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The Buried Circle
The village of Avebury is one of the most mysterious places in the English countryside. Surrounded by ancient standing stones, crop circles and burial mounds, this is a place where all is not as it seems.
505 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 28, 2020
Jenni Mills’ novel is set in and around the Wiltshire village of Avebury in two time zones - 1938 – 1942, and 2005, with quite a bit of the 70’s thrown in. In 1938 Frannie, a bright and attractive village girl, is thrilled to get a clerical job at Avebury Manor, the home of Alexander Keiller, the marmalade millionaire, who for some years has been funding archaeological excavations at the famous stone circle that surrounds Avebury. His ambition is to find the stones that are buried beneath the village and re-erect them, although this involves demolishing some of the village houses, including the one in which Frannie lives with her parents (they are all his tenants).
In 2005 Frannie’s granddaughter India is working as a tv camerawoman shooting crop circles from a helicopter, an experience which she finds terrifying. With her in the helicopter is her director, Steve, and a small party of American tourists whose fares will save the television company some expenses. Steve persuades Ed, the pilot, against his better judgment, to fly very low over a crop circle and the helicopter crashes. The only fatality is Steve. This experience is so traumatic for India that she blames herself for Steve’s death. John, a former boyfriend of India’s late mother, persuades her to come and stay in Trusloe (the replacement village for those who lost their homes because of the excavations) with her grandmother, Frannie, who is in failing health. John is a practising shaman, closely involved with the pagan and druid cults which flourish in and around Avebury and Stonehenge.
India finds a temporary job in a local café, but her trauma does not improve, because as well as terrible memories of the helicopter crash, her strange childhood as the daughter of a 70’s hippie returns to her in vivid flashes. There were violent episodes in which she and her closest friend, a boy named Keir, were involved.
In the meantime in 1938 Frannie is desperately in love with Alexander Keiller, who is a legendary womanizer, but in turn is being pursued by his assistant, Donald Cromley. Keiller and Cromley are pursuing their mutual interest in the occult, and Frannie gradually gets drawn in to this circle. Frannie also has a local boyfriend, David, who works as a chauffeur for Keiller.
In the present, India has never known who her grandfather was, but Frannie refuses to be drawn on the subject. India finds David’s grave in the churchyard - he was in the Air Force in the Second World War and was killed in action.
The stories of the two women each slowly work up to an exciting climax and all the secrets are revealed. I would describe the book as a mystery thriller rather than a crime novel, although plenty of crimes occur in it. Jenni Mills’ research on the archaeology of the area is very sound.
I feel that the novel could do with cutting a bit, and the reader does occasionally get confused as to which time zone they are in, particularly as there is a very large cast of characters.
In 2005 Frannie’s granddaughter India is working as a tv camerawoman shooting crop circles from a helicopter, an experience which she finds terrifying. With her in the helicopter is her director, Steve, and a small party of American tourists whose fares will save the television company some expenses. Steve persuades Ed, the pilot, against his better judgment, to fly very low over a crop circle and the helicopter crashes. The only fatality is Steve. This experience is so traumatic for India that she blames herself for Steve’s death. John, a former boyfriend of India’s late mother, persuades her to come and stay in Trusloe (the replacement village for those who lost their homes because of the excavations) with her grandmother, Frannie, who is in failing health. John is a practising shaman, closely involved with the pagan and druid cults which flourish in and around Avebury and Stonehenge.
India finds a temporary job in a local café, but her trauma does not improve, because as well as terrible memories of the helicopter crash, her strange childhood as the daughter of a 70’s hippie returns to her in vivid flashes. There were violent episodes in which she and her closest friend, a boy named Keir, were involved.
In the meantime in 1938 Frannie is desperately in love with Alexander Keiller, who is a legendary womanizer, but in turn is being pursued by his assistant, Donald Cromley. Keiller and Cromley are pursuing their mutual interest in the occult, and Frannie gradually gets drawn in to this circle. Frannie also has a local boyfriend, David, who works as a chauffeur for Keiller.
