The Muleskinner and the King

by J D Porter

In the blistering summer of 1936, the traveling circus rolls into Atlanta, dazzling the city with brilliant lights, exotic animals, and the promise of escape. But beneath the spectacle, something sinister stalks the shadows. A string of brutal murders has shaken the city, and the authorities-hungry for quick answers-fix their sights on an innocent young man.



Buddy Griffith, the circus's horse wrangler and elephant man, prefers the steady company of animals to the chaos of people. Yet when fear threatens to shutter the circus and injustice looms, he's drawn into the mystery against his will. Navigating the uneasy divide between circus life and a city simmering with tension, Buddy must confront both the real killer and the dangerous prejudice rising around them.



As the crowds thin, the threats mount, and the noose tightens, Buddy races to uncover the truth-before the circus loses its future, and an innocent man loses his life.

Genres: Historical Fiction

266 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 20, 2026

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

The circus comes to 1936 Atlanta. A house burns down, with someone inside. The PTSD affected WWI veteran elephant investigates, and meets Martin Luther King, Sr along the way. The mystery gets lost in the narrative.

[Crow Liang · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway. The character is interesting. Buddy was a failed baseball player, joined the army, where he found a passion in taking care of horses, and is now in the circus leading the elephants. A murder happens in the neighborhood and he gets involved. There’s a lot of backstory and exposition.