Tricks of Fortune: A Play the Fool Mystery

Illinois fortune teller Katie True tackles a disturbingly personal murder case in Chern’s witty and exciting sequel to Play the Fool. For the past year, Katie and her acerbic friend Gina Dio have been operating a tarot reading room near Chicago. During the pair’s anniversary party, Katie pulls a card indicating that a secret from Gina’s past will destroy her. Moments later, members of the Lake County Sheriff’s office arrive to arrest Gina for the murder of one of their colleagues, Lt. Matthew Peterson. The news comes as a double shock to Katie, because Peterson rescued her from a burning car when she was an infant. After some digging, Katie learns that someone shot Peterson at close range without leaving any footprints at the crime scene, and she resolves to find out who. Doubts about Gina’s innocence complicate Katie’s probe, which eventually uncovers a hair-raising solution to the mystery. Charming first-person narration and some truly surprising plot turns make this a spirited good time. Agent: Joanna MacKenzie, Nelson Literary. (July)

Correction: A previous version of this review mistakenly referred to the main character as Kate instead of Katie.