What do readers think of The Fifth Petal by Brunonia Barry? Write your own review.

Having read the Lace Reader with great delight I looked forward to The Fifth Petal and was not disappointed. The information about Salem and one specific group of contemporary witches and the resulting mystery kept me enthralled. The mystery was one of my favorite - I couldn't figure out "who did it." The characters were well developed whether human or trees!

I read the Lace Reader the first book in this series a while ago. I loved it and it is so fun to have characters in the first book also be in the 2nd book. It took a bit to reintroduce myself to the characters. So we have modern day Salem and the Salem of old when three women accused of being witches were slain on Halloween. Rafferty the Chief of police in trying to solve the murders. I really like the historic elements of Salem of the past, and the Salem of today which is all about capitalizing on witches. This was a light book, lots of fun. I enjoy Brunonia Barry's writing style and can't wait for book 3 Bone Lace!

Salem, Mass is the location of this story. In the beginning three women women are murdered that are suspected of being witches.The worse thing was the banshee cry. Rose was there and though a professional women she was suspected of the murders and went a little crazy.

Cassie was a young daughter of one of the murdered women and Rose protected her and became her surrogate mother. Hearing Rose is doing poorly she comes back to Salem with her singing bowls to help.

I really enjoyed this book learning about singing bowls.

Full disclosure: I'm a big fan of Brunonia Barry. To me, the main character of this most recent book is the city of Salem and it's fascinating history. Ms. Barry makes the area come alive with her vivid language. Good story with many twists and turns. Very entertaining!

Having read Barry's two previous novels (The Lace Reader and The Map of True Places) I was anxious to read The Fifth Petal. I was not disappointed. The question is how does the "fifth petal" connect the 2014 death of a boy, the 1989 slayings of the young girls known as "the goddesses" and the Salem witch trials and hangings? Barry who is a masterful story teller leads the reader to the answer. Being a musician, I found her use of sound in the plot fascinating. For me, the book was a page turner. Probably her best yet.

Excellent!. Thank you BookBrowse for my copy!! Bruonia Barry wrote The Lace Reader ten years ago. A wonderful, suspenseful book set in contemporary Salem, Mass. Fifth Petal is the sequel, totally worth the wait. I will only tell you the basics, so as not to ruin the book for you. Although the time is now, the story involves a gruesome murder twenty-five years ago, the Salem witch trials and a new crime . It is a fascinating look into Salem's past and present. It is also an amazing read. If you haven't read either book, do it now!

The oak tree's roots are the strong imagery used extensively in "The Fifth Petal." The story told in this book covers many time periods and several different characters. Do not be discouraged by this as the book carries you along and quickly picks you up and drops you where you need to be to follow the narrative. "The Fifth Petal" is a history lesson of Salem and the generations of witches thought to be present, a love story, and compelling mysteries through the years. I attempted the "Lace Reader" several years ago, and for some reason I let it go, but now I cannot wait to pick it up again. Barry is a masterful story teller and historian. She says it took her five years to complete this book, and after reading it, I can't believe it didn't take her much longer, so filled with backstory and interesting folklore in Salem. So along with reading Barry's other books, I'm putting Salem, MA on my bucket list.

I think that this is a well written book looking at witches in Salem, MA in a unique way. It takes place in present time, but each character has a connection to the past history of Salem with several connections to the women hanged as witches in 1689. There is also a murder mystery to be solved as well as secrets to be revealed. The book both draws the reader into the lives of some very interesting people as well as building suspense in solving the mystery. It has a surprising end in many ways yet is satisfying too for the most sympathetic character. A good read!