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The Fortune Telling Mysteries #1
The Fool Dies Last
The Bailey sisters may be the only ones able to interpret the meaning behind a bizarre series of murders in the first entry in the hilarious The Fortune Telling Mysteries series.
Sisters Hope and Summer Bailey run Bailey’s Boutique, a mystic shop in Asheville, North Carolina. While Hope’s performing a palm reading a local doctor, Dylan Henshaw, bursts in accusing them of trying to kill his patient with a tincture.
During the confrontation the sisters’ grandmother, Gram, one of her friends has died suddenly. It looks like a simple allergic reaction . . . but why is there a solitary Tarot card – the Fool – with the body? When another of Gram’s friends dies in similar circumstances, and in possession of a Fool card, it’s surely no coincidence. What ties the victims together and could Gram be next?
Although Hope is hesitant to read the Tarot again following a recent tragedy, she might be the only one capable of deciphering the clues. Can she overcome her fear and uncover the card’s meaning before the killer strikes again?
Sisters Hope and Summer Bailey run Bailey’s Boutique, a mystic shop in Asheville, North Carolina. While Hope’s performing a palm reading a local doctor, Dylan Henshaw, bursts in accusing them of trying to kill his patient with a tincture.
During the confrontation the sisters’ grandmother, Gram, one of her friends has died suddenly. It looks like a simple allergic reaction . . . but why is there a solitary Tarot card – the Fool – with the body? When another of Gram’s friends dies in similar circumstances, and in possession of a Fool card, it’s surely no coincidence. What ties the victims together and could Gram be next?
Although Hope is hesitant to read the Tarot again following a recent tragedy, she might be the only one capable of deciphering the clues. Can she overcome her fear and uncover the card’s meaning before the killer strikes again?
224 pages, Hardcover
Published April 5, 2022
About the author
Carol Miller
6 books22 followersCarol Miller is the author of the forthcoming Fortune Telling Mysteries and the Moonshine Mysteries. MURDER AND MOONSHINE was named an Amazon Best Book of the Month and a Library Journal Starred Debut of the Month. Carol is an attorney and lives in Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 5, 2022
I enjoyed The Fool Dies Last very much. Hope Bailey is the main character of this story. The supporting characters add to the story. She and her sister, Summer Bailey Fletcher own Bailey's Boutique-Mystic Shop. They sell crystals, candles, and the like in a brownstone owned by their grandmother, Olivia Bailey in Ashville, North Carolina. Hope lives upstairs in the brownstone with her grandmother. The brownstone has an attic that has ghosts that guard the attic. While doing a reading of one of her clients, Rosemary Potter a man comes storming into her store asking them which one of them tried to kill Betsy Hughes. He accused them of giving an old lady potions and salves instead of seeing a doctor. He stated that he was her doctor. While there, Hope gets a call from her grandmother telling her to come to the community center. There has been an accident. When arriving at the center Hope finds an ambulance and police there. She finds her grandmother and her boyfriend, Morris Henshaw. Detective Nate Phillips is very interested in what she has to say about Tarot cards. She also finds out that the man who came into her shop is Morris's son Doctor Dylan Henshaw. The body of Roberta King is dead. The doctor determines that it was an allergy that killed her. They also found the fool tarot card in her purse. Megan specializes in this card. The next day Hope goes to the Amethyst Hotel to read the hands of 3 clients. While there her friend, Megan Steele who works at the hotel tells her that a woman named Mystique Monique is registered at the hotel and the second person with her is Summer's husband Gary. They go to the spa to confront him which they do. While there another woman Marilyn Smoltz dies at the hotel spa the same way that Roberta did. She too has the Fool Tarot card in her robe. This is where the story takes off and the reader is taken on a journey of finding out who and why these women are killed. Hope finds out that 25 years ago her grandmother and 5 other women signed a tontine about who would die last. The last person gets all the money they put into the tontine. The two women who have died are one of the six.. The reader is taken on another adventure finding out who is killing them off. The story comes to an exciting ending.