In the present, India has never known who her grandfather was, but Frannie refuses to be drawn on the subject. India finds David’s grave in the churchyard - he was in the Air Force in the Second World War and was killed in action.
The stories of the two women each slowly work up to an exciting climax and all the secrets are revealed. I would describe the book as a mystery thriller rather than a crime novel, although plenty of crimes occur in it. Jenni Mills’ research on the archaeology of the area is very sound.
I feel that the novel could do with cutting a bit, and the reader does occasionally get confused as to which time zone they are in, particularly as there is a very large cast of characters.
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January 22, 2020Je crois n'avoir jamais abandonné un livre aussi près de la fin (72%), mais vraiment je n'arrive plus à tenir, c'est trop looooong ! J'aimais l'ambiance et le côté un peu mystérieux, le cadre du cercle de pierres d'Avebury, mais le système d'aller-retour entre passé et présent me lasse et j'avance tellement lentement dans l'intrigue que cela me désespère. Je dois dire aussi qu'un certain personnage très malsain et rebutant ne me donne pas envie de retrouver ma lecture à chaque fois. Dommage !
December 15, 2013
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel, which unravels family secrets involving eccentric archaeologists, black magic, wacko neo-pagans in conflict with the scientific community, crop circles, the dawning of the rave phenomena, murder, progressive rock, war, channel 4 and kettle after kettle of tea. I'm not kidding.
The semi-detached yet insightful protagonist India is a very compelling and complex character. However, the portrayal of her grandmother as a young girl is very unique in attributing her with curiosity, sexuality and a sense of being an active agent in her own life despite the morals of the time and her situation as a "common" girl; how refreshing such an anomaly of literature is...
In addition, the research into the zeitgeist of the early 1900s (in particular the ideas concerning the occult) and into neo-paganism is thorough.
The semi-detached yet insightful protagonist India is a very compelling and complex character. However, the portrayal of her grandmother as a young girl is very unique in attributing her with curiosity, sexuality and a sense of being an active agent in her own life despite the morals of the time and her situation as a "common" girl; how refreshing such an anomaly of literature is...
In addition, the research into the zeitgeist of the early 1900s (in particular the ideas concerning the occult) and into neo-paganism is thorough.
August 29, 2018
An excellent novel which uses a fascinating subject and place as its basis. Part thriller, part suspense, part supernatural with a touch of romance, this is a book which would suit a lot of different people. I thoroughly enjoyed it, just as much as this authors first novel Crow Stone by Jenni Mills
February 15, 2017
The Buried Circle is a novel set amongst the stones of the Neolithic stone circle of Avebury in Wiltshire. It is the story of India, a television camera operator who survives a helicopter crash while on a filming assignment, and also the story of her grandmother Frannie who lived in Avebury in the 1930s and who is still there.
Haunted by the ‘copter crash, India comes to stay with Frannie, whose grip on reality is tenuous. There are things about her family that India would like to know before it’s too late, but she fears her grandmother’s state of mind may already be too far gone.
The themes of archaeology and modern Druidic ritual link India’s present timeline with that of Frannie’s past. In that past, famous playboy archaeologist Alexander Keiller is demolishing the village where Frannie and her family live in order to reconstruct the ancient stone circle.
Personal mysteries from both timelines are brought to a head for both India and her grandmother in the present day as both are forced to face the demons of their past.
Having enjoyed Jenni Mills’ first novel Crow Stone on repeat readings, I finally tracked down this, her second novel. Happily, I found this one just as enjoyable, and I certainly learned a bit about the archaeology of Avebury, a place I’d love to visit.
Haunted by the ‘copter crash, India comes to stay with Frannie, whose grip on reality is tenuous. There are things about her family that India would like to know before it’s too late, but she fears her grandmother’s state of mind may already be too far gone.
