me, and I predict the ending for most books these days even if I still love them.
The one and only downside I can find to this book is that it’s too short! I needed about 200 more pages to be fully satisfied. I feel like we could have had so much more tension build up and the reveal itself could have been a bit more drawn-out. As it stands now, it feels like we reveal the murderer, get the backstory, and BAM it’s all over and concluded within a few pages. I just wish we could have gotten a little more of everything, I was totally vibing in this world. And that’s not a bad criticism to have! No other notes. This book was so fun to read. I highly recommend!
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
🎪Carnivale
🎪Witch/Necromancer
🎪Magic/Curiosities
🎪Found family
🎪Murder mystery
🎪Slow burn
🎪Gothic paranormal
🎪Elements of horror
Cricket Wakefield was gruesomely murdered, then brought back to life to perform alongside a cast of other revived cast members in a traveling carnival. For the first year of her revival, she’s asleep for reasons unknown. When she finally wakes, she has none of the “curiosities” her cast mates have, nor shows any sign of the gift she’s been foretold to have by the necromancer who brought her back. She was supposed to produce red roses from her body, but instead they’re black dahlias, a macabre reminder of her own demise. While she struggles to master her gift and earn her place in the carnival, a string of new murders comes to light in her hometown—and they’re all copycat murders just like hers, the victims blond and blue-eyed and left covered with rare black dahlias. Now Cricket and her friends are in a race against time to discover who the murderer is and conquer her own inner demons and traumas to allow her dahlias to become the red roses they should be before either the carnival is shut down, or someone she loves becomes the next victim.
This book was excellent. Brilliant. Incredible. Amazing. Show-stopping. Spectacular. Anyway, memes aside, this story really was awesome. The gothic horror elements woven into a tapestry of macabre carnivale was brilliant. The slow-burn romance, though the MMC is super flirty and has the hots for our FMC almost immediately, was very well executed. Their banter was always on point, never cringy. The found family of those at the carnival was beautiful. Our FMC Cricket is just so appropriate for lack of a better word. She’s so confused when she wakes on how she should feel about everything; should she just try to resume the life she had before she was murdered? Or take advantage of the one she has now? But at the same time, she’s not a Mary Sue just letting the plot happen to her. She’s an active participant in her life, she’s flirty and funny and determined to better herself and earn her keep. The MMC is so fun and over-the-top flirty. The one aspect I loved the most was the murder mystery. I’m a lover of true crime as it is, and this book despite being a romantasy first and foremost read almost like a nail-biting true crime investigation story. You’re left guessing and two steps behind the murderer the entire time, and false hints are dropped to mislead throughout. I had the wrong person pegged for almost half the book! The real murderer came as a shock to even me, and I predict the ending for most books these days even if I still love them.
The one and only downside I can find to this book is that it’s too short! I needed about 200 more pages to be fully satisfied. I feel like we could have had so much more tension build up and the reveal itself could have been a bit more drawn-out. As it stands now, it feels like we reveal the murderer, get the backstory, and BAM it’s all over and concluded within a few pages. I just wish we could have gotten a little more of everything, I was totally vibing in this world. And that’s not a bad criticism to have! No other notes. This book was so fun to read. I highly recommend!
October 1, 2024
Her Cruel Dahlias is a spellbinding tale that follows Cricket, a girl cruelly taken from the world, only to be resurrected by a mysterious necromancer. Now entwined in a magical traveling circus of the undead, she uncovers a sinister copycat killer recreating her tragic demise.
While the story offers intrigue and keeps you guessing, I found myself more curious than on the edge of my seat. The romance is charming, with just the right amount of spice, and the themes of found family add warmth to this haunting narrative. Although I initially found the male lead's flirtatious nature a bit overwhelming, his character evolves beautifully throughout the story.
The circus setting is rich with potential, yet I longed for a deeper exploration of its darker wonders. Overall, while it didn’t blow my mind, Her Cruel Dahlias is an intriguing read, perfectly suited for the spooky season, blending mystery and enchantment that will captivate fans of Gothic fiction.
While the story offers intrigue and keeps you guessing, I found myself more curious than on the edge of my seat. The romance is charming, with just the right amount of spice, and the themes of found family add warmth to this haunting narrative. Although I initially found the male lead's flirtatious nature a bit overwhelming, his character evolves beautifully throughout the story.
