NEW AGE NOIR series by jyotishi Alan Annand
~ Book review by Michael Laughrin (from the Fall issue of the North American Jyotish Newsletter)
Alan Annand’s NEW AGE NOIR trilogy consists of three distinct mystery/thrillers – Scorpio Rising, Felonious Monk, and Soma County – all featuring as protagonist the private detective/astrologer Axel Crowe. Each of the novels is a stand-alone mystery in its own right but readers will profit by reading them in order. Over the course of the trilogy, Annand progressively reveals the life and background of his hero and, in particular, Crowe’s tutelage under his mentor, the enigmatic Guruji, whose timeless wisdom permeates the most sublime of circumstances in which our hero finds himself.
Each of the books is built upon a classic murder mystery, the resolution of which almost inevitably entails more murder and considerable suspense as the pursuit of justice closes in on the guilty in each case. There are many action scenes in each novel that easily qualify these books as thrillers, and yet Annand controls the pace with a steady hand, alternating variously between crime scene analysis, clever dialog, psychological insight, colorful character sketches, and musing upon the nature of karma.
But from this reviewer’s point of view, the best thing about this series is that it is chock full of Vedic knowledge. Included among the subject matters covered are: natal Jyotish (Vedic astrology) interpretations of various characters, a lot of Prashna (horary astrology to resolve questions in the moment), palmistry and physiognomy, numerology, Nimitta (omens and their import), Ayurveda (the Vedic science of health), Vastu (classic Vedic principles of architecture and environment), the interpretation of names and dreams, Tantra, and some Indian martial arts. In short, these three books are modern day gems of Jyotish and its ancillary mantic arts.
Who should read this series? Anyone who has any interest in astrology, Vedic or Western, should consider themselves honor-bound to read these three books. Aside from being cleverly-written and fast-paced murder mysteries, each offers multiple instances of textbook Vedic knowledge, with repeated emphasis on Jyotish, perhaps the crowning jewel of the esoteric arts. Indeed, I consider these three books to be priceless gems – modern classics that will expand your astrological and philosophical horizons.
As a lover of murder mysteries (having read 500+ of them over the years), I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves the genre. For any mystery aficionado still looking for a new angle, this East/West fusion of style and substance will delight and reward the discriminating reader in ways you cannot even imagine. Alan Annand is my favorite practicing astrologer in North America, but he’s also published over 20 books thus far, many of which have been praised for the quality of their research and writing.
The New Age Noir books are available on Amazon, singly at $2.99 each in digital format, and at very reasonable prices in paperback form. And if you can’t resist a great deal, you can pick up the entire trilogy as a “digital box set” for only $5.99. And you don’t even need to own a Kindle, since you can download the Kindle app for free to read on any phone, tablet, laptop or PC. Meanwhile, don’t just think of yourself. These three books are the ideal last-minute gifts for any of your friends who love Vedic lore, astrology, mysteries, or general New Age subjects. Pay it forward and share this timeless wisdom in the form of superlative infotainment. You can thank me later.
http://www.amazon.com/Alan-Annand/e/B0052MM0PO
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