The Perfect Circus/Redux

by Frederick Biro

Thirty-five years after a devastating nuclear war, Sylvester Dramain is sent to Northpoint to investigate the most heinous of crimes. Murder. There, he must uncover the truth while faced with hostility and fear from Northpoint's inhabitants. Central to his investigation is why a Perfect, a rare human untouched by the aftermath of the nuclear fallout, would return from the relative safety of the South.

Dramain must overcome numerous obstacles during his investigation, including risking his own life as an attack threatens to overwhelm and destroy the entire station.

208 pages, Paperback

Published April 28, 2025

Reviews

[Mathew Heartwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters, dynamic, all have a little more going on than is talked about showing their depth. The plot, a poignant slow burn until it all comes to the white hot climax, beautifully teased but never too obvious. The prose, quite effective, at some points made me feel like I was isolated underground in the most amazingly engaging way. It all ties together so nicely in the end and I wasn’t left wanting, no loose ends, no questions. The themes of human resilience and the balance of morality and justice shine through perfectly. I felt sad for Dramain, happy for him, mad at him, he was kind when he could be, mean when he had to be, ultimately held up his own morals above all else. Gripping, unique, devastating, true, whole. Very pleased with this read.

[Deb T, Toronto · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Frederick Biro’s The Perfect Circus Redux, the gifted storyteller dreams his way into a stark post-apocalyptic world and holds the reader in suspense through a perilous narrative as the protagonist, Dramain, methodically assembles conflicting clues to solve the heinous murder at the heart of the story.

The story's atmosphere feels like a character itself. And with a keen ear for dialogue and the ability to develop multi-faceted characters, Biro moves the narrative along at a well-paced clip. The language is rich, and the imagery engages the senses. Despite the dark nature of the topic and its backdrop, the novel reinforces the resilience of the human spirit and offers a glimmer of hope.

I couldn’t put the book down.