DNF Review: Cards on the Table by Lana Harper and Jilly Gagnon

Source: From the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review. 

Cards on the Table by Lana Harper and Jilly Gagnon 

Publisher: Bantam
Publication Date: September 1, 2026  

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:
DNF

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Two witchy sisters find themselves framed for the disappearance of their elderly client’s substantial trust after her sudden death—from the New York Times bestselling author of Payback's a Witch and the critically-acclaimed author of All Dressed Up.

As descendants of one of the original Salem Witch Trial victims, Tori and Cassie Bishop’s occult credentials are strong . . . but a trickle of tarot readings won’t pay the bills, and now they're facing eviction. When they’re offered a massive sum to play “witches in residence” to an elderly widow at her secluded Berkshires mansion, it feels like fate.

But from the minute they arrive at the opulent country estate it’s they’ve been dropped into a far more dangerous game than their smoke and mirrors can save them from.

The widow, Rose, is in her final days and desperate for the sisters to help with her unresolved spiritual needs before she passes. Her skeptical family and staff, however, are less enthusiastic about the sisters’ presence—with the exception of Rose’s nurse and her beloved great-nephew, who find themselves inexplicably drawn to Cassie and Tori.

Thrown into a viper’s nest of competing motives and impenetrable intrigues, the sisters do their best to help Rose. But after Rose’s sudden death, millions of dollars disappear from the estate overnight, and Tori and Cassie quickly become the prime suspects. Someone in the house has framed the Bishop sisters, and in order to clear their names, the two must rely on their powers—magical or otherwise—to unravel the toxic family's tangled web of greed, resentment, and deceit. If they don’t, Rose won’t be the only victim at Berwyn House. . . .

Review: 

I made it 50% of the way through this one before deciding to set it aside. 

The premise had so much potential: two witch sisters invited to a mansion to help a dying woman confront her guilt, with a horrible wealthy family, occult elements, and so many secrets. The synopsis even compared it to Knives Out, which definitely caught my attention, but unfortunately, I never quite got that same feeling of mystery or intrigue.

My biggest struggle was connecting with the characters. The sisters had interesting qualities, but they felt too similar to one another, and their strained relationship made it difficult to get invested in either of them. There was so much tension and miscommunication between them that I found myself wanting more depth and from that relationship. 

The family they are forced to live with didn't fare much better for me. They came across as a collection of rude, wealthy people, but I never found them particularly interesting or worth caring about. And while there were potential love interests for both sisters,  neither really gave me a reason to root for them. It is possible that the reasons why I didn't like anyone come out by the end of the book, but I just couldn't make it that far.

The story had a few moments that were supposed to be surprising revelations or "ah ha!' moments, but they didn't quite land for me. By the halfway point, I realized I wasn't invested in uncovering the secrets or finding out what would happen next. Didn't even flip to the end.

Ultimately, this just wasn't the book for me. I can appreciate the potential in the premise, but I struggled to connect with the characters or feel drawn into the mystery. I decided to DNF at 50%, as I wasn't finding enough to keep me engaged.