Customer Reviews

High Priestess

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Warren Ritter--fugitive, Tarot card reader, ex-revolutionary, millionaire--is in hot water up to his neck again in Skibbins' follow-up to the excellent Eight of Swords, which won the Malice Domestic/St. Martin's award in 2004. A Satanist is asking him to look into a series of serial killings, which seem somehow to be tied to Warren's Weather Underground activities of the 1960s. And if that weren't bad enough, the Satanist's sister is a woman from Warren's past, determined to make trouble in Warren's present.

Having committed to seeing his problems through in the first book (Warren has a history of running for the hills), he can't abandon his love Sally and the teenager she "adopted" earlier in the series. So even when Warren sees a pattern to the killings, even when Sally is mad enough at him to cut him off entirely, and even when he's considered a suspect in the crimes, Warren doggedly battles his manic depression and his past to see the investigation to its conclusion.

As in the first book in the series, Skibbins juggles the wild contradictions of Warren's personality well, creating a three-dimensional character whom readers will want to know better and better as the series continues. And Warren continues to grow as a person in this book, as the author is not content to put his characters through the same paces again and again.

The dialogue is quick and intelligent, the plot turns come just when you want them and the characters are real, living people you can care about. Warren Ritter is a unique creation in mystery fiction, and hopefully, this book will introduce him to a wider audience. He and his creator deserve it.

HIGH PRIESTESS is the second in a series of novels by David Skibbins, a tale of murder and madness that stretches back over decades into the tumultuous 1960s. Warren Ritter, the protagonist of this intriguing piece, is hardly a likable character, even if one wholeheartedly embraces his politics of destruction. He professes to love chaos but complains about the random wind that disturbs the tarot reading business he so dearly loves to call his own. He never misses an opportunity to gripe about the system in general and the American Dream in particular, but has plenty of free time to wallow in self-pity (and to indulge in his foodie predilections) due to having fortuitously invested in Microsoft. As Skibbins himself notes in a responsible afterword in HIGH PRIESTESS, Ritter is an eccentric and unstable man.

So with all of this baggage, why is there so much to recommend in HIGH PRIESTESS? The answer, in a word, is Skibbins. He has created a controversial character who is not going to be universally loved, or even liked, but nonetheless has built a compelling, readable world around him. That world is Berkeley, California and the surrounding environs. Skibbins is not merely passing through here. He knows this world down to its last nuance, and even if one is not enamored with the thought of a city being populated by a gang of arrested personalities, Skibbins will have you yearning to visit this place at least once in order to walk through Ritter's world.

Ritter, a radical on the run, is quietly reading tarot fortunes on the weekend and keeping to the cracks on the sidewalk when the shoe of the past abruptly collides with the nose of the present. The shoe, in this case, is Ed Hightower, an old acquaintance of Ritter's who has another identity himself --- that of the leader of a Church of Satan. Someone has been killing off their members, and since the police haven't been much help, Hightower would like Ritter to conduct an unofficial investigation of his own. Ritter wants no part of it, but Hightower knows who he really is, and besides, Hightower has a twin sister, Veronique. Ritter and Veronique have a history that goes back to the 1960s and ties directly into the secret that Ritter has been carrying like dark and dirty baggage for decades. The fact that they were lovers has something to do not only with Ritter's reluctance but also his eventual acquiescence with respect to investigating the matter. That Ritter is already emotionally involved with another doesn't help matters either.

Nonetheless Ritter, with some cyber-sleuthing help, quickly identifies three potential suspects, all of whom have sharp axes to grind with the church and the personality to carry it out. Ritter, however, suddenly finds himself in the crosshairs when he is unexpectedly framed for a new murder. His only hope is to quickly identify the real killer and acquire damning evidence against him. But how will he do this when he's on the run, hunted not only for what he didn't do in the present, but also for his involvement in the sins of his past?

In addition to being a compelling storyteller Skibbins can craft a heck of a mystery story. There is also, interestingly enough, a rough and surprisingly fitting justice meted out at the conclusion of the book, and on more than one front. While Ritter may not be your favorite detective, it's difficult not to wish him well by book's end. HIGH PRIESTESS is a complex, compelling and, most importantly, well-written work.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

Warren Ritter (formerly Richard) has been on the run since escaping an explosion and leaving the Weather Underground. He's gradually creating a life for himself as a tarot card reader in Berkley, California, but his past catches up with him when Edward, brother of Warren's Weatherman girlfriend, Veronique, and now head of the local Church of Satan, catches up with him. Edward is frightened. Someone is murdering the leaders of his church--and he wants Warren, who recently solved another murder, to help. Saying no isn't easy--both because Edward has the power to destroy Warren's carefully constructed life and because Warren still has feelings for Veronique.

