“Whispers Beyond the Veil” A Change of Fortune Mystery By Jessica Estevao

by Sandra Murphy

Details on how to win a copy of this book at the end of the review.

Ruby Proulx has gone by many names during her life but never her real name. She travels with her father, a con man who works the circuit selling his miracle potion that cures all ailments. Ruby reads Tarot cards and tells people what they most want to hear. After all, her father is prone to spending all their money on one foolish plan or another. He can’t tell the truth when a lie will do just as well, and he can’t turn down a chance to make a killing, even when the seller is another con man.

That’s what got Ruby in so much trouble. He bought a new gadget, called the Invigorizer. He tests the machine on Johnny, who is part of the con, and tells Ruby to flip the switch. The inner voice she sometimes hears says don’t, but it was too late. The switch is flipped and instead of being invigorated, Johnny is electrocuted. Not one to take the blame for anything, Ruby’s father says she’s at fault and she’d better skip town before the police find Johnny’s body. He’ll throw her under the proverbial bus to save himself.

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With little money, Ruby can only think of one place to go—to visit the aunt she’s never met. Honoria is thrilled to see her. It seems each of the women in their family has a special skill—like Ruby’s voice in her head. Honoria is building her hotel’s reputation on the mediums, card readers, and the like she’s invited to do demonstrations.

One of the hotel’s guest though is a debunker. He’s there to prove there is no seeing into the future. When his body is found, the suspect list is long. It seems he had a habit of proving a medium faked a reading and then gave her the choice of going to jail for fraud or sleeping with him to buy his silence.

Image source: Penguin

One of Ruby’s worst fears has come to pass. Someone recognized her and is blackmailing her. The hotel is in jeopardy since her aunt put a mortgage on it so she could compete with larger hotels. Ruby feels like anything and everything that could go wrong, has, including her attraction to the policeman in town.

Set in 1898, the people and their motives are much the same as today—greed, lust, power, and money. There’s an old murder to solve too. Ruby is someone you’d like to have as a friend or to read the Tarot cards for you, whether you believed or not. Her main clients, the sisters, are a treat. This was an enjoyable mystery with great promise for the next in the Change of Fortune Mystery series.

To enter to win a copy of Whispers Beyond the Veil, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “whispers,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen October 1, 2016. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please included your mailing address.

You can use this link to purchase the book:

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the arch, in the land of blues, booze and shoes—St Louis, Missouri. While writing magazine articles to support her mystery book habit, she secretly polishes two mystery books of her own, hoping, someday, they will see the light of Barnes and Noble. You can also find several of Sandra’s short stories on UnTreed Reads including her newest, "Arthur", included in the anthology titled, Flash and Bang, available now.