I received a copy of Play the Fool via NetGalley to read and review.

I remember reading the blurb and thinking ooook tarot cards to solve her friend’s murder, not sure what to make of that but why not? Even though Katie reads cards and enjoys it she’s not whipping them out every five seconds which I think is best. They do make appearances throughout the book but it really works for the story.

Katie is by far my favorite character. She’s 29 she’s still figuring out her life. She’s smart but just hasn’t found her thing which is how she gets herself in trouble. There’s a lot of growth in the short time frame of the book.

My one critique is the big reveal at the end. I feel like I remember the name popping up once or twice in the book but clearly it didn’t stick with me so I feel like it should’ve been a big a-ha moment but for me some of it missed there. Overall really great read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of Play the Fool. This is my honest feedback.

Play the Fook is Lina Chin's first novel but she is no stranger to writing. She has published short stories and written for the NYTimes and other newspapers. Her experienced writing was obvious. I found the book fun, a quick read, and never boring. Her narrator, Katie True, a reader of Tarot cards, is a reliable narrator full of spunk and gumption. I much prefer these characters if there is no detective or police person that the story revolves around. When we are allowed inside her head and hear her thinking, she is never whiney, and always maintains a sense of humor. Plus, there is a handsome policeman and we aren't given a happy or unhappy ending. That was a wonderful touch. I suspect that there might be another book in the making.

Katie works in a shopping mall and befriends another woman who works across the way from her. One day, someone runs into her store, freaking out, so Katie thought she would help him by reading the cards. When he goes to the bathroom, she looked at his phone and saw a photo of her friend, heaped up against trash, with a bullet hole in her head. Feeling some loyalty to her friend as she hasn't had many friends, she goes on a search to find out what happened. She gets herself arrested and meets the handsome policeman. Nothing is ever clear and we are as confused as Katie but grateful that we are just reading about it!

As the story moves along, Katie seems less like a flake and more like a smart, resourceful woman, and one can't help but wonder how she ended up working a menial job and upsetting her sister who thinks Katie should work for her. "I'm just trying to help you." This and all other questions are addressed and most answered by the end of the book. I'd say that this is a great beach read but it's a great anytime read. However, it's launching in the Spring of 2023 just in time for Spring Break!

Enjoy!!

Tarot is the lens through which Katie True sees her world -- a world in which she's a wanderer, at varying times lost and found in terms of her identity, her relationships, and her grasp on adult responsibilities. A refreshing protagonist for readers who tire of golden main characters, Katie is frequently getting things wrong as she makes impulse decisions as she takes on the investigation of a friend's murder.

Chern's prose is uncomplicated and makes for quick reading, but there's a surprising level of heart in this fun book. Katie's search for answers about her friend is rooted in her own desire to be seen, known, and valued, which is also shown through her familial relationships and her budding friendship-and-maybe-more with a cop on the case.

Great for fans of late-20s main characters, mystery, tarot, and quick, casual reads.

This is a well-written cozy mystery, an easy read. I really like the Katie True character, as well as her quirky BFF Marley and detective Jamie. The backstories for the characters ring true and the characters are likeable. The writer has some great quotes in the novel, such as “Sadness you’ve felt so long you don’t even notice it anymore.” I love that Katie has to do things her own way.

Katie is a bit of a disaster (the one exception being her nurturing relationship with her brother). I kind of hate her snarky sister Jessie! Her brother Owen is barely functional out in the world.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I hope you don’t mind a few corrections/suggestions.
I hate the cover. A cartoon-like character (such as what bad guy Joey would draw) would be more eye-catching. Something featuring Katie True, definitely.
Chapter 1, Page 1, ...me at the Russian knickknack place and SHE at the Goth (capitalized) boutique…. (SHE works at the Goth boutique.)
Chapter 3. He had seemed shocked at the photo. Huh? He didn’t know Katie looked at the photo so how would he seem shocked by it?
Chapter 8. He’s a fucking thief is what happened. This comes out of nowhere and needs a lead-up.
Chapter 18: I got nothing. I’m hosed.”. Drop the extra period.
Chapter 20: … scout’s honor did not know how to crime. Crime is a noun, not a verb.
Chapter 23: Somewhere between then and now I had briefly moved from my own couch to the Ortizes’ couch for my “babysitting” gig. This doesn’t make any sense because she isn’t at the Ortiz’s; she’s home.

When Katie’s friend Marley goes missing, the tarot card reader’s senses go on high alert. She sets out to find who has committed nefarious acts against her friend. Along the way, Katie finds herself in equally awkward and dangerous situations along the way. There’s a surprising amount of humor.

This book is packed full of interesting and colorful characters that lead it to be more cozy mystery and less crime novel. My personal favorites are Jamie (duh) and Owen. If this continues on to be a series, I hope we get lots more exposure to Katie’s family, as I found those portions to be some of the strongest writing. If you enjoy lighter mysteries, be on the watch for this one in March 2023.

On a personal note, this is the first time I’ve ever encountered my actual birth name as a character in a book. Wasn’t expecting that one! 🔮

A different take on the cosy mystery with the "what am I gonna do with myself" protagonist who meets up with a cute cop. If it sounds like Stephanie Plum...it isn't. Katie is actually self aware and wants to do more; she's gifted at reading people and she sees them as the various tarot cards she reads at the shop at the mall..Jamie, said cop, doesn't antagonize her or treat her like she's in the way so their budding friendship was nice. It's more like Psych meets Finlay Donovan (me likening anything to Psych is a huge compliment). Central mystery was interesting but all I kept thinking was Call a Bro from Hawkeye (iykyk) in regards to the bad guys.

Overall worth the read since it's not too heavy but the plot moves quickly..

Writing: 4/5
Character Development: 4/5
World Building: 5/5

Warnings: Language

Themes: Mystery, Thriller, who-done-it

Play The Fool was such a fun book to read. Katie was a character I could seriously relate to. She is a chaotic, exciting person who mostly lives in her head. It was exciting to read through the mystery and try to figure out who the killer was and why. My favorite character would have to be Owen, Katies brother. He just says what everything he is thinking and sees the world in his own way.

This book is great for anyone who wants to read about a chaotic main character who doesn’t know her own strength as she tries to solve a mystery that will keep you guessing until the end.

I received a free copy of this book and I am leaving an honest review voluntarily.

An easy read that kept me engaged with thoughtful characters and storyline - I’ll keep an eye for this author, no doubt!
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC opportunity!

Play the Fool by Lina Chern is a great who dunit book. Lina did a great job keeping you guessing on who the culprit will be up until the very end. I wouldn’t say Play the Fool is a thriller but definitely a good mystery. Will definitely be recommending the book to family and friends.

I’ll begin by saying I no little about tarot cards, but I thought it was a pretty cool interest for a protagonist in a mystery to have. Katie is a bit of a lost soul so she grabs in when a newish friend of hers is murdered and takes it upon herself to investigate. I liked that while she wasn’t really a trained investigator she thought logically and wasn’t overly cutesy or silly like some mystery characters can be. I enjoyed her brother Owen and the charm he brought as what I’d characterize as a neurodiverse person. I also liked her relationship with the detective. The mystery was ultimately pretty straight forward and I solved part of it, but overall it was an enjoyable and fast read.

Play the Fool
A Mystery
by Lina Chern
I really enjoyed Play The Fool. For Katie True, she was a brilliant(usually ) gal. I was rooting for Katie to the very end. Some things are true.

The book description and title are what pulled me in first. I enjoyed the characters and writing, especially during October, when things felt spooky. I would describe this as a "light-hearted murder mystery."

I enjoyed this book.
The poor girl working a dead end job (one of many) whose only major talent is reading the tarot cards (a talent she earned from a grifter, gambler of an Aunt) is trying to solve her friend's murder. I mean, what in that statement doesn't catch your attention? It's fun, fast-paced, amusing and never seems to lose momentum throughout the story. I had a great time.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC and an extra thank you to Kathleen Quinlan for sending this one my way! As someone who actually is an amateur tarot reader was especially interested to read this one. It is sort of a murder mystery/thriller along with tarot and I really enjoyed it. If you know anything about tarot and the meanings of the cards, it is obvious that Lina Chern knows what she’s talking about here. Each card reference is pretty spot on. Each character, for the most part, gets a card assigned to them which gives you a great bit of insight into each of them, especially because Chern gives brief explanations for the chosen cards. This book feels like a labor of love.

The main character Katie True is the tarot reader, but her life is more than a bit of a mess. She is at a point in her life where she seems unable to move forward. She’s stuck at a dead-end job, compares herself to her more successful siblings, and feels wanting. I really liked the dynamic and relationship between Katie and her brother Owen, who clearly is on the spectrum. How coping with Owen and how Owen relates at various points in the story rings very true for anyone who has been faced with this.

The relationship that develops between Katie and the detective who helps her is awkward and sweet and very relatable. Due out on March 28, 2023, Play The Fool should definitely be on your To Be Read list!

Play the Fool by Lina Chern was a well written, interesting mystery.

Katie finds herself back in her hometown near her overwhelming parents after leaving Chicago.
Moving from job to job and flipping through her tarot deck for guidance.
Then she meets Marley. Who is enigmatic, mature, and confident in her own skin, Marley takes a job at the mall where Katie works.
The two become close. And Katie lovee that because Marley doesn’t try to meddle in Katie’s life or pretend to be someone she’s not.
Katie finally will be able to make it through life after all.
Until, someone comes into Katie's shop for a reading and she takes a peek at his phone, she see a photo of Marley with a gunshot wound to the head!
Her life crumbles. Her best friend is dead. By who?
She puts her use to work and lands into a big ole' mess trying to uncover the truth and solve her friends murder.

Woah! What a true whodunit story!
The plot was interesting and the characters were well-developed.
I felt so connected to Katie and wanted to tell everything would be ok! Being so well written and had depth.
I liked the mystery throughout the book and I found myself racing to the end so I can actually find out what really happened and how this story was going to end.
Play the Fool was told in such a unique and intriguing way.
The way it was told hooked me from the start.
It's a riveting and clever story, uniquely told and one I totally enjoyed reading.

I will be putting Lina Chern on my future tbr list.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Random House, Ballantine & Bantam:
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

Super cute book! It had the ease of feeling light, easy to read, interesting enough to zoom through, while still hooking the classic whodunnit feel. The main character, Katie, was likeable (even if frustratingly foolish at times) and it was impossible not to root for her on her quest to figure out what happened to her friend Marley.

The ending surprised me, while simultaneously giving me some warm fuzzies. Definitely would recommend.

Play the Fool is a delightfully entertaining mystery with a bumbling tarot reading amateur detective creating more havoc than readings. There is never a dull moment as Katie, Jaimie, and Marley struggle to reveal the truths. It is a light read with many hidden surprises.

Katie works at one dead end job after another while reading tarot cards on the side. She is working at a shop in the mall and makes friends with Marley who works in another shop. A man wanders into her shop upset and she sees a photo of her friend dead on his phone. Katie goes to the police who do not take her seriously.
Katie gets herself in trouble constantly trying to solve the murder.
This is an enjoyable cozy mystery. Katie is a wonderful character full of flaws but her heart is in the right place. The story also has twists that you will not see coming and it makes the book exciting. Once you start this book you will not want to put it down. I look forward to seeing more from this author.

Thank you to Kathleen Quinlan for sending this book my way.

Thanks also to #netgalley, @LinaChern, and #Bantam for a copy of this book.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Random House Publishing Group— Ballantine and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Entertaining tale chock full of mystery.

Katie has been struggling as of late as she hums around from one dead end job to another. While reading cards for a customer she sees the customers phone with a photo of her friend Marley laying dead next to a dumpster. What the heck happened? That’s why Katie must find out. And she’ll be using her cards to help her along the way.

Being a tarot user I found this book to be well written by a fellow tarot users. The author’s use of the cards to represent characters and her descriptions fo the use of each is great! It’s clear she either did a lot of research, or is a user herself…and I’m saying it’s the latter. Great and well developed characters that have me sitting on pins and needles waiting for more from the author with these characters.