With each book, I am liking this series better and better. As The Fool's Card ended, I was hoping to see some romance between Thorne and Xana and voila! Not romance perse but it was really good to see that things change for better as this story ends.
The readers are in for two separate mysteries. 1) Xana reads tarot of a young person named Asa. She has never seen six major arcana cards in a single reading and she knows something big's coming for Asa - something that would change his life in a way he would have never imagined. 2) Agatha comes home to find her husband in bed with his secretary. She kills them both, chops up their bodies, buries in her garden and grows roses on top of it.
Xana and Throne's part of the story was not as interesting as Agatha's. Agatha's story ends in a funny way - well, the poor thing really tried to keep the murders a secret.
I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

The man from the sort-of car accident: Thorne is now established in Xana's house, and this gives credence to how Xana embroils herself in future cases. Although we do not meet her mother again in this one, she does break her foot. This in itself should not have been a big deal in the tale, but the author managed to make the whole sorry section into the funniest introspection. The case itself starts at the very beginning, and there is more seen in the cards this time than in the first instalment. The explanation of Card reading and the cards themselves are done in such a manner that you cannot resent the narrative tool used to progress the story.

Thorne is put to the case almost immediately, and Xana is a consultant. The case itself was not spectacular, but I loved the writing so much that I would read it all over again, I actually think this merits a full five stars for the entertainment it gave me. In alternating chapters, we see the making and unravelling of a very cold plot which begins because of emotions. The ending of that was a little abrupt, but later I felt like it suited the mood of the entire book. It did not have much to do with the main case except for minor cross-interactions but did not feel odd.

Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this book!!Book 2 of this fun series was just as good as the first! I totally enjoy that at the beginning of the books Xana does a Tarot spread. She laid down the Celtic cross for a stranger named Asa in a restaurant where she was doing a reading for someone else. The really crazy part of the spread was that there were six major arcana in his reading. And off we go, knowing that Xana and Thorne are going to be caught up in danger and intrigue. And Xana is wondering what is going on at her neighbors house at the same time. Oh! And watch out Xana, don't trip and fall! I definitely recommend this entertaining read!

The book was really interesting and held my attention. I loved all the tarot card reading interpretations. The only let down was the ending which was abrupt and unsatisfying..

These are such good fun books. The author's reading of the tarot card shows experience and wisdom, as a reader myself there's nothing I disagree with in what Xana says and her intuition is bang on. The story is an interesting one - fitting very well with The Magician card.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

The cover of these books may not be as eye-catching as many other cozy mysteries available today, but the Tarot Mysteries Series is a solid entry into the genre. There's also some crossover into fantasy and esoteric realms, which made The Magician Card a delightfully entertaining read for those who enjoy the tarot. The main character is easy to root for and the first person POV serves this story well.

This is such a wonderful series - fun, entertaining, well-characterized... In this second installment we see a little less of Thorne, but despite that I thoroughly enjoyed it every bit as much as the first book. The mysteries are engaging, the characters and relationships are developing nicely, and the next book is already queued up on my Kindle!

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

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

I really appreciate the review copies from NetGalley!!

2nd in Bevan Atkinson's Tarot Card series. The first two were both very short, more of a novella length, but quite entertaining. The mystery(s) itself is/are not so much puzzles, but glimpses into other worlds. Xana Bard is a daughter of a San Francisco society family who uses her tarot cards and formidable intuition into ways of helping people. Asa Ballantine and his sister, Beth, are feverishly working for a medical breakthrough, but someone is out to stop them. Xana draws in her friend and tenant, Thorne, to protect them. Meanwhile there are other strange doings in the neighborhood. I have a set of the complete series, and I might just have to keep going as I am enjoying reading them so much!

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

The Magician Card is the second book in the The Tarot Mysteries by Bevan Atkinson. Originally released in 2012, this reformat is 163 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.

This is an incredibly entertaining and well written book. Protagonist Xana is intelligent, strong, and likeable. The book is written in 1st person PoV, so hearing her internal monologue was a big part of the appeal for me. Her foil/partner is Thorne, is back and still a wonderful logical and Zen counterpoint to Xana's impulsive intuitiveness. Together, they're involved in high-biotech intrigue, industrial espionage and as always an element of family tragedy and betrayal. There's also a REALLY cool parallel plotline that is a fun Rear Window (It Had to be Murder) homage. I loved it! This is an extremely humorous read and it even surprised some audible laughs from me (not an easy feat) but the author manages to simultaneously sneak in some profound insights on interpersonal relationships and the myriad ways they can affect us for good or ill.

The plot gallops along, the tension arc is well controlled, and the technical aspects of the writing are seamless and enjoyable. This is an author who can really write. The secondary characters are well and sensitively drawn. The denouement was satisfyingly twisty. The language is G-rated, there's no sexual content (though Xana/Thorne do make some progress at sorting out what it is they have between them), and it's an enjoyable and humorous ride from start to finish. I was captivated from the first page.

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

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

Five stars.

Book 2 of the Tarot Mysteries - The Magician, was just as good, if not better, than its predecessor The Fool. Another great mystery by the author with an attempted murder to solve. The storyline deals with genetics, gender ambiguity all while our female protagonist has a broken ankle that's been heavily casted. Xana needed to let her guards down a bit and warmed up to Thorne and let her guard down. Thorne was more than happy to take care of her and make sure she wasn't injured further. I loved meeting the twins Asa and Beth; theirs was an interesting plot. Overall a very enjoyable book with much detail on the tarot deck and reading the card with your intuition, which I find intriguing and very interesting in these books. I definitely recommended this book is well and I'm happy that I've been able to download book 3 in the series. This is a long holiday weekend and I plan to do a lot of reading.

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