The Fool Card

The Tarot Mysteries #1

by Bevan Atkinson

The Fool Card is the first in a series of mysteries linked to the tarot deck. In this first book, Xana Bard has chosen a quiet life——drinking tea, talking to her pets, reading, and conferring with the Pacific Ocean beyond her picture window. She calls the ocean Doctor P., and it’s cheaper than her therapist and may be a little more helpful. She’s happy enough, until the night Thorne Ardall, shot while chasing his boss’s killer, crashes into her house. Using her tarot-trained intuition rather than her better judgment, Xana patches Thorne up and they agree to track down the murderer as a team. She’s sure her mother will have a cow. Her friends will have a cow. Her shrink will have a cow. They can start a dairy farm for all she cares; she has taken hold of her life again.

Genres: Mystery

242 pages, Paperback

First published September 7, 2008

Reviews

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overlooking her sometimes annoying intrusive manner, I liked Zana, the protagonist of the story. 'The Fool Card' was told in first person, and being inside of Zana's head was a riot at times; I liked and appreciated her many views on life. The descriptions of San Francisco and its neighborhoods were spot-on too. Zana's new friend/private eye/partner(?) - in which you gotta' know that something is going to blossom between the two in the future - is the mystery that is Thorne. (He reminds Zana of the Norse god Thor...lol). When he literally crashes into her house, you know that a bizarre story is about to unfold, and with it, all manner of characters - savory and just plain yucky.

I really like Atkinson's writing, and hope to read the next book of the series: 'The Magician Card'. At nine bucks on Kindle though, it's a lil' pricey. If it ever goes on sale, I will get it!

*By the way - I met the author at the Bay Area Book Festival last year, and she was really nice.*

[Diane Standish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Net Galley for approving my request to read this book. First off, the cover of this book is what caught my eye. I love series, so I was excited to see this was the first. The author captured me from the first few paragraphs. Xana is a colorful protagonist, an independent woman with a self assurance I love. When Thorne crashes the car into her house and stumbles in bleeding from a gunshot wound the intrigue begins. Xana helps him as best she can and when he passes out, she lays down a five card tarot spread. When The Fool is the centerpiece she knows she's in for a ride. Xana's intuition is an important part of her success. The beginning of a great friendship is established in the book. The way Xana and Thorne work together is fun to read. I definitely recommend this book.

[Anjana · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are introduced to the interesting leading lady Xana Bard. She is relaxing in her house with two cats and two dogs when a car rams into her home. The man who emerges from the almost wreck is someone who will upend her currently serene life. The start was pleasant enough but only halfway into the narrative when you accept Xana's ability to see more into the Tarot Cards she reads than what appears at the surface, things get interesting. The narrative style was sarcastic, humourous at the same time was not frivolous or superfluous. I say that because it is usually a thin line that divides the attributes when it comes to mysteries like these. The way she installs herself into this investigation was questionable, but she does question it multiple times, so that evened out the situation. The tale is short and action-packed, with something happening every few pages. We also get to meet Xana's mother, who does add a whole other level to how the narrative is carried out. I immediately picked up the next book after setting this aside.
 I read these as ARCs thanks to NetGalley and the publishers. Still, the review is entirely based on my own reading experience and my bias towards long series' with a continuing personal storyline. 

[Lyn Adelstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story! The book starts with a bang, and is a fast, fun, thoroughly delightful murder mystery set in San Francisco. The characters are well developed, personable, and engaging.

Xana Bard, the heroine, is a smart, easy-to-like, amateur sleuth who applies the Tarot to help her solve a murder.

This is the first book in The Tarot Mystery series by Bevan Atkinson, and I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries, or for someone looking for a new series to start reading. It's the kind of book that leaves the reader satisfied, but wanting more.

Bevan Atkinson does for the Tarot what Sue Grafton did for the alphabet. If you like Sue Grafton, or Janet Evanovitch, you will like The Tarot Mysteries. The newest book in the series, The Emperor Card, just was released July 1, 2017, and it does not disappoint! I could not put it down!

[Morticia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started this book with high hopes as I like series mysteries and also am fascinated by Tarot cards. But the writing and storyline were so awkward that I was cringing while I was reading. The storyline is just so unbelievable as far as mysteries progress. The sleuth needs information on a situation so rather than go around to various sources to ask questions as Kinsey Milhone would have done, getting bits and pieces, some red herrings, she goes out for a fancy supper with her mother and her mother's friends who dump a huge quantity of information into her lap. It is just too easy and the ending is not hard to figure out.

I will say that what I did enjoy were the descriptions of San Francisco and its diverse weather and also the food descriptions when the characters were dining out. I like the discussuions of Tarot cards but I wish there had been more of it.

[Diane Standish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Net Galley for approving my request to read this book. First off, the cover of this book is what caught my eye. I love series, so I was excited to see this was the first. The author captured me from the first few paragraphs. Xana is a colorful protagonist, an independent woman with a self assurance I love. When Thorne crashes the car into her house and stumbles in bleeding from a gunshot wound the intrigue begins. Xana helps him as best she can and when he passes out, she lays down a five card tarot spread. When The Fool is the centerpiece she knows she's in for a ride. Xana's intuition is an important part of her success. The beginning of a great friendship is established in the book. The way Xana and Thorne work together is fun to read. I definitely recommend this book.

