Member Reviews
Loved the idea and theme and find it to be very unique compared to other cozy mystery themes. That said the story and writing could’ve been better.
I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Julia could have told her friend Geneva that the stars were not aligned for a happy wedding day, but no one asked her, so this astrologist was just going to be the best bridesmaid she could be and hope for the best. However when the bride’s unruly sister ends up dead, and her brother-in-law is accused of killing her, Julia will use all her skills to help solve the mystery.
This was a surprisingly good mystery. I know nothing about astrology and am a non-believer, so that part didn’t really interest me, but the mystery was good. It was a little darker than most cozies, but enjoyable. I definitely recommend.
Who is Julia Bonatti? What is her profession? Why do we find her at a wedding? Is that a common or uncommon thing and why? What happens the day of the wedding? What about that night/very early the next morning? The secrets that come out, the plots, the information we are given lead us towards a conclusion or two. Is it the correct conclusion? Or are they just red herrings? You really need to read this mystery to see what happens to Julia and others. I could not stop reading it once i started! It was a good mystery and I look forward to reading more from Connie Di Marco.
RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR A FAIR/HONEST REVIEW and REVIEWER FOR Bloggin' With M. Brennan.
As a believer in astrology when I saw this book on NetGalley I knew I had to read it and I’m very glad I did.
On the date of the wedding of her college friend Geneva Leary, Julia Bonatti is warned by astrological signs that it would end in disaster. However, being the bridesmaid does stop her from ruining the happy atmosphere, a decision she later regrets. An evening that was supposed to end in celebration ends in murder. With the lineup of Moon-Mars-Pluto, a series of unfortunate events take place: an unconscious wedding planner, a missing sister and a deadly shooting. When Geneva asks from Julia’s help, she can’t refuse. Guided by the planets and the stars, she will do everything to find the culprit… but what happens when she does?
Even though I didn't read the first instalment of the series, I was able to get into the story and understand its characters.
The plot is very nice and it’s the perfect mix of fantasy and cosy-mystery. The unusual method of solving the mystery was spell-binding and it was easy to fall into the story and all of its amazing characters. This was the first novel I read where the main character is an astrologist and being a believer in this art made it a treat to read. All the conjunctions and lineup of planets are very well described and the reader can easily understand Julia’s reasoning without growing bored or getting lost. The ending came completely unexpected and suddenly all the clues come together to a surprising outcome. It’s a fast-paced novel that I couldn’t put down. The style of writing is simple and easy to understand.
The characters really are something else. Julia is a unique, fun protagonist that is easy to fall for: she’s witty, brave and even though she is trouble-magnet, she quickly thinks of a solution and her talent of use of astrological charts to solve a murder is amazing. Her determination and willingness to help her friend no matter the consequences (not that she really thinks about it) for herself is captivating.
A straightforward fantasy cosy-mystery that I recommend to anyone looking for a light, quick read that involves astrology.
Well they say you should never judge a book by it's cover and this is one time I think this is so true! I imagined this book would be a murder mystery with a comedy element to it. Well nothing could be further from the truth.
After the accidental shooting of her Friends Sister, Julia Bonatti vows to help her Friend Geneva find out the truth as to exactly what happened and why. Julia puts herself into all sorts of dangerous situations. I loved her character! She was feisty, brave and a good person, all rolled into one. She was a loyal Friend and determined to get to the bottom of what had gone on.
The plot to this book is very intricate and very well plotted out. It really is a good story line. There's a suspect behind every corner. First you think it's one person and then it's someone else. It has many twists and turns throughout.
The only part I wasn't very keen on was the astrological part of the book, where Julia see's "Signs" in people based on their dates and places of birth. Some may enjoy this, but I felt it could have been left out and the story would have been equally as good.
Having said that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I thought the characters were all very descriptive and well written. Reading on my kindle, the answer to all the questions you had about what happened came at about 96% into the book, so you really were left guessing right to the end.
A definitive must buy, which you will struggle to put down.
Connie di Marco in All Signs Point to Murder ensnares San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti as bridesmaid in the marriage ceremony from hell. Moira, who attended the wedding is found dead with the assumed murderer one of the wedding party. The plot is too convoluted with too many suspects.
Princess Fuzzypants here:
While I liked the first story of this series, I did get lost a bit when the heroine got too deeply into the astrological stuff. I found this one far better as it was there, clearly because it is one of the premises upon which the series hinges, but did not go into such detail that my eyes blurred, In fact, it was a cracking good mystery that had just the right amount of suspense, twists and turns and surprises. I did not see the final reveal coming which enhanced the pleasure.
Julia is drawn into the murder of the bridesmaid at her best friend's wedding. The big day becomes even more of a bummer when the wedding planner collapses at the reception. The dead bridesmaid is the black sheep sister of the bride and there is no shortage of suspects including the older sister of both women. Julia is compelled to dig deeper at great risk because her friend stood beside her when she suffered a great loss.
Despite the fact that Julia sometimes seems cavalier about danger, she is an interesting heroine.
I can recommend this book and the series. I give it four purrs and two paws up.
Another fabulous addition to an already amazing start of the series! I am really enjoying the difference that this cozy series provides. I loved getting to know the characters better in this book. This mystery was full of twists and turns and I didn't figure out the who-dun-it of the book until the very end! Another great mystery!
