Red Emma
When the hero of "Eight of Swords" does a reading for a college girl, the first card is the 8S, and it goes downhill from there. In fact the cards are so bad, he finishes the reading on the next to last, Strength, which he feels has some positive spin to it. Two days later the girl is kidnapped. (Talk about bound and confined!)
Our hero, who reads on the streets of Berkely, CA, is first and foremost a business man. To him the cards are a way to earn a living. Usually his reading goal is to give his clients some positive spin, some hope and good news in their lives. Then he finds that sometimes the cards take over and create their own message.
He daren't read for himself, for our hero is not who he seems to be. And because he'd given the girl one of his business cards, the police are led back to him. In fact, an FBI agent finds him oddly familiar. And tries to pin the kidnapping, and a subsequent murder on him.
Which means that Warren -- the name he's using for the moment -- has to find the girl before the FBI identifies him.
It's a wonderful book. Well plotted, well written. In additon for ATF'ers, tarot readings are the spine of the story. That part's well done as well.
Sorry I can't think of the author, but you can probably find it in your library, Amazon, or many other bookstores. It's one of the best mysteries I've read for a while, and well worth the search.
Our hero, who reads on the streets of Berkely, CA, is first and foremost a business man. To him the cards are a way to earn a living. Usually his reading goal is to give his clients some positive spin, some hope and good news in their lives. Then he finds that sometimes the cards take over and create their own message.
He daren't read for himself, for our hero is not who he seems to be. And because he'd given the girl one of his business cards, the police are led back to him. In fact, an FBI agent finds him oddly familiar. And tries to pin the kidnapping, and a subsequent murder on him.
Which means that Warren -- the name he's using for the moment -- has to find the girl before the FBI identifies him.
It's a wonderful book. Well plotted, well written. In additon for ATF'ers, tarot readings are the spine of the story. That part's well done as well.
Sorry I can't think of the author, but you can probably find it in your library, Amazon, or many other bookstores. It's one of the best mysteries I've read for a while, and well worth the search.
So I hope it is as good as it sounds.