Initially an ordinary study group meeting at the local branch library, this group of women quickly evolves into a full-blown coven. The narrator, Cassandra, owner of Earthlore Herbal Preparations and Cruelty-Free Cosmetics, has visions, the most disturbing of which takes place in a grocery story when she "sees" a fellow shopper as a serial killer of young boys. Knowing that the police put little stock in psychic phenomena, the circle decides to take matters into their own hands. They can't use black magic on the murderer, because such spells come back to those who cast them. So they decide to become amateur detectives. Humorous moments are deftly intertwined with truly creepy ones as Riccio's intrepid Wiccan crime fighters struggle to solve their first case.

Opening Sentence: ‘…The truck driver, a big ruddy-faced man with a cheerful demeanour, was whistling a tune from gypsy as he applied a mask of clown makeup…’

This cheerful man is an evil, evil person. He preys on young boys, luring them away and then murdering them without compassion. Cassandra, the narrator, is a middle-aged divorcee whose children have grown up. She has inherited her grandmother’s cottage by the sea in New England and moved there to start a new life. She also has ‘the sight,’ so when she bumps into the ruddy-faced man in her local supermarket she is shocked when she is sucked into a dreadful scene where a young boy is being murdered. She knows this man is a child killer, but she needs to find out who he is and bring him to justice. Luckily she does not need to do it alone. When Cassandra moved to the area she attended a local book reading group and bonded with four ladies there. Together they discover Wicca and form their own circle of five. Knowing that Cassandra just can’t go to the police and tell them that she had just had a vision so arrest that man, the ladies decide to use their powers to bring him to justice. They have to be careful though; magic used for evil will come back onto the spell casters. The women manage to make a hash of every attempt they make to investigate the suspect, they find out his name, and where he lives, and then it doesn’t take very long for Mr Q to become aware that they are after him.

CIRCLE OF FIVE is the first in a series, and is mostly an enjoyable read; I did struggle with it occasionally so it didn’t wow me. The mystery is not finding out who did it, which is revealed very early in the book, the mystery is in trying to come up with credible evidence to prove that he did it. Mr Q is a really nasty villain, who does some truly horrible things, yet not with the wall to wall blood and guts that so many mystery authors think is necessary. There is a child in jeopardy, a swashbuckling boyfriend, a satisfactory ending and some very humorous moments. There is also the wonderful, wonderful telepathic relationship with Cassandra and her dog which made the book for me.

Handing to AmberC at meetup today

Picked up from our meetup

A good read. I enjoyed their quest in proving Mr Q's guilt plus all the other happenings along the way - romance, magic and of course Scruffy. Will have to track down the next book in the series!

will take to the meet up and if no one takes it I will release near cafe

Picked up at the meet-up.

Loved Scruffy. An interesting, enjoyable, quirky read.

Southern Cross Exchange

Thanks amberC.

I didn't enjoy this. I found the characters annoying & had trouble drumming up any interest in them. Perhaps I was missing something.

In the bookcase under the TV.