I really enjoyed Play the Fool. It was a perfect cozy mystery for the Halloween season, complete with tarot cards. I loved how the main character had flaws, wanted to do and be better, but kept making the wrong decisions. Katie was a very relatable character. I definitely didn't anticipate how the story would go but I thought it was well done. I loved the relationship between Katie and Jamie and my only wish is that we could have seen that develop more. I got through this pretty quickly, I just had to know what was gonna happen next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC for an honest review!

This was a really unique mystery book! I enjoyed the grittiness of the main character Katie and the mysterious aspects of the tarot. I never anticipated the next steps of the story which is KEY for a mystery book like this. I can’t wait to see what else Lina Chern writes!

Katie True is a tarot aficionado who languishes her days (and potential) away at the mall, selling Eastern European knick knacks. When Katie offers to read the cards for an injured and disoriented customer named Nico, things go sideways fast. A little light snooping on Nico’s phone reveals a photo of her flame-haired friend Marley…. dead in the dumpster. Shocked and appalled, Katie makes it her personal mission to solve Marley’s murder- whatever the cost.

Play the Fool is a captivating and upbeat mystery that’s laugh-out-loud funny. I found myself reaching for it again and again because it’s refreshingly playful and entertaining. Finally, a suspenseful and engaging story that doesn’t rely heavily on gore, darkness and all things disturbing to intrigue an audience. Play the Fool doesn’t need any of that because the fast-paced plot, zany character and sheer fun stand all on their own. Speaking of characters, I fell in love with them all- Katie, Owen and Jamie have my heart. And how could I resist a special shoutout to the White Camry of Death!

As a curious amateur myself, I especially appreciated the tarot references, which breathe even more life and whimsy into the book. They’re also an unforgettable part of the main character’s identity. It’s really easy to root for Katie, an authentic underdog who ‘plays the fool.’ She is on her own path of personal growth towards individuation/self-actualization. Over the course of the story, she is challenged to own her ‘magic’ and shine her light, despite self-doubt, limiting beliefs and others’ expectations. Her inner development mirrors the hero(ine)’s journey- a thread of shared experience that many, if not all of us, can relate to.

With this bouquet of ringing endorsements, may I humbly recommend Play the Fool- quite possibly the most hilarious book I’ve ever read and a clever mystery to boot. If you’re looking for a lively whodunnit with lovable characters and plenty of panache, you’ve met your perfect match. I can’t wait to see what Lina Chern comes up with next!

A special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!
This book was enjoyable. I really liked the the characters. The plot was a-lot of fun too!

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book to read and review. All of these thoughts are my own!

When I think of thrillers; I think of suspenseful and scary. I wouldn’t put this in that genre. I’d say this is more of a cozy mystery book. With that being said, it’s a good book. It held my attention enough and the plot was really good. I would recommend this to anyone who likes mysteries.

Katie is a girl who just really doesn’t have her life figured out. She’s working at a store and a man named Nico comes in acting strange. Katie loves to read tarot cards and she a bit nosy so she asked him if he wanted to get a reading done. She reads a few cards at first and then Nico decided to go to the bathroom. While in the bathroom Katie snoops through his phone and finds a picture of her friend Marley…dead.

Will Katie be able to help solve her friend’s murder? With tarot cards, luck, and a friendly cop, anything is possible.

Side note: I really liked Owen (Katie’s brother). Their relationship is relatable and funny. I also really liked Jamie the sweet cop who helps Katie. I wish there would’ve been more between them and not just romantically. I really liked them together. Also, I LOVE the cover. It really pops!

This book releases March 28, 2023. Thank you again for an ARC copy. 4 stars!

I loved this fast paced book. Katie True has been feeling like a slacker, drifting from one dead end job to another, not living up to her family’s expectations. The one thing she feels good about is her ability to use Taro cards to play psychic and help people. When she stumbles upon the news that her best friend has been murdered Katie finally decides to see something through to the end. I never really knew what to expect, but enjoyed the twists and turns.

This book is a true gem! Complicated, colorful characters drive this well written thriller. Katie True, her real name, is a tarot card reader working a dead end job in a mall trinket shop. She befriends another colorful mall employee and the intrigue unfolds! Murder, drug gangs and subterfuge. What will the cards show? With her loyal brother, Owen, and local cop, Jamie (a loner and former L.A. detective) Katie starts digging. Tight short chapters keep the reader engaged, “just one more chapter”.

A girl working in a mall at a Russian tchotchke shop in the suburbs of Chicago decides to give a tarot card reading to a man who wanders in bleeding from a wound in his head and gets a whole lot more than she bargained for. Katie True has spent her life underachieving in almost everything, but when her “best friend” (aka only friend) Marley shows up dead in a photo on a strangers phone she takes matters into her own hands and takes it upon herself to solve the murder. This book was a roller coaster honestly with me thinking I’d finally figured out who’d done it and then having my theories dashed to bits. It only made it that much more satisfying at the end when everything actually came together. It wasn’t as dark as a Ruth Ware or Paula Hawkins book, but had the same thrill you’d get from reading one of their works and trying to figure out the murderer and the motives. I wouldn’t quite call it cozy mystery but more like a fun thriller? In any case, 10/10

Tarot cards is a brilliant way to bring some nervousness from the unknown into the life of a game: to find out what’s hidden. Lina Chern managed to do this as if we were right there waiting for our cards to be read.

This is a fast-paced complex whodunit narrated by the main character, Katie. When I think of the name “Katie,” my mind goes to a sweet, pretty girl who owns a bakery or bookstore. The Katie in the book was not like my image. She was bold, brave and fearless trying to solve a mystery of why her fairly new friend was now dead.

Katie worked at a Russian knickknack store in an old shopping mall. She instantly became friends with Marley who worked in a store across from her. Katie said that all kinds of people would come into the shop: people asking where the restroom was, looking for t-shirts and then there was Nico. He stumbled in with his head bleeding which didn’t look good. He noticed she had tarot cards and asked how much. He put a $20 bill along with his phone on the table and went to the restroom to clean up. While he was gone, she looked at his last text which was a photo of her friend, Marley. To her surprise, she was dead. Katie was good at reading the cards and making people believe what she had to say. When she told him someone died, he said, “I didn’t mean for her to die.”

From that point on, Katie was on a mission to find out what happened to Marley. Her Aunt Rosie taught her how to read cards when she was eight years old. She was told, “You can know things with more than just your brain.” Katie knew that some people think in words or images. She always was thinking with tarot cards. While she was chasing the idea of finding out why her friend was dead, she would think about how different cards in the deck were influencing what was going on. There were times when I laughed out loud from her dialogue.

All the characters in this book worked: her family, her good friend, the criminals and the detective that looked like romance was brewing. They were all brought together in a way that made this a page turner. Even when parts were a tad unbelievable, it was all fine. The end was good. It made me smile which made all the difference staying up late to finish it.

My thanks to Lina Chern, Bantom Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with the expected release date of March 28, 2023.

This is marketed as a thriller, but really it feels more like a cozy murder mystery. I found myself wrapped up in my blankets, lost inside this book. I wasn't necessarily on the edge of my seat with suspense, but I was intrigued and wanted to keep reading to find out what happened. It was good writing of a good plot and was the perfect spooky season read!

A quirky mystery that is fast paced and what I considered a quick read also. Katie True is a Tarot reader , living in her hometown near her family working in a mall at a Russian trinket shop. Katie makes friends with Marley who works at a shop across from the trinket shop and gets worried when she goes missing even though Marley is kind of a drifter like that. A man comes into the shop for a reading late Sunday night, he’s out of sorts and sporting a head wound. She gives him a reading but also sneaks a glance at his phone to see what has him so upset and then her world starts to spin out from there. She goes on quite the roller coaster to get to the truth and puts her own life in danger in the process. She did become friends with a nice detective named Jamie in the process. There are lots of twists and turns that keep you engaged in the book.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc.

'Play the Fool' by Lina Chern follows Katie, a gifted tarort card reader, as she tries to unravel the death of a friend. This story was very unique it terms of plot. I found Katie to be endearing at times, with how adamant she was to help solve the murder. While this could be seen as a good quality, I found it to be her downfall in the story. She was always putting herself in situations that got her in trouble.

I would have liked to have read a bit more on her relationships with her family and Jamie overall. Her relationship with Jamie felt a little forced at times, instead of a buildup with much development outside of the police station. Her relationship with her siblings was endearing and relatable, but with her parents didn't fit. They were always trying too hard to please her in the non-existent relationship they had.

I did not find that this book was for me. I was too caught up in the scenarios that were happening and all the card reading that was going on in her head. The writing style was okay overall. There were some areas that could be improved in terms of diction, but that could be the author's style for the character.

Katie True works in a Russian tchotchke shop in a mall and her newer best friend Marley works in a goth shop across the hall. Katie has had many jobs and is down on her luck. She enjoys reading tarot cards but lacks a client base. One evening a guy comes into the shop who is clearly in distress. Katie convinces him to let her read his tarot cards for $20 and discovers he has a picture of a recently deceased Marley on his phone. Katie is determined to find out what happened to her friend and she will use her tarot cards to assist.

Here’s one for you if you love a mystery and strong female characters. For me this one is more of a cozy mystery and not the dark and disturbing kind I usually read. I enjoyed the mystery and the author’s sense of humor in this wonderful debut. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Katie and her brother Owen. The cover art is great and the tarot card interpretations sprinkled throughout the book is a nice touch.

This is a light and enjoyable read that has potential to be a great series! Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy. This is my unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this book! Katie True has returned to her home town and works in the mall after attempting to make her own way in the big city. Not exactly living the life of her dreams, but things are starting to look up when she makes friends with Marley, a somewhat mysterious woman who works at another store in the mall. When she stumbles across a photo of Marley next to a dumpster with a gunshot wound to her head, Katie feels compelled to investigate.

Katie is a wonderful character with a vivid voice. Although she seems to make a lot of bad choices, you can't help but root for her. The mystery is fast-paced, and did not end up where I thought it was going. I'd love to read more adventures of Katie!

