Tricks of Fortune by Lina Chern

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

When Katie True was a baby, her life was saved after a car crash by a policeman who rushed her to a hospital just in time.  Officer Pete became the hometown hero, the gallant cop who saved a baby and Katie.  . . well, she was the savee.  Her parents felt that meant she had been saved for a greater purpose and that her life was going to be amazing.

Flash forward a few decades and Katie is working for her younger sister in return for office space in which to ply her trade as a tarot card reader. The card business isn’t exactly booming and to make matters worse, Katie is not in the running for employee of the month at her sister’s real estate business even as the only employee. Let’s just say that Katie’s attention span may be limited.

Still, things could be worse. 

And then they get worse.

Officer Pete is found shot to death and the police are desperate to find the killer.  Their prime suspect is Gina, an ex-cop who is one of Katie’s only friends.  She’d be Gina’s friend, too, if Gina had friends but Gina is very much a law unto herself. Katie doesn’t know much about Gina’s past but she feels strongly that Gina didn’t murder Officer Pete and Katie is going to find out who did.

Following Katie True is sort of like going down a rabbit hole. Some people think she’s a total flake, but she’s not.  She can be stubborn and fixated, interpreting things through her cards. The cards aren’t exactly fortune telling but more revealing of character and personality, showing things in a person’s life that may not be obvious. This lets Kate see threads no one else does, make connections that no one else does, but most don’t take her seriously.

I found Katie to be a fascinating character.  Sure, she’s scattered, easily distracted, and a more than a bit socially awkward but she has that something, an otherworldliness and a caring heart even if she sees herself as always doomed to disappoint. The other characters were also intriguing and none are run-of-the mill.  Her brother Owen is even more neurodivergent, but brilliant in his field.  Jamie the cop is her near-opposite, hyper-focused but also dedicated to the truth.

Most of all, I was intrigued by the way she sees the stories in the cards.  The way she described them made me want to go find a deck and take a look for myself.

Definitely not your usual cozy mystery, but one I found enchanting nevertheless.  While the cards play a role, it isn't that there is supernatural intervention in this story.  They are used to hint at relationships and situations but are open to interpretation.  Katie also sometimes lets her own feelings cloud her judgment as well, letting the cards offer a suggestion of clarity.  I certainly didn’t see the ending coming but it felt entirely believable.

I don’t know that there will be a third one in this series, but I can hope!