I didn't enjoy this book. The other two in the series were okay at most. Will not be carrying on with anything this author writes.

I’ve had Tail of the Dragon on my TBR shelf since I got it from NetGalley before it was released. It was an ok cozy. Julia’s use of Star charts and astrology to help her find the killer is quite original. Those parts though where she describes the star nodes, etc of everyone I kind of skimmed over because I know nothing about that so it was jargon to me. As in many cozy mysteries the main character is female and does some stupid things like not using her cell phone to call the cops several times and saying things like “I always forget to eat.”

Overall I liked the story, the main and side characters and Wizard the cat. I’ve always wanted to visit San Francisco so I liked the setting.

I would read another book in this series.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc I received in exchange for my honest review. Sorry it took me so long to read it.**

A great book by a fantastic author. The writing is excellent and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. Characters are well developed. Highly recommend.

Another great book by Connie di Marco :D, Julia has agreed to help out at the law firm she used to work at (which means a steady income for a week at least!), when she arrives she find out that yes David's usual secretary/PA is on leave but the reason she was invited in by David (her former boss, a friend and current client) is to snoop around the company. Three people (that they know of) have received death threats and David wants to make sure that who ever is sending them is found, and if it turns out to be someone internal then sacked.

Shortly after this conversation there is a scream and they discover one of the three well and truly dead in his office, so now there is a feeling of urgency about solving the poison pen letters and the murder, David calls in an investigation company as well (and Julia is strangely attracted to the investigator), add in attacks on Julia, her friend Gayle with a new man in tow, Julia's Grandmother's birthday and Halloween and Julia has more than enough on her plate!

Princess Fuzzypants here: I don’t know why this is not one of my favourite series. It has so much going for it. I like Julia and I like the other recurring characters. The stories are always interesting and exciting. I can tell you the closing chapters there is always tons of suspense as the tale winds down. It may be that, understandably, the narrative gets bogged down a bit with the horoscope exposition.. I am afraid when it comes to that I am more interested in the time than how the watch is made. Often, I will slough over those paragraphs as they add nothing to my understanding of the story. I had to chuckle when a character in the book told Julia to speak English.
Having aired that one minor grief, I did enjoy the book. I wanted to find out if my suspicion about the killer was correct and it was. Despite being right about who, the reason behind the killings and the accomplice were still surprising. I confess there were a couple of storylines that I expected to go somewhere that were left up in the air so I suspect the next book will deal with those. And I will be happy to read that next book, skimming over the deep explanations of the zodiac.
I give it four purrs and one paw up.

Tail of the Dragon
A Zodiac Mystery #3
Connie di Marco
Midnight Ink, August 2018
ISBN 978-0-7387-5106-1
Trade Paperback

Murder in the office place! Imagine that. I’m surprised it doesn’t happen more often.

That said, when the body of a prominent, though not well-liked attorney is found with his throat cut, with so many wronged people to choose from, the motive is hard to find. Enter astrologer Julia Bonatti, drawn into the investigation by chance when she agrees to fill-in on her old job during the boss’s assistant’s vacation. She’ll try to discover the murderer at her boss’s instigation by checking her astrology charts, but contradictory information awaits her there.

Slowly, Julia discovers several death threats have been sent to various people at the firm, including the murdered man. Even finding the connection between the three is tough, and as Julia, with the cooperation of an intriguing PI her boss hires, comes closer to getting to the motive, another attorney in the firm is murdered. Worse, Julia’’s astrology charts indicate she may be next.

The motive may come as a surprise. So does the perpetrator. A surprise to Julia, too, which is a nice touch with so many possible killers out there. Shudders. Not a place I’d want to work.

If I have a complaint, it’s that I’m not interested in precise street names and addresses. I don’t even know if they’re real for the city of San Francisco, so to me they were something to skip over. Other reader’s opinions will, of course, vary. The book is well organized, well paced, and well written.

Reviewed by Carol Crigger, August 2018, for Buried Under Books.

The books is this series just keep getting better and better. While still doing her astrology this time Julia is also filling in as a legal secretary for her old boss for one week. This ends up landing her right in the middle of murders, threats, lies, and so much more. I don't know what it is about mixing the astrological stuff with murder but it really makes for a great mystery I must say. This writing will truly keep you hooked and guessing the entire way with the solution being a surprise. If you enjoy cozy mysteries then you really have to read this. I loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.