I really enjoyed this book. The cover did pull me in, I loved the neon colors and the nod towards tarot cards, which I have been reading for close to 40 years. The author did an excellent job with developing her characters, she made them real with both good and bad characteristics to them and the plot line was very interesting and held my attention until the very end. I think that the two main protagonists have a potential turning this into a series, as they had good chemistry. I love the female lead's little brother, I think he was my favorite character to be honest with you. If there is another book, I hope to see more of him.

Thank you NetGalley and everyone else involved for the opportunity to read this novel pre-realease. Look out for It March 2023.

Definitely more murder mystery, who done It vs thriller but i do like these kind of books I’m my rotation. Even though it’s not coming out until October, this time of the year just felt right reading It. I loved the tarot card reading aspect of the book and found It so interesting. I don’t know much about It before reading this book but based on other reviews, the author’s interpretation of the cards seems pretty spot on. I love when authors actually write about something they know for the authenticity. This novel was fast paced, had me hooked from the beginning and the main character was likable and relatable. I would definitely add this to your TBR!

This is a cozy, quirky mystery that is fast paced and a quick read. We meet Katie True ( a perfect name for a Tarot card reader!) living in her hometown, close to her parents and working at a Russian trinket shop that also does card readings. A bit of a loner, she soon makes friends with Marley, the woman that works at the shop across the street and she admires her independence and free spirit. Early on, a man with a head wound stumbles into her shop and during this process, Katie sees a photo of Marley on his phone. She appears to be dead. Thus begins Katie's quest to find out what happened to her friend and find her killer. Along the way she meets the nice detective on the case, Jamie, and we learn about Katie's relationship with her autistic brother, Owen, funny likeable character. There are lots of twists and turns in this book that keep you engaged, and I love the way the author weaves the tarot cards into the story. Does Katie really have a gift or is she just telling people what they want to hear? Will the tarot cards come in handy to solve the mystery? You'll soon find out in this charming story of discovery, romance, and identity.

I was hesitant to start Play the Fool after reading it's blurb. And while I thoroughly enjoyed the story, as well as Chern's writing, Katie is not an easy main character to love.
The whole idea is that Katie withholds an unnatural talent at readings others, which she channels through tarot card readings. Though its hard to actually give any credit to Katie when we begin the story by her basically scamming a customer. As the story progresses its hard to say Katie is insightful when at every turn she just showcases her lack of boundaries and immaturity. She's brilliant sure, but she's messy, lazy, careless, and unreliable. There were points in the story where it was hard to see her as anything other then a privileged girl, from a rich family, that didn't take the world seriously. Now, Chern's writing brought this story to life. It was personable, funny, and relatable. The characters are thoughtfully built and Owen, Katie's brother, is a treasure.
As for Marley, Katie's only friend in her lonely life, who winds up dead- Marley is something else. Yes, Play the Fool is a mystery novel, but the answers are all there. When secrets are finally unearthed, you'd have to really not be paying attention to be surprised. That being said, Chern had no limit to plot twists, and at parts I found them driving me a little crazy. I'm all for a good mystery but the plot has to remain stable. Since Katie was narrating the entire story, and her inner thoughts are unforgivingly chaotic, well so was the storyline. Chaos aside, Play the Fool was such a nice read. It was quick, comfortable, and thoroughly entertaining. I am grateful my original apprehension was disregarded because this is a read I am glad I chose.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC*

Katie True, a cynical tarot card reader who can’t seem to find her path in life, seeks to uncover the truth about her friend’s mysterious murder in this lighthearted, witty whodunit.

I loved this! Fast moving, fun to read, with a cleverly winding plot. I found all of the characters relatable and nuanced which only enhanced this wonderfully layered book. I was originally drawn to Play the Foolfor its eye-catching cover art, but I’m glad to find the eccentric cover matched the energy of the narrative. If I’m being picky, my only want would have been expansion on both Owen’s character and the brother-sister relationship between him and Katie. Their banter was funny and heartwarming. A unique, well-written book, I couldn’t put this one down.

Play the Fool is expected to be published 28 March 2023.

First and foremost, special thanks to Random House's Kathleen Quinlan for pre-approving me for an eARC of this novel through NetGalley and knowing this was the right kind of novel for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed Play the Fool. A perfect read for spooky season brought this novel to the top of my TBR, and has had me recommending it once released to a number of folks. Our protagonist, Katie, is a fiesty 20's something who is down on her luck (or maybe she's just exhausted by trying to live up to her family's expectations of her). When her mysterious older friend disappears and seems to have been murdered, Katie uses her skills for reading people and interpreting the tarot to try to discover what happened to her friend.

Soon Katie finds herself enmeshed in the possible murder investigation that's... not a murder investigation (the body disappeared?!), and seems to keep popping up at the wrong time, and the is quickly befriended by the detective who is new in town with his own difficult past.

Darkly and riotously funny, with prose that's precise and flowing, I highly recommend Play the Fool for fans of novels with femme protagonists, dark humor, murder mysteries, and twists and turns, but don't want to ruin the fun of unraveling the mystery within for future readers!