With the help of his computer-hacker girlfriend, Warren develops a suspect list. A minister at a fundamentalist church, the owner of a shop specializing in Angel merchandise, and a Japanese student who happens to be related to senior leaders of the Japanese Mafia. None of these women are easy to go after, but when someone shoots at Veronique while she and Warren are coming from dinner, he knows he's got to solve the case--even if his girlfriend ditches him.

When he's not working on the case, Warren deals with his own issues--manic-depressive disease, the recent discovery that he's not only a father, he's a grandfather, and his continued guilt for his involvement with the Weather Underground--and the abrupt end to that involvement.

Author David Skibbins does a great job with the character of Warren Ritter. He's interesting, conflicted, and complex. His writing is solid and workmanlike, keeping the reader involved in the story and trying to untangle the clues. Skibbins's use of tarot cards to foreshadow the plot is an effective technique. HIGH PRIESTESS is definitely worth the read--and I'll keep my eyes open for more mysteries by Skibbins.

I'd read the first book, EIGHT OF SWORDS and loved it, thus I was really looking forward to the opportunity to read HIGH PRIESTESS.

I wasn't disappointed. Warren and crew are some of the coolest characters I've come across. That Warren has had a difficult life is a huge understatement. HIGH PRIESTESS gives the reader much more insight into Warren's past and what drives him.

A man with ties to Warren's past appears and wants him to solve some murders. This man is willing to do whatever it takes to persuade Warren to take the job. A real inner struggle ensues for Warren as he tries to solve the murders, stay alive, deal with his demons, and keep relationships he's come to value. I don't want to spoil EIGHT OF SWORDS if you've not had a chance to read it yet, so won't go into many character details.

Many of the folks from EIGHT OF SWORDS are back as well and still helping Warren when he'll allow it. The Berkeley location where the story takes place is a character of its own. Mr. Skibbins writes of wind and fog that made me feel as if I were alternately windblown from the Santa Ana winds and damp from foggy mists.

HIGH PRIESTESS hands Warren not only a mystery to solve, but the opportunity for growth, healing, and maturity. It was a pleasure to see him live up to all those possibilities.

If you like character driven stories and characters you can truly care about, then both of David Skibbins' books are highly recommended.

High Priestess is one roller coaster ride of a crime novel. Picture an updated Raymond Chandler on really effective psychotropic meds (when he remembers to take them), instead of booze, and you have the picture. David Skibbins's second effort bridges the gap between noir and more traditional mysteries. And the great writing insures fun for all. My only question is; how many cards left in a tarot deck? Because each one merits a book in this terrific new series.

This is Skibbins second book in the Tarot Card Mystery series and in it we follow Warren Ritter once again as he is drawn into yet another murder mystery where he is compelled to play the sleuth and find out who done it...Ritter is a reluctant hero, which seems to be because he is compelled to do the right thing, even when he really doesn't want to. Warren Ritter, as it turns out, is rather an interesting and compelling character because he is not perfect...he's led a messed up life, he's got relationship problems, he's manic depressive and someone always seems out to frame him for murder!

The High Priestess brings back nearly all the characters from the first book (you know...the one's that didn't die) and while I was happy about that, I was unhappy that they were given pretty short shrift, all pretty much making token appearances and/or being peripheral characters. Sally isn't developed much more in this volume than she was in the first and Heather is just a sputter in the darkness of this story. What could be interesting and helpful characters are barely there, and I found that disappointing. The bike cop friend was the most additionally developed secondary character from the first novel, and I rather liked where Skibbins was taking that...it should be fun to see where it all goes. Max, the paranoid investigator plays a minor role as well...for Skibbins to bring them back, I assume they will be around for the long haul...but it's disappointing to see the villains get more page count than the secondary players who will be a staple for the series. I assume that Skibbins is saving their father development for future novels and the they way they were written in High Priestess, the villains (most anyway) could be back again down the line, which would make an interesting twist to future books in this series!

Aside from my own personal desire to see more development of the secondary characters, my main "problem" with High Priestess is that I figured out who done it WAY before the Warren even had an inkling...it was too easy...I don't know that it was possible to make it less obvious and the details that Skibbins fleshed out the bones of the plot with were both interesting and entertaining (while also giving us a more complete look at Ritter's past, which helps him become more endearing to the reader, I think) and makes the too easy to figure out villain somewhat (but not totally) forgivable. I did particularly enjoy the ending...I thought it might go slightly differently, but thought it was just perfect...something I think we might all want to do, given the opportunity. Overall, it was slightly disappointing because it was so easy to solve...but that won't put me off wanting to read a future installment...I like Warren and would be willing to forgive the easy to solve plot this time around for a chance to see both Warren and the other characters given more life! I give it a B-...good, but had potential to be so much better!

David Skibbins once again draws us into the unique world of Berkeley through the eyes of Warren Ritter, the alias (one of cseveral) of a 60's radical still in hiding from his deeds. What better place for a left over hoppie to hide out than Berkeley? And Skibbins descriptions of the East Bay are evocative and powerful. In High Priestess even more of Warren's past catches up with him and he finds himself trying to solve a series of mysteries while facing some truths about himself.

The story is tightly written both as a muystery as well as a journey into one man's life..past, present and future. I can hardly wait to read Skibbin's next in this series.

Almost four decades ago, radical Warren Ritter escaped the Greenwich Village explosion that killed many of his colleagues. He literally went underground leaving behind the Weather Underground and made a fortune in the seventies with Microsoft stock. Now for fun, Ritter reads tarot cards from an outdoor table in Berkeley.

Edward Hightower founder of the Fellowship of the Arising Night satanic worshippers tries to hire Warren to uncover who is killing his followers. Ritter says no so Hightower reveals that he knows the fortune teller's Manhattan past as he is the twin brother to Ritter's girlfriend from back then Veronique. Unable to refuse and not wanting to go into hiding, which is a young man's game, plus the bribe of meeting the daughter he never knew he conceived prove too much. Ritter, enlisting help from his girlfriend wheelchair-bound Sally McLaughlin and his friend Police Officer James McNally, investigates even as he turns to the Tarot Cards to guide him, but his inquiries make him a person of interest.

HIGH PRIESTESS is an entertaining amateur sleuth tale starring a fascinating individual whose past has returned to haunt him. The story line is action-packed from the moment that Edward visits Ritter at his table and never slows down through several intriguing twists. The thriller reads at times much like its excellent predecessor (see EIGHT OF SWORDS) with the anti-hero struggling with manic-depression especially when he thinks back to his radical days. There is a final climatic spin that will stun the audience. No one reads the cards quite as well as Ritter does.

Harriet Klausner

I absolutely loved David Skibbins debut novel of the Tarot Card Mysteries, "Eight of Swords". I could not put it down. The characters were extremely different and quite multi-faceted, the mystery well-plotted, and rapidly paced. "High Priestess" was good, but it lacked the vitality of the first book. The historical references were somewhat overwhelming and at times dragged down the book's action. The characters were not as well-drawn as they had been in "Eight of Swords" and Sally, the returning love interest played far too nominal a role in this story. The tarot card reading at the beginning of the book was nicely done, as were the descriptions of the tarot cards, and the Berkeley area. I definitely want to read "The Star" but hope to see more character development and a bit less political history.

First Line: When was he going to get here?

The power of this mystery series lies in its main character: "Warren Ritter", a 60s radical who's been hiding from the law for over thirty years. Back in the 70s, he managed to divert some money into a tidy Microsoft nest egg, and now he has a table at Telegraph and Haste in Berkeley, California, where he reads tarot cards for enjoyment.

When a beardless Santa-like man approaches Warren and uses bribery and a threat to expose his true identity, Ritter resists being hired, but not for long. The man is the leader of a satanic cult and the twin brother of a woman who had a profound impact on Warren's life. Being able to meet Her again has Warren accepting, and when he begins to investigate, the body count starts to rise.

One thing that makes Warren an interesting character is that he's bipolar and has found a way to cope with the highs and lows. (And he's very quick to say that his coping mechanism isn't for anyone else but him.) He's also a child of his times. If you didn't grow up during the 60s, Warren won't hold any nostalgic appeal for you, but I smiled with recognition whenever he would say something like this:

"Labor Day, the first Monday in September; it shouldn't be a holiday, it should be a wake. The international megacorporations have gutted the labor movement. These days the holiday is celebrated by running down to the big sale at Target to stock up on designer jeans stitched together by children working twelve hours a day in Southeast Asia."



The mystery in High Priestess is an involving one that takes both Warren and the reader deep into his history and the reasons why he is hiding from the law. His investigation also endangers the relationship he's been working on with Sally. Skibbins' series has strong characterizations and refreshing originality. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.