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The Ghost Circus: An Onyx Webb Supernatural Thriller
Life for Onyx Webb is complicated. Especially because she's dead.
A ragtag traveling circus sits outside a small California town.
200 miles north, the legend of Onyx Webb, a murderous ghost, is "alive and well" in the seaside hamlet of Crimson Cove, Oregon.
After mysterious deaths occur in both places, the FBI gets involved. Serial killer hunter, Agent Newt Drystad however, is also dealing with a major screw-up of his own making.
When the circus moves on and arrives in Crimson Cove, the little town is starting to unravel.
The FBI is spread thin and desperately trying to keep a lid on the truth. It's one thing to stop people from committing crimes, but how do you stop ghosts?
Perfect for people who love t.v. shows like Bates Motel, Stranger Things, Dexter, and American Horror Story.
Scroll up and get entwined today!
A ragtag traveling circus sits outside a small California town.
200 miles north, the legend of Onyx Webb, a murderous ghost, is "alive and well" in the seaside hamlet of Crimson Cove, Oregon.
After mysterious deaths occur in both places, the FBI gets involved. Serial killer hunter, Agent Newt Drystad however, is also dealing with a major screw-up of his own making.
When the circus moves on and arrives in Crimson Cove, the little town is starting to unravel.
The FBI is spread thin and desperately trying to keep a lid on the truth. It's one thing to stop people from committing crimes, but how do you stop ghosts?
Perfect for people who love t.v. shows like Bates Motel, Stranger Things, Dexter, and American Horror Story.
Scroll up and get entwined today!
282 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 27, 2022
4 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 20 reviews
January 7, 2023
I would like to thank Diandra Archer and NetGalley for granting me this ARC in exchange for writing an honest review!
Unfortunately, I have DNF the book @60%.
I tried so hard to keep reading but it felt forced. The plot felt scattered but I did enjoy reading about some of the characters, for example, Newt because he reminds me of Sherlock Holmes. I dream of having such brains. On the other side, I feel more scared and paranoid of ghosts because I mean maybe ghosts do suck souls to live in the human world-
This book could be a masterpiece to someone else (as I have seen 5 stars on Goodreads) but it just wasn’t for me and I feel so bad reviewing it the way I just did but that’s my honest opinion.
Unfortunately, I have DNF the book @60%.
I tried so hard to keep reading but it felt forced. The plot felt scattered but I did enjoy reading about some of the characters, for example, Newt because he reminds me of Sherlock Holmes. I dream of having such brains. On the other side, I feel more scared and paranoid of ghosts because I mean maybe ghosts do suck souls to live in the human world-
This book could be a masterpiece to someone else (as I have seen 5 stars on Goodreads) but it just wasn’t for me and I feel so bad reviewing it the way I just did but that’s my honest opinion.
February 25, 2023
The story is centered around Onyx Webb, a ghost who is a killer, maybe? Legend has it when there is an unsolved murder and blamed is placed on Onyx Webb. There is a traveling circus that settled in a town in California and an unexplained murder happened. The circus moves on the famed town where Onyx Webb haunts and the chaos begins. An imaginative plot and a great array of characters around out this story out and it has wonderful storytelling.
Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and the author Diandra Archer for this copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and the author Diandra Archer for this copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 3, 2023
Cool premise and I like the tie-in of the circus with the ghost already in town…but this was just ok for me. Couple of creepy baddies, but the rest of the characters (including the supposedly main character) fell flat for me. Onyx (the main character of the series) seemed a bit player in this book. Maybe I’m missing something, having not read the earlier books in this series
December 21, 2022
This isn’t a book I usually read but the summary got me and so I read it and I enjoyed it so much. Onyx‘s husband wants to kill her to be with his lover Claudia‘s but in a surprise quick twist onyx turns the tables and tries to kill him knocking him out she throws him on the bed and then decides to set fire to the cottage. Then right when she’s about to leave the inferno that was her bedroom her husband eyes pop open and he tries to attack her. The next thing she knows she is waking up in the hospital in can over here the police chase talk about how she tried to kill her husband and so she knows she must try and get away. When she can stay conscious for longer than 20 minutes she does just that and runs barefooted through the forest trying to get back to the cottage she shared with her husband. When she arrives cops have the place around it and on guard so she sits due to being tired and in pain due to her burns and that’s when the wolves come and kill her. Now we go to Dolly she is the owner of the ghost Circus and also the famous dolly that had her lover boy auto living in her attic. The circus isn’t doing so great not only that she’s having trouble with Mohawk Joe who keeps dropping One of her only professional
trapeze artist Antonia and although ghost can’t really be hurt it’s just one more frustration for Dolly. Now we go to crimson cove Oregon where Adele wants the town to be known for its most famous ghost onyx and she’s having one heckuva time convincing other business owners that should be the case. After all it is her ghost murdering people right? This is when my favorite character FBI agent and let me just say leading FBI Director pippa comes in to the story. She was the first female FBI agent to work on the bureau and now it is her job to get a ghost hunting FBI squad together but it’s going to be hard when some don’t even believe in ghosts but pippa has the best way of convincing them. No what do all these narratives have in common you have to read the book to find out but OMG what a story! I don’t like reading summaries and so if anyone else like that then reading this review will let you know what a crazy tail you’re in for. I didn’t know this was a spinoff from another Siri‘s but I am so glad I got in on the first book. I loved it and highly recommend it. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
trapeze artist Antonia and although ghost can’t really be hurt it’s just one more frustration for Dolly. Now we go to crimson cove Oregon where Adele wants the town to be known for its most famous ghost onyx and she’s having one heckuva time convincing other business owners that should be the case. After all it is her ghost murdering people right? This is when my favorite character FBI agent and let me just say leading FBI Director pippa comes in to the story. She was the first female FBI agent to work on the bureau and now it is her job to get a ghost hunting FBI squad together but it’s going to be hard when some don’t even believe in ghosts but pippa has the best way of convincing them. No what do all these narratives have in common you have to read the book to find out but OMG what a story! I don’t like reading summaries and so if anyone else like that then reading this review will let you know what a crazy tail you’re in for. I didn’t know this was a spinoff from another Siri‘s but I am so glad I got in on the first book. I loved it and highly recommend it. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
August 20, 2022
The Ghost Circus by Diandra Archer
Published: July 26, 2022
Lust for Living
Pages: 293
Genre: Ghost Thriller
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
This title is available to read for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription, and I leave my review voluntarily.
Diandra Archer is a pen name for powerhouse couple Andrea Waltz and Richard Fenton. Andrea and Richard are a married writing team based in Orlando, Florida. For years they have written and published non-fiction business books. They have also written a few screenplays together. Onyx Webb is their first fictional book series.
“You can choose to ignore reality, but you can’t ignore the consequences.”
Onyx has lived quite a life, but she’s content with staying in her lighthouse. Pipi is trying to make a difference and protect people while keeping secrets necessary for that protection. Maggie wants to be a good agent and make a difference. Abigale wants to increase tourism to her small town, and she isn’t afraid to play any card.
This was not at all anything like I was expecting from a ghost thriller. I usually don’t read paranormal novels, but I know the authors of this novel, and I am pleasantly surprised.
I love the entire concept of this book. It’s very fresh, unique, and terrifying. I loved how this story was told. It was told using alternating narrators, and it was almost like several stories being told simultaneously, but they were all connected and each piece added to the overall puzzle.
The characters were well defined, and each had distinct personalities, desires, and abilities. I found the cast of characters very well done, and I enjoyed the harmony between the various players.
This is a standalone book based on a series. I haven’t read the series, but after reading this book, I want to dive back into this world.
I loved how this plot moved along and the way the storyline unfolded. I enjoyed that every character had flaws, ranging from minor to severe, and how everyone was motivated by a desire to be happy.
After finishing this book, I need to read the whole series to better understand who these characters are.
I loved how fast paced this story was and that there was no fluff. The story rolled along smoothly, alternating between our various points of view. I cannot wait for the next book because there has to be more to this story!
Published: July 26, 2022
Lust for Living
Pages: 293
Genre: Ghost Thriller
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
This title is available to read for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription, and I leave my review voluntarily.