The circus setting is rich with potential, yet I longed for a deeper exploration of its darker wonders. Overall, while it didn’t blow my mind, Her Cruel Dahlias is an intriguing read, perfectly suited for the spooky season, blending mystery and enchantment that will captivate fans of Gothic fiction.
December 29, 2024
Cricket loved nothing more than to visit the carnival and see the performers, all of who developed powers after being brought back to life by Mistress Eliza who runs the Carnival
Cricket dreamed of performing one day, but what she didn't expect was to be brutally murdered and slipping into a deep sleep upon being brought back and losing nearly a year of time
Now a member of the Carnival, Cricket is struggling to bring forth her power, her Curiosity as it is called, and Mistress Eliza pairs her up with another performer, Zephyr, to help
Whilst they are visiting her old home town, the Carnival is shaken when new bodies start popping up in the same manner of how Cricket was killed
Can she find her place in the Carnival, bring forth her power, all whilst trying to catch a killer....
Really enjoyed this story, dark almost like an American Horror Story episode. Loved Cricket finding her way and the mystery around the murders. Another great story from Candace!
Cricket dreamed of performing one day, but what she didn't expect was to be brutally murdered and slipping into a deep sleep upon being brought back and losing nearly a year of time
Now a member of the Carnival, Cricket is struggling to bring forth her power, her Curiosity as it is called, and Mistress Eliza pairs her up with another performer, Zephyr, to help
Whilst they are visiting her old home town, the Carnival is shaken when new bodies start popping up in the same manner of how Cricket was killed
Can she find her place in the Carnival, bring forth her power, all whilst trying to catch a killer....
Really enjoyed this story, dark almost like an American Horror Story episode. Loved Cricket finding her way and the mystery around the murders. Another great story from Candace!
July 13, 2024
Fun macabre vibe! Cricket was murdered, and then brought back to life by a necromancer. This necromancer runs a carnival; when she brings people back from the dead, the people develop a curiosity (growing vines or flowers from your body, being able to secret blood from your body and suck it back in, and other odd wild things). Fun stuff! Anywho, Cricket is having a hard time controlling her curiosity, so she’s feeling pressure from the necromancer carnival runner to earn her place. On top of that, there’s more murders happening with the same m.o. as what happened to Cricket, but the one who killed Cricket was hung. So what in the heck is happening?! Love a murder mystery! Really enjoy Robinson’s writing style! Always unique and entertaining! A good read!
August 3, 2025
Unfortunately I just couldn’t get into this book at all. Maybe it’s just not my type of book.
September 30, 2025
This book was fine. It had an interesting premise. Robinson should have spent more time explaining how the necromancy worked instead of focusing so much on Cricket's pleasure. Seriously, the word pleasure and all it's variations was WAY overused in this book. I wanted to really like this book. I mean come on, a carnival full of people who were brought back from the dead and have curiosities, that's awesome. This was a short book so it felt like more time should have been spent on the mystery than the love story. The love story feels like it would have developed naturally and we didn't need to start off with such a heavy hand. The mystery part left a bit to be desired. There weren't really any clues hiding in plain sight like you're supposed to get. It felt like Gossip Girl. It could have been anyone and at the point of reveal, you were no longer surprised. If she releases anything else I might read it. She has good ideas. I hope she grows as a writer.
