Cards on the Table: A Witchy Mystery

by Lana Harper, Jilly Gagnon

Two witchy sisters find themselves framed for the disappearance of their elderly client’s substantial trust after her sudden death—from the New York Times bestselling author of Payback's a Witch and the critically-acclaimed author of All Dressed Up.

As descendants of one of the original Salem Witch Trial victims, Tori and Cassie Bishop’s occult credentials are strong . . . but a trickle of tarot readings won’t pay the bills, and now they're facing eviction. When they’re offered a massive sum to play “witches in residence” to an elderly widow at her secluded Berkshires mansion, it feels like fate.

But from the minute they arrive at the opulent country estate it’s they’ve been dropped into a far more dangerous game than their smoke and mirrors can save them from.

The widow, Rose, is in her final days and desperate for the sisters to help with her unresolved spiritual needs before she passes. Her skeptical family and staff, however, are less enthusiastic about the sisters’ presence—with the exception of Rose’s nurse and her beloved great-nephew, who find themselves inexplicably drawn to Cassie and Tori.

Thrown into a viper’s nest of competing motives and impenetrable intrigues, the sisters do their best to help Rose. But after Rose’s sudden death, millions of dollars disappear from the estate overnight, and Tori and Cassie quickly become the prime suspects. Someone in the house has framed the Bishop sisters, and in order to clear their names, the two must rely on their powers—magical or otherwise—to unravel the toxic family's tangled web of greed, resentment, and deceit. If they don’t, Rose won’t be the only victim at Berwyn House. . . .

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fantasy, Cozy, Adult, Paranormal, Witches

400 pages, Paperback

Expected publication September 1, 2026

About the author

Lana is the New York Times bestselling author of Payback's A Witch and the forthcoming From Bad to Cursed from Berkley Books. Writing as Lana Popovic, she is also the author of YA novels Wicked Like a Wildfire, Fierce Like a Firestorm, Blood Countess, and Poison Priestess. Lana studied psychology and literature at Yale University, law at Boston University, and is a graduate of the Emerson College publishing and writing master's program. She was born in Serbia and lived in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania before moving to the United States, where she now lives in Chicago with her family.

Reviews

[Emily]

Review of advanced copy received from Netgalley

A cute short read. It started off a bit slow and the mystery behind it didn’t start until half way through the book. There is a lottttt of family drama. But it was a cute read with a twist at the end.

Big thanks to Netgalley & the Author for providing this advanced reader copy in exchange for my review. All thoughts and honest opinions are my own.

[Hope Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book and I had a very complicated relationship.

It showed up wearing a fabulous outfit: a crumbling mansion, tarot-reading sisters, witches in residence, a wildly dysfunctional wealthy family, a séance, old secrets, and the promise of murder. I looked at all of that and thought, "Well, obviously I'm going to have the best time."

Reader, the best time arrived... eventually.

For what felt like the first two-thirds of the book, the mystery was less "investigation" and more "let's all wander around this creepy house while rich people continue being exhausting." There are only so many family arguments, passive-aggressive comments, and suspicious glances a person can witness before starting to root for the ghost.

The real stars are Tori and Cassie. Their relationship is warm, funny, believable, and the main reason I kept turning pages instead of dramatically setting the book aside to sigh at the ceiling. Their banter feels authentic, and I would've happily followed them into a completely different story. Preferably one where someone gets murdered before everyone has finished introducing their emotional baggage.

And can we talk about this family? Every time I thought I'd found the least likable relative, someone else would stroll into the room and say, "Hold my inheritance."

Once the mystery finally remembered it was, in fact, a mystery, things picked up considerably. The twists were clever, the reveals were satisfying, and I suddenly found myself reading much faster. Which was great, except by then I was also thinking, "See? You could've been doing this the whole time."

The atmosphere is spooky without going overboard, the magical elements are fun, and the mansion deserves its own fan club. Honestly, the house had more charisma than half the people living in it.

In the end, I liked this book more than I loved it. It kept dealing intriguing cards but insisted on explaining the entire history of the deck before letting anyone play poker.

Would I recommend it? Yes... with the caveat that you should settle in, grab a snack, and prepare to spend a lot of time watching spectacularly unpleasant rich people make questionable life choices. Thankfully, the sisters make the trip worthwhile. Even if the murder is running fashionably late.

[Kheyra Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! As someone who is a huge fan of witchy stories, this had everything I look for in a fun magical read. The premise immediately grabbed my attention with two sisters who make a living as witches in residence, a mysterious wealthy family, secrets, romance, and plenty of magical elements. It was such a fun combination that kept me entertained from beginning to end.

Tori and Cassie were definitely the heart of the story. I loved their sister bond, the way they supported each other, and how their relationship grew as they faced secrets, betrayal, and unexpected challenges. Their dynamic felt genuine, and I enjoyed seeing them learn more about themselves and each other throughout the story.

