Book Review: Give the Devil his Due (Tarot Mystery) by Steve Hockensmith, Lisa Falco

Give the Devil his Due is the third book in the Tarot Mystery series by Steve Hockensmith and Lisa Falco. I have not read the previous books, but I caught up pretty quickly and still fully enjoyed the read. Although, I expect fans of the series will enjoy it even more.

Reformed con artist-turned-tarot reader Alanis McLachlan gets paid for predicting the future. Too bad she couldn't see all the trouble in hers. First a figure from her troubled past returns to drag her back into the dark world of scams and thievery she thought she'd left behind. Then her on-again off-again romance with hunky teacher Victor Castellanos hits the skids when a surprising new suitor sweeps into town and tries to sweep Alanis off her feet. And then there's the little matter of the client who gets an ominous reading from Alanis, and is promptly murdered. Danger is in the cards for Alanis, and she'll need all her skills as a tarot reader and a con artist ― as well as a lot of luck ― if she's going to survive.

Give the Devil his Due is a fast paced mystery full of twists and turns, some of which took me by real surprise. I liked the characters, and thought that Alanis was an interesting woman and one I want to read more about. Her family, past, and present are full of betrayal and unanswered questions, which I really want to know more about. The danger and mystery are very well constructed- and old friend back from the dead, a mystery painting, murder, and mayhem surround Alanis as she continues her battle to be the opposite of her mother. I loved reading the interplay between Alanis and her sister, possible suitors, and all the secondary characters. I loved the zaniness of some of the characters and locations the story introduced me too. GW and Biddle are great characters and I hope to see more of both, although Victor played a much smaller role than the blurb lead me to believe, so there is no real love triangle here- which was a relief.

Give the Devil his Due is a fast and entertaining read. I enjoyed the cast of characters and the action that kept them all on their toes. I think I will try and find the time to read the previous, and future, volumes of this series.