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Micki Michaels #1
The Crystal Ball: A Micki Michaels Mystery
An astrologer and her ex-FBI-agent boyfriend blend their hot chemistry into a crime busting Odd Couple at a longevity association's futuristic costume ball. Outlandish get-ups, characters and gadgets! Who is that masked man who will stop at nothing to steal the "secret" of extended life? Hiding behind which mask? Or is he?
216 pages, Paperback
First published November 4, 2013
2 people are currently reading
235 people want to read
About the author
Joyce Mason
8 books11 followersJoyce Mason is a prolific writer and astrologer, author of numerous books and articles on astrology and related topics. The Crystal Ball, just released, is her leap into fiction. A passionate blogger, her newest offering on writing and creativity is Joyce Mason’s New Inkarnations. Joyce honed her fiction skills by contributing to several mystery short story anthologies, and she watches every crime and mystery show she can pack into her busy life. Mystery is her connecting thread. Even astrology and metaphysics dive into the mysteries of life. Joyce is an open book for someone so devoted to all things mysterious. Open her books and enjoy the mystery—and the party on the pages of The Crystal Ball
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 3, 2014
FANTASTIC MYSTERY CREATIVELY CONCEIVED
Mystery readers looking for something exciting and different will delight in being transported to a crystal ball in San Francisco where you are invited to come as you wish to be in the future, for a Silver Anniversary celebration of IOPEA (Immortalists on Planet Earth Association). Fall in love with Micki Michaels, President of IOPEA (although you will most likely fall in love with her hunky boyfriend, Curt Stern, retired FBI agent), as they try to stay alive amongst threats against Micki's dear niece, Tansy, Micki's cat, Methuselah (Thusie, a clever nickname), and staff members of IOPEA, by someone who wants the secret of longevity (don't we all?). In addition to the stress of presiding over this ball, Micki has to deal with a sinister evil-doer who the author, Joyce Mason, keeps you guessing on the edge of your seat, biting your nails and laughing at a master "punster" and her antics throughout the plot. However, make no mistake--this novel is not just about intergalactic futuristic fantasy experiences and unbelievably creative costumes. It is a real insight in 14 tenets of how all of us can live a better life and care for our planet. Ms. Mason's exceptional background in Astrology lends a wonderful artful insight into not only astrology, but what we believe and how we choose to live can make a difference in our lifespan. This is a delightful debut novel, with more Micki Michaels sleuthing in the future.
Mystery readers looking for something exciting and different will delight in being transported to a crystal ball in San Francisco where you are invited to come as you wish to be in the future, for a Silver Anniversary celebration of IOPEA (Immortalists on Planet Earth Association). Fall in love with Micki Michaels, President of IOPEA (although you will most likely fall in love with her hunky boyfriend, Curt Stern, retired FBI agent), as they try to stay alive amongst threats against Micki's dear niece, Tansy, Micki's cat, Methuselah (Thusie, a clever nickname), and staff members of IOPEA, by someone who wants the secret of longevity (don't we all?). In addition to the stress of presiding over this ball, Micki has to deal with a sinister evil-doer who the author, Joyce Mason, keeps you guessing on the edge of your seat, biting your nails and laughing at a master "punster" and her antics throughout the plot. However, make no mistake--this novel is not just about intergalactic futuristic fantasy experiences and unbelievably creative costumes. It is a real insight in 14 tenets of how all of us can live a better life and care for our planet. Ms. Mason's exceptional background in Astrology lends a wonderful artful insight into not only astrology, but what we believe and how we choose to live can make a difference in our lifespan. This is a delightful debut novel, with more Micki Michaels sleuthing in the future.
November 21, 2013
The Crystal Ball is a wonderful thriller filled with Astrology, Flower Essences, Intuition, Robotics, the ground work for immortality, danger and too many colorful word plays to count. This is a real page turner that any metaphysically oriented person will sure to giggle and enjoy. The characters are immediately warm and engaging enough to wish they were real. The story line is provocatively woven with fiction and facts, past and future, New Age and pragmatism which results in a tightly beautiful and colorful wordsmith's tapestry. Now we just have to find a way to start the IOPEA organization! I highly recommend this book for an intelligent and thoughtful read. Beautiful work, Joyce Mason!!
Michael Bartlett, Business Consultant and Astrologer
Michael Bartlett, Business Consultant and Astrologer
March 16, 2014
I received a copy of this book through Goodreads Firstreads Giveaways in exchange for a honest review.
To start us off, this book has a great synopsis and seemed like a lot of fun. So course I had to throw my hat in. When I won, I was excited to dive into it. Though at first I found it a little slow to get into but once it got going, it was a lot of fun. The characters were engaging and the romance was really sweet. I couldn't help but be thoroughly entertained by it.
It began with our main character and astrologer, Mikki Michaels, being woken up by her interesting alarm clock as well as her pointing our to the reader her most unusual characteristic. This is the fact that she is fifty-years old but only looks like she is thirty. This is because of her membership with a longevity association called the Immortalists on Planet Earth Association or IOPEA for short. It is essentially a group of like-minded people who believe that their best years are ahead of them and so take care of themselves to make certain that happens.
Then she got a call out of the blue from a man threatening to hurt her niece as well as ruin the twenty-fifth anniversary of the association if she does not divulge the supposed secret to her apparent youth. Thus began the entertainment as well as the mystery in this book. For her boyfriend, ex-FBI agent Curt Stern, naturally tries his best to help her figure out who this psycho is. The problem is that his way of figuring things out is will a gun, Mikki's is more of flower essences as well as her astrology. They couldn't have more different approaches but somehow it works for both of them in the best kind of way.
