The Fifth Petal

The Fifth Petal: a novel is a 2017 novel by Brunonia Barry. It is the third novel of Barry's set in Salem, Massachusetts and is about the investigation of the murder of a teenager that has eerie similarities to a series of murders that occurred twenty years previously.

Reception

Library Journal, in a review of The Fifth Petal, wrote "While a few quibbling questions may bedevil fans of Barry's The Lace Reader, the many suspenseful, intriguing events presented in this sort-of-sequel are sure to haunt them." and concluded "Banshees, lost memories, and secret pasts each play a significant role in this novel; enthusiasts of the author's earlier work and readers interested in the history of witchcraft and the occult will enjoy this return visit to Salem. "
The New York Journal of Books found "There’s more than a murder mystery in The Fifth Petal. It’s also a history lesson, as well as a moral one.. a story that should give us much thought while it entertains."
The Fifth Petal has also been reviewed by Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews,