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Impossible Crimes #1
Three Card Murder
One sister is a cop.
The other a con artist.
Both are suspects.
When DI Tess Fox arrives at her first murder scene there are already two big problems. First, the victim was thrown from the balcony of an apartment locked from the inside. Second, Tess knows the victim, and a clue left at the scene means the killer knows that too.
Only one person knows about Tess’s link to the victim and has the skills and criminal background to mastermind a locked-room murder. But Tess’s half-sister Sarah is a con-artist, not a killer. And Tess is going to need her expertise if she’s ever going to crack the case.
Soon two more bodies turn up in equally mysterious circumstances and also known to the sisters. Tess now has three locked room mysteries to solve and even more reason to be suspicious of Sarah. Can she trust someone who breaks the law for a living, even if she is family?
The other a con artist.
Both are suspects.
When DI Tess Fox arrives at her first murder scene there are already two big problems. First, the victim was thrown from the balcony of an apartment locked from the inside. Second, Tess knows the victim, and a clue left at the scene means the killer knows that too.
Only one person knows about Tess’s link to the victim and has the skills and criminal background to mastermind a locked-room murder. But Tess’s half-sister Sarah is a con-artist, not a killer. And Tess is going to need her expertise if she’s ever going to crack the case.
Soon two more bodies turn up in equally mysterious circumstances and also known to the sisters. Tess now has three locked room mysteries to solve and even more reason to be suspicious of Sarah. Can she trust someone who breaks the law for a living, even if she is family?
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 31, 2023
113 people are currently reading
1250 people want to read
About the author
J.L. Blackhurst
3 books28 followersJ.L. Blackhurst is a pseudonym for Jenny Blackhurst who was born and grew up in Shropshire, where she still lives with her husband, two boys and two beagles. She has a Masters degree in Occupational Psychology and has worked in administration for the Fire Service and retail management before leaving to write full time.
She wrote her first book, How I Lost You after giving birth to her son in 2011 and since has written seven psychological thrillers, her first of which won her a silver Nielsen award and became a kindle number one bestseller in the UK and a Spiegel Bestselleren in Germany. She can solve a Rubix cube in three minutes.
She wrote her first book, How I Lost You after giving birth to her son in 2011 and since has written seven psychological thrillers, her first of which won her a silver Nielsen award and became a kindle number one bestseller in the UK and a Spiegel Bestselleren in Germany. She can solve a Rubix cube in three minutes.
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August 11, 2025A very highly plotted triple locked room murder. As so often with highly plotted mysteries, I found the execution of the crimes too elaborate to convince: the criminal's success relies on a ton of luck. Part of the genre, I know.
I also struggled a bit with this one for other reasons. For one, the author wavers between admiring Sarah's skills as a con artist (here expressed in petty little cheats of random ordinary people for no great reason) and remembering that con artists are actually quite shitty people who do shitty things. I think if you're doing an amoral protagonist and you actually want the reader to be alongside that character, which the book definitely does, the amorality needs to be on a grander scale, because otherwise they risk striking the reader as just some horrible scrote. I wanted to see Sarah pulling off big cons on people who deserve, or at least can afford, it, not cheating randoms in the street.
Also... It is rare that I stop to reflect that detective novels, ie books using murder as fun, are conceptually in quite poor taste. However, I was forcibly reminded in this one by a reference to "Ian Huntley's victim's [sic] disappearance". If you're going to use the real murders of children for verisimilitude, I think you should at least get the number of dead kids right.
I also struggled a bit with this one for other reasons. For one, the author wavers between admiring Sarah's skills as a con artist (here expressed in petty little cheats of random ordinary people for no great reason) and remembering that con artists are actually quite shitty people who do shitty things. I think if you're doing an amoral protagonist and you actually want the reader to be alongside that character, which the book definitely does, the amorality needs to be on a grander scale, because otherwise they risk striking the reader as just some horrible scrote. I wanted to see Sarah pulling off big cons on people who deserve, or at least can afford, it, not cheating randoms in the street.
Also... It is rare that I stop to reflect that detective novels, ie books using murder as fun, are conceptually in quite poor taste. However, I was forcibly reminded in this one by a reference to "Ian Huntley's victim's [sic] disappearance". If you're going to use the real murders of children for verisimilitude, I think you should at least get the number of dead kids right.
August 18, 2023
I was really excited for this book, and was sad when it fell flat.
Where’s the drama? Where’s the thrill? Where’s the plot?
I sure couldn’t find it.
I had heard so many good reviews aswell, but unfortunately this just wasn’t for me
Where’s the drama? Where’s the thrill? Where’s the plot?
I sure couldn’t find it.
I had heard so many good reviews aswell, but unfortunately this just wasn’t for me
September 1, 2023
A good cheeky listen. The narrator does a good job of the story which is 3 murders whete it seems imposdible for the killer to have got out unseen.. They are being investigated by Tess and seem to be linked to her half duster Tess whi is on the overside of the law. Sarah is still family but they haven't seen each other since Tess protected Sarah and made her choice to be a police officer.