Diandra Archer is a pen name for powerhouse couple Andrea Waltz and Richard Fenton. Andrea and Richard are a married writing team based in Orlando, Florida. For years they have written and published non-fiction business books. They have also written a few screenplays together. Onyx Webb is their first fictional book series.
“You can choose to ignore reality, but you can’t ignore the consequences.”
Onyx has lived quite a life, but she’s content with staying in her lighthouse. Pipi is trying to make a difference and protect people while keeping secrets necessary for that protection. Maggie wants to be a good agent and make a difference. Abigale wants to increase tourism to her small town, and she isn’t afraid to play any card.
This was not at all anything like I was expecting from a ghost thriller. I usually don’t read paranormal novels, but I know the authors of this novel, and I am pleasantly surprised.
I love the entire concept of this book. It’s very fresh, unique, and terrifying. I loved how this story was told. It was told using alternating narrators, and it was almost like several stories being told simultaneously, but they were all connected and each piece added to the overall puzzle.
The characters were well defined, and each had distinct personalities, desires, and abilities. I found the cast of characters very well done, and I enjoyed the harmony between the various players.
This is a standalone book based on a series. I haven’t read the series, but after reading this book, I want to dive back into this world.
I loved how this plot moved along and the way the storyline unfolded. I enjoyed that every character had flaws, ranging from minor to severe, and how everyone was motivated by a desire to be happy.
After finishing this book, I need to read the whole series to better understand who these characters are.
I loved how fast paced this story was and that there was no fluff. The story rolled along smoothly, alternating between our various points of view. I cannot wait for the next book because there has to be more to this story!
January 4, 2023
I received a complimentary ARC of this murder mystery on November 30, 2022, from Netgalley, and author and self-publisher Diandra Archer. Thank you for sharing your fine novel with me. I have read The Ghost Circus of my own volition and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I can't wait for the next novel in this series! I am pleased to recommend Diandra Archer to friends and family. She has a fertile imagination and used it well.
Taking place in Oregon and parts of Washington State, this is an exceptional and at times hilarious look into the afterlife of - you guessed it - circus performers. Financially even most living circus vendors aren't doing well, and the Ghost Circus is no exception. They work out of the small town of Crimson Cove, a historical stopping point for ghosts and ghost stories, on the Oregon coast.
Things got so bad, owner and manager Dolly sold off the elephants which are hard and expensive to transport and eat a LOT, but without the pachyderms, people quit coming to her circus at all, so she had to buy them back. Things are just barely creeping by. Thank goodness ghosts don't eat. Or drink. Or sleep. And perhaps the only thing scarier in our world today than a clown - is a ghost clown. Meet the late Doyle Slade, in his former life a well-known serial killer.
The ariel act pulls in the majority of the circus' paying patrons, but though aerialist Antoinette was and is a skilled performing trapeze artist, her catcher, the Indian Mohawk Joe, is not. He keeps dropping her. And, adding insult to injury, laughing about it, consoling her with the notion that she can't die again, so why worry? If she goes on strike as she suggests, Dolly will be in an untenable place with no money to maintain the circus and its many employees.
Enter Onyx, a 120-year-old ghost who is a resident of the lighthouse in Crimson Cove. Onyx is fighting the notion of the town movers and shakers that taking advantage of their ghost legends would add to their tourist trade and increase the income of the town citizens. Onyx wants the ghost stories to go and stay gone. They don't need ghost busters rattling around Crimson Cove.
What an interesting story~. I loved it. And it's a series - what could be better?
Reviewed on January 3, 2023, at Goodreads, Netgalley, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, and BookBub.
Taking place in Oregon and parts of Washington State, this is an exceptional and at times hilarious look into the afterlife of - you guessed it - circus performers. Financially even most living circus vendors aren't doing well, and the Ghost Circus is no exception. They work out of the small town of Crimson Cove, a historical stopping point for ghosts and ghost stories, on the Oregon coast.