The themes of archaeology and modern Druidic ritual link India’s present timeline with that of Frannie’s past. In that past, famous playboy archaeologist Alexander Keiller is demolishing the village where Frannie and her family live in order to reconstruct the ancient stone circle.
Personal mysteries from both timelines are brought to a head for both India and her grandmother in the present day as both are forced to face the demons of their past.
Having enjoyed Jenni Mills’ first novel Crow Stone on repeat readings, I finally tracked down this, her second novel. Happily, I found this one just as enjoyable, and I certainly learned a bit about the archaeology of Avebury, a place I’d love to visit.
July 16, 2019
(3.5 stars) This is a dual time novel, focusing on the buried stone circle at Avebury in England. In the late 1930s, archaeologist Andrew Keiller has a vision of rebuilding the stone circle and begins the massive undertaking, including digs that lead to displacement of some villagers. A young woman, Frannie, is drawn into his sphere of influence, with dark consequences. In the present, her granddaughter, India, has returned to the village after a traumatic event involving a helicopter as she works on a television crew. While she is recuperating, she finds herself getting involved with a documentary about the circle, and her research leads her to some startling information about her family’s past as she begins to see her grandmother deteriorate. When India realizes that she has made the mistake of breaking the superstition about not going around the circle “widdershins” (counterclockwise, against the sun), things begin to get darker and more complex.
May 3, 2019
Jenni Mills has written a real page turner! The Buried Circle of the title refers to the 5000-year-old stone circle at Avebury in Wiltshire.
It’s 1938, and England is on the cusp of war and Frannie is on the cusp of adulthood. She finds herself drawn to the eccentric archaeologist Alexander Keiller and his posh circle of fellow enthusiasts and local aristocrats. He has a vision to reconstruct the Avebury stone circle: “that was Mr Keiller’s mad dream, you see: to put up all them stones the way they’d been.”
Seventy years later, Frannie’s granddaughter India returns to Avebury after being involved in a helicopter crash that proved fatal for a colleague. She is haunted by his death, and feels she is responsible. India is conflicted in her feelings regarding Avebury: “Avebury - state of mind as much as a landscape.”
As India researches the world of Alexander Keiller, she discovers that Frannie knew him and was involved in his work. When India asks Frannie about that time, and particularly about her mysterious grandfather, Frannie struggles with memories that she has long suppressed, and feels should stay concealed: “Seems to me there’s secrets under stones; near half the circle still buried, and better it should stay that way, especially where India’s concerned.”
Pagan beliefs, together with superstitions and magic are all an integral part of this story. As Mr Cromley explains to Frannie “The urge for ritual is always close to the surface, even in modern life. There must be superstitions in the village connected to the stones.” After reading this book, I will be careful to ensure I do not walk ‘widdershins’ when walking around any building or object. As Frannie explains “My mam told me… Always has to be sunwise.’
There is a sense of melancholy after the war and the loss of so many men from the village. Frannie sometimes thinks she hears the echos of these lost men, and thinks they’re trying to come home: “See, they never come back, but I think they try sometimes. They in’t no more than a set of dreams and yearnings, lifted like ash on the wind, but they follow us, the best they can, hoping someone’ll leave a door open for them to slip through, so one day they can come home.” There is also the poignancy of knowing that some love is transitory: “There’s moments, only moments, that you love for, and know they’ll never last, maybe never come again.”
Mills skilfully draws the reader into these two worlds, and has created two strong female characters that you empathise with. They both have their demons and sad memories to confront, accept and then overcome. However, the book (and India) are not without hope: “In the end, it’ll be alright. People find ways through. Or round. Or something. So long as they keep going sunwise.”
It’s 1938, and England is on the cusp of war and Frannie is on the cusp of adulthood. She finds herself drawn to the eccentric archaeologist Alexander Keiller and his posh circle of fellow enthusiasts and local aristocrats. He has a vision to reconstruct the Avebury stone circle: “that was Mr Keiller’s mad dream, you see: to put up all them stones the way they’d been.”
