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A Circle of Souls
The sleepy town of Newbury, Connecticut, is shocked when a little girl is found brutally murdered. The town's top detective, perplexed by a complete lack of leads, calls in FBI agent Leia Bines, an expert in cases involving children.
Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Gram, a psychiatrist at Newbury's hospital, searches desperately for the cause of seven-year-old Naya Hastings's devastating nightmares. Afraid that she might hurt herself in the midst of a torturous episode, Naya's parents have turned to the bright young doctor as their only hope.
The situations confronting Leia and Peter converge when Naya begins drawing chilling images of murder after being bombarded by the disturbing images in her dreams. Amazingly, her sketches are the only clues to the crime that has panicked Newbury residents. Against her better judgment, Leia explores the clues in Naya's crude drawings, only to set off an alarming chain of events.
In this stunning psychological thriller, innocence gives way to evil, and trust lies forgotten in a web of deceit, fear, and murder.
339 pages, Paperback
First published November 8, 2007
6 people are currently reading
723 people want to read
About the author
Preetham Grandhi
4 books21 followersPreetham Grandhi, an India-born immigrant, explores his life parallels in a new kind of psychological thriller and debut novel, A Circle of Souls. Born and raised in the city of Bangalore, India, Preetham mirrored the struggles of upper-middle class lives, acculturation, and psychological trauma through the characters of this well-sculpted thriller. Preetham’s childhood determination for success and change leads to a new life in the USA. His hope is that the land of opportunity would close old doors and open new beginnings. In a twist of fate, he found himself working with children and their families in the inner city Bronx, families who had even more complex issues than his own. Through their eyes and life experiences, he was motivated to become someone he never thought he would become, an author.
After investing five years in writing, he then encountered the struggle of becoming a traditionally published author. Now in June 2009, in the midst of economic crises and nationwide corporation mismanagement, comes www.acircleofsouls.com, a tale of hope, justice, and accountability. This spirit-lifting and thought-provoking story has received rave reviews.
After investing five years in writing, he then encountered the struggle of becoming a traditionally published author. Now in June 2009, in the midst of economic crises and nationwide corporation mismanagement, comes www.acircleofsouls.com, a tale of hope, justice, and accountability. This spirit-lifting and thought-provoking story has received rave reviews.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
July 18, 2009
It was very exciting for me when I received a personally signed copy of A Circle of Souls from the author several weeks ago.
Mini Synopsis:
There's a serial killer on the loose, in this quiet upper middle class suburb, and he has stumbled upon a little girl. His killings are ritualized and have a psychological connection from his past and an exotic culture. The plot is further embellished by the main characters, a kind child psychiatrist with a fear of commitment, a gorgeous yet slightly damaged FBI agent, and an East Indian girl with a paranormal gift that is linked to her family and cultural background.
A special quote from the novel:
"Sometimes there are forces beyond our comprehension that we may have to accept without questioning their origins."
What I thought about the novel:
I adore thrillers with a medical/psychological flavor in the story line. This book had just enough to interest me and medical references were backed up with explanations making them accessible. It also had cultural interest, where part of this story is rooted in the ancient beliefs of the East Indian culture. I would have loved to see more.
The characters were very likable (except for the bad guy.) There is some gore, but just enough to give you a taste of the violence that has occurred. The language is clean and the writing is easy to follow and flows easily.
Summary:
I truly enjoyed A Circle of Souls. It was like reading an American thriller, but with a touch of the exotic - just a hint of curry and spice - all blending smoothly into a story that I did not want to finish but couldn't put down. Very appetizing! I'm hoping for a sequel?
Mini Synopsis:
There's a serial killer on the loose, in this quiet upper middle class suburb, and he has stumbled upon a little girl. His killings are ritualized and have a psychological connection from his past and an exotic culture. The plot is further embellished by the main characters, a kind child psychiatrist with a fear of commitment, a gorgeous yet slightly damaged FBI agent, and an East Indian girl with a paranormal gift that is linked to her family and cultural background.
A special quote from the novel:
"Sometimes there are forces beyond our comprehension that we may have to accept without questioning their origins."
What I thought about the novel:
I adore thrillers with a medical/psychological flavor in the story line. This book had just enough to interest me and medical references were backed up with explanations making them accessible. It also had cultural interest, where part of this story is rooted in the ancient beliefs of the East Indian culture. I would have loved to see more.
The characters were very likable (except for the bad guy.) There is some gore, but just enough to give you a taste of the violence that has occurred. The language is clean and the writing is easy to follow and flows easily.
Summary:
I truly enjoyed A Circle of Souls. It was like reading an American thriller, but with a touch of the exotic - just a hint of curry and spice - all blending smoothly into a story that I did not want to finish but couldn't put down. Very appetizing! I'm hoping for a sequel?
November 29, 2018
This review is going to be all over the place. This book is rather uneven.
To start, the story is intriguing. There's a touch of mysticism that requires a sense of belief of another dimension of our souls, which lends to a inter-connectivity between characters, their pasts and aiding each other from beyond. Blend that with the murder of a child and the story is compelling. It was enough to keep me wanting to read and find out where this story ends.
However, there were scenes that were stilted, overly detailed in descriptions of routines & practices, characters weren't explored well, situations just ended (and therefore could have been excluded). Why have a budding romance throughout when the two characters just part at the end of the case with a finality that left the entire "romance" unexplored, unmentioned between the 2 and unnecessary to the book? Why make a good doctor (presumably a smart man) fall to pieces over having to pay back a debt? Yeah, I know why; he had a role to play but it seemed sudden and unnatural.
All in all, an intriguing story that will pull you through the book but with obvious flaws...leaving this story in the realms of "I liked it but....".
To start, the story is intriguing. There's a touch of mysticism that requires a sense of belief of another dimension of our souls, which lends to a inter-connectivity between characters, their pasts and aiding each other from beyond. Blend that with the murder of a child and the story is compelling. It was enough to keep me wanting to read and find out where this story ends.
However, there were scenes that were stilted, overly detailed in descriptions of routines & practices, characters weren't explored well, situations just ended (and therefore could have been excluded). Why have a budding romance throughout when the two characters just part at the end of the case with a finality that left the entire "romance" unexplored, unmentioned between the 2 and unnecessary to the book? Why make a good doctor (presumably a smart man) fall to pieces over having to pay back a debt? Yeah, I know why; he had a role to play but it seemed sudden and unnatural.
All in all, an intriguing story that will pull you through the book but with obvious flaws...leaving this story in the realms of "I liked it but....".
September 1, 2009
A little girl has fallen victim to a sadistic maniac who takes her life. Leia Bines is the agent called in to help solve this brutal murder. She's hoping with all her might that this case will turn out different than the last one.
Dr. Gram has been called on to help a little girl, Naya, who may or may not be suicidal. Naya's parents are worried for her safety and want the best medical care possible for their child.
Naya and her drawing pad may be the only link to that can bring this tyrant to justice. Will they be able to stop catch this creep before it's too late or will this grizzly evil roam free forever?
Every once in a while, I am caught totally off guard by an author. I figured that A Circle of Souls would be a good book based on the synopsis and some reviews that I have read. I must admit that I was highly impressed with Preetham's writing and story telling talent. Don't get me wrong, I knew by the information available that this book would have the potential to fly off the shelves. I did not expect to become a rabid Preetham Grandhi fan. He has captured this reader and I will more than likely be a fan for life. If you haven't read this book, you should pick it now so you don't miss out on this creative heart-pumping thriller.
Dr. Gram has been called on to help a little girl, Naya, who may or may not be suicidal. Naya's parents are worried for her safety and want the best medical care possible for their child.
Naya and her drawing pad may be the only link to that can bring this tyrant to justice. Will they be able to stop catch this creep before it's too late or will this grizzly evil roam free forever?
Every once in a while, I am caught totally off guard by an author. I figured that A Circle of Souls would be a good book based on the synopsis and some reviews that I have read. I must admit that I was highly impressed with Preetham's writing and story telling talent. Don't get me wrong, I knew by the information available that this book would have the potential to fly off the shelves. I did not expect to become a rabid Preetham Grandhi fan. He has captured this reader and I will more than likely be a fan for life. If you haven't read this book, you should pick it now so you don't miss out on this creative heart-pumping thriller.
August 27, 2009
A Circle of Souls, by Preetham Grandhi, is an intriguing book. The story opens with the shocking murder of a small girl, then moves into the local hospital where a psychiatrist is trying to understand another girl’s sleepwalking attempt at suicide. But a wonderful lightness of touch keeps the reader hopeful in spite of it all, and quickly turning the pages. The psychiatrist is a warm, engaging character; the FBI investigator likewise. Both of them are driven and devoted to their jobs. And their stories intersect when Naya makes drawings for her doctor depicting her dreams and Janet’s death.
There are things in life that are hard or impossible to explain. All too often, novels introduce such things only to beat them into the ground with a call to follow the author’s chosen set of religious beliefs. A Circle of Souls avoids this trap. While introducing Naya’s Indian relatives and their mysterious faith, the author leaves the reader, like the characters, to wonder how all this might be made to fit in with modern America and modern science.
Intriguingly, Naya’s uncle feels she’ll be safer in America with her powers than in India. And oh how I’d love to read a sequel and see how that works out.
By the end of the novel, the murder is resolved. Several cultures have collided with a mixture of pain and joy. And the characters, once devoted only to work, have moved on and begun to change. The dark recesses of the human mind have been exposed, leaving the reader filled with sympathy that might once have been denied. And mysteries unknown are still hard or impossible to explain. They’re just a little more real.
There are things in life that are hard or impossible to explain. All too often, novels introduce such things only to beat them into the ground with a call to follow the author’s chosen set of religious beliefs. A Circle of Souls avoids this trap. While introducing Naya’s Indian relatives and their mysterious faith, the author leaves the reader, like the characters, to wonder how all this might be made to fit in with modern America and modern science.
