DAVIS, FIONA ~ SPECTACULAR, THE

This review is my own opinion and NOT affiliated with any other literary entity

Fiona Davis improves with every novel.  The Spectacular is no exception.  Davis' M O is to take a New York City landmark, match it to something political or historical in a particular era, and then tell the story of a woman in the past and a woman in the present/future (for example - The Magnolia Palace is set in the 1920s for the past story, and the 1960s for the future story.)  In only two of her novels, both set in the 50s, Davis tells the story of one main protagonist - in The Spectacular it's Marion Brooks, a dancer who defies her father and becomes a Rockette.  Marion comes face to face with a dangerous man intent on blowing up Radio City Music Hall, and stops a 16-year crime spree.

While Marion Brooks is fictional, George Metesky is real enough.  Known as the Mad Bomber, for 16 years in the 40s and 50s Metesky planted bombs in well trafficked New York City buildings. He planted 33 bombs, 22 of them exploded, and 15 people sustained injuries. Early criminal profiling aided in catching Metesky.  Metesky lost his job with a power company after inhaling a blast of hot gasses and being denied workman's comp. His hatred for the company caused him to lash out with threatening phone calls, letters, and pipe bombs. Metesky was not caught in as dramatic a way as the novel - although when arrested, he was wearing a buttoned double breasted suit (as predicted by Peter in the novel.)

Marion Brooks is a dutiful daughter, living at home in her twenties, teaching dance classes, and waiting for her boyfriend to propose. She isn't close with her fastidious and shy sister Judy, who works as their father's secretary.  Their father is an executive at the power company. He expects perfection from both his daughters. But Marion, compelled by the unfulfilled dreams of her deceased mother, feels suffocated. On a whim she auditions for The Rockettes and is chosen. Her father kicks her out of the house, so Marion flees to New York City, takes up residence all girl's boarding house The Rehearsal Club (once home to Carol Burnett), and trains every day to become a Rockette.  On a double date she means psychology student Peter Griggs, who thinks that coming up with psychological "profiles" of criminals will aid in solving crime.  He and Marion spark to one another, but keep each other at arm's length until the Big Apple Bomber makes his heinous acts personal for Marion.

I enjoy Davis' novels immensely because while she uses big places and well documented historical facts, she throws in smaller details - like The Rehearsal Club - to layer in specific authenticity. I'm hoping her next novel is set at the Guggenheim, just so readers can see the impressive list of Peggy Guggenheim's lovers. With yet to be explored locations like Rockefeller Center, Horn & Hardart, The Cloisters, Tiffany's, Sak's Fifth Avenue, Studio 54... Davis will be writing many more novels and I will be reading each one.