Books: Eight of Swords by David Skibbins

Tarot Talk does its best to feature all things tarot related and this post is part of our Tarot Book series.


Eight of Swords by David Skibbins won the 2004 Malice Domestic/St. Martin's Press contest for Best First Traditional Mystery and was recently republished in 2006 by Minotaur Books.


As with all the books featured on our blog, there is a tarot connection. See what you think of the plot:

Warren Ritter, a former leader in the Weather Underground, changed his identity 30 years ago; but now he's on the run, both from the Feds and from some of his former associates. Working as a tarot reader in Berkeley, Ritter finds nothing good in teenager Heather Wellington's cards, and she is promptly kidnapped. Soon Warren is being framed for the murder of Heather's mother. With the help of a computer expert, he sets out to solve the murder and escape the frame. (His future on the lam is also in jeopardy after his sister recognizes him.) Ritter's past gives his character some depth, as does his bipolar condition. The first-person narration draws the reader into this likable hero's underground life, and the well-drawn Berkeley setting effectively sets the counterculture tone. Winner of the St. Martin's Minotaur/Malice Domestic Contest for Best First Traditional Mystery. Sue O'Brien
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