Publisher's Weekly Review
South African author Wilson's clever if unwieldy debut boasts a highly original setting: the corrupt African dystopia of San Celeste, in which people are segregated not by race or religion but by their zodiac sign. Capricorns sit at the top of society, while Aries are considered the violent underclass. A child born on an undesirable birthday causes the family's status to plummet. Det. Jerome Burton of the SCPD and astrological profiler Lindiwe Childs reluctantly team to investigate a series of murders of people with different signs. Are the murders the start of a revolution or a serial killer at work? Meanwhile, Daniel Lapton, the scion of a family owning an international chain of hotels, uses his wealth and power to search for the daughter he learned about only after his father's death. The timeline-Daniel's story spans decades, whereas Jerome and Lindiwe operate in the present-can be confusing. In lavishing so much attention on the various tiers of San Celeste society, Wilson neglects to develop his characters. Still, crime fans looking for something different will be satisfied. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Library Journal Review
[DEBUT] In this alternate reality, where a person goes to school, who they are friends with, what type of work they pursue, their potential socioeconomic status, and who they will marry are all determined at birth by the person's zodiac sign. A maid, a Libra, arrives to work a few minutes late to find a murder scene. The chief of police, a Taurus, is dead in his own backyard. But before the ambulance arrives, the maid is kidnapped by the killer. When a Taurus sign is found at the scene, Det. Jerome Burton, also a Taurus, hires astrological expert and consultant Lindi Childs to help him close the case amid mounting pressure. Meanwhile, after the death of his father, Capricorn Daniel Lapton learns that he has a daughter and is determined to find her. In his quest, he uncovers the suicide of three students, questionable educational practices, and a shutdown school. Verdict In his fiction debut, South African television writer and director Wilson weaves a complex plot that builds in intrigue and tension with a completely original premise and engaging characters. For readers who appreciate a fresh speculative twist on the police procedural.-Michelle Gilbert, Fox Lake Dist. Lib., IL © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.