While I didn't love this story, I also didn't hate it. Where it fell for me was firmly in the frustrating category.

There was so much back and forth that I must have rolled my eyes a dozen or so times before the end. Some things never made sense such as who was Marley on the phone with? Needless to say, I have questions, but not enough to come back for a second book.

I was really intrigued getting into this book and it got off to a great start. I really enjoyed the quality of writing and the sort of mystery vibe it had going on, I felt like I'd stepped into the atmosphere of the movie Ghost World. The mystery itself wasn't that intriguing and didn't feel like that much of a mystery, as I was more interested in what happened to Katie and how she was going to deal with the situation. I didn't find myself caring about Marley very much, but it might have been more impactful to see their relationship as more established before the murder happens, since I wasn't that invested. Definitely more on the "cozy" side of the mystery genre. I wasn't crazy about the ending, and there was a LOT going on (maybe too much) but overall this was an intriguing debut and I would read more by this author.

The cover and the premise was fantastic, I really struggled to get through this. I don’t say this lightly. It was very slow and it never really picked up. It started off interesting enough but it slowly creeped into the realm of uh, that’s funny but I’m not buying the lead up. The love interest left a lot to be desired as did Katie. She was hard to like with being so lackluster at times. No real goal in her life made her just seem unanchored. I really wanted to love this book, such a great idea but I just couldn’t get behind the characters. Definitely was expecting something more romantic and magical than what this actually was.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for granting this ARC.

This was a cover request. I thought it was a great cover. The story was good. I don't read many mysteries and I honestly wasn't expecting this twist. I didn't go into the novel knowing the premise either. The main character grows into herself pretty well. I honestly wasn't a fan of Marley. It was obvious from the start she was hiding something, not 'mysterious'. None the less I trudged through the story. The detective was pretty standard and flat. It was clear the story was supposed to be about doing the hard things and taking chances.

Thank you Lina Chern, Bantam, and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

It took me a little while to get into this book. I really couldn’t tell where it was going or what the genre was really supposed to be. The ending was unexpected, but more so because this book was a little all over the the place.

The premise was interesting, I just think there could’ve been a better execution of it.

I am going back and forth on my rating for this one. While it kept my attention, the mystery part fell a little flat. I would love to read more from this author because I definitely see potential.

Katie True is failing at adulting. She goes from one job to the next job. She ends up selling Russian tchotchkes in a shop across the shop where Marley works. Marley becomes her best friend. Marley encourages Marley to do tarot readings as it is Katie’s true talent. When a disheveled man with blood on his shirt runs into the shop to get th cards read for him. Katie finds a photo of Marley dead with a gunshot to her head. Who killed Marley? Why? She realizes that the tarot cards can’t answer these questions. Since Marley was her best friend, she wants to and does investigate trying to find out who killed Marley and why. Katie ends up in conflict with criminal s and a police detective who does his work “by the book.” Will Katie find the answers she has?

The author has written a mystery with lots of humor. This book might be the first of a series? I’m only guessing but I also would like it to happen. The mystery had my attention as I read it and enjoyed the characters in the novel. This good natured story is the best . I do hope it becomes a series.

Really fun mystery with a girlfailure protagonist that I actually totally endured. The mystery is figure-out-able without being too corny. The romance is satisfyingly predictable. Surprised how much fun I had with something that's not exactly cerebral.

This was a solid debut. I quite enjoyed the mystery and loved the disability rep sprinkled throughout. Some of the minor characters were not very memorable, but over all I enjoyed the main characters. I'd be interested in seeing what else this author produces in the future. Overall, this was a good read.

Oh so outlandish but kinda fun. Quick, snappy, dialog to match the characters, a slightly improbable plot and lots of action made this an enjoyable and quick read. Nothing terribly cerebral, nor believable but it moved, shook and filled a few hours.

Rounding up - Lina Chern shows great potential and I look forward to her next book. Thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for a copy.