Tail of the Dragon is a really good book, y'all. It's written by Connie di Marco, and is Book Three in her Zodiac Mystery series.

The Zodiac Mysteries star Julia Bonatti. Julia is a professional astrologer in San Francisco, who lectures about astrology, advises private clients, writes astrology books, and writes a weekly advice column, Ask Zodia. Normally, these produce enough income to pay the bills. Because of some unexpected recent expenses, Julia agrees when her former boss and current client David Meyers asks her to fill in for his vacationing secretary for a week.

On Julia's first day at David's law office, an attorney is found dead — one of the three people in the firm who've received death threats. Even though David closes the office because of the murder, Julia still has a job to do — only now, as a sleuth.

Julia uses her sleuthing and her astrology to uncover several likely suspects and motives for this murder and another in the law office. Author Connie di Marco kept me guessing until the end. The climax is quite thrilling. In sub-plots, Julia investigates a sculptor, and uncovers new information in the hit-and-run death of her fiancé. All of these investigations make Tail of the Dragon fast moving.

Julia is likable, intriguing, clever, and fun to read about. I love the support system she has, consisting of her grandmother Gloria and her BFFs Gale and Cheryl. There's a wonderful dynamic between them.

I recommend Tail of the Dragon to all cozy mystery fans. I think readers who are astrology buffs, residents of San Francisco or wannabe residents, and fans of the Soup Lover’s Mysteries by Connie Archer will especially like it.

I really enjoyed Tail of the Dragon by Connie di Marco, and hereby bestow upon it Four Stars!

One of the best cozy mysteries I have read this year! I thought for sure I knew who, but little did I know what author Connie di Marco had tossed into the mix. Needless to say, I was shocked and screaming holy cow, I never saw twist one coming.

This is my first book by this author and I am so glad I tried it. I love how the author brings the location and Julia to life as you read. Kudos on the research the author did to bring Julia’s first job as an astrologer, I love getting to know what the characters do day by day.

You can’t ask for anything better when you enjoy the characters, mystery and that you didn’t have to read the first books in the series in order to keep up.

FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, all the expressions above are my own opinion.

This is book 3 in the Zodiac Mystery series. Julia is doing ok running her astrology business but when her old boss at the law firm calls and begs her to help out while his secretary is on vacation she figures the extra money will come in handy. First morning there one of the partners is found dead in his office. She is convinced by her old boss, David that she needs to solve the murder so his firm doesn't suffer. As she studies the charts of all the firm's workers she needs to mover quickly before she ends up victim number 3. Good mystery with great cast of characters. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Tail of the Dragon: A Zodiac Mystery
By Connie di Marco
Midnight Ink
August 2018

Review by Cynthia Chow

First kill all the lawyers. That seems to be the theme of the day when Julia Bonatti returns to her old law firm of Meyers, Dade & Schultz, LLP. Before she was a professional astrologist and advice column writer, Julia Bonatti was a legal secretary for litigator David Meyers. She owes a lot to the former boss who hired her after the death of her husband, so when David calls asking that she fill in for an assistant on maternity leave, Julia’s not about to say no. Her first day back is off to a rocky start when she hears the screams of a young copy clerk, who is justifiably horrified to have discovered the body of one of the attorneys. Jack Harding was never well-liked by the rest of the firm, but even cutthroat lawyers don’t generally find themselves stabbed to death by their own letter openers. Julia quickly learns that all is not business as usual in her old firm, as David had hired her with hopes that her astrological readings would help him to determine who was sending internal threatening letters to the attorneys.

When another unlikable lawyer bites the dust, Julia begins looking into what connection they had that must have led to their deaths. After studying their birth dates and astrological charts, Julia believes that transits may not only be affecting all of their lives, but that a woman could be the source of the chaos. Julia uses the charts not to predict but to guide, although she has never stopped wondering whether she could have seen the signs and prevented the death of her beloved husband. Perhaps some of that lingering guilt is what compels her to investigate despite having her house broken into, belongings destroyed, and being pushed into the road. Always looming over her is the sense that she is being watched, so the arrival of a private investigator assures her safety while also opening Julia up to the possibility of a romantic future. As events escalate towards a confrontation on Halloween, Julia struggles to decipher the clues her intuition, aligned stars, and dragon sightings are all telling her in order to stop this horrific rampage of revenge.