Cricket was murdered but was raised by a necromancer, Mistress Eliza. Now she travels with the carnival she always visited, but she's not allowed to perform until the curiosity Mistress Eliza saw in her visions come to light. In the meantime, Cricket helps backstage and watches her favorite perform, Zephyr. He is a flirt and she doesn't take anything he says to heart despite herself wanting to believe he has a genuine interest in her. When the carnival travels back to her home town of Nobel, they find that a couple of girls who have the same features as Cricket have been murdered in almost the same way as she was. Now Cricket has two objectives, master her curiosity and find out with her ex-boyfriend Bram, who is murdering these women. Bram is married to Cricket's best friend Anika. As much as it hurt to find them together when she first came back she starts to realize it was only nostalgia for how things were before she was murdered. Bram and Anika found Cricket's murderer and watched him hang. They confirmed he wasn't risen from the dead so they are looking for a second murderer. Cricket can't get her curiosity to work correctly. Either it fully takes her over turning her skin transparent and almost killing her with dahlias, or it won't appear at all. She starts working with Zephyr on a routine and he helps her with her curiosity. They start getting closer. She still thinks he's a flirt who wants to get her into bed but she does see the good heart he has. She continues to make slow strides to master her curiosity, but the bodies keep piling up. For her safety, Bram suggests she stay with Zephyr. Both parties agree and they end up fooling around. Things come to a head when Zephyr's sister and Cricket's friend, Juniper is killed in Cricket's caravan in the same way as the other's. Mistress Eliza yells at Cricket telling her it was all her fault. Cricket runs away. Bram quickly finds her and brings her to his home with Anika. After some days, Zephyr comes to find her and they agree they will stick together. While he goes to his aunt's to tell her about Juniper, Cricket goes to Mistress Eliza's to get the key to Zephyr's caravan so that she can wait for him there. While in Mistress Eliza's caravan, Cricket realizes Mistress Eliza is the murderer when she sees evidence in the caravan. Now that she knows too much Mistress Eliza plans to kill Cricket. Before she can get further, the performer Stormy tries to intervene but Mistress Eliza kills her. Cricket take the other knife and kills Mistress Eliza. Mistress Eliza told Cricket that she was murdering the girls to try and get her necromancy powers back. They disappeared after she raised Cricket. She killed Juniper because she figured out what was going on. After everything settles the carnival goes on with Autumn and Wilder running it. Zephyr and Cricket stay together and continue to perform together with his vines and her translucent skin with roses.
Cricket was murdered but was raised by a necromancer, Mistress Eliza. Now she travels with the carnival she always visited, but she's not allowed to perform until the curiosity Mistress Eliza saw in her visions come to light. In the meantime, Cricket helps backstage and watches her favorite perform, Zephyr. He is a flirt and she doesn't take anything he says to heart despite herself wanting to believe he has a genuine interest in her. When the carnival travels back to her home town of Nobel, they find that a couple of girls who have the same features as Cricket have been murdered in almost the same way as she was. Now Cricket has two objectives, master her curiosity and find out with her ex-boyfriend Bram, who is murdering these women. Bram is married to Cricket's best friend Anika. As much as it hurt to find them together when she first came back she starts to realize it was only nostalgia for how things were before she was murdered. Bram and Anika found Cricket's murderer and watched him hang. They confirmed he wasn't risen from the dead so they are looking for a second murderer. Cricket can't get her curiosity to work correctly. Either it fully takes her over turning her skin transparent and almost killing her with dahlias, or it won't appear at all. She starts working with Zephyr on a routine and he helps her with her curiosity. They start getting closer. She still thinks he's a flirt who wants to get her into bed but she does see the good heart he has. She continues to make slow strides to master her curiosity, but the bodies keep piling up. For her safety, Bram suggests she stay with Zephyr. Both parties agree and they end up fooling around. Things come to a head when Zephyr's sister and Cricket's friend, Juniper is killed in Cricket's caravan in the same way as the other's. Mistress Eliza yells at Cricket telling her it was all her fault. Cricket runs away. Bram quickly finds her and brings her to his home with Anika. After some days, Zephyr comes to find her and they agree they will stick together. While he goes to his aunt's to tell her about Juniper, Cricket goes to Mistress Eliza's to get the key to Zephyr's caravan so that she can wait for him there. While in Mistress Eliza's caravan, Cricket realizes Mistress Eliza is the murderer when she sees evidence in the caravan. Now that she knows too much Mistress Eliza plans to kill Cricket. Before she can get further, the performer Stormy tries to intervene but Mistress Eliza kills her. Cricket take the other knife and kills Mistress Eliza. Mistress Eliza told Cricket that she was murdering the girls to try and get her necromancy powers back. They disappeared after she raised Cricket. She killed Juniper because she figured out what was going on. After everything settles the carnival goes on with Autumn and Wilder running it. Zephyr and Cricket stay together and continue to perform together with his vines and her translucent skin with roses.
March 1, 2025
I really wanted to like this book as the setting and ideas are right up my alley - a carnival of curiosities, a murder, a romance - but it just didn’t deliver for me.
