THE CIRCLE OF BLOOD by Alane Ferguson

Cameryn Mahoney is back in another forensic adventure. Ever since she convinced her father, the county coroner, that she would make a great assistant, she has been involved in some pretty awesome investigations. This latest one is no exception. Warning! If detailed, gory descriptions send you running for the nearest restroom, don't read this book.

Within the first few pages of THE CIRCLE OF BLOOD, Cameryn finds herself investigating a horrible accident scene. A teenage driver met his end on a nearby mountain road, and it's the responsibility of Cameryn and her dad to piece together the events that led to the tragedy. Using her forensic knowledge, Cameryn reminds the authorities that to find the decapitated head of the young victim, they will need to follow the blood trail left when centrifugal force parted the head from its body. Ugh! Cameryn takes it all in stride, but she is frustrated when her father forces her to remain at the scene of the accident collecting specimens. Suddenly he seems concerned about her, and she doesn't know why.

The teen's accident is just that, an accident, but it provides the jumping off point for many other twists and turns in the plot. Cameryn has recently been reunited with her mother causing tension in her relationship with her father and grandmother. She thought she knew all the secrets hidden in her past, but she soon finds there is more - much more.

Justin, the new deputy, is also becoming a more important part of Cameryn's life. He is important as the person responsible for reuniting her with her mother, but their relationship many be headed for even more. She begins working closely with him when a young girl is found dead in an alley. The tricky part of this new investigation is that Cameryn suspects that her mother may somehow be involved in the girl's death. Keeping secrets from her father and Justin could cost Cameryn more than she is willing to give.

Alane Ferguson is the author of two other CSI-type YA novels - THE ANGEL OF DEATH and THE CHRISTOPHER KILLER. She fills her books with plot twists and turns, detailed autopsies, and enough suspense to keep readers on the edges of their seats beginning on page one. If you love a good mystery and can stand the gory details, you won't want to miss THE CIRCLE OF BLOOD.