Scan barcode
theavidreaderandbibliophile's review
2.0
Give the Devil His Due by Steve Hockensmith with Lisa Falco is the third book in A Tarot Mystery series. Alanis McLachlan is a former con artist who now runs The White Magic Five and Dime. One afternoon a man comes into the shop and Alanis is suspicious that he may be a cop. She ends up giving him a reading and sending him on his way. Then an older gentleman enters and asks to use the restroom. Alanis is then shocked when she sees Biddle walk in. She had presumed he was dead especially since she has not seen him in thirty years. Alanis knows that Biddle must have an agenda if he is returning now (after her mother passed away). After agreeing to meet Biddle for drinks, Alanis goes searching for the older man. He has disappeared, and he did not leave by the front entrance. After making sure her half-sister, Clarice is taken of for the evening, Alanis heads out to meet Biddle (she is trying to keep Clarice and Biddle apart). On her way home, a car tries to run her over not once, but twice. The next morning, Detective Daniel Burby of the Berdache Police Department arrives. He wants to question her about the man she gave a reading to the previous afternoon. He was found dead in a hotel parking lot with her card in his pocket. Alanis has a feeling that everything that has happened in the last twenty-four hour relates to the reason Biddle has suddenly returned to her life. Alanis needs to find out who is behind these incidents before they come after her sister.
Give the Devil His Due is a jam packed with activity (there was just one thing after another). There are more players in the book than in a three-ring circus (at least it felt like it). I was not a fan of the characters. I could not like them or care what happened to them. Give the Devil His Due is the third book in the series, and it is best to read the book in order. If you try to start the series with Give the Devil His Due, you will be confused (especially in the beginning). I found this book difficult to get through. The pace was slow and the way it was written was not enjoyable. There are several tarot card readings in the book and each card is explained (along with their possible meanings). I rate Give the Devil His Due 2 out of 5 stars. The author tried to make the mystery complicated, but I thought it was a cinch to solve. One detail stood out and provided the answer to the whodunit. I found information to be repeated frequently throughout. I do want to warn readers that there is an extensive amount of foul language in Give the Devil His Due (which is abnormal for cozy mysteries). A Tarot Mystery series is just not the right fit for me.
Give the Devil His Due is a jam packed with activity (there was just one thing after another). There are more players in the book than in a three-ring circus (at least it felt like it). I was not a fan of the characters. I could not like them or care what happened to them. Give the Devil His Due is the third book in the series, and it is best to read the book in order. If you try to start the series with Give the Devil His Due, you will be confused (especially in the beginning). I found this book difficult to get through. The pace was slow and the way it was written was not enjoyable. There are several tarot card readings in the book and each card is explained (along with their possible meanings). I rate Give the Devil His Due 2 out of 5 stars. The author tried to make the mystery complicated, but I thought it was a cinch to solve. One detail stood out and provided the answer to the whodunit. I found information to be repeated frequently throughout. I do want to warn readers that there is an extensive amount of foul language in Give the Devil His Due (which is abnormal for cozy mysteries). A Tarot Mystery series is just not the right fit for me.
tamarant4's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
One thing I had learned for sure about tarot readings: Doing them while driving wasn’t a great idea. [p. 131]
This was a quick and entertaining read - I was kept guessing by the plot, and am sad to discover that there are no further novels in the series (yet). Will Alanis decide which of her suitors (boring Victor, petty criminal G.W.) is worthy? Will Clarice live up to her potential? Will the White Magic Five and Dime ever break even?
One niggle: persons in the middle of an investigation who don't answer the phone / check their voicemail. (This also came up in The Widows of Malabar.) Obviously they're not expecting any urgent plot points updates about their case...
mpr2000's review
3.0
I've always been curious on how to read Tarot cards, this book was quite original because they explain you every card they read and their meaning, I love it!
This is the third book of the Tarot Mysteries series, in the beginning you are quite lost but you will get quickly on the action, so no worries!
I was a little bit lost when they were talking about Alanis' love live, she is not quite decided to who should she date; Victor or GW... I am not sure which one I prefer... and ex-con or a man who goes with his mum to the dates... and you? ;)
Alanis McLachlan's life seems getting dangerous for moments, lucky her, she had an amazing sister and friend, and a couple of possible lovers that will help her in this life or death threat... My favourite character in this book was Ceecee, she is so innocent and trusting! I would love to be like her, I am sure being paranoid and scared of life is not a way to live!
