THE MADNESS OF MERCURY BY CONNIE DI MARCO

 Welcome to my showcase of THE MADNESS OF MERCURY BY CONNIE DI MARCO hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

The Madness of Mercury

by Connie di Marco

December 1-31, 2020 Tour

Synopsis:

San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti’s life is turned upside down when she becomes a target of the Reverend Roy of the Prophet’s Tabernacle. The Reverend, a recently-arrived cult preacher, is determined to drive sin from the city, but his gospel of love and compassion doesn’t extend to those he considers an “abomination unto the Lord.” Julia’s outspoken advice in her newspaper column, AskZodia, has put her at the top of the Reverend’s list. While the powerful Mercury-ruled preacher woos local dignitaries, his Army of the Prophet will stop at nothing to silence not just Julia, but anyone who stands in his way.

Driven out of her apartment in the midst of a disastrous Mercury retrograde period, she takes shelter with a client who’s caring for two elderly aunts. One aunt appears stricken with dementia and the other has fallen under the spell of the Reverend Roy. To add to the confusion, a young man claiming to be a long-lost nephew arrives. The longer he stays, the more dangerous things become. One aunt slides deeper into psychosis while the other disappears. Is this young man truly a member of the family? Can astrology confirm that? Julia’s not sure, but one thing she does know is that Mercury wasn’t merely the messenger of the gods – he was a trickster and a liar as well.

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery
Published by: Suspense Publishing
Publication Date: October 6, 2020
Number of Pages: 268
ISBN: 0578752654 (ISBN13: 9780578752655)
Series: Zodiac Mystery #1
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

“Thank God you’re there.” Gale sounded very shaky.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m at the Mystic Eye. Something very strange just happened. I heard a knock at the back door. I thought it might be you.”

“Are you alone?”

“Yes. I closed up and sent Cheryl home. When I opened the door . . . oh God, Julia. Someone left a dead cat on the doorstep.”

I cringed. “I’ll be right there.”

“I’m sorry. You don’t need to come. I wrapped it up and put it in plastic in the dumpster. It looked like its neck had been broken.”

“Don’t argue. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Less than that.”

I drove the length of California Street as fast as I could, slowing at each red light. Once I was sure no other cars were crossing I ran through several intersections. When I reached the Eye the shop was closed but the display lights were on in the front windows. I pulled down the alleyway and parked next to Gale’s car. I tapped on the door. “Gale, it’s me.” She opened the door immediately. The storeroom was dark. A stack of empty boxes and packing materials stood against the wall. Inside, the only light was a small desk lamp in the office.

Gale is tall and self-assured with a regal bearing. Tonight she was completely shaken. She hugged her arms, more from fright than from cold. “I feel bad now that I’ve called you. I was just so freaked out. I recognized the cat, it was the little gray one that hangs out behind the apartment building next door. I think it’s a stray. Everyone around here feeds it, even the restaurant people, and it’s such a friendly little thing. Some sick bastard probably gave it some food and then snapped its neck. God, I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Shouldn’t you call the cops?”

“And tell them what? I found a dead cat? Please. Like they’d listen. Even if they thought someone had killed it, what could they do?”

“It shows a pattern of harassment. Might be worth making a report.”

She sighed. “Yeah. You’re probably right. I just wasn’t thinking straight. I was so upset.” She collapsed in the chair behind her desk.

I shrugged out of my coat. “Why are you here so late?”

“We just got a huge shipment of books and supplies in. Cheryl’s been working late every night so I sent her home. I had just finished stacking the boxes in the storeroom.” Gale shivered involuntarily. “Look, let’s get out of here. Have you eaten? Why don’t we go up the block and grab some food? Actually a drink sounds even better.”

“Okay.”

“Get your coat. We can leave the cars here and walk. I’ll just get my purse.”

I headed to the front door and checked that the locks were all in place. The drapes separating the display windows from the shop were drawn for privacy. Gale left the desk lamp on in the office and walked out to the front counter. As she reached under the counter for her purse, we heard glass breaking. Then I saw a flash of flame through the doorway to the back storeroom. I screamed. The empty boxes and packing materials had caught fire in an explosive flash. The smoke alarm started to ring, filling the shop with earsplitting sound. Using my coat like a blanket, I dropped it over the center of the flaming pile. It wasn’t going to be enough, but I had to do something before the entire storeroom went up, if not the building.