I will be interested in reading the next of this series to find out what new adventure Hope and her family go on.
Thank you NegGalley and Severn House for this ARC.
I will be interested in reading the next of this series to find out what new adventure Hope and her family go on.
Thank you NegGalley and Severn House for this ARC.
January 7, 2022
Hope and Summer run the family shop in their grandmother’s old family Brownstone. While Hope reads palms, Summer works with crystals and makes tinctures and teas. Not your usual brownstone, nor typical entrepreneurs, the sisters are good and caring people who just want to help others.
When two of their grandmother’s friends killed and a tarot card is found on them, the sisters realize something is up with the murders and work to try and figure out who is behind the killings, as their grandmother is part of the group that seems to be targeted. Will the brownstone prevent the sisters from getting the answers they need? Will they be able to save Gram? Or will they become targets on the killer’s radar too. Only time and the spirits know.
I fell under the spell of this book the minute I started reading it. The next entry in this series can’t come out soon enough for me…it’s that good!
When two of their grandmother’s friends killed and a tarot card is found on them, the sisters realize something is up with the murders and work to try and figure out who is behind the killings, as their grandmother is part of the group that seems to be targeted. Will the brownstone prevent the sisters from getting the answers they need? Will they be able to save Gram? Or will they become targets on the killer’s radar too. Only time and the spirits know.
I fell under the spell of this book the minute I started reading it. The next entry in this series can’t come out soon enough for me…it’s that good!
May 5, 2022
I ended up skimming this book to finish it and figure out "who dun it." The dialogue in this book was like listening to a clique of mean girls, continually making references to insider events or jokes that you were not a part of. Hope hasn't read Tarot cards or hardly eaten since February. Summer is not allowed in the attic. Then before Summer has even moved out of her house (let alone divorce her husband) she's already flirting and making dates with her new love interest. Hope doesn't like the doctor's son, yet suddenly he's kissing her on the patio. The motive given for the murders was ridiculous-these women were mean to my long dead mother. Say what? This was not a good book for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2022
I really liked Miller's Moonshine Mysteries, but this starts a new series, featuring two sisters who run their grandmother's mystic shop. Hope, mourning a lost love, specializes in palmistry, since her last attempt at Tarot did not go well. Her sister Summer makes herbal medicine, and is accused by the new doctor in town of trying to poison his patients. But someone is really poisoning some of the older residents, and leaving a Tarot card by the bodies. The question is, what does The Fool mean to the murderer? I appreciated Miller's background building, but found the culprit's motives rather unbelievable.
November 4, 2022
Enjoyed the first in this series with interesting characters I want to learn more about. The hook for the mystery was a new one for me. Looking forward to the next in the series.
March 6, 2022
This is a strong character driven novel that is the first in a proposed new series featuring two sisters, Hope and Summer, and a supporting cast of family and friends. Hope and Summer have a boutique that sells in natural remedies and healing. In addition Hope provides palm readings and, in the past, Tarot Card readings. Several references to a tragedy which occured the past February are mentioned as explaining why Hope no longer does Tarot readings. Toward the end of the novel there are some indications she may begin them again, which would add another dimension to the series.
The book offers some delightful characters starting with the sisters and a few secondary characters including their grandmother, the local doctor, his son, and a police detective. Their development is well thought out and engaging, providing an interesting opportunity to get to know them. The murder of two people and the concern there may be other murders being planned are definitely secondary to the development of characters and their relationships with each other.
These characters are entertaining to read about, and the reader may definitely find they want to learn more about them and follow their lives in future novels. There is also a strong thread of paranormal activity in the book, centered primarily on the attic of the brownstone where the sisters live. They frequently refer to the attic, why they prefer not to go up there, movement
inside it, and some results that have been less than pleasant. At one point Hope must spend some time in the attic which yield unexpected results.
