Aquarius Descending, by Martha C. Lawrence

Retrieved from: the library
(0312198299), 1999
Suggested by: on The List
My Ratings: 7 Merit, 9 Interest, 8 Fun

Hooo-kay. This is not the book to skip in the series. Having said that, there is really not a way to discuss this without issuing spoilers. I'll do my best, however.

Elizabeth's fiance comes to her in desperation asking her to search for his former fiancee. Yeah, just what every girl wants to do, right? The background is that the woman in question joined a cultish self-examination group called The Bliss Project years ago while engaged to Tom, before breaking their engagement. Suddenly, several packages that could only come from her, or from someone with her belongings and knowledge, have begun arriving at her father's door. He's afraid she's dead or something worse.

Despite some huge misgivings, Elizabeth goes undercover to scope out this group. What she finds is terrifying and creepy, and, like all groups that require a heavy up-front entrance fee, naturally prone to shady dealings, especially of the financial type. All well and good so far for a series mysery. She even turns up the former fiancee, only to be caught in a shootout between her boyfriend--a cop--and the leaders of the Project, who are bent on escaping prosecution. And that's where the reader realizes that if this book is skipped, the next book is going to be confusing and depressing. Yes, depressing, just like the end of this one.

Ugh. So, good writing, kept my interest, I didn't really expect the ending to be the way it was, and I guess that's a tribute to the author. But I still feel like I got slugged. And when you're reading about a psychic, you sort of feel like you ought to have some sense of foreboding...