The Circle of Blood

Forensic Mysteries #3

by Alane Ferguson

As the assistant to her father, the county coroner of Silverton, Colorado, Cameryn Mahoney gets to witness all aspects of death, including the autopsy room. Yet somehow that feels easy, compared to her personal life. Now that her long-lost mother has made a surprise return, Cameryn�s more confused than ever. Things only get worse when she and her mother pick up a mysterious young hitchhiker. Cameryn senses that the girl is running away from something, but before she can find out more, the girl is found dead a gun in her hand. Is it suicide? Or something even more sinister?

Mixing forensic details and ripped-from-the-headlines themes, Alane Ferguson makes her readers� hearts pound yet again with this edge-ofyour- seat forensic mystery!

Genres: Mystery, Young Adult, Fiction, Crime, Teen, Thriller, Contemporary

236 pages, Hardcover

First published February 28, 2008

About the author

Alane Ferguson was born in Cumberland, Maryland, in 1957. She attended the University of Utah and Westminster College where she studied journalism. Later, Alane became interested in writing for children, mostly, she says, to follow the example of her mother, successful author Gloria Skurzynski. Her mother has written over fifty-seven books for children, while Alane is currently completing her thirty-second. Alane and her mother co-authored a series for National Geographic. Their novel, WOLF STALKER, was the first work of fiction National Geographic had published in its as of then 109 year history. WOLF STALKER was nominated for the 1998 Mystery Writer's of America's Edgar Allan Poe Award and the newest and 13th book in the series, NIGHT OF THE BLACK BEAR, was launched in spring of 2007. A recipient of the 1990 Edgar Allan Poe Award as well as the Belgium's Children's Choice Award for her young adult novel SHOW ME THE EVIDENCE, Alane was also a nominee for her third young-adult mystery, POISON. She received a 2007 Edgar nomination for her young adult novel, THE CHRISTOPHER KILLER, the first in the Sleuth Forensic Mystery series. Alane won the Children's Crown Classic Award for CRICKET ANDTHE CRACKERBOX KID, the American Bookseller's Association's "Pick of the List" for her picture book entitled THAT NEW PET, and has been on numerous ALA Recommended Books for Reluctant Young Readers and Young Adult's Choice list.

Reviews

[Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I need an option between like and really liked it, simply because the book waffled back and forth between good and so-so until the end. Which I should have seen coming, but didn't, and it creeped me out more than I should admit, considering I haven't read any of the other books in the series.

I couldn't tell you how accurate the forensic aspects of the story are, simply that they managed to gross me out and fascinate me all at the same time.

Perhaps if I'd read the previous books I'd feel something more than irritation for the interaction between Cameryn and her mother, and the subsequent guilt thrown all over the book. I'm not sure if I award points for the realistic nature of a 17 year old thinking they can single-handedly save someone suffering from severe depression/mental illness, or take them away for the stereotypical depressed/mentally ill character who could have been, and probably should have been, more complex than that.

If that wasn't enough to drive me slightly batty, she chooses to protect her mother by not doing her job, and lying, either flat out or by omission. When she's busted, she expects a pat on the head and a cookie for her good job in solving the case... ignoring the fact that she nearly got someone else killed, not to mention herself, or what would have happened to that someone else's kid. Again, realistic for seventeen, but painful to read.

The balance between her forensic prodigy side and her missteps with her parents never manages to gel, so you're left feeling horribly off-kilter.

Until the end, where you promptly forget everything that came before, slam the blinds closed, and then peek out, making sure that you really are alone.

[Sierra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more like a 3.5 Star for me!
This is the third book in this series, and for me unfortunately the weakest so far. I found the plot to be slow moving and dragging on until the last few chapters of the book. I was also quite annoyed by Cameryn’s back and forth about her mother and whether she should tell the cops what she knew. Granted this back and forth helped her find the killer in the end, but it was a struggle to get through before that. The last chapter was very intense though, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the last book of the series!

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepiest ending I have ever read. Also didn't realize that this was the 3rd book in the series

[Nola · Rating 3 out of 5]

so gory and for what? also a little confusing to me at times probably bc this is the third book in a series but the plot was really good. Left off on a huge cliff hanger that i’m guessing leads into the next book in this series. I read this book for an 8th grade ELA project.

[VJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I whipped through this book and cannot wait to get to the other one in the library. Wow, this took me back to when I was a volunteer in hospital, a Candy Striper. I was around 11 or 12, before all sorts of regulations set in, in a small community hospital. Are there still Candy Stripers? Have to look that up.