Intriguingly, Naya’s uncle feels she’ll be safer in America with her powers than in India. And oh how I’d love to read a sequel and see how that works out.
By the end of the novel, the murder is resolved. Several cultures have collided with a mixture of pain and joy. And the characters, once devoted only to work, have moved on and begun to change. The dark recesses of the human mind have been exposed, leaving the reader filled with sympathy that might once have been denied. And mysteries unknown are still hard or impossible to explain. They’re just a little more real.
July 10, 2012
Bu yorum aynı zamanda Romancekolikte yayınlanmıştır.
Kitap değişik bir konuya sahipti. Bu tür - gerilim, cinayet - romanları okumaya alışık biri olmadığımdan kimi zaman beni etkileyen unsurlar oldu. Katilin ufak bir kızı yakalayıp kurban etmesi gibi. İnsan ister istemez gerçek hayatta böyle şeyler oluyor, küçük çocuklar kaçırılıp öldürülüyor diye düşünmeden edemiyor. Okurken anladım ki ben gereğinden fazla empati kurmuşum karakterle :) Ayrıca ufakta olsa bir reenkarnasyon konusu işlenmiş.
Hikayemize gelirsek Newbury adında sessiz sakin küçük bir üniversite kasabasında 10 yaşında ki Janet'in yanlış zamanda yanlış yerde olma tahlihsizliğiyle bir katil tarafından öldürülmesiyle başlıyor. Ölümünden 9 gün sonra bir arazide cesedinin parçaları bulunuyor. Eklemlerinden kesilip parçaya ayrılmış ve arazinin dört bir yanına gömülmüş parçalar. Cinayet çözülmeye çalışılırken, kasabada ki pediatri hastanesine yatırılan 7 yaşında Naya cinayetin çözülmesine yarayacak rüyalar görüyor ve bunları detaylı bir şekilde çizebiliyordur. Doktor Peter'a bu rüyaları Janet'in isteği üzerine anlatmasıyla gizem çözülmeye başlamıştır ama katilinde Naya'dan haberi vardır ve yıllardır yakalanmadan özgürce yaşamışken bu ufaklığın özgürlüğüne son vermesine izin vermeye niyetli değildir.
Kitap değişik bir konuya sahipti. Bu tür - gerilim, cinayet - romanları okumaya alışık biri olmadığımdan kimi zaman beni etkileyen unsurlar oldu. Katilin ufak bir kızı yakalayıp kurban etmesi gibi. İnsan ister istemez gerçek hayatta böyle şeyler oluyor, küçük çocuklar kaçırılıp öldürülüyor diye düşünmeden edemiyor. Okurken anladım ki ben gereğinden fazla empati kurmuşum karakterle :) Ayrıca ufakta olsa bir reenkarnasyon konusu işlenmiş.
Hikayemize gelirsek Newbury adında sessiz sakin küçük bir üniversite kasabasında 10 yaşında ki Janet'in yanlış zamanda yanlış yerde olma tahlihsizliğiyle bir katil tarafından öldürülmesiyle başlıyor. Ölümünden 9 gün sonra bir arazide cesedinin parçaları bulunuyor. Eklemlerinden kesilip parçaya ayrılmış ve arazinin dört bir yanına gömülmüş parçalar. Cinayet çözülmeye çalışılırken, kasabada ki pediatri hastanesine yatırılan 7 yaşında Naya cinayetin çözülmesine yarayacak rüyalar görüyor ve bunları detaylı bir şekilde çizebiliyordur. Doktor Peter'a bu rüyaları Janet'in isteği üzerine anlatmasıyla gizem çözülmeye başlamıştır ama katilinde Naya'dan haberi vardır ve yıllardır yakalanmadan özgürce yaşamışken bu ufaklığın özgürlüğüne son vermesine izin vermeye niyetli değildir.
July 14, 2009
In my opinion Dr. Grandhi should keep his day job
(as a pediatric and adolescent psychiatrist
- as Chief of Service for House 5 at Bronx Children's Psychiatric Hospital-
and in private practice in Westchester County, NY)
and then use every spare moment on nights and weekends putting pen to paper!
A Circle of Souls, grabbed me on the first page,
and held on to the very end.
Before now, I had never read a murder with a paranormal twist,
but you can be assured, that I'll now be reading more of this particular genre.
On several occasions, I had just about convinced myself,
that I had figured out "who done it", and then after reading a few more chapters, I'd have another suspect to add to my list.
This may sound strange, as this story is about a gruesome crime
(and the sick and complex mind of a killer),
but I found it to be "touching".
Dr. Grandhi has a gentle, simple, and easy to read style of writing
AND
he was able to tell a tale of horror
without the use of foul language or explicit gratuitous sexual content.
He used his medical expertise and Indian background,
to weave a story of suspense, mental illness,
and the idea of a connection
that some [of the living:], seem to have with the dead.
(as a pediatric and adolescent psychiatrist
- as Chief of Service for House 5 at Bronx Children's Psychiatric Hospital-
and in private practice in Westchester County, NY)
and then use every spare moment on nights and weekends putting pen to paper!
A Circle of Souls, grabbed me on the first page,
and held on to the very end.
Before now, I had never read a murder with a paranormal twist,
but you can be assured, that I'll now be reading more of this particular genre.
On several occasions, I had just about convinced myself,
that I had figured out "who done it", and then after reading a few more chapters, I'd have another suspect to add to my list.
This may sound strange, as this story is about a gruesome crime
(and the sick and complex mind of a killer),
but I found it to be "touching".
Dr. Grandhi has a gentle, simple, and easy to read style of writing
AND
he was able to tell a tale of horror
without the use of foul language or explicit gratuitous sexual content.
He used his medical expertise and Indian background,
to weave a story of suspense, mental illness,
and the idea of a connection
that some [of the living:], seem to have with the dead.
March 8, 2010
A first-reads win. Three and a half stars
A Circle of Souls is best described as a supernatural thriller. It is a pretty good psychological suspense novel dealing with the murder of a child by a ritual killer. At the same time, a young girl is admitted to a children psychiatric center and may have the knowledge from her dreams to solve this crime.The strength of this novel lies in the interaction between child and her psychiatrist. The author, Preetham Grandhi, is a psychiatrist specializing in children and adolescent behavior and his knowledge of this is what makes this story come alive. Having worked in psychiatric facilities, I can attest to the authenticity of these scenes. However, once away from that setting Grandhi is not on solid ground. His action scenes are awkward and the secondary characters such as the polices and detectives seem one dimensional. Yet he has an imaginative story and when the hospital scenes are on center stage, the book sizzles. I also like the addition of Indian mythology and metaphysics within the storyline. Overall, it is a solid debut novel and an entertaining supernatural suspense tale.
A Circle of Souls is best described as a supernatural thriller. It is a pretty good psychological suspense novel dealing with the murder of a child by a ritual killer. At the same time, a young girl is admitted to a children psychiatric center and may have the knowledge from her dreams to solve this crime.The strength of this novel lies in the interaction between child and her psychiatrist. The author, Preetham Grandhi, is a psychiatrist specializing in children and adolescent behavior and his knowledge of this is what makes this story come alive. Having worked in psychiatric facilities, I can attest to the authenticity of these scenes. However, once away from that setting Grandhi is not on solid ground. His action scenes are awkward and the secondary characters such as the polices and detectives seem one dimensional. Yet he has an imaginative story and when the hospital scenes are on center stage, the book sizzles. I also like the addition of Indian mythology and metaphysics within the storyline. Overall, it is a solid debut novel and an entertaining supernatural suspense tale.
December 9, 2009
A Circle of Souls is a psychological thriller about a small girl who is brutally murdered in a small town in CT. Agent Leia Bines is put on the case as the leading expert in cases regarding children, but unfortunately law enforcement has very little to go on. Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Gram, a psychologist working in the pediatric unit meets a new patient named Naya, a seven year old girl who suffers from nightmares. It quickly becomes apparent that Naya is having more than just nightmares, and Peter decides that her problem is beyond medical. Naya appears to be communicating with the murdered girl when she is sleeping and then shares her "dreams" with Peter afterward. Peter shares this information with Agent Bines, who is skeptical about following leads from a seven year old being seen by a psychologist. However, after checking out the information provided by Naya, a series of events unfold that make it nearly impossible to put the book down.
One of my favorite aspects of this book was the characters, and how the author brought them to life. Peter, the male lead of the story, is introduced to the reader at a time when he's suffering from a cold. How often do you come across a book where the characters are suffering from a head cold? It seems trivial in context with the story, but it helps to bring a level of normality and lifelikeness to the story which is uncommon in writing. I realize many writers bring medical conditions into their writing, but normally they are serious diseases, while typically the insignificant conditions are overlooked. I also liked how lifelike the environments of the story were. It is obvious that Grandhi has knowledge of medicine and psychology, and this shows in the quality of descriptions of certain settings in the book, such as the hospital and psych unit.
Another feature that I loved about this book was the shift between points of view. The book's prologue drops you right into the shoes of the killer, giving you immediate insight into the mind of the monster. You then shift to the little girl, Janet, who is the unfortunate victim of the murderer. From there on out, you experience the story progression through a variety of characters, including Dr. Gram, Agent Bines, and Naya. Through the telling of each of their side of the story, the path to discovering the killer is uncovered. By frequently alternating narrators (chapters are typically very short- only a couple of pages long), the story gains momentum and never allows the reader to grow bored with any aspect of the story.
