It seems like everyone always says, "don't judge a book by it's cover." But I do. Frequently. I have bought so many books (and movies) off the strength of their covers. And admittedly, sometimes amazing covers hide not-so-amazing interiors. Sometimes it's downright terrible in there. Thankfully this one wasn't quite that bad. However, while that cover is a solid 9/10, the book itself hovers right around 5/10 for me. It struck me as a little too irreverent to accomplish its task. Like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, but with waaaaaay less character development.

Don't get me wrong - I like that kind of madcap-new-noir style of storytelling (I actually find the SP series highly entertaining). It just felt like something was missing here. I mean the basic formula is all there: black sheep of the family, doing "less" with her life than someone in the family thinks she should be, plenty of snark. But while the opening third or so of the story is pretty solid, it all sort of slowly falls apart from that point on. Honestly, the stakes don't feel particularly high, Katie seems underdeveloped, and there is a detective introduced as a sort of love interest for her, but...he might as well not be involved at all for all the purpose he actually serves to either the story or Katie's character development/arc.

One thing I really did enjoy though was the way that the tarot cards themselves were woven into the story. I actually thought that bit was really cleverly handled.

Overall though, sad to say I did not love this one.

Play the Fool" by Lina Chern is a gripping mystery novel that takes readers on a thrilling ride through the perspective of a unique protagonist, Katie True. Katie is a part-time psychic and works as a clerk in a small Russian tchotchke store located in a rundown mall. One day, a man comes in and agrees to a tarot reading, leaving his phone unattended. Katie, unable to resist the temptation, takes a peek at the device, hoping to gather information that might aid the reading. However, what she discovers on the phone is a picture of her friend Marley, who has been found dead in the alley behind the mail.

I'm so thankful to have received digital access to Play the Fool by Lina Chern leading up to its publication date of March 28, 2023. I thought this piece of literary fiction, twisting and turning all the while, was so well done and I can't wait to run to my feed to see what my fellow readers think of this work of art. I am so thankful to NetGalley, Random House, Bantam, and the author, additionally for the bookish love.

This was a rough one to get through. The very beginning and toward the end held my interest, but the whole middle felt like dragging myself out of quicksand. I got the audiobook when it became available and it was easier to get through, but I was listening on top speed just trying to get through it. I couldn’t find myself growing attached to any of the characters, the story and the “mystery” of it all didn’t pull me in, and the ending left a lot to be desired. Had this been a short story I think it could’ve been interesting, but as it is there’s a lot said while nothing much happens. Overall I would give this one a pass unless you’re really captivated by the synopsis.

PLAY THE FOOL by Lina Chern is a very original and super fun mystery read. The story begins in a mall outside Chicago, where 20-something Katie True is stuck in a dead-end retail job and trying to cope with a family who disapproves of her lifestyle choices. At the mall, a bleeding man suddenly asks her to read his fortune with her Tarot cards and when she manages to sneak a look at his phone, she sees evidence of a murder. Despite not finding a body, Katie next decides to convince an attractive cop (the chemistry between them is apparent) that the victim deserves an investigation. Katie is a clever sleuth on her own; well, except for staying out of danger. Non-stop action, the involvement of organized crime, and many more Tarot readings later, readers will be laughing and cheering for Katie and Officer Jamie. PLAY THE FOOL, a debut novel, received a starred review from Library Journal ("charming and eccentric Katie will captivate readers").

3.5 stars!

First off, what an amazing cover! That was the thing that first caught my eye. This was a fun “murder mystery” and I enjoyed the tarot aspect of it as well! Such a neat detail. Some character development, funny moments, quick paced, and cozy mystery elements. My main issue was that I never really knew if this was a full mystery, a romance, YA, or ??? It was a bit confusing.

This was a pretty good debut novel. I thought the writing and mystery was good but the story itself was hard to believe at times.

This fast paced murder mystery will have you gasping and questioning what happened all the way to the end of the book. The book starts off strong and maintains a fast pace until the very end. Overall a very enjoyable murder mystery book.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC!

I enjoyed this book and the inclusion of some humor that was involved with the telling of this story. It brought a different spin to the genre. Overall it was a good book.

3.5 stars rounded up!

Play the Fool: A Mystery is a fast-paced, quick-witted mystery thriller debut by Lina Chern. The story follows main character Katie True, a cynical tarot card reader who seeks to discover the truth about the death of her friend, Marley. Through a series of amusing but dangerous circumstances, she must use her razor-sharp instincts to solve this clever whodunnit mystery.

This book was compulsively readable and had a great balance of mystery, thrills, and humor. Katie was a charming protagonist and I couldn’t help but root for her. The mystery was engaging and left enough room for the reader to try and solve it along with the characters. The reveals may not shock a seasoned thriller reader, but it’s still a fun time watching everything unravel. I highly recommend this debut, especially for fans of Finlay Donovan is Killing It!

**Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for sending this eARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Bantam and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this amazing novel! From the synopsis: “a cynical tarot card reader seeks to uncover the truth about her friend’s mysterious death in this delightfully clever whodunnit.” This book WAS “delightfully clever” and I absolutely loved it from the start.

I fell in love with several things in this novel: the storyline, of course, the characters, and the quirky tarot card motifs that surfaced throughout the novel. I think that everyone and their cousin can relate to Katie as a character. We’ve all failed at adulting, we’ve all lived in rundown apartments that have something that doesn’t function but never gets fixed, we’ve all had those “temporary” jobs that we stick with a little longer than we should….and we’ve all stumbled upon underground crime rings (well, maybe not that one). Katie was so incredibly real for me that I found myself unable to stop reading. I loved her point of view, her clever wit, and her very hilarious and questionable decision-making skills. Owen was incredibly lovable as well (the BUBBLE TEA….don’t get me started) and I loved the hints at his sensory dysregulation and neurodivergence (we need more of that in literature). That made him an incredibly real character as well. I enjoyed Katie’s unlikely friendship with Jamie, and I liked that Jamie wasn’t just the “friend who is conveniently a cop and can help the protagonist with the case” character. He had some depth and some brokenness and some innate protective instincts in him which I think also made him more real.

