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Magical Midway #1

Witchiest Circus on Earth

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Magic under the big top.
Murder under investigation.
Can a non-practicing witch save the family business and live to see the encore?


Charlotte never had the choice to follow in her family’s magical footsteps. Her parents decided decades ago to live amongst the humans and leave the mystical circus far behind. But when her ringmaster uncle is murdered and wills her the family’s magical business, she feels the pull to step back under the big top. As she harnesses the awesome powers of the enchanted performance, she vows to bring her uncle’s killer to justice.

In the midst of juggling her investigation, running the show, and navigating rival groups of carnies, the human-phobic Witches Council schemes to replace her faster than a flying trapeze. With threats coming from both sides of the tent, Charlotte must unmask her uncle’s murderer before the legendary circus takes its final bow.

Witchiest Circus on Earth is the first book in the spellbinding Magical Midway paranormal cozy mystery series. If you like colorful characters, supernatural circuses, and twisty mysteries, then you’ll love Leanne Leeds’ show-stopping whodunit.

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 5, 2018

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About the author

Leanne Leeds

52 books100 followers
Leanne Leeds is an enchanting storyteller who spins magical tales of mystery, humor, and heart. Her whimsical contemporary paranormal mystery novels whisk readers away to a world where magic feels familiar and adventure waits around every corner.

With a charming voice and sprinkle of good-natured wit on every page, Leanne crafts stories as unexpected as they are captivating. Her quirky characters and serendipitous events intersect in delightfully unforeseen ways, delivering a reading experience as cozy as it is enthralling. Whether reading her paranormal cozies or paranormal women's fiction, readers will find a touch of enchantment in each word.

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5 stars
200 (45%)
4 stars
141 (31%)
3 stars
83 (18%)
2 stars
12 (2%)
1 star
5 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
Profile Image for Julie.
1,914 reviews566 followers
February 16, 2019
The Magical Midway is a circus. Not just any old carnival attraction, but a magical, travelling circus. Instead of trained animals and human performers, it's filled with paranormal creatures of all sorts. Charlotte Astley gets to spend one week every year visiting her Uncle Phil, ringmaster at the Magical Midway. Until he's murdered. Then Charlotte finds herself immersed in the world of paranormals, trying to investigate her uncle's death.

What a fun paranormal cozy mystery! I like the idea of a circus that isn't filled with caged, trained animals, but awesome paranormal creatures who truly love being part of the circus. Finally, a circus I can enjoy, without feeling angry or guilty because animals are being mistreated!

Charlotte makes a great main character. She hasn't got a clue how to run a paranormal circus, but she's willing to learn on the fly. My favorite character hands down is her familiar, Samson. He's a special black cat with plenty of magical cattitude!

I liked the plot of this first book in the Magical Midway series. Nice mix of humor, paranormal, and circus excitement, sprinkled with a little bit of mystery. I'm definitely going to keep reading this series! 10 books are planned. Five have been released so far, with a new book coming out soon. I'm moving on to book two, Life on the Lion. Can't wait to see what's in store next for the Magical Midway!

