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Only Pretty Damned
Shortlisted for the Sixth Annual Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize - Literary Fiction Category! Niall Howell's Only Pretty Damned is a taut noir that takes you behind the big top, revealing rough and tumble characters, murderous plots, and crooked schemes designed to keep Rowland's World Class Circus afloat for another season. When Toby, former trapeze artist turned disgruntled clown, begins seeing Gloria, a young and beautiful dancer longing for a bigger role under the spotlight, his hardboiled past resurfaces. Can he live without Genevieve, his ex-trapeze partner and lover? What ruthless actions will he take to regain his position as the headlining act? And will Toby's past repeat itself as he tries to untangle the ropes that bind him and take a leap to roaring applause?
253 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 2019
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98 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 24, 2019
A captivating, engrossing, gothic noir that whisks the reader away and makes them feel as if they’re on the road with an old time travelling circus. The characters are complex, the prose rich, and riveting darkness abounds as the plot unfolds. A stellar debut from Niall Howell.
January 24, 2020
Brilliantly written. Niall Howell is a wordsmith.
June 7, 2019
ONLY PRETTY DAMNED
By Niall Howell
Rowland's World Class Circus is a world of shattered dreams. Under the bright lights is a dark life. As the carnies travel across the United States and Canada we feel a history. So much has happened before, underpinning the story, information that slowly oozes out as we catch glimpses of who Toby was...and who he is now. We see the seedy underbelly of this vagabond life, see it as it tarnishes those who hope to succeed.
Life under the big top has fascinated people for years. Itinerant players with their own rules, looked at with awe, envy, and perhaps a bit of disdain. Circus folk are a breed unto themselves, a marginalized group and in ONLY PRETTY DAMNED we get a view of the fall of its denizens.
Howell paints his characters with a hint of grime yet manages to make readers feel some empathy for them. The glimpses we get of Toby before the first murder, the earnestness of Gloria as she yearns for more, the way almost everyone puts the show first, all good things, yet things that will force the characters into a downward spiral.
Howell is quite adept at planting seeds, skillfully utilizing foreshadowing, yet managing several surprises along the way. He captured me in his first sentence and never fully let me go.
ONLY PRETTY DAMNED gives readers a view of the underbelly of the big top. It's a fascinating tale of carnies in a mid century circus, their hope for success and ultimately their destruction.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.
By Niall Howell
Rowland's World Class Circus is a world of shattered dreams. Under the bright lights is a dark life. As the carnies travel across the United States and Canada we feel a history. So much has happened before, underpinning the story, information that slowly oozes out as we catch glimpses of who Toby was...and who he is now. We see the seedy underbelly of this vagabond life, see it as it tarnishes those who hope to succeed.
Life under the big top has fascinated people for years. Itinerant players with their own rules, looked at with awe, envy, and perhaps a bit of disdain. Circus folk are a breed unto themselves, a marginalized group and in ONLY PRETTY DAMNED we get a view of the fall of its denizens.
Howell paints his characters with a hint of grime yet manages to make readers feel some empathy for them. The glimpses we get of Toby before the first murder, the earnestness of Gloria as she yearns for more, the way almost everyone puts the show first, all good things, yet things that will force the characters into a downward spiral.
Howell is quite adept at planting seeds, skillfully utilizing foreshadowing, yet managing several surprises along the way. He captured me in his first sentence and never fully let me go.
ONLY PRETTY DAMNED gives readers a view of the underbelly of the big top. It's a fascinating tale of carnies in a mid century circus, their hope for success and ultimately their destruction.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.
October 19, 2019
A wonderfully calibrated first-person Noir that slides around corners and dips into cracks, all the while plunging straight for one of the most surprising yet inevitable final lines you’ll ever read.
If you like Noir, you don’t want to miss this one.
If you like Noir, you don’t want to miss this one.
May 30, 2019
This slow-burning noir is set in a post-WWII traveling circus. That was enough to sell me on the story right there, but the great period atmosphere and taut writing put it over the top. The narrator, Toby, currently working as a clown, is a bitter, heavy-drinking ex-aerialist, and his old partner is still with the circus, working with a new guy. What happened, and how Toby plans to get even, injects plenty of tension into the narrative. A great debut book by Niall Howell.
