Eight of Swords, by David Skibbins

I’ve been fortunate in the past few days to read an advance copy of Eight of Swords, winner of the 2004 Malice Domestic/St. Martin’s Press Best First Traditional Mystery award. It’s due for release in April 2005.

In this fast-reading story, David Skibbins introduces us to Warren Ritter, a man with a past that he very much needs to keep hidden. Warren’s estranged sister doesn’t help with this when she discovers him reading Tarot cards on the streets of Berkley. In her excitement and anger, she announces his real name to everyone within earshot. She has good reason. She thought he was dead.

At this point the mystery has already begun. Heather Wellington, a teenager Warren read Tarot cards for prior to his sister’s noisy entrance, is about to come up missing. Warren was the last person to speak to Heather, and the Eight of Swords appeared in her Tarot reading. Warren becomes one of very few suspects in Heather’s abduction. He’s forced to search for the real kidnapper himself in order to keep his current alias in place and stay out of jail. When the trail leads him to a dead body, the stakes rise higher. Warren needs to find Heather before she, too, falls victim to the killer. Is Heather’s gangster ex-boyfriend, Hal, the culprit? Is it her current boyfriend, Curtis, who’s the wrong race to suit her well-to-do parents? Or is this strictly a kidnapping for ransom?

The best thing this mystery has going for it is Warren Ritter himself. Warren is a nut. I’m not referring to the fact that he’s bipolar, or his rough-shod self-medication strategy, or even his charming therapist, Rose. Warren is a character—the best kind for lighter fiction, lots of fun to follow around, and with strong 60’s dropout overtones. He happens to be a crack shot and skilled at Aikido, and he likes to ride his powerful motorcycle at top speed. He’s a tough guy with a big heart who falls in love along the way, and digs up a manic brand of courage when it’s needed most. His voice carries this novel in high spirits, with unpredictable turns, and sets out on what promises to be a fun series. I’m looking forward to Warren’s next adventure, High Priestess.