Aries Rising

by Arthur Herzog III

Philip Castle, newly separated from an adulterous wife and afflicted by middle-age doldrums, is a professor at the University of Chicago off to the Caribbean for a relaxing vacation. But life is far from restful. His first day on the island he watches a small plane crash, piloted by a man who looks disturbingly like him. He then meets Marie-Celeste-a fabulously beautiful and provocative young woman with whom he makes love-only to find that she is the mistress of the powerful and mysterious Count Raymond de Vaucresson, who with three colleagues has made a fortune in drug-running, arms-smuggling and gambling. He may even be a murderer. They seem ruled by astrology, and have the persuasive charm and élan of the super-rich, so even though he knows they are evil and dangerous, Castle, deeply in love, agrees to board their yacht, the Zodiac , on a trip around the Caribbean. The voyage gives the illusion of the swankiest of pleasure cruises, but the reality is one of danger, crime, and sexual depravity. When Philip discovers their real mission, he vows to stop them, but hasn't the slightest idea how to do it and the answer doesn't lie in the stars.

Genres: Horror

314 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Arthur Herzog III (April 6, 1927 – May 25, 2010) was an American novelist, non-fiction writer, and journalist, well known for his works of science fiction and true crime books. He was the son of songwriter Arthur Herzog, Jr..

His novels The Swarm and Orca have been made into films. His science fiction novel IQ 83 is being made into a film by Dreamworks.

Herzog was also the author of non-fiction books: The Church Trap is a critique of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish church organization and institutions particularly in the U.S; 17 Days: The Katie Beers Story, is about the kidnapping and child sexual abuse of Katie Beers.

Reviews

[Dorothy Yoder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Philip Castle lives an ordinary life with his wife and one son. He is a professor and considers himself predictable and boring. His mother believed in astrology as does his wife. Philip does not believe in astrology and resents it. When his wife leaves him for a rich man, he goes to an island in the Caribbean to shake off his depression. There he immediately gets tangled up with gangsters and a beautiful women who base their movements on astrology. They are overthrowing governments, etc. and are merciless to others who defy them or get in their way. In the end Philip brings them down, marries the woman, starts a business and lives happily ever after on an island.
The plot is farfetched and hard to picture. I skimmed many pages of narrative and description because the details, although well written, were contrary to the lack of realism to the story. Lots of sex moved the plot which was maybe a "sign of the times" for a book written in 1980 but disinteresting today. I found the dialogue stilted and as unreal as the plot.
A reader needs to love astrology to see any merit to the plot.