Novels featuring Astrology

For the long cold nights of January some extra reading matter might be welcome . Here are a few novels which include astrology in their plot-lines. I notice they are all written by women ! They are paperback novels, nothing too serious, probably just a good quick read. Most can be bought, "used", for as little as $1 at amazon.com.

"Mars Eclipsed": A Katy Klein Mystery, where the main character is a psychologist/astrologer. There are three books in this series of mystery tales. This one is said to be sophisticated, engaging, and witty.

"Death of a Dustbunny" is one of a series of mystery books by Christine T. Jorgensen where the main character writes an astrological help column in a local newspaper as "Stella The Stargazer".

"While this is not the first book in the Stella the Stargazer series it certainly allows you to read it first and not feel like a stranger. Stella is upset because her friend and student Elena has not shown up after leaving a particularly disturbing message . Once Stella begins to worry and have a few psychic interludes she realizes that Elena is not merely late but in trouble and she sets off to find her."

"Heart of Stone (Astrologer, No 1)" by Denny Demartino takes place in the future (2130), where forensic astrologers use astrology to solve crimes. Extract from synopsis at amazon.com:
"By 2130, earthquakes and gigantic flooding caused by tidal waves dramatically have changed the face of the planet leading to chaos. During the abyss, a power hungry individual grabbed control and declared himself Emperor. A few generations later, his descendants still rule. With the discovery of zero-point gravity, the after life is no longer a mystery and astrology is one of the most influential of the sciences. Philipa Cyprion was one of the world's leading astrologists until her spouse died causing her to doubt her abilities. Philipa goes off planet flim flamming marks along her orbit. When the Emperor's son is murdered, Terapol Detective Artemis Hadrien brings Philipa home to work with him in finding out who the killer is. That changes when another of the Emperor's children is killed sending Artemis and Philip back off world tracking an alien race and its relationship to Earth's ruling family."

"President's Astrologer" by Barbara Shafferman - the author was a professional astrologer before she took up writing fiction. This novel is set in southwestern US. The time of the setting is a bit off! The book was published in 1999 and the author was over-optimitic about the way things were heading astrologically :

"Thanks to the Reagan administration, astrology as a behind-the-scenes force in the White House isn't a new idea. In 2006, a president is once again petitioning the stars for help. Addie Pryce, "one of the top astrologers in Washington," is selected for the top-secret task of advising the president and undermining his detractors. Though she's less than thrilled by the idea, Addie agrees and is pulled into the dangerous swirl of the Washington political scene, where she's introduced to an intimidating cast of power-hungry characters and forced to work with skeptics like White House staffer Jonah Stern. When she discovers the bloody body of her only true friend and confidante, retired astrologer Livonia Matthews, Addie painfully recognizes the ruthlessness of the world she has entered."

"Raven: The Praying Bird" by Patricia Roland-James. The main character, Ellen Raven is both an astrologer and a detective. A mystery thriller "set on the Russian River (in Northern California) in the early 80s, focuses on a period of recent history when everything seemed superficial and happy. But the country was being run by a loony old man, who may have looked like a charming old grandpa, but who was responsible for atrocities committed all over the world. In the Praying Bird, the author and narrator (psychic detective Ellen Raven) shed light on the darkness and evil of that time. "