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Amidst ancient stories of prowling werewolves, the Lunar Society would meet under the light of a full moon to change the face of industry and enlightenment forever. When the discovery of a human skeleton at one of their old haunts coincides with the disappearance of a talented female prodigy, Private investigator Judd Stone is certain that the two are connected.
Travelling as far afield as Prague and as close as his native city of Birmingham, Judd includes past life regressions in an attempt to unlock the explosive age-old mystery and rescue the missing girl.
With a cloud descending over the treasured legacy of the Lunar Society, Judd quickly finds himself embroiled in a shockingly dark underworld of organised crime. So dark in fact he will need a lot more than the light of a full moon to escape with his life.
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Extract
Judd had taken to calling Crystal Chamberlain, the wife of his best-friend William, by the nickname of double-C in a playful reflection of her initials since their marriage in Las Vegas. In actual fact, it had been a double-wedding with Judd committing himself to Brooke at the exact same Elvis themed ceremony. This act of double commitment highlighted the deep friendship that each couple held for one another.
The crazy weddings had taken place during a tour of pop-star sensation Phoenix. Judd had been employed as her bodyguard at the time. Sharing the life of a bonafide pop star, who liked to party harder than hard, made it easy for the four friends to get caught up in the razzmatazz of it all. Especially in Vegas. Not that either couple had any regrets at getting hitched since returning to a more, shall we say, regular lifestyle. These days Judd was strictly a Private Investigator once again, as sadly his days of being a bodyguard to Phoenix had come to an end….
Today, the four friends who had shared that special wedding ceremony in sunny Las Vegas were now stepping out in over-cast Birmingham, England, not long after eating a delicious meal at one of Crystal’s favourite canal side restaurants situated between The Mailbox and Gas Street Basin. After all, it had been her birthday so it was only right that she should have chosen the venue.
In spite of his Multiple Sclerosis, William had been determined to walk along Birmingham’s canals beside the woman he loved on her birthday, supported by walking sticks as opposed to relying on his wheelchair.
Unfortunately, his noble act of independence had contributed significantly as to why he had fallen into the water of the canal once the shots had been fired. But not before he had handed Brooke a small jiffy bag whilst Crystal and Judd had been engaged in their banter nearby.
“What’s this?” She had enquired.
“Just something you may need to give to your husband someday, when I’m no longer around.”
“Don’t talk like that, William. You’ll be around for years to come yet.” During that conversation, Brooke could never have guessed how poignant her words would become.
William smiled. “Maybe, but let’s just call it a bit of insurance just in case, aye Brooke.”
“B… but, I don’t understand.”
“Shhh. I don’t have the time or inclination to discuss it right now. Today is a day for celebration. Just trust me. It makes sense if you have it for safekeeping. I can’t give it to lover boy, Judd would lose his head if it wasn’t screwed on.”
“Ok. Thanks. I think.” Brooke could see that William seemed worried about something but the wink of his eye and forced smile of reassurance had underlined that it was not the time to pry. Still curious, Brooke placed the small package into her handbag.
Amidst the panicked screams of visitors to the canals, Judd immediately scanned the area in a desperate attempt to locate the source of the gun shots. His eyes fell onto a figure sitting astride a motorcycle. The helmet was unusual with a flame emblazoned down either side of its shell and frustratingly it covered the facial features of the shooter. Nevertheless, Judd somehow connected with the hidden, cold stare that lay behind the visor, before another round of shots were fired which connected first with Crystal and then Brooke.
In that split second, Judd couldn’t decide whether to run to the aid of his wife or to charge head-first at the gunman. The decision was taken from him as he felt a sharp pain enter his stomach. Judd knew it was serious as he found himself hopelessly rooted to the spot and watched the blood spread across the lower area of his shirt. Not long after he passed out, the motorcyclist spun around in the blink of an eye and raced up the ramp out of Gas Street Basin towards his escape into Broad Street.
Thank you, Martin Tracey and Zooloo’s Book Tours
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About the author
Martin Tracey is an author who likes to push the boundaries of reality. Even when injecting elements of the supernatural, the terror that grips you is very real. Not necessarily a genre specific author, psychological thrills are a plenty. He has a passion for The Beatles & Wolverhampton Wanderers FC. Both music and football/soccer often find their way into his stories. Martin lives in Birmingham, UK and is married with 2 daughters.
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Author Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100048743922721
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martinofmolineux/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MartinTracey1
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Martin-Tracey/e/B009ANTBWG/
Blog: http://www.martintracey.co.uk
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Book Links
Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lunar-Judd-Stone-Book-3-ebook/dp/B08L6ZKSBQ
Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/Lunar-Judd-Stone-Book-3-ebook/dp/B08L6ZKSBQ
B for Bookreview 