The writing was straightforward and easy to follow, but was a bit repetitive every now and then, which isn’t necessarily a deal breaker. It was also easy to predict. I pretty much figured out who the murderer was early on, though a few scenes had me second guessing which is why I even finished the book.
My biggest gripe was the romance, the male interest never once stopped coming off as a perverted creep to me. I didn’t buy their growing love. And if I had to take a shot every time his woodsy scent came up, it’d be in the ER with liquor poisoning 😆
Anyway I’m left feeling like I wanted to know more about the characters curiosities and how they worked and more about the necromancy part (and the magic of the world in general), but we just get the barebones explanation at best. There was so much potential to dive further…
I give it a solid 3. Not the best but certainly not the worst.
The writing was straightforward and easy to follow, but was a bit repetitive every now and then, which isn’t necessarily a deal breaker. It was also easy to predict. I pretty much figured out who the murderer was early on, though a few scenes had me second guessing which is why I even finished the book.
My biggest gripe was the romance, the male interest never once stopped coming off as a perverted creep to me. I didn’t buy their growing love. And if I had to take a shot every time his woodsy scent came up, it’d be in the ER with liquor poisoning 😆
Anyway I’m left feeling like I wanted to know more about the characters curiosities and how they worked and more about the necromancy part (and the magic of the world in general), but we just get the barebones explanation at best. There was so much potential to dive further…
I give it a solid 3. Not the best but certainly not the worst.
November 2, 2024
FREAKING PHENOMENAL!!!
A Supernatural Mystery that had me glued to the pages!! This was such a unique and dark mystery, twisty until the end. The writing is rich with atmosphere and character that pulled me into their odd and fascinating world!!
Highly recommended!! Every book in this series has been a favorite of mine by Robinson!!
A Supernatural Mystery that had me glued to the pages!! This was such a unique and dark mystery, twisty until the end. The writing is rich with atmosphere and character that pulled me into their odd and fascinating world!!
Highly recommended!! Every book in this series has been a favorite of mine by Robinson!!
January 10, 2024
A supernatural murder mystery that will keep you guessing until the end! Sexy cast, phenomenally gorgeous and dark magical twists. An absolute blast!❤️
April 25, 2025
I purchased this because I wanted something new with necromancy. That’s very rare in a genre dilute with fae x human tropes. But once I started listening I realized how much I loath this persons writing style. It’s very very surface level, nothing is explained in full details. Instead in relies on a heavy hand to force you from place to place. Meaning there’s no explanation on how point A got to point b. It just was. And because the author wrote it so, we are to be happy with the lack of expressions. I’ve had this issue with a few other books by this person and if I would’ve remembered I wouldn’t have wasted my time and money on it. It’s very very typical for YA books, which every book by this person should be labeled as.
July 26, 2025
Rating / Recommend:
⭐️ 4 / 🌶️ 2.5 / Maybe
My Thoughts
This was a short fast paced read. If you like murder mysteries you’ll enjoy this.
It’s a supernatural/fantasy murder mystery with a bit of romance.
I loved the powers they had in the book they all felt very unique. Usually, I’m good at guessing with these kinds of books but I definitely didn’t see the ending coming.
This reminded me a bit of Caraval.
I also loved the MMC in this one.
Tropes:
• Carnival setting
• Magic/necromancy
• Gothic paranormal romance
• Murder Mystery
• Found Family
• Slow Burn
CW:
Murder.
Necromancy.
Graphic descriptions of 💀 bodies. Digging up grave. Lots of blood. Loss of loved ones. Two short minimally descriptive open door scenes.
⭐️ 4 / 🌶️ 2.5 / Maybe
My Thoughts
This was a short fast paced read. If you like murder mysteries you’ll enjoy this.
It’s a supernatural/fantasy murder mystery with a bit of romance.
I loved the powers they had in the book they all felt very unique. Usually, I’m good at guessing with these kinds of books but I definitely didn’t see the ending coming.
This reminded me a bit of Caraval.
I also loved the MMC in this one.
Tropes:
• Carnival setting
• Magic/necromancy
• Gothic paranormal romance
• Murder Mystery
• Found Family
• Slow Burn
CW:
Murder.
