TRICKS OF FORTUNE

A tarot reader uses the cards to help solve several murders.

After a string of dead-end jobs, Katie True has made a living for the past year reading tarot cards at a studio located in her ambitious sister’s real estate office. Her best friend, Gina, is a bit flaky, but Katie can’t believe she killed police Lt. Matthew Peterson, even though she had a rocky past with him. Gina used to be a cop but has no friends in law enforcement anymore, and she’s arrested after her pin is found at the murder scene. Katie’s own life has been entwined with Officer Pete since he rescued her from a car accident as a baby. She’s known Pete’s son, Matt, all her life, though not his wife, June. Pete built a great reputation as a caring cop ever since Katie’s rescue and was on the cusp of retirement when he was killed. Katie’s boyfriend, Jamie, was formerly a homicide detective in California. Now, living in an area of small departments, he’s often called in for his expertise. Although Gina’s actions don’t always spell innocent, Katie still believes in her, but her decision to investigate puts her in grave danger. What she finds out about Pete is shocking. He drank, cheated on his wife, and stole from a club he ran as his fellow officers either joined in or looked the other way. When another officer is killed, his colleagues try to pin that murder on Gina too, but Pete’s sordid history provides many other suspects if the police really want to look.

Plenty of hidden motives and quirky characters add up to an engrossing read.