The Spectacular

A Novel

De: Fiona Davis

Narrado por: Rachel L. Jacobs, Kimberly Farr

From the New York Times Bestselling Author of The Magnolia Palace: A thrilling story about love, sacrifice, and the pursuit of dreams, set amidst the glamour and glitz of Radio City Music Hall in its mid-century heyday.

New York City, 1956: Nineteen-year-old Marion Brooks knows she should be happy. Her high school sweetheart is about to propose and sweep her off to the life everyone has always expected they’d have together: a quiet house in the suburbs, Marion staying home to raise their future children. But instead, Marion finds herself feeling trapped. So when she comes across an opportunity to audition for the famous Radio City Rockettes—the glamorous precision-dancing troupe—she jumps at the chance to exchange her predictable future for the dazzling life of a performer.

Meanwhile, the city is reeling from a string of bombings orchestrated by a person the press has nicknamed the “Big Apple Bomber,” who has been terrorizing the citizens of New York for sixteen years by planting bombs in popular, crowded spaces. With the public in an uproar over the lack of any real leads after a yearslong manhunt, the police turn in desperation to Peter Griggs, a young doctor at a local mental hospital who espouses a radical new technique: psychological profiling.

As both Marion and Peter find themselves unexpectedly pulled in to the police search for the bomber, Marion realizes that as much as she’s been training herself to blend in—performing in perfect unison with all the other identical Rockettes—if she hopes to catch the bomber, she’ll need to stand out and take a terrifying risk. In doing so, she may be forced to sacrifice everything she’s worked for, as well as the people she loves the most.

Great story- strange narration

That was a well told story, I loved the protagonist’s strong sense of independence and justice.
However , the narration for her character was not good, with a stilted, very strange and distracting cadence, like when you take a pause in conversation because you have a small burp coning- it was just aggravating in its constant ness. The older voice was great. And the story and Author’s note at the end was great.

Good story but…

The story, at times, had too much detail/description, as if the reader/listener was unable to use their own imagination. It made the story drag. I finally upped the speed to 1.2 and things moved along better.

Glamorous and Exciting

You get caught up and can imagine you are there in the story. You can feel the friendship, understand struggles of making difficult decisions and falling in love

Spectacular

Loved it was spectacular! Could not put it down. Love love love love love love

Not what I expected.

Liked hearing about the Rockettes and the building. Also the dancers and how they were picked.

Always delivers!

As always Fiona Davis writes an interesting story surrounding a landmark. This one didn’t keep my at the edge of my seat but was still a good book.

Hits all the highs!

Loved this story based on real events ! Fast moving and interesting glimpse into the lives of the Rockettes back in the 1950’snand the birth of criminal profiling ! It got me interested in reading the true story it’s based on ! Fiona Davis never disappoints !!

Dancer story

An interesting story that represents a 1950’s professional dance team. The Dad’s storyline was hard to believe, so seemed drawn out. Could not stomach the “fianceé’s” character. Loved reading the sisterhood segments where players were allowed to have fun.

liked the plot

Hated the jerky narration. It was very distracting. I almost chose to stop listening to it. Pleasant voice but terrible reading for the main character.

The Spectacular is Spectacular

This book blends my two favorite fictional genres of mystery & historical fiction. I loved rooting for the main character Marion!