Circle of Five

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't Stop Reading
Review: Circle of Five is about 5 women who discover Wicca together. Little did they know their circle and powers would be put to the test when one of the friends has a premonition of a killer in the area.

The story begins in the small town of Plymouth, Massachusetts. Cass, one of the Circle, comes in contact with a jovial man in the supermarket. By chance she looks into his eyes and sees a young boy screaming for help. She begins to enquire about him, and the more she does the more she is determined to link him to the series of murders that have happened. Her journey to catch the killer puts her and the others in danger many, many times over.

After reading this book, I was not impressed. From the very beginning the book didn't capture my attention. Just about the time I thought the story would develop, Ms. Riccio went off on a totally different tangent.

As for the characters, I found them to be overbearing. Each of the women seemed to be very good at only one thing. In real life, I have found that we seem to be good at many things. I really could not relate to any of them.

In the books favor, the portrayal of Wicca as a practice seems to be accurate.

I noticed there were many references to herbal remedies. There were no recipes given, but she did say what she was using and what she was using it for. In my opinion there should be a disclaimer about the herbal remedies and how they should only be prescribed by a professional in the beginning of the book. With so much interest in herbs and home remedies it seems to me to be an unsafe practice to have so much information without a disclaimer.

Rating:
Summary: I'm now hooked!!
Review: I have to say that this is the best new author I've read in some time. I enjoyed this book very much. The story was well put together while the personalities are all people that you can easily relate to. Most of us have at least one friend we can see in one of these people. She also does a beautiful job of handling the wicca element. I'm now on the second book of the series with the same characters. PLEASE, keep them coming.

Rating:
Summary: Magical new suspense series
Review: I picked up this book based on a recommendation posted to a reading list, and boy, am I glad I did! Riccio's wonderful & wacky cast of characters eased into my heart as easily as a group of old friends, and the Wiccan aspect of the story integrated seamlessly into the plot itself. A masterful debut by an author I have since added to my "Buy or Die" list.

**Highly** recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Magical new suspense series
Review: I picked up this book based on a recommendation posted to a reading list, and boy, am I glad I did! Riccio's wonderful & wacky cast of characters eased into my heart as easily as a group of old friends, and the Wiccan aspect of the story integrated seamlessly into the plot itself. A masterful debut by an author I have since added to my "Buy or Die" list.

**Highly** recommended.

Rating:
Summary: circle of five--a marvelous mystery
Review: If I could recommend only one book to read this year, Circle of Five would be it. From the beginning introduction to Cass, the main character, this mystery winds its way through a charmed friendship between five women, who dabble in magic and mystical spells. This mutual interest leads them in the direction of the case of a missing boy. Sometimes warm and funny, sometimes suspensful, but always riveting, this is a book you don't want to miss. I'm pleased to see that Ms. Riccio has written another novel that should be published soon.

Rating:
Summary: Fun read
Review: Riccio's Circle of Five revolves around the main character, Cassandra Shipton, and it's written in the first person, which I always find facinating. Cass is in her early forties, I think, and in the year or so since her divorce joined a women's reading group. This reading group, after some study on myth and religion, turned into a small Wiccan coven. The five women are at different stages in their lives and have such different interests, yet are able to work magick together quite effectively. Cassandra has visions of a sort, and this book follows her way through tracking down a killer of young boys. Besides the search to find and capture this killer, her life is portrayed realistically as she befriends a native american boy, and find love in the arms of a nomadic man.

I was immediately drawn to this book. It's Riccio's debut novel. It portrays Wiccans SO realistically, that Riccio MUST be Wiccan herself, or very close to a Wiccan. They cast circles, whitelight people, create amulets, and gave me some new insight and ideas. It's not like, "Charmed," where everything is supernatural and unrealistic. It's very low-key, but realistic. Women leading truly magickal lives. And what's even better, is it looks as though there is a sequel being created...

Rating:
Summary: A Light, Fun Read
Review: This book was well-written and fun. For those who are Wiccan, it would be even better, as it aligns with their beliefs. I admit, I didn't understand a lot of what the author was talking about when she talked of amulets, herbs, and the like, but I enjoyed the rapport between the friends. The women were very supportive of each other and had a deep connection. Check this out from your library (or, even better, buy it) and immerse yourself in Cassandra's world.

Rating:
Summary: A Light, Fun Read
Review: This book was well-written and fun. For those who are Wiccan, it would be even better, as it aligns with their beliefs. I admit, I didn't understand a lot of what the author was talking about when she talked of amulets, herbs, and the like, but I enjoyed the rapport between the friends. The women were very supportive of each other and had a deep connection. Check this out from your library (or, even better, buy it) and immerse yourself in Cassandra's world.

Rating:
Summary: A decent summer read
Review: This is a good book for a lazy summer day. I found the frienships between the main character, her friends and especially her dog to be the high point of the book. The friends prove to be comical, silly and show the true spirit of understanding and compassion. The author does an excellent job of showing how real a relationship between humans and their pets can be, if you are an animal lover you will identify with the main characters. The downside to this book was that it could drag on a bit and I felt about 50 pages could have been eliminated. There really is no great surprise or mystery, if you are looking for a suspense thriller "who done it", this is not the book for you. I would recommend for anyone looking for a light summer read!