One women's quest for revenge gets tangled with her cousin's desperate plea for her help in this 1930s historical fiction set during the Chicago World's Fair. There are three perspectives in this book: Rosa, a mysterious dancer at the World's Fair who is plotting revenge on the man who killed her family; Mina, a young woman who just gave birth in captivity and had her baby taken from her; and Danny, the not-quite mobster who was paid by Mina's uncle (definitely a mobster) to keep her hidden until after her pregnancy and to arrange the baby's adoption despite Mina's protests.

The backdrop of the World's Fair is a great setting and it made the book special. The drama was fun, and the characters were likable. I hoped for more depth and development in the characters and relationships, but ultimately it was a fun book anyway.

3.5 stars ( )

This novel is centered around the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago. Rosa is a performer, merging dance and magic in a way that's fascinating to some and lurid to others. But she's in Chicago to for more than just performance, an Italian pilot from her past is also due to arrive and Rosa wants vengeance. Her plans are derailed, however, when a young cousin with her own troubles shows up and makes for additional complications with the family Rosa has mixed feelings for. Overall, a good read full of details and action. ( )

The 1933 Chicago World’s Fair takes place in the middle of the Great Depression. People got to the Fair to escape the harsh reality and poverty of their everyday lives. At the World’s Fair, people can experience people, places, and things that they only dreamed about.

Madame Mystique, aka Rosa Mancuso, is a burlesque performer, working her magic at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. She, along with her fellow performers, move along the margins of society. What no one knows is that she is planning a very special vendetta for an Italian pilot scheduled to perform in an air show at the Fair very soon. Her plans are in danger of being uprooted when her estranged cousin, Mina, comes to the Fair, begging for her help with a family problem.

Anika Scott is a wonderful storyteller. The story travels from Chicago to Sicily and back again. Scott’s writing style is smooth and uncomplicated, yet the reader feels immersed in the scenery she describes for the reader. Throughout the story, Scott switches between the perspectives of the three main characters, but it is never confusing. It lends itself to building layered characters that show growth as the plot progresses.

Scott uses the backgrounds of the three main characters to touch on topics we are all familiar with today, such as race, interracial relationships, politics, family honor, and the problems faced by those that do not fit the mold of “polite society”. This is all accomplished while the reader is immersed in the magic of the Fair before being hit with a shocking and brutal conclusion.

Thanks to BookSirens, Anika Scott, and Duckworth Books for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. ( )

I received an advance copy of this book. Thank you.
Overall, this was a good book, with a lot of interesting things going on and for it, but somehow it didn't quite captivate me. Maybe there was too much going on and not enough development.
Interesting was all the info about the World's Fair, I didn't know much about that. I thought it very interesting that some of the first baby incubators were an exhibit at the fair. I loved the interaction of the fair workers; they were all a family to each other.
Interesting was about how well received the Pilots from Mussolini's Italy were received, that surprised me.
Interesting was the stigma of being unmarried and pregnant, especially the interracial aspect.
Interesting the mob control of Chicago, and the Sicilian connection.
I also missed the connection of the title to the actual book. Was Chicago known as the starlight city? The World's Fair?
All this propelled the book along, and I never wanted to give up, but I kept hoping for more depth and connection to the characters. ( )

Set against the backdrop of the Chicago Worlds Fair, this action-packed book is hard to put down. Rosa Mancuso left Chicago for Sicily with her Italian mother after the death of her black father. She was raised in Sicily until her family was violently killed. Narrowly escaping, Rosa eventually returns to Chicago seeking revenge.

Known as Madam Mystique, Rosa is an exotic dancer. Her show at the fair is one of the most popular, and Rosa becomes a celebrity in her own right. However, her main reason for being in Chicago is still revenge.

When Rosa's cousin Mina comes to her begging for help, Rosa Can not turn her away. Mina has given birth to a biracial baby and her Chicago Mob family has decided the baby should be sent to an orphanage. Mina's father paid a mobster, named Danny, to hold Mina hostage until the baby was born. Can Rosa help Mina get her baby before Danny takes it to an orphanage?

Danny is, to me, one of the most interesting characters in the book. He grew up rough, and became a mobster, but has a very kind heart. He knows it is wrong to take Mina's baby. Can he help right this wrong without getting himself killed by the mob?

This book is full of interesting, well-developed characters. Scott's description of the fair makes me wish I could have been there. The sights, the sounds, and the scenery are brought to life as Mina tries to protect and keep her baby and Rosa seeks revenge against the one who killed her family. The story drives on toward an unexpected ending. (No spoilers here!).

This is a story you won't be able to put down.

Read this book if you...

...enjoy historical fiction

...enjoy suspense

...enjoy stories about the mob ( )