**I voluntarily downloaded a free copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
1,368 reviews14 followers
October 23, 2019
What a wonderful universe! A paranormal circus with its own rules and laws. This was a fun read. Charlotte becomes the Ringmaster of a paranormal circus when her uncle is murdered. Of course she has to investigate his murder but all while learning about the laws and rules of the paranormal circus. The paranormal circus folk also require lots of learning. I really liked the feel of this book and the promise of the series. Fun, funny and positive.
Profile Image for Carol.
1,628 reviews57 followers
May 12, 2019
Charlotte Astley’s parent are both witches
but prefer to live in the human world. Charlotte
is raised as a human never learning witchy skills.
The family lives in Mickwac, Texas.
One week per summer, she is allowed to visit her
Uncle Phil at his Magical Magical Midway. This
is paranormal circus and carnival. Hundreds of
Various paranormal types make this their home.
Uncle Phil is the Ringmaster until he gets poisoned.
Now the inexperienced Charlotte takes over as
Ringmaster. Her Uncle Phil’s spirit is able to
communicate with her.
Samson, the black cat, is a familiar that now
becomes Charlotte’s. Samson is able to read
thoughts and communicate through thoughts
to Charlotte. He is a main part of the story.
An array of unusual, quirky, colorful and
interesting characters involved in a murder
mystery plus an attempt on Charlotte’s life.
An intriguing read and very informative about
mystical creatures.
Profile Image for Kristina Rasmussen.
193 reviews3 followers
May 12, 2019
This was a fun read. I’m a sucker for the cozy paranormal genre I’ve decided. My only issue with this book is I had a hard time seeing the main character as a 30 year old. She seemed more like a late teen. I haven’t decided if that bothers me or not.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
592 reviews24 followers
February 23, 2019
At last...a circus with no guilt! ALL the "animals" here are...other. And magic abounds. Charlotte's uncle dies, leaving her the Ringmaster of a magical circus. But there's an issue...Charlotte's parents turned their backs on the witch world years ago, raising her in the mundane world. While she knows what she is, and has some innate talent, she's never been trained in magic, much less in handling the Magic of the Midway! But with the help of some shape-shifting carnival friends, the ghost of her uncle, and a very snarky familiar, she begins to find both her way and herself.
Profile Image for Seraphia.
1,911 reviews26 followers
May 15, 2018
My first paranormal circus story ever and I absolutely loved it and I couldn't bear to put it down! Hands down absolutely fantastic! Charlotte is a fantastic character and so much fun with her fellow circus mates.
Charlotte goes to her Uncle's circus every year for just ONE WEEK and then she has to go home (per her father's rules). So as you can guess Charlotte really doesn't know much about the circus OR the paranormals who call it home. Add to it, that Charlotte is a witch, but barely so. Here's why. Her dad doesn't want her practicing any magical abilities because he's concerned that her Uncle will want her to take over when he's ready to give it up. So much for all of that when her dear Uncle bites the big one waaaaaaaaaaaaayyy before his time and ends up dead. Now, the magic must pass on to another family member, Charlotte or her dad, or the circus will cease to be. Well, we all know how that goes. Now, Charlotte is not only in charge, but she's determined to find out who killed her Uncle and make sure that she doesn't get booted out of the way in the process either. Charlotte truly has her work cut out for her, but if she just listens to her new familiar, Samson, her ghostly Uncle and the couple of friends she makes along the way then she should be fine. Right? Of course. At least...we hope.
Witchiest Circus on Earth is the first book that I have read by Leanne Leeds, but the minute I saw it I knew I wanted to read it! I'm so happy that I was not disappointed in this book at all. Charlotte, of course, makes mistakes along the way and incurs the dire wrath of her feline familiar, but with a little push in the right direction, she sets things right. This story is twisty, engaging and loads of fun. I love being able to figure out who committed the crime before it's revealed, but the author really makes me work for it. Of course, once the pieces start to come together you'll spot it, too. ;-) This is such an enjoyable story from start to finish. You can really tell how the author took such care writing this story and helping it to flow as beautifully as it does.
There is honestly nothing that I don't like about this book. It is engaging from start to finish with lots of unique characters. There are some hiccups between the characters along the way, but it's to be expected when someone gets thrown into the deep end of the pool like Charlotte does. I loved how unique this storyline is and how it kept me hooked from start to finish. Needless to say, I am eager for more.
I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. I'm eager to read more about Charlotte as she takes over the circus and works to make it her new home. I'm sure that this is going to be a truly fantastic story that will keep me entertained for many stories (hopefully many) to come. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good paranormal story, loves circuses, and a hint of romance. This book is a must-read. You won't be disappointed.
Profile Image for Sally Wilsey.
377 reviews3 followers
July 20, 2019
This was a different kind of mystery book for me and i found myself reading it in one day. Centaurs, Witches and Kepies are all in this book. Charlotte has had a sheltered life in that she is a witch but her parents only her allow her t go to her Uncles Midway Circus one week a year. Charlotte turns 30 after her last trip finds out that her Uncle has died and she and her father are up to taking over the Paranormal Circus as Ringmaster. There are only 2 of these type circus' left. Charlotte is the one picked by the Witch Council to be the new Ringmaster. With no formal witch training but with the help of her friend a Kelpie Fiona, her inherited familiar Samson the cat and her deceased Uncle whom she found she can bring back and talk to telepathically she takes the role. After being there Charlotte finds her Uncle was actually killed. Fiona, and Samson go with her on her journey to find out who killed her Uncle, as well as how to run the circus. I have to say I loved the cat Samson he was as you would expect and cat to be and portrayed very well in the book. This is the first in this series and a great read.
Profile Image for Relina Skye.
Author 10 books46 followers
December 23, 2018
Witchiest Circus on Earth (Magical Midway Paranormal Cozy Mysteries Book 1) was written by Leanne Leeds. No one knows the true origins of the paranormal circuses. However, the running of them tends to be passed down from generation to generation. Though now there are only two left. Charlotte's family is connected to the Magical Midway. Her uncle is the headmaster, and her father wants nothing to do with it. Even her mother who is also a witch does not want anything to do with magic. So, Charlotte's parents decided to keep her in the dark when it comes to developing her powers. However, when tragedy strikes down her uncle, the Magical Midway chooses her to run the circus over her father. It is up to Charlotte to keep the Magical Midway running while trying to figure out who killed her uncle.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this novel. The concept is really original. It is fast-paced with good plot development and characters.
61 reviews
November 7, 2020
Absolutely brilliant!