[Sue Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

 
Xana Bard has just told the universe she's ready for the next thing, whatever it may be. And it's a doozy. Tall, dark and handsome,...And gunshot. That starts the adventure where she and Thorne, as that's his name, combine forces to discover who killed his employer. A quick read with two engaging leads, a decent mystery and an interesting take on San Francisco and some of its denizons. Lots of fun and I'll be reading more in this series where each book focused on a card from a tarot deck. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sue Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Xana Bard has just told the universe she's ready for the next thing, whatever it may be. And it's a doozy. Tall, dark and handsome,...And gunshot. That starts the adventure where she and Thorne, as that's his name, combine forces to discover who killed his employer. A quick read with two engaging leads, a decent mystery and an interesting take on San Francisco and some of its denizons. Lots of fun and I'll be reading more in this series.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Fool Card is the first book in the The Tarot Mysteries by Bevan Atkinson. Originally released in 2008, this reformat is 244 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is an entertaining and well written series debut. Protagonist Xana is intelligent strong and likeable. The book is written in 1st person PoV, so hearing her internal monologue was a big part of the appeal for me. Her foil/partner is Thorne, an intelligent behemoth who literally crashes into her solitary life. Together, they sort out the mystery of how Thorne's recently deceased employer died.

This is a murder mystery with Greek-tragedy level family intrigue, betrayal, murder, abuse, money, and fraud. The plot gallops along, the tension arc is well controlled, and the technical aspects of the writing are seamless and enjoyable. This is an author who can really write. The secondary characters are well and sensitively drawn. The denouement was satisfyingly twisty. The language is G-rated, there's no sexual content, and it's an enjoyable and humorous ride from start to finish. I was captivated from the first page.

I appreciated that the author didn't throw the main protagonists together in an unfortunate and unbelievable insta-love romance. In fact the author didn't abuse my suspension of disbelief one time in this book.

Possibly worth noting for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. It's always fun to find a new to me author and series to read. I would definitely recommend this one to fans of modern American mysteries. I'm looking forward to more from this author.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Mira · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are three main characters in this, Xana Bard the tarot-loving gal uncertain of her next step in life, there's the taciturn Thorne, turning up at her door wounded and quite literally crashing into her life and then there is San Francisco in all her golden glory appearing at every turn.

This is a cosy murder mystery with cats, nice fancy dinners and musings on the Fool card of the tarot. I was almost expecting mysticism or magic to go with the tarot theme, but the story stays placed firmly in the real world.

If you're a fan of these gentle murder mysteries where the sleuth's mere presence in a room is enough to get the toughest of suspects to confess everything - then you will definitely enjoy this trip to SF. Looking forward to the sequels to see how this progresses.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

The series is very good. This review is for the series and I'll be posting the same review for each individual book -- each one is quite good. The main character Xana is pretty entertaining, and she and the other characters are appropriately quirky. Sometimes the plots are a bit predictable, and a bit unrealistic, and I'm not into Tarot Cards, but still enjoyed these. The author does a good job bringing the characters to life and obviously has talent. She knows how to build tension and characters, and writes pretty good dialog and humor.

The first book is good and the series gets better as the series progresses. These are not "literature" but they're good cozies if that is what you're seeking.

I really appreciate the review copies from NetGalley!!

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful start to a series! It has elements that I enjoy - mystery and tarot cards. Xana and Thorne are wonderful main characters and I really enjoyed following their story line. The author does a great job with developing her characters; they are interesting and engaging. The style reminds me of Janet Evanovich omysteries in that there is a male and female protagonist. I recommend this book and look forward to reading the next adventure in book two of the series.

I would like to thank the author/publisher/Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Aileen (Ailz) Grist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knowing the Ryder-Whaite pack of tarot cards, I thought this looked interesting. How right I was - it was a blast from start to finish.. I now know a fair amount about the San Francisco weather patterns - and I look forward to hearing more in other books in the series.

I found myself nodding along, and sometimes having to think about, her reading of the Fool card.

Loved it.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher I reada free advance review copy. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

[Ileana Renfroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fool Card is the first book in the Tarot Mystery Series.

The story revolves around Xana a tarot card reader who wants to live a quiet life. Everything is going well until the night that Thorne crashes into her house injured. Now Xana gets involved to try to find out who killed his boos and shot him in the fast-paced novel.

This cozy novel has a bit of suspense, as well as, a bit of humor. A novel you will definitely enjoy reading.

Highly recommend!!

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm more than happy I requested this ARC because this is an excellent series, gripping and entertaining.
I liked the well written cast of characters, the well crafted plot and the solid mystery that kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Sandra Crane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and interesting mystery. I loved that it is set in San Francisco. I also learned some information about tarot cards especially the fool card. I want to read more books by this author. Thank you Goodreads Giveaway for a great book.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly fun murder mystery that kept me reading! I love the concept of this series.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

"The Fool Card" is a fun mystery read with a great concept - using Tarot to foreshadow and deduce each mystery set in a lovingly detailed San Francisco backdrop with a comic heroine. The narrator expresses humorous asides throughout the book, with the occasional profound introspection and hint at a larger backstory. This is a quick read of quirky characters in a fast-paced whodunit reveling in San Francisco and it's upper echelon villainy in sharp descriptive detail.

As a debut, I hoped the author focused more on the Tarot in subsequent novels because it's a definite strength and focus for the potential of the series. However, the cards had much less to do with the plot of this book than I expected, and I was actually disappointed that the cards held no apparent mystical power - where's the fun if the cards are treated realistically in a fiction series? Also disappointing were some of the plot twists and dialogue that strained credulity, and a few humorous asides might strike others as wrong notes (as a reader younger than the author, I couldn't help feeling a bit put off by her jibes against younger generations). The main character seems to reflect the ego of the author a bit - the character has several special interests and skills and receives liberal compliments from other characters that come across as self-aggrandizing ("you're the most feminine woman I've met"), but expresses only a shallow sense of her own faults and so it comes across as self-pitying ("I know. Waa waaa."). Still, as a debut novel of a series, there should be a promising future in the author's cards.