Death in the Cards
A Stain-busting Mystery
A Toadfern mystery

By Sharon Short

     The town of Paradise, Ohio, is to host a "Psychic Fair." This wlll include mystics, tarot card readers, soothsayers, fortune tellers and crystal ball viewers. The local evangelist, Pastor Dru Purcell, leader of the Paradise Church of Almighty Revelations, and his followers are vehemently opposed to the Fair as an instrument of the Devil. Conservative members of the community also oppose the Fair.

     Josie Toadfern, owner of the Toadfern Laundromat and the best stain expert in Ohio, is contemplating an enjoyable weekend with her boy friend, Owen Collins, visiting the local "haunted" corn maze. She is busy tutoring Hugh Crowley, an adult who has admitted to being illiterate; and with the guardianship of her cousin Guy, an adult with autism, at Stillwater Farms. Josie spends enjoyable coffee time with her close friends, Cherry and Sally. On her way to return laundry to the Red Horse Motel, she collides with Ginny Profitt, who is the star attraction of the fair. Profitt reads Josie's palm much to Josie's dismay. Josie finds that Profitt is resented by psychic Skylark Smith and her mother, Karen. When Josie stumbles on Ginny's body while she and Owen are taking the corn maze tour, Josie becomes involved in trying to find the murderer. There's no scarcity of suspects, and Josie finds herself a potential victim.

     This is a lighthearted mystery with a cast of enjoyable and colorful characters. The dialogue is witty; the conversation among the three women amusing. The action is swift with enough byplay about Josie's dry cleaning business to be entertaining. Her search for a customer's favorite shirt is amusing. The history of the historic Serpent Mound is quite interesting.