Review – Fool Me Once by Steve Hockensmith @MrHockensmith #mystery #4paws

StoreyBook Reviews 

FOOL ME ONCE large banner640

fool me once

 

Fool Me Once (A Tarot Mystery)
2nd in Series
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Midnight Ink (August 8, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-0738742236

Synopsis

After taking over the White Magic Five & Dime, Alanis McLachlan is trying to make up for her mother’s con jobs by tracking down old customers and making amends. When Martha, one of the most loyal clients, comes looking for a way out of her abusive marriage, Alanis does everything she can to help.

But helping Martha leads to unforeseen consequences . . . including murder. When Martha’s husband is found dead, the police show up at Alanis’s door. And things only get more complicated as she tries to clear her name from the top of the suspect list. With her growing mastery of the tarot and the Fool card to guide her, can Alanis find her way to the truth before the killer gets to her first?

goodreads-badge-add-plus

Amazon * B&N * INDIE BOUND

Review

This is the second book in a series about Alanis, the daughter of a con-woman who was also one when she was younger, but not that her mother has passed she is trying to make right some of the wrongs. To do this, she has ended up in a small town in AZ where she discovered she has a half sister.

I am intrigued by tarot cards and how different people interpret the cards differently. So the little excerpts about the different cards before each chapter is interesting and humorous at the same time.

So to the mystery – who killed Bill Riggs. The wife is the main suspect, which is something I never understood – why do the police always think the spouse did it?! Anyway, alanis has become friends with Marsha and wants to help her out – so that means investigating on her own and seeing where the clues lead. Alanis manages to meet some interesting characters along the way that definitely add some spice to the story. The killers were a bit of a surprise, I didn’t see it coming but should have guessed by an incident a bit earlier in the book.

And then there is the ending..talk about a cliffhanger! I am interested to see how this works out and what it means for a certain character. can’t say too much or I’ll give it away.

We give this 4 paws up.

pawprintpawprintpawprintpawprint

About the Author

steve hockensmithSteve Hockensmith’s first novel, Holmes on the Range, was a finalist for the Edgar, Shamus, Anthony and Dilys awards. He went on to write four sequels as well as a pair of bestselling follow-ups to the international publishing sensation Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. More recently, he wrote (with collaborator “Science Bob” Pflugfelder) the middle-grade mysteries Nick and Tesla’s High-Voltage Danger Lab and Nick and Tesla’s Robot Army Rampage.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

 

 

 

great escape button160

 

Recommended Posts

excerpt fiction women

Excerpt – The Space Between Secrets by Sheri Langer

  Synopsis In her forties and desperately yearning to be a mother, Rachel Sutton is devastated each month by a negative pregnancy test. Her marriage is on the rocks, but she believes a child will fill the hole in her heart. Life seems bitterly unfair until Rachel is presented with an opportunity to adopt a […]

StoreyBook Reviews 
Children christmas excerpt

Excerpt – Princess Sophie and the Christmas Elixir by Mike Martin

    Synopsis Princess Sophie and the Magic Elixir is the story of a young girl who loves Christmas. When she sees that the people of Melodica are losing their Christmas spirit, she sets out to help them rekindle their magic. At the end she finds that all we really need is to believe in […]

StoreyBook Reviews 
Cozy Giveaway Guest Post LGBTQ+ mystery

Guest Post & Giveaway – Plausible Deception by Dwain Lee

    Plausible Deception Mystery/Detective/LGBT/Quozy Setting: Primarily Los Angeles/Anaheim CA; Louisville KY; New York NY Publisher: Butler Books (October 15, 2024) Paperback: 332 pages ISBN 978-1-964530-02-4   Synopsis There’s only one Jackson Stradivarius. Welcome to the arcane world of handcrafted, professional violins. Master luthier Greg Zhu and his husband, Presbyterian minister Dan Randolph, travel to […]

StoreyBook Reviews