Review of 'Daughter of the Tarot' by Clare Marchant

Review of 'Daughter of the Tarot' by Clare Marchant

Release date: August 18, 2025

Publisher: Boldwood Books

REVIEW

Once again Clare Marchant dazzled me with her incredible skill in writing a dual timeline historical mystery. Daughter of the Tarot is a mesmerising story! The descriptions as always transported me to the heart of the setting and I felt very much a part of the scene. Atmosphere galore pulled me in, too. It was effortless moving between past and present making it a seamless experience as I learned about these two women divided by time.

I love that fact that one woman has been saved and she goes on to help others achieve the same freedom. For one, she knows what it is like to live in fear of an abusive husband. In 1644 there weren’t many options so Portia puts her heart into helping those who have fallen to the same horrors as herself. She has a gift of reading tarot cards and she uses her skill to make a living. At the same time she gives other women courage to pursue a new life. It is interesting that the card she delivers to those who need to escape is the Devil card. When she turns it over for a woman who seeks her direction, the woman recoils when she sees the horns and fiery tail but Portia reassures her, ‘This is not a terrible card…It tells us of a new life. What is the truth in your world, and what is shown to others, the illusion.’

A number of women go missing in the middle of the night while husbands are away or out in taverns, etc. What has happened to each of them? For their beds appear to be slept in but their clothes are still in the wardrobes? Mystery and suspicion surround these women of 1644 as a pattern is realised.

Fast forward to 2025 and we meet Beatrice, a future generation relative of Portia. She has lost her mother and dealing with grief and the fact her father is remarrying (which she does not approve of as nobody can equal her mother). She moves to a new location, gets a shop and begins her new life. While unpacking boxes she finds a package of unique Tarot cards that are unlike any she has seen before. They are very old, from Italy, and although she has heard they had been packed away in the attic, she never saw them previously. But her mother talked about the tarot cards, and others in general, how she learned to use them from her own mother and grandmother: a skill passed down from mother to daughter for many years and generations. Beatrice also has the gift and offers readings in her shop. When asked if she gives lessons, she says, 'No'. ‘Reading the cards was something in her blood, as though she’s always been able to do it. She could not teach that to someone else, it was part of who she was, and that wouldn’t happen with just anyone.’ It is quite interesting to read of the descriptions of the connections that Beatrice feels with her pack of tarot cards.

Beatrice consults a tarot card historian, about her find. He writes to her of an ancient pack with a missing Devil card. Various sightings have been recorded over the years. This card has been ‘reputed to have the power to make people disappear.’ And that it caused women to be murdered. The mystery begins and Beatrice cannot help but follow the trail of clues to find the answers and missing card. Some lead to even more mystery and illusion (like the card itself). The more she digs, the more secrets unfold—including information about Portia. But one thing Beatrice knows is that tarot cards are meant as an aid for people and not meant to bring about death. So what is going on here?

Two good men, one in each timeline, play a gentle part as support to these two women. A romance blossoms for each which adds a sweet ingredient to the mix of tragic events. Nothing else matters to Jack but books, coffee and friends and he surrounds himself in their beauty. But he falls for Beatrice and is on the journey with her to find the truth about the card she seeks to re-join with her pack. In the past, John is a wonderful kind man who would do anything for Portia. There is a particular heart-warming scene I loved that shows his dedication when Portia is in danger.

As with all of Clare Marchant’s dual timeline books, I truly enjoyed the journey through past and present and how the two stories come together. And what a tense lead up to the climax in 1644 and an exciting resolution in 2025! This is another exceptional delivery that pulled me in with its mystical theme, stunning plot, vivd descriptions and believable characters. This book will resonate with many and I am so glad I read it! Highly recommend. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for a review copy.