I was given Tricks of Fortune by Lina Chern by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book follows tarot card reader, Katie True, as she is running her tarot reading room in her sister’s old real estate office when a local police officer is murdered. This is the same officer who saved Katie when she was a child. And the murder suspect just happens to be her best friend, Gina.

A clever story that twists to the ending that takes some unexpected supernatural turns. An enjoyable mystery for a weekend read.

pretty fun murder mystery which worked quite well. the plotting was pretty interesting and the mystery was well done. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

My first Linda Chem novel but definitely not my last. I did not realize this was a sequel but it carried itself nicely. The beginning was a bit of a slow burn and laid out the story beautifully for part two. I loved the characters throughout. This was fun and quirky with a side of murder.
Thank you NetGalley, Linda Chen and Bantam Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

First, and most important, read the first novel before trying to read this one. I dived in not realizing there was a prior book and for almost the whole half of this novel, I was so hopelessly lost that several times I considered just walking away while my sanity was still intact. It was like being at your spouse's high school reunion; you don't know anyone, you don't know any of the experiences they are reminiscing about, you just want to go home and read a good book.

However, I kept at it and by the midway mark, things were finally starting to coalesce into an enjoyable murder mystery. The tarot cards are an interesting touch, but the constant dropping into the past with our heroine Katie and her Aunt Rosie, listening in on Rosie's lessons to Katie in reading the cards, was jarring and off-putting to the flow of the current mystery.

Besides not having any idea who the characters were and what their background with each other was and why they even knew each other, there was also the matter of the very slow burn of action (or lack of it) for most of the first half. When the story finally gets going and the players intertwined in the story finally start to make sense, the mystery moves along quite nicely. From the halfway mark to the end, it easily held my attention. The final denouement exposing the true criminal and their motive, though, left me scratching my head. It made little sense. Although all the loose ends were tied up, they didn't make a nice, neat bow. More like the tangled knot a kindergartner would make trying to tie their shoe by themselves for the first time.

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

I greatly enjoyed the first book in Chern's Play the Fool series, following tarot card reader Katie True, and this book is likewise strong. This is a cozy mystery series with a darker edge: the language is coarser, the lewdness blunter, though still mild compared to a lot of other genres. The set up for this delves into police corruption right from the start: Officer Pete, the man made famous for being photographed saving young Katie from an accident years before, is murdered on the job. It quickly is clear that Pete was not the golden hero many thought him to be. Katie's close friend Gina is accused of the crime, and as Katie digs deeper, she finds things dirtier than dirt. The end is especially nice. I kinda-sorta guessed at the murderer, but things were more complicated than that, and I love when that happens.

Are you ready for an engaging read? Check out Tricks of Fortune. It was a great read. Lina Chern did a great job. It's available this summer.

I wanted to like this book but it fell flat for me on many aspects. The characters had no depth and were not at all memorable to include the main character, Katie True. I figured a book involving tarot cards would provide an interesting aspect to a story. Now, some of the background about the history of the cards was cool to learn about. But the authors writing felt disjointed, as did much of the story line. It was hard to follow and I found myself having to go back multiple times because I had forgotten who some characters were.

For a short novel, there was a lot of details that seemed unnecessary and were long winded. I also felt some descriptions the author used were juvenile and out of context which makes a jarring read for the reader. I did not read the previous novel, which maybe would have helped understand the characters better but overall I found the read mundane and boring.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Tricks of Fortune.

I'd recommend readers check out the first book in the series before reading the sequel.

Katie True is back in all her messy glory and this time her BFF, Gina, needs her help to clear her name when she's wrongly accused of murdering a good cop.

But Katie has a personal connection with the deceased and when her investigation turns up dark secrets, she realizes her savior was never who he pretended to be. But who is? And will that knowledge put Katie in danger once again?

I'm intrigued by tarot cards which is why I began reading this series.

Katie is a likable character, she's goofy, innocent, and is pulled into the investigation to exonerate Gina.

The narrative seems messier this second time around; we get flashbacks where we learn how Katie was taught to read tarot by her unorthodox aunt, Rosie., which disrupts the pacing of the story.

There are the usual suspension of disbelief moments when Jamie confides details of the case to Katie and how she uses tarot to figure out whodunit. This gimmick is wearing out its welcome pretty quickly.

I like my mysteries to be grounded in reality and police procedure.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. This was my first time reading a Lina Chern book and I quite liked it. I found the narrative between Katie and her Aunt Rosie while learning the art of reading Tarot cards quite eye opening. I also liked how Katie used the cards to get people to look at things differently. That being said, I found the book a bit choppy. Gina was not a likeable character and I wouldn’t have been surprised if she were the murderer. I did not see the twist at the end coming.

"Tarot card reader extraordinaire Katie True gets embroiled in another local murder when her best friend becomes the prime suspect in this exciting mystery from the Edgar Award-winning author of Play the Fool.

Katie True has gotten her crap together...sort of. Now that the sinister events of the past year have wound down, Katie has finally made her dream come true and opened her own tarot reading room - even if it's in her sister's old real estate office in an outdoor strip mall. It's a good start, but her momentum grinds to a halt when the murder of beloved veteran police officer, Matthew Peterson, shakes her and her small community to the core.

Katie is torn. Lieutenant Peterson had saved her life as a child and holds a special place in her past. Even worse, her closest friend Gina - who knows Katie better than she knows herself - is the primary suspect.

