Fatal Fortune

Psychic Eye Mystery #12

by Victoria Laurie

In New York Times bestselling author Victoria Laurie’s newest Psychic Eye Mystery, Abby Cooper is trusting her intuition and heading to Sin City to bet on a friend’s innocence....

When police show Abby surveillance video of her best friend and business partner, Candice Fusco, shooting a man in cold blood, she can’t believe her eyes. And when the cops tell her they think the victim has ties to the Mob—and perhaps Candice does too—she can’t believe her ears. Surely there is a logical explanation. But Candice is nowhere to be found.

Abby decides the only way to find out the truth is to go to Vegas herself—which may be the biggest gamble of her life. Once in town she begins to uncover a rigged game of dirty double-dealing where the stakes are no less than life and death. And if she’s not careful, Abby can forget about ever leaving Las Vegas...alive.

Genres: Mystery, Paranormal, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Romance, Paranormal Mystery, Cozy

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2014

About the author

Victoria Laurie is the New York Times bestselling author of 32 books and counting. Over the past 16 years Victoria has created several series and a few stand-alone novels. Her mystery series include: The Psychic Eye Mysteries, The Life Coach Mysteries, and The Ghost Hunter Mysteries. She's also the author of two YA books, When and Forever Again, as well as a middle-grade series called The Oracles of Delphi Keep.

Currently, Victoria is working on the 17th book in both the Psychic Eye Mysteries and the 3rd book in the Life Coach Mysteries, along with also working to produce a brand NEW series called Spellbound set for release winter/spring 2020.

Victoria loves to connect with her fans, and you can find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/Victo...

Reviews

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars rounded up

Victoria Laurie's Psychic Eye Mystery is one of very few cozy mysteries (as in featuring female amateur sleuth) that I really enjoy. BUT, the last book I read, Deadly Forecast was back in 2013. Somehow with my enjoying other genres, I forget about it. Until yesterday when I browsed through my to-read collection and I saw this one still sitting there. I remember how I loved being with Abby and the gang. So I decided to pick it up.

Well, hell, I seriously forgot how much I enjoyed this series!! Despite that I haven't read any for the past 4 years, I easily got familiarized myself with Abby, Dutch, Candice, Brice, Oscar, and the rest of the team (I miss Milo here though... and Dave!). I loved these characters and I loved that Abby and Dutch are now married.

The core of the mystery is how Abby tries to clear her best friend's name. Candice has been caught on camera killing a doctor in cold blood. But Abby knows that it couldn't be her. That there must be a reason, an explanation for Candice to do the things that are alleged to her. In between those times Candice only sends Abby few instructions and Abby must tries to stay one step ahead of the Vegas PD or the FBI team that are looking for Candice.

I thought the mystery was smart and I loved how the team worked it out. The reason for this not being a perfect 4-stars read was that I became a bit pissed off with Candice's secrecy; she must know how horrible Abby (as her best friend) and Brice (as her husband) are going through with her going off grid like that. I have never been a fan of martyrdom plot *pout*

Considering that I get some catching up to do, now I am off to read the next book :).

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an avid fan of books, I love being able to read a series by authors where character development continues throughout every book. Laurie finds a fantastic way to develop her characters as people to the point where you feel like they are a part of your life. Personally, Abby sounds like the kind of girl I could shoot a text and hang out with. She's down to earth, she's adventurous, and usually she's spending her spare time defending the people around her. If that's not a quality to love, then I don't know what is. She's the definition of a badass heroine (and I may or may not owe a dollar to a jar somewhere). She's the kind of girl I would pay 12 dollars to go see played by Sandra Bullock. Or Jennifer Lawrence.

In the latest installment, Cooper finds herself in that exact position. She's put in a situation that threatens her life and those of the people she loves (but seriously...when is sister going to learn?!). Laurie does a great job tying the characters together in a story in a way where realism is at play in the stories for each individual character, not just "The author wants it to work so it does". You believe that the main ensemble of characters are a family, and that Laurie cares about them more than anything else. They are peas in a pod for sure.

It's a good entertaining read, and I may or may not have gotten sunburned reading the book outside because I didn't like the idea of putting Abby down. She's a character that never deserves to have a book closed on her. Props to Laurie for her awesome work!

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed this installment of the series. I wasn't thrilled about the anti-climatic ending brought about by the overly convoluted plot. Overall, though, another fun read from Laurie.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This next book in the series was just alright, and I’m wondering if it’s time to start wrapping up Abby’s story. I went back to familiarize myself with the previous book’s ending, and I accidentally opened the book from two books back (with the bombings on her wedding day). I read the last few pages and was satisfied, then I realized that there was a whole other book in between the newest one and the wedding one. Clearly, it wasn’t too memorable.

