What is creepier: a witch with a green, wart-covered face and pointy hat, or a pretty suburban housewife witch? Susie Moloney opts for the latter in her fourth novel, her take on the notion of “suburban hell.”

The witches who reside in Haven Woods don’t resemble those of Shakespeare or Halloween costumes – for the most part, they’re young and beautiful, and generally more concerned with maintaining their cookie-cutter, suburban socalite lives than brewing up spells. That is, until one of their number commits suicide. While 13 is considered an unlucky number in most circles, for the witches in The Thirteen, it is crucial to ensuring their powers remain stable, which causes problems for the remaining dozen.

The witches’ search for a new coven member leads them to Paula, an emotionally damaged young woman who has returned to Haven Woods to care for her mother, Audra, who is suddenly ailing (three guesses as to why). But while the other witches will go to whatever ends might be necessary to secure Paula as their newest member, Audra is desperate to get her daughter and her 12-year-old granddaughter, Rowan, out of harm’s way. Despite Audra’s insistence, Paula remains determined to stand by her mother’s side – a noble, if ultimately misguided, gesture.

Paula seems blissfully ignorant of the weird occurrences in town since her return, preferring to indulge in nostalgia for her childhood and to focus on a new romance. Her general obliviousness is a frustrating and grating character flaw. Fortunately, Rowan is much more astute than her clueless mother. Rowan hates living in Haven Woods and notices every strange detail about the town, from the constantly deserted hospital to the excessive number of neighbourhood cats. The girl’s mixture of curiosity and innocence makes her a compelling character to follow.

The Thirteen generally moves along at the quick pace one expects from a thriller, but it falls flat on delivering real twists or surprises, thus diminishing the suspense. Too many of the novel’s dangerous or life-threatening situations wrap up exactly as expected, leaving the reader feeling underwhelmed.