The supervisor tried me in every department where there were live people, feeling pain/nausea/effects of dis-ease, and I couldn't hang. If the patient felt pain, I felt pain. The only thing I didn't do was cry. Blubbering doesn't make much of an impact on me.

Finally, I think in a fit of cheek, I was sent to the pathology department. What a wonderful place! If you don't mind the odd smell of the place, it is perfect for a soul that craves quiet and a place to do focused work. Doctor had been on faculty at Brigham Women's Hospital in Boston, and right away he spotted my gifts of auditory memory, medical vocabulary, and lack of squeamishness, built on them by teaching me anatomy, physiology, some elements of hematology along with general diener skills. He taught me how to make/mount frozen sections, a decent y-cut, the order of things (which is in the book!) and all manner of things until he spoiled me for the conventional study of medicine, where you do not touch a patient for years but acquire book and laboratory knowledge. OJT rules!

This book validated my unusual childhood training. I never liked mysteries, but this one drew me in with its familiarity: many topics that I have long been interested in play center stage in this tight forensic tale.

Loved it!

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed that this book seemed to stray from the forensic aspect to focus on the emotional/realtionships Cammie has. Obviously those are important in any story but I felt they were almost too much of a focus.
I was, however, intrigued by the plot twist at the end which has me anxious to begin the 4th book.

[carolina ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

That last chapter, Jesus!

[Ayris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3rd book of the series done and I’m definitely still enraptured by this story line. Although ‘Angle of Death’ is still my favorite of the series so far, ‘Circle of Blood’ was a delightful read.

Cameron definitely annoyed me a bit this book. She wants so badly to be forensic pathologist but I found ever since she became the coroners assistant she’s been lacking professionally. I mean truly in ‘Angel of Death’ she let details slip to Lyric and a table of students but this was excusable as it was accidental and Kyle was throwing her off balance. But then in this book she completely does smth unlawful and unethical as she conceals knowing Mariah/Esther just because Hannah was with her earlier. She also continuously acts immaturely towards Esther’s death, feeling more nervous for Hannah than the dead child in front of her. Ik the last homicide cases she looked at were people she knew but I would have expected her to care more. Furthermore I wish Patrick actually made her understand the gravity of her decisions as she obstructed a crime scene at the end but that whole conversation was a bit rushed.

Onto Justin aka the pedo. Why is no one concerned with this deputy hitting on Cameryn??? Just because he acts like a child more than her doesn’t mean they should be together. I wish he’d focus more on his job than a highschool student. He’s rlly just itching for the moment she graduates. I also just know the author is gonna have them get together so I’m extra bothered by it.

Now Hannah I can’t decide on bc on one hand I understand the struggles of mental health and wish Patrick and Mammaw didn’t turn a blind eye to that fact after the incident with Jayne but I feel such frustration towards her using weed and also being a bad role model to Cameryn but it’s so hard bc she’s not in the right headspace.

Dr. Moore, Ohmygosh my old grumpy love. (This is how you write a grumpy character, compliments to the author). I just knew with this being a series and how he was acting in the beginning of the first book that he was going to take a liking to Cameryn. Knowing the bg to his decision of being a medical examiner gave me life and knowing he’s just the wistful artist who likes opera is amazing. Btw the fact he’s cutely mentoring Cameryn-?! One of my fav characters of the series. Also Ben being a sunshine character and handling Moore’s grumpiness so well is perfection. I would point out that Cameryn has called Dr. Moore near the end of each book in this series with a plotwist and it’s repetitive but that being said I love it everytime anyway.

Now onto the plotwist! So exited for more of the sociopath Kyle O’Neil next book ngl. He’s so interesting. Sad Cameryn’s scholarship was a hoak tho. Also wish the author would stop using the word ‘cried’ sm after a character talks.

[A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The mind and its thoughts were intangible, her sharp autopsy knives useless. The dead are so much more simpler than the living, she decided.

+

CAMERYN!!!! I WAS SCREAMINGKSKDKAOQO. She's so crazy, keeping the secret about Mariah for that long, calling the dad pretending to be Amy Green, showing up at Ruth's house. Lol she reminds me SO much of Nancy Drew and I absolutely love her. She's playing detective as much as she is forensics.

Also the Justin and Cameryn of it all in this one.... can I just say AAAAAH. They are like for personal reasons we will be standing very close and putting our faces very close together. Basically head empty no thoughts just the seen at the start where they're in the car together. I LOVE how that scene gives the answer the whole book when they see the polygamists too. Really the plot of these books is what makes these books so good. The pacing is perfect and they're so engaging in the way details are revealed over time. Of course, the characters too because you have every character type and relationship you could ask for. Friendship, romance, parental, mentorship. It's so great!!!!! I read books 2 and 3 in less than a day.