***

Author Bio:

Writing as Connie Archer, she is also the author of the national bestselling Soup Lover’s Mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime. You can find her excerpts and recipes in The Cozy Cookbook and The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook. Connie is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.Connie di Marco is the author of the Zodiac Mysteries featuring San Francisco astrologer Julia Bonatti. The Madness of Mercury, the first book in the series will be re-released in October 2020.

Catch Up With Connie di Marco:
ConniediMarco.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Twitter, & Facebook!

 

Void Fate:

 Welcome to my review of Void Fate

 #VoidFate #NetGalley

Empty streets are littered with stalled-out cars, buses, and motorcycles

My thoughts

Rating: 4

Would I recommend it ? Yes , in fact I told a  friend about it and she went a head and added it to her Netgalley TBR to read .

Would I read more by this author? Yes

First off I want to say huge  thank you to the author Suren G. Hakobyan  for his invite to read and review her book as well as to Netgalley. I was so surprised when I saw the email from the author asking me if I  would be interested in reading and review her book that as soon as I read the description of it , I knew it was something that I want to read . And I'm so glad I said yes, because after just reading the first page of the prologue that I knew right then and there that there was no way I could put off reading it, because of a few things, and they are as listed : 

1: the genre is one of my all time ones to read which is horror

2: the main reason is this if the book Under the Dome by Stephen King ( who happens to be one of my all time favorite authors ) and the movie The Fog ( the original one from 1980 - and yes its a all time favorite horror movie of mine ) was to have a child then this would be it , 100% .

Because it has every thing in that comes to mind when you think of those to things , the creepiness,and the feeling of been watch from the shadows when there's no one there.

Empty streets are littered with stalled-out cars, buses, and motorcycles. A sunless and moonless sky is covered with an enormous barrier that prevents any view of the heavens.

Nothing stirs. The air is oppressive and there is no wind, not even the softest breeze.

It was supposed to be a typical day for the five friends, but they wake up to discover that they are left alone on earth. The world that they knew is gone. All that is left is silence, pervasive, absolute silence.

What happened while they slept? Are they the only ones left? As the theories start to fly, and their imaginations run wild, they wonder if they are still on Earth at all, possibly abducted by aliens, trapped in a simulation, or claimed by the afterlife.

Aram is the only one who can see deep into the silent world. That’s why, from the very beginning, he starts to look for a way out of this new reality. If he can convince his friends to stay focused, as the whispers begin, and fight against the evil of the silent world, the fog-shaped beings that wander the empty streets, they may stand a chance.

If not, the only thing that lies ahead is the fate of the void.

Girl Under Water (Charlotte Winters #2)

Welcome to my blog tour for Girl Under Water (Charlotte Winters #2) hosted by Bookouture

Her numb fingers scrabble over upholstery, over metal, over glass, searching for a way out.

My thoughts

Rating:4

Series:

Would I recommend it ?Yes

Would I read more of this series? Yes

Would I read more by this author? Yes

First off I want to say huge  thank you to the publisher Bookouture , the authors LT Vargus and Tim McBrian as well as to NetGalley for inviting me to join the blog tour for this book as well as letting me read and review. This was my fist time reading anything by these authors and it won't be my last, in fact I just realized that I have book 1 to read as well, and after reading this one I can't wait to get to that one especially since this one was so suspenseful right from the very start and had me trying to guess who was lying and who was telling the truth. Another thing  I loved was the interaction between the characters . 

Book Description:

Her numb fingers scrabble over upholstery, over metal, over glass, searching for a way out. Water stings her eyes as she’s dragged downward, clinging to her last breath as she’s absorbed into the cold dark below…

The Carmichaels are famous in Salem Island for their large family and charitable work, but, moments before she died, beautiful, trustworthy eldest daughter Gloria called Charlie to say she had uncovered a terrible secret that would break the mystery of her father’s death wide open.

With the voice of her murdered sister ringing in her ears —pushing her to risk everything to bring justice to the innocent —Charlie takes matters into her own hands. She won’t let another family break apart like her own, and she knows the answers she needs are hidden somewhere inside the Carmichael home.

But as Charlie races to confront her main suspect—a file containing evidence that will devastate the Carmichael family on the car seat beside her —she’s rammed off the road and over the edge of a nearby cliff. Fighting for breath in a sinking car, Charlie has to survive or other innocent lives will be taken. Everyone involved is keeping secrets, but only one twisted soul is prepared to kill to keep theirs…

An addictive crime thriller with twists at every turn, you won’t know what hit you after you’ve finished Girl Under Water. A perfect read-in-one-sitting rollercoaster ride for anyone who adores Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Mary Burton.

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://bit.ly/36WzMrU

Apple: https://apple.co/2S227og

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2RZ8V6s

Google: https://bit.ly/3374E7n

Author bio:
L.T. Vargus and Tim McBain are the authors of the Violet Darger series and The Scattered and the Dead series among others, which have collectively tallied over a million downloads. Their book, Dead End Girl, peaked at #3 in the US Kindle charts and has remained in the top 10 in multiple sub-categories since it was published in 2017

https://ltvargus.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ltvargusbooks/

https://twitter.com/ltvargus

 Welcome to my blog tour for Slightly Murderous Intent which is been held by Partners In Crime 

Slightly Murderous Intent

by Lida Sideris

Tour December 1 - December 18, 2020

My thoughts 

Rating: 5

Series:Southern California Mystery, #4

Would I recommend it ? Yes

Would I read more if this series ? Yes

Would I read more by this author? Yes

First off I want to say huge  thank you to Partners In Crime , the  publisher  Level Best Books , and   the author  Lida Sideris for inviting me to join the blog tour for this book as well as letting me read and review it.As soon as I started to read it even though I've never read any of this series before or anything by this author I was hooked and know that I wanted to read more of this series, one of the reasons was the sassy of the main character Corrie , and it had me laughing at some of the things been done in the book, as well as her interaction with her boyfriend and friends. 

Synopsis:

There's a shooter on the loose who keeps missing his target. But that doesn't stop him from trying again…and again. It's up to Corrie Locke, rookie lawyer and spunky sleuth, to find the gunman before he hits his mark, Assistant Deputy D.A. James Zachary, Corrie's hunky and complicated

frenemy.

When Corrie is stuck with more questions than answers, she enlists a team with various strengths, from weapons to cooking skills, to help her find the shooter. Her computer whiz boyfriend Michael is onboard. So is former security guard Veera. Toss in an over-the-hill informant and a couple of feuding celebrity chefs and Corrie's got her very own A-Team. Okay, maybe it's more like a B-Team.Can Team Corrie hunt down the shooter before he scores a bulls-eye?

Book Details

Published by: Level Best Books

Publication Date: October 20th 2020

Number of Pages: 280

ISBN: 9781947915930

Series: A Southern California Mystery, #4 || Each can be read as a Stand-Alone book

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Excerpt | Slightly Murderous Intent by Lisa Sideris

The last of my patience dripped onto the concrete floor beneath my feet. My fists clenched, my jaw

tightened and my stomach rumbled like the start of an avalanche. I’d officially

reached the cracking point.

 

“Today was V-day for us. Victory with a big fat V.”

 

Los Angeles Senior Deputy District Attorney Bruce Beckman stood at the head of our table,

arms raised high. The first two fingers of each hand formed a “V”. Meanwhile, everyone’s

dinner sat in front of them. Everyone’s, that is, but mine. All I had was an empty plate and

an empty stomach.

 

“Where’s our server?” I whispered. The beach side diner was packed. “

Did they run out of food?”

 

Beckman dropped his pose and glared at me so fiercely, my cheeks glowed from the heat.

 

“Sorry,” I mumbled. What did he expect? His mac n’ cheese was half eaten. I licked my lips.

 

“The case came close to swinging in the opposite direction,” Beckman continued.

“We couldn’t have won today’s trial without this guy.” Beckman gestured toward

the deputy D.A. sitting next to him.

 

I half stood and peered past the other diners.  No sign of our server. “Slacker,”

I mumbled. I slammed my napkin down beside my plate.

 

“Have some of mine,” Michael whispered. “Please, Corrie.”