Although much of the action occurs amidst the litigious attorneys of a successful law firm, the author enthusiastically explores the many nuanced details of astrology charts and how they affect one’s life. The appearance of Julia’s AskZodia advice columns proves to be all too brief, as they not only reveal her thought process, they also further expand on the complexity of astrological readings. The sights and history of San Francisco also shine, fully immersing readers into the community and highlighting its many varied and quirky characters. Julia’s friends fully support and blend into her astrologically-focused life, which balances out what is her rather surprisingly practical and grounded nature. This third in the series fully incorporates the use of astrological and its complicated nuances into the mystery, one solved only as Julia finally reads the signs that placed a killer on the path of destruction.

“Tail of the Dragon” earns 5/5 Zodiac Revelations…Murderously Fun!

With so many excellent cozy authors and mysteries from which to choose, sometimes it takes a while to get to all of them, but “better late, than never” as I've finally arrived at Connie di Marco’s Zodiac Mystery series. I started with book three, the newest release, and found there was more than enough references to background and character connections, no spoilers, to keep any newbie, like me, engaged, and very intrigued to go back and read the first two books.

“Tail of the Dragon” grabs you right off with the first murder. Fussing about the late hour and having to complete grunt work for an upcoming trial, a man is met with a knife in the throat. He knew his assailant, and the thought of “cold” revenge gives us and Julia Bonatti something to ponder. Being a Virgo, I've been told that I hold grudges, but having them fester to first-degree mayhem? I couldn't stop turning the pages on this first-person narrative as the story continued with Julia returning to her former place of work, Meyers, Dade, & Schultz, LLP, and as a favor to her old boss David Meyer, subbing as his secretary. However, she didn't expect her first order of business would be to investigate the murder of one of the lawyers and death threats sent to the victim and the other litigators. As the story unfolds, suspects in the firm show their true colors highlighting a contentious office hierarchy, one-upmanship politics, and backstabbing…well, in this case, neck stabbing, and a link to a former case will need to be explored.

I enjoyed the descriptions of San Francisco, delightful banter, clever twists and turns, another victim, personal jeopardy, and a final “Oh, my!” ending. But, the most interesting part, woven through the story, was the information on astrology, a topic of which Connie is an expert. I was fascinated by all the insights and connections made to the events, even though some of the language I didn't fully understand, but I knew from personal experience that a natal chart can offer a wide range of curious information. I highly recommend Connie di Marco’s third book. It'll be the perfect aspect in your tenth house of…enjoyment!

Tail of the Dragon is the third in this well crafted cozy series set in San Francisco but it isn't necessary to read the series in order. Background is added so the reader isn't set adrift in the story. Julia Bonatti lives in San Francisco and works as an astrologer for private clients and also writes an astrology column for The Chronicle. That flexible work schedule allows her to do a favor for her ex-boss. He needs her to cover for one of the law firms employees for two weeks. What a favor it turns out to be when, right out of the gate, one of the lawyers is found slumped over his desk, stone cold dead. Because the area isn''t open to all and sundry, the list of suspects seems to be small and Julia is asked to use her astrology talents to do the charts of the suspects to see if anything might lead to the killer. Before the killer focuses on Julia, as well. The past holds the key but not everyone wants to believe that answers are in astrology.
The mystery is well done, very satisfying, The main cast of characters are people I would like to know and the setting, well wouldn't anyone enjoy reading a mystery set in San Francisco? As for the astrology, I was intrigued, knowing almost nothing at all about it beyond the usual astrological signs. I was never overwhelmed by the information added to the story. I am looking forward to reading the next entry in this series.
My thanks to the publisher, Midnight Ink and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Professional astrologer Julia Bonati takes a temporary job at her old law office and finds herself investigating death threats and murder. Between her current investigation and some new information about the death of her fiance, there's a lot going on in this book. I've definitely warmed up to Julia herself, but I doubt I'll ever get into astrology.

