Zodiac

November 28, 2016
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.