Things got so bad, owner and manager Dolly sold off the elephants which are hard and expensive to transport and eat a LOT, but without the pachyderms, people quit coming to her circus at all, so she had to buy them back. Things are just barely creeping by. Thank goodness ghosts don't eat. Or drink. Or sleep. And perhaps the only thing scarier in our world today than a clown - is a ghost clown. Meet the late Doyle Slade, in his former life a well-known serial killer.
The ariel act pulls in the majority of the circus' paying patrons, but though aerialist Antoinette was and is a skilled performing trapeze artist, her catcher, the Indian Mohawk Joe, is not. He keeps dropping her. And, adding insult to injury, laughing about it, consoling her with the notion that she can't die again, so why worry? If she goes on strike as she suggests, Dolly will be in an untenable place with no money to maintain the circus and its many employees.
Enter Onyx, a 120-year-old ghost who is a resident of the lighthouse in Crimson Cove. Onyx is fighting the notion of the town movers and shakers that taking advantage of their ghost legends would add to their tourist trade and increase the income of the town citizens. Onyx wants the ghost stories to go and stay gone. They don't need ghost busters rattling around Crimson Cove.
What an interesting story~. I loved it. And it's a series - what could be better?
Reviewed on January 3, 2023, at Goodreads, Netgalley, AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, and BookBub.
August 25, 2022
>Book Review – The Ghost Circus
>I am an independent reviewer. This book is a standalone work of paranormal suspense and the continuation of the Onyx Webb series. The story ends in a cliffhanger. This book contains enough background information on the world of Onyx Webb, that readers unfamiliar with the characters will not be confused with the story lines. This book is a quick read. The chapters jump from POV to POV, often showing the same scene from multiple points of view. I am an avid fan of the Onyx Webb series and tended to skim over the background chapters. I realize they needed to be included though.
>While the first series tended to focus on Onyx Webb, this book focuses, for the most part, on FBI agents Newt and Maggie. Newt is a savant, obsessed with serial killers. He has a serial killer, Stan Lee in custody and borderline tortures the killer in order to study him. This story also follows a circus made up of ghosts, one of which used to be a serial killer (of course he is a clown). Ghosts must suck the energy out of the living in order to continue staying Earth-side, so the circus leaves a trail of death in its wake.
>Onyx is married to the live human, Noah. Their marriage isn’t perfect. I feel the reason is due to Onyx being unable to feel love or happiness. Ghosts can only feel negative emotions. In Onyx's case, she feels guilt for marrying Noah when he is so much younger than her. I love how the story lines seem so different yet overlap the deeper one gets into the story. Onyx encounters a blast from the past that ties a few plot lines together.
> This book is appropriate for an adult audience. I am giving this book 5 stars. This universe is well built, and the writing style makes the chapters flow. This book is more creepy than suspenseful, with a lot of characters to root for. I highly recommend this book and the entire Onyx Webb series. I cannot wait for the sequel to “The Ghost Circus”.
>I am an independent reviewer. This book is a standalone work of paranormal suspense and the continuation of the Onyx Webb series. The story ends in a cliffhanger. This book contains enough background information on the world of Onyx Webb, that readers unfamiliar with the characters will not be confused with the story lines. This book is a quick read. The chapters jump from POV to POV, often showing the same scene from multiple points of view. I am an avid fan of the Onyx Webb series and tended to skim over the background chapters. I realize they needed to be included though.
>While the first series tended to focus on Onyx Webb, this book focuses, for the most part, on FBI agents Newt and Maggie. Newt is a savant, obsessed with serial killers. He has a serial killer, Stan Lee in custody and borderline tortures the killer in order to study him. This story also follows a circus made up of ghosts, one of which used to be a serial killer (of course he is a clown). Ghosts must suck the energy out of the living in order to continue staying Earth-side, so the circus leaves a trail of death in its wake.
>Onyx is married to the live human, Noah. Their marriage isn’t perfect. I feel the reason is due to Onyx being unable to feel love or happiness. Ghosts can only feel negative emotions. In Onyx's case, she feels guilt for marrying Noah when he is so much younger than her. I love how the story lines seem so different yet overlap the deeper one gets into the story. Onyx encounters a blast from the past that ties a few plot lines together.
> This book is appropriate for an adult audience. I am giving this book 5 stars. This universe is well built, and the writing style makes the chapters flow. This book is more creepy than suspenseful, with a lot of characters to root for. I highly recommend this book and the entire Onyx Webb series. I cannot wait for the sequel to “The Ghost Circus”.
December 22, 2022
Good morning reader! Today I come back with a book that comes out today and I had an ark copy from @!
◦ 👻 Although the paranormal thriller isn't exactly my kind of read, as soon as I saw the words "circus" and "ghosts" in the same sentence, I couldn't help but give it a chance. And even if it wasn't the reading I expected, I must say that I really enjoyed it v!
🎪The thing that I love most was its structure: in fact the story is composed by multiple pov’s which each of them has his own narrative arc. For this very reason at the beginning the reading may be a bit confusing but, i guarantee, that the longer you go on reading the more the paths of the various characters will intertwine answering all your questions.
👻 The characters are all well defined thanks to their past told in the smallest detail that makes us learn the skills, personalities and desires of each of them. In fact, you will learn to love the intelligence of Special Agent Newt and his colleague Maggie’s will to try to make the world a better place . But you will also love the desire to lead a quiet life of Onyx and the pragmaticity of Dolly.
✨ Only after I started the book I’vr found out that this is a spin-off from another series, but I can assure you that it can be read as standalone! The writing is fresh and sliding, the plot is constantly evolving, disturbing at the right point and full of suspance .. also the characters are one more intriguing than the other! So it's pointless to tell you that I'm going to retrieve all the books of the mother series!
◦ 👻 Although the paranormal thriller isn't exactly my kind of read, as soon as I saw the words "circus" and "ghosts" in the same sentence, I couldn't help but give it a chance. And even if it wasn't the reading I expected, I must say that I really enjoyed it v!
🎪The thing that I love most was its structure: in fact the story is composed by multiple pov’s which each of them has his own narrative arc. For this very reason at the beginning the reading may be a bit confusing but, i guarantee, that the longer you go on reading the more the paths of the various characters will intertwine answering all your questions.
👻 The characters are all well defined thanks to their past told in the smallest detail that makes us learn the skills, personalities and desires of each of them. In fact, you will learn to love the intelligence of Special Agent Newt and his colleague Maggie’s will to try to make the world a better place . But you will also love the desire to lead a quiet life of Onyx and the pragmaticity of Dolly.
✨ Only after I started the book I’vr found out that this is a spin-off from another series, but I can assure you that it can be read as standalone! The writing is fresh and sliding, the plot is constantly evolving, disturbing at the right point and full of suspance .. also the characters are one more intriguing than the other! So it's pointless to tell you that I'm going to retrieve all the books of the mother series!
January 8, 2023
I expected a straight horror story, but I would put Ghost Circus in the subgenre of cozy-horror (if that's a thing). It doesn't take itself too seriously, and while there are super creepy aspects to the story, the tone is generally lighthearted.
I thought the varying POVs were done perfectly (but I could have done without Dolly's perspective: since it was so brief, it felt extraneous). There were multiple storylines that ended up coming together in unexpected ways and enough of a cliffhanger to keep me intrigued for a sequel.
I noticed that the story focuses more on plot than the characters. This works well for the pacing, but I would have liked a bit more character development. And FYI, there's not a ton of time spent on the actual circus - which doesn't take away from the story at all, but if that's a big draw for you be prepared.
I thought the varying POVs were done perfectly (but I could have done without Dolly's perspective: since it was so brief, it felt extraneous). There were multiple storylines that ended up coming together in unexpected ways and enough of a cliffhanger to keep me intrigued for a sequel.
I noticed that the story focuses more on plot than the characters. This works well for the pacing, but I would have liked a bit more character development. And FYI, there's not a ton of time spent on the actual circus - which doesn't take away from the story at all, but if that's a big draw for you be prepared.
December 2, 2022
Ghosts, serial killers, serial killer ghosts, the FBI and the effects of an old CIA secret experiment. Whew. That's quite a bit to fit into one book.
The authors know how to write a fast paced plot. However, there isn't much to the characters. They come off as flat and stereotypical.
A states goal of the authors is to have this made into a television series or movie. It shows. The book lacks the depth that would make it a really interesting read.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the authors for giving me this free ARC. This is my honest review.
The authors know how to write a fast paced plot. However, there isn't much to the characters. They come off as flat and stereotypical.
A states goal of the authors is to have this made into a television series or movie. It shows. The book lacks the depth that would make it a really interesting read.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and the authors for giving me this free ARC. This is my honest review.
December 22, 2022
There was an assortment of situations in this book. The ghost circus was incredible, except for the stealing of energy from live people. People being comfortable with ghosts was a great concept. The difficult part was knowing not only are there live serial killers but ghost serial killers also. And the FBI had ways of tracking both types because they had a special ghost division. What a cool job to have. There was a cliffhanger with this book so now I need to look for the next book. I need to know about Stan.
December 24, 2022
The Ghost Circus is really unique and had a very interesting concept! I love that it contrasts regular people with ghosts and that they're very comfortable! I was intrigued by the idea of ghosts stealing life and being able to be serial killers as well? I want to know and read more about this world.
January 28, 2023
What I thoroughly enjoyed about this book is that it wasn’t up typical ghost story. I loved the incorporation of ghosts into real life. It did a good job of keeping me engaged and interested in what would happen next. My only complaint is the one character was named Stan Lee… as a comic boon fan I chuckled and couldn’t take his character as a serial killer seriously. Otherwise, decent book!
December 30, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this, it was a great supernatural thriller. It had a great concept and it did a great job in creating this world and characters. I enjoyed the way Diandra Archer wrote this.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 3, 2023
I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook.
Love the cover. The novel itself was fun to read. The concept was interesting and I did enjoy it. I did feel like it was rushed a bit. But the story itself was an interesting concept and perfect for horror fans out there
Love the cover. The novel itself was fun to read. The concept was interesting and I did enjoy it. I did feel like it was rushed a bit. But the story itself was an interesting concept and perfect for horror fans out there
November 2, 2022
An entertaining read with some unique ideas
December 5, 2022
Interesting concept. This certainly made me consider different options for ghosts. Cleverly put together as well
October 28, 2022
The Onyx Webb series has, for years, been one of my all-time favorite series. To say I was excited when I heard about this book would be an understatement. It absolutely does not disappoint. The authors of this book really know how to write a great thriller and include the paranormal elements I love. Their serial killers are top notch, and they know how to keep you guessing as a reader. Only allowing you to know what they want you to when they want you to.
This is a spin-off of the Onyx Webb series, but Onyx isn’t the focus of the story. We get to see more of Maggie and Newt, a bit of Noah and Onyx’s ex-husband, Ulrich. As well as a serial killer thrown in just to make things even crazier.
I love how these authors bring this story together to provide the fast pace and excitement I need as well as both the paranormal and murder-y aspects I’m always happy to see. Their story makes sense in a world that has been well thought out.
At the end of the book, I feel satisfied for the most part while also I can’t wait to see what happens next. Some elements get tied up in a neat little bow, others don’t. I really hope they continue with this path they’ve set out for Onyx and her fans to follow.
This is a spin-off of the Onyx Webb series, but Onyx isn’t the focus of the story. We get to see more of Maggie and Newt, a bit of Noah and Onyx’s ex-husband, Ulrich. As well as a serial killer thrown in just to make things even crazier.
I love how these authors bring this story together to provide the fast pace and excitement I need as well as both the paranormal and murder-y aspects I’m always happy to see. Their story makes sense in a world that has been well thought out.
At the end of the book, I feel satisfied for the most part while also I can’t wait to see what happens next. Some elements get tied up in a neat little bow, others don’t. I really hope they continue with this path they’ve set out for Onyx and her fans to follow.
January 14, 2023
Enjoyable ghost story with a twist
I enjoyed this book and the story have a major twist to the typical ghost story!!
I loved the main.characters and can't wait to read the next book.
I enjoyed this book and the story have a major twist to the typical ghost story!!
I loved the main.characters and can't wait to read the next book.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 20 reviews