The essence of this story is the relationships between the two sisters and how its effects both their lives andorger telationships i did lkke the way Sarah quickly worked out tge elaborate clues. The twists were good i didnt like the ending a set up for a series with a unresolved cliffhanger.
I did enjoy the bizarre murders and clues and i would recommended this to anyone who like cozy mysterys . It was a quick listen lots of chapters . Thanks to netgallery publisher and narrator for a solid 4 star listen.. i highly recommended this
The essence of this story is the relationships between the two sisters and how its effects both their lives andorger telationships i did lkke the way Sarah quickly worked out tge elaborate clues. The twists were good i didnt like the ending a set up for a series with a unresolved cliffhanger.
I did enjoy the bizarre murders and clues and i would recommended this to anyone who like cozy mysterys . It was a quick listen lots of chapters . Thanks to netgallery publisher and narrator for a solid 4 star listen.. i highly recommended this
April 11, 2024
3,75 ⭐️
January 19, 2025
Włączyłam ją bez większych oczekiwań i jak już zaczęłam dotarło do mnie, że w sumie miałam z tyłu głowy inną książkę autorki, ale dobrze wyszło! Czas przy niej szybko zleciał i dobrze się jej słuchało. Może i jest trochę przekombinowana, ale bardzo podobała mi sie relacja między siostrami i jestem strasznie ciekawa, co będzie dalej i jak to się rozwinie! Nie do końca jestem fanem kończenia w taki sposób książki, wolę jednak, gdy nawet jeśli jest w serii, to jest to zakończona całość, a tu miałam wrażenie, że bardziej urwała się w połowie, ale przez to tym bardziej mam ochotę na drugi tom. Ogółem historia idealni trafiła w mój gust :)
January 11, 2026
What a fun murder mystery book! I thoroughly enjoyed that!
The story, the characters, the misdirections, the writing style, the mystery– all very nicely done.
And, I am excited to read the next one in this series!
The story, the characters, the misdirections, the writing style, the mystery– all very nicely done.
And, I am excited to read the next one in this series!
April 3, 2024
Omijać szerokim łukiem. Nudna, bez sensu, zagadka też bez szału i jeszcze takie durne tłumaczenia, żeby jakoś skleić historię do kupy. NIE, NIE i jeszcze raz NIE.
January 18, 2025
Thrilling
April 25, 2024
Three Card Murder by J.L Blackhurst follows Tessa, a DI, as she is sent to investigate a mysterious case involving a victim that was throw from a balcony apartment, and the victim also happened to be someone from Tess' past. Those in itself was suspicious, but the facts of the evidence show that the door was locked from the inside– so who did it?
Things take a turn for the worse when the evidence at the crime scene show that the supposed killer is someone Tessa knows– her sister Sarah. While Sarah is a really skilled con artist, not a killer, it's up to Tess to prove it.
This was such a fun read. While the focal point is the murder and mystery surrounding it, I think what I really loved about this book was the relationship between the sisters, Tessa and Sarah. I love that there's already some conflict between the two from their jobs alone– one is a cop and the other is a con artist. Throughout the book, there's some back and fourth between the two sisters, but they do have a sense of love and respect for each other.
Spoilers !!!
While I did enjoy the murder-mystery and police procedural aspect, I liked reading about the sisters' relationship a lot more and it's why I continued reading.
3 stars.
Novelstorian (Blog) ✨ Instagram ✨ Twitter ✨
Star ratings and their meanings:
★★★★★: I loved everything about this book! I would re-read it and would highly recommend it to you, your family and your cat!
★★★★: I liked it. I didn’t love it but I still liked it enough to still rate it highly. I could see myself still recommending this book to a lot of people
★★★: It was an okay book. There maybe have been a few things that bothered me while reading this book but for the most parts the likes outweigh the dislikes.
★★: the cons outweigh the pros, unfortunately. There might be some things that were lacking in some areas—writing, characterisation, plot etc, but there may have been a few moments that I liked.
★: Nope. I should've just appreciated this book from afar. (less)
Things take a turn for the worse when the evidence at the crime scene show that the supposed killer is someone Tessa knows– her sister Sarah. While Sarah is a really skilled con artist, not a killer, it's up to Tess to prove it.
This was such a fun read. While the focal point is the murder and mystery surrounding it, I think what I really loved about this book was the relationship between the sisters, Tessa and Sarah. I love that there's already some conflict between the two from their jobs alone– one is a cop and the other is a con artist. Throughout the book, there's some back and fourth between the two sisters, but they do have a sense of love and respect for each other.
Spoilers !!!
While I did enjoy the murder-mystery and police procedural aspect, I liked reading about the sisters' relationship a lot more and it's why I continued reading.
3 stars.
Novelstorian (Blog) ✨ Instagram ✨ Twitter ✨
Star ratings and their meanings:
★★★★★: I loved everything about this book! I would re-read it and would highly recommend it to you, your family and your cat!
★★★★: I liked it. I didn’t love it but I still liked it enough to still rate it highly. I could see myself still recommending this book to a lot of people
★★★: It was an okay book. There maybe have been a few things that bothered me while reading this book but for the most parts the likes outweigh the dislikes.
★★: the cons outweigh the pros, unfortunately. There might be some things that were lacking in some areas—writing, characterisation, plot etc, but there may have been a few moments that I liked.
★: Nope. I should've just appreciated this book from afar. (less)
May 10, 2024
This is a solid locked-room set of mysteries all combined into one fun family story. I enjoyed it overall. Scratched the mystery itch!
June 13, 2025
2.75|| czemu to nie jest młodzieżówką
July 24, 2023
Review to follow...
September 6, 2023
"the first body fell from the sky at 16:05pm on tuesday 5 february, landing seconds later at the feet of a woman waiting for the number 7 bus on grove hill."
I picked this up through Netgalley, with thanks to J.L. Blackhurst (Jenny Blackhurst), HQ and Harper Collins for gifting me this e-ARC
tess and sarah jacobs are half-sisters. one is a cop. the other? a con artist. so when tess's first murder case as acting di sees all the evidence of the locked room case point to her sister and their shared past, can they work together to find out who really is behind it? especially as the bodies keep piling up?
rating: ⭐⭐⭐
my thoughts: i've never read a Jenny Blackhurst book before, despite spotting them on shelves - for some reason they've never grabbed my attention quite enough. i actually requested this off netgalley after seeing the proof editions and descriptions over on tiktok, as the cover intrigued me, and i normally love a good cosy crime.
but this dragged. i loved the beginning of the book, with the whodunnit and confusing surrounding the locked room mystery. i enjoyed each subsequent killing and the wild theories, but the amount of miscommunication between the sisters at so many points in the book just ruined it. i also couldn't enjoy the major twist of the book because it just seemed implausible and far fetched for how it came to occur.
i'd have also loved to see more of sarah's criminal world, as i loved the descriptions of the building she called base, as it just brought to life the setting and how no one pays attention to different corners of towns and cities - but i found tess quite bland and boring, with the different officers and higher ups making me a little confused.
and the ending? i've never seen a book so abrupt that i thought i was missing pages. yes, this suggests a new venture with tess and sarah (maybe? hopefully?) but even so i'd have liked a better conclusion compared to how it was rushed.
I picked this up through Netgalley, with thanks to J.L. Blackhurst (Jenny Blackhurst), HQ and Harper Collins for gifting me this e-ARC
tess and sarah jacobs are half-sisters. one is a cop. the other? a con artist. so when tess's first murder case as acting di sees all the evidence of the locked room case point to her sister and their shared past, can they work together to find out who really is behind it? especially as the bodies keep piling up?
rating: ⭐⭐⭐
my thoughts: i've never read a Jenny Blackhurst book before, despite spotting them on shelves - for some reason they've never grabbed my attention quite enough. i actually requested this off netgalley after seeing the proof editions and descriptions over on tiktok, as the cover intrigued me, and i normally love a good cosy crime.
but this dragged. i loved the beginning of the book, with the whodunnit and confusing surrounding the locked room mystery. i enjoyed each subsequent killing and the wild theories, but the amount of miscommunication between the sisters at so many points in the book just ruined it. i also couldn't enjoy the major twist of the book because it just seemed implausible and far fetched for how it came to occur.
i'd have also loved to see more of sarah's criminal world, as i loved the descriptions of the building she called base, as it just brought to life the setting and how no one pays attention to different corners of towns and cities - but i found tess quite bland and boring, with the different officers and higher ups making me a little confused.
and the ending? i've never seen a book so abrupt that i thought i was missing pages. yes, this suggests a new venture with tess and sarah (maybe? hopefully?) but even so i'd have liked a better conclusion compared to how it was rushed.
December 1, 2024
I randomly picked this up in a charity shop without really knowing what it was, but wow this was really amazing and totally up my alley! I loved the murders/mystery which was so fascinating and I adored the characters and interactions. Will totally be looking into more of this author!
October 8, 2023
I liked most of the story, and I'm so sorry but the ending was a bit disappointing
I was hoping for a clear cut ending
I was hoping for a clear cut ending
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2024
wow.
jeden z najlepszych kryminałów jakie czytałam. nie nudziłam się ani sekundy podczas czytania tej książki, była nieszablonowa i ilość plot twistow i ich jakość - niesamowita.
jeden z najlepszych kryminałów jakie czytałam. nie nudziłam się ani sekundy podczas czytania tej książki, była nieszablonowa i ilość plot twistow i ich jakość - niesamowita.
March 23, 2025
I wanted to love Three Card Murder (after hearing the author speak about the series at a book event when she remarked what a fun project it had been for her to write something completely different to her normal psychological thrillers) but it really didn't work for me. Set in Brighton DI Tess Fox is called in when a man dies after falling from a flat balcony with a cut throat. When the flat is examined the police are faced with a locked room mystery where there is no apparent way the murderer could have escaped. When the deceased is identified Tess realises that he is linked with an event that happened 15 years before when to save her half sister, Sarah, Tess had killed a man and a reference to that is found pinned to the wall of the flat. A crime for which Tess has never been caught.
The rest of the story is based around this basic secret that Tess and Sarah share, but in the intervening 15 years they haven't had any contact with each other and forged very different careers. Tess had joined the police force and Sarah has continued in the family business of deceiving people out of money by running cons from the three card trick to elaborate schemes defrauding businesses. Two more murders are committed providing more locked room style situations and as the investigation continues the evidence is stacking up to indicate that either Sarah is the murderer or someone is framing her for them so Tess tracks her down. Now reacquainted Sarah convinces Tess that the police need her skills as a con artist and specialist in slight of hand and misdirection to help them solve the crime.
Several things made this a read I trudged through. In some ways the worlds of Tess and Sarah are completely incompatible and there is a necessity to suspend belief to accept that a member of one of the biggest criminal gangs in Brighton would be welcomed by a career police officer to work together. The whole thing hinges on the fact that they are half sisters and relies on the sister bond to explain this, so I acknowledge that as an only child reader I fail to truly understand that bond, however, when it's made clear that they didn't grow up together, met fifteen years ago for the first time and then only spent 6 months together I can't see how any kind of deep friendship could have formed never mind a bond as close as siblings.
As the novel comes to its conclusion the locked room elements of the plot are solved satisfactorily and while the murderer is revealed its not at all clear that they are brought to justice (which I found frustrating) when the novel just seemed to suddenly end. Significantly though I really didn't like any of the characters, felt they were very two dimensional and from about half way I didn't care what happened to any of them and forced my way to the end in the hope that it was just an illusion that it was awful and there would be a miraculous ending, particularly as I still have a copy of the second book in the series to read.
The rest of the story is based around this basic secret that Tess and Sarah share, but in the intervening 15 years they haven't had any contact with each other and forged very different careers. Tess had joined the police force and Sarah has continued in the family business of deceiving people out of money by running cons from the three card trick to elaborate schemes defrauding businesses. Two more murders are committed providing more locked room style situations and as the investigation continues the evidence is stacking up to indicate that either Sarah is the murderer or someone is framing her for them so Tess tracks her down. Now reacquainted Sarah convinces Tess that the police need her skills as a con artist and specialist in slight of hand and misdirection to help them solve the crime.
Several things made this a read I trudged through. In some ways the worlds of Tess and Sarah are completely incompatible and there is a necessity to suspend belief to accept that a member of one of the biggest criminal gangs in Brighton would be welcomed by a career police officer to work together. The whole thing hinges on the fact that they are half sisters and relies on the sister bond to explain this, so I acknowledge that as an only child reader I fail to truly understand that bond, however, when it's made clear that they didn't grow up together, met fifteen years ago for the first time and then only spent 6 months together I can't see how any kind of deep friendship could have formed never mind a bond as close as siblings.
As the novel comes to its conclusion the locked room elements of the plot are solved satisfactorily and while the murderer is revealed its not at all clear that they are brought to justice (which I found frustrating) when the novel just seemed to suddenly end. Significantly though I really didn't like any of the characters, felt they were very two dimensional and from about half way I didn't care what happened to any of them and forced my way to the end in the hope that it was just an illusion that it was awful and there would be a miraculous ending, particularly as I still have a copy of the second book in the series to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2023
A fun locked room, puzzle of a crime mystery.
AD: I was given an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
SYNOPSIS:
"One sister is a cop.
The other a con artist.
Both are suspects.
When DI Tess Fox arrives at her first murder scene there are already two big problems. First, the victim was thrown from the balcony of an apartment locked from the inside. Second, Tess knows the victim, and a clue left at the scene means the killer knows that too.
Only one person knows about Tess’s link to the victim and has the skills and criminal background to mastermind a locked-room murder. But Tess’s half-sister Sarah is a con-artist, not a killer. And Tess is going to need her expertise if she’s ever going to crack the case."
MY THOUGHTS:
🃏 I read this on audio and the narration/story telling was wonderful. I would highly recommend to read as an audiobook if you are able to.
🃏 I loved the two main characters (sisters Tess and Sarah) on either side of the law, like chalk and cheese but come closer together as the story unfolds.
🃏 It was such a quirky perspective and spin on the murder mystery genre.
🃏 I can imagine this book being a fun read for fans of locked room/puzzle crime mysteries that the reader is encouraged to solve - I'm not one of them BUT it didn't spoil my enjoyment, I just went with the flow and the twists as they came.