October 10, 2020
Whether you're usually a fan of noir or not so much (like myself), Only Pretty Damned is an engaging and vivid read. The characters are exceedingly well developed and the pacing feels full and dynamic, and not the paint-by-numbers sort of plotting that can often be found in crime genres. Plus, it's largely set in the prairies of Canada—a locale we rarely get to see in either books or on film, and especially not in a grimy light, as in Howell's novel. Fun, well written, full of beautiful passages that are sometimes also repulsive (in a good way!). Pulls you through cover to cover!
September 30, 2019
Who doesn’t love clowns? Oh right… Well, better question. Who doesn’t love those small, cool circuses and carnivals that rolled into town periodically when you were a child (and yes, I’m assuming everyone reading this is both ‘this’ tall and ‘this’ old -> points to to the wooden cutout of a cartoon character)? You know the ones I mean. If you close your eyes you can still still smell the popcorn and the elephants, imagine the aerialists and the knife throwers and, yes, the clowns.
Rowland’s World Class Circus. You see the sign and know you’re in for a real treat. And you are entertained! How could you not be. Every performer a talented professional. You especially love the warm up for the main event. Freddy Folly. A clown’s clown. Once a headliner on the trapeze, but… well, let’s just say it’s complicated.
Toby (Freddy) has been with the circus a hell of a long time. He has his ups, his downs. Drinks entirely too much (but hey, it’s a stressful job). And knows things. Dark things. About the circus. About other performers. About himself. And he knows most of all, he wants back on the trapeze. One way or another. It’s noir, however. Carnival Noir. So the going is going to be rough.
I love the atmosphere of this book. The feel of it. All the bits oozing out as the character’s populating the story come alive, transporting me to a different time, though definitely not a simpler time. So next time you see a clown, wonder what he or she is thinking of under that makeup, understand that they probably aren’t plotting your unfortunately demise – but if they are, you probably deserve it.
Rowland’s World Class Circus. You see the sign and know you’re in for a real treat. And you are entertained! How could you not be. Every performer a talented professional. You especially love the warm up for the main event. Freddy Folly. A clown’s clown. Once a headliner on the trapeze, but… well, let’s just say it’s complicated.
Toby (Freddy) has been with the circus a hell of a long time. He has his ups, his downs. Drinks entirely too much (but hey, it’s a stressful job). And knows things. Dark things. About the circus. About other performers. About himself. And he knows most of all, he wants back on the trapeze. One way or another. It’s noir, however. Carnival Noir. So the going is going to be rough.
I love the atmosphere of this book. The feel of it. All the bits oozing out as the character’s populating the story come alive, transporting me to a different time, though definitely not a simpler time. So next time you see a clown, wonder what he or she is thinking of under that makeup, understand that they probably aren’t plotting your unfortunately demise – but if they are, you probably deserve it.
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December 24, 2019An absolutely amazing noir read. Fabulously invoking of a melancholy mood. I found myself hoping so hard for characters that seemed doomed from the start.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2019
I hate circuses, but my love for noir convinced me to give this a shot. Pretty damned glad I did.
December 13, 2019
I've never read a noir before, and the genre seems pretty neat. My favourite part of this book was the world building; for the last few weeks I've felt like I was right in the circus with Toby and the other performers. The characters were interesting, if a little flat and static. Toby as the narrator kept things interesting even when the plot moved on a little slowly. I'd be interested in reading more of the genre, and I'd recommend this book to those interested in it.
And I gotta say it: I freaking love this book cover.
And I gotta say it: I freaking love this book cover.
August 26, 2019
I hate when I begin reading an awesome book only to become quicky overwhelmed by life. Which is every time I begin a book, come to think of it . . . Niall Howell's Only Pretty Damned is the kind of book I would zoom through in a matter of days if I had a clear calendar. It's a classic-style noir oozing with delicious black humor, but there's one thing that sets it apart from most noir: it's set in the seedy backstage world of a 1930s traveling circus. This setting reminds me of what was one of my favorite book series when I was a kid, the Darren Shan series about vampires (back when vampires were still cool). But the noir aspect contains strong echoes of Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain.
