Death in the Cards was a fun mystery novel featuring a main character whose knowledge of tarot cards helps her earn money on the side, but also lands her in the middle of her first murder/mystery. Because she aspires to be a private investigator like her mother, she is somewhat excited, if unnerved, by the behaviour of one her clients during a tarot reading, and when that client goes missing just hours later, she wants to be involved in the investigation as she felt she was responsible for what happened.

Danika was a character who struggled with several things in her life making her quite empathetic and realistic. She wanted to be more active in her mom's investigation business, but her mother insisted she do chores that sidelined her in the business not really understanding her mother was protecting her and trying to keep her safe for as long as possible. I enjoyed the dynamics between mother and daughter and thought it was quite realistic, with high expectations as well as strict rules and regulations regarding her comings and goings. And while Danika was upset at some of the rules, she still followed them.

The representation was another of this book strengths and I really admired the lengths to which the author included so much of the culture. Not only do we have the American-Filipino community (and the food made me salivate), but there was also Danika's struggles with her sexuality. I loved that she was so clueless when it came to her friends. She could see clues all around her, but couldn't see a hint coming from any of her friends with regards to her behaviour towards them, something that was addressed in a wonderful way in this book. Danika was so used to giving advice through her tarot readings, but did not know how to take her own advice or open her eyes to her own behaviour. I am really glad romance wasn't the center of this book, but what was there was quite interesting and I am curious to see where the author takes the relationships next as I think there will be another book.

The mystery itself was interesting, if predictable, but it wasn't what kept me reading this book. Having a friend who uses tarot cards to guide her choices, I like how they were used in this book as a reference and to perhaps help with choices one has to make, but doesn't give clues to help solve the mystery. That was entirely on Danika and her family. I think this would have been a very different book otherwise, one I may not have liked.

Death in the Cards was enjoyable and I thought the characters were interesting and well-developed. I did think some of the sections moved a bit slowly and were somewhat repetitive, and I did find the mystery predictable. However, the overall reading experience was fun and the ending was done in such a way that I am expecting a sequel to this book. I definitely hope so!

Thank you to Random House Children's and the Author for a free advanced reader copy of this book.

Mia Manasala is in her element with this YA sleuth novel. The voice felt natural and fun, as well as awkward and stumbling like a teenage would be. I twist reveal was satisfying and surprising, and the minor romance was a fun addition! Definitely on par with the tita Rosie's kitchen mysteries! I can wait to see what is next!

Danika Dizon would like to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a private investigator. Her mother would like her to go to college. To make money, Danika is telling fortunes with her tarot cards. She need $900 to fix up her car.
One day she's confronted by Alex. It seems that Danika gave her sister a fortune and then she disappeared. Their parents are not concerned but Alex is. Working on her very first case gives Danika a thrill but it may also lead her into some big trouble.
I love Manansala and this book is very indicative of her work, gripping with great character development.

Four stars
This book comes out May 13, 2025
ARC kindly provided by Random House Children's and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

This book is definitely a fun, Veronica Mars type teen mystery! There's tons of nods to the show and other private eye stories. The cast of characters was a ton of fun, especially Danika and her family. The mystery is twisty and really intriguing. The Filipino culture is awesome to on page. And the addition of the Tarot readings really makes this stand out from other YA mysteries. A quick and fun cozy-ish read!

i was a little nervous for this one because i did not enjoy manansala’s adult cozy mystery series — much to my dismay and disappointment! however, i think her writing voice was made for YA, or perhaps she’s just written so many books this is a natural progression from her debut. i LOVED this one — i was hooked, the characters were interesting and kept me gripped, and i wanted to stay in this little world more and more. definitely a great mystery option for teens.

The YA genre is constantly impressing me with the depth and interest that these books hold- being entertaining fro both young adults and adults alike. This is the perfect mystery for someone looking for a wild ride without anything too gruesome or stressful. Loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Press for providing me with this arc!

I absolutely adored this book and couldn't put it down! As a Veronica Mars fan, I knew I would love it the moment Danika mentioned her Chrysler Le Baron was named Veronica. I loved the chemistry between Danika and Gaby, as well as the relationships between Danika and her cousins and friends. All the characters felt very fleshed out and realistic. I thought the pacing was perfect, with the action and character development happening hand in hand. While I did guess who was behind the "bling ring" at the country club and the killer, the reveal made sense and the suspenseful build up was well done. The inclusion of Danika's tarot readings and love of Kali really fleshed out the charcter and her world. I loved how the ending leaves it open to further books about Danika Dizon. I hope we get more books about this unique detective. I will definitely be recommending this book (as well as purchasing any future titles in the series)!

Mia P. Manansala’s YA debut, Death in the Cards, is a thrilling mystery brimming with charm and suspense. Protagonist Danika Dizon, a sharp-witted teen with PI parents, uses tarot readings to help classmates until a client vanishes after drawing the death card. Teaming up with the missing girl’s sister, Danika uncovers dangerous secrets while proving her detective chops.

Manansala crafted a page-turner with heart, blending family dynamics, supernatural intrigue, and clever sleuthing. Danika was instantly endearing: resourceful, determined, and relatable. The tarot motif added eerie depth, while twists kept tension high. Fans of her Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Series will adore this fresh, voice-driven mystery. A must-read for YA thriller lovers; here’s hoping it becomes a series! 3.75/5 stars!

I finished this one early in April but delaying my review to be closer to the publication day. I love and enjoy reading Tita Rosie’s kitchen series, though I still have to read her latest one. When I saw a sign up for an e-ARC, I immediately signed for this. Deaths In The Card is Manansala’s young adult debut and she delivered!


Danika Dizon, a high school student, a tarot reader and a problem solver. Coming from a family of private investigator and mystery author, her mom and dad respectively, she knows how to offer guidance to classmates who ask for reading, for a fee. When one of her clients goes missing, the missing girl sister, Gaby, ask Danika’s help to figure out what happened. With Danika, this is her chance to prove to her parents that she is capable and able to solve this on her own. What Danika didn’t expect is things to go south and risk her life and her loved ones in doing so.

While reading this, I feel the vibe of Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. The mystery is very interesting that will make you want to read until the end. This is a quick and easy read. I love the tarot reading. It adds up to the mystery to the whole story though I wish there were more readings hence the title. The characters are all likable. Reading this feels like home and familiar. Family supporting each other, Danika being a teenager, and this all feels like a real YA book without over doing things. She’s fun to be with and has that awkwardness of a teenager exploring her identity. And what is Manansala’s books without the food. This one embodies a typical thing in a Filipino household. In most situation, food is always serve and will always make you feel home. I always love how the author begins the Filipino culture into her stories in food, in family tradition and culture and the latest here is the introduction of Kali, a filipino martial arts. The mystery aspect of the story will captivate you though with some slow parts in the middle but the ending will give you a glimpse for a part two or probably a series.

Death in the Cards will be released on May 13, 2025. Thank you Delacorte Press for the e-ARC in exchange of the honest review.

Delayed review!

I am a big fan of Mia's other books so I was super excited to check out her YA!

YA is not my usual genre I read, but I'll read them here and there especially if it's by an author I like.

This was a fun read and I liked the Chicago elements added in and as someone who lives in Chicago knew the places or the unreliable L.

If you like YA and mysteries I'd definitely recommend checking out this book, available now!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Press for this e-ARC.

This is the kind of book I wish I had growing up.

DEATH IN THE CARDS is Mia P. Manansala’s first YA novel that I know my childhood self would have loved. It adds a cool new take to the mystery genre that’s also reminiscent of The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo and Disney Channel’s Get a Clue, featuring a queer Filipino-American who is a cross between Jessica Jones, Nancy Drew, and Harriet the Spy.

Danika Dizon aspires to become a private investigator like her mother, while also learning from her mystery-writer father. Apart from honing her detective skills, she also does tarot card readings on the side for her classmates seeking advice. After she does a reading for Eli Delgado, a bright and wealthy senior, she is confronted by Eli’s younger sister Gaby when she disappears. Gaby begs Danika to help find her sister, but the more she investigates, a dangerous mystery begins to unfold putting everyone at risk.

I have been a fan of Mia P. Manansala ever since I read Arsenic and Adobo. It was the first time I had probably ever read a book by a contemporary Filipino author and one of the rare times I felt seen in a genre I love no less. So I could imagine DEATH IN THE CARDS doing the same for a new younger audience that also welcomes readers to our Filipino culture.

My favorite part is the use of tarot cards and how they play a key role in the story. While I don’t know much about tarot, I love how there is an art and skill to it in understanding a person’s subconscious rather than predicting the future. It’s fun seeing these elements come up in relation to the case, but most of all in getting to know the characters and potential suspects.

The main highlight for me of course is all the Filipino references. The food! I’m already craving every dish mentioned. I also love the incorporation of Kali, a Filipino martial art that I didn’t know about. Even the smallest things, like Danika’s family dynamic and how she is with them are similar to mine (I love how there’s always a Tita Baby in a family 😂).

Based on the little teaser in the end, I’m already excited for the next book!

I always treasure YA books that deal with tarot, as I did tarot reading in high school too.

This one was really more eventful than I thought it would be, and the ending added a little special touch that I really enjoyed.

I don't know if that book will be part of a series, but if it is, I would gladly read the next books!! I liked all the main characters and didn't see much of the twists and turns coming.

