The year is 1985, and O’ Hare’s Travelling Circus is touring the country, taking spectacular acts to enthralled audiences across the land. They have entertaining clowns, high-flying acrobats, a muscular strongman, a dare-devil motorcycle stuntman and much, much more.They also have Psychic Sheila – resident fortune-teller and agony aunt – who stumbles through life one disastrous romantic interlude … romantic interlude at a time. Of course, no close-knit group would be complete without its fair share of secrets, and who better to uncover them than Sheila, with her sixth sense and natural nose for a good mystery.
But for some members of the clan, time is running out… and the race to uncover the biggest secret of all is on.
This cozy mystery will have you laughing and crying in equal measure and might even prompt a visit to the circus.
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Sheila Hannigan is a fortune-teller and earns her living by travelling around the English countryside with a circus. She is very good at reading the crystal ball and telling her customers what lies ahead for them. So much so, they keep coming back to visit her whenever the circus is in their area.
Sheila is also a woman with a warm heart and is well-liked by the entire circus troupe. Whether they work under the canvas of the Big Top, or outside in the open air, she is always ready to do anything to help anyone of them as she considers them all as her friends. Nevertheless, though Sheila has been with the circus for a number of years, she is still surprised to learn that some of the members of the troupe have a secret they would rather not share. As the chapters unfold, the reader learns something new about each of the people in the troupe. It would appear that not everyone is as open as Psychic Sheila. But then, at the end of the day, might Sheila have a secret she would rather not share…
This is a delightful story. Each chapter opens up a whole new character and a secret they would rather keep to themselves. One way of looking at this novel, is that there are several separate stories. Yet they are all linked by Sheila’s curiosity, or maybe that should be nosiness, to get to the truth.
I’ve only read two of this talented author’s books but I have to say, if there’s an award for the best twist at the end, A.J. Griffith-Jones should win it!
Gypsy psychic Sheila Hannigan has a sixth sense about the secret lives of all the other circus performers. After all, they all bring outfits over for her to repair on her sewing machine. While stitching and drinking tea, they divulge secrets that weave mysteries into the tale. Sheila knows which ones are lying, if they are stealing, even when they are in love. Despite her inquisitive, brash nature, the attractive gypsy has the attention of many of the male performers and workers. Like a butterfly, she flits around without a serious relationship, solving problems and helping everyone. But summer is over and the circus will soon close down for the season. Everything is changing. The air is cooler and the tents are coming down.
What happens next? Sheila isn’t done. Her biggest show is still ahead. There are wonderful characters, trapeze artists, a ringmaster, clowns, a strongman and others who make the circus come alive. Run away with The Circus by reading it today!
Gypsy psychic Sheila Hannigan is a single woman no longer quite as young as she wishes she was. She isn’t really lonely. She has many friends among the performers and as a traveling psychic, many clients who return to visit year after year. She has more than a psychic “gift” though and we discover her using it to uncover secrets among those around her.
When a new dare devil joins the troupe, Sheila’s thoughts drift a bit more towards romance, but he has her firmly in the friend zone. Follow along as Sheila discovers new information about those she thought she knew. She, herself, may have a couple of secrets. Will they be discovered?
Enjoy the show told in remarkable fashion by a talented author and a narrator with diverse range.
Having read other titles by this author, I was keen to take a look at this offering. Set in the ’80s, the travelling troupe criss-cross the UK, stopping in various places whilst they wow the crowds with their skills and flamboyance. But there are secrets within, each member of the circus holding something very close to their chests.
A lovely story, beautifully told with memorable characters. I especially loved Shiela, with her blunt ways and the torrent of fecks that pour from her mouth on a daily basis. A real diamond.
Another memorable book from a very talented author. Highly recommended.
Irish Gipsy, Sheila Hannigan has a sixth-sense and works in a travelling circus, making her living by telling fortunes to the locals in each town.
Sheila is hiding a secret; as are most of the other circus members. Each chapter tells the tale of one of these characters, and how Sheila, through a mix of intuition, sixth-sense, a bit of snooping and nosiness, manages to draw out the truth from each individual.
The forty-something gipsy has no lack of perspective beaus, all clambering for her affection, and she finds herself in some sticky predicaments in which she needs all her wits and cunning to keep her admirers at bay.
By the end of the book, the circus season is coming to a close and Sheila must find another job to survive the winter months. When she is hired by another circus, she must face up to her own hidden secret to bring the novel to its unexpected climax.
A gentle, easy read that I would recommend for all ages.
I fell in love with the characters is this lovely book. The way A.J. Griffiths-Jones writes is truly gifted. Then add the narration by Gaynor N Kelly and you have a winner. I could see these characters come to life before my eyes. Add in a WOW ending and you have a book well worth your time. I was sorry for this story to come to an end.
I was gifted this book with the understanding that I would leave an honest review.
This review is for the audio book.
I did like this but it wasn’t what I was expecting. It was billed as a modern detective story, so I spent the whole story waiting for a murder to happen (spoiler alert there isn’t any) instead the book is made up lots of everyday mysteries like who is stealing from the circus people? why use water to oil a caravan? And who is the seeing who? All solved by the resident psychic. The stories were short bits of fun and ended with each new chapter. They were often funny and I think great for a car ride or a short journey. The characters were fun and I liked the circus setting making it an unusual story.
The narrator tried hard with her Irish accents but to an English ear it sounded funny and at times that was what made me laugh.