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Give the Devil His Due (A Tarot Mystery, 3) Paperback – April 8, 2017

by Steve Hockensmith (Author), Lisa Falco (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 314 ratings
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Alanis McLachlan, reformed con artist turned tarot reader, gets paid for predicting the future―too bad she didn't see all the trouble in hers. First a figure from her past tries to drag her back into the life of crime she thought she'd left behind. Then a new suitor tries to sweep Alanis off her feet, threatening her on-again, off-again romance with hunky teacher Victor Castellanos. And there's the little matter of the ominous reading she gives to a new client, which could have deadly consequences. Danger is in the cards for Alanis, and she'll need all her skills at reading both people and tarot if she's going to survive.

Praise:

"It's every man, woman, and teen for himself as the authors unlock their third free-wheeling adventure set in the craziest town west of Maggody, Arkansas."―Kirkus Reviews

"[A] quirky series...filled with eccentric protagonists and engaging banter, insights into the art of grift, and tantalizing love interests. Apt to appeal to Jim Swain fans and lovers of Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg's Fox and Hare series."―Library Journal

"[Hockensmith and Falco] keep the surprises coming while maintaining a consistently humorous tone."―Publishers Weekly

"A perfect, frothy confection, swirls to an ending suitable to the entire enterprise. Hockensmith is a worthy heir to the late, lamented Donald E. Westlake."―Mystery Scene

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Previous page
  1. Book 3 of 3
    Tarot Mysteries
  2. Print length
    360 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Midnight Ink
  5. Publication date
    April 8, 2017
  6. Dimensions
    5.25 x 0.82 x 8 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0738742244
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0738742243
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"It's every man, woman, and teen for himself as the authors unlock their third free-wheeling adventure set in the craziest town west of Maggody, Arkansas."―Kirkus Reviews

"[A] quirky series...filled with eccentric protagonists and engaging banter, insights into the art of grift, and tantalizing love interests. Apt to appeal to Jim Swain fans and lovers of Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg's Fox and Hare series."―Library Journal

"[Hockensmith and Falco] keep the surprises coming while maintaining a consistently humorous tone."―Publishers Weekly

"A perfect, frothy confection, swirls to an ending suitable to the entire enterprise. Hockensmith is a worthy heir to the late, lamented Donald E. Westlake."―Mystery Scene

About the Author

Steve Hockensmith (California) is the author of the Pride and Prejudice and Zombiesnovels Dawn of the Dreadfuls (Quirk Classics, 2010)and Dreadfully Ever After (Quirk Classics, 2011). His book Holmes on the Range (Minotaur Books, 2007) was a finalist for the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony Awards for Best First Novel. 



Lisa Falco (Los Angeles) received her first tarot deck at the age of eight years old. She holds degrees from both Northwestern University and Cal State University Northridge, and is the author of A Mother’s Promise (Illumination Arts, 2004). 

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Midnight Ink; First Edition, First Printing (April 8, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 360 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0738742244
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0738742243
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.82 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 314 ratings

About the author

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Steve Hockensmith

Steve Hockensmith

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Steve Hockensmith’s first novel, the mystery/Western hybrid "Holmes on the Range," was a finalist for the Edgar, Shamus, Anthony and Dilys awards. He went on to write several sequels (with more on the way!) as well as the tarot-themed mystery "The White Magic Five and Dime" and the New York Times bestseller "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls." He also teamed up with educator “Science Bob” Pflugfelder to write the middle-grade mystery "Nick and Tesla and the High-Voltage Danger Lab" and its five sequels. Learn more about him and his writing at stevehockensmith.com.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
314 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Velyrhorde
5.0 out of 5 stars Quirky and Satisfying Mystery Series
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2024
Verified Purchase
I picked the first Tarot Mystery book up because I enjoyed Steve Hockensmith's Holmes on the Range stories and wondered how this series would read, and because I have an interest in tarot cards myself. I have thoroughly enjoyed the series and am hopeful Steve might see fit to write more stories with these characters.

The heroine, "Alannis MacLaughlan" is a young woman with a shady past. Raised by a con artist mother and Mother's boyfriend, the girl never even knew which of her aliases might be her birth name. When she became old enough to understand the games, she lit out on her own and tried to find a "normal" life for herself. Now, she's working as a telemarketer when she gets a call that changes her life again: Mother has been murdered!

"Alannis" travels to the small town where her mother was working, where she discovers several things: friendship, a family member she didn't know she had, a conscience she hadn't known she had, and lots of trouble. In this book, the third in the trilogy, "Alannis" is stunned when a dapper Black gentleman strolls back into her life - Mother's boyfriend, who she thought murdered long ago! What does Biddle want and can "Alannis" trust him? Mix in boyfriend trouble in the form of two men, one a law-abiding gym teacher and the other a handsome con artist who seems to actually care, and the murder of a man she gave a tarot reading to, and you might have more trouble than "Alannis" can handle this time. And what's with the mysterious woman trying to murder our heroine? There's a velvet Elvis painting, too.

