The White Magic Five And Dime

When Alanis McLachlan learns that her mother's been murdered, she's completely unsurprised. Not that Alanis had been given a glimpse into the future. That would be crazy, right? It's just that her con-woman mom, Barbra, was bound to cross the wrong people sooner or later. It's why Alanis was lucky to get out of her childhood alive - and why she hadn't spoken to her mother in decades.But there is a surprise in store for Alanis. Barbra left her something in her will: a New Age shop in the tiny tourist trap town of Berdache, Arizona. The White Magic Five & Dime.After going to Berdache to claim her inheritance, Alanis is drawn into the mystery around her mother's death. Did one of Barbra's customers finally get wise to her con-artist ways and take revenge? Alanis thinks she knows how to find out: She'll make those customers her own until she can find the killer. Alanis McLachlan, cynic and unbeliever, is about to become a tarot card reader.With a little help from her mother's teenage apprentice and a snarky tarot how-to book called Infinite Roads to Knowing, Alanis begins bluffing her way through phony readings. But the more she gets to know the cards, the more she sees real meaning in them...and the closer the murderer comes to making her the next victim."Hilarious." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)"A clever and compelling tale filled with colorful and engaging characters." -Foreword Reviews"Hockensmith, author of the award-winning Big Red/Old Red series, and coauthor Falco deliver a charming comic mystery." -Booklist"The story is fun and light, and the mystical background and details of tarot reading are treated with good-natured skepticism." -Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

Much to Alanis McLachlan's surprise, her estranged con-woman mother has left her an inheritance: The White Magic Five & Dime, a shop in tiny Berdache, Arizona. Reluctantly traveling to Berdache to claim her new property, Alanis decides to stay and pick up her mother's tarot business in an attempt to find out how she died. With help from a hunky cop and her mother's live-in teenage apprentice, Alanis begins faking her way through tarot readings in order to win the confidence of her mother's clients. But the more she uses the tarot deck, the more Alanis begins to find real meaning in the cards ... and the secrets surrounding her mother's demise. Praise: 2015 IPPY Award Bronze Medal Winner in Mystery/Cozy/Noir 2014 ForeWord IndieFab Gold Winner for Mystery "Cozy readers with a taste for humor will welcome this hilarious series debut . . . [and] will eagerly await the next installment."—Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Hockensmith...and coauthor Falco deliver a charming comic mystery, which one hopes is the beginning of a series."—Booklist "[A] clever and compelling tale filled with colorful and engaging characters and a whodunit plot." —Foreword Reviews "From the unique title to the cool cover, this book has it all . . . A+ across the board!"—Suspense Magazine "Fun and light."—Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine

From bestselling author Steve Hockensmith and tarot expert Lisa Falco comes a new mystery that isn't fooling around Since taking over the White Magic Five and Dime, Alanis McLachlan has been tracking down old customers and making amends for her mother's con jobs. So when Marsha—one of the shop's most loyal clients—comes looking for a way out of her abusive marriage, Alanis does everything she can to help. But lending a hand leads to unforeseen consequences, including the murder of Marsha's husband. Now Alanis has to use her wiles to undo a mess of her own making. Her growing mastery of the tarot might help her find the truth...if the killer doesn't get to her first. Praise: "Winning."—Publishers Weekly "Delightfully quirky."—Kirkus Reviews "Smart, humorous and refreshingly offbeat."—Shelf Awareness "Savvy plotting, sharp writing, and a believable use of fortune-telling to frame the stories."—Booklist "Readers who adore the women detectives of Dorothy Cannell and Maggie King will be pleased by this quirky series."—Library Journal "A funny book in which the reader also learns something is a rare treasure indeed."—Mystery Scene

Alanis McLachlan, reformed con artist turned tarot reader, gets paid for predicting the future—too bad she didn't see all the trouble in hers. First a figure from her past tries to drag her back into the life of crime she thought she'd left behind. Then a new suitor tries to sweep Alanis off her feet, threatening her on-again, off-again romance with hunky teacher Victor Castellanos. And there's the little matter of the ominous reading she gives to a new client, which could have deadly consequences. Danger is in the cards for Alanis, and she'll need all her skills at reading both people and tarot if she's going to survive. Praise: "It's every man, woman, and teen for himself as the authors unlock their third free-wheeling adventure set in the craziest town west of Maggody, Arkansas."—Kirkus Reviews "[A] quirky series...filled with eccentric protagonists and engaging banter, insights into the art of grift, and tantalizing love interests. Apt to appeal to Jim Swain fans and lovers of Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg's Fox and Hare series."—Library Journal "[Hockensmith and Falco] keep the surprises coming while maintaining a consistently humorous tone."—Publishers Weekly "A perfect, frothy confection, swirls to an ending suitable to the entire enterprise. Hockensmith is a worthy heir to the late, lamented Donald E. Westlake."—Mystery Scene

Frank is a long-retired police detective with a new mystery to solve: Is someone stealing mundane things like toothpaste and dishwashing liquid from his neighbor? With his memory failing, he can’t be sure there have actually been any crimes...or that he’s not committing them himself.

