I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book. I love tarot and I thought the concept was good. I liked the main character a lot - she's quirky, funny, and relatable. The writing style is easy to read and I got through it pretty quickly. I didn't think she and the MMC had any chemistry at all. It would be great to see a story where there's a MMC and a FMC and they just have a platonic friendship and nothing is hinted at or forced at all. I would have liked their relationship better if they had developed the friendship more instead of flirting.

⭐⭐⭐

𝘼 𝙘𝙮𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙’𝙨 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩.

📍 Read if you like:
• Murder Mysteries
• Little Suspense
• Hidden Identities
• Tarot Reading (Cards)

I have mixed feelings about this book. The premise sounded so intriguing so I set high expectations for it, but unfortunately, there were some issues I had with the book.

Let’s start off by saying I was immediately pulled in with the idea of our MC being a tarot reader. It opens up with Katie doing a tarot reading on this guy, she ends up seeing a picture of her friend dead on his phone.

Katie was an interesting character. I do think she was very well-developed at the beginning of the book.

However, the book itself lacked what exactly it was trying to be. It had different elements of multiple genres and it just got confusing. Was that main focus the mystery, romance, or was it just a coming-of-age story? I honestly could not tell you - there were factors to each that were portrayed and eventually got lost throughout the book.

As the book progressed I felt like the story started becoming unbelievable and far-fetched - which makes me so sad as I had high expectations on this one. It wasn’t a terrible book by any means, but at the end of the day, it’s definitely going to be very forgettable.

Thank you Bantam and NetGalley for the gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review, all thoughts are my own!

First things first - this cover art is simply incredible. I love it.

But this book was a little uneven for me - I really loved the beginning of the story, getting to know Katie and her world and all of the scene-setting for the mystery at hand. The visualization of the tarot cards in her brain was a really new and different device.

To call this really a mystery or suspense story is a misnomer, though, in my opinion. I enjoyed the writing and the story in general, but I wasn't on the edge of my seat to figure out what happens next. It was really uneven in terms of storytelling.

As a debut novel, though, a respectable first effort, and I would definitely read more of Lina Chern's work.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All views are my own.

I liked this little standalone mystery novel! (if more come, alls the better)
Owen was my favorite and Jamie's great
Quick when you get into it
Quite fun

📂 Book Review 📂

#playthefool
#linachern
#cozymystery
#NetGalley published 3/28/23
#randomhousepublishinggroup #ballantinepublishing

📂📂📂📂/5

Katie needs to figure out who killed her "best friend". Apparently the best friend she didn't really know. A cop, Jaime befriends her to help her figure it out.

She needs to also figure out what she is meant to do in life. And Jaime manages to help her out with that one too. It wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing for the author to write a sequel-ish to this one so we can see the outcome.

I did keep getting pulled back to the story. It's more like a slow burn. Not an exciting rush. Well enough written. I'd give this author a try again.

#bookstagram #booknerds #bookworm #booklover #bookdragon #readalot #ilovereading

I really enjoyed Play The Fool. At first I thought this book might be a little to YA, but was glad to be proven wrong. It was kind of like a cozy mystery involving tarot cards, which I found really unique. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Katie True is a mess. Her career, her home life and her friendships lead a lot to be desired. But while working at the old mall, she befriends another mall worker and she thinks she might have a new friend. She does if that friend is as quirky and as mysterious as she is. They make some pair. Katie tries hard to develop the friendship and is overwhelmed when her new friend disappears. Marley worked at a dead end job as well and yet people can’t help but look for her. It’s all suspicious. And Katie turns to the police to figure out if there is a crime, disappearance or a murder. The characters that Katie meets up with are so interesting. You can’t tell who knows what’s going on. Most seem to just be a distraction in Katie’s search. Add a quirky brother and the other characters at the mall and you have yourself, one heck of a mystery. This was a four star read for me. It was fast paced and an interesting story. I want to thank Netgalley & Lina Chern for my copy of Play the Fool, for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this book.

An engaging mystery with a unique protagonist from an exciting new voice. I love the way that Katie used the tarot throughout the story- it felt real and detailed and lived-in, making it more than a cool aesthetic or easy gimmick. Katie uses the tarot to investigate her own mind, to brainstorm, to help with decision-making, and to survive on the margins of a tough world. I look forward to seeing what else she gets up to.

I feel like this is a great mystery but def more of a cozy mystery. I think I like my mysteries a little darker which is why I just felt like this wasn't a new favorite but still just an okay read. I really enjoyed the characters; Katie and her brother were great characters. Loved their banter and her brother made me laugh out loud several times. Honest to a fault but loved some of the social awkwardness that followed. A few of the actions and turn of events needed a bit of an open mind as I don't think it would happen like that in real life (like her roaming around the police station, really?) but certainly resulted in intense scenes which is why I kind of just let it go. All in all, an enjoyable read but not a favorite.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

PLAY THE FOOL is a contemporary murder mystery that follows Katie True, a rudderless woman working at the mall who gets accidentally caught up in solving the murder of her friend. Per the title, Katie is a major fool at times in how she stumbles upon evidence and solves problems. Her biggest strength is in being able to read people, as she’s quite good at tarot.