There are two secondary characters who are shaping up to be love interests for the two sisters, and they are definitely skeptical about anything otherworldly. This setup for conflict is not pursued within this novel, leaving the possibility of future conflict as the series grows. The attraction between the two couples is mentioned early on, with little build-up to its creation. It will be interesting to see if additional foundation for these relationships is developed in future novels in the series.
I enjoyed reading about the characters in the novel and the mystery seemed intriguing, which led to a light read that was satisfying after having been immersed in a few more demanding stories. The plot was somewhat shallow, and might leave the reader wishing for more details regarding how individuals fit together and giving additional buildup to some occurrences in the book. The ending was completely as expected, with the perpetrator being somewhat obvious for a good deal of the book.
Because the characters are fun and the book is enjoyable in the character development of the story, it might make an excellent beach or airplane read where the reader can easily pick it up and put it down as circumstances require. Because the characters are so entertaining and it would be interesting to see how they continue to develop their relationships, I would consider reading the next book in the series. It would be my hope that a mystery might be more clearly developed, complete with a chance to see some of the investigation into solving it. I look forward to seeing what adventures are in store for sisters Summer and Hope.
The book offers some delightful characters starting with the sisters and a few secondary characters including their grandmother, the local doctor, his son, and a police detective. Their development is well thought out and engaging, providing an interesting opportunity to get to know them. The murder of two people and the concern there may be other murders being planned are definitely secondary to the development of characters and their relationships with each other.
These characters are entertaining to read about, and the reader may definitely find they want to learn more about them and follow their lives in future novels. There is also a strong thread of paranormal activity in the book, centered primarily on the attic of the brownstone where the sisters live. They frequently refer to the attic, why they prefer not to go up there, movement
inside it, and some results that have been less than pleasant. At one point Hope must spend some time in the attic which yield unexpected results.
There are two secondary characters who are shaping up to be love interests for the two sisters, and they are definitely skeptical about anything otherworldly. This setup for conflict is not pursued within this novel, leaving the possibility of future conflict as the series grows. The attraction between the two couples is mentioned early on, with little build-up to its creation. It will be interesting to see if additional foundation for these relationships is developed in future novels in the series.
I enjoyed reading about the characters in the novel and the mystery seemed intriguing, which led to a light read that was satisfying after having been immersed in a few more demanding stories. The plot was somewhat shallow, and might leave the reader wishing for more details regarding how individuals fit together and giving additional buildup to some occurrences in the book. The ending was completely as expected, with the perpetrator being somewhat obvious for a good deal of the book.
Because the characters are fun and the book is enjoyable in the character development of the story, it might make an excellent beach or airplane read where the reader can easily pick it up and put it down as circumstances require. Because the characters are so entertaining and it would be interesting to see how they continue to develop their relationships, I would consider reading the next book in the series. It would be my hope that a mystery might be more clearly developed, complete with a chance to see some of the investigation into solving it. I look forward to seeing what adventures are in store for sisters Summer and Hope.
September 2, 2022
I took away points/stars because the ending/resolution of the mystery was just dumb. The mystery itself was good, lots of twists, suspects, family drama, ( Dylan is a jerk and so is Summer’s husband, though on different levels), and then we have the murderer and the reason for killing people.. is just 🙄🙄👀👀👀😒😒😮, it’s like the author ran out of steam/words and just threw something together to have an ending, that just ruined the plot. Ughhhh weak!!!
