Circle of the Lily

In 1899, a mysterious occurrence at a country manor house causes people to whisper of murder, curses, and witchcraft. Today, Claire St. Johns gives "ghost tours" of the house. But when a storm unearths human bones on her property, and an enigmatic yet attractive American comes looking for his long-lost mother, what follows is a pulse-pounding story of passion, magic, psychic battles, and a star-crossed love.

In this modern gothic with strong occult elements, Jill Jones pairs a British woman with psychic abilities and an American man whose life has been blighted by an ancient curse. When Claire St. John meets Michael Townsend, the new boarder on her English country estate, she's both attracted and repelled. She senses in him a merciless sorrow, a darkness that draws evil, and she warns him of a malevolent woman who will harm him. That woman is Delilah Mason, a present-day enchantress who has used magic to build an empire. Delilah now seeks to expand her power by reviving an ancient cult called the Circle of the Lily, with Michael as her High Priest. With help from her psychic friends, Claire summons up her own powers of light to win Michael for herself, reveal the sources of his emotional demons, and destroy the evil forces that threaten them. Jones's use of the character's thoughts to tell portions of her story occasionally slows the pace, but her clever and compelling plot twists will keep most readers riveted. --Ellen Edwards