It was refreshing to come across a story where although romance was alluded to, it never took hold. In many stories these days, the lead characters end up together at the end of the book. In the case of this book, Agent Bines and Peter seemed to be hitting it off, and even seemed to share an attraction. Based on previous experience with books and movies, I was anticipating that they would end up together in the end. I was pleasantly surprised when Leia returned home, with nothing more than flirting ever occurring. I can't even tell you how great it was to read a book where I couldn't predict the outcome! Predictability is my pet peeve when reading, and can make a book incredibly boring. I promise you this- this book is anything but boring!
I couldn't put this book down once I started reading it! From the outset, you are intrigued by how all of the events taking place tie into the brutal murder of the little girl. As events unfold, one can't help but be impressed by how the author ties all of the seemingly unrelated characters into the situation. A variety of lore and supernatural elements create a mysterious vibe which support the story in a way that doesn't seem cheesy or completely out in left field. It was interesting to see how a man of medicine responded to the numerous spiritual implications that his case set forth, and I think that his open-mindedness was very forward thinking of Grandhi. Many people perceive scientists as incapable of accepting "supernatural phenomena," but it is rarely the case. Science is completely open to the idea of natural and supernatural forces in our world, and this book does a great job of representing that fact.
One thing that I want to point out is that although the murder is described as "brutal", the book is in no way graphic. Aside from a relatively vague description of the body, there is no grisly detail about the murder itself, or the body. There's also no offensive language in the book, for those readers who find it objectionable. The writing flows well, and overall I feel the book was very well written. I would happily read another work by Preetham Grandhi in the future!
One of my favorite aspects of this book was the characters, and how the author brought them to life. Peter, the male lead of the story, is introduced to the reader at a time when he's suffering from a cold. How often do you come across a book where the characters are suffering from a head cold? It seems trivial in context with the story, but it helps to bring a level of normality and lifelikeness to the story which is uncommon in writing. I realize many writers bring medical conditions into their writing, but normally they are serious diseases, while typically the insignificant conditions are overlooked. I also liked how lifelike the environments of the story were. It is obvious that Grandhi has knowledge of medicine and psychology, and this shows in the quality of descriptions of certain settings in the book, such as the hospital and psych unit.
Another feature that I loved about this book was the shift between points of view. The book's prologue drops you right into the shoes of the killer, giving you immediate insight into the mind of the monster. You then shift to the little girl, Janet, who is the unfortunate victim of the murderer. From there on out, you experience the story progression through a variety of characters, including Dr. Gram, Agent Bines, and Naya. Through the telling of each of their side of the story, the path to discovering the killer is uncovered. By frequently alternating narrators (chapters are typically very short- only a couple of pages long), the story gains momentum and never allows the reader to grow bored with any aspect of the story.
It was refreshing to come across a story where although romance was alluded to, it never took hold. In many stories these days, the lead characters end up together at the end of the book. In the case of this book, Agent Bines and Peter seemed to be hitting it off, and even seemed to share an attraction. Based on previous experience with books and movies, I was anticipating that they would end up together in the end. I was pleasantly surprised when Leia returned home, with nothing more than flirting ever occurring. I can't even tell you how great it was to read a book where I couldn't predict the outcome! Predictability is my pet peeve when reading, and can make a book incredibly boring. I promise you this- this book is anything but boring!
I couldn't put this book down once I started reading it! From the outset, you are intrigued by how all of the events taking place tie into the brutal murder of the little girl. As events unfold, one can't help but be impressed by how the author ties all of the seemingly unrelated characters into the situation. A variety of lore and supernatural elements create a mysterious vibe which support the story in a way that doesn't seem cheesy or completely out in left field. It was interesting to see how a man of medicine responded to the numerous spiritual implications that his case set forth, and I think that his open-mindedness was very forward thinking of Grandhi. Many people perceive scientists as incapable of accepting "supernatural phenomena," but it is rarely the case. Science is completely open to the idea of natural and supernatural forces in our world, and this book does a great job of representing that fact.
One thing that I want to point out is that although the murder is described as "brutal", the book is in no way graphic. Aside from a relatively vague description of the body, there is no grisly detail about the murder itself, or the body. There's also no offensive language in the book, for those readers who find it objectionable. The writing flows well, and overall I feel the book was very well written. I would happily read another work by Preetham Grandhi in the future!
August 21, 2017
Preetham Grandhi, MD, immigrated to the United States from India to pursue a career in child and adolescent psychiatry. He currently resides in Westchester County, New York, with his family.
The sleepy town of Newbury, Connecticut, is shocked when a little girl is found brutally murdered. With the murderer on the loose, the police desperately look for any clues to lead to his identity. Meanwhile, a psychiatrist in a nearby hospital is also in a desperate search to find the cause of seven-year-old Naya Hastings devastating nightmares. Afraid that she might hurt herself in the midst of a torturous episode, Naya s parents have turned to the bright young doctor as their only hope. When these two situations converge, they set off an alarming chain of events. In this stunning psychological thriller, innocence gives way to evil, and trust lies forgotten in a web of deceit, fear, and murder.
In this debut psychological thriller by new author, Preetham Grandhi, a seven-year-old named Naya Hasting, now in the care of Dr. Peter Gram, a psychiatrist appears to be communicating through her dreams with recently murdered, ten-year-old, Janet Troy.
But that’s not all! Thirty years prior, there was another murder committed in almost the same manner and now the town of Newbury, Connecticut has something to worry about. Are the two murders connected? Do they have a serial killer in their midst?
Once Dr. Gram realizes Naya must know more about the recent murder of little Janet, in whatever unorthodox manner, he decides to try to help the FBI find the killer through Naya, who sketches images from her dreams and chillingly, are the only clues the FBI has in their search for this faceless, “bad man”.
Dr. Gram and FBI agent Leia Bines, an expert in cases involving children, combine their efforts and specialties in this page-turning, gripping novel. Naya also talks to the dead girl while sleepwalking and during their conversations, Janet shares snip-its of information the FBI on the case don’t have, including information never brought forth to the public on the never-solved murder three decades ago, making the case even more puzzling and the story, more intriguing.
Preetham Grandhi backs up his plotting with his own medical knowledge in psychiatrics, making the story even more fascinating and believable. With each chapter broken down into time periods during days in a week, Grandhi’s ever-twisting plot, descriptive prose and attention-grabbing dialogue will keep the reader engrossed as the author draws the reader deeper into the crevices of the mind of a disturbed child.
Also, Grandhi has masterfully blended the suspense of a thriller with the Federal agent assigned to the case and the psychological knowledge of the doctor assigned to the child whose parents have entrusted him with her care.
In the end, Dr. Gram is forced to accept the many lives a soul has actually had previously and his own past lives eventually led to the person he is today, compared to the person he was in another time, another realm. This isn’t easy for him to deal with at first.
As a debut novel, the author has done very well and I’m looking forward to future works. A definite must read!
The sleepy town of Newbury, Connecticut, is shocked when a little girl is found brutally murdered. With the murderer on the loose, the police desperately look for any clues to lead to his identity. Meanwhile, a psychiatrist in a nearby hospital is also in a desperate search to find the cause of seven-year-old Naya Hastings devastating nightmares. Afraid that she might hurt herself in the midst of a torturous episode, Naya s parents have turned to the bright young doctor as their only hope. When these two situations converge, they set off an alarming chain of events. In this stunning psychological thriller, innocence gives way to evil, and trust lies forgotten in a web of deceit, fear, and murder.
In this debut psychological thriller by new author, Preetham Grandhi, a seven-year-old named Naya Hasting, now in the care of Dr. Peter Gram, a psychiatrist appears to be communicating through her dreams with recently murdered, ten-year-old, Janet Troy.
But that’s not all! Thirty years prior, there was another murder committed in almost the same manner and now the town of Newbury, Connecticut has something to worry about. Are the two murders connected? Do they have a serial killer in their midst?
Once Dr. Gram realizes Naya must know more about the recent murder of little Janet, in whatever unorthodox manner, he decides to try to help the FBI find the killer through Naya, who sketches images from her dreams and chillingly, are the only clues the FBI has in their search for this faceless, “bad man”.
Dr. Gram and FBI agent Leia Bines, an expert in cases involving children, combine their efforts and specialties in this page-turning, gripping novel. Naya also talks to the dead girl while sleepwalking and during their conversations, Janet shares snip-its of information the FBI on the case don’t have, including information never brought forth to the public on the never-solved murder three decades ago, making the case even more puzzling and the story, more intriguing.
Preetham Grandhi backs up his plotting with his own medical knowledge in psychiatrics, making the story even more fascinating and believable. With each chapter broken down into time periods during days in a week, Grandhi’s ever-twisting plot, descriptive prose and attention-grabbing dialogue will keep the reader engrossed as the author draws the reader deeper into the crevices of the mind of a disturbed child.
Also, Grandhi has masterfully blended the suspense of a thriller with the Federal agent assigned to the case and the psychological knowledge of the doctor assigned to the child whose parents have entrusted him with her care.
In the end, Dr. Gram is forced to accept the many lives a soul has actually had previously and his own past lives eventually led to the person he is today, compared to the person he was in another time, another realm. This isn’t easy for him to deal with at first.
As a debut novel, the author has done very well and I’m looking forward to future works. A definite must read!
October 28, 2009
This is a murder mystery that has a slight touch of the supernatural that also deals with past lives. Preetham makes sure that the plot is not boggled down with too much mention of spiritualism, but more importantly the quest to find a killer who has targeted the most vulnerable of victim- children.
A Circle of Souls would be of interest to those readers who enjoy crime dramas. Keep in mind though the murder deals with Janet, a nine year old girl, who because she was curious, was killed by an individual who thinks a higher being is making him kill, or sacrifice, in order to reach enlightenment. Called in on the case if FBI agent Leia Bines who works in a special unit dedicated to crimes against children. She may be the only hope in cracking this case and figure out why the small town of Newbury, Connecticut has been targeted by a possible serial killer.
