By Mitchell Scott Lewis, Poisoned Pen Press, 250 pages
Uniquely, Murder in the 11th House by Mitchell Scott Lewis features an Astrologer-Private Detective. Not surprisingly, the author uses a lot of astrology-specific terminology, enough that it would only be well understood by other avid astrologers. Lewis explains that astrology is only about the interconnection of all things. The competently written story seems to showcase Lewis’ social-political attitudes. It is ultimately about a conspiracy on the part of far right-wing, extremely rich Republicans and how they are working to destroy our society. The protagonist comes across a bit double-07ish with a black belt in Aikido and a selection of cutting edge, novel and entertaining gadgets. By the way, he is also extremely rich through using astrology as a guide in trading on the Stock Exchange.
The 11th House from the title itself was mentioned very briefly. By researching it, this reviewer found “…the 11th symbolizes the social codes that bind a society and the revolutionary zeal that breaks it apart.” So this would fit in with the story, but the full meaning is not limited to this alone. This book will appeal to readers well versed in astrology, yet others may find it more difficult to understand. While this story was written as fiction, it might have come across better as a non-fiction book explaining how astrology has formed Lewis’ social-political world view. The writing itself was well done.
Rosalie West