My favorite thing about this novel is the clear (and kind of twisted) joy Howell displays in the writing of his protagonist, Toby, who was the star of the circus show until a bad accident left him sidelined while his ex-partner-and-former-lover continues to bask in the glow of the crowd's adoration with her new partner-and-lover. For most of us, this situation would hurt. But for a narcissist and probable sociopath like Toby, it's totally unbearable. So Toby comes up with a solution to mend his bruised ego, and don't you know it, that solution involves lives being forced to end. Make no mistake: Toby is an awful man. But it's testament to Howell's skill as a writer that he can make Toby so interesting to us, and, in a strange way, even kind of likable. He's simply a joy to read about.
But for all its dark subject matter, there is a wild sense of fun that pulsates beneath the story here, a kind of black comedy that makes the whole thing seem that bit more twisted and original. The world of the circus and its various shady characters are vividly and lovingly brought to life, and the depth of research undertaken by Howell is obvious without obscuring the story. Also, the writing is excellent—clean and jazzy, it's got enough style to be Chandler-esque while simple enough to spur the story forward relentlessly.
Only Pretty Damned is pretty damn great, and highly recommended in particular for anyone looking for a new spin on classic noir.
My favorite thing about this novel is the clear (and kind of twisted) joy Howell displays in the writing of his protagonist, Toby, who was the star of the circus show until a bad accident left him sidelined while his ex-partner-and-former-lover continues to bask in the glow of the crowd's adoration with her new partner-and-lover. For most of us, this situation would hurt. But for a narcissist and probable sociopath like Toby, it's totally unbearable. So Toby comes up with a solution to mend his bruised ego, and don't you know it, that solution involves lives being forced to end. Make no mistake: Toby is an awful man. But it's testament to Howell's skill as a writer that he can make Toby so interesting to us, and, in a strange way, even kind of likable. He's simply a joy to read about.
But for all its dark subject matter, there is a wild sense of fun that pulsates beneath the story here, a kind of black comedy that makes the whole thing seem that bit more twisted and original. The world of the circus and its various shady characters are vividly and lovingly brought to life, and the depth of research undertaken by Howell is obvious without obscuring the story. Also, the writing is excellent—clean and jazzy, it's got enough style to be Chandler-esque while simple enough to spur the story forward relentlessly.
Only Pretty Damned is pretty damn great, and highly recommended in particular for anyone looking for a new spin on classic noir.
November 5, 2023
3.5 stars for me.
Niall Howard's debut is a noir story about the underbelly of life in a post-World-War-II circus, with a disgruntled clown, formerly a headlining trapeze star, at its center.
I listened to Niall Howell's debut, Only Pretty Damned, noir historical fiction set behind the scenes at Rowland's World Class Circus.
I love a story set at a circus, and this is a dark take with lots of seedy characters.
In Only Pretty Damned, Toby is a former celebrated trapeze artist, but carelessness cost him his headlining spot, and now he's a grumpy clown who's becoming more and more bitter, petty, egotistical, scheming, and greedy.
Toby is chillingly without remorse and evolves into an almost purely vengeful person, manipulating his actions and remarks according to who's around him.
Toby is not a sympathetic character-- he eventually begins to seem like a sociopath--and Howell's storytelling is stark and feels like a carefully measured black-and-white movie.
I wasn't sure whether Toby was going to enact revenge on those he felt wronged by or if he'd get the comeuppance of a lifetime, and I was glad to be unsure about where the story was headed.
To see my full review on The Bossy Bookworm, or to find out about Bossy reviews and Greedy Reading Lists as soon as they're posted, please see Only Pretty Damned.
Find hundreds of reviews and lots of roundups of my favorite books on the blog: Bossy Bookworm
Follow me on Instagram! @bossybookwormblog
Or Facebook! The Bossy Bookworm
Niall Howard's debut is a noir story about the underbelly of life in a post-World-War-II circus, with a disgruntled clown, formerly a headlining trapeze star, at its center.
I listened to Niall Howell's debut, Only Pretty Damned, noir historical fiction set behind the scenes at Rowland's World Class Circus.
