Debut authors (left to right) William Rayfet Hunter, Fiza Saeed McLynn and Catherine Airey sitting and talking in the book-filled Penguin Podcast studio

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Interviews

The Penguin Podcast: series 2 episode 3 – Debut books

The Projectionist

Massachusetts, 1934 
 
Life isn’t turning out as expected for Evelyn. She is struggling to make ends meet while trying to provide the best childhood for her son, Irving. Things become even more impossible when they lose their home. 
 
But by pretending to have a support network, she lands a job at The Orbit cinema. Unbeknownst to her manager, her and Irving spend their nights in a storage room. It is there that Irving discovers a mysterious antique camera. 
 
Things start looking up when Evelyn meets Charlie and she finds herself wondering if she finally sees hope in her future. 
 
But Irving’s discovery might just hold more than it seems. And Charlie is harbouring a secret that could destroy Evelyn. 
 
 
PRAISE FOR FIZA SAEED MCLYNN 
 
'My favourite book of the year' SARAH PENNER'An atmospheric, evocative adventure. Stunning' JANICE HALLETT 
 
'An enthralling debut' DAILY MAIL 'Took hold of my heart and held me captive' ANYA BERGMAN 
 
'Fans of The Miniaturist will enjoy this part mystery, part love story' RED MAGAZINE'I completely surrendered to its magic' HESTER MUSSON

Fiza Saeed McLynn read History at Oxford University and had a brief career in finance before spending the next 12 years helping the bereaved as part of her work as a complementary therapist. She is also the author of The Midnight Carousel.

Massachusetts, 1934 
Life isn’t turning out as expected for Evelyn. She is struggling to make ends meet while trying to provide the best childhood for her son, Irving. Things become even more impossible when they lose their home. 
But by pretending to have a support network, she lands a job at The Orbit cinema. Unbeknownst to her manager, her and Irving spend their nights in a storage room. It is there that Irving discovers a mysterious antique camera. 
Things start looking up when Evelyn meets Charlie and she finds herself wondering if she finally sees hope in her future. 
But Irving’s discovery might just hold more than it seems. And Charlie is harbouring a secret that could destroy Evelyn.

Fiza Saeed McLynn

Enthralling debut… a beguiling tale of a brave woman claiming her hard-won happiness against the odds

Draws you in deeper until the very last page

Fans of The Miniaturist will enjoy this part mystery, part love story.

This gorgeous debut novel is absolutely spellbinding

Perfectly paced, it is hard to believe this enchanting novel is a debut. [...] An intriguing mystery, a story of loss, love and grief, and a woman forging her way in the world, this sweeping novel is mesmerising.

A story of love, loss, love and grief with an intriguing mystery at heart, it's hard to believe this perfectly-paced debut novel is a debut

Part mystery, part love story and an entirely magical ride

Layered and suspenseful, this novel reveals its secrets slowly, drawing you in deeper until the very last page

I climbed on The Midnight Carousel and didn’t want to get off. It’s a beautifully constructed work of art as much as a journey through love and loss as an adventure across the world, atmospheric and evocative. A stunning debut.

Janice Hallett, bestselling author of THE APPEAL

A spell-binding tale spanning continents and decades, which took hold of my heart and held me captive. Compulsive and heartrending, both love story and page-turning mystery, at the heart of The Midnight Carousel is an unforgettable heroine who has stayed with me long after I turned over the last page.

Anya Bergman, author of THE WITCHES OF VARDO

My favourite book of the year! I devoured Fiza Saeed McLynn's debut in just a few days, and when I wasn't reading, it was all I could think about. The Midnight Carousel is the sort of book that made me fall in love with historical fiction: it's vivid, mysterious, alluring. I can't remember the last time I felt so invested in unravelling the mystery at the heart of a story. An absolute delight.

Sarah Penner, bestselling author of THE LOST APOTHECARY

The Midnight Carousel is glued to my hand, and - although we are only in January - will be one of my best reads of 2025. Beautiful, evocative writing with twists and turns that keep me guessing. Magical and grounded at the same time.

Elizabeth Chadwick, author of the Eleanor of Aquitaine series

I LOVED The Midnight Carousel and devoured the entire book in a few days. What a special story this is, full of atmosphere and intrigue, lifted to dizzying heights by Fiza’s lyrical writing. Carousels might well spin, but this one wove its way through time and space, plaiting the tale together. A brilliant, absorbing ride, one of the most atmospheric novels I’ve read in a long time.

Amanda Geard, author of THE MIDNIGHT HOUSE

A gorgeous, unforgettable, lavish tapestry of time, place and character that weaves a compelling mystery into a timeless love story. Breath-taking! Deft, assured, fluid writing and a confidence that promises many more brilliant books to come.

Helen Fields, author of the D.I. Callanach series

The Midnight Carousel whirls the reader around to unexpected places - a moving story of survival and love, with an ingeniously contrived mystery at its heart. I completely surrendered to its magic.

Freya Berry, author of THE DICTATOR'S WIFE

The Midnight Carousel is an outstanding debut, full of everything I love in books: beguiling mysteries, a rich sense of place and time, characters to love and to hate, and a fabulous love story. I adored it.

Gareth Brown, bestselling author of THE BOOK OF DOORS

About chance encounters, colliding fates, love and loss, and shimmering throughout with delicious, dark mystery, this is a fast-paced, elegantly written read.