Around the same time of the murder, Dr. Peter Gram, who works at Newbury General and Pediatric hospital has a very interesting patient. Seven-year old Naya Hastings has been brought to the emergency room after her parents found a sleepwalking Naya standing on the second-floor balcony where she was trying to climb over it. Lately Naya has been having strange dreams and Dr. Gram recommends Naya be committed for a few days where he can monitor her brain and figure out why she is having these dreams that may make her harm herself.
As Gram tries to diagnose Naya, she continues to have disturbing nightmares of a little girl named Janet who wants Naya to help her. Naya begins to draw pictures of her interactions with her dream friend Janet, and Gram comes to the conclusion that something bigger is at play. And when Gram hears about the murder of Janet, he begins to put the pieces together and soon is helping Leia with the case before the killer can strike again.
I was glued to the pages of A Circle of Souls and had no clue who the killer was. Some of the blurbs I have read about this book compare Preetham’s writing to Hitchcock and I can certainly see the comparisons. There are twists and turns that bring in a supernatural element, especially in regards to Gram that is surprising. Gram may seem to be more of a secondary character in this all, but he becomes a very important focal point, even more so than Naya.
Preetham does have a skill at writing child characters and I enjoyed Naya and the way she looked at things and her interactions with Gram and that of her the poor murdered Janet. The only graphic scenes are in the beginning when Janet’s body is found.
If you like psychological thrillers, A Circle of Souls really excels in this aspect.
A Circle of Souls would be of interest to those readers who enjoy crime dramas. Keep in mind though the murder deals with Janet, a nine year old girl, who because she was curious, was killed by an individual who thinks a higher being is making him kill, or sacrifice, in order to reach enlightenment. Called in on the case if FBI agent Leia Bines who works in a special unit dedicated to crimes against children. She may be the only hope in cracking this case and figure out why the small town of Newbury, Connecticut has been targeted by a possible serial killer.
Around the same time of the murder, Dr. Peter Gram, who works at Newbury General and Pediatric hospital has a very interesting patient. Seven-year old Naya Hastings has been brought to the emergency room after her parents found a sleepwalking Naya standing on the second-floor balcony where she was trying to climb over it. Lately Naya has been having strange dreams and Dr. Gram recommends Naya be committed for a few days where he can monitor her brain and figure out why she is having these dreams that may make her harm herself.
As Gram tries to diagnose Naya, she continues to have disturbing nightmares of a little girl named Janet who wants Naya to help her. Naya begins to draw pictures of her interactions with her dream friend Janet, and Gram comes to the conclusion that something bigger is at play. And when Gram hears about the murder of Janet, he begins to put the pieces together and soon is helping Leia with the case before the killer can strike again.
I was glued to the pages of A Circle of Souls and had no clue who the killer was. Some of the blurbs I have read about this book compare Preetham’s writing to Hitchcock and I can certainly see the comparisons. There are twists and turns that bring in a supernatural element, especially in regards to Gram that is surprising. Gram may seem to be more of a secondary character in this all, but he becomes a very important focal point, even more so than Naya.
Preetham does have a skill at writing child characters and I enjoyed Naya and the way she looked at things and her interactions with Gram and that of her the poor murdered Janet. The only graphic scenes are in the beginning when Janet’s body is found.
If you like psychological thrillers, A Circle of Souls really excels in this aspect.
December 30, 2009
A Circle of Souls falls into the fast-read thriller category. I finished the book in just two days, basically in about 4 reading sessions. The chapters are quite small and the author is very capable of encouraging the reader to keep turning the pages.
I found the characters to be interesting, especially the psychiatrist, Peter. The author's background in psychiatry provides a captivating look into the world of childhood mental disorders, while not distracting from the plot. Peter's care for Naya during her time of distress provides a thread of hope throughout the book.
The mystery behind the killer was somewhat easy to guess about middle-way through the book. The characters saved the book, in my opinion, the mystery would not have held up with lesser characters. I did find one mistake in logic, concerning Peter's connecting Naya's drawing to a newspaper article concerning the death of Janet, that was a little hard to get past. Peter's problem solving skills were quite good, although I was a little disappointed at the lack of any real contribution from the police or FBI agent Leia Bines.
The ending provides the correct amount of closure with both the mystery and the disposition of the characters. I did feel that the fight scene near the end had a made-for-TV feel to it. The author is much more successful with suspense building and character development than action scenes. Still, as a psychological thriller, the book is a success. I do not know if Preetham Grandhi plans on writing another novel, but I hope that he does. I would read it.
I found the characters to be interesting, especially the psychiatrist, Peter. The author's background in psychiatry provides a captivating look into the world of childhood mental disorders, while not distracting from the plot. Peter's care for Naya during her time of distress provides a thread of hope throughout the book.
The mystery behind the killer was somewhat easy to guess about middle-way through the book. The characters saved the book, in my opinion, the mystery would not have held up with lesser characters. I did find one mistake in logic, concerning Peter's connecting Naya's drawing to a newspaper article concerning the death of Janet, that was a little hard to get past. Peter's problem solving skills were quite good, although I was a little disappointed at the lack of any real contribution from the police or FBI agent Leia Bines.
The ending provides the correct amount of closure with both the mystery and the disposition of the characters. I did feel that the fight scene near the end had a made-for-TV feel to it. The author is much more successful with suspense building and character development than action scenes. Still, as a psychological thriller, the book is a success. I do not know if Preetham Grandhi plans on writing another novel, but I hope that he does. I would read it.
September 18, 2009
Preetham Grandhi's debut novel A Circle of Souls begins with the mysterious disappearance of young Janet Troy in the small town of Newbury, Connecticut. When her body is found, brutally mutilated, FBI agent Leia Bines, an expert in cases involving children, is called in.
Meanwhile, psychiatrist Dr. Peter Gram searches for the reason behind the devastating nightmares of seven year-old Naya Hastings. Nightmares that seem to be connected to a murder she couldn't possibly know about. As Naya begins to draw chillingly accurate pictures of the crime, Leia and Peter meet, both desperate to solve the case before another child is taken.
I was pleasantly surprised by A Circle of Souls. I received this book from the author for review purposes, and wasn't expecting it, as a debut novel, to be anything great. I'm happy to say that A Circle of Souls was full of suspense and interesting, well-developed characters. It was a very entertaining psychological thriller, with a wonderful addition of Indian culture which made the story all the more appealing. Though this book is a rather new addition to the world, I expect it will be extremely popular in a few months once word gets out. I would recommend A Circle of Souls for those interested in psychology, crime novels, or for those looking for an overall thrilling read.
Meanwhile, psychiatrist Dr. Peter Gram searches for the reason behind the devastating nightmares of seven year-old Naya Hastings. Nightmares that seem to be connected to a murder she couldn't possibly know about. As Naya begins to draw chillingly accurate pictures of the crime, Leia and Peter meet, both desperate to solve the case before another child is taken.
I was pleasantly surprised by A Circle of Souls. I received this book from the author for review purposes, and wasn't expecting it, as a debut novel, to be anything great. I'm happy to say that A Circle of Souls was full of suspense and interesting, well-developed characters. It was a very entertaining psychological thriller, with a wonderful addition of Indian culture which made the story all the more appealing. Though this book is a rather new addition to the world, I expect it will be extremely popular in a few months once word gets out. I would recommend A Circle of Souls for those interested in psychology, crime novels, or for those looking for an overall thrilling read.
August 20, 2009
I received a message on Goodreads from the author, if I would like to read and review his book. I jumped on the chance as it is in the genre I take pleasure in reading, mystery-thriller. I was also pleased that this promised a hint of paranormal. This book delivered in aces.
This is an amazingly fast book to read. The story moves along at a good clip, divided between the doctor's story, the investigators', the killer, the children. Having Lady K in my life, I had a hard time reading the sections dealing with the abduction and murder of 7 year old girl, but Grandhi handles it well and wasn't superfluously awful in detail.
The author is a psychiatrist working with young children and it shows in the writing. He seems more comfortable writing the scenes with Dr Peter Gram. I could feel the emotions Gram went through: warmth and concern working with Naya, aggravation with the insurance pre-authorization agents, disconcerted as he comprehended the metaphysical aspects of the investigation.
I stayed up late several nights to read "just one more page..one more chapter". The book affected my dreams the night I stopped reading after a chapter dealing with the killer. I made sure I stopped after a Dr Gram chapter after that.
Four dream affecting beans....
This is an amazingly fast book to read. The story moves along at a good clip, divided between the doctor's story, the investigators', the killer, the children. Having Lady K in my life, I had a hard time reading the sections dealing with the abduction and murder of 7 year old girl, but Grandhi handles it well and wasn't superfluously awful in detail.
The author is a psychiatrist working with young children and it shows in the writing. He seems more comfortable writing the scenes with Dr Peter Gram. I could feel the emotions Gram went through: warmth and concern working with Naya, aggravation with the insurance pre-authorization agents, disconcerted as he comprehended the metaphysical aspects of the investigation.
I stayed up late several nights to read "just one more page..one more chapter". The book affected my dreams the night I stopped reading after a chapter dealing with the killer. I made sure I stopped after a Dr Gram chapter after that.
Four dream affecting beans....
August 10, 2009
Okay, I'll admit it. I wasn't sure that I was going to like this book and kind of dreaded starting it.
I am very excited to say that I was absolutely surprised with this book. I just could not put it down!
The characters were easy to relate to and it's written extremely well. Fast paced and captivating. And that's just the tip of the literary iceberg. The mystery is what really makes this book special. While the exposition of the story is a little non existent - I didn't find myself missing it (odd - I know). The medical and legal parts of the book were spot on - and if they weren't, I couldn't tell!
