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    The Madness of Mercury
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    The Madness of Mercury
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    The Madness of Mercury
    Ebook322 pages3 hours

    The Madness of Mercury

    By Connie di Marco

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

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    About this ebook

    Mercury retrograde wreaks havoc on astrologer Julia Bonatti

    San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti's life is turned upside down when she becomes the target of the city's newest cult leader, Reverend Roy of the Prophet's Tabernacle. Driven out of her apartment in the midst of a disastrous Mercury retrograde period, she takes shelter with a client who's caring for two elderly aunts. One aunt appears stricken with dementia and the other has fallen under the spell of the Reverend Roy. To add to the confusion, a young man claiming to be a long-lost nephew arrives. The longer he stays, the more dangerous things become. Is the young man truly a member of the family? Can astrology confirm that? Julia's not sure, but one thing she does know is that Mercury wasn't merely the messenger of the gods—he was a trickster and a liar as well.

    Praise:

    "This smartly written debut from di Marco sets the stage for a promising series."—Kirkus Reviews

    "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

    "For astrology fans that enjoy a good read, The Madness of Mercury provides an entertaining escape."—Dell Horoscope

    "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

    "Connie di Marco begins a fascinating new series...The writing is clever and compelling and the protagonist is smart and gutsy. The villains are seriously sinister and the darkly intricate plot will keep you turning the pages."—Kate Carlisle, New York Times bestselling author

    "Connie di Marco blends real-life tragedy, heart-rending betrayal, loyal friends, and the kindness of strangers in this fast-paced, entertaining read."—Leslie Budewitz, two-time Agatha Award-winning author of the Seattle Spice Shop Mysteries

    "The stars may not align for the unlucky characters in The Madness of Mercury, but they certainly do for readers who discover this book. An astrologer with her eyes on her charts and her feet planted firmly on the ground, Julia Bonatti is an original sleuth, juggling astrological readings with a mysterious death and a Jim Jones-like cult leader. Dark wit and darker motivations unite to create a satisfying read."—Kim Fay, Edgar Award-finalist for The Map of Lost Memories

    "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 Graveyard Shift

    "An enjoyable read."—Reviewing the Evidence

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLlewellyn Worldwide
    Release dateJun 8, 2016
    ISBN9780738750781

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    Reviews for The Madness of Mercury

    4/5

    19 ratings7 reviews

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    • 4/5
      What I know about astrology has pretty much been limited to random glances at horoscopes over the years. The main character, Julia Bonatti makes her living as an astrologer, both in person and with a newspaper column. Luckily, a dead body shows up fairly quickly, although the how is not immediately apparent. Luis was the gardener on the estate of Julia's friend Dorothy's elderly aunts. Julia is the subject of a witch hunt and how that ties in with a local Prophet's group keeps the story moving very quickly. I read this author under her other pseudonym and was pleased to find it another good read. The characters are well developed and easy to get to know. And I liked the tidbit about Mercury being a trickster.
    • 4/5
      I received this book from the publisher, Midnight Ink, for a review. This is the first of this author's work that I have read and I am impressed. I loved the cover and the introduction was WOW! The action did slow a little now and then for some astrological facts, none of which I understood, but the story held my attention completely.The main character is Julia Bonatti, who makes her living as a professional astrologer. She does private readings as well as writing a newspaper column. Her answer to a question from a reader lands her and her friends on the wrong side of the Prophet, a well known religious leader. His followers promptly picket her home and occult businesses in the area. Prophet promises to rid San Francisco of these sinners. Broken windows and attempted arson follow. Because of large donations made to local politicians, police are told to lay off his followersFirst death occurs, doesn't appear to be related.Things grow increasingly worse until the end. Action only slows during astrology talks.Very well written and edited.Main character not very sympathetic and if p.m. was done on gardener why wasn't poison found? All else is good.
    • 2/5
      there wasn't much depth to this, and it took me half the book to figure out what the mystery was.
    • 5/5
      Terrific start to a unique series by an author whose books I always love. The Madness of Mercury combines the oh so interesting details of astrology with a strong, feisty woman recovering from loss, set in San Francisco with all its fascinating nooks and crannies and a truly evil man that puts our heroine Julia Bonatti in danger.Even better than anticipated. Couldn’t put it down, can’t wait for the next entry in this promising series.
    • 5/5
      Not my normal read but very good.
    • 2/5
      I found the main character and some of her attitudes unlikable. (Beware transvestite "jokes.") The heavy astrological details will likely appeal to an aficionado but they felt too much (and boring) for a layperson.

      [I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.]
    • 5/5
      The Madness of Mercury by Connie di Marco is the first book in A Zodiac Mystery series. Julia Bonatti is an astrologer living and working in San Francisco, California. Julia has private clients and also does the Ask Zodia column for the local newspaper. Dorothy Sanger is a current client who has Julia to come over to her aunt’s home, Gamble House. Dorothy has recently separated from her husband, Richard (but is hoping her chart has news that they will get back together). Evandra Gamble is eight-nine years old and has begun having issues lately (and wants a reading). Evandra now fears for her life (that someone is trying to harm her). After visiting with Evandra (and trying to soothe her fears), Julia is in the kitchen when she notices that Luis, the jack-of-all trades, has disappeared. The lawn mower is still there and running. Dorothy and Julia run out and find Luis has fallen over the wall (there is a big drop). Luis did not make it. Julia is checking her work email when she receives three odd emails. There are religious in nature. Then she gets calls on her home phone line. Then people with signs (Witch Burn Witch) show up outside her apartment complex which upsets a new client. Julia arranges to meet the client at the Mystic Eye owned by her friend, Gale. Unfortunately, the protestors are also at Mystic Eye. The group is against the occult, and they are not going away quietly. The group calls themselves Army of the Prophet and are guided by Reverend Roy. Reverend Roy is new to town, but he has quickly inserted himself into local politics (meaning the police are no help). It is not a good week for Julia and her friends. Someone then starts a fire at the Mystic Eye and Julia is attached by a man with a knife (I think Julia should have checked her own chart for this week). Julia has to leave (move somewhere else) her apartment (because of the protestors) and ends up staying with Dorothy (who is having issues of her own). Dorothy needs help with her aunt’s. Evandra’s mental faculties seem to be declining and then a young man shows up claiming to be a long lost relative named Reggie (there is a trust—always comes down to money). Julia believes something fishy is going on at Gamble House. Will she be able to get to the bottom of the problem? What is she going to do about Reverend Roy and his followers? The planets are definitely not aligned for Julia. The Madness of Mercury was a delight to read. I enjoyed the characters (we did not get a lot of information on them, but it is the first book). I did not understand the astrology stuff (planets in retrograde, alignments, etc.), but that did not hinder my reading pleasure. The Madness of Mercury is well-written and engaging. I started reading the book and kept going until the end (the book had a good pace). The mystery was the best part of the book. It was complicated and twisty with a delightful curve ball at the end (I loved it). I liked the unique method of the murderer used by the killer. I give The Madness of Mercury 4.5 out of 5 stars (I downgraded a little because I did not understand the astrology information). I look forward to reading the next book in A Zodiac Mystery series.I received a complimentary copy of The Madness of Mercury from NetGalley and Midnight Ink in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.