Tarot Review: The Housewives Tarot

by: Paul Kepple and Jude Buffum

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
Within This Box Lie The Secrets of Domestic Empowerment

Begin your journey by lifting the lid, dealing out your fate, and understanding the hidden messages of The Housewives Tarot. Through images of dinnerware (Pentacles), martini glasses (Cups), mops and brooms (Wands), and much more, these tarot cards can answer all of life’s most challenging questions. The enclosed instruction book will show you how to interpret all 78 cards and provides useful advice on giving a reading.

Includes:

• 78-card Tarot Deck
  
• Instruction Book

---

I have to say this Tarot comes across as more kitsch than anything else. But I loved seeing the pictures on Mrs. B's Facebook page. So when the opportunity came up to review the deck for Quirk, I jumped at the chance. Ok, I begged. lol I have to say, it's the most accurate Tarot deck I've used. I think part of it is the imaging. Look at the Devil card - Devil's Food Cake. Every image screams 1950s-1960s household...not just housewives. It's loaded with vintage pop culture that many of us will understand more easily than the images that are more...how do I put this..artsy-fartsy? ;-)
I'm saying, in this modern world, this deck is fun and it works. I've done simple readings, just past-present-future, and each one has been accurate and eye opening. I also adore the recipe box the cards come in. There are actual recipes, and separators for the deck between the Major and Minor Arcana and of course the instruction booklet. There are real recipes included, and the layouts included in the booklet are housewife style. Remember the 3 card reading I just mentioned? It calls to place the cards sideways and renamed it "The Neapolitan." There's also "The Dinette" which looks like a place setting at your dinner table. If nothing else, it's the most unique deck and set of instructions that I've ever seen in the world of Tarot. And I'm one to spend ages in that section at my local pagan store.

Book Review: Blueblood

by: Matthew Iden

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
Four unrelated murders. Nothing special in Washington DC. Not even good enough to make the evening news. But then a concerned police lieutenant approaches retired homicide detective Marty Singer with a simple fact that changes everything.

They were all cops.

In a race to stop the killings, Marty tackles the case from the outside, chasing the killer from deadly Southeast DC to the heart of the Virginia gangland, on a mission to stop the spilling of yet more Blueblood.

---

I beta-read and reviewed the first Marty Singer book, A Reason to Live. I thought it was excellent. I went through a phase of reading all the Michael Connelly books I could get my hands on. I also adore Jonathan Kellerman. My point being I love a well-written, gritty, crime novel. Iden does not disappoint. I honestly would put him up there with those 2 authors, and better than some others. Any publisher that didn't sign this guy should be regretting it now. The Marty Singer novels are superb.

Marty Singer, if you remember from the 1st novel, is a retired homicide detective fighting cancer. It means, our hero is unique. He has the knowledge and the experience as a 1st rate detective, but his illness leaves him easily tired and weakened overall. It means that, not only are you on the edge of your seat wondering who-done-it, but you are wondering if Marty is going to be able to complete the case with or without assistance. Not to mention wondering how his cancer is doing.

And I'm not lying when I say I was on the edge in this one. At one point I thought I was to the wrapping up stage. And this tends to be where I get bored. And I started relaxing and just wanted to see what Marty still had to do and if there'd be more news from his Doctor, when something so shocking took place I literally jumped.

It's the 2nd novel in the Marty Singer series, and fully worth the read. And BTW folks, that's not all he's done. He has several short story collections and other books that I found free at Amazon. Probably not free anymore, but reasonably priced since he's a self-published author. A diamond in the ruff, for sure!