 

If anyone else had offered, I would’ve cleaned his plate in thirty seconds.

But Michael was my oldest friend slash newest boyfriend, and I loved him

dearly from his dark floppy hair to the Chuck Taylors on his feet. We sat in a

crowded hipster restaurant in Santa Monica, a hop, skip and a jump from the

sparkling Pacific Ocean. Michael had barely touched his burger, waiting on my dinner with me.

His stomach growled right alongside mine.

 

“Obviously, I picked the right man for the job,” Beckman said. “And gave him a few tips

Quite a few, actually.” He chuckled.

 

Weak laughter trickled around the table, followed by a groan. Did that come from me?

Beckman shot me his signature scowl. I managed a shadow of an apology, and his

attention returned to the man on his left.  My hunger pangs took a brief hike while I

assessed the object of Beckman’s praise.  Assistant Deputy D.A. James Zachary

flashed a grin. He was a sight for sore eyes. Or any eyes, for that matter.

 

“Thanks to James,” Beckman continued, “defense counsel didn’t stand a chance.”

 

Cheers erupted. I clapped and wriggled around in my seat. My stomach rumblings grew even louder.

That’s what happened when my last meal was breakfast.

 

“I’ll be back,” I whispered to Michael and shoved away my chair. We sat around a table of five.

Three of us were members of the world’s oldest profession. The oldest after toolmakers,

farmers, the military and doctors. We were lawyers. I was the only lawyer unaffiliated

with the D.A.’s office.

 

“Wait.” Michael took my hand.

 

Michael Parris wasn’t a lawyer, but he was the associate dean of the computer science

department of a private tech college near downtown L.A.  Michael’s lips were moving but

shouting voices, clanging dinner plates and background music swallowed up his next words.

 

“What?” I leaned in closer, sniffing a sweet combo of sandalwood and fresh laundry that

made my empty insides tingle.

 

He wiped his mouth on a napkin and said, “Stay here. I’ll go to the kitchen. Help yourself to

my burger while you wait. I promise I won’t return empty-handed.”

 

“No, you stay. I want to make sure they get my order right.” I touched his shoulder. “Be back soon.”

 

We locked stares and his hazel eyes softened. “Two minutes. If you’re not back,

I’m coming after you.”

 

I’d insisted my table mates eat without me, figuring my meal was on its way…f

ifteen minutes ago. I aimed for the kitchen, wading sideways between packed

tables when I bumped into our server. She tried to push past, but I blocked the way.

 

“I’m still waiting,” I told her.

 

“No, you’re not,” she said. “You got served.”

 

“Crispy chicken sandwich with spicy slaw and chili cheese fries, hold the onions.

It’s not on our table.” I pointed my thumb over my shoulder.

 

“I brought all the orders out personally.”

 

“Not mine.”

 

“You wanna talk to the manager?”

 

“I demand to talk to the manager.”

 

She tipped her head and pitched it to one side. “Big Sam’s up front by the cashier.”

 

I moved out of her path, and she hustled past. I continued my sideways trek,

filing between chairs and dodging scurrying servers. Nearly closing time and the place

was still hopping. I slowed and looked back at the kitchen. Maybe I’d get somewhere if

I talked to the cook. I was about to swivel around when I spotted a manager-type; a stocky

guy with a shaved head and goatee, chatting up a group of wannabe diners near the bar.

 

I headed for him and waited behind the blonde hostess. The cash register drawer popped

open with a ping. She plucked wads of bills from beneath the drawer and shoved them i

nto a vinyl bank bag.

 

“Excuse me,” I said.

 

She jumped and turned to me, zipping up the bag and pushing it behind her. “Yeah?”

Long bangs stabbed at her eyes.

 

I pitched my chin toward the stocky guy. “That the manager?”

 

“He owns the place. Big Sam Neely.” Her attention went back to the bag.

She unzipped it and continued stuffing bills inside.

 

I navigated closer to Big Sam and leaned against a pillar, waiting for a chance to

butt into the conversation. Meanwhile, a lanky dude in a dark gray hoodie and faded

jeans edged his way inside. His clothes were baggy; his hood was up and over his head.

