The Midnight Carousel

by Fiza Saeed McLynn

The Night Circus meets Water for Elephants in this enchanting, darkly glittering story of grief, obsession, revenge, and enduring love. 

Come children, come children from far and near. Come choose your steed, you galloping knights, to enjoy the fun of the carousel . . .

1920, Chicago
Maisie Marlowe has come to America for a fresh start. After discovering an antique fairground carousel, she is seized by the idea of running a glittering amusement park. But little does she know that the wondrous object has a sinister past of its own.

Paris
A decade ago, fairgoers inexplicably vanished riding an extraordinary carousel, and Detective Laurent Bisset closed the case with a suspect behind bars. So when rumors of fresh disappearances in Chicago also linked to a carousel make their way across the Atlantic, Laurent sets out for new answers to an old mystery. 
Maisie and Laurent both hold clues to this dark puzzle.
But can they piece it together before the carousel claims someone else?
 

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Fiction, Historical, Magical Realism, Suspense

368 pages, Paperback

First published April 24, 2025

About the author

Fiza Saeed McLynn read History at Oxford University and had a brief career in finance before spending the next 12 years helping the bereaved as part of her work as a complementary therapist. She lives in London with her American husband, and two children. The Midnight Carousel is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Ceecee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grief stricken Gilbert Cloutier constructs a beautiful carousel for the 1900 Exposition. In 1914 in Paris, Detective Laurent Bisset is on the mysterious case of missing children that seems to link to the carnival carousel. Meanwhile, on Canvey Island, Essex, Maisie Marlowe has had a tough start to life but her fortunes change when her aunt Mabel takes her under her wing and into the household of Sir Malcolm Randolph. After a number of tragedies, Maisie emigrates to the USA with Sir Malcolm and they settle in Fairweather House in Chicago. Sir Malcolm buys a carousel on a whim and eventually they establish The Silver Kingdom amusement park with the carousel as its centrepiece. However, sadly, history seems to be repeating itself.

About the only thing that I love about fairgrounds is a carousel and I don’t take much persuasion to choose my horse and jump on. So a story that has a carousel as it’s focus has my interest immediately and this is a very promising debut novel. There are some vivid descriptions especially of the mysterious carousel and it’s easy to picture the scenes that occur around it, especially as the author cleverly hints at the magical and certainly weaves in the very mysterious. It’s therefore a very atmospheric read with great settings and really good characters creating a harmonious whole. Maisie goes on a real emotional journey and experiences danger, loss, grief and love and through it all she forges her way, rising above everything that is thrown at her with determination and resilience. It’s always good to have a central female character that is strong and tough. All the characters are well portrayed from Laurent to Sir Malcolm and Mrs Papadopoulos, the latter who is immensely likeable with some great dialogue between her and Maisie. She has a clearer grasp of Maisie’s strength perhaps more than Maisie herself.

I enjoy jumping on this ride with Maisie and although the ending does come at us with some speed, it does take things full circle. Congratulations to the author for this lovely tale which suggests that she has a promising future as an author.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Michael Joseph for the much appreciated epub in return for an honest review.

[Sarah Penner · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book of 2024! Thank you to PRH for the advance copy. Look for this in the UK in 2025!

[Katie Lumsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great novel – gothic, intriguing, twisty-turny, with an epic love story at its heart and a wonderful atmosphere.

[Ildiko Szendrei · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este departe de ceea ce ar putea inspira coperta. Nu avem thriller, nu avem fantasy. Avem cel mult un mystery ușurel. Acest carusel, care trece proba timpului și care călătorește în funcție de cumpărătorul său ascunde ceva misterios: mai multe persoane care urcă pe un anumit cal dispar, inclusiv copii. Nimeni nu mai știe nimic de acești oameni.

Din păcate, în carte nu s-a pus prea mare accent pe carusel, nu este o atmosferă sumbră, încărcată, gotică sau orice altceva ar putea sugera o astfel de idee. Din contră, în centrul atenției este povestea unei tinere care ajunge să administreze un parc de distracții în care există și acest carusel. O vedem cum se dezvoltă, cum cunoaște primii fiori ai dragostei și cum suferă mai apoi.

Nici explicația pentru acele dispariții nu m-a mulțumit. Să spunem că poate finalul a fost înduioșător.

[Jazzy Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am incredibly grateful to both NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read and review The Midnight Carousel. Being selected to explore this captivating story before its official release has been such a treat, and I can’t wait to share my thoughts on it with all of you. A huge thank you to the teams at NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for their generosity and for making this advanced reading experience possible.

Paris, 1900

Celebrated carousel-maker Gilbert works night and day to finish his masterpiece in time for the city's Exposition Universelle. But Gilbert is struggling in the wake of his wife and son's tragic deaths, and as he finalises his creation, a dangerous idea forms in his mind...

Chicago, 1920

Maisie Marlowe has come to America in the search of a new life. When she unearths a beautiful, neglected old carousel, she seizes the opportunity to carve a thrilling new destiny for herself. But Maisie doesn't know that beneath its glittering facade, the carousel is hiding a dark secret. Twenty years ago, it was linked to a number of people inexplicably vanishing into thin air - and now history has begun to repeat itself...

This is THE author to watch! Wow! I do not know how she's going to match let alone top The Midnight Carousel. It gave me all the vibes that The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern did. I was so utterly immersed in the world that Fiza created.

This book just has so many different aspects that I love. The mystery itself was interesting and kept me wanting to know more. In my spare time whilst not actively reading the book I was conjuring up different conclusions to the mystery, it had me hooked.

The characters are everything. There was development all around which was great to see. Even the minor characters had stuff going on. I am quite literally obsessed with Maisie and also Laurent.

I genuinely do not have a bad word to say about this book. The mystery was intriguing, the characters were wonderful and the pace was perfect. Going a little deeper into the pace, it wasn't so slow to the point where you become bored but it's also not too fast so that you speed by everything and it's over before you know it. This book took it's time but not unnecessarily. The descriptiveness was beautiful but absolutely needed to create this universe. Sometimes I find that authors can be descriptive for the sake of it and not because the story calls for it.

This is an absolute work of art. I cannot wait for the rest of the world to find themselves immersed in this story.

Fiza, I hope you are proud of yourself. You have every right to be, this is a beautiful book.

I am still baffled as to how this is someone's debut novel, it is simply amazing.

[Stil de scriitor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nu prea am rezonat cu povestea sau cu personajele. Nu de puține ori m-am plictisit, dar m-am încăpățânat să o duc până la capăt. Se aseamănă puțin cu Circul nopții. Însă ca subiect este diferită. Un alt lucru care m-a făcut ii reduc nota este faptul că mi s-a părut inutil lungită. Cartea este ficțiune istorica, romance, mister, un pic de gotic și o idee de fantasy.

[Jess The Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
In Paris in the early 1900s, a man who is stricken with grief builds a beautiful, one-of-a-kind carousel, but it is a carousel into which he has infused a darkness.

Later, in the 1920s in Chicago, Maisie and her guardian come across the carousel, and purchase it, taken in by the beauty, the nostalgia and their need to add some whimsy to distract from their own tragedies.

The carousel comes with a mysterious problem. Sometimes, a person disappears while riding it, never to be seen again. A detective arrives from Paris when he hears that people have disappeared now in Chicago, as the same thing had happened in Paris. No one can figure out who or what could be behind it.

I was drawn in by the mystery and allure of the carousel, and had to keep the pages turning so that I could find out what caused the disappearances. Maisie's story was very interesting to follow from her time at an orphanage and through her need to discover her true identity and her place in the world. There were two decisions made by her though, that really made made me question her integrity, and overall my opinion of her was a bit cloudy.

Recommended for anyone looking for a trip to the early 1900s, filled with mystery and whimsy, love and loss, and sprinkled throughout it all: a bit of hope.

Thank you to Penguin South Africa for the gifted copy of this book.

[Han Preston · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started strong but I was left a little disappointed. Too many “hmm” moments and a big plot hole. I loved the idea of the mysterious carousel which was making people disappear, and it was interesting to have the story set in both Paris and Chicago, but the storyline just fell a bit flat.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever you decide to read a book by an author who’s new to you, you never really know what to expect and there’s always a risk you won’t like it, particularly when it’s a debut novel like this one. Fortunately, I loved The Midnight Carousel from the beginning; it’s such an original, unusual story that I was completely captivated by it.

The carousel of the title is built in 1900 by Gilbert Cloutier for the Grand Exhibition in Paris. Gilbert is struggling to come to terms with his grief over the recent loss of his young son, so he decides to add some special features to the carousel in memory of the boy. This is the last thing he does before disappearing without trace. Over the years that follow, the carousel gains a sinister reputation when it becomes linked with further disappearances and Detective Laurent Bisset is asked to investigate. He thinks he has caught the culprit, but several years later history begins to repeat itself, leaving Laurent questioning whether he has made a terrible mistake.

Meanwhile, in England, Maisie Marlowe is being raised by abusive foster parents in Canvey Island, Essex. Maisie has no idea who her real parents are and the only things that sustain her through this miserable period of her life are her friendship with her foster brother and a picture of a beautiful carousel that she found on the beach. Eventually, an aunt comes to rescue her and takes her to live in the home of Sir Malcolm Randolph where she has just taken a job as housekeeper. Due to an unexpected sequence of events, Maisie ends up emigrating to America with Sir Malcolm where they open an amusement park in Chicago with a magnificent carousel as the star attraction – the exact same carousel as the one in Maisie’s picture and the same one that was built at Gilbert Cloutier’s factory in Paris.

When the disappearances begin again, Laurent Bisset is sure there must be a connection with the earlier incidents in France, so he travels to Chicago determined to uncover the truth this time. Here he crosses paths with Maisie, bringing the two threads of the novel together. I loved both characters and was interested in their personal stories – Maisie’s Dickensian childhood and her incredible change of fortune and Laurent’s dedication to making amends for his past mistakes – but I also enjoyed watching their relationship develop as they come together over the mystery of the carousel.

The mystery element of the book is not so much a whodunit as a howdunit. How can people be disappearing into thin air while riding the wooden jumping horses? Is the carousel itself haunted? Did Gilbert Cloutier place a curse on it? Is someone somehow snatching people from the horses without being seen? Although there were a few clues that I thought could and should have been noticed by Laurent and the police, I can also understand how they could have been missed. When we eventually get some answers, they are both clever and creepy and what I found particularly unsettling is that all through the book I never really knew whether I was reading magical realism or something with a more human explanation. The eerie atmosphere, along with the fairground setting, kept reminding me of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, but I think this is a better book.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Midnight Carousel and loved getting to know Laurent, Maisie and the secondary characters – I particularly liked Mrs Papadopoulos the dairy seller and Madame Rose the fortune-teller. I’ll certainly be putting Fiza Saeed McLynn on my list of authors to look out for in the future.

[Penelope · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this without knowing much about it and from the title/cover I expected something a little more magical but what I got was an interesting, intriguing historical novel with a criminal twist and a slow burn romance. There was much I really enjoyed about this, it was atmospheric, engaging, well written, and I wasn't always sure quite where the story would take me. However, at times I felt that the characters were a little formulaic, a little too stereotypical, and there were a few too many coincidences for me to completely lose myself in the plot. This is a solid debut novel though, and I think one that many people will really, really enjoy. I look forward to seeing what this author writes next.

[Sophie Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

spellbinding mystery 🎠

[Ellie Bartlett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Fiza Saeed McLynn, HarperCollins Publishing, and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book (which releases very shortly, so if you would like to preorder a copy, please do it soon!).

2.5 stars

The first ten percent of this book had me hooked. The air of mysticism, the hopping timelines, the presence of a fantastical carousel -- all of it made me think of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Needless to say, I was intrigued and excited to see if it would take off in the same direction. Alas, it did not. Those first fifty pages or so were undoubtedly the best of the entire novel, in prose and objective. Beyond them, the plot turned to mush.

The carousel that is featured in the title is introduced shortly into the book. The process of its creation is something marked by tragedy, with the inventor's wife and son passing when he is in the middle of the project, leaving him almost manic with grief. Still, he is able to finish the project, honoring his son by casting his name into the head of one of the horses.
Maisie, our main character, has no recollection of her parents and has lived the entirety of her life in a neglectful group home/orphanage set up on the coast of England. After several years of enduring horrendous conditions at the hands of two cruel caregivers, her lovely Aunt Mabel arrives and whisks her away to better living. While Mabel works as a governess for the niece of a rich and kindly man, Sir Malcolm, Maisie makes the best memories of her life. Shortly, she adjusts to the lavish lifestyle and, although maintaining a spirit of humility due to her humble upbringing, she blossoms with happiness. One of her most magical memories are of her going to her first-ever funfair with Mabel, Sir Malcolm, and his charge, a sweet and kind girl named Charlotte. There, the pivotal carousel makes its first appearance, but not its last.
Not long after, Mabel and Charlotte fall victim to the dreaded scarlet fever aggressively striking the country. After this tragedy, Maisie and Malcolm are both cast into a haze of grief that eventually sends them to Chicago in pursuit of a new life, untainted by negative memories. This is where they once again come across the very same carousel that left such a positive impression on them at the funfair years ago. Malcolm, normally a canny man, makes an impulsive decision and purchases the carousel.
After it is erected at their new home, Maisie invites the neighborhood children to come and enjoy it, and that's when the first mysterious disappearance happens, that of young Billy, a tailor's boy, whisked right off the ride. His disappearance is never solved, so with a sober mind, it is closed down.
Years later, after Malcolm has become a recluse and drank much of his money away, never truly overcoming the grief that chased them to America in the first place, Maisie -- fresh with the optimism of reaching new-adulthood -- decides to reopen the carousel, with a few additions. An amusement park, something that will put the carousel, which has been lying idle all this time, to use, and which will also bring in revenue that will sustain the household.
Only, it quickly becomes evident that Billy isn't the first individual to mysteriously disappear from the carousel, and he may not be the last.
Over a decade earlier, when the carousel had been running in France, young and promising Detective Laurent of the French Constabulary had investigated a series of disappearances very similar to that of Billy. A man was accused and found to be the cause of the disappearances, and subsequently beheaded, but the bodies of his victims were never found. Assuming the case was closed, Laurent received a promotion and the families were able to find some sort of closure, even if the pieces never fully fit. An ally to the murderer was assumed to exist, but was never uncovered.
People went on with their lives.
But when Laurent hears of the amusement park, and then the case of Billy, he gets a hunch that maybe the trouble isn't over.
In fact, maybe it's just beginning.

From there comes a confusing slew of events that don't make a lot of sense, from my perspective. The hairpin turns that the plot makes are nearly as harsh as my summary of the plot (which I am sorry for, but not enough so to rewrite that whole synopsis. You'll just have to deal with the bewildering mess.). Timelines make little sense and are inserted as if they were allowed a mind of their own; characters fall flat in every way, and only inspired pity in the best of cases; the story unravels and becomes dubiously interwoven, so as to rouse a feeling of cleverness that never comes to fruition. I noticed a couple of blatant plot holes, and based on other reviews, I am not the first to pick up on them. A few times, some action sequences were so unbelievable I flinched.
Maisie is seen across the span of a lifetime and undergoes many trials and misfortunes, yet her character only suffered from them. Upon meeting her as a twelve year-old girl in an orphanage, bereft and without any idea of where her parents are or who they could have been, one begins to feel pity for her. Alas, that pity is heightened as more tragedy strikes.
However, this snowballs into a crude conglomeration of disasters. After a while, it fails to inspire any sort of sympathy, and becomes rather annoying. Her whole character is what she has suffered through, without the benefit of her seeming to overcome any of these experiences. She doesn't make any effort to change herself or her situation; every event is merely "something that happens to her". She's like a leaf, floating along, battered by the wind, helpless. With an unknown parentage and skin that doesn't meet society's preferences, she is scorned. This is an awful thing that many during this period experienced, unfortunately. But she never proves herself. She lets herself get walked on and does a vast disservice to the real heroes who overcame adversity and racial discrimination in similar circumstances. Her character never developed, its growth prematurely stunted.
Her decision-making abilities are poor and her virtues don't compare to her vices. By the final chapter of the book, my feelings towards her had morphed from pity into mild, stale disgust.
Woefully, she was arguably the best character in the book, because none of the others left any impression on me whatsoever. Laurent had an interesting family structure and plenty of harsh memories that could have been cause for a unique, emotional storyline, but were instead only provided as a brief sideshow, quickly swept under the rug.
The forward-momentum of the book did the characters a disservice. Like an immature man in a relationship who refuses to commit, the author bounced between so many genres, it was a headache trying to sort them out. Thriller, mystery, romance, historical fiction, even fantasy were all literary classifications that were dabbled with, but never confidently dedicated to. This is a common theme found in debut works, and so I usually try to be more forgiving, but the severity found here cannot be overlooked. The romance wasn't focused on enough for chemistry to evolve, cheated by the rising stakes of the mystery aspect that also proved dull, as the thriller angle rudely interrupted its clue-finding cleverness by attempting to raise the intensity at awkward times. The consequence was an ending lacking in emotional depth or satisfaction.
At the end of the day, it was just too much at once. The author has talent, for sure; those first fifty pages were really beautiful, enough so that I upped the rating by half a star. I don't know what changed after them, but it was enough to bring a potentially masterful work to its knees.
I hope others find this book to be more enjoyable than I.
Happy reading!

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

So 4 and a half stars and a breathless finish later…🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟…

What a magical, suspenseful, breath taking ride through time and emotion. From a brief glimpse at the grief of a father and the creation of a carousel as a remembrance, to years of mysterious disappearances. Come children, come all, and ride The Midnight Carousel.

Meeting Maise will be an absolute pleasure for you. Her journey, one that will keep you hanging on to the reigns of your very own preferred carousel horse. Up and down and round and round.

You will follow Maise from her days of being an orphan, to being rescued by an angelic aunt. up the horse goes …

To untimely deaths and a move from England to America leaving all she knows behind. To acquiring carousel that was a savior to her in her orphan days … to eerie and unexplained disappearances… down your horse goes.

To lives gained, and lost. Stability gained, and lost. This ride will leave you hanging on and breathless until your own horse comes to the full circle ending.

This was an amazing read. A ride you shouldn’t miss. Haunting and beautiful. Mysterious and emotion provoking. This author not only leaves you breathless, but wanting more of her storytelling ability. For anyone who loves a good who done it, anyone who loves a good suspenseful journey, and anyone who loves a great tragedy and redemption story… this is the novel for you.

I was lucky to receive a gifted copy for my unbiased review and I thank both Harper Collins, as well as this talented Australian author (whom I will be searching for more from) for the opportunity to ride The Midnight Carousel in all of its up and downs, twists and turns to its amazing conclusion.

[Rishali Dey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to HIVE and HTP Books for the ARC

I went into The Midnight Carousel completely blind, and I’m glad I did. From the very beginning, I was pulled in by the whimsy of the setting, the eerie beauty of the carousel, and the central mystery surrounding it. Set in the early 1900s, the story revolves around a carousel so magnificent that anyone who rides a specific golden mare vanishes without a trace. No witnesses. No answers.

Naturally, I was immediately invested. I wanted to understand the magic behind the carousel and uncover what was really happening.

Without spoiling anything, I will say that I went into this expecting a stronger fantasy or magical element. However, around the 80% mark, it became clear that the story leans more heavily into a thriller/crime direction rather than mystery or fantasy. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but personally, I would have preferred a fantasy-forward approach given the premise.

I also struggled with some character choices. I couldn’t fully get behind the FMC’s decisions, and the MMC being a cheater made it difficult for me to root for them as a couple, which took away from my emotional investment.

That said, I really appreciated how the story explored the experience of a woman of color in early 20th-century America. Watching her navigate prejudice, responsibility, and the challenges of running an amusement park largely on her own was one of the strongest parts of the book for me, and I genuinely enjoyed that aspect.

In terms of pacing, the final reveal felt uneven. For much of the book, answers are withheld, and then in the last 100 pages, a lot is revealed very quickly. It felt rushed, as though too much was packed into too small a space after such a long buildup.

Overall, this was an intriguing read with a compelling premise and strong thematic elements, even if it didn’t fully land for me!

[♡Heather✩Brown♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gotta paste my review later

[Rachel_loves_to_read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Come children, come children from far and near. Come choose your steed, you galloping knights, to enjoy the fun of the carousel . . .

Paris, 1914

Detective Laurent Bisset has reluctantly closed a most puzzling case. Fairgoers have been vanishing while riding a dazzling carousel. The only man who could be responsible is behind bars – but Laurent cannot explain what happened to those still missing.

Chicago, 1920

Maisie Marlowe acquires a beautiful, antique carousel, and sets up the Silver Kingdom amusement park. It is a place of delight and wonder – until a child goes missing on its most famous ride. When rumours of the Chicago disappearance reach Laurent, he crosses the Atlantic in search of new answers to an old mystery. Together, can he and Maisie uncover the carousel’s secret before it claims another?

My thoughts:
I’ll be really honest… I’d read somewhere what is was compared to The Doll Factory, and I was scared to pick this up because I didn’t enjoy that book 🫣

In my opinion this was far better!

I was captivated by the storytelling. I loved following Maisie and her life and was so curious to discover the connection between her and the carousel. I loved how mysterious the story was and felt it had a bit of a supernatural/fantasy feel to it too.

The book is told through multiple pov and tells the story as it happens spanning across the years.

I liked that world events during the timeline of the story were mentioned and included but did not distract from the main story.

I loved how all the mysteries within the story were solved and wrapped up, and they were not rushed. I loved the link and relevance of Midnight in the title.

I absolutely loved this book. It felt magical and mysterious and had a touch of romance too.

Thank you so much to the author and Michael Joseph Books for the early proof of this book. Opinions expressed here are my own.

[Jane Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

A carousel holds a special kind of enchantment on young and old hearts alike and this wonderful novel captures the magic perfectly! Maisie and Laurent’s characters captivated me from the start and the mystery of this carousel that holds the reader throughout. I really enjoyed this book, it felt like it took me back to my youth.

[Kat (Katlovesbooks) Dietrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Midnight Carousel by Fiza Saeed is historical fiction novel about a woman's fascination of a specific carousel, and a specific horse on that ride.


I’d like to thank NetGalley, the publisher Harlequin Trade and the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


First, I admit that I'm not that big a fan of historical fiction, nor am I a romance reader.  This novel had both.  

However, the plot was really good, and the characters intriguing.  Maise was a wonderful character, both as a child, and as a woman.  She was a force to be reckoned with.  She had to fight for everything.  I loved that her fear of abandonment was part of the reason why she became so strong.  There was always a good reason behind her actions.

The story looked at how grief can affect people differently.  For example, the builder of the carousel was grief stricken when losing both his wife and son, and funneled that grief into the carousel.  Sir Malcolm's grief of losing Mabel had him drinking and staying in his room for long periods of time.  And with every miscarriage, Nancy became more of an alcoholic, and a repulsive being.  Everyone handled their grief differently.

Plot-wise, it had an interesting premise.  A mysterious carousel where riders occasionally vanished.  Hmmm.  That was really good.  There were a number of twists to the plot, which made it even more interesting.

Overall, this was a wonderful debut novel, and an author to watch!

Anyway, until next time ....


For a more thorough review of this book and others (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, my own synopsis of the book, and its author information), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

 

[Pearla · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Thank you The Hive for the early e-arc!!

Eerie and fast-paced historical fiction about a young orphan, a detective, and a string of missing people all centered around a mesmerizing carousel. Story about belonging, loss, grief and how one chooses to move forward.

I really enjoyed this book. The writing had a hazy dreamlike quality but at the same time so grounded and intense??? I have no idea how to explain it. Love reading about a woman, who against all the odds, build a successful and strong life for herself.

I wish were more involved in the uncovering of the mystery because it felt a little abrupt. As well as the sudden shifts of the storyline… but hey, I guess that’s life! Excited to read more of her work in the future.

[Juliet Bookliterati · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Midnight Carousel, just the title of the book drew me in, and then the book blurb had me hooked. This book covers most of the twentieth century, from he early 1900’s to the 1980’s and takes the reader from France to England to America. I lived near a fun fair as a child and the carousel was always my favourite ride, but what about a carousel where you get on but never get off, simply disappear into thin air, a great premise for an immersive book. This book doesn’t fit into any of the established genres, instead it crosses crime, mystery, romance, history and a touch of the supernatural, an excellent cocktail in my opinion.

The plot if this book and fascinating and really got into my head in a good way. The Carousel is made for the Paris Exposition of 1900, a beautiful work of art and for the maker a peice to remember the son he had lost. However, after three people vanish whilst riding the carousel, Detective Laurent Bisset feels he has the murderer but there are no bodies. This is a case that stays with him, so a fews later when he reads of the same thing happening in Chicago he has to go and investigate.

Detective Bisset is a complex figure, his mother commits suicide when he is young and he is brought up by his domineering father for whom he is always a disappointment. As a detective he is dogged in finding the truth, even after the man he arrested got the death penalty. He is able to accept that they got it wrong which plays on his mind.

The other main character is Maisie who also had a troubled childhood. She spent the first years of her life with a foster family who were violent and cruel until her aunt came to claim her. Her aunt’s employer becomes her guardian and she gets a new life in America, a life where her guardian buys her the carousel. Maisie was my favourite character, she overcame her foster years, the fact that she was mixed race and faced prejudice to becoming a succesful business woman in running her own fun fair, the Silver Kingdom. Her relationship with Detective Bisset grew throughout the book, not only in trying to solve the mystery of the carousel but also on a personal level. Both have had troubled childhoods and have trust issues but in each other they find understanding, friendship and romance.

As a debut novel this is really impressive, with its multi layered plot, characters with depth and reality and a prose that grabs you. I just loved the idea of a carousel where riders simply disappears, like Detective Bisset I tried to think of how this could happen; how did they vanish, how could there be no bodies and where was the killer. The other thread was the beautiful blooming romance between Maisis and Detective Bisset, how he tried to find her parents for her, searching Paris at night. As I was reading The Midnight Carousel I felt it had a feel of one of my favourite books, The Night Circus with it’s magic, romance, suspense, and the beautiful prose. The historical aspect was also well written especially in the descriptions of America in the 1920’s, the bootleg alcohol, the jazz clubs, the mix of cultures and the opportunities available.

The Midnight Carousel is a book that has stayed with me since reading it. It left me with a soft fuzzy feel in relation to the characters whom I loved and a feeling of fascination and awe in regards to the plot. Beautifully written and imagined this is an enchanting and magical read and I can’t wait to read what Fiza Saeed McLynn writes next.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really was a great story set in turn of the century. I love historical fiction and in my opinion this story works best as a work of historical fiction rather than the magical fantasy side. The settings and historical context was most interesting at this time of great innovations and expositions in Britain, France and America. I enjoyed the dynamics between characters while never feeling too atatched to any of them! Many thanks to NetGalley for an arc of this book.

[Cyntia Bissonnette · Rating 2 out of 5]

So sad, because the premice is original, the writing is engaging, but the plot does not really make sense. Some elements are blatant plot devices poorly tied into the story. It also feels the author tried to write a romance/terror/detective/fantastic story. Somewhat confusing to read. I am surprised by the great reviews.

[Lena Friebel · Rating 4 out of 5]

•Buchrezi• 😓

Schon als kleines Mädchen erblickte Maisie ein Karussell, dessen kunstvolle Pferde sie sofort in ihren Bann zogen.
Jahre später wagt sie den Sprung über den Ozean: England hinter sich, Amerika vor sich, ein neues Leben in den aufstrebenden 20ern von Chicago.
In ihrem Gepäck: ein wundervoll gearbeitetes Karussell. Und mittendrin das Pferd, das sie am meisten verzaubert, der karamellfarbene Theo, ein Wesen aus Holz, Farbe und irgendwie mystisch.

Rasch zieht die zauberhafte Attraktion Menschen an, wird zum Mittelpunkt eines kleinen Themenparks. Doch kaum hat Maisie in ihrer neuen Welt Fuß gefasst, beginnt das Unheil: Fahrgäste verschwinden spurlos, als hätte das Karussell sie verschluckt. Maisie taumelt zwischen Schuld und Fassungslosigkeit. Nie hätte sie gedacht, dass ihr größter Schatz ein Tor in etwas Dunkles öffnet.

Dann erscheint Laurent Bisset, ein Pariser Kommissar, der mehr weiß, als Maisie ahnt. Denn auch in Paris, auf der Weltausstellung, verschwanden einst Menschen, nachdem sie auf genau diesem Karussell Platz genommen hatten…

Mein Fazit:
Ich bin völlig ahnungslos in diese Geschichte gestolpert, angezogen vom magischen Cover und der Idee eines mysteriösen Karussells. Wir begleiten Maisie und die Menschen um sie herum, alle mit einem schweren Päckchen. Ihre schmerzhafte Vergangenheit, die Suche nach ihren Wurzeln und die Tragik der unerklärlichen Vorfälle haben mich tief berührt. Bis zuletzt blieb das Rätsel um die verschwundenen Fahrgäste für mich undurchdringlich. Keine Sorge, die Fäden werden am Ende zusammengeführt.

Das Setting, die Stimmung und die geheimnisvolle Aura des alten Karussells haben mich verzaubert. Aber manchmal wirkte die Handlung ein wenig zufällig und die Auflösung nicht ganz so ganz überzeugend, wie ich es mir gewünscht hätte. Doch ich bin froh, dass die Geschichte nicht in eine Richtung abgedriftet ist, die ich befürchtet hatte…

Das Ende hätte ich mir anders gewünscht, aber nun ja… nicht jedes Märchen erfüllt alle Hoffnungen.

Habt ihr den Mut, eine Runde mit Theo, dem karamellfarbenen Pferd, zu drehen?

Ich vergebe 🎠🎠🎠🎠 von fünf 🎠en!