I loved this book and it’s such a great start to a series! The characters are brilliant and loveable and the author has done an amazing job of bringing them to life. My favourite is definitely Samson, the very sarcastic familiar! Leanne Leeds has also done a great job of bringing the circus to life. Poor Charlotte, who has no idea how to use her witch skills, is completely mystified by the many strange magical rules there are in place. These would be tricky enough to get to grips with for anyone, but when you unexpectedly find yourself in charge she has a lot to contend with!! Great story, brilliant characters and a fantastic setting all make this a perfect read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Renee.
355 reviews12 followers
April 10, 2018
The author did an excellent job making the storyline interesting and fun. Love the fact there was a good sense of humor in addition to the mystery. There was some good character development, mainly for just the lead so it will be interesting to see how that progresses as the series goes along. Leanne Leeds wins best award for a familiar though--Samson pretty much stole the show for me!

The only reason I did 4 stars instead of 5 is the mystery part didn't keep me guessing.

I do believe there was some excellent groundwork laid that has my interest and I'll definitely read the next! Can't wait to see where the author goes with it!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Karen.
375 reviews
May 18, 2018
Great book, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading and couldn't put down once started. The storyline was original and the characters believable. The author certainly knows how to spin a good story and draw you in from the very start of the book and has that magic that keeps you wanting to read more and more. This book is what I would also term an enjoyable, easy read that has nothing in it that could. offend anyone This was the first book I have read by this author and I enjoyed it so much, that I will certainly be adding her to my authors to read list. If you enjoy Cosy Mysteries and Paranormal Romance then you will definitely enjoy this book. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Brad.
540 reviews3 followers
May 3, 2019
Different Twist on Magic and Circuses

Traveling circuses have always had a veil of mystique and allure to many. This is the first book in a series that looks at one circus that is very magical.

Charlotte, our protagonist, has been raised with almost no magical experience except for a one week adventure each summer to visit Uncle Phil who is the ring master of a magical circus. His murder leads to Charlotte becoming the next ring master. With the help of her familiar, Samson, and a growing group of friends, Charlotte strives to solve the murder mystery and lead the circus.

The story is engaging and the characters are well developed. This was fun to read and I look forward to the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Pete.
884 reviews9 followers
May 12, 2018
This book managed to entertain me for its entire length. It is a fairly fast moving story which keeps the interest high and there are some great characters, including one who is actually dead!. It is also a mystery, and I have to admit that I didn't work out who 'dunnit' until the very end, there were a satisfying number of red-herrings thrown in.
It is also a story of how you can achieve anything, if you have the determination and the help of friends.
So a nice gentle, feel-good, interesting story with nothing to offend in it, it makes a very relaxing and untaxing read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
809 reviews4 followers
April 2, 2019
A wacky, funny, awesome mystery of who dun it? Who killed her uncle and why? Who is trying to kill her? Is she capable of filling her uncles shoes? Who ever heard of a witch without training, that knows nothing about magic. In a circus of paranormal creatures, who need her to survive, how can she protect them? They know more than she does! Can the ghost of her uncle and her familiar teach her? With all the chaos and mayhem, surprises abound! Will her magic and magical abilities be enough to protect the circus. Full of magical creatures, and wonderful characters you wish you could be there with her!
319 reviews1 follower
May 16, 2018
What a fun start to a new series!
I'll never look at a circus the same way again! This book was a really fun, quick to read. A good introduction to the characters. Witches, centaurs, sirens, ghosts, and more find a home in the paranormal circus. The newest ringmaster was never trained in her witch powers and now finds herself trying to run the show. And her familiar Samson the snarky cat really steals the show! Can't wait for the next book!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Kitty_ranma.
498 reviews11 followers
July 4, 2018
Magic and mayhem.
A great beginning for a series.
I can't wait for more of this, I want to say more about this story but I absolutely hate spoilers, so I won't go into details. I wish we could give half stars everywhere
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Wonderful characters, Page-turner, Great world building, Unpredictable, Original, Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Action-packed, Funny, Whimsical.
Bookshelves/tags:
contemporary, fantasy, humorous, mystery, nonhuman, paranormal, series, weres, witch.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Laurel .
1,000 reviews2 followers
August 12, 2019
After having an issue recently about a review that I did. I had been wondering if I was expecting too much from the author's of some of these Witchie cozy mysteries. Then I start reading this, humorous book, that was well written with the subject matter. The book had a plot, good characters, and a car with an attitude. What more could a reader want?