I loved the uniqueness of Katie’s POV in this story. Her mind works in such a special way and I really enjoyed reading the story from her perspective. Seeing the tarot cards in everyday life and situations was a very cool way to write her mind’s eye. Katie is a relatively innocent and kind of “out there” character and I love that she accidentally discovered a murder and a crime ring. The contrast between her “failed-at-adulting” life and the massive amount of danger she managed to put herself in worked really well for me.

I won’t spoil anything in this review because I think everyone should read this one, but the plot twist at the end was actually something I did NOT see coming, even though it was hinted throughout the story that things with a certain character weren’t as they seemed.

Definitely recommending this one to anyone who likes:
Webs of mystery
Lovable characters
Tarot
Quirky main characters who stick their noses in situations where they don’t belong
Incredibly relatable storylines
Stories with real danger
Plot twists
Bubble tea and food court fried rice

I had a hard time really getting into Play the Fool. So I did struggle with going back and forth between other books. This book has great potential.

I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book. I love tarot and I thought the concept was good. I liked the main character a lot - she's quirky, funny, and relatable. The writing style is easy to read and I got through it pretty quickly. I didn't think she and the MMC had any chemistry at all. It would be great to see a story where there's a MMC and a FMC and they just have a platonic friendship and nothing is hinted at or forced at all. I would have liked their relationship better if they had developed the friendship more instead of flirting.

⭐⭐⭐

𝘼 𝙘𝙮𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙠𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙’𝙨 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩.

📍 Read if you like:
• Murder Mysteries
• Little Suspense
• Hidden Identities
• Tarot Reading (Cards)

I have mixed feelings about this book. The premise sounded so intriguing so I set high expectations for it, but unfortunately, there were some issues I had with the book.

Let’s start off by saying I was immediately pulled in with the idea of our MC being a tarot reader. It opens up with Katie doing a tarot reading on this guy, she ends up seeing a picture of her friend dead on his phone.

Katie was an interesting character. I do think she was very well-developed at the beginning of the book.

However, the book itself lacked what exactly it was trying to be. It had different elements of multiple genres and it just got confusing. Was that main focus the mystery, romance, or was it just a coming-of-age story? I honestly could not tell you - there were factors to each that were portrayed and eventually got lost throughout the book.

As the book progressed I felt like the story started becoming unbelievable and far-fetched - which makes me so sad as I had high expectations on this one. It wasn’t a terrible book by any means, but at the end of the day, it’s definitely going to be very forgettable.

Thank you Bantam and NetGalley for the gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review, all thoughts are my own!

First things first - this cover art is simply incredible. I love it.

But this book was a little uneven for me - I really loved the beginning of the story, getting to know Katie and her world and all of the scene-setting for the mystery at hand. The visualization of the tarot cards in her brain was a really new and different device.

To call this really a mystery or suspense story is a misnomer, though, in my opinion. I enjoyed the writing and the story in general, but I wasn't on the edge of my seat to figure out what happens next. It was really uneven in terms of storytelling.

As a debut novel, though, a respectable first effort, and I would definitely read more of Lina Chern's work.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All views are my own.

I liked this little standalone mystery novel! (if more come, alls the better)
Owen was my favorite and Jamie's great
Quick when you get into it
Quite fun

📂 Book Review 📂

#playthefool
#linachern
#cozymystery
#NetGalley published 3/28/23
#randomhousepublishinggroup #ballantinepublishing

📂📂📂📂/5

Katie needs to figure out who killed her "best friend". Apparently the best friend she didn't really know. A cop, Jaime befriends her to help her figure it out.

She needs to also figure out what she is meant to do in life. And Jaime manages to help her out with that one too. It wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing for the author to write a sequel-ish to this one so we can see the outcome.

I did keep getting pulled back to the story. It's more like a slow burn. Not an exciting rush. Well enough written. I'd give this author a try again.

#bookstagram #booknerds #bookworm #booklover #bookdragon #readalot #ilovereading

I really enjoyed Play The Fool. At first I thought this book might be a little to YA, but was glad to be proven wrong. It was kind of like a cozy mystery involving tarot cards, which I found really unique. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Katie True is a mess. Her career, her home life and her friendships lead a lot to be desired. But while working at the old mall, she befriends another mall worker and she thinks she might have a new friend. She does if that friend is as quirky and as mysterious as she is. They make some pair. Katie tries hard to develop the friendship and is overwhelmed when her new friend disappears. Marley worked at a dead end job as well and yet people can’t help but look for her. It’s all suspicious. And Katie turns to the police to figure out if there is a crime, disappearance or a murder. The characters that Katie meets up with are so interesting. You can’t tell who knows what’s going on. Most seem to just be a distraction in Katie’s search. Add a quirky brother and the other characters at the mall and you have yourself, one heck of a mystery. This was a four star read for me. It was fast paced and an interesting story. I want to thank Netgalley & Lina Chern for my copy of Play the Fool, for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this book.

An engaging mystery with a unique protagonist from an exciting new voice. I love the way that Katie used the tarot throughout the story- it felt real and detailed and lived-in, making it more than a cool aesthetic or easy gimmick. Katie uses the tarot to investigate her own mind, to brainstorm, to help with decision-making, and to survive on the margins of a tough world. I look forward to seeing what else she gets up to.