Alanis McLachlan hasnt' spoken to her mother in twenty years and she has been okay with that so when Alanis gets a call from an attorney saying that her mother has been murdered and has left her a store THE WHITE MAGIC FIVE AND DIME she goes to Arizona to investigate. Alanis's mother was a con-artist and spent her life taking from others. Now Alanis discovers she has to clean up the mess her mother left behind. Alanis wonders if her mother leaving her THE WHITE MAGIC FIVE AND DIME was her mother's last con and a way to get revenge upon her daughter.

Upon arriving at the store Alanis meets Clarice a high school student who has been living with her mother, and allows her to stay as her tenant until she can find out who killed her mother. Now Alanis, Clarice, and the local police detective named Josh Logan try to discover who is responsible for the murder and who is now threatening Alanis. While all this is happening Alanis tries to understand the world of tarot and use it for good instead of as a con as her mother did.

THE WHITE MAGIC FIVE AND DIME is full of intrigue and keeps you guessing who the bad guys are till the end of the book. Alanis is a great character that keeps you laughing at her and hoping you could help her discover the truth. There are twists and turns that keep you turning the page and enjoying the story. I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to more from Steven Hockensmith.