Prediction Murder: The Magician is the first book in a slightly-paranormal cozy mystery series featuring tarot cards. Harper doesn’t start out really believing in tarot cards or magic, but when she returns to her hometown for a funeral, things might change her mind. I had a bit of a hard time relating to Harper. She upended her life with almost no warning or second-guessing herself. When she inherits her cousin’s store (and dog) she just jumps right in.

I really loved Einstein. He seemed to have his own role to play, and often pointed out something important. Although most of the time people didn’t notice it right away. I can picture him trotting around town in his little outfits, visiting all of Harper’s friends with her.

The town. Well, that wasn’t quite as well done. I was so confused by the people. There are so many cousins and friends and co-workers introduced all at once that I couldn’t keep any of them apart. The fact that so many started with the same letter (I get that it was a family tradition thing) didn’t help.

I had a hard time following the bouncing ball of the mystery – although once I stopped reading and put the pieces together in my head a few times, things made more sense. I would have really liked this story better if it was a little more cohesive and gradually introduced me to more of the characters.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**