"The Tarot Reader"

Finley Turner is a thriller writer. Initially convinced she wanted to be a professor, she got her master's in religious studies at Wake Forest University, focusing on new religious movements, cults, and religious violence. During her program, she applied for a student position in the university library and quickly realized she would rather be an academic librarian than be at the front of a classroom teaching. She worked as an archivist at Wake Forest University for six years after getting her master's in library and information science from UNC Greensboro. She now writes and parents full time.

Turner applied the Page 69 Test to her new novel, The Tarot Reader, with the following results:

On page 69 of The Tarot Reader, our main character Jade is being questioned by the police regarding her phony tip to the police:

My patience was wearing thin. “Like I said, it’s hard to keep track.” The silence in the room was stifling and it was becoming clear that at least Woolridge found my tip suspicious. “Have you found any more information about the councilman?”

“We’re not at liberty to say just yet,” McCade said.

“Well, I hope he’s found safe and sound.”

“But only if he’s found exactly where you said he’d be,” Woolridge said low and fast.

“Excuse me?”

McCade glared at him before he stuck his hand out to me. His palms were dry and rough against my clammy, nervous skin. “Thank you for your time.”

Detective Woolridge didn’t bother shaking my hand and was already walking to the door. He looked up at the shop’s sign above the door frame. “Nice speaking with you Madame Ravencroft,” he said with derision.

“You too, Detective Woodruff,” I said back, a wide, insincere smile on my face. He let out a nearly silent huff, the kind that tilts your chin up and back. I took pleasure in the fact that it doubled his chin, when he clearly cared enough about his appearance to spend hours in the gym.

They glanced at each other and walked out of the shop. My heart raced with pride in myself for jabbing back at him—making him feel he was insignificant enough that not even his name was worth remembering. When they were out of view of the shop window and I sat, my heart rate slowed, regret and embarrassment twisting their fists around my heart.

Why did I say that? What is wrong with me?

The detectives didn’t actively accuse me of anything, but Woolridge made it more than clear he held no respect for me nor my profession. The last thing I needed was to sharpen that derision into action, his dislike for me driving him to pin something on me.

I lowered my forehead on the tarot table where my cards lay scattered. As I sat there with my eyes closed, I wished I’d never submitted the tip at all.

The Tarot Reader passes the Page 69 Test with flying colors, with some caveats. In one sense it’s successful because we’re thrown right into the crux of the book: Jade, our phony psychic, doesn’t think before she acts and never considered the fact that her phony tip might look suspicious to the police. And of course, it has. Jade is a reactionary woman, raised by her parents to be cunning but rash. She’s a good person at her core, but all she’s ever known is to scam and bark at those who get in her way. She knows it’s not how she wants to behave, but she just can’t seem to change, so she often gives into the temptation of behaving badly.

The only shortfall of this test may be that the reader would expect the police investigation to be at the forefront of the entire novel. It provides a sense of urgency and panic, but in my opinion, the most stressful aspect of this book is wanting your main characters to not get caught in their lies and perhaps just once consider telling the truth.

Visit Finley Turner's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Engagement Party.

Q&A with Finley Turner.

Writers Read: Finley Turner.

--Marshal Zeringue