Drew Benson can read tarot cards and get impressions from objects—she just never expected to use her gifts to investigate an infamous cold case.
Drew Benson has a secret. She gets visions, something she hasn’t tapped into since she was a teenager, when her late aunt, a TV psychic known as Hannah Mystic, became the scapegoat in the unsolved disappearance of a local teenager. Twenty years later, Drew is happy to ignore her gift, focusing instead on keeping the metaphysical shop she inherited from Hannah afloat, wrangling her sole, astrology-obsessed employee, and dodging local rake Foster Banks in her picturesque lakeside hometown.
But when Drew's arch-nemesis from high school, now a big city reporter, decides to investigate the cold case from all those years ago, it’s Drew’s ability that could finally make a break in the decades old mystery. With bills piling up, a disapproving mother laying on the guilt, and a local vandal who wants Drew and her witchy store gone, Drew has a lot to lose. But what she stands to gain—finding out what happened to the missing teen, clearing her aunt’s name, and a second chance at belonging—could change everything.
My Thoughts: I didn't get the impression that her aunt was on the tv on a regular basis, but she certainly was while she was trying to help the police find a missing teenager. Years later the task falls to Drew when she realizes one of the key words from her aunt's reading is personal. I really liked Drew. It was interesting how she read the cards and explained their meanings. Her ability to get information by holding objects proved useful as well.
I thought the mystery was well done. I didn't anticipate the ending fully. There were enough red herrings to keep me guessing. It was a little slow in the beginning, but it moved along well enough as the book progressed. There is the big mystery of the missing girl, but also a smaller mystery as to who is vandalizing Drew's store.
The descriptions from the Witches' New Year's Celebration were also interesting. I liked how it seems to blend more than one tradition into a coherent celebration.
Overall, I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. It's well written. The characters are interesting. The way the mystery progresses is logical and creative. And I liked the use of the tarot cards and psychic readings. If you like your mysteries with a touch of the paranormal, then this would be a good book for you. It's a perfect read for spooky season.
The Mystic And the Missing Girl by Vikki VanSickle was released September 8, 2026 from Minotaur Books.
I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion.
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