This is the first story that I have ever read by Connie di Marco, and this is the first ever astrological mystery novel that I have ever read. I have to say this story was truly fascinating from start to finish. This author weaves an engaging mystery from start to finish. This book was so hard to put down.
Julia is enjoying her freedom doing astrological readings for her clientele and writing responses to questions for the Zodiac column in the paper. She loves her job, but when some bills pile up she's a little relieved when her old boss calls her asking for a favor. Too bad on her first day there temping a dead body is discovered in one of the offices. Things only go downhill from there. Julia learns that more than one person in David's firm has been threatened and when Julia goes digging for a common thread to connect them all she finds her own life may be in danger.
Julia is an engaging character and as I read I could honestly almost believe that she was a real person that you could go out on the street and meet. I found myself fascinated by her usage of not just the Zodiac but astrology to discover things about the people around her. Once she learned a few personal facts about them of course. Even though this book is part of a series, I love that it can be read as a standalone and I be able to follow along with everything that is going on. I appreciate the author bringing in Julia's love life as well. This helps to round her out as a character. She's still struggling with the sudden loss of her fiancee, and while it was almost 3 years prior she still struggles with the pain. I like how even though others dismissed her theories concerning the individuals being targeted that Julia never lets up. She comes off as determined but not hard-headed about it. This story has a few twists that I thoroughly enjoyed and one that I didn't see until it was almost too late. I love a good mystery novel that keeps me in suspense and from figuring out who the bad guy is before the author is ready for me to do so.
There honestly isn't anything overtly that I didn't like about this book. The book has been professionally edited, and there the storyline never wanders around. I appreciate how the author stays focused on the storyline and gives us an engaging novel from start to finish. My only wish is that I wish that Julia hadn't been so afraid of the dragon in her dreams. Especially when she learns the meaning of them from her grandmother's friend.
I will warn that this story has some tragedy in it. These tragic moments are more than a couple, and they made me sad, but all-in-all, for me, they truly added more depth and humanity to the story. Which, for me, only went to enhance the story more.
I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. I love a good mystery novel with some thrilling moments, a bit of romance and edge of your seat page turning. This book absolutely fits the bill. I highly recommend it to those who enjoy books by this author or who are just looking for a good mystery novel to sink their teeth into.

I typically prefer reading books in their chronological order, but I made an exception for de Marco's Tail of the Dragon. The book is the third in the Zodiac Mystery Series, and it definitely won't be the last one I read! Julia is an astrologer who ends up helping her previous employer at his law firm because some people have been receiving death threats.

Much like other cozies, this mystery is contained in this volume, so aside from keeping up with some recurring characters, you, dear reader, should be able to pick this book up and get into the story with no problem.

I definitely enjoyed reading about Julia since she was such a strongly written character. The story was well put together and flowed nicely. It made me truly question who was behind it all! There was enough of the story to keep you guessing, that's for sure. It does follow that cozy-mystery formula, but its great backdrop of San Francisco and the addition of astrology surely distinguish it. I recommend it to cozy-mystery lovers and those new to mysteries alike!

Julia Bonatti has a very unique area of expertise-she is a professional astrologer in San Francisco. In this third book in the series, Julia has been contacted by a former employer, lawyer David Meyers, to fill in for a vacationing secretary. Jumping right in, on her first day at the firm, one of the partners is found dead. David reveals there have also been threatening letters to some members of the firm and as a client of Julia's himself, feels she is qualified to help find the killer. There's a lot of action as Julia rattles a lot of cages and comes close to danger herself. The astrology, star charts and dreams all lend a very interesting air to this mystery series.

Events which occur in someone’s life whether good or bad stay with them forever. Those events often times shape their life. If an event is a happy one, a person can look back at the memory with fondness. That event might even inspire them to help out others in some way. If the event is a tragic one, a person may look back on it with sadness, regret, disappointment, or anger. They may become bitter. They may want to seek revenge. They may shut themselves away from everything and everyone. Or, they may just find the inner-strength to take the tragedy and change themselves and move forward.

Julia Bonatti is a person who took the tragic event of her fiance, Michael, being killed in a hit-and-run accident and revented herself. It’s been almost three years since that tragic day and Julia still grieves. But she’s managed to make some new friends and even partake in a new career. Julia is now a San Francisco based astrologer, giving private readings and writing a column for the Chronicle.

Tail of the Dragon finds Julia returning to her old place of employment at Meyers, Dade & Schultz, LLP, to fill in as a secretary for her client and old friend David Meyers. Mondays are always bad days. But to say Julia’s first day back is just a regular Monday could not be farther from the truth. This Monday morning will bring death to the litigation department and a list of potential suspects. David seems out of sorts with the death of a fellow attorney. He admits that the attorney and two other people that he knows of have all received death threats. David asks Julia to keep an ear out for any information she might gain from the rest of the staff, in order to help with the investigation. Julia is sure the answers lie in the various charts of the employees and in the connection the three people who received the threats share.

