"Di Marco crafts an intricate, twisting plot and layers on the astrological details that fans of psychic mysteries so enjoy."
―Booklist
"Di Marco's series starter features a clever plot and a smart and feisty heroine with feet firmly planted on the ground while she searches the stars."
-Library Journal
"This smartly written debut from di Marco sets the stage for a promising series."
-Kirkus Reviews
"Danger figures in the stars for Julia, along with mixed astrological energies, some wolves in sheep's clothing and an amiable stranger with a down-under accent."
-BookPage
"Five stars for fast pacing, great plot consistency, and excellent imagery."
-Books That Hook
"All the signs point to my revisiting Julia and Co. in the future!"
-Back Porchervations
"A great read is in the stars! With the Zodiac Mysteries, Connie di Marco gives us a bright and interesting heroine and a mystery with plenty of twists and turns. Lots of action and well-written suspense equal good fortune for readers."
-Casey Daniels, author of The Pepper Martin Mysteries
"Connie di Marco knows her stuff!"
-Kate Carlisle, Author of the Bibliophile Mysteries and the Fixer-Upper Mysteries
2017-05-15
An astrologer looks to the stars to help her solve the shocking shooting of a friend's sister.The Moon-Mars-Pluto connection Julia Bonatti sees in the sky on her friend Geneva Leary's wedding day seems ominous enough, but the day turns out to be even worse. First, Geneva's rebellious sister, Moira, delays the ceremony by mysteriously disappearing from the Sonoma County site moments before things are supposed to start. When Moira is located, she seems to be drunk and disoriented, and she's not the only one in that state once the reception starts: wedding planner and type A organizer Sally Stark also appears to have used the time to cut loose and drink too much. The wedding guests, however, realize that Sally's not drunk but in need of some sort of medical help, and she's quickly rushed to the hospital. When the night winds down, Julia wishes she could return home, but after all the drama, she's talked into staying over with a group of guests including Moira. In a commotion in the middle of the night, Moira is shot and killed, shocking the other guests and sending Julia into investigative mode. After all, Julia's had some success looking to the stars to help her solve crimes (The Madness of Mercury, 2016), and perhaps her unique set of skills will help identify the motive that could drive someone to kill a woman barely making it on her own. It would be great to report that di Marco hits her stride in this sophomore installment. But her failure to connect her plot more closely to her astrological premise leaves her story disappointingly flat.