Necromancy.
Graphic descriptions of 💀 bodies. Digging up grave. Lots of blood. Loss of loved ones. Two short minimally descriptive open door scenes.
June 28, 2024
🎪Necromancy
🎪Magic
🎪Carnival
🎪Murder
🎪Chosen family
⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️
Oh, this book was wonderful! It's fast paced for sure but god does it hit all the feels.
The main character Cricket, is trying to find herself I would say. After being brought back to life, she's confused, sad, home sick and melancholy.
In the circus, she finds family, friends...a lover? One of my favourite microtropes was in this book...banter..flirty banter. I love to see it.
Throughout this book there is a mystery Cricket feels she misyt solve but, with finding the answer, will her heart be able to take it?
Releasing July 11th!
For those who love a gothic mystery full of whimsy and friendship, get this asap!
🎪Magic
🎪Carnival
🎪Murder
🎪Chosen family
⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️
Oh, this book was wonderful! It's fast paced for sure but god does it hit all the feels.
The main character Cricket, is trying to find herself I would say. After being brought back to life, she's confused, sad, home sick and melancholy.
In the circus, she finds family, friends...a lover? One of my favourite microtropes was in this book...banter..flirty banter. I love to see it.
Throughout this book there is a mystery Cricket feels she misyt solve but, with finding the answer, will her heart be able to take it?
Releasing July 11th!
For those who love a gothic mystery full of whimsy and friendship, get this asap!
July 10, 2024
If Candace writes it, I’m gonna read it 😍
This dark fantasy romance takes you on a wild ride, starting with Cricket being awakened by a necromancer after her murder and her battle to fit into the traveling carnival and hone her curiosity. There is murder mystery that will have you perplexed until the very end, a serious case of ‘who done it’.
I loved this book so much and am so sad it is a standalone. It has the perfect mix of gothic thriller, murder mystery, romance and magic. I enjoyed the camaraderie of the carnival performers, flirtatious banter and the descriptions of the curiosities.
🎪 Magic/Curiosities
🎪 Traveling Carnival
🎪 Murder Mystery
🎪 Found Family
🎪 Witch/Necromancer
🎪 Betrayal
🎪 Banter
🎪 Touch of Spice
Read this book and fall in love with Cricket and Zephyr like I did 🖤
This dark fantasy romance takes you on a wild ride, starting with Cricket being awakened by a necromancer after her murder and her battle to fit into the traveling carnival and hone her curiosity. There is murder mystery that will have you perplexed until the very end, a serious case of ‘who done it’.
I loved this book so much and am so sad it is a standalone. It has the perfect mix of gothic thriller, murder mystery, romance and magic. I enjoyed the camaraderie of the carnival performers, flirtatious banter and the descriptions of the curiosities.
🎪 Magic/Curiosities
🎪 Traveling Carnival
🎪 Murder Mystery
🎪 Found Family
🎪 Witch/Necromancer
🎪 Betrayal
🎪 Banter
🎪 Touch of Spice
Read this book and fall in love with Cricket and Zephyr like I did 🖤
June 28, 2025
this book was almost everything.
almost atmospheric.
almost a swoony love story.
almost a compelling mystery thriller.
i adore the idea of this story, but it just didn’t land for me. the setting wants to be lush and eerie, but it stays surface level. the romance wants to be passionate, but it’s mediocre at best. the plot wants to twist, but it spirals ... i'm proud of that one (ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)
💖 mini rant 💖
the overuse of “drawled,” “sauntered,” and “purred” drove me INSANE. i can’t stress this enough: someone (not me) please gift this author a thesaurus. also, “she yearned for the wash”???
almost atmospheric.
almost a swoony love story.
almost a compelling mystery thriller.
i adore the idea of this story, but it just didn’t land for me. the setting wants to be lush and eerie, but it stays surface level. the romance wants to be passionate, but it’s mediocre at best. the plot wants to twist, but it spirals ... i'm proud of that one (ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)
💖 mini rant 💖
the overuse of “drawled,” “sauntered,” and “purred” drove me INSANE. i can’t stress this enough: someone (not me) please gift this author a thesaurus. also, “she yearned for the wash”???
