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Anonymous
Posted September 28, 2008
you'll love this book!
i loved the book from start to finish..i never felt bored and i took this book everywhere with me..thats how good it is.
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Anonymous
Posted January 4, 2008
A reviewer
I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more of skibbins' tarot reader warren ritter series. I was glued to the novel from start to finish, period.
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Anonymous
Posted May 11, 2005
Unlucky at Cards
Warren Ritter, street-side tarot-reader and fugitive anarchist from the heady protest days of the 1970¿s, is out on Berkeley¿s Telegraph Avenue ready to lay down his jive for anyone willing to pay down the dollars. But his spread for a rich teenager predicts terrible times ahead, more terrible than he could have imagined. The girl is kidnapped soon after leaving his table. Her mother comes to Warren, seeking hope and insight from the cards. Then she too disappears, leaving only an email for Warren. Soon it is apparent that somebody wants Warren to take the fall for both women¿s fates. This author deftly evokes the colour and character of the Berkeley street scene, in daylight and at dusk. I could smell the street people and the ethnic restaurants, hear Warren¿s sister¿s parting bellow and sense the danger and despair that washed beneath the innocuous daytime commerce. The writing style was amazing ¿ every common phrase wore a twist, and was neatly delivered in Warren¿s inimitably wry voice. The woo-woo element of the tarot was not overpowering, and the solution did not depend on supernatural sources of information. This book is as seductive as a tarot reading that promises all you ever wanted. Unlike the average tarot spread, though, `Eight of Swords¿ delivers. It is a sharp mystery, a slice of social history, a study of character, family, and mental illness that drew me in and held me from the first sentence.
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Anonymous
Posted April 2, 2005
Loved this Bezerkeley Mystery!
Having lived in Berkeley since the early 1970s and being a psychologist and sometime Tarot reader, I was particularly entranced by this rollicking, hilarious, intelligent and original mystery and would recommend it to anyone interested in coquinkidence and quirkiness. The suspenseful storyline held my attention throughout and, of course, I couldn't put the book down until I was sadly done and left hoping for a sequel. Write some more soon David Skibbins!!
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Anonymous
Posted April 2, 2005
The Cards are Favorable
Skibbins has created a very interesting collection of characters in his debut mystery. The very accurate portrayal of Berkeley and the Bay Area adds an atmosphere that greatly enhances the story. In general, I am not a fan of glorifying those who have broken the law, and I do feel the premise of Warren's becoming involved in this case was a bit weak. What really makes the story work is the characters, good suspense and, at the end, Warren's acknowledgement of what his life and actions has cost him. I ended up caring about Warren and want to see where his life goes from here. I know I'll be back for the next book. This is a very good debut.
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Anonymous
Posted March 31, 2005
Get revved: There's a new guy in town
'Eight Of Swords' by David Skibbins - ISBN 0-312-33906-2 In the early `70s, he was an active member of the notorious Weathermen. Assumed dead for 30 years, Warren Ritter, latter-day, anarchist, makes a living reading Tarot cards on Telegraph Ave. in Berkley, California. Now, fifty-five years old, he has a comfortable life: frequent forays into book stores for poetic sustenance, once a month to the shooting range with his favorite cop on the beat, cruising at 90 mph on an Aprilia RSV Mille motorcycle, and therapy sessions for manic depression on Wednesday¿s. When out of no-where his older sister, Tara, discovers he is still alive, on the same day he gave an ominous reading to young, Heather Wellington, who has been kidnapped: it rocks his world. Trying to still his fears, salvage his anonymity, life-style, and fend off an inevitable guilt trip, Warren tries to assuage Tara¿s outrage. But he¿s shocked to find out he has a daughter, and about to become a grandfather. Panic escalates when Heather¿s mother also disappears. Then one of the victims is found murdered. Since both women were last seen in the company of Warren, he becomes a suspect. Having the police and F.B.I. nosing around in his violent past just isn¿t cricket. Newly birthed with paternal feelings and pricked with guilt, Warren¿anti-establishment¿Ritter, the hunted, becomes the hunter. David Skibbins¿ development of the characters and their interaction is well-crafted. But, the first-person musings of Warren Ritter are priceless. More than once I winced at his cheeky sarcasm. Although some readers¿ recollection of the infamous Weathermen may be a little rusty, Warren¿s past affiliation with them was an integral part of his character profile. As more information about their activities is divulged, a better understanding of the depth of his fear of being caught and an appreciation of Warren¿s diverse capabilities is realized. A fragile art that can¿t be forced, writing humor effectively is elusive to some scribes. In EIGHT OF SWORDS, subtle glimpses to brazen, in-your-face laughs stalk the pages. I can¿t remember the last tome I read that tickled my funny bone so well, so often. Yet, it did not clash with the killer / survival instincts Warren needed to ¿kick butt¿ and bring the murder mystery to an ¿anti-establishment¿ conclusion. You gotta¿ love him. Get ready. Grab your helmet. Straddle that chrome pony, (careful: hot pipes!) A new dude in town has just been jump-started. Name: Warren Ritter, he¿s over fifty, revved and long over-due. It's about time.
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Anonymous
Posted April 1, 2005
Read Your Cards? Save Your Life!
David Skibbin¿s Eight of Swords was the winner of the 2004 Malice Domestic/St. Martin¿s Press Best First Traditional Mystery Contest, but there¿s nothing traditional about his amateur detective. Warren Ritter is a tarot card reader on the streets of Berkeley, California. He got into the business as a non-believer looking for an easy career, but he can¿t deny that sometimes the cards do send strong messages. The cards he pulls for teenaged Heather is one of those time-- it looks like Heather¿s in for some hard times. Hours later, she¿s abducted and the police find Warren¿s card on her and come looking for more information. Warren¿s situation is complicated by the fact he¿s not really Warren, he¿s been underground for 30 years, since the Weather Underground, including him many believe, was destroyed in a bombing gone bad. He¿s also bipolar, and playing games with his drugs. I found Warren and his associates to be refreshing new characters on the mystery front. Warren doesn¿t reveal much to those he interacts with, but the reader gets a good look inside his brain. I can¿t wait for the next installment. It was also great to see Berkeley again. It¿s been way too long since Susan Dunlap¿s Jill Smith worked those unique streets.
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