🃏 Cleverly done, with a unique plot that felt perfectly planned out by the author but not easily guessed by the reader - I certainly had not clue of the culprit.
🃏 I really enjoyed it and would recommend, just be prepared for a sudden ending / cliffhanger!
AD: I was given an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
SYNOPSIS:
"One sister is a cop.
The other a con artist.
Both are suspects.
When DI Tess Fox arrives at her first murder scene there are already two big problems. First, the victim was thrown from the balcony of an apartment locked from the inside. Second, Tess knows the victim, and a clue left at the scene means the killer knows that too.
Only one person knows about Tess’s link to the victim and has the skills and criminal background to mastermind a locked-room murder. But Tess’s half-sister Sarah is a con-artist, not a killer. And Tess is going to need her expertise if she’s ever going to crack the case."
MY THOUGHTS:
🃏 I read this on audio and the narration/story telling was wonderful. I would highly recommend to read as an audiobook if you are able to.
🃏 I loved the two main characters (sisters Tess and Sarah) on either side of the law, like chalk and cheese but come closer together as the story unfolds.
🃏 It was such a quirky perspective and spin on the murder mystery genre.
🃏 I can imagine this book being a fun read for fans of locked room/puzzle crime mysteries that the reader is encouraged to solve - I'm not one of them BUT it didn't spoil my enjoyment, I just went with the flow and the twists as they came.
🃏 Cleverly done, with a unique plot that felt perfectly planned out by the author but not easily guessed by the reader - I certainly had not clue of the culprit.
🃏 I really enjoyed it and would recommend, just be prepared for a sudden ending / cliffhanger!
February 13, 2024
Easy read but it was as if there was something missing but I just cannot pin point what it is.
The chapters were nice and short for majority of it. The way it was written allowed for a quick read. Loved the fact that the author was not focusing too much on unnecessary scenery descriptions.
Sometimes it felt like the scenes were moving too fast, and in certain chapters I did get a bit confused about who it is about.
The ending left a little bit of desire for closure - at least an epilogue would be nice. But nonetheless a great read.
The chapters were nice and short for majority of it. The way it was written allowed for a quick read. Loved the fact that the author was not focusing too much on unnecessary scenery descriptions.
Sometimes it felt like the scenes were moving too fast, and in certain chapters I did get a bit confused about who it is about.
The ending left a little bit of desire for closure - at least an epilogue would be nice. But nonetheless a great read.
February 17, 2025
I just couldn't get into this. Not the book's fault I think it just wasn't the right book for me.
I wasn't as interested in the sibling drama - which is the main focus of this book - as I thought I would be.
The writing and the character development was good here. As I said it just didn't grab me like I expected it to and found my attention drifting so I took it back to the library. Maybe I'll try this again sometime in the future.
I wasn't as interested in the sibling drama - which is the main focus of this book - as I thought I would be.
The writing and the character development was good here. As I said it just didn't grab me like I expected it to and found my attention drifting so I took it back to the library. Maybe I'll try this again sometime in the future.
September 4, 2023
Actual rating 3.5.
As soon as I heard about this one at the HQ showcase, I knew I’d enjoy it and that was before I even realised it was set in Brighton!! We love a local read 🥳
This is a great crime caper, made all the more interesting by two sisters on either side of the law - let’s face it, the criminal element is always more fun to read! It’s a clever plot full of misdirection and surprises, but also packs an emotional punch as the sisters face up to their history and the fact that they’re both rather lonely. And yes, I really did love recognising so many of the locations, although hopefully there’ll never be such a high body count that nearby…
As soon as I heard about this one at the HQ showcase, I knew I’d enjoy it and that was before I even realised it was set in Brighton!! We love a local read 🥳
This is a great crime caper, made all the more interesting by two sisters on either side of the law - let’s face it, the criminal element is always more fun to read! It’s a clever plot full of misdirection and surprises, but also packs an emotional punch as the sisters face up to their history and the fact that they’re both rather lonely. And yes, I really did love recognising so many of the locations, although hopefully there’ll never be such a high body count that nearby…
June 1, 2024
An interesting read! Some parts surprised me.
July 19, 2025
this was an interesting story with great characters.
January 4, 2024
Interesting locked rooms murder mysteries. But, the relationships between the characters are slightly too whiny and tiring. Impossible crimes but somehow not captivating enough. Overall, it’s an ok read. It’s a series but unlikely for me to read the next one.
October 4, 2023
Three Card Murder by J L Blackhurst is a locked room murder mystery thriller that I listened to and really enjoyed the narration. It was a most enjoyable book to read, telling the story of two sisters, Tess who is in the police force and Sarah who is a con artist and how they are both connected to the three murders that have happened in mysterious circumstances.
