CIRCUS SALMAGUNDI

MYSTERIES

CIRCUS SALMAGUNDI

MYSTERIES

The Great War is over, the Spanish Flu Pandemic has ended, and Miss Rose the Tattooed Lady has joined the traveling Circus Salmagundi to escape her troubled past. However, much to her frustration, she stumbles over a new mystery in almost every West Coast port they visit! In a world left scarred by war and tragedy, clever Rose must use her knowledge and cunning to solve crimes, protect the innocent, and keep her newfound circus family safe from harm.

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Truly the Devil's Work

Book One: The Circus Salmagundi Mysteries

After the rigours of the Great War and Spanish Flu pandemic, Miss Rose Ivy is eager to leave tragedy behind and enjoy a new career as Circus Salmagundi’s tattooed lady.

But their engagement in the quiet town of Esquimalt is cut short when a housekeeper is bludgeoned to death, a nightmarish devil mask is stolen from a private art collection, and Rose is accused of both murder and theft.

To clear her name, Rose must root out the real killer. Her investigation unravels a seedy history of stolen artifacts, forgotten folklore, and hidden identities. Where did the devil mask come from and who would kill to get it back? Is the murderer a stranger, a villager… or one of her troupe? Her new circus family has welcomed her with open arms but Rose wonders, who can she really trust?

Set against the vibrant backdrop of sideshow performers, carnival prodigies and fortune tellers, Truly the Devil’s Work explores the sinister nature of imperialism, vengeance, and family secrets. Can Rose uncover the killer’s identity, or will she take the fall for their crimes? In a world left scarred by war and tragedy, Rose Ivy must use the skills of her violent past to protect any hope for her future.

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"I loved the references to our Canadian West Coast… Overall I devoured this one. It was a fast-paced, interesting mystery, with a clever and likeable heart-of-gold female main character."

— Tiffany, Bergamot Book Reviews

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The Vengeful Dead

Book Two: The Circus Salmagundi Mysteries

When the Circus Salmagundi sails into Union Bay, Miss Rose Ivy looks forward to a week of nightly shows, entertaining the families who live in a sleepy seaside village. Instead, the tattooed lady discovers a community divided by bitter rivalries, lies and deceit, which have culminated in a woman left dead on the beach.

But the victim was an ill-tempered spinster, of little importance to anyone, and nobody seems eager to find her murderer. Local fishermen are embroiled in fierce disputes as they struggle to put food on the table, and the town’s new constable is in over his head. Rose realizes, if there’s going to be any justice for the murdered woman, she’ll just have to solve the crime herself.

Peppered with pickled punks, freak shows and ghost stories, The Vengeful Dead examines the aftermath of war on the BC Coast. What terrible secret followed the soldiers when they came home from the Front? And how has the impact of shell shock and desertion rippled out to ruin the lives of those who stayed behind?

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Praise for Truly the Devil’s Work
"Impressive! Bannerman's voice is strong, her phrasing colourful, her sense of how to write a mystery strong.”

– W. L. Hawkin, author of ‘To Charm a Killer’

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The Sea Will Have

Book Three: The Circus Salmagundi Mysteries

When disaster strikes the Circus Salmagundi on their way to Nanaimo, Miss Rose Ivy finds herself stuck on a listless ship with a most unlikely crew. They must wait for help to arrive, but they’re safely moored by an uninhabited island. What could go wrong?

Then a strange, half-starved stowaway climbs aboard, raving that his missing wife has been kidnapped by a cult of fanatics. He insists: they need to flee!

But the engines are dead and there’s no way to escape. Rose needs to use her cunning to buy time, but where has the missing woman gone? Is she a prisoner? Is she hiding on the island, desperate to be rescued?

Or does she even exist at all?

Using the lens of mysticism and early twentieth-century philosophies, The Sea Will Have journeys through a world divided. People desperate for stability after the Great War are willing to follow charming charlatans, but a bright sun casts dark shadows, and paradise may not be as perfect as it seems. As Rose learned long ago, a handsome smile can hide a cruel heart.

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Praise for Kim Bannerman's Novels
"Bannerman offers a clear insight into the mind of a tyrannical sociopath."

— Scott Sandridge, Tangent Short Fiction Review

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Knife and Bone

Book Four: The Circus Salmagundi Mysteries

A thief haunts the Circus Salmagundi, stealing bits of silver and cheap jewelry from the performers, and Rose the Tattooed Lady is determined to unmask the culprit before anything of real value is stolen. But when the circus sails into Port Alberni, the burglar leaves the boats to strike again, nabbing an ancient coin from an eccentric French historian.

The theft sparks a series of accusations that spiral out of control, giving strength to interpersonal feuds while tarnishing the circus' reputation. As Rose is drawn deeper into the mystery, secret stories of forgotten histories, ghosts, racial tensions, and lost seafarers threaten to tear the town's foundations apart. Can Rose discover the culprit, return the coin, and restore the circus' good name before theft turns to murder?

Navigating a twisting labyrinth of fortune telling, false accusations, and forgotten history, Knife and Bone exposes how previously-pleasant perceptions can be poisoned when doubt and distrust creep in. As Miss Rose herself proclaims, ‘Nothing sucks the joy out of a summer’s day like the prediction of certain death.'

