Book - A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi

A Circle of Souls takes the reader to Newbury, Connecticut, where a little girl has been brutally murdered and left the quiet town and it's law enforcement in shock. When the girl's backpack is found on the property of a presidential candidate, FBI agent Leia Bines, who specializes in cases involving children, is called in to help solve the crime and catch the killer quickly. Meanwhile child psychiatrist, Dr Peter Gram, is puzzled by his seven year old patient, Naya's nightmares. When Naya begins drawing the images from her disturbing dreams, Leia and Peter's paths converge, as her sketches are the only clues to the murder.

This is the debut novel of Dr. Preetham Grandhi, who immigrated to the US from Bangalore, India to pursue a career in child and adolescent psychiatry. He has been the chief of service for House 5 at Bronx Children's Psychiatric Center as well as has a private practice in New York. His extensive background into the psyche of a child helps to make this story compelling and believable.

Grandhi takes the reader into the hearts and minds of the characters involved. His story is reminiscent of a classic Hitchcock tale. He keeps you glued to the book and on edge page after page until the mystery is resolved. He includes twist and hints that lead you to believe you know who the killer is before Leia and Peter, but then at the very end surprises you with a twist you didn't see coming. He does an excellent job of fleshing out the characters and making you care about the outcome. While there are some elements of the supernatural, he keeps these reigned in so that they don't come across as completely far fetched. He also connects his characters in a way that makes the phrase "It's a small world," come to mind. An engaging read, I highly recommend. Can't wait to read his next novel. Five out of five visions.