Welcome to Black Cat Weekly #45. This is an fun issue, and I’ve selected Tobias S. Buckell’s fantasy “The Fisher Dragon” as the cover story. (I must admit to having a fondness for dragons. The very first story I sold professionally, way back at the dawn of time when I was 16 years old, was about a dragon. And they appear in several of my novels, most notably Master of Dragons.) Thanks to acquiring editor Cynthia Ward for selecting it. Black Cat’s other acquiring editors are represented in this issue, too—Michael Bracken selected an original mystery from John M. Floyd, and Barb Goffman has a tale about a retired detective by Steve Hockensmith (whose “Holmes on the Range” series of historical mystery stories are must-reads, as far as I’m concerned. Check then out if you get a chance.) And last (but not least), Darrell Schweitzer unearthed one of his paleo-interviews for us—this time with Craig Shaw Gardner. It's from the 1990s, when Gardner had just become a best-selling author, thanks to his Batman movie novelization. And we have classics by George O. Smith, Henry Kuttner, and many others, including a 1915 Nick Carter mystery novel. And, of course, a modern solve-it-yourself mystery from Hal Charles (the writing team of Hal Blythe and Charlie Sweet). Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “From Ten to Two” by John M. Floyd [Michael Bracken Presents short story] “An Eggceptional Solution” Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “Frank” by Steve Hockensmith [Barb Goffman Presents short story] The Bush-Rancher, by Harold Bindloss [novel] The Suicide, by Nicholas Carter [novel] Non-Fiction: “Speaking with Craig Shaw Gardner” [Interview with Darrell Schweitzer] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “The Fisher Dragon”by Tobias S. Buckell [Cynthia Ward Presents short story] “Catspaw,” by George O. Smith [short story] “The Half-Haunted,” by Manly Wade Wellman [short story] “The Sea-Witch,” by Nictzin Dyalhis [short story] “Chameleon Man,” by Henry Kuttner [short story]

15 all-new stories "Great Title!" - Mariella Frostrup live on Times Radio (May 2022) on hearing the title in passing From both new and established, award-winning and best-selling authors - Why is Kathy next door being stalked? - Why must Nigel sneak out of his own home? - What happened to the woman who cried cat? - Who killed the rock star caveman? - What is Sir Fergus Allison's bench for? Tales of intrigue and mystery, crime and revenge. What will the neighbors do about, or to, the bane of their lives? "I've really enjoyed these short stories! Made me laugh, surprised me, and shocked me! An excellent anthology." - Richard Walters, UK (reader via Facebook, April 2022) Visit a world where the intolerable few, who create hell for the rest, get their comeuppance. Stories from Hilary Davidson, Steve Hockensmith, L. C. Tyler, Marilyn Todd, Dave Zeltserman, Warren Moore, Robert Lopresti, Nick Manzolillo, Kevin Quigley, Eve Elliot, Eve Morton, Kay Hanifen, Wendy Harrison, Shiny Nyquist, and F. D. Trenton. "Jack Calverley has done a really good job of the ordering of the stories, you know, so each story is a bit different from the one before, and that's a knack I think to editing a short story collection, is getting that right and I think he's definitely got that right... but, yeah, a very entertaining collection." - CriminOlly BookTube reviewer (Olly Clarke on YouTube, April 9th 2022) You love crime & mystery? - This anthology was created for you! (or, as the cover bird says: "Buy it for my cover portrait alone!") Whatever else you do, check out the free preview...

For more than a century, Woolworth's five and dime stores represented Americana, mirroring the country's growth, its good times and bad, its foibles and its fads. The chain was founded by Frank W. Woolworth, who in 1879 established two stores--one in Utica, New York, which failed and was closed down, and another in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which succeeded and marked the beginning of the legacy of the Woolworth's Five and Tens. This work is a full account of the chain, its rags-to-riches founder, Frank W. Woolworth, and his flamboyant and tragic descendants. It traces the important role that Woolworth stores played in the sit-down strikes of the 1930s, the lunch counter sit-ins that began in Greensboro, North Carolina, as part of the Civil Rights movement (which tainted Woolworth's as the Big Business enemy of the downtrodden), and the gradual disintegration of the five and tens during the 1980s and early 1990s. The dramatic story is enhanced with important photos featuring such events as the closing of a Woolworth's in Germany by Nazi soldiers and the Greensboro sit-in as well as archival photos from Woolworth's 40th, 50th, and 60th anniversary booklets.