The rich smells, the growls of beasts, the excitement of exotics, leotarded bodies, and feigned danger beckon when the circus comes to town. Gasps and laughter, thrills and dreams. This story escorts us to a long-past time when the circus was the year’s most anticipated event, giving locals an evening of wistful and throat-catching dreams of living a life other than the mundane and droll. Through the eyes of the common folk and the performers, the good and the bad, the innocent and the manipulative, Circus Train at Sunrise is a study of people. The wealth of senses versus the dustbowl dryness only serve to suck us deeper. You’re warned from the outset that nothing good comes from a circus, and the author draws you in to prove it’s true. Nicely done. You can't ask for a better setup for a murder.

~C. Hope Clark, author of the award-winning Edisto Island Mysteries, Carolina Slade Mysteries, and Craven County Mysteries. www.chopeclark.com