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"The mystery kept me guessing the entire time. The twists, the tension, and all the hidden history... I couldn’t put it down!"

— Crystal Cahill, Books in the Wild

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Under a Copper Sun

Book Five: The Circus Salmagundi Mysteries

When the Circus Salmagundi arrives in the northern copper-mining town of Anyox, Rose the Tattooed Lady expects to find a remote and rugged outpost. Instead, she discovers a modern city built on a heavily polluted landscape, haunted by the mysterious disappearance of three young children.

The residents of Anyox, bound to the mining company, refuse to challenge their employer. They abide by curfew, keep their children close, and -- fearful of reprisal -- parrot the company’s verdict that this is the work of starving wolves. No one dares upset the status quo.

But reputation be damned! Circus owner Grover Scott insists that Rose break the rules and dig into the secret heart of Anyox. With his blessing, Rose must use her wits and bravery to unmask the abductor before another child vanishes forever.

Peeling back the layers of a community in crisis, Under a Copper Sun explores a desolate landscape of industry, greed, and obsession, where no one can be trusted and anyone could be guilty.

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Praise for Kim Bannerman's Novels
"I deeply enjoyed Rose’s narration; from how she describes the circus and her role in it, when she meets and interacts with new characters, and the hints at her past… the book has stunning descriptive narration. I would like to read more in this series.”

— Whistler Independent Book Awards

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A Bitter Tide

Book Six: The Circus Salmagundi Mysteries

When the body of a stylish young gentleman is discovered floating in Nanaimo’s harbour, Rose Ivy the Tattooed Lady finds her winter holiday cut short. With the help of grouchy Dr. Hector Kane, Rose must recreate the events of the man’s last evening at the Nanaimo Opera House, but as they follow in his footsteps, nothing is quite what it seems.

The horrors of the Great War and the Spanish Flu pandemic still echo through society, and the man’s unconventional marriage to a reclusive heiress hides a trove of childhood secrets and rivalries.

Can Rose untangle the events of his final evening, decipher the tragedy of his past, and follow the clues to his killer?

Winter storms and a shocking maritime disaster kick off a tale of intrigue, affairs, curses and class struggle. As she examines the enigmatic lives of Nanaimo’s upper crust, Rose soon discovers that sinister forces drift just below the surface of A Bitter Tide.

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Praise for Kim Bannerman's Novels
"Although the story is a work of fiction, [Kim Bannerman’s] meticulous research lends authenticity, and true events are worked in throughout the book.”

— Nora Bingham, Comox Valley Collective

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Maker of Widows

Book Seven: The Circus Salmagundi Mysteries

A simmering feud between squabbling neighbours takes a dark turn when one man is discovered, dead on a remote beach. When the Circus Salmagundi sails into the logging hub of Rock Bay, north of Campbell River, Rose the Tattooed Lady finds a community gripped in fear of the elusive sasquatch.

Rumours and theories spiral out of control, but while speculation runs rampant, pragmatic Rose suspects another explanation. An accident? A bitter rivalry rooted in the Great War? Or the actions of the dead man’s widow, who speaks no English and holds secrets of her own?

With only a few days to untangle a web of lies, heartbreak, and forgery, Rose must rely on new friends and trusted companions to expose the crime, outwit the killer, and unmask the Maker of Widows.

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Praise for Kim Bannerman's Novels
"…a tattooed circus lady with Sherlock Holmes vibes had me delightfully surprised! I loved that [Rose] is older, not traditionally attractive due to her wealth of scars, and had a past that caused her small flashbacks and emotional turmoil in her current day.”

– Tiffany, Bergamot Book Reviews

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Ten-In-One

A Circus Salmagundi Anthology

A doomed expedition explores the farthest reaches of a snow-bound ocean, but the crew are haunted by a strange affliction…

A terrible creature stalks the forests surrounding a remote fur-trading post, but no one knows if it's man or beast…

A Spanish monastery, its floor tiled with ingots of solid gold, lies forgotten for centuries in the strangest of places, until a boy and his uncle follow a curious map…

As the Circus Salmagundi travels around Vancouver Island, it employs a diverse group of crew, sailors and circus performers -- and all of them have stories to share.

In this anthology, the background characters of this BC-based mystery series step forward to entertain readers with their own personal experiences. Rooted in historical events, Ten-In-One explores the folk tales, disasters, and ghost stories of British Columbia and beyond. From mining disasters in Nanaimo to capsized boats in Puget Sound to grotesque taxidermy in southern Alberta, Ten-in-One digs into the personalities that help (and hinder) Miss Rose as she solves crimes.

Ten-In-One is an anthology of short stories connected to the Circus Salmagundi mystery series.

Praise for Truly the Devil’s Work
“…like a giant game of Clue, as Rose so cleverly works to try to solve this mystery, clear her name, and save her new friends. The writing style is so descriptive and fast-paced, and I was totally invested in this character, this mystery, and her future.”

– Crystal Cahill, Books in the Wild

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