I love a story set at a circus, and this is a dark take with lots of seedy characters.
In Only Pretty Damned, Toby is a former celebrated trapeze artist, but carelessness cost him his headlining spot, and now he's a grumpy clown who's becoming more and more bitter, petty, egotistical, scheming, and greedy.
Toby is chillingly without remorse and evolves into an almost purely vengeful person, manipulating his actions and remarks according to who's around him.
Toby is not a sympathetic character-- he eventually begins to seem like a sociopath--and Howell's storytelling is stark and feels like a carefully measured black-and-white movie.
I wasn't sure whether Toby was going to enact revenge on those he felt wronged by or if he'd get the comeuppance of a lifetime, and I was glad to be unsure about where the story was headed.
To see my full review on The Bossy Bookworm, or to find out about Bossy reviews and Greedy Reading Lists as soon as they're posted, please see Only Pretty Damned.
Find hundreds of reviews and lots of roundups of my favorite books on the blog: Bossy Bookworm
Follow me on Instagram! @bossybookwormblog
Or Facebook! The Bossy Bookworm
January 6, 2025
a far better book than i expected it to be.
i was initially worried when i picked it up. the first few pages, though not bad, had me skeptical. i found certain incidents and actions to be over described and it was at a point i wasn't sure if i wanted to put up with it.
thankfully though, the issues didn't last more than a chapter or two, and the writing quickly lent itself to be charming and well done. it quickly went from a 3 to 5 star read over the course of the book.
the plot, although predictable, was well done. it really was only predictable because it was set up so nicely-- it's like being passenger to a car speeding down a winding road. you can see the turns ahead, but you still need to brace for impact. the final twist, though, did catch me by some surprise.
and wow, this book did an unreliable narrator well. i have the awareness of a blind snail, but this book managed to still convey that suspicious feeling surrounding our main characters perspective without smacking me over the head with it.
all in all, a well done and enjoyable read.
i was initially worried when i picked it up. the first few pages, though not bad, had me skeptical. i found certain incidents and actions to be over described and it was at a point i wasn't sure if i wanted to put up with it.
thankfully though, the issues didn't last more than a chapter or two, and the writing quickly lent itself to be charming and well done. it quickly went from a 3 to 5 star read over the course of the book.
the plot, although predictable, was well done. it really was only predictable because it was set up so nicely-- it's like being passenger to a car speeding down a winding road. you can see the turns ahead, but you still need to brace for impact. the final twist, though, did catch me by some surprise.
and wow, this book did an unreliable narrator well. i have the awareness of a blind snail, but this book managed to still convey that suspicious feeling surrounding our main characters perspective without smacking me over the head with it.
all in all, a well done and enjoyable read.
May 5, 2024
This is a fantastic book and I was hooked from page one.
Description is minimal, which I loved because every word is deliberate and used in such a way that the reader can perfectly picture the scene.
It was at times dark, disturbing, funny, and sad.
I highly recommend it to lovers of thrillers and noir.
Description is minimal, which I loved because every word is deliberate and used in such a way that the reader can perfectly picture the scene.
It was at times dark, disturbing, funny, and sad.
I highly recommend it to lovers of thrillers and noir.
March 3, 2025
It's my first time with the noir genre and I must say, I love it. This book in itself is a 3.5⭐ for my personal enjoyment because it felt like it took too long for anything to happen and then all the real action of the book was rather rushed and a bit unsatisfying. (It might be a trait of the genre, in which case I apologize for not knowing what I was getting myself into).
May 3, 2021
This book did not live up to my expectations. I had many questions while reading it and they were all left unanswered. The story also ended very abruptly with no explanation whatsoever. I don't recommend reading this book as I think it is an enormous waste of time. Fuck you Niall
September 20, 2019
It was okay. Just kinda ambled along, and then ended abruptly in a rather unsatisfactory way.
April 26, 2022
Captivating novel with a plot that keeps you on edge! Wonderfully written as I felt like I was on a circus reading the chaos that ensues within a circus of events
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August 24, 2024An interesting behind the scenes look at circus life.
June 25, 2022
5/5 stars. Ended too abruptly.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews