Tarot cards is a brilliant way to bring some nervousness from the unknown into the life of a game: to find out what’s hidden. Lina Chern managed to do this as if we were right there waiting for our cards to be read.

This is a fast-paced complex whodunit narrated by the main character, Katie. When I think of the name “Katie,” my mind goes to a sweet, pretty girl who owns a bakery or bookstore. The Katie in the book was not like my image. She was bold, brave and fearless trying to solve a mystery of why her fairly new friend was now dead.

Katie worked at a Russian knickknack store in an old shopping mall. She instantly became friends with Marley who worked in a store across from her. Katie said that all kinds of people would come into the shop: people asking where the restroom was, looking for t-shirts and then there was Nico. He stumbled in with his head bleeding which didn’t look good. He noticed she had tarot cards and asked how much. He put a $20 bill along with his phone on the table and went to the restroom to clean up. While he was gone, she looked at his last text which was a photo of her friend, Marley. To her surprise, she was dead. Katie was good at reading the cards and making people believe what she had to say. When she told him someone died, he said, “I didn’t mean for her to die.”

From that point on, Katie was on a mission to find out what happened to Marley. Her Aunt Rosie taught her how to read cards when she was eight years old. She was told, “You can know things with more than just your brain.” Katie knew that some people think in words or images. She always was thinking with tarot cards. While she was chasing the idea of finding out why her friend was dead, she would think about how different cards in the deck were influencing what was going on. There were times when I laughed out loud from her dialogue.

All the characters in this book worked: her family, her good friend, the criminals and the detective that looked like romance was brewing. They were all brought together in a way that made this a page turner. Even when parts were a tad unbelievable, it was all fine. The end was good. It made me smile which made all the difference staying up late to finish it.

My thanks to Lina Chern, Bantom Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with the expected release date of March 28, 2023.

This is marketed as a thriller, but really it feels more like a cozy murder mystery. I found myself wrapped up in my blankets, lost inside this book. I wasn't necessarily on the edge of my seat with suspense, but I was intrigued and wanted to keep reading to find out what happened. It was good writing of a good plot and was the perfect spooky season read!

A quirky mystery that is fast paced and what I considered a quick read also. Katie True is a Tarot reader , living in her hometown near her family working in a mall at a Russian trinket shop. Katie makes friends with Marley who works at a shop across from the trinket shop and gets worried when she goes missing even though Marley is kind of a drifter like that. A man comes into the shop for a reading late Sunday night, he’s out of sorts and sporting a head wound. She gives him a reading but also sneaks a glance at his phone to see what has him so upset and then her world starts to spin out from there. She goes on quite the roller coaster to get to the truth and puts her own life in danger in the process. She did become friends with a nice detective named Jamie in the process. There are lots of twists and turns that keep you engaged in the book.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc.

'Play the Fool' by Lina Chern follows Katie, a gifted tarort card reader, as she tries to unravel the death of a friend. This story was very unique it terms of plot. I found Katie to be endearing at times, with how adamant she was to help solve the murder. While this could be seen as a good quality, I found it to be her downfall in the story. She was always putting herself in situations that got her in trouble.

I would have liked to have read a bit more on her relationships with her family and Jamie overall. Her relationship with Jamie felt a little forced at times, instead of a buildup with much development outside of the police station. Her relationship with her siblings was endearing and relatable, but with her parents didn't fit. They were always trying too hard to please her in the non-existent relationship they had.

I did not find that this book was for me. I was too caught up in the scenarios that were happening and all the card reading that was going on in her head. The writing style was okay overall. There were some areas that could be improved in terms of diction, but that could be the author's style for the character.

Katie True works in a Russian tchotchke shop in a mall and her newer best friend Marley works in a goth shop across the hall. Katie has had many jobs and is down on her luck. She enjoys reading tarot cards but lacks a client base. One evening a guy comes into the shop who is clearly in distress. Katie convinces him to let her read his tarot cards for $20 and discovers he has a picture of a recently deceased Marley on his phone. Katie is determined to find out what happened to her friend and she will use her tarot cards to assist.

Here’s one for you if you love a mystery and strong female characters. For me this one is more of a cozy mystery and not the dark and disturbing kind I usually read. I enjoyed the mystery and the author’s sense of humor in this wonderful debut. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Katie and her brother Owen. The cover art is great and the tarot card interpretations sprinkled throughout the book is a nice touch.

This is a light and enjoyable read that has potential to be a great series! Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy. This is my unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this book! Katie True has returned to her home town and works in the mall after attempting to make her own way in the big city. Not exactly living the life of her dreams, but things are starting to look up when she makes friends with Marley, a somewhat mysterious woman who works at another store in the mall. When she stumbles across a photo of Marley next to a dumpster with a gunshot wound to her head, Katie feels compelled to investigate.

Katie is a wonderful character with a vivid voice. Although she seems to make a lot of bad choices, you can't help but root for her. The mystery is fast-paced, and did not end up where I thought it was going. I'd love to read more adventures of Katie!

I really enjoyed this book. The cover did pull me in, I loved the neon colors and the nod towards tarot cards, which I have been reading for close to 40 years. The author did an excellent job with developing her characters, she made them real with both good and bad characteristics to them and the plot line was very interesting and held my attention until the very end. I think that the two main protagonists have a potential turning this into a series, as they had good chemistry. I love the female lead's little brother, I think he was my favorite character to be honest with you. If there is another book, I hope to see more of him.

Thank you NetGalley and everyone else involved for the opportunity to read this novel pre-realease. Look out for It March 2023.

Definitely more murder mystery, who done It vs thriller but i do like these kind of books I’m my rotation. Even though it’s not coming out until October, this time of the year just felt right reading It. I loved the tarot card reading aspect of the book and found It so interesting. I don’t know much about It before reading this book but based on other reviews, the author’s interpretation of the cards seems pretty spot on. I love when authors actually write about something they know for the authenticity. This novel was fast paced, had me hooked from the beginning and the main character was likable and relatable. I would definitely add this to your TBR!

This is a cozy, quirky mystery that is fast paced and a quick read. We meet Katie True ( a perfect name for a Tarot card reader!) living in her hometown, close to her parents and working at a Russian trinket shop that also does card readings. A bit of a loner, she soon makes friends with Marley, the woman that works at the shop across the street and she admires her independence and free spirit. Early on, a man with a head wound stumbles into her shop and during this process, Katie sees a photo of Marley on his phone. She appears to be dead. Thus begins Katie's quest to find out what happened to her friend and find her killer. Along the way she meets the nice detective on the case, Jamie, and we learn about Katie's relationship with her autistic brother, Owen, funny likeable character. There are lots of twists and turns in this book that keep you engaged, and I love the way the author weaves the tarot cards into the story. Does Katie really have a gift or is she just telling people what they want to hear? Will the tarot cards come in handy to solve the mystery? You'll soon find out in this charming story of discovery, romance, and identity.

I was hesitant to start Play the Fool after reading it's blurb. And while I thoroughly enjoyed the story, as well as Chern's writing, Katie is not an easy main character to love.
The whole idea is that Katie withholds an unnatural talent at readings others, which she channels through tarot card readings. Though its hard to actually give any credit to Katie when we begin the story by her basically scamming a customer. As the story progresses its hard to say Katie is insightful when at every turn she just showcases her lack of boundaries and immaturity. She's brilliant sure, but she's messy, lazy, careless, and unreliable. There were points in the story where it was hard to see her as anything other then a privileged girl, from a rich family, that didn't take the world seriously. Now, Chern's writing brought this story to life. It was personable, funny, and relatable. The characters are thoughtfully built and Owen, Katie's brother, is a treasure.
As for Marley, Katie's only friend in her lonely life, who winds up dead- Marley is something else. Yes, Play the Fool is a mystery novel, but the answers are all there. When secrets are finally unearthed, you'd have to really not be paying attention to be surprised. That being said, Chern had no limit to plot twists, and at parts I found them driving me a little crazy. I'm all for a good mystery but the plot has to remain stable. Since Katie was narrating the entire story, and her inner thoughts are unforgivingly chaotic, well so was the storyline. Chaos aside, Play the Fool was such a nice read. It was quick, comfortable, and thoroughly entertaining. I am grateful my original apprehension was disregarded because this is a read I am glad I chose.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC*

Katie True, a cynical tarot card reader who can’t seem to find her path in life, seeks to uncover the truth about her friend’s mysterious murder in this lighthearted, witty whodunit.

I loved this! Fast moving, fun to read, with a cleverly winding plot. I found all of the characters relatable and nuanced which only enhanced this wonderfully layered book. I was originally drawn to Play the Foolfor its eye-catching cover art, but I’m glad to find the eccentric cover matched the energy of the narrative. If I’m being picky, my only want would have been expansion on both Owen’s character and the brother-sister relationship between him and Katie. Their banter was funny and heartwarming. A unique, well-written book, I couldn’t put this one down.

Play the Fool is expected to be published 28 March 2023.

First and foremost, special thanks to Random House's Kathleen Quinlan for pre-approving me for an eARC of this novel through NetGalley and knowing this was the right kind of novel for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed Play the Fool. A perfect read for spooky season brought this novel to the top of my TBR, and has had me recommending it once released to a number of folks. Our protagonist, Katie, is a fiesty 20's something who is down on her luck (or maybe she's just exhausted by trying to live up to her family's expectations of her). When her mysterious older friend disappears and seems to have been murdered, Katie uses her skills for reading people and interpreting the tarot to try to discover what happened to her friend.

Soon Katie finds herself enmeshed in the possible murder investigation that's... not a murder investigation (the body disappeared?!), and seems to keep popping up at the wrong time, and the is quickly befriended by the detective who is new in town with his own difficult past.

Darkly and riotously funny, with prose that's precise and flowing, I highly recommend Play the Fool for fans of novels with femme protagonists, dark humor, murder mysteries, and twists and turns, but don't want to ruin the fun of unraveling the mystery within for future readers!

I received a copy of Play the Fool via NetGalley to read and review.

I remember reading the blurb and thinking ooook tarot cards to solve her friend’s murder, not sure what to make of that but why not? Even though Katie reads cards and enjoys it she’s not whipping them out every five seconds which I think is best. They do make appearances throughout the book but it really works for the story.

Katie is by far my favorite character. She’s 29 she’s still figuring out her life. She’s smart but just hasn’t found her thing which is how she gets herself in trouble. There’s a lot of growth in the short time frame of the book.

My one critique is the big reveal at the end. I feel like I remember the name popping up once or twice in the book but clearly it didn’t stick with me so I feel like it should’ve been a big a-ha moment but for me some of it missed there. Overall really great read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of Play the Fool. This is my honest feedback.

Play the Fook is Lina Chin's first novel but she is no stranger to writing. She has published short stories and written for the NYTimes and other newspapers. Her experienced writing was obvious. I found the book fun, a quick read, and never boring. Her narrator, Katie True, a reader of Tarot cards, is a reliable narrator full of spunk and gumption. I much prefer these characters if there is no detective or police person that the story revolves around. When we are allowed inside her head and hear her thinking, she is never whiney, and always maintains a sense of humor. Plus, there is a handsome policeman and we aren't given a happy or unhappy ending. That was a wonderful touch. I suspect that there might be another book in the making.

Katie works in a shopping mall and befriends another woman who works across the way from her. One day, someone runs into her store, freaking out, so Katie thought she would help him by reading the cards. When he goes to the bathroom, she looked at his phone and saw a photo of her friend, heaped up against trash, with a bullet hole in her head. Feeling some loyalty to her friend as she hasn't had many friends, she goes on a search to find out what happened. She gets herself arrested and meets the handsome policeman. Nothing is ever clear and we are as confused as Katie but grateful that we are just reading about it!

As the story moves along, Katie seems less like a flake and more like a smart, resourceful woman, and one can't help but wonder how she ended up working a menial job and upsetting her sister who thinks Katie should work for her. "I'm just trying to help you." This and all other questions are addressed and most answered by the end of the book. I'd say that this is a great beach read but it's a great anytime read. However, it's launching in the Spring of 2023 just in time for Spring Break!

Enjoy!!