March 29, 2022
The Fool Dies Last by Carol Miller is the beginning of The Fortune Telling Mysteries. We meet Hope and Summer Bailey who run a boutique that deals with homeopathic remedies (tinctures), spiritual items (crystals) plus Hope offers palm readings. There is mention that tarot readings were done in the past until a tragedy happened. The Fool Dies Last is a character driven story. The main characters are Hope and Summer with a charming cast of secondary characters that include their grandmother, the local doctor (who is smitten with the grandmother), the doctor’s son, and a local detective. The characters are unique and developed. Unfortunately, the mystery takes a backseat to learning about our characters and their lives. There are two deaths and the potential for more if the killer is not caught. The mystery had some interesting aspects, but it is a cinch to solve. I would have liked the whodunit to be more developed and there to be more of an investigation. The story needed a balance between getting to know the characters and the mystery. The reveal provides the reasoning behind the killer’s actions. There is a hint of paranormal activity in the Bailey home that centers around the attic. They had to bargain with the spirits there in order to get a table and its chairs out of the attic for the shop. I would actually like more paranormal in the book (plus, I want to know what exactly is going on in the attic). There are potential suitors for the sisters. It looks, though, like the road to happily ever after will be bumpy because the men are skeptical about otherworldly matters. The biggest problem I had with The Fool Dies Last is the writing. The author is overly descriptive which bogs down the story. It makes the pacing so slow. We do not need to know every little detail (like what is on a table, what a person is wearing, etc.). I ended up skimming to get through the book. The story could have benefited from humor. The Fool Dies Last is a spirited whodunit with a spiritual shop, a mysterious murder, an atypical tontine, a taxing two-timer, a doubting doctor, a troublesome tarot, and two spirited sisters.
April 1, 2023
I'll confess at the start that this one was a letdown, but part of that may have been my own expectations. I had read and enjoyed the author's previous Moonshine series, so I was disappointed that this one gets off to a rocky start, at least as far as I'm concerned. My hopes for it were too high. It is a first in series book, so I expected some bumps as we sort out characters, but for my money the author made it unnecessarily convoluted. She makes all these veiled references to events and circumstances which don't really pan out. That whole bit about the February disaster that stops Hope from reading Tarot-- her fiancee was killed. I'm afraid my reaction was "So what?" I guess I expected something more along the lines of a reading gone wrong as a reason, but that just was a huge let down. I also had trouble with Summer's reactions after her husband is caught cheating-- she is hurt but immediately is attracted to handsome cop Nate. There's no emotional depth there. It's too rushed. The obnoxious doctor who is apparently to be Hope's love interest is just that--obnoxious. I am not rooting for that relationship. The solution to the mystery bordered on the absurd for me, and there wasn't a foundation laid for it. The murderer confessing and then saying just because she confessed to them there's no evidence-- egads. It also sounds vaguely as if she may return at some point. Now, the good is the attic: when that was finally introduced I was truly intrigued for the first time. The attic should have come in earlier instead of vague hints. It is very evocative and mysterious and perfect for the series. The author really hit her stride there. I also liked the bits about the Tarot and interpretations: more of that, please. My review probably sounds harsher than I intend, because I expected so much more from this author. But because I know she is capable, I'm also going to be reading the second in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2022
The Fool Dies Last, an interesting mystery by Carol Miller, is a well-written tale that takes a while to get going. In fact, it wasn't until chapter 4 that much except excessive description took place at all. I found it overly descriptive and ended up just skimming sections of the book to get to the plot.
I was also disappointed that, while the description on Amazon says this is a hilarious book, I found few instances of humour at all.
Once the story found its legs, however, it was interesting. I just wasn't intrigued enough to look forward to the next book.
I received an early ARC of #TheFoolDiesLast from #NetGalley.
I was also disappointed that, while the description on Amazon says this is a hilarious book, I found few instances of humour at all.
Once the story found its legs, however, it was interesting. I just wasn't intrigued enough to look forward to the next book.
I received an early ARC of #TheFoolDiesLast from #NetGalley.
March 27, 2022
The excellent start for a new cozy series, I'm sure it will become a favorite as I loved the characters and the mystery was solid.
I loved Hope and Summer and the cast of characters: they're fleshed out and relatable. The paranormal side is light and enjoyable.
The solid mystery kept me guessing till the end.
