With a dollop of Lemony Snicket's hyperbole, a blob of J. K. Rowling's take on journalism, and
a splotch of sideshow allure, Oliver (The Spindlers, 2012) and Chester have crafted a wildly imaginative, over-the-top tale in this series starter, complete with a bearded lady, a dwarf, a fat lady, a magician, and an alligator boy.