Only his nose, mouth and tinted shades were visible. Sunglasses at night weren’t unusual in

L.A. I stared out at the room. A couple of diners wore shades.The guy in the hoodie flitted past me.

He threw out his anchor near the hostess. My heartbeat quickened. The cash drawer still gaped open.

I elbowed my way back toward him, half-expecting the guy’s hand to dart out and grab the bank bag,

but he ignored the money. Instead, he eased forward and stared out toward the back of the diner.

My gaze dropped to the lower left side of his jacket. The bottom edge had latched onto the

large violin shaped leaf of an ornamental ficus, exposing the top of his jeans. My heart hammered

against my chest. The grip of a revolver stuck out of his pocket.

 

 

Author Bio:

Lida Sideris' first stint after law school was a newbie lawyer's dream: working as an entertainment attorney for a movie studio…kind of like her heroine, Corrie Locke, except without the homicides. Lida was one of two national winners of the Helen McCloy Mystery Writers of America Scholarship Award for her first book. She lives in the northern tip of Southern California with her family, rescue dogs and a flock of uppity chickens.

www.LidaSideris.com, Goodreads, BookBub, Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook!

Rhyker's Key

 Welcome to my review of Rhyker's Key

Together, can they heal their past and forge a future bonded with true love?

My thoughts

Rating: 5

Series:Orion's Order #2

Would I recommend it ? Yes

Would I read more of this series? Yes

Would I read more by this author? Yes

First off I want to say huge  thank you to the publisher and author M.C. Solaris LLC for  inviting me to read review the second book to a series that I love. What can I say about this book but I loved everything about it. I loved the inter action between the twins, and Rhyker and the team, loved how they felt more of a family in this one , and loved how it mad me laugh. And I loved how the this one was a step up from the first one, don't get me wrong I loved the first one but out of the two this one so far is my all time favorite one and its not just because we got to see more of the twins ( or so maybe a little bit but what can I say their may all time favorite ones ). Another thing is the characters are richer and rounder and come to life more then before ,  the plot thicker and so is the twist and turns ,  the mysteries deeper, and the sex hotter and I do mean hotter , so much so that you could almost feel it coming from the page. And you get to see more of the world building and finding out more about it and  how their laws work as well. With that said I can wait to read the next book in this series.

Rhyker, tattooed bad boy and lethal jaguar shifter, falls for the sweet and caring healer, Keena. Except, she’s determined to keep him in the friend zone... good thing he’s a predator that enjoys the hunt.

Together, can they heal their past and forge a future bonded with true love?

SECOND BOOK IN THE ORION’S ORDER SERIES

Orion’s Order returns in another addictive installment about their secret world of magic and mystery. A world where the most powerful words in the Universe are discovered in the fight against an ancient evil force.

Keena Oliver

I am haunted by my past mistakes. Mistakes that I have no idea how I even made. I am an educated mind and spirit healer after all. So how in the holy healer hell did I end up in a relationship where the male who I thought I loved…

Yeah, it’s probably best not to rehash those nightmares. But if I don’t dare open up that box to my past, then how am I ever going to be able to move on? Especially because I so want to move on with a certain sexy male. A male whose lips devoured mine in a darkened corner that one time. A male whose predatory piercing blue eyes practically track my every move. A male who I shouldn’t be fantasizing about every second of every day. Why? Because it would ruin me.

Rhyker Kingsley

I’ve had my eye on a certain female for almost a year now. A female who is damn determined to keep me in the friend zone. A female who's been hurt by her ex but refuses to open up to me about it. So, you could say I go through a lot of smokes… a f*cking lot.

Meanwhile, my pack of lethally trained and skilled hunters and I are gunning for an evil SOB who not only signed his death warrant the second he tried to come after my pack sister and mate to our alpha, but also the f*cker poses a threat to our world as we know it. Yet, said ancient powerful bastard has gone off the grid and is all but impossible to track.

Oh, and did I mention that the past seems to be mixing with the present? I mean, the f*ck is this? The revenge year of the shitty exes?

So, excuse me while I light up a smoke… or two.

Devour this addictive series at your own risk...

+ Happily Ever After

+ Sexy Paranormal Jaguar Shifter Romance

+ Multiple POV

+ Mature Content

+ This series is meant to be read in order for the best reading experience