Death in the Cards

by Mia P. Manansala

Overview

"When a high school tarot reader's latest client goes missing after a troubling reading, she must apply everything she has learned from her private investigator mother to solve a case of her own"--

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593897942
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	05/13/2025
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.75(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.06(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Mia P. Manansala is an award-winning writer and book coach from Chicago who enjoys books, baking, and badass women. She uses humor (and murder) to explore aspects of the Filipino diaspora, queerness, and her obsession with pop culture. A lover of all things geeky, Mia spends her days procrastibaking, playing JRPGs and dating sims, reading cozy mysteries and diverse romance, and cuddling her dogs, Gumiho and Max Power.

Editorial Reviews

Delightfully layered. The tarot readings bring a fresh and bright angle to this modern mystery. Mia P. Manansala has created an endearing voice in Danika—an intuitive, intelligent, and emotionally sharp amateur sleuth.” —Elle Cosimano, New York Times bestselling author of Finlay Donovan is Killing It

“Twisty, witty, and compelling—everything I want in a YA mystery. Danika Dizon finds her footing as a young detective and leaves me wishing I could tag along to help solve her next case.” —Randy Ribay, author of National Book Award finalist Patron Saints of Nothing

“Death in the Cards is filled with Mia P. Manansala’s trademarks: an unforgettable voice, witty humor, mouthwatering food, and a tight-knit family the reader feels a part of. An entertaining, page-turning mystery.” —Gloria Chao, author of The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club and Ex Marks the Spot

“Death in the Cards begins with a question and ends with a satisfying twist. Manansala has crafted a mystery any Veronica Mars lover will enjoy.” —Jumata Emill, author of The Black Queen and Wander in the Dark

"The various cultural elements, from Filipino family dynamics and martial arts to the art of tarot, are lovingly represented....A well-paced and intriguing mystery." —Kirkus Reviews

“A gripping story full of twists and tension and starring a main character it’s impossible not to root for… will keep readers guessing until the last page.” —Booklist

“The writing is charming, making this an ideal choice for a light summer read or a cozy snow day escape. Refreshingly pleasant.” —School Library Journal

“A grounded mystery with spiritual tarot elements .... Manansala’s snappy prose and the characters’ sharp banter make for an enjoyable read. A wealth of classic teen sleuth conventions recalls Veronica Mars’s charm.” —Publishers Weekly

"Between the emphasis on tarot readings, the mechanics of the martial art Kali, extensive, mouth-watering descriptions of Filipino dishes, and its particularly punny title, this novel cements itself as a solid YA counterpart (or gateway) to adult cozy mysteries." —The Bulletin

From the Publisher

2025-02-01
In tarot, Death is the card of change, and that’s exactly what a Chicago teen faces.

Seventeen-year-old Danika Dizon, a queer Filipino American high school junior, is eager to follow in her private investigator mom’s footsteps. But since her mom doesn’t pay for the hours she spends working behind the desk at the detective agency, Danika reads tarot cards at school as a way to make some cash. When classmate Gaby Delgado, who’s Colombian and Irish, confronts her about her older sister Eli’s recent reading and subsequent disappearance, Danika responsibly brings Gaby and her parents to her mom’s agency. Now Danika is on her first official case, which follows many expected genre beats: covertly questioning Eli’s close friends and ex-boyfriend, evading a potential threat, and infiltrating school clubs and a country club in search of information. In her YA debut, Manansala spins a great mystery that’s filled with atmosphere. The various cultural elements, from Filipino family dynamics and martial arts (for Danika, Kali “is a way of life”) to the art of tarot, are lovingly represented, and the practice of reading tarot cards is made accessible for readers who may be less familiar with it. The investigation chugs along steadily, but dangers are treated with an appropriate level of severity, and the teen characters largely avoid serious harm.

A well-paced and intriguing mystery.(Mystery. 12-17)

Kirkus Reviews