Tarot is the lens through which Katie True sees her world -- a world in which she's a wanderer, at varying times lost and found in terms of her identity, her relationships, and her grasp on adult responsibilities. A refreshing protagonist for readers who tire of golden main characters, Katie is frequently getting things wrong as she makes impulse decisions as she takes on the investigation of a friend's murder.

Chern's prose is uncomplicated and makes for quick reading, but there's a surprising level of heart in this fun book. Katie's search for answers about her friend is rooted in her own desire to be seen, known, and valued, which is also shown through her familial relationships and her budding friendship-and-maybe-more with a cop on the case.

Great for fans of late-20s main characters, mystery, tarot, and quick, casual reads.

This is a well-written cozy mystery, an easy read. I really like the Katie True character, as well as her quirky BFF Marley and detective Jamie. The backstories for the characters ring true and the characters are likeable. The writer has some great quotes in the novel, such as “Sadness you’ve felt so long you don’t even notice it anymore.” I love that Katie has to do things her own way.

Katie is a bit of a disaster (the one exception being her nurturing relationship with her brother). I kind of hate her snarky sister Jessie! Her brother Owen is barely functional out in the world.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I hope you don’t mind a few corrections/suggestions.
I hate the cover. A cartoon-like character (such as what bad guy Joey would draw) would be more eye-catching. Something featuring Katie True, definitely.
Chapter 1, Page 1, ...me at the Russian knickknack place and SHE at the Goth (capitalized) boutique…. (SHE works at the Goth boutique.)
Chapter 3. He had seemed shocked at the photo. Huh? He didn’t know Katie looked at the photo so how would he seem shocked by it?
Chapter 8. He’s a fucking thief is what happened. This comes out of nowhere and needs a lead-up.
Chapter 18: I got nothing. I’m hosed.”. Drop the extra period.
Chapter 20: … scout’s honor did not know how to crime. Crime is a noun, not a verb.
Chapter 23: Somewhere between then and now I had briefly moved from my own couch to the Ortizes’ couch for my “babysitting” gig. This doesn’t make any sense because she isn’t at the Ortiz’s; she’s home.

When Katie’s friend Marley goes missing, the tarot card reader’s senses go on high alert. She sets out to find who has committed nefarious acts against her friend. Along the way, Katie finds herself in equally awkward and dangerous situations along the way. There’s a surprising amount of humor.

This book is packed full of interesting and colorful characters that lead it to be more cozy mystery and less crime novel. My personal favorites are Jamie (duh) and Owen. If this continues on to be a series, I hope we get lots more exposure to Katie’s family, as I found those portions to be some of the strongest writing. If you enjoy lighter mysteries, be on the watch for this one in March 2023.

On a personal note, this is the first time I’ve ever encountered my actual birth name as a character in a book. Wasn’t expecting that one! 🔮

A different take on the cosy mystery with the "what am I gonna do with myself" protagonist who meets up with a cute cop. If it sounds like Stephanie Plum...it isn't. Katie is actually self aware and wants to do more; she's gifted at reading people and she sees them as the various tarot cards she reads at the shop at the mall..Jamie, said cop, doesn't antagonize her or treat her like she's in the way so their budding friendship was nice. It's more like Psych meets Finlay Donovan (me likening anything to Psych is a huge compliment). Central mystery was interesting but all I kept thinking was Call a Bro from Hawkeye (iykyk) in regards to the bad guys.

Overall worth the read since it's not too heavy but the plot moves quickly..

Writing: 4/5
Character Development: 4/5
World Building: 5/5

Warnings: Language

Themes: Mystery, Thriller, who-done-it

Play The Fool was such a fun book to read. Katie was a character I could seriously relate to. She is a chaotic, exciting person who mostly lives in her head. It was exciting to read through the mystery and try to figure out who the killer was and why. My favorite character would have to be Owen, Katies brother. He just says what everything he is thinking and sees the world in his own way.

This book is great for anyone who wants to read about a chaotic main character who doesn’t know her own strength as she tries to solve a mystery that will keep you guessing until the end.

I received a free copy of this book and I am leaving an honest review voluntarily.

An easy read that kept me engaged with thoughtful characters and storyline - I’ll keep an eye for this author, no doubt!
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC opportunity!