Fiction Pick of the Week: The Thirteen

The Thirteen by Susie Moloney

There is a noticeable number of cats in Haven Woods. Maybe that is because this seemingly ordinary American suburb supports a coven of witches. Author Susie Moloney takes the reader into an intricate world of murder, deception, the dark arts and evil personified. The main character, coven leader Chick, is a woman in her 60s who has had enough. She has just buried her husband - a man she truly loved - and she feels incredibly guilty about something that the reader simply doesn’t know until further into the book. As a reader who learned about Chick and listened to her thoughts, I was amazed and chilled to the bone at the same time as she pulled out the Valium and a Zippo lighter.  I don’t want to give the story away, but the coven is short of members and Chick will do anything to remedy the situation. The Thirteen will especially appeal to readers who enjoy the likes of Stephen King.