Though the setting is Mumbai, India and though the book describes the "Great Blue Nile" circus in detail, the novel has many other storylines.

A key narrative thread is the growing human understanding in the main character, Farrokh Daruwalla.

When this affects an upper-class club and Daruwalla's "dear boy" – an adopted family member – is threatened, the killings are investigated by a sympathetic criminal inspector who long ago married a girl who had witnessed one of the murders.

One is a famous movie actor starring in the Inspector Dhar series, which are scripted by none other than Dr. Daruwalla.

In an interview, Irving noted that he considers the characters of his novels, including A Son of the Circus, to be products not of imagination but of keen observations.