Tarot Mysteries

The White Magic Five and Dime: A Tarot Mystery

Much to Alanis McLachlan’s surprise, her con-woman mother, Barbra, has left her an inheritance — The White Magic Five & Dime, a New Age shop in tiny Berdache, Arizona. Reluctantly traveling to Berdache to claim her new property, Alanis decides to stay and pick up her estranged mother’s tarot reading business in an attempt to find out who killed her. With help from a hunky cop and her mother’s live-in teenage apprentice, Alanis begins faking her way through bogus tarot readings in order to win the confidence of her mother’s clients. But the more she uses the tarot deck, the more Alanis begins to find real meaning in the cards...and the secrets behind her mother's demise.

“Cozy readers with a taste for humor will welcome this hilarious series debut.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Filled with humor, this engaging mystery turns many staples of the amateur-sleuth story on their heads, with each chapter bringing new quirks and surprises... Hockensmith, author of the award-winning Big Red/Old Red series, and coauthor Falco deliver a charming comic mystery.” —Booklist

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Fool Me Once

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?

“...delightfully quirky....” —Kirkus

“This book was a pure blast, start to finish...Hockensmith's tone is light, but not dopey; funny, but not nasty. And he has a breezy but smart storytelling style that suits his characters and setting.” —Mystery Scene

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Give the Devil His Due

Reformed con artist-turned-tarot reader Alanis McLachlan gets paid for predicting the future. Too bad she couldn’t see all the trouble in hers. First a figure from her troubled past returns to drag her back into the dark world of scams and thievery she thought she’d left behind. Then her on-again off-again romance with hunky teacher Victor Castellanos hits the skids when a surprising new suitor sweeps into town and tries to sweep Alanis off her feet. And then there's the little matter of the client who gets an ominous reading from Alanis...and is promptly murdered. Danger is in the cards for Alanis, and she'll need all her skills as a tarot reader and a con artist — as well as a lot of luck — if she’s going to survive.

“Hockensmith is a worthy heir to the late, lamented Donald E. Westlake, and I can't recommend this book more highly.” —Mystery Scene

“The authors' third outing...is a diverting series title filled with eccentric protagonists and engaging banter, insights into the art of the grift, and tantalizing love interests.” —Library Journal 

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