4.5 out of 5 stars.
This is a delightfully fun book to read! It is the second in the Zodiac Mystery series and I get the feeling that if I'd read the series in order, I might understand a couple of things a little better, but this time I don't feel like that detracted from the book or diminished my ability to enjoy it.
Our heroine, Julia, is great. For the most part, while she lets her emotions get her into bad situations at times, she doesn't seem to go deliberately looking for trouble. She might ask questions and talk to people, but she's not out there deliberately putting herself in harm's way most of the time (tho' harm's way finds her, unfortunately). I enjoyed the supporting characters as well. I'd like to see more of Gail and Cheryl in the next book, but I realize they weren't really part of this particular story line.
Speaking of story lines, this one was fantastic! There were enough red herrings to keep me from accurately guessing the person until right near the end. Even then, I wasn't positive I was right until the climax of the book. The prose flowed well and the pace was steady, but not too fast nor too slow.
I could have used a little more setting descriptions, but I'd rather an author err on the side of being too cautious and not giving me enough description rather than being extra wordy about them.
All in all, I highly recommend this book! I've already grabbed the first one in the series from my library and plan to indulge over the weekend! Enjoy!
I was drawn to ALL SIGNS POINT TO MURDER due to the astrology aspect and because it was set during a wedding. I haven't read the first book in the series but I didn't feel lost. Julia Bonnati is anxious over the signs predicting trouble for her friend's wedding but doesn't stray from her duties as a bridesmaid. She thinks a missing sister and a drunk wedding planner are the worst things to happen but when someone turns up dead Julia reluctantly uses her zodiac skills to solve the murder and give her friend some peace of mind.
I was impressed with the main character. Considering her career it would be easy to make her a caricature but the author does a great job of presenting her as a wise, loyal, and thoughtful person who just happens to read the stars for a living. Her quirkiness is very natural. The other characters and dialogue are believable as well. This book has a great blend of mystery and mysticism with a terrific setting. I plan to read the debut title and look forward to more of this series.
Witty, well written and fast paced. It's a very entertaining reading, and I highly recommend it.
The premise and location sounded so intriguing, but even after several attempts, I wasn't interested/didn't like it enough to read past the first few chapters. Too many, and unsympathetic characters. Sorry.
Won't be posting any reviews.
This is the second book in the paranormal Zodiac Mystery series . I do recommend reading the first book however this can be read as a stand alone.
In this next in series a wedding is in peril from a dire forecast. Our protagonist Julia Bonatti is a astrological expert. She is to act as bridesmaid in her friend, Geneva Leary’s wedding. Before the wedding a bridesmaid is missing and found to be acting strangely. Then another person collapses after the wedding. Julia is on the case and determined to find out who is behind the strange occurrences.. The sister of the Bride then dies after a shooting.
As Julia investigates she relays on her knowledge of astrology to find. clues. The sleuth is absolutely one of the best i have ever read. The suspects, clues and momentum are perfectly crafted. The added bonus of detailed descriptions of San Francisco add fun and interest to these books. I look forward to the next in series. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC which did not influence my review
First off, I did not read the first in the series, but I’m pretty sure I know what happened in it based on some of the conversations Julia has in this one. Second, I’m not a believer in astrology, but you really don’t have to be to enjoy this book. Yes, Julia’s an astrologer, and yes that plays into how she goes about solving the mystery, but she would have found the same solution eventually even without consulting her charts. I like Julia. She cares about people, she’s smart, and she’s definitely persistent. She has some great friends too. I’d like to hang out with them. And maybe have her read my chart.
As far as the mystery goes, I though overall it was well-done. I thought I knew who the killer was, then I wasn’t sure, then I thought I knew. It turned out that I was right but hadn’t guessed the whole motive. There were plenty of suspects and clues and well-done red herring or two.
Overall, it was a fun mystery and a quick read.
I really enjoyed this book. It had a great whimsical feel and the mystery had great twists that kept you guessing who the killer was I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who liked a good lighthearted mystery
A very enjoyable cozy mystery with a zodiac theme. A fast paced, suspenseful and entertaining story. Looking forward to reading more!
Very good story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was even better than the first in the series, and that one was very good. Looking forward to the next in the series!
Many series start out great and then suffer from 'sophomore slump' with the second book not living up to the reader's expectations. Not in this case. This is as good, if not even better, than the first. Death is an unwelcome guest at the wedding festivities of Geneva, a friend of Julia. When she asks Julia for help solving the murder - her brother-in-law is suspect #1 - Julia says yes. The characters are well developed and the mystery had me going in the wrong direction right up to the end. Plus, I'm learning about astrology along the way. I will certainly read the next entry in this series.
This is the second book in the series, although each one is easily read as a stand alone story. While I enjoy the overall story and the characters, I often find the astrological chart information too difficult to follow/understand.
In this story, we find that many of the characters are hiding secrets, but I had no idea which one was the murderer until deep in the plot. There were many clues, but it wasn't until we had all of them that the killer's identity was clear.
Julia and her friends are becoming more developed characters as the series continues, giving us more insight into their lives and relationships. Some people are still pressing Julia to begin dating again, and there is a hint or two that she might do so in the future. For now, though, I'm enjoying her as an independent single woman.
**I received a copy of this book from the publisher with no expectation of a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**