The Circle

by R.G. Lawrence

High school teacher Cicely Manley cannot accept the official police version that her favorite student, Lisa Dennis, overdosed on heroin, the same day she signed a scholarship offer to play major college soccer. Cicely is convinced that Lisa was murdered, and she will stop at nothing to prove her student a victim; and to punish whoever killed her young friend.Manley, with the help of her friend and landlady seventy-year old Margaret O’Connor, begins an investigation into the girl’s bizarre death, only to discover a local drug network operated by middle school skaters, a child porn ring that rakes in millions a year, and teenage hit men.Deciding that they are in over their heads, Margaret seeks help from some of her old friends from days past, the Irish Circle, a group of ’honorable’ Irish mobsters. By bringing in Tommy O’Malley and his group of Irishmen, Margaret and Cicely level the battlefield. The Circle has the firepower to go head to head with any other criminal elements in the area, and they mean to use all of it to insure the safety and success of their two friends.Going undercover to flush out the murderer she is looking for, Cicely instead finds herself held captive by a group of criminals that have a large burying field containing the bodies of hundreds of children they have abused, terrorized and murdered. Facing certain death, Cicely tries desperately to escape before she permanently joins the children of the field. That is, unless the Circle can uncover all the layers leading to Cicely, Lisa’s murderer, and the largest child pornography ring in the country.

Genres: Thriller

267 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 24, 2012

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started out a little bit non exciting till later on - boy then it took off full force. Cicely was a school teacher who tried to help kids have more initiative & try to do better in school. She had a girl Lisa who she tried to help with her basketball ambitions. Scouts come to visit the school & she was chosen for Pittsburg State University. Well things went sour from here. Lisa (her student) died from a overdose. Cant be Cicely said. Then the investigating began as to what really happened to Lisa. Cicely wasn't going to give up till she found out the answer. Entering now is who they called the Irish Circle . Then the excitement goes wild with the rest of the story . Cant tell you and spoil it all. Just be prepared for a cant wait to read it ending to this story..

[Debra Barstad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what a great book. Once I got into the book I could not put it down. I would recommend this book but beware it does contain some disturbing content about child pornography and some strong language.

[David R. DeJoseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Good Read

Interesting story from start to finish. Some really strong characters that you may be surprised. Tough to put it down

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Circle by R.G Lawrence begins with high school teacher Cicely Manley setting the scene, luring the reader into a false sense of security that this tale is solely about a concerned teacher. The sense of security is steadily paced, leading up to the death of her favourite student and the questions surrounding it.

With Cicely being a fiery red head, and her best friend Margaret being a sharp but lovable 70 year old, it’s hard not to be taken on the ride with them. The women are on a chase for justice, and they soon find themselves in deeper water than they anticipated.

This is my Book of the Month because it’s brilliantly written, both the gripping prose and the easy flowing dialogue, and it provides a great thrilling read. It leaves you guessing who the real culprit is until the very end, and the questions asked at the beginning might not be the ones you’re asking at the end.

Another plus with this book is that the characters are all so well developed, and the famous Tommy O’Malley is one you want to watch out for.

[Douglas Wickard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began reading THE CIRCLE out of curiosity, downloading it on a free kindle giveaway... WOW! I could NOT have been more impressed... PLUS, I could NOT put the freakin' book down. I was drawn into the world of Cicely, a high school teacher transformed into the small-town equivalent of a sexy, tom-boyish Nancy Drew, (with her much older, side-kick Margaret, a real-life Miss Marple who loves a bit-of-the-nip (she's Irish, by golly) a healthy coterie of thugs, Irish tenors, sexual deviants, pimps, prostitutes and enough tension to ignite even the smallest uprising in this quintessentially bucolic community. After reading this book, I felt sorry for these out-of-the-way cloisters... if this much mayhem is in THESE quaint, towns...get me to the City FAST! I read this book in two days...morning and night...could NOT wait to finish and write this review. I LOVED IT!

[Teri Heyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! The Circle by R.G. Lawrence is an incredible read! This is a suspense that sucks you in and won't let go until the very end. The bad guys are truly evil, while the good guys, The Circle, know how to mete out the punishment they deserve. The Circle would be a great, blockbuster movie. R.G. Lawrence has just become one of my very favorite authors.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down

Gangsters, "business men", a cute young lass and an elderly Irish lady are all forces to be reckoned with. Twists and turns have you hooked to the very end. Love that the writing was gritty but not graphic. Brutal but true subjects.

[Zach Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT BOOK!

[Kas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do not shift genres in the middle of a book. :/