I saw this handsome hardcover (mine's got a black background, not the pink showing in the cover-pic) at Barnes and Noble a while back and couldn't resist it. It's an adaptation of Gaiman's short story from Smoke and Mirrors, illustrated by Michael Zulli (who also collaborated with Gaiman on the lovely/scary Creatures of the Night).

The story opens with a group of friends wondering whether to report the disappearance of one Miss Finch to the police, and deciding that it would be just too hard to explain - at which point we flash back to find out just what happened. Miss Finch turns out to be a plainly-dressed, bespectacled, rather severe and humorless woman, who winds up attending a mysterious urban circus/carnival with the other characters. The scenes in this carnival are grotesque and surreal, and increasingly disturbing - and it's while moving from one performance to another that Miss Finch is swept away from the others. When they see her next... well, let's just say that she's changed!

The lush artwork enhances the story, which has echoes of classic Ray Bradbury, but with Gaiman's own touch. Nice one.

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

I plan to take several books to the mini-meet for mojosmom at Tealuxe on Newbury Street at 6. They'll be up for grabs to whoever attends the meeting - or anyone who stops by the table to ask about 'em! - and if any of them wind up unclaimed, I'll either leave them somewhere inside or in front of Tealuxe, or will drop them off at one of the OBCZs in town.

Hope the finder enjoys the book!

Caught at the meetup. Thank you! This is a beautiful book. I'll read it and then bring it to a Tuesday night meetup. Graphic novels are popular there, so I expect this book will have several enthusiastic readers.