March 11, 2025
This was the first book I've read that was written by Candace Robinson, and after reading it I can say it won't be the last. Her Cruel Dahlias was a fun read that was hard for me to put down. The world and characters were exciting and seeing it all through Cricket's eyes brought it all to life. As the story progressed, I felt every emotion that Cricket went through and even found myself with tears a few times. I'm glad I gave this book a chance as I believe it will stick with me for a long time.
August 10, 2024
Did I intend to stay up late one night and read over half of this book? Absolutely not, but I don’t regret it for a moment!
I am in awe of Robinson’s incredible creativity with so many of her books, but this one absolutely blew me away. A girl working in a necromancer’s carnival struggles to get roses to bloom from her body instead of black dahlias, her murderer’s calling card. Like, do you need to even hear more?
Go grab this book and dive into this fantastic murder mystery filled with steamy love, gruesome bodies, and those cruel, black dahlias.
I am in awe of Robinson’s incredible creativity with so many of her books, but this one absolutely blew me away. A girl working in a necromancer’s carnival struggles to get roses to bloom from her body instead of black dahlias, her murderer’s calling card. Like, do you need to even hear more?
Go grab this book and dive into this fantastic murder mystery filled with steamy love, gruesome bodies, and those cruel, black dahlias.
January 5, 2025
4.5 stars.
I’m obsessed with this book. I love cricket and Zephyr, the whole story was intriguing and different from other books I normally read. I was so invested in crickets journey. Highly recommend to be read.
The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was the ending. It felt a little too rushed and I think another 1/2 chapters to draw it out a bit longer would have been ideal. But other than that I loved this book
I’m obsessed with this book. I love cricket and Zephyr, the whole story was intriguing and different from other books I normally read. I was so invested in crickets journey. Highly recommend to be read.
The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was the ending. It felt a little too rushed and I think another 1/2 chapters to draw it out a bit longer would have been ideal. But other than that I loved this book
February 5, 2025
A story to pull you out of a reading slump! Seeing how there isn’t more attention to this book is sad. It was such a good time dark, gothic, Jack the Ripper vibes meet travelling carnival 🎪. Had me guessing who the killer was the whole time. Brilliantly done! I’ll be thinking about this book for the rest of the day.
Sure there were some imperfections in mainly just repeating phrases but you know what? I can put that aside for a good story. 10/10 would recommend!
Sure there were some imperfections in mainly just repeating phrases but you know what? I can put that aside for a good story. 10/10 would recommend!
June 29, 2024
Another amazing book by Candace! This dark thriller is like a murder mystery with magic and I love it! Her Cruel Dahlias takes you through all these twist and turns to find out who the murderer is. With this book you get a romance, a murder and mystery. If you like Gothic thrillers, you will love this one.
January 29, 2025
4,5⭐️
Absolutely devoured this book. I fell deeply and madly in love with the mmc and their relationship and it was definitely interesting being inside Crickets head. The concept was VERY intriguing, though I felt that some parts, especially dialogues fell a bit flat. Overall an absolutely fantastic book!
Absolutely devoured this book. I fell deeply and madly in love with the mmc and their relationship and it was definitely interesting being inside Crickets head. The concept was VERY intriguing, though I felt that some parts, especially dialogues fell a bit flat. Overall an absolutely fantastic book!
May 10, 2025
3.5 stars. Digital book.
Either books need to stop claiming to be like The Night Circus or I need to stop believing them. I wish we spent more time with the carnival and its performers, like we do in The Night Circus. The murders reveal didn’t make much sense to me, and I feel like we gave a lot of pages to things I didn’t care about.
Either books need to stop claiming to be like The Night Circus or I need to stop believing them. I wish we spent more time with the carnival and its performers, like we do in The Night Circus. The murders reveal didn’t make much sense to me, and I feel like we gave a lot of pages to things I didn’t care about.
August 16, 2025
The story was good, clear plot and decent character development.
I found this book in my free audiobook catalogue and it was not well recorded... I feel like reading the physical copy of this book may have been a better choice....
I found this book in my free audiobook catalogue and it was not well recorded... I feel like reading the physical copy of this book may have been a better choice....
July 1, 2024
Amazing mystery/fantasy! Dark and dangerous, with heart-stopping suspense..
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