AND THE TWIST AT THE END WITH KYLE! I read these books years and go and remember barely nothing. So it's awesome to basically read them for the first time again.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fergusson, Alane Circle of Blood, pgs.238 Viking Juvenile. Language~PG, Sexual Content~G; Violence~PG-13;

In the third title of her forensic mystery series, Fergusson plunges her readers back into the gore and science of forensic detective work. The book begins at the scene of a car accident where the driver, not wearing his seatbelt, has been decapitated. Ferguson picks up the story of Cameryn Mahoney where she left off in Angel of Death. This book focuses more on the sudden appearance of Cameryn’s mother who until recently, she thought was dead, and a girl named Mariah who suddenly turns up dead after being seen with Cameryn’s mom. The autopsy scenes while graphic are intriguing, but may be too much for those reader’s with weak stomachs. Ferguson leaves the reader dangling, leaving readers begging that her next installment come sooner rather than later.

MS/HS –ADVISABLE. Allison Madsen~Teen Librarian-SJO Public Library

[Sarah Busch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not know this was the third book in the series when I picked it up, which definitely colored my enjoyment of the novel.

Cameryn is a high school senior who is some kind of forensic prodigy. As a 17-year old, she is helping her father who is the county medical examiner plus the county coroner. That’s pretty unbelievable in itself. But in this novel she also gets a bit into detecting, ultimately solving the murder of a teenager who was last seen with Cameron’s mother.

It was not a bad story, and I enjoyed the writing. I just couldn’t get over the unbelievability of the main character.

[Alyssa Severino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
The main character in this book is a girl named Cameryn Mahoney. She lives in Silverton, Colorado. However, Cameryn is not an average southern girl. Cameryn is a coroner’s assistant and the coroner himself is her one and only dad. They work great as a team. Cameryn is very interested with death and likes her job. Then all of a sudden things start to change. Cameryn's mother who she has not seen in years has just returned, and Cameryn has just been offered a scholarship. Things seem to be going wonderfully for Cameryn. Then all of a sudden a suicide is called in. She is the first coroner to report. She sees that the girl is young and when she sees the girls face...she is speechless. Cameryn has seen this girl before....and the girl was with her mother. The conflict of this story is quite confusing. Cameryn must do her job and find the true cause of death of this girl. The problem is her mother just might be involved with the case. Cameryn's life just got extremely crazy and very confusing.

In this story Cameryn is not a normal girl. Her father is a coroner and she is her father's assistant, making her the coroner's assistant. Then, all of a sudden, her mother returns after many years. Cameryn never knew why her mother had ever left. She wants to know the truth but no one seems to want to tell her anything. Cameryn is happy to have her mother back in her life but she wants the truth. Her father and grandmother do not like her mother but no one will explain to Cameryn why? Cameryn decides enough is enough. She marches her way to her mothers place and demands an explanation. Her mother gives her one, but she was not at all expecting what she heard. The secrets are out but Cameryn does not know how to handle them. Her mother needs help and Cameryn seems like the only one still around to help her. So Cameryn must help her all she can. Then, very soon after all the secrets come out Cameryn meets her mother over by a gas station in her car with a young girl. The girls name is Mariah according to her mother. Her mother claims that she was just picking her up to take her home. Mariah looks worried and lost. Suddenly, Mariah bursts out of the door claiming she just wants to go home. Her mother shrugs this off until she notices the girl has stolen her wallet. Cameryn tries to catch the girl, but is unsuccessful. Cameryn shortly after is called on a case where a girl has just committed suicide. She must start the case since her dad is still on his way. When she sees the girl she is stunned to find that the girl is not just any girl but Mariah herself. Cameryn is even more stunned to find that the case is not just a suicide but a murder. She refuses to reveal that her mother and she know the girl. She knows she is withholding evidence but she needs to protect her mother. So the race is on. She must find out who really killed Mariah so her mom is not harmed. However, she cannot afford to lose her scholarship she has been generously offered by a woman named Jo Ann. Finally to top it all off she also has the threat of being found by a man named Kyle O’Neil. Kyle was a boy she met at a funeral previously when she had examined the body. He killed one of her teachers and even tried to kill her. However, she was able to escape but so did he. He is still not to be found which just puts even more threats on poor Cameryn. With all this going on the tension is unbearable. Cameryn’s life has collided with her job. The questions are endless. What is more important to Cameryn her job and scholarship or her newly found mother? Who really killed Mariah and why would they kill a defenseless girl? Where did Kyle go and why can't the police catch him? Can Cameryn handle all this?
Explanation of Review:
I gave this book four stars. I gave this book four stars, because I believe it is truly an amazing mystery. There is barely ever a dull moment in the story and that makes it a story that you never want to put down. The suspense is also extraordinary which makes you question everything that occurs during the story. However, at times the book goes into some unneeded details that in a way confuse the reader. The story also goes in a strange time order which can also confuse the reader a little throughout the story. The story is still a marvelous piece of literature that really makes you think. This book also has a cliff hanging which makes me like the book even more. I really do love a good cliff hanging ending.
The most important quote from the book is:
This quote is said from the deputy when they are first investigating the scene of the crime where Mariah was found. He states “I am saying we might be looking at a murder.” This is the most important quote because this is when Cameryn’s life and job really do collide. If the case was a suicide there would be no reason for her mother to even be mentioned. However, by the case becoming a homicide, Cameryn is technically withholding evidence by not telling the police that her mother and she know the victim. This is also when the action starts and Cameryn's life becomes absolutely insane. This is defiantly the most important quote of the story.
I recommend this book to anyone who really likes a good mystery and a good cliff-hanging ending. I also recommend this to anyone who is interested in forensics. I, however, do not recommend this to anyone who does not like death, blood, and violence. This book at times can be quite detailed.

[Janna Wesselink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cameryn is at it again. She has a new case to solve. Hannah, her mother, has entered her life again so that complicates things even more. Mariah is killed and found in an alley. Cameryn takes over the case while her father is somewhere else, probably with his first girlfriend since Hannah. Mariah was either murdered or it was a suicide.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Circle of blood was a very interesting book. When Cameryn was the investigator, I think that was the most interesting parts of the book. My favorite character, is Cameryn's dad. He is the mastermind of all investigations. He guides Cameryn throughout all of the investigations that Cameryn has to do. Personally, the ending was my favorite. The Circle of Blood, is a 4/5 murder mystery.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the other Forensic Mysteries books by Alane Ferguson, this novella follows the same story-line as Cameryn is still the coroner's assistant. I thought the book could've been a little longer, and I wish this was a series not novellas, as they do leave out information that is important from the last book. Overall, good book

[Micky Parise · Rating 4 out of 5]

1st time reading Alane Ferguson, have to say really enjoyed this book. Story flowed, characters were well written and plot was really interesting. Going to try to read the 1st 2 books in this series. Recommend.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good series. The main character is a young adult trying to follow in the footsteps of her father who is a forensic investigator. She has worked as his assistant and has learned a lot which she applies to her own investigations

[Kristy McRae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this series with my 12-year-old daughter, who loves forensics. Great mystery, interesting procedural for the young forensics buff, and a good suspense story thread that runs through the whole series.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cameryn, is a young adult working with her father in forensics. When her mother comes to town she yearns to know a family secret. Intertwined is the love for Hannah. Can she solve the mystery, protect her mother, and stay on track for college?

[Maddy Swandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book kept me on my toes, especially at the end when my jaw dropped to the floor. Anyways, I think it definitely is a change of pace from the previous two books. It was slightly more slow during the beginning and didn’t pull me in different emotional directions like the previous book did.

[Oats F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series holds mostly nostalgia for me. The first time I read them I was in middle school. They are pretty entertaining but sometimes my suspension of disbelief is tested. Not the best but still enjoyable for me.

[NyClaire · Rating 3 out of 5]

So that ending tho. The reveal of the who done it just wasn’t as interesting as the previous books. Also this girl is a pathological liar haha. Like keeping secrets is a fucking hobby or something for her man

[Erica Van Hooser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing cliff hanger and story

[Linda]

Excellent series if you are a CSI-NCIS fan.

[Kayla Pitoniak · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, short read. Nothing spectacular, but the author is good at keeping the reader engaged through description and character interactions the whole way through.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is personally my favorite out of the series! I read the ending next to my friend and I was so shocked she was actually getting concerned since she didn't know what was happening!

[Tanmaya R · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last few parts of the story will make you sit on the edge of the seat!

[Bebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good i haven't read the first book out of the series but this one made me want to get it all

[Michele Edgley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of this series so far. The stalking murderer is ratcheting up the tension.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable romp with fun characters, an interesting mystery, and a very fast pace. Again, the romance element is meh as an adult and the pacing is a bit too fast, but nice to revisit!