The Spectacular

I didn't like Marian's father he was very controlling about how Marian wanted to follow her dreams for being a dancer and wanted her to live her life the way he wanted her to and marry someone and be a housewife. I didn't blame Marian's mother for leaving that not a happy place to be living in and leaving her children behind and that how Marian's mother saw her life passing by her and what she wanted to do to make Lucille happy. And Lucille was told by Marian's father not to go after her dreams and Lucille went after what she wanted to do not Simon and if I was Marian I would never stepped back into the house in Bronxsville the way Marian's treats and talks to her like she is a child. Simon didn't seem to really care about catching the person who killed his daughter instead of ignoring it I would be on everyone's case if someone who I love was killed making sure the killer deserve what's coming to them. Marian would be miserable if she was engaged and married to Nathaniel so her asshole of a father would be very happy. Marian finally found out what kind of person her father really was and Lucille was threated to keep away from Marian and her sister by her father and my father had Parkinson's and he wasn't never controlling or being nasty to people and I gave this a 4 stars.

Wow. I thought I was going to love this book. I like the story when the plot points are summarized down to a basic outline, but I couldn't stand Marion and her self doubt. I couldn't stand her sister, fiancé, or father. Peter was blah and they didn't even get together until they were in their 60's? I wanted more story while she was a Rockette and less about her moping around about her crap family. I feel like this is just poorly written fan fiction about the actual “Mad Bomber” and the start of the criminal minds department of the FBI.

As expected from Fiona Davis, The Spectacular has a stunning NYC backdrop. I didn't even read the synopsis when I picked up this book. I saw Radio City Music Hall on the cover and didn't care to know more. Plus, having read The Magnolia Palace, I figured it was a safe bet.    More or less on a whim, teenaged Marion auditions to be one of the Radio City Rockettes, figuring the audition would be as far as she'd go. Being accepted causes a riff with her father, but as time goes on, his disapproval becomes the least of her problems. After an explosion during a performance, Marion gets involved in the investigation.    I didn't love this as much as I thought I would. Of course I loved the setting and all, I just found myself disconnected from the characters and mystery. Even so, Fiona Davis' writing style made me want to continue. I'm going to hang onto this and visit it another time. It's been a while since I've visited New York. I can see myself getting a taste of Broadway and wanting to visit it.