If you like A) quirky mystery stories, B) quirky characters, C) tarot cards, and D) lots of humor, you'll like this series. I've fallen for the heroine and her kooky cast of friends and family members. As I said, I live in hope that there may be more in store for this bunch!
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Marge J.
4.0 out of 5 stars Never assume a person is dead unless you see the body!!
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2017
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Although not as fabulous as the first and second books of the series, it's still a interesting whodunit. Just when the heroine of the series thinks she has life thought out, she gets a big surprise... a visit from a dead man, or at least one she assumed was dead.
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Stephen L. Mcconnell
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written and fun.
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2017
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I thoroughly enjoyed all three books in this series. The mixing of Tarot and murder mysteries is especially fun. I had picked up the first book in this series because I was rekindling my interest in the Tarot and they popped up on my amazon search. I felt "What the hey.... I can check it out". And I am glad I did.

All three books are a fast read. The characters jump out at you from the pages rather than being one dimensional. The first book and the third book in the series were written in a similar style. Dialog was blended in with short exposition and main character inner dialog that made for very smooth reading. The second book was interesting. It was almost ALL dialog based, which revealed each of the Characters traits, inner thinking and helped describe the scene very well.

In many books I have read, the dialog is often forced and seems trite. Here in EACH of these three books the dialog was never trite, never forced, never there for the sake of filling up space. All of the books were fast paced, drew you in (I read them in just 3 days.... I couldn't put them down.) and had some interesting turns that the reader just doesn't expect.

As I said before, I also enjoyed the intertwining of Tarot, Tarot Readings and philosophy in with the story. Each chapter had a Card associated with it. The first book had the Major Arcana, the second book had Wands and the third book, Cups. These three books were the only ones I have found yet in the series, but I am assuming the next two will have Penticals and Swords.

I have enjoyed these three books so much, I am REALLY Looking forward to the next two (and hopefully more).
2 people found this helpful
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L. Burns
5.0 out of 5 stars Book #3: You can't escape your past...or can you?
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2017
Verified Purchase
When a figure from Alanis’s past makes an unexpected appearance in Berdache he brings with him a boatload of trouble, including a couple of AARP eligible mobsters. Has he reappeared in Alanis’s life out of concern for her safety or is he using her as a pawn in some kind of elaborate con?

I really enjoyed this book and its two predecessors. The characters are unique and nicely developed, the mystery is well thought out and cleverly executed and the dialog is smart and witty. Alanis’s first-person narrative is slyly observant and chock full of humor. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book and I hope there’s a 4th book in the works – this series is hugely entertaining.

Series brief: Alanis McLachlan is a thirty-something former con artist who inherits a Tarot reading business in a tiny Arizona town. Alanis is determined to make amends to everyone that her late mother scammed, but the list is long and she keeps getting sidelined by dead bodies. Oh, and she’s trying to make sense of the Tarot, but she tends to interpret the cards in her own unique way.

“I used to wonder why anyone spoke to Angela Lansbury on “Murder, She Wrote”. Every time you said “Good Morning” to her, your chances of being bludgeoned to death doubled. Now I was in danger of becoming Berdache's Jessica Fletcher.” – Alanis (pg. 48)

The series, in order:

Book One:  The White Magic Five and Dime (A Tarot Mystery)

Book Two:  Fool Me Once (A Tarot Mystery)

Book Three:  Give the Devil His Due (A Tarot Mystery)
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Reader from Toronto
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting mystery with a twist of something different
Reviewed in Canada on May 19, 2020
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Enjoyed the humor and the voice and the use of tarot cards. The reason I only gave this four stars was the haphazard copy editing became really annoying. But love the heroine and hope to see more of her adventures!
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Carla Tate
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun as always
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2019
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This is a fun series of books. I recently wrote the author to ask him how many more we can expect. They are planning to do five altogether--one for each tarot major, and one for each suit. So at least 2 more to go, as he says they might do more, although there was no plan to at the moment. As a tarot reader, I have gotten a kick out the use of tarot in the plot and find the stories and characters engaging and funny. Very good, top stuff.
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Sabrina
5.0 out of 5 stars Tolle Reihe
Reviewed in Germany on February 7, 2018
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Auch der dritte Teil war toll. Die Bücher sind sehr gut geschrieben und man kann es schnell lesen.
Außerdem muss ich immer viel schmunzeln und lachen. Ich freue mich schon auf den nächsten Teil und hoffe, dass die Serie nicht so schnell endet.
One person found this helpful
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Bibliophilia Book
5.0 out of 5 stars Love it!
Reviewed in Germany on June 3, 2017
Verified Purchase
Spannend, unterhaltsam, respektlos, tiefsinnig, anders - alles gleichzeitig. Liest sich von selbst. Macht süchtig! Zum Glück ist das schon Teil drei (Reihenfolge sollte eingehalten werden) und hoffentlich nicht der Letzte!
2 people found this helpful
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Chloe
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect tarot mystery
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 18, 2017
Verified Purchase
Another excellent mystery from this lovely team. A perfect cozy murder, with the added bonus of really good tarot knowledge to back up the book's theme. Eagerly await the next one.
One person found this helpful
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