I can't wait to read the next novel.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I loved Hope and Summer and the cast of characters: they're fleshed out and relatable. The paranormal side is light and enjoyable.
The solid mystery kept me guessing till the end.
I can't wait to read the next novel.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
February 13, 2023
1 star missing due to: why are women attracted to and getting involved with men who mock them, their beliefs, and their careers? It's not cute 😐 I don't find it "quirky", it's actually pretty insulting to the intelligence and morality of these women.
OTHERWISE I loved it. Its a "cozy mystery" without all the cheese. Can't wait for installment number 2
OTHERWISE I loved it. Its a "cozy mystery" without all the cheese. Can't wait for installment number 2
April 26, 2022
Not bad. Not amazing, but not bad. I look forward to more from the series.
July 1, 2022
This was a really fun mystery- I didn’t even guess the answer before the end! I loved the attic as a character and would love to know more about it. I want to look into more from this author.
January 20, 2022
This was a quick, easy, cute and enjoyable read that incorporated mystery, love and magical realism. It was quite an unbelieveable read but that didnt bother me in the slightest I was there for the long haul and I found it freally enjoyable. Definitely worth picking up
February 12, 2023
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
This book showed promise but ultimately didn’t make sense.
To start with: the love interest. We never get an explanation for why he believed the tincture to be dangerous. Sure, he’s prejudiced against natural medicine, but that’s no reason to burst into someone’s shop and accuse her of attempted murder. And he’s an asshole. He’d finally start to behave with some decency and then out of the blue say something incredibly rude and insulting. Yet we’re supposed to think he’s a worthy mate?
They talk about February but don’t go into enough detail. How did the cards impact that situation such that Hope wants nothing to do with them now? It’s hinted at but never explained. Did she do a reading and ignore it? Or is it that they failed to warn her clearly enough so that she could save him?
And the villain. I’m sorry, your beloved aunt who died decades ago wrote about some mean people in a journal so you decided to kill them? How does that make sense? And why now? The motive just isn’t strong enough to explain this person’s actions.
Throughout the book, women are depicted as silly, in the whole. There are exceptions, of course, but when you look at the peripheral characters (and then the way Dylan talks about women, and is allowed to get away with), it seems like the author is trying to apologize for her gender in some way. That’s unfortunate.
Anyway, for a witchy cozy mystery I was sadly disappointed.
This book showed promise but ultimately didn’t make sense.
To start with: the love interest. We never get an explanation for why he believed the tincture to be dangerous. Sure, he’s prejudiced against natural medicine, but that’s no reason to burst into someone’s shop and accuse her of attempted murder. And he’s an asshole. He’d finally start to behave with some decency and then out of the blue say something incredibly rude and insulting. Yet we’re supposed to think he’s a worthy mate?
They talk about February but don’t go into enough detail. How did the cards impact that situation such that Hope wants nothing to do with them now? It’s hinted at but never explained. Did she do a reading and ignore it? Or is it that they failed to warn her clearly enough so that she could save him?
And the villain. I’m sorry, your beloved aunt who died decades ago wrote about some mean people in a journal so you decided to kill them? How does that make sense? And why now? The motive just isn’t strong enough to explain this person’s actions.
Throughout the book, women are depicted as silly, in the whole. There are exceptions, of course, but when you look at the peripheral characters (and then the way Dylan talks about women, and is allowed to get away with), it seems like the author is trying to apologize for her gender in some way. That’s unfortunate.
Anyway, for a witchy cozy mystery I was sadly disappointed.
January 7, 2022
A cute book that is a quick read. A mix of magical realism, cosy mystery, and romance. If you’re more into traditional mysteries you’ll be disappointed, there is a mystery but it’s not a very plausible one. The story is about two likable sisters raised by their grandmother. They make teas and tinctures with herbs and read palms and tarot cards in their boutique in historic Asheville North Carolina. The two sisters get involved in a couple of local murders and are assisted by a hunky policeman and a suave doctor. A light hearted read perfect for escaping the present day challenges.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this advance copy.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this advance copy.