In this book there's mystery, action, a little bit of melodrama and humour, perfect for anyone searching a good read!
Do you believe in the Tarot?
This is the third book of the Tarot Mysteries series, in the beginning you are quite lost but you will get quickly on the action, so no worries!
I was a little bit lost when they were talking about Alanis' love live, she is not quite decided to who should she date; Victor or GW... I am not sure which one I prefer... and ex-con or a man who goes with his mum to the dates... and you? ;)
Alanis McLachlan's life seems getting dangerous for moments, lucky her, she had an amazing sister and friend, and a couple of possible lovers that will help her in this life or death threat... My favourite character in this book was Ceecee, she is so innocent and trusting! I would love to be like her, I am sure being paranoid and scared of life is not a way to live!
In this book there's mystery, action, a little bit of melodrama and humour, perfect for anyone searching a good read!
Do you believe in the Tarot?
drkaren's review
4.0
These Tarot mysteries are so fun - Can't wait for more.
And why isn't Miss Chance's Infinite Roads to Knowing available as a separate Tarot guide? It's hilarious and helpful. ;-)
And why isn't Miss Chance's Infinite Roads to Knowing available as a separate Tarot guide? It's hilarious and helpful. ;-)
morticia32's review
2.0
Book 3 in the series. It was okay.
I've given the series a chance, but this one just didn't work for me. I can't find it in me to care about Alanis or her sister and the plot was just ridiculously convoluted. Way too much going on, too many characters to keep up with. When it starts to feel like you need a spreadsheet to keep track, it's just too much.
I don't think I will be looking for book 4.
*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley*
I've given the series a chance, but this one just didn't work for me. I can't find it in me to care about Alanis or her sister and the plot was just ridiculously convoluted. Way too much going on, too many characters to keep up with. When it starts to feel like you need a spreadsheet to keep track, it's just too much.
I don't think I will be looking for book 4.
*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley*
lunifur's review
3.0
**I voluntarily reviewed this ARC**
This book was good, but way too convoluted to follow easily. It ends up feeling like every character is secretly planning their own con - understandable with how many main characters are conmen - and there is too much to keep track of. But it does have some shocking reveals, and what I could follow of the mystery was good.
This book was good, but way too convoluted to follow easily. It ends up feeling like every character is secretly planning their own con - understandable with how many main characters are conmen - and there is too much to keep track of. But it does have some shocking reveals, and what I could follow of the mystery was good.
lareads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
aurora_182's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ireadwhatuwrite's review
4.0
Owner of the White Magic Five and Dime Shop, Alanis is just trying to get by, set a good example for her younger sister and make up for the wrongs of her con artist mother. Things get bumpy when a mysterious stranger gets a tarot reading from her, that seems to be threatening and then ends up dead on the same night that her long dead step father shows up out of the blue. The adventure will see her life threatened by an old lady with a less than firm grasp on an uzi, have her investigating an old art theft and willing to deal with maybe even the devil himself to see that her loved ones are safe from harm.
Though not necessarily a bad thing, this is is not a typical cozy. The heroine is not a classic good girl, there is loads of profanity and plot just can’t seem to decide which direction it wants to go in. There is this great magic shop with a tarot spin, and there is a con a minute theme running a long game with Biddle at one end and GW at the other conning the money guy, looking for one last score, etc. Finally, there is the private eye vibe with Alanis being undercover along with her teen cyber detection team and the obvious mob connections. It does all tie together, but it makes for a very busy un-cozy like story line.
That said there are many great things about the book to recommend it, including a cast of clever and surprising characters. The main characters are fabulous, but they are nothing compared to the color characters; a stodgy lawyer with a billing fetish who knows more than he is willing to tell, an investigative reporter with an unexpected ax to grind, an art collector who isn’t what he seems, among others. I also felt that that the tarot cards were a fabulous way to introduce the chapters. I enjoyed seeing what the cards looked like as I have zero experience with tarot in general. This was was a good enough story to make me curious about the first books in the series and I certainly am willing to come back and visit these characters again someday.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
andyn5's review
4.0
This review was originally published on NetGalley.
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 that 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 aroller-coasterr 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!
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 that 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 aroller-coasterr 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!