Give the Devil His Due (Tarot Mystery #3) by Steve Hockensmith & Lisa Falco

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My Rating: 4 Stars

Wow! Never judge a book by its cover, especially not this out-of-box novel! This was my first time reading a Tarot Mystery novel and I definitely want to read the previous novels and what comes next!

Imagine that instead of a clean-record type of characters, you have a family of successful con-artists. After the death of their mother, Alanis and her half-sister Clarise try to keep a straight life by running the occult shop left by their mother, The White Magic Five and Dime shop. Things run smoothly until Biddle, the sisters father figure, comes back after years and shows up at their shop. The thing is he also came with a scheme that can get them into a hell of trouble. In a roller-coaster of emotions, Alanis is lost in what to do, until a client’s dead body is found. Let the adventure begin, including a crazy lady, old lovers and a small town.

I really enjoyed this steady-paced cosy-mystery. Completely new and refreshing to have a main female character that actually doesn’t fit the usual box of “the good girl”. The characters are great, they have depth and it was very easy to connect with them. The writing also helped in connecting to the storyline and the characters. The description of the emotions and the line reasoning of Alanis only made her more likeable to me and it made me rot for her all the way. The humorous lines and witty counter-backs add colour and spice to the story, they were a delight to read! 

The illustration of the tarot cards and their meaning were amazingly used, even if some of those meanings weren’t completely accurate. Even so, I can’t describe my satisfaction in seeing a deeper use of the tarot cards and how they influence the story. Absolutely loved it!

I can say that this book has a bit of everything: drama, humour and mystery. I definitely recommend this novel to all the fans of cosy-mysteries with a twist!

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher Midnight Ink, and the author for allowing me to read and review a digital copy of this book. 

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