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jenpaul13's review against another edition
4.0
Salem, witches, a banshee, and mass fear. Sounds like the making for a Halloween spectacular, but it's the basic elements found in The Fifth Petal by Brunonia Barry.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
An attempt to consecrate the ground where their ancestors were hanged as witches, a group of women, known locally as the Goddesses, were killed, leaving five-year old Callie alive but without a mother and local historian Rose mentally unstable and accused as the women's murderer. 25 years later, Rose, homeless and perceived as crazy, is seeking out the tree where the accused witches were hung in 1692. When a teenage boy is killed, Rose is seen as the prime suspect after claiming a banshee she was keeping from reeking havoc did it, thus bringing Callie back to Salem for the first time since 1989 to reunite with Rose. Investigating the murders from 25 years ago, Sheriff Rafferty helps to try and bring closure for Callie, but are they going to find human or otherworldly causes?
A captivating story that is definitely a good fall read brings together plenty of historical facts about Salem and the Puritan's fear of witches with a contemporary murder mystery. I read this novel not realizing that it's the second in a series and it's well-written and self-contained such that you don't need to have read the previous book to understand this one. While the plot moves a bit slowly, the writing style delves into many details to build the atmosphere and scene, as well as develop the characters, which offered a completeness to the narrative and more deeply explicates the question of why certain actions were taken.
To read this, and other book reviews, visit my website: http://makinggoodstories.wordpress.com/.
An attempt to consecrate the ground where their ancestors were hanged as witches, a group of women, known locally as the Goddesses, were killed, leaving five-year old Callie alive but without a mother and local historian Rose mentally unstable and accused as the women's murderer. 25 years later, Rose, homeless and perceived as crazy, is seeking out the tree where the accused witches were hung in 1692. When a teenage boy is killed, Rose is seen as the prime suspect after claiming a banshee she was keeping from reeking havoc did it, thus bringing Callie back to Salem for the first time since 1989 to reunite with Rose. Investigating the murders from 25 years ago, Sheriff Rafferty helps to try and bring closure for Callie, but are they going to find human or otherworldly causes?
A captivating story that is definitely a good fall read brings together plenty of historical facts about Salem and the Puritan's fear of witches with a contemporary murder mystery. I read this novel not realizing that it's the second in a series and it's well-written and self-contained such that you don't need to have read the previous book to understand this one. While the plot moves a bit slowly, the writing style delves into many details to build the atmosphere and scene, as well as develop the characters, which offered a completeness to the narrative and more deeply explicates the question of why certain actions were taken.
kristinmagoo's review against another edition
5.0
An outstanding followup to The Lacereader. An entirely new story, but still following up on Towner, Salem, and all the witchy goidness found therein. I absolutely loved it.
thewrittenadventure's review
4.0
A teenager is dead in Salem, the murder echoes another murder that happened decades ago. John Rafferty is the chief of Police and is trying to piece together a decades old murder where three women, all related to accused witches during the trials, were killed. He receives help from one of the two survivors of that night, one of the daughters of the women who were killed, Callie Cahill. Will they be able to find out who killed the women or will evil run its course in Salem once again?
Barry has the ability to really draw the reader in as the story progresses, once I got to the end of part one I didn't want to put the book down. Since she lives in Salem, the novel has a very realistic feel to it. I definitely could feel the authenticity and the research that she also wove throughout the novel. In my copy there was extra reading that could be done that Barry had done in preparation for this novel.
There seems to be another book that comes before this one, The Lace Reader, but Barry comments that it isn't really a series, the characters just show up in both books. All in all, I would definitely read another novel by Barry, it's clear that she puts a lot of love in her novels and does the correct research to make sure everything is as accurate as possible.
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
Barry has the ability to really draw the reader in as the story progresses, once I got to the end of part one I didn't want to put the book down. Since she lives in Salem, the novel has a very realistic feel to it. I definitely could feel the authenticity and the research that she also wove throughout the novel. In my copy there was extra reading that could be done that Barry had done in preparation for this novel.
There seems to be another book that comes before this one, The Lace Reader, but Barry comments that it isn't really a series, the characters just show up in both books. All in all, I would definitely read another novel by Barry, it's clear that she puts a lot of love in her novels and does the correct research to make sure everything is as accurate as possible.
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
stephtoro's review against another edition
3.0
I wish I liked this book more but so much of it just felt unnecessary. Just stretched out an already thin plot way too much. Didn’t hate it, but the first half of the book was a struggle and the second half I sped through just to be done. The ending was predictable and unsatisfying.
liketheverb's review
4.0
I really did love this book. I knew very little about the Salem Witch trials prior to reading this book, but Barry does an excellent job of introducing historical knowledge in a way that is enlightening instead of pedantic. There is just enough in there to explain any possible confusion, while not being obtrusive. Callie is a wonderfully complex character. Having survived immense trauma as a child, her behavior matches that of a person who suffered greatly. Her imperfection is likely her most engaging quality, because it makes her more human and relatable. Her fierce loyalty rivals the staunchest of Gryffindors, and her wit rivals that of the cleverest Ravenclaws. With just a dash of inexplicable supernatural occurrences, The Fifth Petal reads more like a suspenseful mystery than a paranormal fantasy.
ketzirah's review against another edition
1.0
I've loved Brunionia Barry's previous novels, but I couldn't get through more than a chapter or two of this one.
