Ashes of Aries
St. Martin's Minotaur, Sept., 2001.
Hardcover, 241 pages.
ISBN: 312202997
Psychic investigator and private detective Elizabeth Chase
is called in to help with the investigation of the kidnapping
of a four year old boy, the son of the multi-millionaire CEO
of Starcom, a telecommunications giant. Although the FBI
is openly scornful of her abilities, detective Bruce Loebman
of the San Diego Police Department and a female arson investigator
are willing to work with her to find the truth.
When the kidnapped boy's parents are killed in a fire which
spread rapidly because of the hot Santa Ana winds, it appears
that there is more going on than a simple kidnapping; clearly
an arsonist and a murderer are at work here.
Dr. Elizabeth Chase (she holds two Ph.D.s from Stanford) is an unusual and compelling heroine. Skeptical of psychic phenomena herself until she experienced psychic visions, Elizabeth is learning more about her abilities as time goes on. She is aided in her journey by her mentor, the mysterious shaman, Sequoia, a Luiseno Indian. Martha C. Lawrence skillfully evokes the flavor and atmosphere of Southern California, including the destructive phenomenon of the Santa Ana winds. This series gets better with each outing, and Elizabeth Chase is one private detective who should be around for a very long time. Highly recommended.
Ashes of Aries is available for purchase on Amazon.com
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This review was published in the Dec. - Jan., 2002 of The Internet Writing Journal.
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