Zodiac

The author has created a world that plagues society, much like what we experience here and now ... except people are judged not by their color, race, religion, nor even gender.... but by their birth signs, date and time of birth. The 12 zodiac signs are representative of different neighborhoods, different schools, different job markets. Capricorns are the elite. Aries are at the bottom of the pack. This is where you will find the thugs, criminal elements. They are profiled, strip searched, and made to produce their identity documents. Babies are induced early so as to choose what sign they will be under. Parents must try to have their children born under their astrological sign or it can cause major difficulties. One could be forced to move or to give up a job or social standing because their child is born under the wrong sign... With adoptions, for example, parents are heard to say ... " We're going to raise him/her in a Gemini household but will make sure he/she (Libra baby) will get lots of exposure to other Libras. Detective Jerome Butler has his hands full. A maid discovers her boss dead in his back yard. He was the Chief of Police. The maid has disappeared. Daniel Layton has just discovered he has a 17-year-old daughter. When he tries to track her down, he finds she has also disappeared and cannot be found. And more bodies will fall ..... When crime soars in this alternative world, psychics and regular profilers are not called in to help. Instead they get Lindi Childs, an astrological profiler. She does readings on suspects and victims alike. But who is the killer and why is he killing? What these characters find are extremely disturbing. This amazing debut novel is the most original crime thriller I have read in quite some time. I gave it 5 stars for being well-written so seamlessly and for originality. I can't wait to see what this author will come up with next. Many thanks to the author / Pegasus Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of ZODIAC. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.