I won't reveal more about who this crazy person is for it will give away way too many spoilers about this book. All I will say is that it is worth to check out for anyone wanting to read something a little outside of the box.
To start us off, this book has a great synopsis and seemed like a lot of fun. So course I had to throw my hat in. When I won, I was excited to dive into it. Though at first I found it a little slow to get into but once it got going, it was a lot of fun. The characters were engaging and the romance was really sweet. I couldn't help but be thoroughly entertained by it.
It began with our main character and astrologer, Mikki Michaels, being woken up by her interesting alarm clock as well as her pointing our to the reader her most unusual characteristic. This is the fact that she is fifty-years old but only looks like she is thirty. This is because of her membership with a longevity association called the Immortalists on Planet Earth Association or IOPEA for short. It is essentially a group of like-minded people who believe that their best years are ahead of them and so take care of themselves to make certain that happens.
Then she got a call out of the blue from a man threatening to hurt her niece as well as ruin the twenty-fifth anniversary of the association if she does not divulge the supposed secret to her apparent youth. Thus began the entertainment as well as the mystery in this book. For her boyfriend, ex-FBI agent Curt Stern, naturally tries his best to help her figure out who this psycho is. The problem is that his way of figuring things out is will a gun, Mikki's is more of flower essences as well as her astrology. They couldn't have more different approaches but somehow it works for both of them in the best kind of way.
I won't reveal more about who this crazy person is for it will give away way too many spoilers about this book. All I will say is that it is worth to check out for anyone wanting to read something a little outside of the box.
April 30, 2014
Received this through First Reads Giveaways.
You know, this book was NOT AT ALL what I thought it was going to be when I entered the giveaway. It was, let me reiterate, TOTALLY DIFFERENT than what I was expecting.
However, that being said, I really enjoyed the book. It was much more involved and complex than I thought it would be, in a very good way. It took me a little longer to read it than I expected, but still. Very interesting, very intense, and just all around good.
You know, this book was NOT AT ALL what I thought it was going to be when I entered the giveaway. It was, let me reiterate, TOTALLY DIFFERENT than what I was expecting.
However, that being said, I really enjoyed the book. It was much more involved and complex than I thought it would be, in a very good way. It took me a little longer to read it than I expected, but still. Very interesting, very intense, and just all around good.
September 1, 2015
M thanks to Joyce Mason and Goodreads First Reads Giveaway for my copy of The Crystal Ball: A Micki Michaels Mystery.
If you love a good mystery and fun twists to a story this is the book for you. I really enjoyed the unique twists using astrology to solve a crime.
If you love a good mystery and fun twists to a story this is the book for you. I really enjoyed the unique twists using astrology to solve a crime.
September 7, 2017
Micki, an astrologer and the president of president of the Immortalist on Planet Earth Association or IOPEA is ready for the New Year's Eve Crystal Ball that marks the 25th Anniversary of the organization with a futuristic costume ball. One minor problem is Mr. Foy that keeps calling with threats and wants the organizations' secret for longevity. Curt, Micki's long-time boyfriend and now retired FBI steps up and sets up protection and security for Micki and the event.
The mystery is complicated, clever and written full of funny side comments as Curt comes to the rescue the entire day. The Crystal Ball sounded like a really fun event to attend on a New Year's Eve, even with the unexpected excitement causes by Mr. Foy and his gang. The Crystal Ball was a great complicated mystery or whodunit, a serious romance and a very funny story too!
I want to thank Joyce Mason, author and Goodreads First Reads for my signed copy of The Crystal Ball that my mom won in the Giveaway and shared with me.
The mystery is complicated, clever and written full of funny side comments as Curt comes to the rescue the entire day. The Crystal Ball sounded like a really fun event to attend on a New Year's Eve, even with the unexpected excitement causes by Mr. Foy and his gang. The Crystal Ball was a great complicated mystery or whodunit, a serious romance and a very funny story too!
I want to thank Joyce Mason, author and Goodreads First Reads for my signed copy of The Crystal Ball that my mom won in the Giveaway and shared with me.
July 19, 2014
Ms. Mason has an expressive flourish with words, that makes reading this book a pleasurable experience. I can picture myself being in the thick of the Ball, surrounded by the characters of the book. The plot leading up to the Ball, as well as the Ball itself, keeps you guessing as to who the culprit is. If you can guess who the culprit is, your interest is still peaked, wondering how the ending is going to play out. There are plenty of twists and turns throughout the book, to make it a good Summer read, or a good read, regardless of the season. Even though this isn't my normal genre, I took a chance, and was pleasantly surprised. This was a book that I won from Goodreads, and it had no bearing on my review. I felt that 4 stars was a fair rating for the book, and I don't give a 5 star rating to many of my reviews. Those have to really be special to get that rating!!
October 28, 2014
This farcical and fabulous mystery delighted and surprised me from start to finish with a mash up of hilarious dialogue, fast-paced action, pitch-perfect character relationships with just the right amount of conflict, settings that explode off the page in wild colors and inventive costumes, all while a wily bad guy kept me guessing until the end. The only breath Mason allowed the reader to take was during Micki’s presentation at the Crystal Ball of the 14 tenets of longevity before the action picked back up for an exciting and most satisfying finale. I can’t wait to read more in Mason’s Micki Michaels series!
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February 2, 2014Starting to read : THE CRYSTAL BALL : A MICKI MICHAELS MYSTERY(1 ) .
.Jenny
.JennyDisplaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews