Rating: 3.8/5

Jenny Blackhurst is no newcomer to the world of thriller writing, but (as far as I am aware) this is the first time that she has been published using the alternative moniker of J.L. Blackhurst. "Three Card Murder" tells the story of Tess and Sarah, two estranged half-sisters, operating on different sides of the law. Tess works for the police and is currently an acting DI, hoping for permanent promotion. However, Sarah makes her living as a con artist. For years they have had no contact with each other - that is until a mysterious and seemingly impossible murder takes place that will lead to their paths crossing once more.

"Three Card Murder" is a thoroughly entertaining read. At its heart it has the ultimate in locked room mysteries - a seemingly impossible crime. That aspect is intriguing enough, but cleverly interwoven into the narrative is the relationship between the two half-sisters. Their interaction is sometimes tense and dramatic, sometimes highly amusing, but always interesting.

I like the way that Jenny Blackhurst has challenged some of the conventions of the murder mystery genre - I won't go into detail as to how, as that may well risk unwanted spoilers. Granted, there are elements that stretch credulity and require the reader to grant the author some artistic licence. However, by the point where that became necessary I had already warmed to the writer's style and approach and was more than willing to allow the necessary leeway. The only sections of the novel that I was less enamoured with were the more overtly police procedural parts, which struck me as quite ordinary and, at times, unnecessarily repetitive.

Overall, this is an entertaining read that successfully injects some newness and originality into a well-trodden genre.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

Great fun to read. Puzzles and locked room mysteries abound, and a great cast of colourful characters along the way. Looking forward to the sequel - there must be a sequel, surely…

This is a strange idea for a story. The leading figures are estranged sisters, Tess and Sarah. Tess an acting detective inspector whose job is likely to be on the line if her family relationships are discovered. Her sister is a con artist but that is the least of her family’s crime connections. Both sisters were involved in a murder and that secret is unlikely to help Tess’s career. Then three bodies are found, all connected. Tess involves her sister’s ability as a con artist t help for n solving the cases. It takes a bit of believing and it is ha d to respect te man figure when she has a damaged background. It is not very clear either why the book has its title. Nevertheless, as the story unfolds, it does keep your attention. Then you get to a disappointing conclusion. All in all, not my favourite read.

I just reviewed Three Card Murder by JL Blackhurst. Good reading and great story line of the two sisters. They are so alike, but on the opposite side of the fences - good cop and bad con who has the same father. Excellent team for DI Fox. Unsolved the case with the help of bad con sister but left on cliffhanger. Maybe another book to the series 🤔. Written well with lots of past secrets coming to the surface

The plot is as deep and dark as it gets, multi-layered with 'who knew what when?' as the strands come together and the finer details get filled in. This is an absolutely compelling, gripping book full of mystery and suspense. Only a few authors can write deeply involving psychological drama of the very highest quality. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

This book had an entertaining and lively start , I enjoyed the writing and the dialogue between Tess and Sarah. The way they solved the first crime was good, but then it became a bit implausible.
Ok for a beach read.

Pacy, Puzzling…
Sisters from opposite ends of the law become entangled and soon conspire together, forming an unlikely and unexpected alliance. Bodies, more locked rooms than you can shake a stick at, twists and turns aplenty, suspects and motives abound as the tale transcends into chaotic mayhem. With a sly edge of humour and a clever pen this pacy mystery never lets up but be aware that the finale may well be a little more puzzling than the reader may expect.

Three Card Murder had its high and lows. The underground con scene in Brighton was intriguing to read about. And of course, the 'impossible murders' tied into it made it all the more fun to try and solve as a reader. The overall mystery makes the book a 3-star read.

However, the book ends at a literal climactic moment with no denouncement or resolution at the end. Of course, cliffhangers are a good way to end a novel and get readers to pick up the next book; however, there has to be some sort of a resolution to the story of the first book. There is no sense that we are approaching the ending at all. In fact, it feels like a whole chapter has just been cut off from the end.

And because of this, I think I would rate this book 2.5 stars out of 5. I'm rounding down in the rating because the ending is obviously fresh in my mind when I think about this book, and it is the ending which is the most disappointing of all.

With thanks to the publisher for this advanced copy and what a pleasure it was. This is the story of two sisters, one a cop and one a .com. They have a secret which makes them suspects in a murder case. There are twists and turns galore and I can honestly say that this is probably the first book where I have no idea who the murderer is. I thought I'd got anyway there and was totally wrong. I could not predict what was going to happen next. I cannot wait for the next instalment (if there is one!) I would recommend it to everyone. Very very good read.

This is a fun crime caper based on the difficult relationship between two half-sisters. Tess and Sarah share the same father but have nothing much else in common especially as one of them is a cop and the other walks on the wrong side of the law.
When someone is killed awakening memories of a past event in their lives, the sisters wonder if its just a coincidence but when another body linked to their past turns up there's no doubt that someone is out to get them. They must now work together to solve this fun locked room mystery.

I loved this book! It was such a fun read. It delves into the realm of locked-room mysteries, which after my marathon Johnathon Creek sessions (who gets a mention in the book), I am practically an expert at. It provided not just one, but multiple enigmatic puzzles to unravel. Meet our intriguing protagonists: half-sisters, Tess, a respected DCI in line for promotion and Sarah a skilled con-artist. Despite residing on opposite sides of the law, fate interweaves their lives once again after 15 years of estrangement, as an old nemesis meets a grisly demise.
Forced to set aside their differences, the sisters reluctantly form an unlikely alliance. It becomes evident that their contrasting expertise and distinct personalities could synergize perfectly, enabling them to crack the perplexing case at hand—were it not for the inconvenient fact that their collaboration would go against all the rules created by both Tess’s bosses and Sarah’s close-knit family.
The narrative unfolds amidst a tapestry of disguises, rife with numerous mysteries and potential acts of betrayal. As readers embark on this enthralling journey, they will discover a book that not only entertains but also delivers an enjoyable reading experience. These two dynamic characters possess an undeniable chemistry, suggesting a future full with excitement, mischief, and delightful chaos. Hopefully we won’t have to wait long to read about more of their escapades, for it promises to be an enthralling continuation of their saga.

Intriguing locked room mystery with a clever plot, impossible solutions and red herrings along the way. An engaging read, well paced and very entertaining. Allows the reader to play detective alongside the protagonist. Charming, witty, slow burning and immersive. Fans of 'Hustle' will love this book. Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

This was a really fun crime caper, I loved the weird relationship between the sisters and how they eventually work together to solve their dad's death. The ending did feel a bit abrupt but I'm hoping that's because there's a sequel.

** WARNING ** Cliffhanger **

DI Tess Fox and Sarah Jacobs are half-sisters. They were brought up apart, but Tess met Sarah and her father, conman extraordinaire Frank Jacobs when she was in her late teens/early twenties. At first Tess and her new family get on well, but the tragic events of one night led her choose law enforcement over a life of crime.

Now, fifteen years later, Tess is given her first murder case to investigate and its a doozy. A man fell/jumped from the balcony of his flat, but when the police arrive at the scene his throat has been slashed. Yet no-one was seen entering or leaving his flat in the 24 hours before his death and there is no forensic evidence to suggest anyone else was ever there. A classic closed room mystery! Tess would be thrilled, but she recognises the victim's name - he was one of the men involved in the incident that night.

As the bodies pile up, all linked in some way to the events of that night the only evidence at each site points to Sarah, herself a talented con-artist. But the clues are so obvious they must be misdirection ... or does she want you to think that?

This was clever, and the killer's motivation for staging the murders the way they did is perfectly plausible, but when the book came abruptly to an end I was more puzzled than eager to find out what happened next. I don't think the reality lived up to the blurb TBH. But then I'm not very keen on films like Now You See Me so a book which relies heavily on the illusionists' trick of misdirection isn't really my thing.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Set in Brighton, Tess and Sarah are half sisters with a secret from the past, and both on different sides of the law. This was quite a gripping story, although I am not sure Tess would actually be able to behave in the ways she did if she was a real DI.

I loved the sound of the blurb of this one - I knew it would be right up my street.

I loved the idea of these sisters at odds coming from completely different sides of the path. This was presented so well in the book - there was a great humour to the story which made this so engaging and readable. I loved the various scenes in which Tess and Sarah found each other with that contrast between the police officer and the con artist. In reality I think I’m probably a bit of a rule following Tess, but I was pulled in by the “artful dodger” ways of Sarah with her clever mind and fierce loyalty.

The overall mystery was engaging and easy to read. I could quite easily imagine this as a TV drama, it was well paced and entertaining. I enjoyed this one a lot, definitely worth picking up if you’re a crime fiction or police procedural fan.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my earc of this book.

I really enjoyed three card murder: a police procedural mixed with multiple locked-room mysteries and complex, dynamic characters there's plenty to keep you hooked. I also really enjoyed learning about the sisters and I hope there will be more. Overall this is an interesting murder mystery I think can make a good series.

Oh I enj0yed this book, with not just one but multiple locked-room mysteries! Our protagonists are half-sisters Tess and Sarah, a detective with the Brighton police and a con-artist, respectively. Despite being on the opposite sides of the law, the sisters find themselves having to team up after 15 years of no contract when an old enemy is murdered. The pair soon realise that their different skills and personalities could work well together to solve the case - if only it wasn't illegal to do so.
With disguises galore, multiple mysteries and possible betrayal, this is a entertaining mystery novel that ventures into some dark areas but stays clear of becoming too gritty and is a fun read. I'm looking forward to the further adventures of Tess and Sarah, because they are two characters that I can see having plenty of fun and chaos ahead.

A brilliant book with some complex characters. Tess and Sarah are two half sisters on opposite sides of the law but when a murder in Brighton happens to someone they both once knew, they have to work together in a way they never expected. The characters make you want to keep reading. I loved the unexpected twists and turns, but the one thing that makes it only 4 stars from me is the slightly unsatisfying ending. There has to a sequel!

I enjoy nothing more than locked room mysteries. But for some reason I couldn’t click with this. The sisters who are implicated interested me, one a police officer, the other a criminal, but there wasn’t enough substance for me.