I love the premise of Three Card Murder. Half-sisters: Tess who is a police officer and Sarah who is a con artist, their sibling link always destined to tie them together whilst their career choices pull them apart.

Tess is acting DI on her first murder case. It's a puzzling locked room murder and who better to help her solve it than a woman who makes illusions look easy. There's so much more to the cases (for one murder soon turns into more) and to the links between the two women than there at first seems.

I thought this was an inspired premise, firstly in making the protagonists sisters and then for making them polar opposites in terms of life choices. I particularly liked how each approached and solved mysteries, just on different sides of the law. Tess and Sarah are brilliant characters, well-drawn, feisty and brave risk-takers. I really loved the canny tricks in this book, the small cons as well as the (almost) impossible murders. This is such a clever and unique story.

Take a female police detective, add in a few murders and then stir in a hefty dose of Hustle and that's what you have with Three Card Murder. I thought it was cunning and smart and I think there's scope for a follow up or a series featuring Tess and Sarah. ( )