This one was more of the same. Not even going to get into the whole swearing parentheticals that crop up every single time she swears, as I have bitched about it in previous reviews.

What bugged me the most about this book is we, the readers, know Candice isn’t a killer. She’s been in so many books and we know her personality just as well as Abby. So it was very hard to believe that Abby was constantly having this battle in herself, debating on whether or not Candice was not only a killer of the plastic surgeon, but also a Vegas crime boss’s hit woman??? Seriously??

I know I’ve read and watched a lot of mysteries, but so has Abby (she's been IN them). She seriously never would have had the thought on her own that perhaps someone was pretending to be Candice in the video? That the very idea that someone like Candice who was planning on committing a murder wouldn't have vetted the parking garage before she shot someone in such clear view of a security camera? None of this occurred to her at all until Candice herself brought it up? That’s the very FIRST thing I thought of while reading it.

The whole thing just smacked of, ‘well, that would be the most logical solution but that would also make the book super short, so let’s have all these other things happen first.’ Also, Candice couldn’t just text a quick line to her very best friend she asked to protect her super-secret file something along the lines of, ‘BTW, was framed for a murder I definitely didn't commit; I was beaten and stuck in a trunk until an hour ago. On the lam. See ya soon.’? How would just admitting that to Abby have been any worse than what she did the entire book? Either way she had to know that Abby was going to stick her nose in it and try to help.

This book suffered from a lack of a strong plot, which means it had too many contrivances to get us to the end result, which was, unfortunately, paper thin. It seems like Laurie is running out of ideas, and it doesn’t take a psychic to figure that out.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another quick read! I am a HUGE Victoria Laurie fan. I buy the Abby & MJ books BEFORE they hit the shelves every single time. And, like every other Abby or MJ book, I finished this one in just around 24 hours. However, this one, to me, wasn't as good as the others. The story was slow to get going, and once it did, it seemed to wrap up fairly quickly in a neat little package. Too neat. It's almost like there were no loose ends. Does this mean it's the end of the line for the Abby series? I hope not. There were also a lot of new characters introduced, some of which were hard to keep track of, and some of the old favorites (like Milo & Dave) didn't make an appearance at all in this book. In addition, Abby barely used her psychic talents in the book, which is part of what makes the series so excellent. Did I enjoy it? Yes, of course. Will I read the next one in the series? 100% yes. Would I recommend this series to a friend? Absolutely. But, was this my favorite in the series? Nope. Not at all.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I am kind of over this series, particularly the way Abby still keeps things from Dutch and runs around endangering herself behind his back. It makes her seem kind of of stupid and arrogant.

[Susan Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this series and I think Abby Cooper is awesome. This story, however, was one of the best ones I have read in the Psychic Eye Mystery set. Abby's partner, Candice, has been involved with something major and dangerous and the twists and turns to get to the bottom of it and for Abby to put her emotions aside and help to clear her friend was just heart wrenching and exciting. Loved it!

[Linda Smatzny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is all about how much you believe in a person when said person seems to be killing people. Abby Cooper is shown a video the shows Canadice Fusco shooting a man at the Austin airport. Canadice disappears and everyone is looking for her. She has texted Abby to do something for her which Abby does but Abby can't wrap her head around what is happening. The story moves to Las Vegas where it seems that it started. The book was a quick easy read.

[Fraxinus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer, I received an advanced copy in exchange for a fair review.

I have been a huge fan of Victoria Laurie’s Psychic Eye Mysteries for years. I have loved watching Abby’s relationship with her, now husband, FBI Agent Dutch Rivers grow. As much as I loved Moonlighting as a kid, I am honestly frustrated by how much love stories seem to be dominated by the chase, as if being married is the best want to end a romance. I love that Ms. Laurie has both of her heroines in committed relationships that are healthy and supportive. I have loved watching Abby and Dutch grow together and how they are supportive of each other without being doormats.

However, the main relationship in this book is the one between Abby and her best friend Candace Fusco. Instead of being pigeon-holed into Lucy and Ethyl-like antics or giving lip service to girl-power. Ms. Laurie’s heroines are smart women, who build each other up and bring out the best in each other…. Well, at least they did….

There is a lot of self-reflection in this book; which is pretty impressive considering its break neck pacing. Abby’s world is turned upside-down in the first three sentences in this thrill-ride. Has her best friend been lying to her, basically the entire time they have known each other or is there more to this story? This is an almost obscene thought, Abby is a psychic, her husband is an FBI agent and her husband’s boss is married to Candace. But, as the clues unfold and the evidence builds up against her best friend, it seems more and more likely that no one really knew the real Candace at all. As Abby’s trip down the rabbit hole delves farther and farther into Candace’s history, Abby finds herself trying to prove her best friend’s innocence while trying to keep everyone she loves from sacrificing their careers and joining her in bizarro world.