Read
December 18, 2022Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
The Fool Dies Last is the first book in a new light paranormal cozy series by Carol Miller. Released 5th April 2022 by Severn House, it's 224 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is an easy and quick read and a solid series starter. The protagonists, sisters who co-own a new-age boutique are 30 somethings, intelligent, quirky, and relatable. They're drawn into trying to solve modern crimes which have links to the long ago past.
The setting of Asheville, North Carolina, is well written and believable, with the codicil that readers who are intimately familiar with the environs might find discrepancies which aren't obvious to readers from other areas. I liked the shopfront cozy aspect and there's an intriguing paranormal subplot with irascible ghosts in the attic which I hope the author explores more deeply in future volumes.
Much of the characterization, especially secondary characters, is sketched in lightly. My only other quibble with the book is that I found the motive for the murders strained the bounds of credibility. Readers should be prepared to bring a healthy suspension of disbelief. (Then again, there are ghosts in the attic, so there's that).
Three and a half stars. Eminently readable and enjoyable. The second book in the series was released on 6th Dec. 2022, making this a good candidate for cozy readers for a mini-binge read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Fool Dies Last is the first book in a new light paranormal cozy series by Carol Miller. Released 5th April 2022 by Severn House, it's 224 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
This is an easy and quick read and a solid series starter. The protagonists, sisters who co-own a new-age boutique are 30 somethings, intelligent, quirky, and relatable. They're drawn into trying to solve modern crimes which have links to the long ago past.
The setting of Asheville, North Carolina, is well written and believable, with the codicil that readers who are intimately familiar with the environs might find discrepancies which aren't obvious to readers from other areas. I liked the shopfront cozy aspect and there's an intriguing paranormal subplot with irascible ghosts in the attic which I hope the author explores more deeply in future volumes.
Much of the characterization, especially secondary characters, is sketched in lightly. My only other quibble with the book is that I found the motive for the murders strained the bounds of credibility. Readers should be prepared to bring a healthy suspension of disbelief. (Then again, there are ghosts in the attic, so there's that).
Three and a half stars. Eminently readable and enjoyable. The second book in the series was released on 6th Dec. 2022, making this a good candidate for cozy readers for a mini-binge read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
June 24, 2023
Hope and Summer Bailey run a shop together and Hope also reads palms and tarot cards. When a friend of their grandmother dies suddenly and is found with a tarot card, Hope is called to the scene to help the officer in charge understand what if any meaning could be intended by the presence of the card. Soon another woman dies and another card is found. Hope and Summer want to solve the murder before their grandmother becomes a victim.
I enjoyed the setting, the idea of the shop, and the very haunted attic. I'm not sure enough clues were dropped along the way to make it easy to identify the murderer though there were some red herrings. Often in the first book in a series I find the mystery can suffer as the author sets the scene, but overall it kept me guessing and I liked that. Gram, Hope, Summer, Megan and Morris seem like great characters and it will be fun to see how they develop. I'm also very curious to learn more about the attic.
While I enjoyed the story overall, I have very little patience with the romance trope where two people start out hating one another only to discover that they have real chemistry. It ignores all manner of red flags and encourages acceptance of abusive behavior. In this story Dylan was rude, he yells at the the sisters in a fury, repeatedly ridicules their belief system, is dismissive of their ideas, accuses Hope and her grandmother of being involved in actual murders, and perhaps worst of all throws Hope's fiancee's tragic death in her face. Yet she finds herself forgiving him and kissing him and considering sleeping with him because of his pretty eyes and a couple of compliments?
