Julia Bonatti, my San Francisco astrologer, was born on December 3, 1981 at 11:51 a.m. PST in San Francisco. But really, I believe she was born years before that, most likely the day I cracked open my first Nancy Drew or Trixie Belden or Sherlock Holmes—the day I became a hopelessly addicted and devouring lover of mysteries!
Fast forward many years (hate to tell you how many) and I finally worked up the courage to attempt to write my very own mystery. I wasn't sure I could do it. I had no idea how to go about it and knew even less about the business of writing and publishing. My goal was to write one mystery book and hopefully be traditionally published. I never anticipated the winding path I had embarked upon.
Julia’s practice, I realized, had to be in San Francisco, a city of dank alleyways, brilliant sunshine, secret stairways, vicious winds, fog and shadows–a fascinating, mysterious place. A city that has inspired scores of writers–from Dashiell Hammett to John Lescroart, and many, many more. A perfect setting for a mystery!
As an astrologer, Julia spends a lot of time working in isolation, just like a writer, studying natal charts and calmly advising her clients. But her occupation would put her in touch with a wide spectrum of people, clients who would bring crime to her doorstep. What could be better? An occupation that could get her into lots of trouble!
The Madness of Mercury, the first book in the Zodiac Mysteries, was inspired by the Jim Jones years in San Francisco. My evil preacher, the Reverend Roy of the Prophet's Tabernacle, arrives in town and in short order has made inroads into the police department, swayed politicians and charmed society movers and shakers. Julia, in her astrological advice column, "AskZodia," speaks out against the cult and immediately becomes a target of the Army of the Prophet.
I was very excited about The Madness of Mercury, but before I could complete it, I had to put it on hold when the offer to write the Soup Lovers' Mysteries (as Connie Archer) came about. As much as I enjoyed writing something quite different for a few years, I was frustrated that I hadn't been able to finish The Madness of Mercury and continue with the Zodiac project.
Fast forward again–five books later, and thanks to Midnight Ink, the Zodiac Mysteries were finally ready to see the light of day. The second in the series, All Signs Point to Murder, is based on a real crime of which I had personal knowledge. I didn't believe the woman convicted of the crime was guilty. And so, All Signs Point to Murder was my take on what could have really happened. Did it? Well, I'll never know, but I still believe in my premise.
But how does Julia solve her crimes? With astrology, of course! And that involves working out the charts of the murderer and victim, just so that everything is accurate. For example, in All Signs Point to Murder, the victim was a woman somewhere between 25 to 35 years of age. She had to be of questionable common sense and her life needed to be pretty much out of control. But she was still more a victim than a killer. Was this fair to my character? No, not really. It's fiction, but it had to be within the realm of possibility.
I decided to make her a Sagittarian with her Moon in the same sign. She's too trusting, too outgoing, and more than a little foolhardy. But with Scorpio rising, and a dreadful Mars-Pluto conjunction in the 12th house, sitting on her Ascendant, she could be dangerous–mostly to herself. Her killer needed to be someone who could exert a controlling influence over her. I finally found the perfect birth date for my killer–a Neptune placement that would cloud my victim's judgment. It would be too late before she'd see the truth.
Now your brain is probably short-circuiting with all this astrochat, which is what mine does when I'm trying to sort out these charts. Do I worry that I've painted myself into a corner? Sometimes. But eventually it all works out, enough so that an astrologer could agree with me at least. After all, whatever the birth date, anyone is capable of murder, aren't they?
Julia’s third adventure is the Tail of the Dragon. She's asked to go undercover at her client's law firm in an effort to expose the sender of death threats. The plan soon goes awry and Julia realizes she's dealing with a murderer. Her life is now in mortal danger and she'll need to check her own transits to see if she can survive this tale!
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"di Marco does a good job keeping the reader guessing whodunit in this psychic cozy."—Publishers Weekly
A rare astrological event could help San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti avoid a deadly destiny
Julia Bonatti loves the freedom of working for herself as a professional astrologer. But after receiving several unexpected bills, she considers a temp job offer from her old boss a stroke of luck too good to pass up.
On her first day, the posh law office becomes a crime scene when one of the partners is found dead. Julia discovers that a series of death threats have been sent to several employees of the firm, and she uses her astrological expertise to discover possible motives. But before she can convince the authorities of what she knows, the killer strikes again. Will Julia unmask the culprit before he, or she, takes another life?
Praise for the Zodiac Mysteries:
All Signs Point to Murder:
"Di Marco crafts an intricate, twisting plot and layers on the astrological details that fans of psychic mysteries so enjoy."
—Booklist
The Madness of Mercury: "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
Connie di Marco (Los Angeles, CA) is the bestselling author of the Soup Lovers Mysteries (Penguin), which she published under the name Connie Archer. She has always been fascinated by astrology and is excited to combine her love of the stars with her love of writing mysteries. Visit her at ConniediMarco.com, on Facebook at Connie di Marco (Author), or on Twitter: @askzodia.
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