Throughout most of the book, I thought Tail of the Dragon was simply an enjoyable average read. Julia uses astrology to help guide her in her sleuthing to catch a killer. The science of astrology goes over my head. Luckily, as a reader you don’t have to understand it. I figured out who the killer was way before Julia did. What made this book a 5 star read for me, was the twist Connie di Marco threw in. I honestly thought the twist that I didn't see coming made the book.

Tail of the Dragon is the third book in the Zodiac Mystery series. There is a core group of characters who always make returning to this series fun to read. Each book is a standalone, with the death of Michael mentioned in each book. As with Michael’s death which changed Julia, the events of Tail of the Dragon are sure to change Julia in some way as well. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.

Julia Bonatti loves being an astrologer. However, when her ex-boss asks her to lend him a helping hand at his law firm, she can’t refuse. She worked there many years ago and is more than willing to help out while one of the workers is away. Of course she’s really not simply filling in, her ex-boss wants her to put her investigative skills to use and figure out why three people at the firm have been receiving death threats.

As Julia starts her investigation, she learns that the three lawyers receiving threats were involved in the same case years ago. That is the only connection between the three that she can find. It’s not long before she realizes there is a huge list of suspects and she is now facing her own dangers. She needs to solve this quickly as dead bodies are suddenly turning up.

This is the third book in the Zodiac Mystery Series. I thought it was the best one yet. Julia is a strong lead character. She is loyal to her friends and doesn’t back down. Like most amateur sleuths, she does take risks and many of them.

There is much astrology information intertwined throughout the story. Sometimes it was a bit too much, but it didn’t drag the story down and it was page-turner for me. I was totally taken off guard by the ending. I guessed part of it, but I didn’t see the second part coming.

The mystery is contained in this book so if you haven’t read the previous two, I don’t think it will hurt. However, it’s always fun to start at the beginning. It gives you a much better idea of what makes Julia Bonatti who she is today. This is a bit more intense than some other light-hearted cozy series, but it’s captivating and keeps you hooked throughout the book.

All three books so far in this Zodiac Mystery series are amazing and creative. While each book can be enjoyed as a standalone, I recommend starting at the beginning. The characters and plots and subplots are interesting and well developed, and the mysteries are intriguing and a bit heart pounding at times. You won't want to miss out on all the fun.

This third in the series finds the main character, Julia, in a precarious position that is both physically and emotionally dangerous. Even if you haven't read the first two in the series, the references to previous events shouldn't be too confusing because the main points about Julia's past as well as her adventures as an astrologist are clear and well timed.

In Tail of the Dragon, Julia is tasked with helping out a previous employer as a secretarial fill in, but she's really at the law firm to use her astrological expertise to figure out who has been sending death threats and eventually catch the killer. How can an astrologer do all that, you ask? Well, I wondered the same thing. Read this entertaining story and find out for yourself! I actually found all the astrological references quite fascinating (I'm new to the subject, beyond the basic Zodiac signs), and the explanations throughout the book are neither muddled nor lengthy. The author provides just enough jargon to pique my interest and keep me turning the page.

What I love most about Tail of the Dragon is that Julia isn't afraid to put herself right in the middle of all the danger, even when she doesn't necessarily have to. She cares about people and is ready and willing to help them as an astrologer and as a friend. But she's not perfect, of course. Julia is a vulnerable yet strong female character who unfortunately lets her guard down in Tail of the Dragon, but she comes out fighting and using her wits to thwart the incredibly clever murderer. You definitely won't see that twist coming!

Some important and serious concepts covered here include betrayal, trust, and friendship. Not everyone is as they seem, and trusting the wrong people can be hazardous to your health. Julia finds all this out the hard way, but her incredibly cool grandmother and tight circle of friends have her back. Julia once again lands on her feet, but not before sneaking into buildings, having creepy and threatening dreams about a Chinese dragon, unmasking the killer in spectacular fashion, and facing her past heartbreaking past so she that can face her future. Well done!

I can't wait for Julia's next astrological adventure!