I both enjoyed and got really frustrated at how dumb Katie was throughout this book. On one hand, it’s refreshing to see a protagonist who doesn’t have all the answers in life, who maybe isn’t a genius. On the other hand…girl, what are you DOING?? She’s lucky to be alive, tbh.

I predicted the final twists but the journey was fun enough. I liked the detective love interest, who’s a weirdo in his own right. The sense of place was also really strong, set in suburban Chicago. I knew exactly the creepy semi-abandoned mall vibe the author was going for here.

Recommend if you’re looking for a quick mystery.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lina Chern for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC.

Play the Fool is a cute mystery about Katie True, her tarot card and people reading skills, and how she solves the murder of her friend Marley. This story was quite entertaining, and I found myself really enjoying seeing where the story was going and how Katie was going to save the day by solving the crime. I enjoyed this story overall and thought it was a great debut novel. I would recommend it.

I would definitely read from this author Lina Chern again.

Thank you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for my gifted digital advance reader copy.

After a failed attempt at independence, Katie True lands back in her hometown. She lives in a run-down apartment and lands a job at a Russian tchotchke shop at the local mall (to her perpetually disappointed parents' chagrin). Her only friend is a fellow mall worker, Marley, who really seems to understand Katie and doesn't pressure her to 'be better' or 'do more'. Katie also reads tarot cards, and while conducting a reading for a man who wanders into the shop one day, she sneaks a peak at his phone and is shocked to find a photo of Marley's lifeless body, setting Katie off on a quest to find out what happened to her friend.

The cover of this book attracted my attention, and the whole tarot reader/fortune teller as the MC reminded me of Cherie Priest's Grave Reservations. I was frustrated by the slow moving pace, and I really struggled to connect with Katie. She can't seem to get out of her own way, yet everything keeps coming together for her. I know a common feature of cozy mysteries is that the MC (not affiliated with LE) somehow becomes privy to information pertaining to the police investigation, but it frustrated me that she's handed everything by the cops with no objection.

I struggled to reach the halfway point, but was still moderately interested in the central mystery. After the 50% mark, things seemed to get more and more outlandish, and I became less invested in what was happening. I didn't really find the ending satisfying, and I skimmed over a lot of the descriptions and read only the dialog.

My other issue/dislike was Owen's characterization. Owen is Katie's brother, and it is implied that he is on the spectrum in some way, as he stims, misses social cues, etc. I felt that his character is merely a grouping of many stereotypical traits of those with ASD, some of which went together and some of which didn't make much sense as a composite. While it was exciting to see a neurodivergent character featured prominently, I wish that his portrayal was a little bit more nuanced and a little bit less of a caricature.

Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me. Cozy mysteries often are, as I have trouble suspending my disbelief and getting behind the (often hapless) main characters.

Katie True is known as the family screw-up. Her sister Jessie is married with successful ventures and her brother Owen is in school working on an advanced graduate degree. Katie, meanwhile, works in a store that advertises itself as selling fine goods from Russia and Eastern Europe but is really bric-a-brac. Though, Katie does have a talent; she can read people due to all the time she spent with her Aunt Rosie, a professional grifter. One day when a customer enters the store, Katie notices that he is in distress and offers to give him a tarot card reading. However, when he momentarily exits the store, she notices his phone is unlocked and takes a glimpse, wanting him to get his money’s worth. But what she doesn’t expect to find is a picture of her friend Marley, dead with a bullet wound in her head. Who killed Marley and why? Drawn to solve the case, Katie will do just about anything to find out what happened to Marley, the one person who didn’t see her as a failure.

This was a fun, quick read, as most good mysteries are. In terms of the plot, this proceeds at a decent pace. There are some slower areas, but this provides for character development. Additionally, Lina Chern has a way with words. In moments of high tension, Chern chooses her words carefully for both suspense and humor. There’s one scene that had me outright laughing. I’ll just say gardening tools plus paint don’t mix, but they do create a hilarious moment. And while I did guess every twist before it happened, it didn’t stop me from enjoying the novel.

The characters were also key to the plot and my own love of the novel. Though I can see some readers being put off by Katie's self-deprecating outlook, I firmly believe that she’s filtering through a number of jobs and interests to try and find her passion. Having had similar conversations with students in their early 20s, it’s just as important to discover what individuals aren’t good at or interested in. Thus, I believed her motivations. After all, Katie is on a similar journey, though she does know that she’s good at reading people. However, her family of overachievers has beaten it into her head that this is not a marketable skill. Katie changes throughout the novel as she learns to see this as a strength and trust herself. And though Katie doesn’t always make the best decisions, they are all coming from an honest place with noble intentions. Other notable standout characters include Jamie, Owen, Max, Jessie, Marley, Nico, and Joey.

Overall, this is a good debut novel. I would certainly read more by Lina Chern in the future.