Seventy years later, Frannie’s granddaughter India returns to Avebury after being involved in a helicopter crash that proved fatal for a colleague. She is haunted by his death, and feels she is responsible. India is conflicted in her feelings regarding Avebury: “Avebury - state of mind as much as a landscape.”
As India researches the world of Alexander Keiller, she discovers that Frannie knew him and was involved in his work. When India asks Frannie about that time, and particularly about her mysterious grandfather, Frannie struggles with memories that she has long suppressed, and feels should stay concealed: “Seems to me there’s secrets under stones; near half the circle still buried, and better it should stay that way, especially where India’s concerned.”
Pagan beliefs, together with superstitions and magic are all an integral part of this story. As Mr Cromley explains to Frannie “The urge for ritual is always close to the surface, even in modern life. There must be superstitions in the village connected to the stones.” After reading this book, I will be careful to ensure I do not walk ‘widdershins’ when walking around any building or object. As Frannie explains “My mam told me… Always has to be sunwise.’
There is a sense of melancholy after the war and the loss of so many men from the village. Frannie sometimes thinks she hears the echos of these lost men, and thinks they’re trying to come home: “See, they never come back, but I think they try sometimes. They in’t no more than a set of dreams and yearnings, lifted like ash on the wind, but they follow us, the best they can, hoping someone’ll leave a door open for them to slip through, so one day they can come home.” There is also the poignancy of knowing that some love is transitory: “There’s moments, only moments, that you love for, and know they’ll never last, maybe never come again.”
Mills skilfully draws the reader into these two worlds, and has created two strong female characters that you empathise with. They both have their demons and sad memories to confront, accept and then overcome. However, the book (and India) are not without hope: “In the end, it’ll be alright. People find ways through. Or round. Or something. So long as they keep going sunwise.”
September 1, 2022
Having recently revisited Avebury I was looking for a book based around this extraordinary site, something strange and evocative in a Children of the Stones kind of way. Sadly fictional books about Avebury seem to be thin on the ground and I approached this one a little cautiously.
It was a well written tale, telling the story of two women, granddaughter and grandmother. One story focused on the late 1930s and war years in Avebury, when Keiller was excavating in the area. The other was set in 2005 and explored the clashes between locals, archaeologists, druids and pagans.
I did enjoy the book, and it's made me want to go back again to look at things I missed. However, there were some real problems with pacing, with much of the book feeling overly detailed and too long, only to have an incredibly rushed ending with lots of things left rather unresolved.
The two plotlines never came together in any meaningful way, and I was left slightly puzzled about what point the novel was actually trying to make.
And most strange of all was that although this story was all set in and around Avebury, and although the site was a key element in both plotlines, it didn't actually feel like a story about Avebury!
I would probably read more by this author. There were some well drawn characters, evidence of a fair bit of research and it kept me reading to the end, but it would have been improved for me with a more tightly plotted story.
It was a well written tale, telling the story of two women, granddaughter and grandmother. One story focused on the late 1930s and war years in Avebury, when Keiller was excavating in the area. The other was set in 2005 and explored the clashes between locals, archaeologists, druids and pagans.
I did enjoy the book, and it's made me want to go back again to look at things I missed. However, there were some real problems with pacing, with much of the book feeling overly detailed and too long, only to have an incredibly rushed ending with lots of things left rather unresolved.
The two plotlines never came together in any meaningful way, and I was left slightly puzzled about what point the novel was actually trying to make.
And most strange of all was that although this story was all set in and around Avebury, and although the site was a key element in both plotlines, it didn't actually feel like a story about Avebury!
I would probably read more by this author. There were some well drawn characters, evidence of a fair bit of research and it kept me reading to the end, but it would have been improved for me with a more tightly plotted story.
March 19, 2018
Brilliant!
