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The Grift

By Christine Jacques, Special to the Rocky

Published August 21, 2008 at 7 p.m.

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* Fiction. By Debra Ginsberg. Shaye Areheart, $23.95. Grade: A-

Plot in a nutshell: For years, Marina has been a psychic atheist: Despite being chosen by a fortune teller in her childhood ("She has the gift!" Madame Z exclaims), and making a living from tarot cards as an adult, Marina doesn't believe in her abilities. She's a good observer, that's all.

Still, that doesn't stop Marina from capitalizing on her client Mrs. Golden's absolute faith in her and hinting that Mrs. Golden's son might be in trouble with a dark-haired woman. If only the client would give Marina the valuable ruby ring she always wears, all would be well. (Grift, by the way, is a slang term for a swindle.) Marina takes the ring and runs to California, intending to return it in her own good time.

The bad times start when her gift takes on a life of its own, and Marina truly does see things yet to come. Her mind reveals a horrible future she can't change - not for herself or the mysterious man she's allowed herself to love. Nor can she change it for her new clients. A less-than-ethical set of people, the clients' stories overlap with one another and with Marina's, heading toward an unavoidable crisis in which the ring takes a leading role.

Sample of prose: Marina has the unhappy task of telling a typical (read: self-absorbed) client that marriage doesn't appear in her future. Predictably, the client shoots the messenger: "I have as much right as anyone to get married. You told my friend she'd meet someone and she did. And she's fat. Why does she get the happy ending and not me?" she whines.

Pros: It's a challenge to write convincingly about a psychic. Ginsberg succeeds in making Marina and even her needy clients seem human.

Cons: You don't have to be telepathic to know that Marina's romance with dark-haired Gideon, the man she loves, can only lead to trouble. Exacting readers will wonder about a few black holes: how both Marina's rich and poor clients manage to attend the same glitzy parties, or how Gideon failed to notice a certain piece of jewelry.

Final word: This is an interesting read from the psychic side of the crystal ball, with sleazy characters and some good twists.