Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet by H.P. Wood

Wood captures the essence of the curiosity cabinet or freak show very well. Outsiders are drawn to everything that is different and unusual. The stranger the better. However this also means the cabinet is open to ridicule from those who feel the freaks are beneath them.

They, the cabinet, are a tight knit community.They are always looking out for each other and for any other misfits or strays who might need help.

A British heiress stumbles into the protective arms of the small community of confidence tricksters, sideshow amusement spectacles and oddballs. She is involved in her own private mystery. A little lost lamb in the midst of a pack of wolves.

It takes a while to get to the actual core of the plot. It isn't actually that outlandish. There were quite a few leprosy colonies or islands. The healthy deemed it the perfect way to treat anyone with a contagious disease.

Wood has combined certain historical scenarios or similar ones with the oddity of the then popular freak shows. I think the cabinet and the characters are worth developing for a further book. There is definitely a lot more curiosity to discover within the walls of the cabinet.

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