If I absolutely had to pick something that I didn't like or could have done with out - I'd say the romance part, even though it is extremely minimal. And all the references to the FBI Agent's legs and figure - it made the very likable characters seem sleazy and shallow.
But really - even if you don't think this is your 'type' of book, you need to read it. I think it's for everyone who loves a good mystery! I gave it to my dad and he read it on the way back today. Mom's got dibs!
I am very excited to say that I was absolutely surprised with this book. I just could not put it down!
The characters were easy to relate to and it's written extremely well. Fast paced and captivating. And that's just the tip of the literary iceberg. The mystery is what really makes this book special. While the exposition of the story is a little non existent - I didn't find myself missing it (odd - I know). The medical and legal parts of the book were spot on - and if they weren't, I couldn't tell!
If I absolutely had to pick something that I didn't like or could have done with out - I'd say the romance part, even though it is extremely minimal. And all the references to the FBI Agent's legs and figure - it made the very likable characters seem sleazy and shallow.
But really - even if you don't think this is your 'type' of book, you need to read it. I think it's for everyone who loves a good mystery! I gave it to my dad and he read it on the way back today. Mom's got dibs!
June 27, 2009
A Circle Of Souls by Preetham Grandhi
This riveting debut novel by Mr. Grandhi is a fascinating psychological thriller that takes place in Newbury, Connecticut. The town is shocked by the murder of ten year old Janet Troy, who disappeared after school. When Dr. Peter Gram, young Psychiatrist Fellow, is intrigued with 7 year old Naya Hastings' dreams of murder and her drawings of Janet, he helps FBI special children's Agent, Leia Bines in solving the case. Peter is also mystified as to why Naya has sleepwalking episodes where she has conversations with Janet while on the adolescent psychiatric unit of the hospital. A long ago murder that occured in the same area and in the same way is baffling police, causing Leia and Peter to rush to find the killer before they strike again.
Forever Friends Rating 5 Stars by Teri
Until Next Time, See You Around The Book Nook.
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Incorporated/C F I Distribution
Pub. Date: June 2009
ISBN-13: 9781599552354
342pp
June 4, 2012
I classified this excellent novel as urban fantasy; Eastern metaphysics; paranormal; and of course classic murder mystery. It’s rare, though exciting, to discover a novel whose characters are delved into to the depths this story does. Author Preetham Grandhi has years of experience in child psychiatry, but he also knows his adult characters very well: Dr. Peter Gram, one of the protagonists; Dr. Everson Hunter; Everson’s girlfriend Evelyn; the Hastings; the Iyengars; FBI Special Agent Leia Bines, Detective Rodriquez, Lieutenant Andrews. Then there are the children: Janet, Naya (also an important protagonist), Sasha, and others.
The story hinges around three main protagonists: Naya, a young child; Dr. Peter; and the killer. But woven into and around these three are complex webs of secrets and revelations, religion and spirituality, psychosis and psychiatry, and plenty of heart-in-mouth suspense.
“A Circle of Souls” is a gripping and riveting page-turner. I recommend it.
The story hinges around three main protagonists: Naya, a young child; Dr. Peter; and the killer. But woven into and around these three are complex webs of secrets and revelations, religion and spirituality, psychosis and psychiatry, and plenty of heart-in-mouth suspense.
“A Circle of Souls” is a gripping and riveting page-turner. I recommend it.
October 5, 2009
I enjoyed this book very much. Deserves a 4-1/2 rating. I found the characters to be real and pop off the pages even though the author didn't dig very deep into their creation. Somehow, he managed to nicely keep up a fast-paced story without giving up good character development for cardboard people.
Reason for not giving this 5 stars, was the paranormal aspect of the book was easily too acceptable by a doctor and FBI agent, both types of people I would think not to be so open to that so quickly. Also, I do not feel the mystery was a surprise. I figured it out. However, I will read this author again. Nice, easy, fluid writing.
Reason for not giving this 5 stars, was the paranormal aspect of the book was easily too acceptable by a doctor and FBI agent, both types of people I would think not to be so open to that so quickly. Also, I do not feel the mystery was a surprise. I figured it out. However, I will read this author again. Nice, easy, fluid writing.
October 5, 2009
Well, I was absolutely right. Once I started reading this, I could hardly put it down. This was a wonderful thriller with just the right pace, great character development, a touch or fear but not so much that I had nightmares and I can't wait to read Mr. Grandhi's' next book. Maybe next time I will win an ARC and not have to wait to borrow one from a friend! Thanks Leola (Tea!)
April 9, 2017
I just finished this book, I couldn't put it down!!! It was sooo good!!!!
If you love a great murder mystery this is a must read!!!! I'm telling all my friends to read it.
If you love a great murder mystery this is a must read!!!! I'm telling all my friends to read it.
October 19, 2022
I really liked the book especially the story about Peter and Naya. I loved the insertion of some Indian culture beliefs but loved the story itself. The characters were interesting and you cared about them. It goes to show you can write a very entertaining story without using cursing or sex. I hope the author writes more books.
August 7, 2020
Intense, fun read. Loved the way the author wrote and the overall plot.
January 30, 2021
Recommendable and interesting story for readers who enjoy a crime solving saga with a bit of a twist.
Worthwhile 3.5 star book
Worthwhile 3.5 star book
August 4, 2014
The Story: A Tale of Jutice and Accountabilitys
The sleepy town of Newbury, Connecticut, is shocked when a little girl is found brutally murdered. The town’s top detective, perplexed by a complete lack of leads, calls in FBI agent Leia Bines, an expert in cases involving children.
Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Gram, a psychiatrist at Newbury’s hospital, searches desperately for the cause of seven-year-old Naya Hastings’s devastating nightmares. Afraid that she might hurt herself in the midst of a torturous episode, Naya’s parents have turned to the bright young doctor as their only hope.
The situations confronting Leia and Peter converge when Naya begins drawing chilling images of murder after being bombarded by the disturbing images in her dreams. Amazingly, her sketches are the only clues to the crime that has panicked Newbury residents. Against her better judgment, Leia explores the clues in Naya’s crude drawings, only to set off an alarming chain of events.
In this stunning psychological thriller, innocence gives way to evil, and trust lies forgotten in a web of deceit, fear, and murder.
What's a "slaaf"? That was the first thing I had to find out. I had heard of the trickster.... who i knew about from the American Indian tale of the coyote but did not know that of India's spider. But i found out. These things added so much to the story for me. As did his view of what a child psych ward should be like and what kind of patients you might see there.
I was sure I knew "who done it"; only to find out I was the one caught in Dr. Grandhi's web.
I liked the way he did his chapters, coming at you from one direction and then another. Those story lines had to come together but how and when?
I knew Dr. Grandhi was a child psychiatrist going into the reading. I wonder if he has ever experienced any of "paranormal kind of thing" in his practice. My dad was a doctor. He once said, "I've been a doctor too long not to believe in God." By that one statement, I knew he had seen things he could not explain. Does this happen to all or most doctors.
I wonder if ... well, let's just say that if the good Dr. Grandhi were closer, I would have lots of questions for him.
It is a really good read and moves quite quickly. I do so hope you get to read it soon. I also hope this this debut novel is not a "one of" so that there is another novel coming from him. Soon.
Oh, did you know his wife is a writer too? She has a cook book out. She is Bindu Grandhi. Her book is "Spice up your life the flexitarian way." No, I can't review it, but Emerial Lagasse liked it enough to give it a thumps up!
I asked our writer a few questions and here are his answers.:
Hi Sandy, I do think paranormal experiences do happen, I haven't had one personally but have always been fascinated by it.
The concept of the "seeked one" is from south Indian Astrology, I did not know it had a name until recently and it was my personal experience that I put into the book and the way it was explained to me by an aunt of mine. Here's a link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadi_ast...
Every detail of the children's psychiatric unit is real and that's the way its is. Those are all experiences that I have collected since my fellowship days and the realities with managed care.
I have to write my next one. It's in my head and I have no time to write between the hospital, private practice and trying to get this one off the ground. Hopefully should start soon.(
The sleepy town of Newbury, Connecticut, is shocked when a little girl is found brutally murdered. The town’s top detective, perplexed by a complete lack of leads, calls in FBI agent Leia Bines, an expert in cases involving children.
Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Gram, a psychiatrist at Newbury’s hospital, searches desperately for the cause of seven-year-old Naya Hastings’s devastating nightmares. Afraid that she might hurt herself in the midst of a torturous episode, Naya’s parents have turned to the bright young doctor as their only hope.
The situations confronting Leia and Peter converge when Naya begins drawing chilling images of murder after being bombarded by the disturbing images in her dreams. Amazingly, her sketches are the only clues to the crime that has panicked Newbury residents. Against her better judgment, Leia explores the clues in Naya’s crude drawings, only to set off an alarming chain of events.
In this stunning psychological thriller, innocence gives way to evil, and trust lies forgotten in a web of deceit, fear, and murder.
What's a "slaaf"? That was the first thing I had to find out. I had heard of the trickster.... who i knew about from the American Indian tale of the coyote but did not know that of India's spider. But i found out. These things added so much to the story for me. As did his view of what a child psych ward should be like and what kind of patients you might see there.
I was sure I knew "who done it"; only to find out I was the one caught in Dr. Grandhi's web.
I liked the way he did his chapters, coming at you from one direction and then another. Those story lines had to come together but how and when?
I knew Dr. Grandhi was a child psychiatrist going into the reading. I wonder if he has ever experienced any of "paranormal kind of thing" in his practice. My dad was a doctor. He once said, "I've been a doctor too long not to believe in God." By that one statement, I knew he had seen things he could not explain. Does this happen to all or most doctors.
I wonder if ... well, let's just say that if the good Dr. Grandhi were closer, I would have lots of questions for him.
