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The Dark Circus
Seeing is believing in the Dark Circus, where truth and illusion collide, and where the heart of a holy conspiracy pounds…
At an art auction in Madrid, Elías Segado, a religious art appraiser and detective, is getting ready to secure a painting for the bishop of Cartagena. But in a brilliant sleight of hand, the iconic work is stolen, drawing Elías into the confidence of its corrupt and seductive thief.
Her name is L. Raised by her uncle in a threadbare circus, she lived by the twisted rules of the carnies she grew up with. Exploited for public awe, and ritually abused for private pleasure, L came to endure all that was encouraged by the circus’s perverted sense of righteousness. Debauchery is the only thing she trusts. But behind the curtains of the Dark Circus is a greater secret to be avenged. And she needs Elías Segado to help expose it.
As their worlds of sacrilege and devotion collide, so do temptation and indulgence—and a faith in both good and evil, where morality is just another illusion. But to survive the mystery, Elías must also dare to accept something more shattering: everything he and L have in common.
At an art auction in Madrid, Elías Segado, a religious art appraiser and detective, is getting ready to secure a painting for the bishop of Cartagena. But in a brilliant sleight of hand, the iconic work is stolen, drawing Elías into the confidence of its corrupt and seductive thief.
Her name is L. Raised by her uncle in a threadbare circus, she lived by the twisted rules of the carnies she grew up with. Exploited for public awe, and ritually abused for private pleasure, L came to endure all that was encouraged by the circus’s perverted sense of righteousness. Debauchery is the only thing she trusts. But behind the curtains of the Dark Circus is a greater secret to be avenged. And she needs Elías Segado to help expose it.
As their worlds of sacrilege and devotion collide, so do temptation and indulgence—and a faith in both good and evil, where morality is just another illusion. But to survive the mystery, Elías must also dare to accept something more shattering: everything he and L have in common.
- GenresMystery
357 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 30, 2018
About the author
Ana Ballabriga
13 books23 followersEscribo novelas de misterio a cuatro manos con David Zaplana.
En 2016 ganamos el Premio Literario de Amazon con la novela "Ningún escocés verdadero" y en 2021, el certamen de novela negra Auguste Dupin con "El deseo eterno", que se publicará en 2022. Además hemos escrito "Tras el Sol de Cartagena", "Morbo Gótico", "La paradoja del bibliotecario ciego" y "Soy Rose Black". Acabamos de publicar "La paradoja del bibliotecario ciego" (Umbriel, 2021)
Colaboro con Zenda Libros mediante vídeos divulgativos sobre novela negra, misterio y thriller, y dirijo los pódcasts "Un día de libros" y "Sin Ficción".
En redes: @ballabrigaana (less)
En 2016 ganamos el Premio Literario de Amazon con la novela "Ningún escocés verdadero" y en 2021, el certamen de novela negra Auguste Dupin con "El deseo eterno", que se publicará en 2022. Además hemos escrito "Tras el Sol de Cartagena", "Morbo Gótico", "La paradoja del bibliotecario ciego" y "Soy Rose Black". Acabamos de publicar "La paradoja del bibliotecario ciego" (Umbriel, 2021)
Colaboro con Zenda Libros mediante vídeos divulgativos sobre novela negra, misterio y thriller, y dirijo los pódcasts "Un día de libros" y "Sin Ficción".
En redes: @ballabrigaana (less)
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 26, 2018
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
An almost magical realism type deal about a guy looking for a piece of the True Cross, and the carnie he finds.
Not my kind of book.
An almost magical realism type deal about a guy looking for a piece of the True Cross, and the carnie he finds.
Not my kind of book.
May 1, 2019
I enjoyed reading most of this novel. L's and Elias' adventures were entertaining. There was a bad vicar and a shady bishop but OK... there are bad apples everywhere. The ending, though (mild spoiler alert) is a hit job onthe Catholic church that goes to ludicrous extremes and I am too much of a Catholic to tolerate it. My review may be biased but it completely spoiled the rest of the book for me.
January 22, 2018
2.5 stars
I found this to be a very strange book... until about quarter of the way through I wondered if the circus thing had been in my imagination,as we seemed to be following Elias as he hunted down art... and other stuff.
The timeline jumped about a bit,obviously flashbacks,but at the time made the whole book seem even more disorientating AND then there were the random overly sexual scenes.
When it all started coming together and making sense,it was quite the relief....
Not quite the book I'd hoped for,but I've read a lot worse.
I found this to be a very strange book... until about quarter of the way through I wondered if the circus thing had been in my imagination,as we seemed to be following Elias as he hunted down art... and other stuff.
The timeline jumped about a bit,obviously flashbacks,but at the time made the whole book seem even more disorientating AND then there were the random overly sexual scenes.
When it all started coming together and making sense,it was quite the relief....
Not quite the book I'd hoped for,but I've read a lot worse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2018
I received an e-ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.
To be honest this book wasn’t for me. It started off dark and strange and honestly I think the author was trying too hard for the shock values.
It’s called the Dark Circus but a circus really has nothing to do with the plot at all.
There isn’t really much to say about it as it barely held my interest to be able to actually retain anything.
I give it a 2/5 stars mainly because I WAS able to finish it and it did have a couple elements that I enjoyed.
To be honest this book wasn’t for me. It started off dark and strange and honestly I think the author was trying too hard for the shock values.
It’s called the Dark Circus but a circus really has nothing to do with the plot at all.
There isn’t really much to say about it as it barely held my interest to be able to actually retain anything.
I give it a 2/5 stars mainly because I WAS able to finish it and it did have a couple elements that I enjoyed.
February 17, 2018
*I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review*
This book is not what I was expecting at all... The "dark circus" that is fthrough.in the title and on the cover is not the focal point of the novel. It's barely even mentioned, actually. I don't normally read this type of book and it just did not hold my interest. I gave up halfway through.
This book is not what I was expecting at all... The "dark circus" that is fthrough.in the title and on the cover is not the focal point of the novel. It's barely even mentioned, actually. I don't normally read this type of book and it just did not hold my interest. I gave up halfway through.
April 10, 2018
Upsettingly, i was really disappointed by the book. The premise sounded interesting but it failed to deliver on several levels. I wanted so much from it but sadly the plot and the characters did not live up to the expectations.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 17, 2018
A book which I loved because of the risks it takes. It deals with beliefs, something which may bother many people. But it also has mystery, history, art... And a very unique love story.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews