Review: The Atomic Circus (KC Finn)

Caecilius Rex is used to seeing dead bodies in his work as a detective, but stumbling upon an incinerated body that has been dropped from an unknown height is a bit unusual. Cae is good with the strange and difficult to explain, though, and he is more than ready to take lead on this bewildering case. It's a decision that proves more dangerous than he could have imagined.

I loved the seamless combination of genres in this book. There are clear elements of noir mystery from the first page. The night opening with clandestine Cae finding the body is very reminiscent of Bogart and Sam Spade. Added to the noir elements is a modern twist of the story being set in post-apocalyptic Europe. This gives the story a sci-fi edge that allows more creative methods of not only detective work, but murder as well. The mix of genres will draw in a wide variety of readers.

The overall story was very well conceived. Readers will get to see both the procedural side of the investigation and the more fantastical aspects of the murder itself and the methods involved. I liked the fact that while the investigation was methodical, it wasn't overly technical and didn't bog the reader down with too many details. I very much enjoyed the sci-fi side of the story that dealt with strange chemical drugs and places like the Atomic Circus. It really added an exciting edge to the mystery because the possibilities expand so much and leave the reader guessing. Speaking to mystery of the incinerated body, the pacing varied between moderate moments of investigation and faster, more dangerous scenarios. The pacing pulls readers along easily, making them eager for answers and excited to keep reading.

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed the story, I loved the characters. Caecilius Rex is will catch readers attention from the first page. His cool attitude at finding the charred body makes it immediately clear that Cae is familiar with tragedy and is personally scarred by what he has experienced. The gloves only add to his mystery, and I won't give anything away there, but learning about Cae's past is certainly a huge draw. I will definitely be continuing the series to find out more about Cae.

Get your copy of The Atomic Circus and KC's other books today.

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Meet the Author

Born in South Wales to Raymond and Jennifer Finn, Kimberley Charlotte Elisabeth Finn (known to readers as K.C., otherwise it'd be too much of a mouthful) was one of those corny little kids who always wanted to be a writer. She was also incredibly stubborn, and so has finally achieved that dream in 2013 with the release of her first three novellas in the four-part Caecilius Rex saga, the time travel adventure The Secret Star and her new urban fantasy epic The Book Of Shade.

K.C. Finn has also recently been welcomed into the fold at Clean Teen Publishing as a debut Young Adult author for 2014 - look out for her epic Paranormal/Historical Adventure The Mind's Eye, coming early 2014!

As a sufferer with the medical condition M.E./C.F.S., Kim works part time as a private tutor and a teacher of creative writing, devoting the remainder of her time to writing novels and studying for an MA in Education and Linguistics.

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