Reviewed by annieb123 on
The Emperor Card is the 5th book in the Tarot Mysteries by Bevan Atkinson. Originally released in 2017, this reformat is 183 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats.
The plot gallops along, it's a short and satisfying read, and the technical aspects of the writing are seamless and enjoyable. This is an author who can really write. The secondary characters are well and sensitively drawn. The language is G-rated, there's no on page sexual content, and it's an enjoyable and humorous ride from start to finish.
The sense of place is palpable and the author has a gift for descriptive prose. I love the white hats in the story. The decency and honesty of Thorne, Xana, and DeLeon are so appealing and they're such great characters and so easy to like. The stories are wonderfully entertaining that I'm perfectly willing to suspend my disbelief and just enjoy the ride. I also love it that Xana is preternaturally perceptive and intuitive . I find her a thoroughly appealing character.
The plot here is relatively straightforward and linear. I found it well written, quite probably my favorite in the series thus far. Even Xana's mother's friends are starting to grow on me. The denouement in this installment was so satisfying, and I adored the epilogue.
Possibly worth noting for Kindle Unlimited subscribers, the first book in this highly entertaining series (The Fool Card) is included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. It's always fun to find a new to me author and series to read. I would definitely recommend this one to fans of modern American mysteries. I'm looking forward to binge reading the rest of the series.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- Finished reading
- 17 December, 2019: Reviewed