Ms. Laurie, a psychic herself, explains the tools she uses in her craft, extremely well. You could look at the whole series as a how-to guide that you would actually enjoy reading. She takes a lot of time to explain the processes she uses to decipher the clues from her “crew,” her books demystify the psychic phenomenon. You almost can’t not believe her and I love it when she pulls out a reading on a skeptic who is patronizing her.

All in all, I enjoyed this latest romp in Abby-ville and am impressed that Ms. Laurie is still keeping things fresh, after 11 books and her character’s wedding. I am looking forward to the next installment.

[Once Upon a Romance Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sexual Content: None
Language (Profanity/Slang) Content: Mild
Violent Content: Moderate/Intense

Abby has had some difficult and dicey cases before and this one is no different. Her BFF and business partner's life is literally on the line. Candice is accused of a brutal crime and is now a fugitive. Abby, Dutch, and Brice have little to go on to help Candice or figure out the extent of the trouble she's in.

It's edge of the seat confusion, detective work, emotional trauma, and action. Add to that, the loyalty and love these four friends and co-workers have for each other.

What is always nice, even under dire circumstances, we see a character or two from previous books, characters who were helpful to investigations. There are also always characters who are stinkers and slime that these four have to fight and outwit.

Laurie is generous and gives the reader everything she has. If Abby is exhausted by all aspects of the culmination of the criminal investigation, imagine how Ms. Laurie feels. She's always at the top of my Fave Authors list.

Enjoy,
-- CONNIE

[Lisa Ks Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve only heard wonderful things about the Physic Eye Mystery series. Starting with book 11 didn’t have me at the disadvantage I thought it would. I found myself far into the book before I knew it.

Author Victoria Laurie is such a talented writer. While this was not quite a cozy in my opinion, it was an exciting mystery. The action started on page one and just kept gaining momentum right up to the reveal.

I don’t read many paranormals, though I do follow a few paracozy (I just made that word up) series that I love. The physic aspect of this book wasn’t too heavy, so it didn’t feel like it was the only focus of the story. To me, that’s a good thing.

All in all, FATAL FORTUNE is a book that will appeal to a variety of readers of different genres. But for those of you who follow my reviews to find new cozies, this does have a more thriller type of vive than one of a traditional cozy.

Check out the back for the book when you’re done for a sneak peek of SENSE OF DECEPTON, lucky number thirteen in the Physic Eye series.

[Rachelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, I hate the "Swearing doesn't count when..." line. That thing has been so overused now I'm surprised no one has called the author on it during editing. It might have been cute if said once or twice in the first book it was used in. But not over and over and over again.

The beginning wasn't bad, but the end was just this big jumble of names that I had a hard time keeping track of. Too many characters - with too many aliases - were introduced in this book. And the ending is just like this giant, messy knot of motives and coincidences that were just irritating. I feel like too much happened in the last part of the book, and that the actions and reveals should have been spread out a bit more.

[Ellemh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read this whole series in the last two weeks. I really enjoyed it, but these books of tapered off in quality and it's like the author never read her own books the back stories changing. Certain characters have ceased to exist. Relationships have changed, her powers have even changed. It's getting worse with each following book. For psychic mysteries this book is lacking. In previous books she used her powers all the time. In this book I don't think she used them a dozen times. I wouldn't even read book 13 but I already paid 11.99 for it. I don't have high hopes for it.

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

love this series and I am so fascinated by psychics and what they can do!

The author had me on the edge of my seat wondering about Candice, although I had a feeling that how it turned out was going to be the answer but wasn't sure what the tip off was in that regard. I was surprised at who else was involved once introduced to that character!

One big surprise was an F* bomb. only 1 and I do hope that isn't a sign that she will be putting more into future books.

[Kiersten Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This latest adventure with Abby and company was a wonderful ride. As always, Ms. Laurie starts the book off with a scenario to pull the reader in immediately. I will avoid spoilers but only say it is a situation that pulls Abby, Dutch, Brice and Candace into the middle.

The chemistry between these four characters is the heart of the story... And I enjoyed Abby needing to utilize more of her detective skills than her psychic powers. This was a great vacation read with treasured friends!

