Romance.

The Fortune Teller is the story of Semele, an antiques translator and assessor who has been sent to appraise a manuscript collection to prepare for auction. Semele however whilst translating the manuscript discovers her name mentioned in the script which is supposedly from the age of Cleopatra. The premise sounds intriguing, but for me the book is disappointing. The events throughout history are interesting to note, as was the history of tarot cards. but the story itself is farfetched , and the writing, colourless. Semele, who is supposedly an educated professional in her work, seemed to me , shallow, petulant and self absorbed, in fact none of the other characters had much depth. I kept reading though, to see how things ended. ( )

Silly, trite, and facile. ( )

A ,little formulaic but still really enjoyable. Solid summer read. ( )

The Fortune Teller
Gwendolyn Womack

MY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
PUBLISHER Blackstone Audio
PUBLISHED June 8, 2017
NARRATED Lisa Flanagan, Robin Miles

A fascinating mystery involving libraries, ancient manuscripts and an woman who can see both the past and the future.

SUMMARY
Semele Cavnow appraises artifacts for an prestigious New York auction house. In Switzerland, at the home of a recently deceased manuscript collector she discovers an ancient manuscript written in the time of Cleopatra. The manuscript’s author, the daughter of a librarian, tells the story of her decendents forward in time along with a priceless deck of tarot cards. As Semele translates the manuscript she realizes it is so much more than she originally thought. She discovers she is personally connected to both the manuscript and the cards. Her name is in the manuscript. How can that be? Once she is back in the United States, Semele feels that she is being followed, and may be in danger, but she is determined to figure out the mystery of her connection. When bad things start happening around her, she knows there may be only one person that can help. Theo Bossard is her client, his family owned the manuscript and he should know what it means. Will he help her? Can she trust him?

“Whatever the cards show you, always trust the words that well inside you. The truth is waiting to be heard. Never doubt it.”

REVIEW
The Fortune Teller is a fascinating travel through history from the time of the Library of Alexandria to the conclusion of World War II. The story creatively alternates back and forth through time, from what Semele is reading in the manuscript to the mystery she is experiencing in the present. Semele’s character is a bluestocking strong women, who doesn’t back down from a fight. Gwendolyn Womack has created another irresistible story to follow her gripping debut novel The Memory Painter (2015). Her writing is engaging and captivating. The Fortune Teller should not be missed, it’s a fabulous read. ( )