Whilst they do both find out who the killer is, they were allowed to leave and there will no doubt be another follow on book in the series,which I will enjoy reading or listening to in the future.
Highly recommended
Whilst they do both find out who the killer is, they were allowed to leave and there will no doubt be another follow on book in the series,which I will enjoy reading or listening to in the future.
Highly recommended
September 4, 2023
** WARNING ** Cliff-hanger **
DI Tess Fox and Sarah Jacobs are half-sisters. They were brought up apart, but Tess met Sarah and her father, conman extraordinaire Frank Jacobs, when she was in her late teens/early twenties. At first Tess and her new family get on well, but the tragic events of one night led her to choose law enforcement over a life of crime.
Now, fifteen years later, Tess is given her first murder case to investigate and its a doozy. A man fell/jumped from the balcony of his flat, but when the police arrive at the scene his throat has been slashed. Yet no-one was seen entering or leaving his flat in the 24 hours before his death and there is no forensic evidence to suggest anyone else was ever there. A classic closed room mystery! Tess would be thrilled, but she recognises the victim's name - he was one of the men involved in the incident that night.
As the bodies pile up, all linked in some way to the events of that night the only evidence at each site points to Sarah, herself a talented con-artist. But the clues are so obvious they must be misdirection ... or does she want you to think that?
This was clever, and the killer's motivation for staging the murders the way they did is perfectly plausible, but when the book came abruptly to an end I was more puzzled than eager to find out what happened next. I don't think the reality lived up to the blurb TBH. But then I'm not very keen on films like Now You See Me so a book which relies heavily on the illusionists' trick of misdirection isn't really my thing.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
DI Tess Fox and Sarah Jacobs are half-sisters. They were brought up apart, but Tess met Sarah and her father, conman extraordinaire Frank Jacobs, when she was in her late teens/early twenties. At first Tess and her new family get on well, but the tragic events of one night led her to choose law enforcement over a life of crime.
Now, fifteen years later, Tess is given her first murder case to investigate and its a doozy. A man fell/jumped from the balcony of his flat, but when the police arrive at the scene his throat has been slashed. Yet no-one was seen entering or leaving his flat in the 24 hours before his death and there is no forensic evidence to suggest anyone else was ever there. A classic closed room mystery! Tess would be thrilled, but she recognises the victim's name - he was one of the men involved in the incident that night.
As the bodies pile up, all linked in some way to the events of that night the only evidence at each site points to Sarah, herself a talented con-artist. But the clues are so obvious they must be misdirection ... or does she want you to think that?
This was clever, and the killer's motivation for staging the murders the way they did is perfectly plausible, but when the book came abruptly to an end I was more puzzled than eager to find out what happened next. I don't think the reality lived up to the blurb TBH. But then I'm not very keen on films like Now You See Me so a book which relies heavily on the illusionists' trick of misdirection isn't really my thing.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
January 7, 2024
Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I picked up”Three card Murder Club” in a 2 for £9 deal in Asda on a whim when food shopping one evening. This is in fact a locked room mystery and a true one at that; the term locked door mystery in present times is often abused or misleading and therefore the reader does need to be afraid of a hidden passage fix within the novel. Since the author "can solve a Rubik's cube in three minutes," it should come as no surprise that the murders in this novel are difficult for the detective characters to solve (more author profiles should include entertaining facts like this one). Con artists and grifters are involved in the mystery, as the title suggests, but their role in the story is unconventional, with the lines separating law enforcement from criminals being blurred in an in a captivating but fulfilling manner. Although Maurice Leblanc's Arsène Lupin is a well-known earlier example of a criminal turned investigator, I believe Blackhurst's treatment of the issue is more nuanced and sophisticated.
The goal in Blackhurst's instance is to present her two female heroines, Tess Fox and Sarah Jacobs, who are half-sisters. However, the reader is shown information about these individuals rather than being told it, which makes for an unexpected but effective introduction. Their acerbic interaction is shown effectively, and I liked how the roles are reversed. Rather than a more cliché victim-about-to-die prologue, I believe this adds additional curiosity because the reader is unsure of the direction things are headed in. In addition, the way the prologue was written made me think of TV shows when you only see a small portion of the show before the opening titles and music start.
In sharp contrast to the prologue, Chapter 1 opens with a body that physically lands in the first line of the current chapter, fourteen years later: “At 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, February 5, the first corpse dropped from the sky and landed at the feet of a woman who was waiting for the Grove Hill number 7 bus”. There are several ways to reveal the body in a murder mystery, including However, I really like the subtle, direct approach.
The instability of DI Tess Fox's employment is shown in the opening chapter, which does a fantastic job of establishing her character: "It was put through to the spotless desk of Acting Detective Inspector Tess Fox of Sussex Major Crimes Team." Particular focus on the “acting”. The fact that Fox is related to the victim increases this vulnerability and gives the case a fascinating new angle. The mystery is increased by the fact that we don't know how Fox knew the victim or how she could have been connected to their death. We only know that she is eager to hide this relationship, therefore we can't help but question if she is dishonest police officer or a victim of the situation? To its credit, the story doesn't provide clear classifications like "good cop" or "bad cop," and the subsequent story further emphasises this lack of distinction. She takes evidence from the crime scene to hide their shared past, which is a risky move for a new series' detective protagonist, but Fox's softened stance doesn't appear forced. It, in my opinion, made it impossible to draw a sharp distinction between her and her con artist sister. However, I believe that Sarah's harsh upbringing is tempered by the revelation that she preys on the weak and the avaricious, among other less "honourable" con artists. The strategy is akin to that of the BBC television series Hustle.
It was interesting to learn more about Fox. The author does not provide the reader a tonne of information on Fox and or her relationships with her father and half-sister. The details are revealed more gradually. While the idea of a police officer as an "outsider" figure is not new, Blackhurst reinvigorates the trope in Tess's character development by putting her outside the boundaries of her family, which is centred around running a sizeable and prosperous grifting enterprise. With few exceptions—using her full name, Sarah Jacobs, or the more derogatory term, "the other woman,"—the 14-year separation between Fox and her sister is well portrayed. Because of their lack of intimacy and the fact that one of them works as Con artists by trade, therefore their suspicion of one another is natural and effectively exploited. I also like the rivalry between these two characters and how outside forces force them to cooperate. In that regard, the author offers strong character motivation.
The murders that are given to the reader have many intriguing characteristics, and Tess Fox and her team investigate the issues surrounding the logical ways in which they were done. Despite her expertise of tricks and illusions, it is not surprise that she goes to her sister to see if she can shed light on conventional tactics, as they don't appear to be producing many results or leads. However, even though the protagonists used every resource at their disposal to solve the murders, I didn't think much progress was made towards understanding how the killings were carried out throughout the book. Maybe more page space is devoted to the developing drama between Tess and Sarah than to the "how" of the crimes. This makes sense because the story keeps building the stakes for these two. Though some of Sarah's reconstructions rely on conjecture and speculation, I believe that more easily available imbedded clues would have been helpful given the complexity of these crimes—which are reminiscent of the TV series Jonathan Creek. Because of this, the "how" of the case becomes clear only towards the conclusion of the narrative, when Sarah finally shares her conclusions. As I am I doubt you can figure them out on your own unless you've read a lot of mysteries with locked rooms.
Nevertheless, I liked how each of the sisters came to the "who" of the story independently and in a unique way. I would argue that this is a promising beginning to a new series because the author also gives a very heated finish that leaves the characters with no simple or easy choices.
I picked up”Three card Murder Club” in a 2 for £9 deal in Asda on a whim when food shopping one evening. This is in fact a locked room mystery and a true one at that; the term locked door mystery in present times is often abused or misleading and therefore the reader does need to be afraid of a hidden passage fix within the novel. Since the author "can solve a Rubik's cube in three minutes," it should come as no surprise that the murders in this novel are difficult for the detective characters to solve (more author profiles should include entertaining facts like this one). Con artists and grifters are involved in the mystery, as the title suggests, but their role in the story is unconventional, with the lines separating law enforcement from criminals being blurred in an in a captivating but fulfilling manner. Although Maurice Leblanc's Arsène Lupin is a well-known earlier example of a criminal turned investigator, I believe Blackhurst's treatment of the issue is more nuanced and sophisticated.
The goal in Blackhurst's instance is to present her two female heroines, Tess Fox and Sarah Jacobs, who are half-sisters. However, the reader is shown information about these individuals rather than being told it, which makes for an unexpected but effective introduction. Their acerbic interaction is shown effectively, and I liked how the roles are reversed. Rather than a more cliché victim-about-to-die prologue, I believe this adds additional curiosity because the reader is unsure of the direction things are headed in. In addition, the way the prologue was written made me think of TV shows when you only see a small portion of the show before the opening titles and music start.
In sharp contrast to the prologue, Chapter 1 opens with a body that physically lands in the first line of the current chapter, fourteen years later: “At 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, February 5, the first corpse dropped from the sky and landed at the feet of a woman who was waiting for the Grove Hill number 7 bus”. There are several ways to reveal the body in a murder mystery, including However, I really like the subtle, direct approach.
The instability of DI Tess Fox's employment is shown in the opening chapter, which does a fantastic job of establishing her character: "It was put through to the spotless desk of Acting Detective Inspector Tess Fox of Sussex Major Crimes Team." Particular focus on the “acting”. The fact that Fox is related to the victim increases this vulnerability and gives the case a fascinating new angle. The mystery is increased by the fact that we don't know how Fox knew the victim or how she could have been connected to their death. We only know that she is eager to hide this relationship, therefore we can't help but question if she is dishonest police officer or a victim of the situation? To its credit, the story doesn't provide clear classifications like "good cop" or "bad cop," and the subsequent story further emphasises this lack of distinction. She takes evidence from the crime scene to hide their shared past, which is a risky move for a new series' detective protagonist, but Fox's softened stance doesn't appear forced. It, in my opinion, made it impossible to draw a sharp distinction between her and her con artist sister. However, I believe that Sarah's harsh upbringing is tempered by the revelation that she preys on the weak and the avaricious, among other less "honourable" con artists. The strategy is akin to that of the BBC television series Hustle.
It was interesting to learn more about Fox. The author does not provide the reader a tonne of information on Fox and or her relationships with her father and half-sister. The details are revealed more gradually. While the idea of a police officer as an "outsider" figure is not new, Blackhurst reinvigorates the trope in Tess's character development by putting her outside the boundaries of her family, which is centred around running a sizeable and prosperous grifting enterprise. With few exceptions—using her full name, Sarah Jacobs, or the more derogatory term, "the other woman,"—the 14-year separation between Fox and her sister is well portrayed. Because of their lack of intimacy and the fact that one of them works as Con artists by trade, therefore their suspicion of one another is natural and effectively exploited. I also like the rivalry between these two characters and how outside forces force them to cooperate. In that regard, the author offers strong character motivation.
The murders that are given to the reader have many intriguing characteristics, and Tess Fox and her team investigate the issues surrounding the logical ways in which they were done. Despite her expertise of tricks and illusions, it is not surprise that she goes to her sister to see if she can shed light on conventional tactics, as they don't appear to be producing many results or leads. However, even though the protagonists used every resource at their disposal to solve the murders, I didn't think much progress was made towards understanding how the killings were carried out throughout the book. Maybe more page space is devoted to the developing drama between Tess and Sarah than to the "how" of the crimes. This makes sense because the story keeps building the stakes for these two. Though some of Sarah's reconstructions rely on conjecture and speculation, I believe that more easily available imbedded clues would have been helpful given the complexity of these crimes—which are reminiscent of the TV series Jonathan Creek. Because of this, the "how" of the case becomes clear only towards the conclusion of the narrative, when Sarah finally shares her conclusions. As I am I doubt you can figure them out on your own unless you've read a lot of mysteries with locked rooms.
Nevertheless, I liked how each of the sisters came to the "who" of the story independently and in a unique way. I would argue that this is a promising beginning to a new series because the author also gives a very heated finish that leaves the characters with no simple or easy choices.
August 1, 2023
Three Card Murder is a great read and I really enjoyed reading it. It was fun, unique and entertaining throughout. Very likeable characters, a story of two sisters on the opposite sides of the law. Tess, a DI and Sarah, a con artist.
Numerous murders in the book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading each chapter and trying to piece the clues together to discover who the murderer is. Cleverly done and I didn’t have a clue who it would be.
Many twists and turns throughout and two sisters with secrets. It did end on a cliff hanger so I definitely feel like there could be a book two 👀 I hope so anyway! As I’d love to read more about both Tess and Sarah.
I would absolutely recommend this
Numerous murders in the book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading each chapter and trying to piece the clues together to discover who the murderer is. Cleverly done and I didn’t have a clue who it would be.
Many twists and turns throughout and two sisters with secrets. It did end on a cliff hanger so I definitely feel like there could be a book two 👀 I hope so anyway! As I’d love to read more about both Tess and Sarah.
I would absolutely recommend this
September 20, 2023
Two half sisters on either side of the law; one a police officer the other a con artist are brought together by a secret they’ve shared for years. The death of a mutual ‘acquaintance’ drags them back to a time they would both rather forget. And it doesn’t stop at one death,each of which drags them in deeper.
I thoroughly enjoyed this cleverly plotted locked room murder and really think it sets the scene for an amazing tv series with the pair solving weekly crimes from either side of the thin blue line.
A highly recommended read which scores an easy 5 ⭐️ for me.
With thanks to NetGalley for this arc in return for my honest, personal opinion.
I thoroughly enjoyed this cleverly plotted locked room murder and really think it sets the scene for an amazing tv series with the pair solving weekly crimes from either side of the thin blue line.
A highly recommended read which scores an easy 5 ⭐️ for me.
With thanks to NetGalley for this arc in return for my honest, personal opinion.
September 9, 2024
Tess is acting DI for the police and lands her first murder case. However, this murder case is nothing like she has seen before. The door is locked from the inside and no sign of the murderer. Sarah is the half sister of Tess and a con woman but proved to be vital in helping Tess solve this murder.
Loved loved loved this book!! It was the perfect murder mystery; no slow bits, characters were perfect for the role they played and the ending left a cliffhanger ready for the next book. I can’t wait to read the next one in the series!!
Loved loved loved this book!! It was the perfect murder mystery; no slow bits, characters were perfect for the role they played and the ending left a cliffhanger ready for the next book. I can’t wait to read the next one in the series!!
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