bookish_emily's review against another edition
3.0
I would give The Fifth Petal 3.5 out of 5 stars. What first drew me to pick up the book was the setting – I enjoy historical fiction and wanted to learn more about Salem and the witch-trial period. As a fan of police procedurals I was also intrigued by the murder mystery aspect of the plot. The story was interesting and engaging, and for the most part kept me turning the pages. It was a bit too long; the story dragged in some parts, and could have been shorter without losing any plot. Additionally, while you certainly don’t need to have read the first book in the series to understand this one, there are a lot of references to the first book (which I had not read, and therefore the many references made me feel I was missing something rather major). Overall though I liked the characters and enjoyed the unique atmosphere of modern-day Salem. A good read for fans of mysteries with a hint of the supernatural.
theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
2.0
The Fifth Petal by Brunonia Barry is the second book The Lace Reader series. John Rafferty is the police chief for the town of Salem, Massachusetts. It is Halloween which is a busy time in Salem and a big problem just landed in his lap. Rose Wheelan has been arrested for the murder of Billy Barnes. Billy along with his pals, James and Monk were tormenting Rose (Billy sliced her check with a knife). Billy’s great-aunt, Helen Barnes wants justice. Helen along with many others in Salem, feel Rose is a nuisance and a murderess. They blame Rose for the murder of three women in 1989. It is Salem’s famous cold case known as The Goddess Murders. Twenty-five years ago, Rose was a respected scholar in the community. On November 1, 1989 Rose and a little girl were the only survivors of a brutal slaying on Proctor’s Ledge. Rose has never been the same since then. She now wanders the city talking to trees and looking for the original hanging tree. John decides to start looking into the cold case and see if he can solve it. He wants to prove Rose’s innocence. Callie Cahill has been living in Northampton and working as a music therapist. When she reads about Rose in the paper, she is shocked. The nuns had told her that Rose was dead. Callie is the other survivor of that fateful night. Callie wants to help Rose, and she would love to finally get answers on what happened to her mother. Callie’s mother, Olivia was one of the victims along with her two friends, Cheryl Cassella and Susan Symms. It turns out that each person who was present that night was related to a “witch” executed in 1692. Callie, thanks to her visions, will be able to assist John with the investigation. What were the women doing on Proctor’s Ledge that Halloween night? Is the real killer a human, a witch, or something far more sinister?
The Fifth Petal sounds like a great paranormal mystery novel. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with the final product. There is some nice writing and excellent research, but the novels pace is sluggish (actually, I think slugs move faster). I was never drawn into the story (it did not engage me in any way). The author did not stick with the main storyline. There are a couple of side stories that were unnecessary. The main one being Callie and her music therapy. I ended up skipping through these sections. Brunonia Barry is also a descriptive writer which leads to many unnecessary details. I give The Fifth Petal 2 out of 5 stars (I did not like it). I believe the book needs major editing. The Fifth Petal could be a good book with a little work. I wish the author had run with the supernatural elements (embraced it). It would have made for a more entertaining story. Many readers will be able to figure out the identity of the culprit. Only a couple of clues are needed to work out this mystery (if you can manage to get that far into the book). I was tempted many times to toss The Fifth Petal aside, but I did persevere to the end (which I discovered to be a letdown). Of course, The Fifth Petal has the requisite romance which just slows down the narrative even more (Thanksgiving seemed to go on for days). I found some information to be replicated especially about the 1989 murder (and I forget how many times we are told that John Rafferty is the chief of police). While this is the second book in The Lace Reader series, it can be read alone. The author updates the readers on what occurred in The Lace Reader.
The Fifth Petal sounds like a great paranormal mystery novel. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with the final product. There is some nice writing and excellent research, but the novels pace is sluggish (actually, I think slugs move faster). I was never drawn into the story (it did not engage me in any way). The author did not stick with the main storyline. There are a couple of side stories that were unnecessary. The main one being Callie and her music therapy. I ended up skipping through these sections. Brunonia Barry is also a descriptive writer which leads to many unnecessary details. I give The Fifth Petal 2 out of 5 stars (I did not like it). I believe the book needs major editing. The Fifth Petal could be a good book with a little work. I wish the author had run with the supernatural elements (embraced it). It would have made for a more entertaining story. Many readers will be able to figure out the identity of the culprit. Only a couple of clues are needed to work out this mystery (if you can manage to get that far into the book). I was tempted many times to toss The Fifth Petal aside, but I did persevere to the end (which I discovered to be a letdown). Of course, The Fifth Petal has the requisite romance which just slows down the narrative even more (Thanksgiving seemed to go on for days). I found some information to be replicated especially about the 1989 murder (and I forget how many times we are told that John Rafferty is the chief of police). While this is the second book in The Lace Reader series, it can be read alone. The author updates the readers on what occurred in The Lace Reader.
baddums's review against another edition
2.0
I thought I would like this more than I did, given the historical detail and general premise. Honestly, up until the last fifth or so I would say it wasn't bad. Certainly not a favorite, but not bad. It just didn't pull me in like I hoped it would. The ending, however, seemed rushed. Time skips, details spent on the caves to completely flesh them out and then basically forgotten a chapter later when the MC is back in Salem, connections are made that were underwhelming, the MC's relationship felt like lip service and shallow...
I started this book around Thanksgiving and just really had to put my head down to get through the second half of it before it was due back at the library because I'm stubborn (after two renewals).
I started this book around Thanksgiving and just really had to put my head down to get through the second half of it before it was due back at the library because I'm stubborn (after two renewals).