Carnival of Fear

Carnival of Fear is a 1993 fantasy horror novel by J. Robert King, set in the world of Ravenloft, and based on the "Dungeons & Dragons" game.
Plot summary.
In a centuries-old grand carnival in the realm of l'Morai run by the Puppetmaster, the apparent murder of a carnival dwarf leads to a trial to find the killer.
Reception.
A reviewer from "Publishers Weekly" comments that King "offers a simple but effective message about the evils of scapegoating in his fantasy-horror tale [...] King's careful progress from a basic murder to a much larger mystery, which ultimately encompasses the entire carnival, gives the book the momentum needed to keep the pages turning."