Tricks of Fortune, Lina Chern
Tricks of Fortune, Lina Chern
List: $22.00 | Sale: $15.40
Club: $11.00

Tricks of Fortune
A Play the Fool Mystery

Author: Lina Chern

Narrator: Kristen Sieh

Unabridged: 10 hr 39 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/01/2025


Synopsis

Tarot card reader extraordinaire Katie True gets embroiled in another local murder when her best friend becomes the prime suspect in this exciting mystery from the Edgar Award-winning author of Play the Fool.

“A delicious blend of suspense and madcap humor.”—Library Journal, starred review of Play the Fool

Katie True has gotten her crap together. . . sort of. Now that the sinister events of the past year have wound down, Katie has finally made her dream come true and opened her own tarot reading room—even if it’s in her sister’s old real estate office in an outdoor strip mall. It’s a good start, but her momentum grinds to a halt when the murder of beloved veteran police officer, Matthew Peterson, shakes her and her small community to the core.

Katie is torn. Lieutenant Peterson had saved her life as a child and holds a special place in her past. Even worse, her closest friend Gina—who knows Katie better than she knows herself—is the primary suspect.

As the investigation unfolds, the details surrounding Peterson’s death become increasingly murky, as does Gina’s innocence. All Katie knows is that following her intuition has gotten her this far. But will her trusty tarot deck help her when the truth about the people she loves is too terrible to face?

About The Author

Lina Chern’s debut mystery novel, Play the Fool, won the 2024 Mary Higgins Clark Award and was nominated for the 2024 Lefty and Anthony Awards. Her shorter work has appeared in Mystery Weekly, The Marlboro Review, The Bellingham Review, Black Fox Literary Magazine, and The Coil. She lives in the Chicago area with her family.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Monica on May 16, 2025

Tricks of Fortune is the second novel in the Katie True series and it offered up another great mystery. Katie was saved by a police officer when she was a baby. The story catapulted both of them into small town fame. Now Lieutenant Matthew Peterson has been murdered and Katie's friend Gina is the pr......more

Goodreads review by Sam on June 30, 2025

Damn, I love Katie True. She's absolutely hilarious, full of perfect one-liners that I wish I could say. I like that she is mildly self-conscious about her lack of ambition and crummy apartment but then makes zero moves to actually do anything about it. And I especially like that she has a growing g......more

Goodreads review by Sue Em on July 10, 2025

Combining mystery and tarot readings, the Katie True is a winner. How Katie and Jamie, her cop friend, work together to figure things out is a great metaphor for living a full life. One part looking at facts and the other using your gut, or tarot cards, to fully understand. Even though I read and en......more

Goodreads review by Jeremy on July 18, 2025

Tasty little mystery that gets a bit deeper, about the stories we tell ourselves and the people we tell them about, even when they don’t deserve it. The main character is delightful, and the tarot deck plays a very interesting role.......more

Goodreads review by Cindy on June 26, 2025

See my full review @robertsonsreadingrecs on instagram.......more


Quotes

Praise for Tricks of Fortune

“I want to be friends with Katie True—she’s fun, smart, and the most human protagonist I’ve read in a long time. On top of that, Lina Chern knows how to write an engaging and entertaining mystery. This one is tough to put down.”—Rob Hart, USA Today bestselling author of Assassins Anonymous

“Charming first-person narration and some truly surprising plot turns make this a spirited good time.”Publishers Weekly


Praise for Play the Fool

“Lina Chern’s voice shines brightly, and readers will be immediately drawn into Katie True’s twisty and gripping investigation. It’s a fantastic read.”—Alex Segura, author of Secret Identity

“Chern pulls off a tricky blend of humor and menace that had me flipping pages like crazy. I can’t wait for more.”—Duane Swierczynski, New York Times bestselling author of Canary

“A delicious blend of suspense and madcap humor . . . [a] standout debut.”Library Journal (starred review)