By Debbie Viguie
Signet, $7.99, 368 pages
Samantha Ryan is a detective trying to forget a strange past, but that isn’t going to be an option in The Thirteenth Sacrifice, the first novel in a new mystery series by Debbie Viguie.
Samantha Ryan grew up in a coven that practiced terrifying magic. As a child, she saw horrific things that still haunt her in nightmares. She, however, escaped and was adopted by a family that helped her put her past behind her. Or so Samantha thought. Strange murders begin occurring, which she realizes are connected with witchcraft. To stop them, Samantha must face her fears, go undercover as a witch, and practice witchcraft despite her Christian beliefs. Will she be accepted by the coven in time to stop the impending crisis, and will she lose herself in returning to her past?
Viguie successfully weaves the supernatural with reality in a way that allows the reader to suspend disbelief. At the same time, she writes a satisfyingly unpredictable mystery. For readers who enjoy a bit of the occult in their mysteries, this is definitely a mystery worth checking out.
Reviewed by Annie Peters