The mystery had a slower start, but I didn't mind because I was enjoying the atmosphere, the witchy elements, and the family drama. Once the secrets started coming together, I was fully invested and loved uncovering all the twists and surprises. The magical details, tarot, and spooky mansion vibes made this the perfect cozy mystery for anyone who loves a little bit of magic mixed with suspense.

Overall, this was such an enjoyable read and exactly the kind of witchy story I love. The characters, atmosphere, and magical elements made this a five-star read for me. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys paranormal mysteries, family secrets, and stories with a little witchcraft sprinkled in.

[Jeremy Reppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Cards on the Table” was quite good. I definitely did not anticipate the ending. And I expected Rose’s death to occur earlier, with Cassie and Tori spending more time trying to prove their innocence. Though the pacing of the story worked out quite well. There were times I was a little frustrated that Cassie and Tori were not sharing the strange things they saw or overheard with each other. However, the tension between the two sisters, including how they viewed their abilities, was an important aspect of the story. I think it worked well to have Tori experience something that profoundly changed how she saw their powers. Which coupled with Cassie’s betrayal by someone she trusted (and whom she was interested romantically) forced the sisters to open up to each other on a deeper level than before.

The story is full of surprises, with lots of scheming and plotting by Rose’s family — some of it more benevolent and some it avaricious. And because “secrets” were often “discovered” without proper context, and it was assumed that Cassie and Tori knew certain information about other characters, there was a lot of confusion and misunderstandings, making it harder to know who could be trusted and how widespread was the collusion. The occult elements were creative, especially with the various artifacts and the past famous practitioners, some of whom were known to be frauds, as well as how much various characters believed or did not believe in the occult practices.

[Rebi · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me personally, this book was ok. However, I can see why people would love this book and anyone who loves sister dynamics, a witchy mystery, and a twist.

We follow sisters Cassie and Tori who are enlisted to help an elderly woman named Rose come to terms with her grief of losing her son. Rose, an extremely rich woman, doesn’t trust her family members who come to her side as she waits to die. She enlists Cassie and Rose to not only help with her grief before she dies, but she has them looking into who she can really trust.

Cassie and Tori each have their flaws that they can improve upon, and it becomes painstakingly clear very quickly. Tori is older and acts more often like a parent than a sister, which Cassie hates this. Tori bottles things up and tries to hide things from Cassie in hopes of protecting her. Instead of working together, they clash. Cassie is the idealist or maybe just more open minded, where as Tori is the logical, realistic one. I do think that Cassie should be more open to what they went through when they were younger and what role Tori stepped into. I believe this story is about coming to terms with grief and rebuilding relationships, whether that’s Cassie and Tori, or Rose and her family members.

There are characters you love in this book, ones you hate, and ones you don’t know if you’ll ever be able to trust.

I received an eARC from Atria Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Ballantine and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I love a good mystery and add witchy aspects to it and I am so there! Tori and Cassie Bishop are witches, in fact they’re decedents of the Salem witches. They do tarot readings but that’s not really helping them live their life. So when an offer to play witches in residence for a wealthy widow comes to them they jump at the chance. But they can tell from the moment they arrive that something isn’t quite right here. The widow is desperate, her family is conniving, and the staff ominous. And just as they begin to settle into life in the house the widow dies. Also her money vanishes. In order to clear their names they’ll have to use every trick they have to figure out who did it and untangle the web of greed, deception, and cons in the house. A cozy mystery that had all the vibes for spooky season! I enjoyed the magical aspects of the story as well as the deception, lies, secrets, complicated family dynamics, and betrayal! I also enjoyed the bond between Tori and Cassie and how they supported and challenged one another! Lana Harper and Jilly Gagnon write a fun mystery with lots of twists and turns!

[Sara Loves Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one had a really fun premise. Two sisters, Tori and Cassie, make a living as "witches in residence" and get hired by a wealthy, secretive family to help with a mysterious situation. Add in witchcraft, family drama, romance, and plenty of secrets, and I was definitely intrigued.

Unfortunately, it was a slow burn... maybe a little too slow. It took over half the book for the mystery to really get going, and there were so many characters and red herrings that I had a hard time keeping everyone straight.

The saving grace was Tori and Cassie—I genuinely liked both of them and wanted to see how things played out. The ending had a fun twist that bumped this one up for me, and I'm glad I stuck with it.

If you're a patient reader who enjoys paranormal mysteries with a little romance and doesn't mind a slower pace, this one is worth checking out. It wasn't a favorite, but not every book has to be. As always... life is crazy, go enjoy some fiction.

