Review: A Circle of Souls

A Circle of Souls
by Preetham Grandhi
Published: June 15th 2009
352 pages
I give it:

Description: The sleepy town of Newbury, Connecticut, is shocked when a little girl is found brutally murdered. With the murderer on the loose, the police desperately look for any clues to lead to his identy. Meanwhile, a psychiatrist in a nearby hospital is also in a desperate search to find the cause of seven-year-old Naya Hastings s devastating nightmares. Afraid that she might hurt herself in the midst of a torturous episode, Naya s parents have turned to the bright young doctor as their only hope. When these two situations converge, they set off an alarming chain of events. In this stunning psychological thriller, innocence gives way to evil, and trust lies forgotten in a web of deceit, fear, and murder.

My Thoughts: Even though I had the flu, and didn't really feel like, well, doing anything at all, I really enjoyed this book, and simply couldn't put it down! Well, I could, but only after the thermaflu PM caused me to pass out... let's just say, I would have finished this one much much quicker if I hadn't been sick. But enough about me being a big sick baby... onto the good stuff!

This book was a very pleasant surprise for me! I don't normally trail away from my beloved YA novels, which is probably why I hadn't heard of this book before being asked to review it. But I am known to occasionally pick up adult novels, if it sounds interesting enough, and this one certainly did, so I couldn't pass up reading it!

I love Preetham Grandhi's style of writing. Even though it's a murder mystery novel with a paranormal twist, that is mainly from 4 points of views: The killer, The FBI agent, a 7 year old with vivid dreams, and the psychiatrist that is treating her, the story was surprisingly clean, without unnecessary amounts of gore to get the point across. I can't even recall a single "choice" word being actually used, except for the author implying that one had been used. Which means, if you normally get a little queasy at the thought of a book like this, please don't hesitate with this one. I promise you won't regret it! Also, this book had a really easy flow to it, and is definitely a page turner!

I am usually pretty good at guessing who the killer is, but in this book, I failed. This book also contained a twist that I never saw coming! But it contributed nicely to the plot! I also enjoyed the culture that this book contains.

I really enjoyed this novel, and I am really thankful that I stepped out of my comfort zone to read "A Circle of Souls!"