I enjoyed the setting, the idea of the shop, and the very haunted attic. I'm not sure enough clues were dropped along the way to make it easy to identify the murderer though there were some red herrings. Often in the first book in a series I find the mystery can suffer as the author sets the scene, but overall it kept me guessing and I liked that. Gram, Hope, Summer, Megan and Morris seem like great characters and it will be fun to see how they develop. I'm also very curious to learn more about the attic.
While I enjoyed the story overall, I have very little patience with the romance trope where two people start out hating one another only to discover that they have real chemistry. It ignores all manner of red flags and encourages acceptance of abusive behavior. In this story Dylan was rude, he yells at the the sisters in a fury, repeatedly ridicules their belief system, is dismissive of their ideas, accuses Hope and her grandmother of being involved in actual murders, and perhaps worst of all throws Hope's fiancee's tragic death in her face. Yet she finds herself forgiving him and kissing him and considering sleeping with him because of his pretty eyes and a couple of compliments?
February 23, 2022
The Fortune Telling Mysteries #1
The first in a new series! Hope and Summer Bailey are sisters who run Bailey’s Boutique, a shop in Asheville that sells crystals and tinctures as well as doing palm readings and the Tarot. Hope hasn’t done a Tarot reading in a long time. And she doesn’t want to discuss it.
As she is doing a palm reading for a regular customer, an irate man bursts through the door carrying a vial and accusing them of poisoning his patient with one of Summer’s tinctures. While he says he is a doctor, they have no idea who he is since their grandmother is dating the town doctor.
Things go from bad to worse when a woman dies in what looks like an allergic reaction. They also find a tarot card on her body. The Fool. And when another of her Grandmother’s friends dies in a similar way, also with a Fool card they realize it isn’t just a coincidence.
Then they find out their Gram is part of a tontine and things really heat up. To find a killer they need Hope to engage the tarot again. Can she do it?
There were some really good characters in this new series. Summer and her husband had their own thing going on as did a few of the other characters. Plenty of people to suspect!
NetGalley/April 5th, 2022 by Severn House Publishers
The first in a new series! Hope and Summer Bailey are sisters who run Bailey’s Boutique, a shop in Asheville that sells crystals and tinctures as well as doing palm readings and the Tarot. Hope hasn’t done a Tarot reading in a long time. And she doesn’t want to discuss it.
As she is doing a palm reading for a regular customer, an irate man bursts through the door carrying a vial and accusing them of poisoning his patient with one of Summer’s tinctures. While he says he is a doctor, they have no idea who he is since their grandmother is dating the town doctor.
Things go from bad to worse when a woman dies in what looks like an allergic reaction. They also find a tarot card on her body. The Fool. And when another of her Grandmother’s friends dies in a similar way, also with a Fool card they realize it isn’t just a coincidence.
Then they find out their Gram is part of a tontine and things really heat up. To find a killer they need Hope to engage the tarot again. Can she do it?
There were some really good characters in this new series. Summer and her husband had their own thing going on as did a few of the other characters. Plenty of people to suspect!
NetGalley/April 5th, 2022 by Severn House Publishers
November 14, 2022
The Bailey sisters run a mystic boutique shop in Asheville, NC. This business was started by their grandmother who is still alive and well and living above the store with Hope Bailey. The older sister, Summer, is married to a husband who is mostly absentee. Anyway, Gram has an active social and love life. But within a couple of days, two of her elderly friends die suddenly. There is nothing natural about the circumstances. Both bodies are discovered bearing the fool card from a tarot deck. The sisters are determined to discover the murderer. They are worried that Gram could be next. A new doctor in town, Dylan Henshaw, is also involved in solving this crime. Dylan has flown into town to cover his father's patients while he recovers from a back problem. And there is also a local detective who takes an instant shine to Summer. Oh yeah, and the boutique has bad-tempered ghosts in the attic. This book is probably the first in a new series called the Fortune Telling Mysteries. I doubt that I will read any more of them. I totally did not buy into the murderer or the motive or the opportunity. And I am usually quite adept at suspending disbelief. Not this time.