Thank you to Ballantine and Bantam for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

[LORIANN (my opinion doesn't mean much, but ...) · Rating 2 out of 5]

A twisted paranormal, thriller that follows two sisters, Tori and Cassie, who serve as "witches in residence". They have been hired to help a spoiled, rich family in a secretive family affair. Tori and Cassi are down on their luck, and this may just be what they need. But at what cost? There is drama, witchcraft, and romance mixed in this drama-filled book. However, the pace is very slow, and the plot is very underdeveloped. There are way too many red herrings and too many characters to keep straight. Tori and Cassie are very likeable, but the rest of the plot and the characters make the book very disappointing.

THANK YOU NETGALLY, for the ARC COPY of this book. ALL OPINIONS REMAIN MY OWN.

[❆ Ashton ❆ (fable link in bio) · Rating 3 out of 5]

✦⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆✦
✧｡･ﾟﾟ･☾ Review ☾･ﾟﾟ･｡✧

★★★ ¼
THANK YOU NETGALLEY AND LANA HARPER & JILLY GAGNON!
🔮💜🪄🌕🕯️
It wasn't bad, but it wasn't amazing either. I definitely think this is one of those books where the timing has to be right because it has a very specific vibe. If you're in the mood for something cozy, atmospheric, and a little quirky, I could see it being a much better experience.
The first chapter was very slow, and the jump in pacing from chapter one to chapter two gave me a bit of whiplash. Once things got moving, I found myself having a good time. It didn't completely wow me but it was entertaining enough to keep me reading. And honestly...a witchy mystery plot? Yessss please.

[ScarlettAnomalyReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I snagged this off Netgalley as something between reads and it did not disappoint. I do love a messy gathering of any kind, it used to be just inheritance readings but any gathering of people can get chaotic quick but I feel like possibly pretending to be witches living in a hour in the middle of nowhere is pushing to limit a little on, can this be a normal job?

There was a lot of character chatter, which usually I enjoy, but it just went on for a bit too long, I needed to story to pick up a bit, however the drama was fantastic and to be fair I wasn't looking for something to speed me along.

The ending was well worth the scenic route this one too and absolutely pick it up if you like a dramatic little mystery.

[Jess Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Tori and Cassie are recruited to bring their “witchy” talents to a wealthy and elderly woman’s home, they get much more than they bargained for. From greedy family members, thefts, spying, and being framed, the sisters have a lot to deal with.

I liked the main characters, but it took me some time to get into this, and the mystery really only starts more than halfway through. The beginning was a little slow, and I always struggle with storylines that include unfairness. Overall a fun read with a twist of an ending.

Thanks to #NetGalley #Ballantine and #Bantam for an ARC

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate a good mystery and this one didn't disappoint. I liked that it involved two sisters who needed to learn more about themselves and each other. I appreciated the growth of the main characters through the shared difficult experience. I appreciated the authors research into the witchy elements of the story as well. There were times when the characters feel a bit too far into tropes but they were unique enough it was worth reading.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A semi dark, witchy mystery that will get you in the mood for fall & Halloween. Two sisters with ties to the Salem witch trials are asked to help a dying woman find closure. When they travel to her remote home, they encounter a nest of vipers in her extended family & aren't sure who they can trust, including their new employer. Not as light-hearted as Lana Harper's other witchy books but just as good & possibly seems to be the start of a new series.

[Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: CARDS ON THE TABLE. NetGalley ARC new.

Stunning and exquisite! If you're an aficionado of the Paranormal, or of Witchcraft fiction, or arcane occultism, do not miss CARDS ON THE TABLE.
If your interest is in tightly plotted, intricately convoluted, highly suspenseful mysteries, do not miss this.
If you fancy isolated settings with an aura of Gothic frisson, if you love "locked-room Mystery," again: here is your book.
And if you are fascinated by psychologically wrought Family Dysfunction (more than one Family to choose from here!), or "how the Upper class lives," or how tightly can one author ratchet the suspense: Run, do not dawdle. You must read CARDS ON THE TABLE.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love stories that are little bit witchy so this was right up my alley. A locked room mystery with a cast of viper-like, untrustworthy characters that are Rose and her family. I loved Cassie and Tori’s sister relationship and how their experience in the Berkshires instilled some belief in Tori. I quick and enchanting read that I really enjoyed.

[Danielle D · Rating 3 out of 5]

This does not become a mystery until a full two thirds of the way in and it is resolved almost immediately. Until then it’s just a drama. It’s a drama about a messy, rich family which is a genre I love so combined with the paranormal element, I still enjoyed it.

[Cait · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mystical story following two witchy sisters and a family of a near death relative. I very much enjoyed the personality of all the characters, love the banter with the subtle twists and turns! A fun read for this autumn.

[Karen Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this one but it just didn't quite hit for me. It gives very Knives Out vibes, but I didn't connect strongly with the characters and spent far too much time just annoyed at everyone.

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rich people and their inheritance... everyone wants their part...

add witches!
enjoyable read!

[Laura]

Received an ARC via NetGalley.

This was sort of cozy mystery vibes but with sort-of-witches.

It was fine but wasn’t really my kind of story.