I mostly read thrillers and mysteries, which I love, but some themes within the genre can get repetitive. Play the Fool is a refreshing take on the mystery genre. I really enjoyed the main character's world-view and how she sorted everyone into the tarot archetypes. As a tarot reader myself I found it intriguing and I liked reading her reasoning for placing people into the different suits or if they were a major arcana or minor arcana card. The story overall was interesting and a page turner. I'll definitely be recommending it to friends!

A decent addition to its genre! The characters were interesting, and I love a woman who’s a burnout making bad choices re: solving mysteries. I think I would like a sequel to this building off of what was established in the end of this book more than I enjoyed this book itself.

A murder mystery about palm reading and tarot cards would not normally be for me. But, this one is more. Part murder mystery, part cozy mystery and full of characters that you probably won't like, but you will root for. When Marley takes a job in a mall store, she becomes fast friends with Katie who works in a store that sells items from Russia. BTW, Marley also knows the family trade of fortune telling. When she accidentially sees a picture of Marley dead, she panics. She must know what happened to her friend and who is the culprit. Along the way we meet Marley's parents, brother and sister and a few local cops. Does Marley have the intelligence and skill to figure it out and come out alive? You'll know when you read it. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC I received in exchange for my opinion. The book was published 3/28/23 (yes, I'm a little behind) and I recommend it!

This was a super engaging read! I love a strong female protagonist. The idea of using magic and spells to solve crimes was really fun, and I enjoyed it.

Play the Fool is not my normal read at all, but I did enjoy this mystery! The main character, Katie, is resigned to her life in a dead end job with no ambitions at all. This is very atypical to characters I usually read so it was a bit startling at times. I love the aspect of the cards and the readings she would occasionally give and thought the author did a great job with Katie's envisioning of the readings as she gave them. There was an unnecessary hint of a love story that I could do without and at times this did not feel remotely believable, which made it drag at times while also being entertaining. I thought it was good for a debut novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy. All opinions are my own.

Even though this had all of the elements of a thriller I typically fall for, this didn't hit for me. I felt like every time I blinked, I would open my eyes and be in an entirely different scene and big plot points passed right by me. I'm not sure if it's a "right book, wrong time" situation, but I just felt a bit underwhelmed by it.

The plot was very unique and interesting though. I loved the involvement of tarot cards into the story and wished we even got some more insight into the tarot world!

I wouldn't skip past Lina Chern in the future because although this one wasn't for me, I think with some more editing, it would work for me! 2.75 stars rounded to 3 stars

Pleasantly surprised by this light read. The cover is a bit misleading that it has more to do with tarot cards than it actually does. This has murder mystery appeal, with a likable lead. Strong start to this one, but I had struggling interest in this story toward the end.

Play the Fool A Mystery by Lina Chern

313 Pages
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine, Bantam
Release Date: March 28, 2023

Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers, Tarot, Divination, Spies

Katie True reads tarot cards and works in Firebird Imports, a Russian gift shop in a rundown mall. She has a friend, Marley, who works in the Stone Blossom, metaphysical shop. A big guy runs into Katie’s store frantic, his head bleeding, and looking as if he is running from something. Katie takes out her tarot cards and starts a reading for him. When he isn’t looking, Katie looks at his phone. She sees a photo of Marley, shot dead by the dumpster. She begins investigating and calls the police. She meets Jamie, a detective recently transferred from Los Angeles. He believes her, but without a body or any clues, the investigation goes nowhere. Katie depends on her tarot cards to tell her the story. Hopefully she will find out the truth before the murderer finds out what she is doing.

The book has a fast pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the first-person point of view. I love quirky characters with flaws. They feel more realistic to me. The author did a wonderful job including the tarot cards into the story. Not only does she do readings, but she also includes the descriptions of cards for the people she encounters. There is a little romance that I hope continues after the book ends. If you like light mysteries or tarot, you may enjoy this book.

This book was a little slow to start, but overall, it was mostly enjoyable. The mystery was engaging, and there were some funny moments. I liked the use of tarot cards and would have actually liked it more if they had played a bigger role.
My main issue that kept me from giving it a higher rating was that the main character was a bit annoying.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. I really enjoyed this book. It was really well written and it just had you trying to solve the mystery. I look forward to seeing what’s next from this author.