Rating: 4.75⭐️
Amber Gambler really was a revelation for me. Where I might have been slow to connect with the universe and the relationships here, maybe even understanding the main character of Frankie Mary as much as I should, this story now immediately has me committing to them, and this series. I’m all in.
It picks up after the shocking events of Fair Market Value. The Mary’s are dealing with the emotional and physical damage of the deep betrayal of someone who they thought was a friend. Frankie’s recovering, missing Kierce who’s left to heal his wounds as well as trying to find the right mental state to heal herself from the trauma of Lyle and his son, Harrow.
There’s Carter’s awful storyline left hanging to bring in here, plus Josie and Matty’s own emotional wounds.
With all that going on, a ghost comes to Frankie in his need. His granddaughter is missing and he needs Frankie’s help to find her.
Edwards story is so compelling in that it’s complex and emotional nature allows the author to explore the tragedy of those children who were failed by the society, social care system, or even their own families. Whether it’s the Mary siblings and their horrific experiences in their foster care system or for the missing girls and abandoned kids Frankie finds along the way, this is a raw, tragic and deeply personal element here.
Frankie is undergoing physical and psychological changes as well, changes she’s not understanding, something she’s hiding from her family.
Kierse and his companion crow, Badb , a great character who’s both comedic relief and mysterious being, are back as powerful entities. Kierse is also the potential romantic partner and is more multidimensional. I’m absolutely team Kierse, especially considering the events the play out. Harrow continues to be that toxic personality that everyone regrets.
Carter is a marvel. She’s quickly becoming a great new surprise as a layered individual who can deliver a new facet of her personality when it’s time.
As Frankie works with Carter and Kierse to find the missing child, the narrative builds a compelling emotional journey with Edwards creating multiple threads that connect murder mysteries , numerous mythological gods and legends , entwined with deeply intimate personal experiences and characters histories.
Characters now become more flawed, more complex and wounded. Believable because they’re grounded by revealed histories and ,now, shared trauma, that we too have been a part of. Especially that devastating dramatic event that ends the book.
Amazing storytelling by Hailey Edwards. A absolute treasure of a story and cast of characters.
A must read.
Great cover art both for storytelling and characters.
Cover by Damonza
Illustration by Marouane Hs
The Body Shop series:
Fair Market Value #1
Amber Gambler #2
Midnight Auto Parts #3
Cheater Slicks #4 – Dec 25,2025
Other linked series:
The Potentate of Atlanta (6 book series) – this is set within The Potentate apparently
The Beginner’s Guide to Necromancy (9 book series) in Savannah
Buy link
Amber Gambler (The Body Shop Book 2)
Blurb
The other family business at The Body Shop is slow after word gets out that Frankie had clients die—cease to exist?—on her watch. Considering they were dead to begin with, she understands why the news shook the spirit community’s faith in her, but it’s a hard hit to her bottom line.
When a spirit appears in her office, ready to sign a contract, she’s eager to please. Until she learns why he wants to hire her. He heard about her clients’ deaths, yes, but he also learned Frankie was instrumental in bringing their killer to justice.
The spirit’s human granddaughter has gone missing, and he wants Frankie to find her before it’s too late. Frankie’s no detective, but her schedule is wide open. The job is to save the girl, but with so many gods and monsters prowling the streets of Thunderbolt these days, she’ll be lucky if she can save herself.
- Publisher: Black Dog Books, LLC. (September 19, 2024)
- Publication date: September 19, 2024
- Language: English
- Print length: 306 pages
While twenty-year-old FTM Hemingway is making an excellent living as a tattoo artist in a near-future version of Hell’s Kitchen, the rest of the country is splintered and struggling in the wake of a war gone on for too long. Technology has collapsed, borders rise and fall overnight, and magic has awakened without rhyme, reason, or rule, turning average unwitting citizens into wielders of strange and specific strands of magic.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 