The Tarot Card Mystery: The Tarot Card Mysteries, #1

By Krystal Doolittle

A deck of tarot cards and an old curse.

Moon Gilespie has never been sure of herself. It's just the way she's always been. She's even chosen a career as a ghostwriter that has allowed her to hide in the shadows, content to not draw too much attention to herself. She was happy to live her life quietly and simply.

But then her Aunt Julia bought a deck of tarot cards that have a very long and grim history. One that sometimes ends in death or misery for those that possess them. And yet, someone else wants them and is willing to kill in order to get their hands on them. But who would want a cursed deck of tarot cards enough to commit murder? Moon has to find out, and meanwhile uncover the story of the deck itself.

With her loss still fresh, Moon finds herself in search of the killer with the help of a new friend, Alex Rhodes, a private investigator that works nearby. She finds she needs to get back the deck of tarot cards before they fall into someone else's hands, because it's a matter of life and death. Moon just doesn't know whose.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Krystal Doolittle
• Release date: Nov 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223319887

Krystal Doolittle

Krystal has been creating stories most of her life, but only recently begun to brave the world of professional writing. She loves a great joke, peaceful mornings and a nice, cold glass of orange juice.

Book preview

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Moon Gilespie was starting to think walking to her aunt’s store was a terrible idea. She’d done it because she needed to get more exercise in. She knew that. But she probably should have checked the forecast before she randomly decided that it was time to get healthy. Now it was starting to sprinkle and she still had a few more blocks to go. It was only a steady patter of raindrops now, but she could almost feel the rain wanting to grow heavier.Normally she would have loved a rainy afternoon, but not today. Not when she had somewhere to be. Her aunt had asked her to stop by the store for a moment, so she was stopping there before running her errands for the day.

Great, she muttered to herself. She’d taken some serious time with her shoulder length wavy light brown hair and makeup and now it was getting ruined. The one day she thought she would put some effort in, it would get washed off before anyone could ever see it. Why had she even bothered? But when Aunt Julia had asked her to stop by the store, she’d seen it as a good excuse to look presentable for once. Visiting her and then going out to shop seemed like a day to look decent.

Working from home meant she spent most of her time with no makeup on and in sweatpants. If she wasn’t going anywhere special, why dress up? Unfortunately, she’d started dressing up less and less until she had more pairs of sweats than actual pants. Not exactly glamorous.

At least she’d opted for comfortable shoes, choosing her Adidas sneakers over sandals. Good thing now that she was doing some sort of mix between walking and jogging. It was an awkward attempt to hurry without running, and she knew she had to look ridiculous. Still, she’d look even worse if she got soaked to the core.

Breathless, she made it to the corner and turned. There, at the far end, the hanging sign announced the location of her aunt's shop, The Crooked Broom. It looked the same as it had her entire life. Black wood surrounded tall clear windows that showcased dried herbs, jars of various ointments and creams, and even a mannequin wearing a wrap that made the wearer look like they had moth wings. The stuff in the windows always changed, but the building itself didn’t. Even the hanging sign, which featured a crescent moon that seemed to glow with a witch flying a crooked broom, had been the same since Moon could remember. The paint had been updated a time or two, but the sign itself had remained the same. Aunt Julia had no qualms about letting people walking by know what kind of store she ran.

A rumble of thunder rolled across the darkened sky just as the rain intensified. Moon lifted her big bag over her head in hopes of saving herself from getting too soaked the last few yards. She dashed for the door, grateful for the small alcove that nestled the front door away from the sidewalk. She shook herself while standing on the vintage white octagon tile in the alcove which included black tiles that spelled out Welcome. The heavy wooden door squeaked in a familiar way as she tugged it open, the bells hanging on the doorknob jangling to announce the entrance of another customer .

There were a couple of visitors roaming around the shop as she stepped inside and shook herself one last time. Aunt Julia rushed around the wide and tall wooden counter that was tucked just to the right of the door in a corner. It was intricate and old, probably built when the building itself had been. Somehow she already had towels waiting behind the counter, as if she’d known they would be needed.

You’re soaked! Aunt Julia cried out, her voice filled with concern. Where did you park? Her eyes moved to the window as she searched for her niece's car.

Moon waited until her aunt pulled the towel away before answering. She’d had the towel, dabbing at Moon’s hair and clothes.

Today Aunt Julia’s dusty blonde hair was swept over her shoulder and in a braid that hung to her waist. Her thick bangs hung down to her eyes as tendrils of hair spiraled down, framing her face. Large blue eyes gazed at Moon with concern behind the thick tortoise shell glasses.

I walked, Moon grumbled, finger combing her wet hair into submission. So much for the work she’d put into it. That’s what I get for trying, she thought.

Come, come, Aunt Julia said as she ushered Moon towards the back of the store.

The Crooked Broom had always been something of a safe haven for Moon when she was a child. In her younger years she had loved to explore the shelves and racks for anything new and interesting. Almost anything occult could be found in the store. Crystal balls, tarot decks, books on every subject you could imagine. Moon’s favorite had always been the candles, incense and oils. She had spent more time than she cared to admit going through the scents until she could identify them without looking. Her second favorite was the crystals on display. Large and small, in every color of the rainbow, the shelves at The Crooked Broom seemed to always hold something different. Even the high ceilings helped out by displaying Tibetan prayer flags, tapestries and strands of colorful beads with bells on the end.

Aunt Julia touched a woman on the shoulder as they passed her. She was holding two different spell candles in her hands, as if trying to decide which was better. The left one is for drawing in a more pure love, while the right one is for getting down and dirty, if you know what I mean. She gave the woman a wink before moving on, and Moon couldn’t help but notice the woman put the left one back on the shelf.

At the back of the store, a doorway covered in a beaded curtain hung between the main store and the back room. What are we doing? Moon asked as she followed her aunt. Pushing aside the curtain, she stepped through, doing her best to not get tangled in the beads.

I think I got something in to help you, she said matter of factly as she began to rifle through the various boxes stacked haphazardly. As she opened one, she seemed disappointed and tossed it to the side to look through the one beneath it.

You know, if you organized your stock better you would know where things were, Moon informed her as she looked around. The back was slightly less colorful than the front, but not by much. There were boxes stacked around like a maze, but there were also clothes on hangers waiting to go out front and more tapestries along with dream catchers and stained glass hangings. Nothing seemed to have a place, yet at the same time, did still seem to have a place even if only Julia knew where it was.

Ah ha! she said finally, straightening. She held up a thick orange candle with herbs blended into it. It was wrapped with some sort of twine and had charms hanging from it. Here it is. She thrust it towards Moon, practically shoving it in her hands.

Moon took it tentatively and rolled it over in her hands. What is this? she asked as she looked it over.

It’s a spell candle. It’s already infused with oils and herbs to help you, Aunt Julia said with a grin.

Uh, for what? Moon asked as she turned it over in her hands. It smelled amazing, so she had no issue with burning it. Still, she wanted to know what her aunt felt she needed this time.

Think of it as something to stir the dust up in your life. It will help you with any barriers you may have and stimulate your life. Like an energy drink for the soul, she said with a wink.

Moon eyed her aunt warily even as she tucked it in her bag. And what’s wrong with my life? she asked pointedly.

Nothing, Aunt Julia shrugged. That is, if you’re content to just survive day in and day out. But you need some excitement. Something to bring in love, luck and all of that good stuff. She reached out and took Moon’s hands. It’s been so long since I’ve seen that pure smile of yours.

I smile, Moon said defensively.

Aunt Julia looked at her over her glasses. Not that big smile that makes your whole face light up. You haven’t smiled that way in years.

Moon knew it was true. How long had it been since she’d felt that lightness in her heart? That pure joy of being excited for what the day might bring? The last time she could remember feeling that way was years ago. Actually, now that she thought about it, it was more than that. Had it really been almost a decade since she saw him? She didn’t allow herself to even think his name, and as her mind tried to bring an image of his face to mind, she pushed it down, too.

I don’t know if a candle can really do all that, Moon muttered, her hand splaying out across the side of her grey bag to feel the lump of the candle.

"It will