Circus of the Dead: Book One

By: Kimberly Loth

Narrated by: Sarah Puckett

Length: 5 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

There are many ways to die at the Circus of the Dead. You’re invited to witness them all.

Mom sent me all the way across the country to the Louisiana bayou to join the circus and help my uncle for the summer. Except, there is something not quite right on this swampy cursed island, and after having my fortune told, I can’t leave. I try to escape, but Benny, an all too charming ghost gangster, tries to kill me by feeding me to a tiger.

Thankfully, I’m rescued by Samuel, the incredibly hot ringmaster who can’t be a day over 20. Can he?

In addition to avoiding the human scorpion, staying away from the big cats, and having trouble figuring out who’s dead and who’s alive, I have to find a way to escape this horror show.

Will I get out of the circus alive, or will I join their army of ghosts and become a murderer myself?

©2020 Kimberly Loth (P)2020 Kimberly Loth

I loved this!

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook and I’m leaving an honest review.

Fun and creepy! It’s like RL Stine meets Cirque Du Freak meets the Louisiana bayou. I really enjoyed this one and it’s a quick and easy read.

I was pulled in immediately. The writing is descriptive enough that I could picture what was going on. The characters are each very unique to themselves. I found the main character a little annoying. But not in a bad way, more like in a she’s human kind of away.

The narration was great. And I am on my way to Amazon right now to find book two!

Amazing story!

I had already read this book and LOVED IT! So of course, I had to listen to the audiobook as soon as it released. The narrator did a wonderful job, and her voice fit the setting for this story so well. This series is definitely a favorite! I'm so glad it was narrated well.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Who can be trusted?

The narrator, Sarah is okay. I listened to it at a fast pace of 2.0x.
California girl lands in the middle of nowhere in Louisiana. Surprisingly she doesn’t take off running. After being shipped there by her mother to help her uncle out for the summer the teenager makes her way to her uncle’s place to discover it’s not your ordinary circus. The story is intriguing and I’ll be honest, I may have yelled at the MC for some of the decisions she made but I really enjoyed the story. The MC is surrounded by different people telling her who she can and cannot trust and in the end she has to listen to her gut. To get out, she must make a deal. Will it cost her life, or something else?

Story is catchy!! A+++

Little slow getting into at first but once you do.. jackpot! Love the storyline it keeps you guessing! Narrator seemed bored at times I think that was just the slow story line in the beginning. Can’t wait for book 2!

Dark and twisty

A dark twisty macabre circus that specializes in acts of death . It’s morbid and creepy . A young woman from California is visiting her uncle and she gets stuck in this circus by a tru to life tarot reading . This book took me a while to get into but it’s has turned out more Interesting than I initially thought . The narrator portrays Callie as a young California woman with the dialect and slang of her age .

CIrcus of the Dead

Kimberly Loth is one of my favorite go-to authors because I know that whatever she writes, I will be thoroughly entertained! Even if the genre isn't my usual fare, her writing is amazing, her world-building is great, and her characters really come alive.

Callie is a true 16 year old California girl, loving the life of surfing and hanging out at the beach. However, her plans for the summer are changed when her Mother sends her to help out her Uncle Luke in his Circus on an island in Louisiana. When Callie arrives, she finds that this circus is unlike any other she has ever encountered.

She soon begins to wonder about her sanity when she sees dilapidated tents come to life during the new moon and people seem to die every time the circus is open to guests. Then, one boy she meets tries to kill her and she is told that he is a ghost. Things get even stranger when Callie visits a fortune teller and learns that she can never leave the island because of the cards that are drawn.

This book was very unique with vampires, ghosts, zombies, voodoo, and all the "normal" circus creepiness like clowns and side shows. Callie is a typical teenager and it takes her a long time to begin to accept the fact that some of the supernatural things she is encountering are actually real. I loved the details in the writing in the descriptions of the area and the people. I felt like I was seeing them through Callie's eyes.

Add in a little love interest in the devastatingly handsome (but also creepy) Samuel, who appears to be an 18 year old boy, but might be much, much more. Since this is the first book in the series, it ends on a cliffhanger (of course) and I can't wait to see what Ms. Loth has in store for the next part of Callie's adventure.

The narrator, Sarah Puckett, did a great job and her voice for Callie was perfect with just the right amount of attitude for a teenaged girl. Her pacing was great and her performance added a lot to my enjoyment of the book. Even though I had read the "real" version of the book, the audiobook really brought the story to life in a totally different way. I was given the chance to listen to this book by the author and chose to review it.

Captivating

This book caught my attention from the very beginning and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole story! There was no dull moment and it was just the right touch of suspenseful. Can’t wait to read what happens in the next book!

Circus of the Dead

This story kept taking turns that I was not expecting. I've read several of Kimberly Loth's books and this one is darker and not her norm, but I loved every moment of it. Callie seems really cool and a take life by the horns kind of person. I also can't figure out what to think of Benny and Samuel and heir MO's. I can't wait to read book 2 and figure out what turn this story is going to take next. I have no clue where all this is leading to but I can say that I love it and this is exciting.

I loved the narrator. This woman took an awesome book and gave it an amazing voice. I loved listening to this story so much and never wanted it to end.

Dark and mysterious

The idea of a death-themed circus is brilliant in the Circus of the Dead series. I've only listened to book one, but I'm enthralled! It kept me wide awake during a long drive and now I'm hooked. Downloaded the rest of the books as soon as I got home and I can't wait to dive into them!

Couldn’t stop listening

I had no preconceived ideas for this story but I have t been thrilled with “listening to stories” as opposed to reading them. This book was awesome. I could not stop listening. The story was suspenseful and intriguing. And the reader did a great job. Between the descriptions and her narration I could visualize everything that was happening. Can’t wait to read the second in the series.