3.5/5
This was an entertaining mystery with some humor weaved in. I liked Katie's character and the relationship she had with her brother Owen and the friendship she developed with Jamie, the good looking police officer. Suspenseful and an overall good debut. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Play the Fool by Lina Chern is a lightly dark and gritty whodunit told by Katie True. Katie is a part-time psychic and a clerk in a small Russian tchotchke store in a run-down mall. When a man comes in and agrees to a tarot reading, Katie can't help but look at his phone when he leaves it unattended. You never know what information might help the reading. When she finds a picture of her one friend, Marley, dead in the alley behind the mail, Katie takes action, and what ensues is a witty story as Katie is determined to find out who killed her friend.

Bullet Point Review:
• I love humorous and thrilling whodunits; this one had plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.
• The story suffers from a lack of a clear identity – is it cozy? Is it hard-boiled? Is it romantic suspense? Is it dark and gritty? Is it entertaining? 🤷🏻‍♀️
• I loved the tarot card angle and how Katie saw people and events in terms of specific tarot cards. It's fun, unique, and adds a mystical angle that I enjoyed.
• My suspended disbelief disintegrated around the halfway point when the story took a turn, but I kept going straight. After that, I had a very bumpy ride.
• Katie True is a delightful character; I loved her quirkiness and pluck. She fascinated me more than the mystery.
• The first-person narration didn't add anything to this story. Even though I adored Katie, her head isn't always an easy place to be.
• The pace slowed down due to the weight of the atmosphere, and I always struggle with that.
• Read, if you like:
o Humor mixed with thrills
o Whodunits with mystical aspects
o Fun and quirky main characters

3.5 stars rounded up because I love the cover.

This was an interesting premise with a protagonist who is a complete mess. I don't know if it was deliberate, but she has all the hallmarks of severe and undiagnosed ADHD with a family who doesn't understand her. Most people don't get her and all they see is someone from a well-to-do family who has all the advantages, but whose life is a complete mess because she is lazy, unmotivated, etc.

This was a debut novel for the author, and I think it shows in the scattershot approach to including too much in one story. And yet I found myself rooting for the protagonist. As much as a mess her life was and her decision-making was questionable, I understood it and wanted her to succeed. I am a tutor and I work with all sorts of students whose life "is a mess" and my goal is to help them figure out a way to be successful despite their challenges. Part of that is finding a way for them to do "their thing".

I also really liked her relationship with her brother Owen. What I didn't like was that as much as her parents loved her, they never saw her as needing help from a therapist. Their son Owen? Yes. Their other daughter? Yes. But never Katie. It's like they knew her life was a mess, but they never thought that she might need a little more support than just telling her she could do better if she just followed the pathway they laid out for her

I liked her relationship with Jamie, which was much more of a friendship between two people who didn't relate well with the rest of the world--for different reasons, yes, but still. I liked that he accepted her fully without judgment and believed that she just needed a chance to do what she was good at. I did not like her sister Jessie, but I did like how they resolved the conflict between them.

There were definitely aspects that stretched the believability factor, in particular with Jamie sharing sensitive info with her and also the whole thing with the Italian mob as well as the other thing with Marley (which I actually suspected from the beginning). But you know what? I don't care. It was a fun read and I enjoyed suspending disbelief and just going along for the ride.

This was a debut novel that shows promise and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I received an advance review copy for free from the publisher and NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I thought that this was a pretty good read. Overall, I found this book fun and enjoyable. Personally, I really liked Katie. I felt she came across as quite quirky and unique while also having an almost raw genuineness to her. I greatly admired her desire to be herself. As for the story itself, I enjoyed the blend of mystery, danger, humor and twists.

Play the Fool was a great concept that ultimately fell a tad short for me.

Readers follow Katie True, a down on her luck tarot reader who isn't finding being an adult suited to her liking. When the mysterious Marley crashes into Katie's wolrd her life will never be the same. Inspired to pursue her clairvoyant nature by Marley, Katie quickly find herself wrapped up in a world of danger and deception.

I simply didn't find either of the characters likable and because of that the story was hard to get invested in. It didn't seem to be a cozy mystery or a dark murder mystery. In the end I just didn't truly understand what the book was trying to be.

NetGalley provided an advance reader copy of this cute mystery, which RELEASES MARCH 28, 2023.

Can we give it up for the cover? It is simply beautiful and what drew me in to read this book and it did not disappoint. The journey that we get to follow the main character Katie go on was a wild ride. While this wasn't the best most original story I have read, I can say that it kept me entertained throughout.

This is a mystery novel that follows Katie as she tries to uncover what happened to her friend that has disappeared and now confirmed to be dead. Katie gets herself into a lot of mess I can say that.

I loved the tarot card element to the story and the characters were relatable. Would read more work by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

Play the Fool
by Lina Chern
Pub Date: 28 Mar 2023

This book was a "cozy mystery" with Interesting and quirky characters. While some of the situations were far- fetched, the storyline was still attention worthy. My favorite character was actually Owen, Katie's brother. And my romantic heart would have liked a more solid romance (or any romance!) and not just the hint of something that could be between Jamie and Katie. I could almost see this as a series with Katie getting inadvertently involved in Jamie's police cases. Hmm...just a thought.

3.5 stars