It is a really good read and moves quite quickly. I do so hope you get to read it soon. I also hope this this debut novel is not a "one of" so that there is another novel coming from him. Soon.
Oh, did you know his wife is a writer too? She has a cook book out. She is Bindu Grandhi. Her book is "Spice up your life the flexitarian way." No, I can't review it, but Emerial Lagasse liked it enough to give it a thumps up!
I asked our writer a few questions and here are his answers.:
Hi Sandy, I do think paranormal experiences do happen, I haven't had one personally but have always been fascinated by it.
The concept of the "seeked one" is from south Indian Astrology, I did not know it had a name until recently and it was my personal experience that I put into the book and the way it was explained to me by an aunt of mine. Here's a link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadi_ast...
Every detail of the children's psychiatric unit is real and that's the way its is. Those are all experiences that I have collected since my fellowship days and the realities with managed care.
I have to write my next one. It's in my head and I have no time to write between the hospital, private practice and trying to get this one off the ground. Hopefully should start soon.(
September 25, 2010
Article first published as Book Review: A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi on Blogcritics.
When a little girl is found brutally murdered, the local detective is in over his head. Leia Bines from the FBI is called in to help find the murderer. At the same time, seven year old Naya Hastings is having horrifying nightmares, which in turn set off a series of alarming events in Newbury Connecticut. These events bring together a group of individuals with little in in common short of finding a murderer, and preserving the innocence of the children of Newbury.
Little does Dr. Peter Gram realize the turn his life and beliefs will take, as he becomes involved with little seven year old Naya. His only goal is to find a solution to her somnambulism, which almost leads to her climbing over a second story railing during one of her episodes. What he finds is strange and almost impossible to believe. Naya appears to be communicating with the murdered little girl, during her sleeping episodes. The perceptiveness of the hand drawn pictures she draws from her dreams, as well as their accuracy, put Peter and Naya in the sites of a cold blooded killer.
Will the cumulative information and the strange yet terrifying drawings by a child, lead Leila and Peter to the killer before he can kill again?
Preetham Grandhi has written a horrifying yet hope filled book, and filled it with a cast of well written, real and extremely likable characters.
Dr Peter Gram is a child Psychiatrist that is assigned to Naya when she is brought into the hospital. He is kind and extremely attuned to children. He talks to them on a level they respond to and gains their trust. He is a workaholic and follows up on the background of Naya on his time off, and while in the beginning he does not believe what Naya is telling him, he is able to listen to her and keep the communication channel open by just paying attention. As pieces start coming together and he gets pulled more into the story, he moves from a person of trust to a sort of hero.
Leia Bines is with the FBI, and has worked with the CIC, the FBI’s crimes against children unit. She has gone through some tough times and while very good at what she does, she is open and caring. She has concerns that she will not be able to find the killer. When she finally takes Dr. Peter Gram off her suspect list, she is open and willing to look at other alternatives, rather then leaving the crime unsolved. She is fearless and sometimes jumps before looking at all the possibilities, which makes her very human.
Naya is a wonderful little girl; she is adopted but has only ever known her adoptive parents. She is very well loved and is often sad and lonely in the hospital where she is being evaluated. She is open and trusting, and very bewildered by the behavior she encounters during her stay at the facilities. She is funny and caring and everything a little girl should be.
This story is a look at the dark side of humanity, and how both nurture and nature often both have a hand in the making of monsters. It also gives a glimpse into a world of hopes and dreams, of innocence and childhood. This is a great story and well written. It is somewhat graphic and may not be suitable for some readers. If you like a story with a different twist this will be right up your alley.
This book was received as a Goodreads givaway. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the information.
When a little girl is found brutally murdered, the local detective is in over his head. Leia Bines from the FBI is called in to help find the murderer. At the same time, seven year old Naya Hastings is having horrifying nightmares, which in turn set off a series of alarming events in Newbury Connecticut. These events bring together a group of individuals with little in in common short of finding a murderer, and preserving the innocence of the children of Newbury.
Little does Dr. Peter Gram realize the turn his life and beliefs will take, as he becomes involved with little seven year old Naya. His only goal is to find a solution to her somnambulism, which almost leads to her climbing over a second story railing during one of her episodes. What he finds is strange and almost impossible to believe. Naya appears to be communicating with the murdered little girl, during her sleeping episodes. The perceptiveness of the hand drawn pictures she draws from her dreams, as well as their accuracy, put Peter and Naya in the sites of a cold blooded killer.
Will the cumulative information and the strange yet terrifying drawings by a child, lead Leila and Peter to the killer before he can kill again?
Preetham Grandhi has written a horrifying yet hope filled book, and filled it with a cast of well written, real and extremely likable characters.
Dr Peter Gram is a child Psychiatrist that is assigned to Naya when she is brought into the hospital. He is kind and extremely attuned to children. He talks to them on a level they respond to and gains their trust. He is a workaholic and follows up on the background of Naya on his time off, and while in the beginning he does not believe what Naya is telling him, he is able to listen to her and keep the communication channel open by just paying attention. As pieces start coming together and he gets pulled more into the story, he moves from a person of trust to a sort of hero.
Leia Bines is with the FBI, and has worked with the CIC, the FBI’s crimes against children unit. She has gone through some tough times and while very good at what she does, she is open and caring. She has concerns that she will not be able to find the killer. When she finally takes Dr. Peter Gram off her suspect list, she is open and willing to look at other alternatives, rather then leaving the crime unsolved. She is fearless and sometimes jumps before looking at all the possibilities, which makes her very human.
Naya is a wonderful little girl; she is adopted but has only ever known her adoptive parents. She is very well loved and is often sad and lonely in the hospital where she is being evaluated. She is open and trusting, and very bewildered by the behavior she encounters during her stay at the facilities. She is funny and caring and everything a little girl should be.
This story is a look at the dark side of humanity, and how both nurture and nature often both have a hand in the making of monsters. It also gives a glimpse into a world of hopes and dreams, of innocence and childhood. This is a great story and well written. It is somewhat graphic and may not be suitable for some readers. If you like a story with a different twist this will be right up your alley.
This book was received as a Goodreads givaway. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the information.
September 9, 2009
A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandi is a murder mystery thriller with a slight paranormal twist. Amazon's quick summation is as follows:"The sleepy town of Newbury, Connecticut, is shocked when a little girl is found brutally murdered. With the murderer on the loose, the police desperately look for any clues to lead to his identy. Meanwhile, a psychiatrist in a nearby hospital is also in a desperate search to find the cause of seven-year-old Naya Hastings s devastating nightmares. Afraid that she might hurt herself in the midst of a torturous episode, Naya's parents have turned to the bright young doctor as their only hope. When these two situations converge, they set off an alarming chain of events. In this stunning psychological thriller, innocence gives way to evil, and trust lies forgotten in a web of deceit, fear, and murder."
I got this book from the author as an ARC. It is my first and I was very intrigued to read it. I had worked in a hospital for children with psychological problems and wanted to see his take on it. The author didn't disappoint and was very accurate in his description in that area. The story on the whole draws you into the mystery even though you are a "witness" to the initial crime which starts the story. Within the book, you are reading several points of view, but because of the layout of the chapters, you never get lost. The paranormal aspect begins with Naya's dreams and the main character, Peter, who is determined to figure out exactly what those dreams mean.
My main complaints with the book are perhaps minor and really doesn't take away from the story as a whole. First, he does not cuss. Now this isn't anything bad, but it is an adult novel and kids in a situation in a locked-down facility do and will cuss. If told from Naya's perspective, it wouldn't have bothered me, but it continued with Peter and the others as well. I wondered if the author had a problem with cussing.
Another problem I had was with the philosophy of fatalism. It was explained too simplistically. Even within the concept of fatalism there is an aspect of free will. No matter how contradictory that sounds, the aspect is there. Usually it is explained not as an something that you will do without choice, but if you go against fatalism, your life will not be as fulfilling and happy as it would have been otherwise.
I also felt the ending was a bit abrupt. I will not say more as it could ruin the ending, but I would have like a bit more of it drawn out. Not by much, but a little. Even with this criticism I will say the ending was interesting and sets things up for a possible second book. One that should also prove to be a good read.
On the whole, however, I would say that this book is good. It holds you interest well and keeps you trying to figure out exactly how and why until those mysteries are revealed. One that gets the wheels turning in your head and satisfies you with a ending that makes you want more.
I got this book from the author as an ARC. It is my first and I was very intrigued to read it. I had worked in a hospital for children with psychological problems and wanted to see his take on it. The author didn't disappoint and was very accurate in his description in that area. The story on the whole draws you into the mystery even though you are a "witness" to the initial crime which starts the story. Within the book, you are reading several points of view, but because of the layout of the chapters, you never get lost. The paranormal aspect begins with Naya's dreams and the main character, Peter, who is determined to figure out exactly what those dreams mean.
My main complaints with the book are perhaps minor and really doesn't take away from the story as a whole. First, he does not cuss. Now this isn't anything bad, but it is an adult novel and kids in a situation in a locked-down facility do and will cuss. If told from Naya's perspective, it wouldn't have bothered me, but it continued with Peter and the others as well. I wondered if the author had a problem with cussing.
Another problem I had was with the philosophy of fatalism. It was explained too simplistically. Even within the concept of fatalism there is an aspect of free will. No matter how contradictory that sounds, the aspect is there. Usually it is explained not as an something that you will do without choice, but if you go against fatalism, your life will not be as fulfilling and happy as it would have been otherwise.
I also felt the ending was a bit abrupt. I will not say more as it could ruin the ending, but I would have like a bit more of it drawn out. Not by much, but a little. Even with this criticism I will say the ending was interesting and sets things up for a possible second book. One that should also prove to be a good read.
