The Madness of Mercury

SAN FRANCISCO ASTROLOGER Julia Bonatti’s life is turned upside down when she becomes a target of the Reverend Roy of the Prophet’s Tabernacle.  The Reverend, a recently-arrived cult preacher, is determined to drive sin from the city, but his gospel of love and compassion doesn’t extend to those he considers an “abomination unto the Lord.”  Julia’s outspoken advice in her newspaper column, AskZodia, has put her at the top of the Reverend’s list.  While the powerful Mercury-ruled preacher woos local dignitaries, his Army of the Prophet will stop at nothing to silence not just Julia, but anyone who stands in his way.  


DRIVEN OUT OF HER apartment in the midst of a disastrous Mercury retrograde period, she takes shelter with a client who’s caring for two elderly aunts.  One aunt appears stricken with dementia and the other has fallen under the spell of the Reverend Roy.  To add to the confusion, a young man claiming to be a long-lost nephew arrives.  The longer he stays, the more dangerous things become.  One aunt slides deeper into psychosis while the other disappears.  Is this young man truly a member of the family?  Can astrology confirm that?  Julia’s not sure, but one thing she does know is that Mercury wasn’t merely the messenger of the gods – he was a trickster and a liar as well.