[Luseride · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abby gets a call in the middle of the night from Candice, her BFF, telling her to retrieve a file and tell no one.  The next morning she sees a video that appears to be Candice making a hit on a doctor from Vegas.  Believing that Candice would only do such a thing for a very good reason Abby begins to investigate.
The overall story line is good but I admit the lying gets on my everlasting nerves! Why Dutch puts up with her I have no idea. I would have kicked her to the curb long ago.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed the books in this series, in fact it's one of my favorites. It was a great book, don't get me wrong, I just wish it focused more on Abby's intuitive abilities. It seemed like the book was more focused on the crime aspect, which can be found easily in any mystery book or tv show, instead of abby using her psychic powers to add the FBI. But it was still a wonderful book!

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I would have enjoyed this book better had I read it and not listened to it. The story contains my greatest pet peeve, repetition. Readers are usually intelligent and we get the idea the first time. This really slows the story and stops the flow. The mystery itself was good. I think I will try another of her books, but read it instead next time.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

spoilers


in this edition of Abby try to stay out of trouble....she almost succeeds. Candice on the other hand is accused of 1st degree murder and on the run. But with help from her husband and Abby she will clear her name and business as usual.

[Mandy Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of the psychic eye series, however this installment was my least favorite. It felt rushed to me. The plot was a little chaotic and the ended was abrupt. Do I love this author? YES. Did I love this book? NOT REALLY. Will I rush out on release day and buy the next one? OF COURSE!

[✴ Cindy ✴ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like Abby shouldn't have doubted Candice... especially after every thing that Candice has done for her. It seemed disloyal. I also didn't like Brice not believing in the best of Candice. It told me that he didn't really love her.

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh!!!! I want it already! :)

Just finished it. I totally loved it! And want the next one! Now)

[Alyssa White · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This book was really good and it kept you on the edge guessing. My emotions got hit hard in this book so I gave it that extra .5 to round up. A book is great when it makes you feel.

[Moondance · Rating 5 out of 5]

My eyes popped open just after three a.m.

Wow! Just wow! I don't know where to begin with this one. Abby receives a strange call from Candice asking her to not tell Dutch or Brice. Soon the police arrive with a tape of Candice executing a man in the parking deck of the airport. It is a wild ride form there.

I've always enjoyed this series and this book just pumped it up. I usually smile at some of the things Abby gets caught up in. This book brought me to my knees and had me crying along with the characters.

The bond between best friends is amazing and Abby proves that she will go to any lengths to prove Candice is innocent. There are lots of bad guys to deal with including the FBI agents from Vegas. I often get so involved in a book that I feel like a part of it. I wanted to punch the agents that just wanted to apprehend Candice.

The act really puts a strain on Brice and everything he thinks he knows about his wife. For that matter, Abby has a moment of disbelief before she comes back strong to defend Candice.

I started to suspect a few things when the murder victim was identified. I just wasn't sure of the why and who at that point.

This is an excellent addition to the series and I need to read the next one ASAP to see what aftermath is left from this episode.

Wow! I highly recommend this series!

[Lori Gronewold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here is what I had a problem with in this book Abby is a psychic and she couldn't tell that her BFF and partner did not commit the crime. Wouldn't a BFF believe her friend was innocent no matter what. She also couldn't tell that Michelle was not being honest and when the body guard touched her she couldn't feel that he was bad and double crossing his boss?

Also, I am so tired of the swear jar. It is not adding to the plot and is distracting.

I thought Cat was going to be in Texas more now, didn't she open an office in Austin?

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Around the Year in 52 Books 2017 Reading Challenge. A book that is a continuation of the story.

Abby receives a voice message in the middle of the night telling her that it isn't what it appears and to please go to their office and remove a file from Candice's hidden safe. She is NOT to show that file to anyone or tell anyone about it. Abby returns home to find that Candice has been on video shooting an unarmed man in cold blood. What does that file contain? Why must no one know about it? Where is Candice and what has she done? Great story, lots of interesting twists.

[Naj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Candice. It think the Abby-Candice relationship has evolved so much that I can feel the BFF-love practically jump from the pages. What I haven't really felt and am even less convinced of is the Abby-Dutch relationship. Sometimes it just feels too one-sided and Abby seems just that much selfish but well. This book has a lot more stories so I suppose that this relationship can develop further.

[Dena · Rating 5 out of 5]

friendship?

Wow Candice is in trouble and everyone has no idea what to believe. I thought Abby would believe she was innocent throughout this whole story, however that’s not how it went. I think Candice needs to reevaluate her relationships because this was a hard to go through. I especially thought that Abby would be the first person she would go to. Where is the friendship?

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow good story

I loved it. The problem with liking a series so much is it interferes with my sleeping time. I tend to really tired the next day at work. I can never go to bed on time cause I don't want to put the book down. But it's worth it.

[Debra McEathron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow This book has all kinds of twists and turns. Candice is trying to find the evidence she needs for an important case. Meanwhile Abby, Dutch, and Brice are trying to figure out what is going on with Candice.