The Cloisters: A Novel

THE CLOISTERS by Kathy Hays A dark academia, mystery set in the New York Metropolitan Cloisters all about the history of tarot cards/fortune telling?! Yes, please! We follow Anne Stillwell as she moves to NY to escape her past. There she lands a job as a researcher at the Cloisters where she assists the curator in locating an original set of 15th century tarot cards. There’s a bit of a “secret society” feel to the whole thing and when someone dies, the whole thing unravels. While knowing tarot/cartomancy would be helpful, the author does a great job describing the art and symbolism for each card. I also appreciated the Anna’s list of tarot card meanings at the end of the book. The overarching theme of tarot, fate and destiny was woven together well with the mystery. However, there were some parts where the plot slowed down and meandered. My fellow witches and tarot readers will probably enjoy this one. Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️

What a disappointing book. I saw it on Jenna Bush's reading club n gave it a whirl. What a nasty story with nasty characters. Not one has any redeeming goodness in them. For the author, cause I guess you don't know, that flat sort of protagonist makes a boring book.