Circle of the Lily Book

In this modern gothic with strong occult elements, Jill Jones pairs a British woman with psychic abilities and an American man whose life has been blighted by an ancient curse. When Claire St. John meets Michael Townsend, the new boarder on her English country estate, she's both attracted and repelled. She senses in him a merciless sorrow, a darkness that draws evil, and she warns him of a malevolent woman who will harm him. That woman is Delilah Mason, a present-day enchantress who has used magic to build an empire. Delilah now seeks to expand her power by reviving an ancient cult called the Circle of the Lily, with Michael as her High Priest. With help from her psychic friends, Claire summons up her own powers of light to win Michael for herself, reveal the sources of his emotional demons, and destroy the evil forces that threaten them. Jones's use of the character's thoughts to tell portions of her story occasionally slows the pace, but her clever and compelling plot twists will keep most readers riveted. --Ellen Edwards