Circle Of Five (Circle, Book 1) [Paperback]

Dolores Stewart Riccio (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2003

Now that her children are grown, her lout of an ex-husband is gone, and her herbal remedy business has taken off, Cass Shipton is free to enjoy the simple comforts of her grown-up life. There's her cozy Cape Cod home overlooking Plymouth Harbor, her scruffy, disdainful pooch, and the solid bond she shares with four other ordinary women who get together to sip tea, trade stories, everyday Wiccans who work at the local library, carpool the kids, and run the vitamin store in the mall. But Cass's idyllic, small-town life changes after she bumps carts at the local supermarket with a stranger in a green cap. Beneath the man's cheery smile and twinkling eyes, Cass senses something sinister...a foreboding that leads her to the haunting case of a missing boy. Certain that something must be done, Cass turns to her inner circle of friends to help her find the truth, no matter where it leads. When another boy disappears, the circle of five embarks on a dangerous undertaking that will call upon all their powers and test the bonds of friendship as never before...

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

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. However, this cookbook author, vitamin franchise manager, owner of a natural cosmetics store, volunteer at an animal shelter, and branch librarian botch every attempt at sleuthing, and soon the killer is on to them. Despite their protection spells and help from Cassandra's telepathic dog and her new love, Greenpeace worker Joe Ulysses, they remain in grave danger. Humorous moments are deftly intertwined with truly creepy ones as Riccio's intrepid Wiccan crime fighters struggle to solve their first case, hopefully the first of many. Shelley Mosley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Dolores Riccio is the author of eight cookbooks, including Superfoods: 300 Recipes for Foods that Heal the Mind and Body and Superfoods for Women: 300 Recipes that Fulfill Your Special Nutritional Needs. She is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. She lives in Warwick, Rhode Island.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758203004
• ISBN-13: 978-0758203007
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #867,516 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magical new suspense series, June 22, 2004

By 

Madelyn Alt (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Circle Of Five (Circle, Book 1) (Paperback)

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.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm now hooked!!, February 10, 2004

By 

Wanda Edwards "artist" (New England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Circle Of Five (Circle, Book 1) (Paperback)

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Has potential., October 18, 2006

By 

Tigger "kkegley" (Little Elm, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Circle Of Five (Circle, Book 1) (Paperback)

I'm Wiccan myself so I'm always on the lookout for entertaining books about witches. Circle of Five is the first in this series about a small coven of New England witches who perform magick and solve crimes at the same time. Cass, the narrator, is a middle-aged divorcee who has inherited her grandmother's cottage by the sea. The violence in the opening chapter was a little disconcerting because I didn't expect it, but the villain is effectively scary. The relationships between the five ladies are well drawn, although I don't know that I would like any of these women in real life because they're catty, nosy, and a little snarky with each other. Who needs enemies, etc? My main beef with the book is the formulaic romance. Why, why, oh WHY can female authors not resist throwing in the stupid romances??? It doesn't help that the `romance' between Cass and Joe is not very inspiring. They have sex the first time they're alone together, and he says things to Cass that she apparently thinks are incredibly romantic, but which I find incredibly creepy. I know the author is just trying to establish that this is some kind of mystical, instant connection, but it's a miserable failure in my opinion. There are two other `witch' mystery series' I'm aware of - Shirley Damsgaard's and Madelyn Alt's - and those are also formulaic mystery/romances, so I guess this is the trend. I don't know if I'll read the next in this series (Charmed Circle), but probably. I'd like to give it a chance because the writing is concise, flowing, and smooth.