On the whole, however, I would say that this book is good. It holds you interest well and keeps you trying to figure out exactly how and why until those mysteries are revealed. One that gets the wheels turning in your head and satisfies you with a ending that makes you want more.
July 31, 2009
Preetham Grandhi's debut novel, A Circle of Souls, was an intriguing look into a murder mystery, pediatric psychiatry, and a little bit (but not too much) of some paranormal elements.
The novel takes place in Newbury, Connecticut, when a young girl is murdered. Along with the investigation by local law enforcement, Agent Leia Bines is called in to assist because of her experience with the FBI's Crimes against Children Unit. Alternating chapters with this storyline is the storyline of psychiatrist, Dr. Peter Gram, who works in a pediatric psychiatric unit at the hospital. He receives the case of Naya Hastings, a young girl who recently tried to jump over her balcony while sleepwalking. Grandhi uses this opportunity to give the reader a look into the fascinating world of psychiatry as he tells of Peter's experiences at the hospital. Then Naya starts drawing, with alarming detail, scenes from her dreams. Peter realizes her drawings are related to the murder of the girl despite the fact that Naya can't have received any information about it. Peter and Leia then join together to use these clues to solve the murder and rush to save Naya from harming herself or from becoming harmed by anyone else.
A Circle of Souls was very engaging and I enjoyed it. The author, Preetham Grandhi, is a child psychiatrist and the facts and knowledge that he wove into the novel were interesting. There were maybe 2-3 places in the book that the author's bias or thoughts appeared... for instance, Peter states in the book that it's so much easier when the parents he works with are educated. I can understand that, but the character, Peter, should have explained that more or just not said it at all. Those little things could easily have been overlooked though. The book kept me reading through and through to figure out what was going on. It was smart and intense (in a good way). I enjoyed the characters after getting to know them -- especially Naya. Both Peter and Leia were characters that I could see in a series (I don't know if that was the author's intent) and were likeable.
There were just a couple other small things I wanted to point out that I know often occur in first novels. I initially felt some of the dialogue was a little superficial, and there were a places throughout the book that could have used a little more showing and less telling. I noticed it more in the beginning. I don't know if it's because it improved throughout or if the story was just so good that I didn't notice. Regardless, I did end up really enjoying the book. Thank you to Preetham Grandhi for sending me an autographed ARC to read and review!!
And I just wanted to add as a sidenote.... if you don't already know what the word "slaaf" means, look it up before reading. You'll get what I mean as soon as you start reading. ;-)
The novel takes place in Newbury, Connecticut, when a young girl is murdered. Along with the investigation by local law enforcement, Agent Leia Bines is called in to assist because of her experience with the FBI's Crimes against Children Unit. Alternating chapters with this storyline is the storyline of psychiatrist, Dr. Peter Gram, who works in a pediatric psychiatric unit at the hospital. He receives the case of Naya Hastings, a young girl who recently tried to jump over her balcony while sleepwalking. Grandhi uses this opportunity to give the reader a look into the fascinating world of psychiatry as he tells of Peter's experiences at the hospital. Then Naya starts drawing, with alarming detail, scenes from her dreams. Peter realizes her drawings are related to the murder of the girl despite the fact that Naya can't have received any information about it. Peter and Leia then join together to use these clues to solve the murder and rush to save Naya from harming herself or from becoming harmed by anyone else.
A Circle of Souls was very engaging and I enjoyed it. The author, Preetham Grandhi, is a child psychiatrist and the facts and knowledge that he wove into the novel were interesting. There were maybe 2-3 places in the book that the author's bias or thoughts appeared... for instance, Peter states in the book that it's so much easier when the parents he works with are educated. I can understand that, but the character, Peter, should have explained that more or just not said it at all. Those little things could easily have been overlooked though. The book kept me reading through and through to figure out what was going on. It was smart and intense (in a good way). I enjoyed the characters after getting to know them -- especially Naya. Both Peter and Leia were characters that I could see in a series (I don't know if that was the author's intent) and were likeable.
There were just a couple other small things I wanted to point out that I know often occur in first novels. I initially felt some of the dialogue was a little superficial, and there were a places throughout the book that could have used a little more showing and less telling. I noticed it more in the beginning. I don't know if it's because it improved throughout or if the story was just so good that I didn't notice. Regardless, I did end up really enjoying the book. Thank you to Preetham Grandhi for sending me an autographed ARC to read and review!!
And I just wanted to add as a sidenote.... if you don't already know what the word "slaaf" means, look it up before reading. You'll get what I mean as soon as you start reading. ;-)
July 16, 2009
A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi
Shock ripples through the town of Newberry when a little girl goes missing, only to turn up dead several days later. The police are desperate to find the killer, so they call in FBI Special Agent Leia Bines to track him/her down. Once in town Leia discovers that the little girl, Janet, has been brutally murdered, and displayed in such a way that it leads her to believe it is a sacrifice. In the same town, Naya, a child who has nightmares and sleepwalks, is hospitalized after almost walking off a balcony in her sleep. Dr. Peter Gram, a child psychiatrist, is called to help her, but what he finds out is more disturbing than anything he expected. Peter decides to try and help the FBI and Police when he finds out that Naya has been conversing with Janet, who she doesn’t know in person and doesn’t know is dead, in her dreams. She also draws images of the murdered girl, and of places she’s never been before - having only been shown them in these dreams. Naya’s pictures turn out to be the only clues that the police and FBI have to help them hunt down Janet's killer.
A Circle of Souls is Preetham Grandhi’s debut novel, and the time, passion, and hard work that went into piecing together this story are evident. The characters are all well developed. The story has fantastic flow – even with multiple points of view, and the medical side is intriguing – never boring. Dr. Peter Gram and Agent Leia Bines are great lead characters, they are easy to like, and make you care about the children they work for. I’m always skeptical when the point-of-view of children is entered into adult books, but it is pulled off flawlessly. Never once did I feel like Janet or Naya sounded too childish, and I believe this is because it’s told in the third person. The chapters are short which I feel add to the easy flow of the book. I felt like I was just breezing through the story! This paranormal/murder-mystery is definitely staying in my collection, and I applaud Grandhi for taking on such an intense and thorough tale for his first novel
One thing that bothered me was I wasn’t too surprised about who the killer was. This part wasn’t mysterious enough for me, but it didn’t take away from the story at all. Each character’s role in the unraveling of the case is interesting, and it was nice to get all sides of the story – even the killers.
I’ll be looking forward to anything Preetham Grandhi dishes out in the future, and know that it will only get better from here.
Check back next week for a short interview and giveaway with Preetham! You can learn more about A Circle of Souls on the webpage.
Shock ripples through the town of Newberry when a little girl goes missing, only to turn up dead several days later. The police are desperate to find the killer, so they call in FBI Special Agent Leia Bines to track him/her down. Once in town Leia discovers that the little girl, Janet, has been brutally murdered, and displayed in such a way that it leads her to believe it is a sacrifice. In the same town, Naya, a child who has nightmares and sleepwalks, is hospitalized after almost walking off a balcony in her sleep. Dr. Peter Gram, a child psychiatrist, is called to help her, but what he finds out is more disturbing than anything he expected. Peter decides to try and help the FBI and Police when he finds out that Naya has been conversing with Janet, who she doesn’t know in person and doesn’t know is dead, in her dreams. She also draws images of the murdered girl, and of places she’s never been before - having only been shown them in these dreams. Naya’s pictures turn out to be the only clues that the police and FBI have to help them hunt down Janet's killer.
A Circle of Souls is Preetham Grandhi’s debut novel, and the time, passion, and hard work that went into piecing together this story are evident. The characters are all well developed. The story has fantastic flow – even with multiple points of view, and the medical side is intriguing – never boring. Dr. Peter Gram and Agent Leia Bines are great lead characters, they are easy to like, and make you care about the children they work for. I’m always skeptical when the point-of-view of children is entered into adult books, but it is pulled off flawlessly. Never once did I feel like Janet or Naya sounded too childish, and I believe this is because it’s told in the third person. The chapters are short which I feel add to the easy flow of the book. I felt like I was just breezing through the story! This paranormal/murder-mystery is definitely staying in my collection, and I applaud Grandhi for taking on such an intense and thorough tale for his first novel
One thing that bothered me was I wasn’t too surprised about who the killer was. This part wasn’t mysterious enough for me, but it didn’t take away from the story at all. Each character’s role in the unraveling of the case is interesting, and it was nice to get all sides of the story – even the killers.
I’ll be looking forward to anything Preetham Grandhi dishes out in the future, and know that it will only get better from here.
Check back next week for a short interview and giveaway with Preetham! You can learn more about A Circle of Souls on the webpage.
January 2, 2012
A Circle of Souls
Author: Preetham Grandhi
ISBN978-1-59955-235-4 Pages: 341, $21.99, Publication Date: June, 2009, Softcover, Fiction, Published by Sweetwater Books, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc.
Author Preetham Grandhi, M. D., is an immigrant from Bangalore, India and has written a fascinating debut novel, A Circle of Souls. This book is compelling because of Grandhi’s career in child and adolescent psychiatry. He is devoted to children and is a Chief of Service for House 5 at the Bronx Children’s Psychiatric Center in New York City. Grandhi also is a graduate of Yale and has a private psychiatric practice for children.
Grandhi weaves an unusual story line. His main characters, Dr. Peter Gram, FBI agent Leia Bines, and a 7 year-old Indian girl named Naya, converge in an effort to unravel the brutal murder of 10 year-old Janet, who has mysteriously disappeared on her way home from school.