As the investigation unfolds, the details surrounding Peterson's death become increasingly murky, as does Gina's innocence. All Katie knows is that following her intuition has gotten her this far. But will her trusty tarot deck help her when the truth about the people she loves is too terrible to face?"

I mean, aren't all tarot readers in outdoor strip malls? Or maybe I just have a skewed view because of Mallrats...

I loved it! I'm definitely going to spread the word about this great series in some groups I belong to. The dialogue is smart and engaging and the mystery caught me off guard but makes complete sense. I especially enjoyed the tarot teaching moments with her aunt - I'd really like to meet her. Excellent writer!

Tricks of Fortune is the second novel in the Katie True series and it offered up another great mystery. Katie was saved by a police officer when she was a baby. The story catapulted both of them into small town fame. Now Lieutenant Matthew Peterson has been murdered and Katie's friend Gina is the prime suspect. Katie once again teams up with Jaime to figure out what really happened.

This novel dug a little deeper into Katie's past and how she got into Tarot cards. The reader also learned a little more about her past family. I also want to mention that even though this is a series, one could read this novel and enjoy the story without having read the first one. I did enjoy the first novel a little more than this one but I thought this was a solid mystery. There were hints of romance and many layers to the story. There were good action packed moments. The author also did a great job with the mystery as it took me awhile to put all the pieces together. Katie is such an interesting character and I really like that Tarot Card angle. It brings an interesting and unique perspective to the story.

Thank you to Bantam Book and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a different type mystery for me because it surrounded tarot cards and I found that intriguing. The story was solid yet the writing was quite unmeasured and made for disjointed reading at times. It was a quirky mystery and I'm not sure I'd read the previous one in series but it was entertaining. Loved the cover!

This is a cozy mystery featuring tarot card reader Katie True as she gets tangled up in solving the murder of a beloved police officer. it's a cute light read as it combines suspense, humor with a dash of personal growth.

The plot is well thought out and meanders through Katie's new tarot reading business as well as through a real estate deal and a mild love interest as she solves the murder of the office. It's well paced, fun and the use of tarot cards adds a unique layer.

This was the second in the series and I shall be back for the third!

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

When I first started this book, the plot and characters seemed very disjointed, but as I read more and more, I really enjoyed the book. The last half of the book I felt more connected with than the first half.

The main character Katie is into tarot card reading, but not in a kooky kind of way. There is her sister Jesse, her best friend Gina, her friend Jamie, and Officer Pete his wife and his son. We have a who-done-it murder mystery that needs solved. I will say even though my guess as to who the murderer was correct I still enjoyed the book.

Katie is unique in so many ways, and her friends and family sometimes just don't know what to do with her now that she is showing a real talent for working with others to solve murder.
The story has a slow pace of activity and uses a lot of using flashbacks to integrate the meanings of particular cards in the context of the investigating. Most unusual and fascinating.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam via NetGalley. Pub Date Jul 01, 2025 @randomhouse
#TricksofFortune #PlaytheFoolMysteriesBk2 by @linachernwrites #bantambooksuk @ballantinebooks @penguinrandomhouse #NetGalley #goodreads #BookBub #LibraryThing
#tarotreader #smallbusiness #cozymystery #wryhumor #family #friendship #investigation

I didn’t realize this was the second book in a series when I requested this, and I’m getting angry at myself I haven’t been noticing lately. LOL! No matter, I dived in anyway. First off, I must say that the author does a great job of making sure this reads well if somehow readers miss the first book. I couldn’t really tell very much. Next, the mystery is intriguing and engaging, a good whodunit. Unfortunately, I must say upfront that I didn’t really like the main character, Katie; she didn’t jib with me, and it never got better. In addition, the chapters with Katie and her aunt Rosie were a little jarring; they didn’t bring much to the story. Altogether, this addition to the series is a good one, and fans of the first one are sure to enjoy this one. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine and NetGalley for proving me with this eARC, all opinions are my own honest opinion.

This is the second book in this series but my first book by this author. I love a cozy whodunnit and the twist of turn of the genre and this book was quite good.

Here we have our main character Katie trying to get her life sorted, recently started her tarot reading business in her sister’s unused real estate office and it’s not a bad start for her. She does miss solving crime with her tarot.

Suddenly the whole town including her surprised by the murder of the town veteran police. He was some that saved Katie’s life when she was young so she feels differently about finding his killer. It becomes complicated when Katie’s best friend becomes the main suspect so Katie decides to prove her innocence. Fortunately her partner in crime becomes the investigator of the case.

It was a pretty enjoyable read and the red herrings were good as well. I will recommend it.

Katie True's eagerly awaited second adventure did not disappoint! I loved the discussion (in flashback) of tarot weaved throughout the mystery narrative, and how the story explored a larger-than-life local hero who wasn't quite what he seemed. Katie's struggles are relatable, and her burgeoning talent for investigating crimes is fun to witness. This is my kind of mystery: heavy on character, with an authentic setting, and rooted in very human foibles with a bit of wry humor thrown in. More Katie please.

I'm not entirely sure this book was for me. I was a little confused throughout the book. Like the world building was bizzare and I struggled to really enjoy this. The vibes of this book kind of shifted wildly which made it difficult to follow. This was too slow for me.