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A Matter of Degrees
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9781560236115
Edition: 1
ISBN: 1560236116
Label: Haworth Press
Manufacturer: Haworth Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 299
Publication Date: June 01, 2006
Publisher: Haworth Press
Studio: Haworth Press
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Editorial Review:
"Alex Marcoux ... trumps The DaVinci Code" —Inside Out Hudson Valley
Conspiracy theorists, murder-mystery fans, sci-fi or fantasy devotees, paranormal prac- titioners, and armchair Egyptologists, have I got a book for you! In A Matter of Degrees, author Alex Marcoux—who has been called the "lesbian Dan Brown"— trumps The Da Vinci Code because she doesn't just take on the Vatican and the Sacred Feminine, but builds on the anti-Biblical and the seemingly interconnected world of fraternal organizations, including the oldest and largest: the Freemasons. Marcoux challenges the powers that be through her recurring character, the precognitive novelist Jessie Mercer, whom readers might have met in FaÁades and/or Back to Salem—but it's not necessary to have read either of these previous novels to get caught up in this one. (Jessie's lover, the singer Taylor Andrews, spends most of the book off on a world tour.) The book allows us a glimpse into the secretive world of the Masons: the ritual of arcane handshakes; the progression through different degrees, leading to the knowledge of "the light"; and the strong bonding among Masons. Marcoux does leave out some of the more interesting facts, such as the teachings of the Kabbalah being a source of many of the Masonic mystical and philosophical beliefs. But she doesn't flinch when writing about some of the more controversial aspects of the Masons—that the order is likened to a religion, and that some have called the Masons anti-Christian. Marcoux's story is premised on the horrific oaths taken by the Masons not to reveal any of their secrets as they progress through each degree toward the 33rd, the highest degree of enlightenment. From this premise, the author weaves a tale of control of world power from the beginning of civilization to current times, which Jessie unravels as she investigates the murder of her brother, a Mason who was about to reveal the order's secrets to his colleague and soon-to-be love interest, Rachel. Marcoux does a brilliant job of snagging even the most reluctant reader in the intrigue, in ancient myths and history, in the grand-conspiracy theory of world control that, even after nearly 300 pages, you hate to have her wrap up. — JoAnne Myers It's the ULTIMATE CONSPIRACY . . . and it's about to unfold . . .
Novelist Jessie Mercer has always had the gift of precognition. Shortly after she conjures up the idea for her newest book, The Ultimate Conspiracy, she is drawn into a web of conspiracy, intrigue, and murder. Bits of a previous life in the far-distant past are slowly revealed, uncovering ancient secrets that connect Egyptian pharaohs, the Freemasons, the Knights Templar, Mary Magdalene, the Sumerians, the Roman Catholic Church, the devil, and even God. For Jessie's story, it turns out, began in ancient Egypt and has woven its thread through the tapestry of human history—only to come to an astonishing climax in modern America.
In A Matter of Degrees, Jessie meets Rachel Addison, field reporter for a respectable television newsmagazine. Rachel, involved in a controversial project that connects secret societies with well-known politicians, receives a warning in no uncertain terms to drop the project and forget the story. Then her car's brakes are sabotaged and she is nearly killed. And Jessie's brother Steve—another reporter on Rachel's show—is murdered, yet the police seem determined to rule his death a suicide. Rachel wants to back away from the deadly mystery, but for Jessie the desire to investigate is impossible to overcome.
Now Jessie must utterly change her appearance to infiltrate the all-male ranks of Freemasonry. Once inside, she finds elaborate arcane rituals, cloaked meetings, and clues to an ancient royal secret—which is the ultimate conspiracy! And people all around her—good people—are dying under mysterious circumstances as the Masonic circle closes. Not only that, but the seemingly unshakeable love between Jessie and songstress Taylor Andrews is threatened.
As Jessie struggles to solve the riddle and blow the conspiracy apart, the ancient secrets she discovers draw her further and further into a trap set centuries ago. The answers are there—it's up to her to uncover them in A Matter of Degrees.
Fans of Alex Marcoux's previous novels Façades and Back to Salem will be enthralled by this spellbinding new novel, which heralds the return of her well-loved characters Jessie and Taylor, along with high-powered talent agent Sidney Marcum. And readers unfamiliar with her work, especially those whose interest was piqued by Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, will revel in A Matter of Degrees, which takes the story of world control by secret societies and the Catholic Church to a whole new level.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - disappointing, after all the hype
All in all, this book was dull and devoid of energy. The plot was convoluted, unnecessarily so in my opinion, and by the end felt like it was made so complex to cover up the lack of character development and growth. I felt no compulsion to keep reading because I pretty much knew how it would end. The characters felt like puppets being frogmarched through the plot-- there was no symbiosis between plot and character, no connection.
Part of this is because characterization is so poor: ... Read More
Rating: - A bit of a slow starter - really three and a half stars.
Marcoux is an excellent writer, but the setup on this one was a bit slow. It did keep me reading, although I didn't find it a page-turner. About one third of the way in, the pace picked up and I found it harder to put down. Jessie Mercer is a complex and interesting writer/woman with some paranormal talents and the ability to tap into other levels of being; this makes her life complicated when her novels and research foreshadow events in her life. In this book she meeets many beings from her ... Read More
Rating:  - Move over Dan Brown
This is so much better than the "DaVinci Code".
Jessie Mercer knows her brother, Steve wouldn't kill himself. Rachel Addison knows Steve was murdered just like her father. But how do you prove it.
What would you say to a 10th planet located between Mars and Earth? This planet revolves around the sun in a strange pattern and runs parallel to Earth every 3600 years. When the 3600th year arrives, aliens from this 10th planet come to Earth to change our ways of life.
Read More
Rating:  - Too many conspiracies
How many conspiracy theories can one story accommodate? It seems that answering that question was one of Alex Marcoux's major objectives in writing the book.
A Matter of Degrees brings back Marcoux's heroine Jessie Mercer, a novelist who has the gift of precognition. Jessie often finds that she writes a story and then it comes true, with her in a starring role. This time, Jessie's brother Steve, a news reporter, is working with a colleague on a story about the Freemasons and their connections ... Read More
Rating: - The Best One Yet! Simply fantastic!
Mix a little Dan Brown conspiracy with a little Philip K. Dick sci-fi and what do you get? A Matter of Degrees, the new blockbuster mystery thriller by Alex Marcoux! Weaving a genre-bending tale of conspiracy, cover-ups, and murder, Marcoux returns to the game with beloved characters from Façades and Back to Salem, bringing them together in an explosive mix of spine-tingling action! Devastated by her brother's unexplained suicide, Jessie Mercer launches a no-holds-barred investigation leading to a centuries ... Read More
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