March 12, 2022
The first in the author's new Fortune Telling Mystery series is a light cozy that focuses on thirtyish sisters Hope and Summer, who run a mystic-themed shop in Asheville, North Carolina. Hope also reads palms but stopped offering Tarot card readings after a tragic event that is explained later in the novel. Their grandmother lives in a local senior residence with her elderly beau. When women start dying and a Tarot card is found near each body, the sisters fear for their Gram's safety and try to figure out who might be the next victim and why.
I found this a pleasant read and hope there will be more in the series. However, I hope the sisters are are fleshed out more and the supporting characters made more realistic. One of the potential love interests, for example, is portrayed as largely unlikeable, and the murderer's motive and dialogue strain credulity. I liked the paranormal sub-theme and look forward to finding out why the sisters' attic seems to have a violent streak of its own.
My review is based on a complimentary pre-release copy of the book.
I found this a pleasant read and hope there will be more in the series. However, I hope the sisters are are fleshed out more and the supporting characters made more realistic. One of the potential love interests, for example, is portrayed as largely unlikeable, and the murderer's motive and dialogue strain credulity. I liked the paranormal sub-theme and look forward to finding out why the sisters' attic seems to have a violent streak of its own.
My review is based on a complimentary pre-release copy of the book.
April 7, 2022
This is a terrifically good start to a new series written by Carol Miller. I'm very much hoping it will become a favourite as I loved the characters. It features sisters, Hope and Summer Bailey who run Bailey's Boutique, a mystic shop in Asheville, North Carolina. Other characters are their maternal grandmother, Olivia Bailey, known as Gram; the local doctor, Morris Henshaw and his son; and a local detective, Nate Phillips. The mystery held my attention and kept me guessing. I'm looking forward to the next instalment.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Severn House via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Severn House via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
February 16, 2022
The Bailey sisters - Hope and Summer - own a small mystic shop that sells crystals, herbs, candles and other potions. When a doctor accuses them of trying to poison one of his patients, the sisters are stunned and know they are blameless, but when two other older women die and each has a tarot card near their bodies, the police want a closer look at the Bailey sisters. It's up to Hope to interpret what the cards mean and who would want to poison two of her grandmother's friends. When their grandmother casually mentions a tontine, the plot thickens. An engaging new series.
June 14, 2024
I ended up skimming this book to figure out whodunnit. The continuous allusions to previous events: not reading Tarot cards and lack of appetite since February are not explained for far too long. Immediately after Summer has learned of her husband's perfidy, she's making dates with her new love interest--which might be understandable except she was very much in love with her husband just yesterday. The doctor's son is portrayed as a real jerk, yet suddenly Hope's kissing him? And the motive for the murders? Ludicrous! "You were mean to my aunt who's been dead many years."
June 25, 2022
I have never read a book by this author and this was actually quite nice. It involved 2 sister's with one being a palm reader and the other use to read tarot cards until an incident happen which made her stop. It starts off with one of her Gram's friends dying unexpectedly with a Fool Tarot Card in her purse. The next day another friend of Gram's passes away at a spa with a Fool Tarot Card in her pocket. What do the cards mean and have these two ladies been murdered and also why.
June 21, 2022
I hope this is just the start of a great series. I really enjoyed the characters and the plot. I think it showed great potential. All the Bailey women are not to be fooled. Really good main characters with a solid supporting cast made for a very enjoyable and entertaining read.
April 21, 2023
This was such a wonderful read from beginning to end. The quirkiness of the Bailey sisters, the history of the brownstone, the way that Dylan was more than some hunky, mysterious stranger in town for the weekend, and the mystery itself! I truly did not expect the ending, Carol, it was magnificent.
June 14, 2022
The only disappointment was that it ended. :)
June 6, 2023
Murder and The Fool Tarot card have sisters Hope and Summer trying to figure out what is going on. The real question, however, is - what is in the attic?
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