Naya is a patient in the Newbury, Connecticut hospital. Dr. Gram becomes her physician. She had been admitted previously for a sleep-walking disorder and horrendous nightmares. Her parents feared for her life. In her dreams, she sees Janet, the dead girl, and has audible conversations with her. As result of their friendship, Naya draws vivid pictures of these dreams, depicting an elephant, a red building, a figure with black hair, and a dismembered body of a young blond girl. Naya’s chilling dreams and puzzling art work become the real clues which assist the authorities in pursuit of the perpetrator.
This book is not only about a gruesome murder of a child. It also reveals spiritual elements of Indian philosophy such as, the concept of a previous life and passing of one soul into another. This belief may seem strange to American culture and tradition, but whether you believe or not, this is a definite eye-opener to a different culture and Grandhi makes you think about it!
A Circle of Souls is a psychological thriller, mixed with suspense, the supernatural, strange cultural phenomenon, and the fascinating world of child behavior. Grandhi has the ability to open your mind and pull you into the characters’ lives so fast that you cannot put the book down. His experience, together with his unique background, plainly shows the pure, honest, and natural behavior of children. At the same time, he delves into the demented, deep, dark, depths of delusion and its subsequent atrocities.
This is an adventure in the “who-done-it” idiom that will keep you speculating. Highly recommended!
Author: Preetham Grandhi
ISBN978-1-59955-235-4 Pages: 341, $21.99, Publication Date: June, 2009, Softcover, Fiction, Published by Sweetwater Books, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc.
Author Preetham Grandhi, M. D., is an immigrant from Bangalore, India and has written a fascinating debut novel, A Circle of Souls. This book is compelling because of Grandhi’s career in child and adolescent psychiatry. He is devoted to children and is a Chief of Service for House 5 at the Bronx Children’s Psychiatric Center in New York City. Grandhi also is a graduate of Yale and has a private psychiatric practice for children.
Grandhi weaves an unusual story line. His main characters, Dr. Peter Gram, FBI agent Leia Bines, and a 7 year-old Indian girl named Naya, converge in an effort to unravel the brutal murder of 10 year-old Janet, who has mysteriously disappeared on her way home from school.
Naya is a patient in the Newbury, Connecticut hospital. Dr. Gram becomes her physician. She had been admitted previously for a sleep-walking disorder and horrendous nightmares. Her parents feared for her life. In her dreams, she sees Janet, the dead girl, and has audible conversations with her. As result of their friendship, Naya draws vivid pictures of these dreams, depicting an elephant, a red building, a figure with black hair, and a dismembered body of a young blond girl. Naya’s chilling dreams and puzzling art work become the real clues which assist the authorities in pursuit of the perpetrator.
This book is not only about a gruesome murder of a child. It also reveals spiritual elements of Indian philosophy such as, the concept of a previous life and passing of one soul into another. This belief may seem strange to American culture and tradition, but whether you believe or not, this is a definite eye-opener to a different culture and Grandhi makes you think about it!
A Circle of Souls is a psychological thriller, mixed with suspense, the supernatural, strange cultural phenomenon, and the fascinating world of child behavior. Grandhi has the ability to open your mind and pull you into the characters’ lives so fast that you cannot put the book down. His experience, together with his unique background, plainly shows the pure, honest, and natural behavior of children. At the same time, he delves into the demented, deep, dark, depths of delusion and its subsequent atrocities.
This is an adventure in the “who-done-it” idiom that will keep you speculating. Highly recommended!
August 24, 2009
A Circle of Souls is Preetham Grandi's debut work, a book that is chock full of mystery, thrills, and the paranormal, as well as psychology. Souls takes place in the bedroom community of Newbury, Connecticut - - a town generally untouched by the brutal nature of people, that is thrown into a panic with the disappearance and cruel murder of young Janet Kent. The local police department, panicked at Janet's apparent abduction, calls in FBI agent Leia Bines, who is fighting her own demons for having failed to save a young boy from a killer. Meanwhile, little Naya Hastings has been fighting her own type of demons - - vivid nightmares that are threatening her safety. She is brought to child psychiatrist Peter Gram, who has devoted his life to helping and saving children, to the despair of his personal life.
Soon Peter realizes that Naya appears to be dreaming of the deceased Janet Kent, and the monster that took her away. Although Peter's medical training and rational mind fight such a diagnosis, his life becomes entwined with Naya's and the monster's in a way he never thought possible.
A Circle of Souls held my interest from the very first page until the last, so engrossing was the story and so fascinating were the characters. While the death of Janet is brutal, the book is not grisly, nor does it have any language that some readers might find objectionable. There is quite a bit of psychiatry but I found it interesting rather than tedious. And it certainly is appropriate given the plot of the book and Naya's situation.
For the romance lover, there is a slight amount of romantic tension between Peter and FBI agent Leia Bines. Both characters come off sympathetically and likable and so I found myself hoping that these two would manage to overcome obstacles and differences and make a connection.
Ultimately, though, Circle of Souls is a mystery and a thriller. And a well done one at that. I enjoyed every moment reading this book and was saddened to have it end, although the ending was very satisfying.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery or thriller, but more importantly to anyone who enjoys a well put together story with vibrant characters.
Here is hoping that A Circle of Souls is the first of many books to come from Preetham Grandi.
www.psychoticstate.blogspot.com
Soon Peter realizes that Naya appears to be dreaming of the deceased Janet Kent, and the monster that took her away. Although Peter's medical training and rational mind fight such a diagnosis, his life becomes entwined with Naya's and the monster's in a way he never thought possible.
A Circle of Souls held my interest from the very first page until the last, so engrossing was the story and so fascinating were the characters. While the death of Janet is brutal, the book is not grisly, nor does it have any language that some readers might find objectionable. There is quite a bit of psychiatry but I found it interesting rather than tedious. And it certainly is appropriate given the plot of the book and Naya's situation.
For the romance lover, there is a slight amount of romantic tension between Peter and FBI agent Leia Bines. Both characters come off sympathetically and likable and so I found myself hoping that these two would manage to overcome obstacles and differences and make a connection.
Ultimately, though, Circle of Souls is a mystery and a thriller. And a well done one at that. I enjoyed every moment reading this book and was saddened to have it end, although the ending was very satisfying.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery or thriller, but more importantly to anyone who enjoys a well put together story with vibrant characters.
Here is hoping that A Circle of Souls is the first of many books to come from Preetham Grandi.
www.psychoticstate.blogspot.com
August 25, 2009
Author Preetham Grandhi, M. D., is an immigrant from Bangalore, India and has written a fascinating debut novel, A Circle of Souls. This book is compelling because of Grandhi’s career in child and adolescent psychiatry. He is devoted to children and is a Chief of Service for House 5 at the Bronx Children’s Psychiatric Center in New York City. Grandhi also is a graduate of Yale and has a private psychiatric practice for children.
Grandhi weaves an unusual story line. His main characters, Dr. Peter Gram, FBI agent Leia Bines, and a 7 year-old Indian girl named Naya, converge in an effort to unravel the brutal murder of 10 year-old Janet, who has mysteriously disappeared on her way home from school.
Naya is a patient in the Newbury, Connecticut hospital. Dr. Gram becomes her physician. She had been admitted previously for a sleep-walking disorder and horrendous nightmares. Her parents feared for her life. In her dreams, she sees Janet, the dead girl, and has audible conversations with her. As result of their friendship, Naya draws vivid pictures of these dreams, depicting an elephant, a red building, a figure with black hair, and a dismembered body of a young blond girl. Naya’s chilling dreams and puzzling art work become the real clues which assist the authorities in pursuit of the perpetrator.
This book is not only about a gruesome murder of a child. It also reveals spiritual elements of Indian philosophy such as, the concept of a previous life and passing of one soul into another. This belief may seem strange to American culture and tradition, but whether you believe or not, this is a definite eye-opener to a different culture and Grandhi makes you think about it!
A Circle of Souls is a psychological thriller, mixed with suspense, the supernatural, strange cultural phenomenon, and the fascinating world of child behavior. Grandhi has the ability to open your mind and pull you into the characters’ lives so fast that you cannot put the book down. His experience, together with his unique background, plainly shows the pure, honest, and natural behavior of children. At the same time, he delves into the demented, deep, dark, depths of delusion and its subsequent atrocities.
This is an adventure in the “who-done-it” idiom that will keep you speculating. Highly recommended!
Grandhi weaves an unusual story line. His main characters, Dr. Peter Gram, FBI agent Leia Bines, and a 7 year-old Indian girl named Naya, converge in an effort to unravel the brutal murder of 10 year-old Janet, who has mysteriously disappeared on her way home from school.
Naya is a patient in the Newbury, Connecticut hospital. Dr. Gram becomes her physician. She had been admitted previously for a sleep-walking disorder and horrendous nightmares. Her parents feared for her life. In her dreams, she sees Janet, the dead girl, and has audible conversations with her. As result of their friendship, Naya draws vivid pictures of these dreams, depicting an elephant, a red building, a figure with black hair, and a dismembered body of a young blond girl. Naya’s chilling dreams and puzzling art work become the real clues which assist the authorities in pursuit of the perpetrator.
This book is not only about a gruesome murder of a child. It also reveals spiritual elements of Indian philosophy such as, the concept of a previous life and passing of one soul into another. This belief may seem strange to American culture and tradition, but whether you believe or not, this is a definite eye-opener to a different culture and Grandhi makes you think about it!
A Circle of Souls is a psychological thriller, mixed with suspense, the supernatural, strange cultural phenomenon, and the fascinating world of child behavior. Grandhi has the ability to open your mind and pull you into the characters’ lives so fast that you cannot put the book down. His experience, together with his unique background, plainly shows the pure, honest, and natural behavior of children. At the same time, he delves into the demented, deep, dark, depths of delusion and its subsequent atrocities.
This is an adventure in the “who-done-it” idiom that will keep you speculating. Highly recommended!
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