[Amie Boes · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ Book Review ⭐️
Gifted by @michaeljbooks & @fiza_loves_books
The Midnight Carousel by Fiza Saeed McLynn is a captivating story that combines history, mystery, and fantasy. Set in two timelines—Paris in 1900 and Chicago in 1920—the book follows Gilbert, a carousel-maker , and Maisie, a young woman ahead of her time, starting a fresh in America. Both characters are battling their own personal circumstances and their connection to a mysterious carousel with dark secrets drives the plot.
I much preferred Maisie’s storyline, I felt more connected to her than Gilbert and I liked that there was a bit of a love story at the heart that wasn’t too in depth.
Fiza’s writing is vivid and atmospheric which really brought the characters and storyline to life. Themes like grief, love, and obsession are handled with care, making the story emotional. The mix of historical detail and supernatural elements kept me hooked till the end.
Overall, it’s a unique read and not one I usually would have picked, but I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a touch of magic in their stories. I’m excited to see what others think of this as it’s such a different read!
#review #arc #arcreader #reviewer #bookstagram #booksta #debutnovel #reader #readersofinstagram

[R · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5/5 ⭐️

Yea, this one didn't work for me.

First of all, the premise was so intriguing and so original that I just bought it – never read reviews, never looked it up, just grabbed it and I was done. BIG MISTAKE. I always look books up before buying them and look, when I don't do it, THIS happens!

Anyway, the plot made 0 sense. Everything was a plot device poorly linked to the story itself and poorly tied together in the end. The picture perfect type of story that this book tried to be doesn't really sit well with the themes and general vibe of the story now, does it? On top of that, is boring as hell.

The characters were totally uninteresting and, at best, mediocre.

Yea, this is not a thriller, not even a fantasy. There is zero worldbuilding which would've given SOME logic to whatever the heck is (NOT) happening in this novel. I think this would've done great as an urban fantasy stand alone, not... whatever this was trying to be.

Not for me in the end.

[Jurga · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read a book written by the author I'm not familiar with, I try not to have any expectations, if I can help it. So I did for this book... And I'm unsure wherether that had any part in my opinion on this book.. But you know it's pretty darn good!

Interesting plot, some twists and turns, some ups and downs.. Some questionable decisions and lifetime feelings.. But so is life. A little bit sentimental.. But so are a lot of people.

At first I thought that carousel might serve similar part in the book as Something Wicked This Way Comes and maybe, in some part, it was a nod to this brilliant book. But it wasn't truly what it was. It has different meaning, different mystery and kind of different horror to it.

I wouldn't want to say more without spoiling it.. But it was well worth my time!

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something about a carousel that draws me to it. Is it the appeal of the brightly painted animals? The joyous music? The minutes on the ride where all your cares and concerns disappear? I'm not sure. What I do know is that The Midnight Carousel pulled me in just like a real carousel.

This story takes readers from 1900 Paris to 1920 Chicago as the mystery of the carousel deepens. In addition to the mystery of the carousel, we learn more about the family that Maisie has found herself living with and their dysfunctional ways. I felt sorry for Maisie as she navigated life in a new country with a family that wasn't really hers. She was a strong person, though, and I found myself cheering her on.

This was a new author to me, and I found that I really liked the characters she created and the way she told the story. Did I like every character? Absolutely not. I liked that she could successfully create characters for me to like and dislike, and even feel sorry for some I didn't like. That is the sign of a good author.

From cover to cover, this book kept my interest. I would definitely recommend it to those who are enchanted by carousels. This book is historical fiction, drama, and mystery with a touch of fantasy. It absolutely has something for everyone.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Renée · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating is between 3-4 stars.

What a book! That prologue truly hooked me and I became invested in Maisie’s story right away. What a whirlwind life she had. I love the history woven into this fictional story. At times, the mystery turned quite eerie. The conclusion was horrifying in a way, when you thought of the ones who were murdered.

My one small critique was that the leading male character was a cheater - couldn’t quite like or root for him and made the romance feel uncomfortable for me. However the conclusion between Laurent and Maisie’s caught me off guard!

Thank you to the Hive, HTP books & Park Row for the advanced digital copy for an honest review!

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you WME for an advanced copy!

What a special novel - especially if you love carousels. I loved how this was a magical mystery rooted in a bygone time. Such attention to detail that I could imagine myself at Silver Kingdom - the noises, smells and joy of the amusement park. It is a story of loss, love, hope, and determination, with a smidge of magic thrown in. Highly enjoyed!

[diasbookworld · Rating 5 out of 5]

O scriere unică și un roman de debut fabulos.Extrem de captivant ,plăcut și interesant. Atât misterul caruselului cat și atmosfera și poveștile despre familie și iubire au transformat cartea într-una absolut specială 🩷