I adored Fiza Saeed McLynn’s debut novel, THE MIDNIGHT CAROUSEL. Evoking both Jazz age Chicago and turn-of-the-century Paris, this immersive novel braids stories of love, found family, and loss around a mysterious, exquisite carouselat its centre. The pace expertly conceals and reveals secrets as it gathers momentum to its unexpected, but deeply satisfying conclusion. Readers are in for a treat with this captivating carnival ride of a novel!

Melissa Fu, author of PEACH BLOSSOM SPRING

A truly magical book, The Midnight Carousel bound me in its spell. From Paris to Chicago, the mystery of the carousel kept me reading long into the night. I adored every page.

A wonderfully rich and atmospheric novel, part gothic mystery, part sweeping epic love story, with a plot that grabs you right away and and keeps you guessing. It’s intriguing and enchanting, and I loved it.

Katie Lumsden, author of THE SECRETS OF HARTWOOD HALL

A magical kaleidoscope of a novel – enthralling. Fiza Saeed McLynn is a dazzling new voice in historical fiction.

The Midnight Carousel completely swept me away into another world and was a JOY to read. This is a spellbinding book spanning decades and continents: I couldn’t stop reading it, or thinking about it when I wasn’t reading. I loved the pace, the suspense, the huge twists, the stunning writing and the history. Most of all, I fell for the unforgettable heroine, Maisie. It takes huge skill and heart to create a character that real, complex, nuanced, brave and lovable. A murder mystery, a love story, a family saga, an emotional and deeply satisfying read.

Aliya Ali-Afzal, author of WOULD I LIE TO YOU?

A pacy historical mystery spanning three countries, The Midnight Carousel is a delight. With a skilfully light touch, Fiza Saeed McLynn presents a cast of memorable, Dickensian characters whose interactions with the mysterious carousel keep the reader on tenterhooks. The ending is ingenious, the writing beautifully fresh, and the overall effect highly satisfying. A must-read for fans of historical fiction in 2025!

It's hard to believe this enchanting novel is a debut. A story of loss, love and grief, and of a woman forging her way in the world.

I truly fell under the spell of The Midnight Carousel. The mystery at the centre of this evocative story swept me away and made it hard to stop turning the pages. This is a magical read, full of exquisite historical details, exploring love and loss in the most thoughtful and tender way.

Abigail Johnson, author of THE SECRET COLLECTOR

Exquisitely drawn and utterly compelling. I was fully transported to the glittering lights and dark corners of the Jazz Age. A sweeping story with as many ups and downs as the carousel itself. A story of mystery, magic, heartbreak and above all hope. I adored it! A remarkable debut from an exciting new voice in historical fiction.

A lyrical, beautifully-evoked novel that shifts from turn of the century Paris to the evocative world of 1920s Chicago. It is impossible not to root for Maisie, the novel's boundary-breaking heroine, as she uncovers the mysteries of the midnight carousel and the novel whirls towards a stunning conclusion. A fairytale for grown-ups that will stay long in the memory.

The story spins, flashing with vivid prose, entrancing mystery and knock-you-off-your-feet romance. A magical ride with unforgettable characters at the helm.

Cari Thomas, author of the Sunday Times bestselling THREADNEEDLE

I was swept into the rich world Fiza Saed McLynn created from the very first line of The Midnight Carousel, but it was her artfully drawn, nuanced characters that kept me turning the pages of this deftly plotted mystery. Fans of Pip William’s The Dictionary of Lost Words and Shelley Read’s Go as a River will fall in love with Maisie’s determined heart and unbreakable spirit as she struggles with the weight of grief, the loss of love, and the heartache of finding somewhere to belong in a world that does not seem to have a place for her. A beautifully written, emotionally resonant debut that kept me guessing until the end!

Amy Tordoff, author of ALL WE HAVE IS TIME

Not since The Night Circus have I felt so pulled into a story of the wonders and terrors of which humans are capable. The Midnight Carousel is a beautifully constructed ride into a dazzling history that feels utterly real.

Kate Heartfield, author of THE EMBROIDERED BOOK and THE VALKYRIE

The mystery at the heart of The Midnight Carousel will keep you riveted until the final reveal which, like the best of twists, is utterly satisfying because you won't see it coming! Sweeping through historical periods and packed with memorable characters, this richly-detailed story kept me in delightful suspense about what was real and what was fantastical right till the end. Absolutely magical! I enjoyed this thrilling, heartwarming and absorbing read with a strong, smart and determined young woman at its core. Fiza Saeed McLynn is a debut writer to watch!

Buki Papillon, author of AN ORDINARY WONDER

This is THE author to watch! Wow! Gave me all the vibes that The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern did. I was so utterly immersed in the world that Fiza created . . . This is an absolute work of art.

Paris, 1900 
 
Carousel-maker Gilbert works tirelessly to finish his masterpiece in time for the city's Exposition Universelle. But Gilbert is struggling in the wake of his wife and son's tragic deaths, and as he finalises his creation, a dangerous idea forms in his mind . . . 
 
Chicago, 1920 
 
Having come to America for a new life, when Maisie unearths a neglected carousel, she seizes the chance for a new destiny. But twenty years ago, the carousel was linked to a number of people inexplicably disappearing - and now history has begun to repeat itself . . .

Fiza Saeed McLynn

Books by Fiza Saeed McLynn

Articles featuring Fiza Saeed McLynn

The Penguin Podcast: series 2 episode 3 – Debut books

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