Many thanks to the publisher for the complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

May 29th, 2025
I loved it! Everything that Mia writes is great so I'm not surprised one bit.
The main character Danika's voice is very much that of a young adult, which was fun to see. I enjoyed her family dynamic and seeing the support they all gave each other.
The story has a great mix of mystery and murder without feeling too graphic for a younger audience or too cozy for others.
The onlyyy thing I missed were the fantastic recipes that are this author's signature in her Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries. If you know you know. *wipes away tear*.
Whether you've read any of Mia P. Manansala's books or not, you can't go wrong with any of them so pick this one up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very cute. The family and friendship dynamics between Danika and her parents, brother, aunt, cousins and friends was very wholesome to read.

Danika’s narration heavily gives off 17 year old Gen-Z kid, so if something like that is going to bother you, do not read this book. But I found it refreshing that a teenager in a book actually reads and feels like a teenager. She’s also a certified weird kid, so a lot of her narration was very realistic.

I love a good mystery and solving one alongside our MC, and this was a satisfying one, though the tone was much more light and fluffy than dark. There were some moments that were a little alarming, but nothing truly scary in this book.

This was just a quick read, and a good time! If you’re looking for a more light-hearted and cozy mystery, then this is the book for you!

This book was actually very disappointing. It took me almost a month to get through. I love YA and I love the authors, other cozy mystery series, but this did not hit for me. The main character was extremely immature, which was bothersome, and the whodunit did it make any sense towards the end, and I was just very bored. I liked all of the side characters, it more than I like the main characters, and the last chapter was honestly pointless. Kind of disappointed, but I have the other series from this author to look forward to.

Death in the Cards is a cute, fast-paced YA mystery that blends tarot intrigue with amateur sleuthing. There’s a lot to love in this setup: the infusion of Filipino culture was a standout element, adding a fresh and authentic layer to the story, and the cast is delightfully diverse, which made the high school world feel inclusive and current. I also really appreciated the incorporation of tarot—any plot with a touch of the mystical is always a win for me.

That said, some elements didn’t land quite as well. The food descriptions, while rich and clearly a signature of Manansala’s writing style, felt a little overdone in this particular context. Instead of enhancing the plot, they occasionally pulled me out of the mystery and disrupted the pacing. The ending also felt rushed, with major plot threads tied up quickly in a way that lacked the emotional payoff the buildup deserved.

While I understand the goal of making this story resonate with a Gen Z audience, there were moments where the tone and references felt slightly forced—almost like the author was trying a bit too hard to sound “teen.” As a millennial reader, I’ve read plenty of YA where the generational voice felt natural and well-balanced, but in this case, it occasionally came off as inauthentic or overly curated.

Overall, Death in the Cards is a solid read with great representation and a fun premise, especially for younger readers just dipping their toes into the mystery genre. It has heart and potential, even if it didn’t quite hit all the marks for me.

I loved the mix of private investigators with tarot cards and how Danika relied on both to help the students at her school. She hopes to work at her mom's private investigator business once she graduates high school, but her mom is reluctant. Eventually, a break comes for Danika when one of her fellow students (Eli) disappears and her mom allows her to assist with the investigation. Gaby (the younger sister of Eli) and Danika team up and begin discovering the secret life that Eli kept hidden. I enjoyed the mystery, Philippian culture, humor, and the tarot cards. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

A strong YA cozy mystery debut that has a Filipino American teen tarot reader slash amateur detective looking into the death of one of her classmates. This gave me lots of Veronica Mars vibes, had a fun bisexual storyline and of course all the tarot reading/meanings made it extra fun for me. Good on audio and perfect for fans of books like Margot Mertz takes it down. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

First and foremost, thank you to the publisher and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved this story and it was definitely worth the read!

I finally got around to reading the first book in this author’s adult mystery series, Arsenic and Adobo, which first drew me in because of the dachshund on the cover, and then I loved it because of all the food in the story as well as just a fun mystery. So not only do I want to read on in that series, but when I saw she had a YA mystery coming out, with tarot cards as a part of the story, I was intrigued and requested the e-galley.

The mystery was definitely one that I was kept guessing exactly what was happening all the way through. Especially as the family of the missing girl wasn’t honest with Danika or her mom, as well as they wanted it kept quiet, so asking questions to investigate was really tricky. I enjoyed all the different foods that were talked about in the story, as well as the tarot card readings. I remember in high school I decided I wanted a deck of tarot cards and got some. I did one reading for a friend who said it was on the nose. But I never really did much more than that.

There were a few parts that went a little slow for me. The romance wasn’t a big part of the story, although there were some possible love interests. But as Danika hadn’t really ever dated anyone, the way she handled those two was interesting and unique. I liked the way the author handled that. In the end there was a bit of a maybe cliffhanger/lead to a second story, and I’d definitely be interested in another case. Since Danika is hoping to follow in her mother’s footsteps as a PI, it could be fun!