Second in a series, and you could start here, although perhaps more fun if you've already read "White Magic Five and Dime". Alanis is very likeable with an interesting skill set. Lots of snappy dialogue with enough snark to keep me smiling with an occasional giggle. There's a few good suspects for Alanis to track down. I wasn't really trying to guess the villain, but the author set up enough clues, and I thought the motive was well done. Set in Arizona, someplace around Sedona, but I didn't get much sense of place from it. Loved the Tarot card stuff - the intros to the chapters are very funny, and how Alanis does her 'readings' is also amusing. And a fun twist at the end, which will lead me to track down the last book.
Dollycas's Thoughts
We return the The White Magic Five and Dime in this 2nd Tarot Mystery. Alanis Tarot Card reading skills are improving but her main concern is helping people her mother conned out of their hard earned cash. Martha comes to Alanis to escape her abusive husband but when the husband is found dead she becomes the prime suspect and they think Alanis could be an accomplice. Thankfully she has a good lawyer for Martha, a friend not afraid to do a little breaking and entering, a sister with an internet hacker connection, and a keen sense to track down the real killer.
This story is so easy to easy to get caught up in. You know Alanis' heart is in the right place and she does go to great lengths to right her mother's wrongs. She is also quite savvy and doesn't get tripped up but those trying to con her or take advantage of her. She has grown quite a bit over the course of these books. The secondary characters are very interesting as well and the author brings them all together with an extraordinary plot with plenty of red herrings.
Each chapter starts with a excerpt from Alanis' mother's book, Miss Chance, Infinite Roads in Knowing. that Alanis is reading and to give us a little insight into the Tarot Cards. These are quite humorous.
The author did something I just hate :) he leaves is with a hook for the next book in this series! I hate that because we have to wait a year to get the rest of the story!!
For now this is a terrific mystery. While it can be read as a stand alone I truly recommend you start with The White Magic Five and Dime, you can read my review here. Then we can wait for the next installment together.
We return the The White Magic Five and Dime in this 2nd Tarot Mystery. Alanis Tarot Card reading skills are improving but her main concern is helping people her mother conned out of their hard earned cash. Martha comes to Alanis to escape her abusive husband but when the husband is found dead she becomes the prime suspect and they think Alanis could be an accomplice. Thankfully she has a good lawyer for Martha, a friend not afraid to do a little breaking and entering, a sister with an internet hacker connection, and a keen sense to track down the real killer.
This story is so easy to easy to get caught up in. You know Alanis' heart is in the right place and she does go to great lengths to right her mother's wrongs. She is also quite savvy and doesn't get tripped up but those trying to con her or take advantage of her. She has grown quite a bit over the course of these books. The secondary characters are very interesting as well and the author brings them all together with an extraordinary plot with plenty of red herrings.
Each chapter starts with a excerpt from Alanis' mother's book, Miss Chance, Infinite Roads in Knowing. that Alanis is reading and to give us a little insight into the Tarot Cards. These are quite humorous.
The author did something I just hate :) he leaves is with a hook for the next book in this series! I hate that because we have to wait a year to get the rest of the story!!
For now this is a terrific mystery. While it can be read as a stand alone I truly recommend you start with The White Magic Five and Dime, you can read my review here. Then we can wait for the next installment together.
