Evil in the 1st House

February 17, 2014
David Lowell tackles two cases in Lewis’s engrossing third mystery featuring the New York City astrologer and PI (after 2012’s Death in the 12th House). Surgeon Ethan Williamson is willing to pay $1 million in cash up-front if Lowell will agree to locate his wife, from whom he’s separated, and Kevin, his 15-year-old son, who has lived with the mother since soon after birth. Kevin’s twin brother, Edward, who lives with Ethan, desperately needs a kidney transplant, and Kevin is the best donor option—if he can be found. In addition, Buddy Ferguson, the owner of the Happy Snappy Marshmallow Company, wants Lowell to identify the embezzler whose theft threatens his employees’ entire retirement fund. Hacker Mort Simpson, Lowell’s attorney daughter Melinda, and others provide nonpsychic support, as Lowell refines his readings to close in on clever and deadly scams. Astrology fans and skeptics alike will be pleased.

March 1, 2014
A wealthy Manhattan private eye who solves crimes by reading the stars juggles two very different cases. Dr. Edgar Williamson begs millionaire detective/astrologer David Lowell to help his 15-year-old son, Edward. The boy is dying of kidney failure, and Williamson insists that due to his rare blood type, Edward's missing twin brother, Kevin, is the only plausible donor. Williamson offers Lowell a suitcase stuffed with $1 million to find Kevin and his mother, Gloria Greenwald, who went underground with Kevin when she separated from Williamson. Though Lowell doesn't need the money, he does want to help save the boy's life, especially after a reading of the twins' charts confirms that the 14-minute difference between their birth times means good health for Kevin and kidney issues for Edward. While Lowell and Mort Simpson, his psychic computer-hacker assistant, are trying to find Kevin and Gloria, Lowell takes on the case of pension funds embezzled from the Happy Snappy Marshmallow Company. But it's Gloria and her two sons who really engage him, especially once he hears Gloria's version of her marriage to Williamson. The more Lowell learns about the doctor and his patents on unusual human genomes, the more suspicious the whole case becomes, especially when an LAPD officer arrives in New York with her own grievances against Williamson. Attempts on Lowell's life leave him shaken and baffled about whether the would-be killer is working for Williamson or the marshmallow company. He does know, however, that a thumb drive and an astrological subterfuge have driven the stakes even higher. Lewis' ponytailed New-Age PI (Death in the 12th House, 2012, etc.) is a benign presence on the roster of fictional crime busters. But a far-fetched plot and pedestrian style keep his third adventure earthbound.

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April 1, 2014

New York City astrologer David Lowell doesn't normally waste his time working with clients he finds unlikable. But when renowned surgeon--and insufferable egotist--Dr. Ethan Williamson explains his problem, Lowell is drawn in because of the man's compelling story about his twin sons. The boys were separated at birth owing to a marital rift, and now the son in Williamson's custody needs a kidney in order to live. When Lowell and his team easily find the "missing" mother and son, his doubts about the doctor's motives escalate. Using sophisticated astrology charts to dissect the case, Lowell realizes he must work fast to save the boys from their father. A secondary case involving a marshmallow company provides comic relief. VERDICT This quick-to-read series will delight Nero Wolfe fans (Rex Stout). The compulsive astrology expert/detective comes across as more human this time, and thawing relations with his ex-wife are encouraging. The third entry in a clever run (after Death in the 12th House: Where Neptune Rules) is an obvious pick for astrology fans, but works well for those who fancy a good puzzler.

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