A shout out to author Donna Joy Usher, for starting me on these snarky books. This one has been the best. I am looking forward to reading more of these.
Profile Image for Whitney .
888 reviews9 followers
March 14, 2020
I have been provided with a copy of Witchiest Circus on Earth by the author via Booksprout for an impartial review. This is the first in the new Magical Midway Paranormal Cozy series and this was just a great way to start off a new series. I just absolutely loved getting to enter this new world and meet these new characters. I just didn’t want it to end and I was just captivated by this wonderful story. It was just so easy to get lost in and I immediately wanted more. I can’t wait to see what’s next for this series.
1,628 reviews19 followers
March 15, 2019
A Uniquely Extended Dysfunctional Family

Do you enjoy going to the fair?Could you even emaggen a fair made up of the the magical realm, now emaggen being unexpectedly put in charge of this magical midway. Through the talented writing of Leanne Leeds we are given the very chance to do that very thing. If you enjoy your cozey mysterys as well as paranormal you are in for a delightful read, Pick up a copy and start enjoying today. 🙄😊 Kat
Profile Image for Rhonda Jones.
2,645 reviews12 followers
July 7, 2019
Pleasantly Surprised

Have not read this author before. Saw the book blurb and was intrigued. Thankfully the story and characters were awesome. I love that the setting is a paranormal circus. And the heroine is an untrained witch about to inherit immense power and responsibility. But she is down to Earth, likeable, and makes mistakes just like the rest of us. She also has good intuition and the ability to think outside the paranormal box. I am looking forward to binge reading this series.
Profile Image for Theresa .
1,547 reviews76 followers
August 25, 2019
4 Stars... This was a surprisingly fun read with all the elements I enjoy in my cozy mysteries... When a young inexperienced witch is forced to take over a magical circus and solve her uncle's murder things are bound to get a little crazy, right?... With a wonderful blend of humor and heart, this little gem was a fun, relaxing, and fully entertaining read that I enjoyed diving into... I look forward to reading more of the series and seeing what other secrets this magical circus holds.:)
1,878 reviews13 followers
September 1, 2019
Charlotte has only been allowed to visit the family magical circus for one week per year since she turned 13. Suddenly her uncle, the ringmaster, is murdered and, at 30, she is chosen as the new ringmaster - with all the magic and responsibilities that that involves.

Everybody in the circus is paranormal, transforming between human and mythical creatures.

It's a fun book while she investigates the murder and tries to learn all the magic stuff that her father didn't let her study.
Profile Image for Beatrice Followill.
1,381 reviews35 followers
October 10, 2019
What a fun fresh look at paranormal and witches. Charlette is a witch who grew up in the human world , she is allowed to travel to her uncle circus for one week every summer , the circus time travels to different areas .ONCE SHES BACK HOME SHE HAS TO GO BACK WHEN SHE FINDS OUT HER UNCLE HAS BEEN MURDERED AND SHE IS THE CHOSEN RINGMASTER, as she learns her new role she also plays sleuth to find out what happened to her uncle. look forward to reading more in this series .
Profile Image for Sarah.
9 reviews
January 11, 2021
A promising beginning for a new series. I had read one of the author’s later series, whose main character plays a supporting roll in this book. It was interesting to see how her character got her start and delve into a new world of witchy shenanigans.
While the “traveling circus is a cover/haven for paranormal and supernatural types” has been done before, I enjoyed this take on it and the characters that were introduced ...as well as the snarky asides on mansplaining and patriarchy.
Profile Image for Darcy.
1,812 reviews17 followers
June 12, 2019
Superb!!!!!

This is my first book by Leanne Leeds and it was extremely good. I loved the humor and how well the characters are developed. It is full of drama, suspense, and mystery. It was well written and also has superb support characters. This story is unique in the story line and I love that about books. This is definitely worth reading and doesn't disappoint.
614 reviews2 followers
April 10, 2018
Fun New Story line. A Paranormal Circus with a new Witch as Ringmaster. Join in as she learns her new magical powers and must also solve a mystery
Hope there are More books on the way from this Author
Profile Image for Barbara.
17.8k reviews8 followers
May 15, 2018
A well-written, fun, mystery that I enjoyed reading I found myself smiling throughout the book. Looking forward to reading the next book. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
868 reviews13 followers
May 21, 2019
An ok read but did not find anything exciting in reading it, at no point did I wonder what was coming next and the whole book just seemed to be one long series of conversations. It is a first book so am going to give the sequel a try to see if it improves.
180 reviews
May 7, 2019
So so story

The witchiest circus was rather scattered on the story and the characters plus the supposed villain was a bully & accidentally murdered the ringmaster really early in and then there's just miscellaneous things happening
30 reviews1 follower
July 29, 2019
Come one come all to the big top!

Really a different story line & very uniquely written! Enjoyed the cozy story very much! Lots of surprises & some very interesting characters bring the book to life!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews

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