Ace of Cups is a fabulous new take on the "hard-boiled, gum shoe detective" trying to keep the office lights burning when the "drop-dead gorgeous widow" arrives and needs a private eye to investigate her husband's recent death. And she's conveniently willing to pay handsomely for it.
The gum-shoe is ex-cop Marti O'Neal, who not only has precision skills in deductive reasoning, she uses a deck of Tarot cards to spice up the possibilities in crime detection. She knows how to tap into the psychic realms and doesn't hesitate to use all the tools in her investigatory arsenal.
The damsel is Jayne Cullen, a wealthy socialite, who calls things like she sees them. She doesn't take "no" for an answer. Even though her marriage was a little lacking in the affection department, it doesn't stop her from wanting to find her husband's killer.
When Marti's investigation proves Stephen Cullen's accidental death wasn't so accidental, her client becomes the police department's prime suspect. Now it's a murder case and Marti herself is in the crossfire trying to prove Jayne didn't off her husband for an insurance payoff.
Marti and Jayne work overtime to narrow down the suspects before someone else dies when they discover a few things in common. It isn't just a mutual taste for sassafras tea or the delights of baklava. Romance, it seems, is in the cards.
I loved Marti's witty sarcasm and critical self-appraisal. She sizes up situations in a heartbeat and takes action, even if it puts her own safety at risk. Jayne's innate confidence, upbeat attitude and forthright integrity run counterpoint to Marti's more pragmatic style. It's that very tension between the opposites that complements these two women and the discovery that they just might be meant for each other.
