In the summer of 1921, Elizabeth Crowne faces her most fearsome opponent: Dr. Vermillion. But who is he? Where did he come from? The brazen new foe leaves many clues about himself—including a story about his childhood, as an orphan raised by a traveling circus.

Only one man remembers that place and time: Jean-Luc Thibodeau, a roving magician. A decade earlier, Jean-Luc spent several tense weeks among the carneys, and he remembers the young man who would become Dr. Vermillion. More than anything, he remembers the circus’ horrific final night. Now, he tells the macabre story in his own words—a warning for the world.

“Dr. Vermillion is a wizard of disguise. He is a known kidnapper, profiteer, psychopath, and mass-murderer. Where he is, and what he plans next, is beyond our reckoning. This document may be the only compass we have…”

—Dr. Collin O’Malley

A psychological thriller in the Southern Gothic tradition, The Carnival of Fire takes listeners on a journey through the bayous of Louisiana and pebbled Southwestern hills, from the Xerxes & Xander big top to the dusty pueblos of Mexico. Here is the most frightening Elizabeth Crowne story yet—and a must-hear prelude to the Dr. Vermillion audiobook.