Enjoyed this book immensely! The characters were well defined and very believable. The storyline was very interesting - I read the book over 2 days! What a good story - it's a long time since I have enjoyed a book like this, I love the way Jenni writes. Am going to start her other book now. Will be eagerly awaiting more!
Enjoyed this book immensely! The characters were well defined and very believable. The storyline was very interesting - I read the book over 2 days! What a good story - it's a long time since I have enjoyed a book like this, I love the way Jenni writes. Am going to start her other book now. Will be eagerly awaiting more!
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May 7, 2021This is the best book I have read in some time. Based on history and factual information around Avesbury, intertwined with mystery and a touch of drama and romance .
May 25, 2015
Another enthralling mystery from Jenni Mills, moving back and forward through time, linked by a special place. I have been to Avebury several times and stayed in the village twice but this book still taught me a lot of things that I didn't know. I hadn't realised that the circle as it is today didn't exist until Keiller came along and reconstructed it. I was a bit uneasy at first about a real person who lived so recently being a major character in the book but in the end the story from the thirties and forties was about fictional characters. I could probably have done without the supernatural bit but it didn't spoil my enjoyment of a well constructed, exciting story.
September 6, 2010
So not quite as good as the author's debut, Crow Stone, but still a worthwhile read. Using two different voices, one set in present day, one back in the 30's/40's, Mills again uses the concept of hidden truths and the journey to uncover them as the context for this mystery set around the standing stones of Avenbury. I wasn't as keen on the Hammer horror druid angle, but the love the way this author connects the dots between the people and times - looking forward very much to her next offering
July 9, 2012
Loved Crow Stone and have been anticipating this one for ages, till I finally got my hands on a copy. Did not disappoint. A complex story, but in layers that gradually reveal as Mills takes us on a journey back and forth through time, telling the story of Fran Robinson in the late '30's, then that of her granddaughter India in present day. Dark and mysterious, with tasty doses of archeology, mythology, history, and the effects of World War II on a small corner of Great Britain.
September 12, 2012
A thriller with a time-slip story and including archaeology with a spiritual edge - just my cup of tea. I felt the two stories worked very well together and was pleasantly surprised to see the appearance of two characters from Mills's first book. Another surprising thing was that some of the characters were actually real people and the author was not afraid to describe them carrying out what could be described as controversial actions.
July 15, 2013
Novel based in and around Avebury set in two time periods: 1940s and present. The modern-day story of India trying to find out who her grandfather was (the link with 1940s) did not work for me, but I enjoyed learning about Keiller’s controversial activities at Avebury, and life in wartime Swindon. As with most historical novels you always learn new things.
December 4, 2014
I enjoyed the parallel stories, they were as different as they were the same. All through the book you are looking for answers right till the end, then it didn't seem as important. The story was the journey not the outcome. I appreciated that it was woven around the truth that can be researched and visited.
February 3, 2015
Thank god I have finished this! A day and a half gone from my life. Could not do anything else but read. I loved the setting and many of the elements in the plot: standing stones, archeology, paganism, magic, great females characters and a couple of gripping thriller/crime threads. Really enjoyed it. Now, back to reality...
January 29, 2010
Based on archaeologist Alexander Keiller's work in Avebury England at the start of WW2. Fast forward seventy years later when a young woman questions her past.
July 30, 2011
Proper review coming later, but I loved this book... An Avebury archaeological mystery with a bit WWII; could one ask for more!! Well, okay, maybe but it was still fabulous...
December 28, 2014
It was a well-written book and I thought I would enjoy it, but it was too wordy and took too long to get to the point for my liking.
August 10, 2013
Not the most exciting read - slow-going and lots of mumbo jumbo about the 'mystic' nature of Avebury.
July 8, 2015
This is the second time I've read this book and I've enjoyed it as much as the first time. The story is immersive and filled with fascinating plot devices and twists. Highly, highly recommended.
July 18, 2016
loved how it switched between characters
March 25, 2012
Bit slow in places, but good weaving of ww2 and present
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews