Review of The Fifth Petal by Brunonia Barry

“A little girl with no past. A still unresolved mystery that only she can unravel.” This is the start of the international edition of the novel titled The Fifth Petal, a compelling mystery thriller by The New York Times bestselling author Brunonia Barry. Set in Salem, the birth land of the author, the novel narrates the story of the murder of a boy on Halloween night.

The main suspect is Rose Whelan, a once respected local historian who is old and sick by now, affected by mental illness and tormented by an obsession: she sees and hears the scream of a banshee, a supernatural fairy or a witch belonging to Irish or Celtic folklore.

A banshee is a magic creature that can turn from gentle angel to a vindictive witch. She is above all a woman. This is indeed the central topic of the novel. An obsessed woman is accused of a crime.

The crime that occurred in Salem on the night of Halloween recalls another brutal murder happened many years ago in 1989, always in the same town, always on Halloween night, when three young women were cruelly slaughtered.

These women were all descended from accused Salem witches. They were called the Goddesses, because, every year, on Halloween night, they used to hold a magic ritual near the tree where their ancestors were hanged in 1692. The only witnesses to the so-called Goddess Murder were the seven-year-old daughter of one of them, and Rose Whelan, who participated in the ritual along with the little girl.

Many years have passed since that dreadful night, and now, the little girl is a woman, and a psychologist who helps sick patients overcome traumas, and physical pain. Her name is Callie Cahill. To overcome her own trauma, Callie left Salem, but when, on television, she learns about the charges against Rose, her savior, she decides to return to this town.

Another character of the novel who believes in the innocence of Rose is the chief of Salem’s police, John Rafferty. The latter also wonders if there is a connection between the death of the boy and the notorious triple murder of the Goddesses in 1989.

From this stage, the novel sheds light on the history of Witch Hunt, which had its cruelest apotheosis just in Salem, where the latest trials against people accused of sorcery were performed. Between February 1692 and May 1693, more than 200 people were accused. Many of them were women. 19 men and women were sentenced to death and executed.

With this novel, indeed, which is the sequel of The Lace Reader, the author takes the advantage to talk about the social and political conditions that led to the prosecution of thousands of women in Europe and in the colonial areas of Massachusetts.

Initially, the story may appear extremely heavy and bothersome, because you have in your hand a volume with over 400 pages. I read the Italian edition, which has over 500 pages.

There is suspense, there is mystery, a good hint of seduction in this fictional tale, but the gripping twist arrives only in the final chapters.

Above all, I want to dwell on the meaning of the novel. It is a story that warns against the grudge that over the centuries has fueled hate against women, against their cleverness, and their skills.

But this warning does not regard only men, but even women, who, often, are the worst enemies of themselves. Superstition, and prejudice are the true evil, not women or magic or non-existing creatures.

The success of The Fifth Petal depended on the fact that it is set in the birth land of the author. The scenery becomes, hence, palpable and very realistic. Even because we are in Salem, the main tourist destination during Halloween time.

There, flocks of masked people crowd the streets, surrounded by the dime lights of pumpkins. This detail is perfectly described in the novel. Amid these masked people, there is the murderer, and there is the perfect book to read for Halloween.