Blog Tour: The Madness of Mercury by Connie di Marco (Review)

Synopsis:

Astrologer Julia Bonatti never thought her chosen profession would bring danger into her life, but her outspoken advice in her newspaper column, AskZodia, makes her the target of San Francisco’s recently-arrived cult leader, Reverend Roy of the Prophet’s Tabernacle. The followers of the power hungry preacher will stop at nothing to quell the voices of those who would stand in his way and Julia’s at the top of his list. She’s willing to bet the charismatic Reverend is a Mercury-ruled individual, and she knows all too well that Mercury wasn’t just the messenger of the gods, he was a trickster and a liar as well.

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery
Published by: Midnight Ink
Publication Date: June 8, 2016
Number of Pages: 312
ISBN: 978-0738749129
Purchase Links:

My Review

I love the idea of an astrologer as an amateur sleuth. A mix of astrology and cozy mystery…makes for a very exciting story.

Julia’s character is strong and doesn’t easily give up. She handles everything that’s thrown at her…both literally and figuratively. When a religious group puts a target on her back, she doesn’t back down from a fight. She plans her strategy to put a stop to it. She never thought astrology readings and writing an advice column based on those readings could be so dangerous.  She definitely didn't think the people surrounding her would be in danger either.

She moves in with a client who has a huge mansion, which reminds me very much of a gothic mystery type house. It’s filled with eccentric characters and, they soon learn, maybe a killer? To add to the mystery, a man claiming to be a long lost relative shows up on their doorstep and takes up residency there as well. Strange things start happening and Julia is determined to get to the bottom of things – starting with the religious group that is trying to put an end to her livelihood.

This book is a very good kick off to this new series. We are introduced to Julia and her friends. I would have liked to get a better feel for Julia and her friendships, but I’m sure that will come in time. The cast of characters is diverse and well developed, especially the Gamble family.  What an unusual group of people they are and poor Julia to have to live with them until things settle down.

It’s a unique idea for a cozy mystery. There wasn’t the usual romance thrown in, it is a pure mystery and I enjoyed following Julia's investigation very much. I did think she took too many risks to help clients, but that shows you something about Julia.

I’ll definitely be looking for book #2.  On a side note - Isn't that cover gorgeous?  The cat looks like my handsome late Socrates.



For reading challenges:
Cloak & Dagger Reading Challenge 2016
NetGalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2016

FTC Disclosure: The publisher and NetGalley provided me with a copy of this book to review for this blog tour. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

Author Bio:

Connie di Marco is the author of the new Zodiac Mystery series from Midnight Ink, featuring San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti. Writing as Connie Archer, she is also the author of the national bestselling Soup Lover’s Mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime. Some of her excerpts and recipes can be found in The Cozy Cookbook and The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook. Connie is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. She grew up in New England and now lives on the other coast.

Tour Participants:

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