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The Gamblers
What would you do for seven hundred and fifty grand?
Would you betray your friends? Would you gamble your future? Would you kill?
Four men with dirty pasts and uncertain futures discover just what they're capable of when they have the chance to get their hands on a fortune, in this action-packed noir from the author of The Hunters. They lie, they steal, they double-cross, they kill, and they gamble it all for the big score.
But one thing’s for certain, when the gamble is this big somebody has to lose.
The Gamblers is a powerful, complex, well-plotted crime thriller that makes the most of its gritty British setting. A cast of strong characters spout profane and snappy dialogue at each other and, once experienced, its explosive blood-spattered finale is difficult to forget. It would be a crime to miss it.
Would you betray your friends? Would you gamble your future? Would you kill?
Four men with dirty pasts and uncertain futures discover just what they're capable of when they have the chance to get their hands on a fortune, in this action-packed noir from the author of The Hunters. They lie, they steal, they double-cross, they kill, and they gamble it all for the big score.
But one thing’s for certain, when the gamble is this big somebody has to lose.
The Gamblers is a powerful, complex, well-plotted crime thriller that makes the most of its gritty British setting. A cast of strong characters spout profane and snappy dialogue at each other and, once experienced, its explosive blood-spattered finale is difficult to forget. It would be a crime to miss it.
501 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 11, 2011
4 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Martin Stanley
4 books17 followersMartin Stanley was born in Middlesbrough in 1972. He was educated in Teesside and later in Bristol, where he studied graphic design. When he isn't writing, he attempts to earn a pathetic living as a freelance graphic designer.
He is the author of The Gamblers, a violent noir thriller set in Bristol; a number of books featuring his anti-heroes the Stanton brothers (The Hunters, Bone Breakers, The Green-eyed Monster, The Curious Case of the Missing Moolah, and The Glasgow Grin); and The Greatest Show In Town (and other shorts), a collection of short stories. He has another Stanton brothers novel scheduled for 2016: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Billingham Forum. He also has another few works planned for release in 2017.
He lives, works, and socialises in London, where he can often be found in old-man pubs complaining about the state of the world.
He is the author of The Gamblers, a violent noir thriller set in Bristol; a number of books featuring his anti-heroes the Stanton brothers (The Hunters, Bone Breakers, The Green-eyed Monster, The Curious Case of the Missing Moolah, and The Glasgow Grin); and The Greatest Show In Town (and other shorts), a collection of short stories. He has another Stanton brothers novel scheduled for 2016: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Billingham Forum. He also has another few works planned for release in 2017.
He lives, works, and socialises in London, where he can often be found in old-man pubs complaining about the state of the world.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 10, 2013
Kandinsky is a gambler. He’s got way over his head and owes a local money lender, Priest, far more cash than he can afford. He can’t see a way out of his predicament until he overhears someone else’s plan to steal £750,000. Kandinsky decides to get in on the act and rob the robber, but not everything goes as intended.
The Gamblers is the author’s debut novel, however it is not the first of his I’ve read and reviewed. It is by far the longest and most complex of his work to date, with multiple strands tying together at the conclusion in the fashion of the film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It is relatively long (for me, at least) but necessarily so – Kandinsky is stealing the money from Spike who is stealing it from gang boss Liam, so all these strands need dealing with. The story nevertheless tripped along and kept my attention, in fact the majority of the time it was gripping.
It was interesting watching the three main characters develop through the novel. Kandinsky is initially largely spineless whereas Spike and Liam are utterly self-assured. The tables turn, however. Don’t expect to like any of these people, they have very few, if any, redeeming features and they don’t really get any better.
Characters are, in my view, Stanley’s strongest suit. He regularly draws firmly outlined people with strong attitudes and behaviours then throws them into tough situations. He also creates a strong sense of place, sufficiently descriptive without being over the top.
As The Gamblers progresses the bodies pile up, sometimes in a gruesome fashion. If a high swear word and death count bother you, this is not a book to read, and vice versa.
I really like Stanley’s writing, I’m surprised he’s not more visible in the self-publishing world. I particularly enjoyed his previously reviewed Stanton Brothers books. They are short, sharp and to the point, but on the evidence of The Gamblers I’d say the longer story format suits the author –not something I’d usually state. However, if you like this genre, none of Stanley’s work will disappoint. Quite the opposite.
**Originally published on Books & Pals blog. May have received free review copy.**
The Gamblers is the author’s debut novel, however it is not the first of his I’ve read and reviewed. It is by far the longest and most complex of his work to date, with multiple strands tying together at the conclusion in the fashion of the film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It is relatively long (for me, at least) but necessarily so – Kandinsky is stealing the money from Spike who is stealing it from gang boss Liam, so all these strands need dealing with. The story nevertheless tripped along and kept my attention, in fact the majority of the time it was gripping.
It was interesting watching the three main characters develop through the novel. Kandinsky is initially largely spineless whereas Spike and Liam are utterly self-assured. The tables turn, however. Don’t expect to like any of these people, they have very few, if any, redeeming features and they don’t really get any better.
Characters are, in my view, Stanley’s strongest suit. He regularly draws firmly outlined people with strong attitudes and behaviours then throws them into tough situations. He also creates a strong sense of place, sufficiently descriptive without being over the top.
As The Gamblers progresses the bodies pile up, sometimes in a gruesome fashion. If a high swear word and death count bother you, this is not a book to read, and vice versa.
I really like Stanley’s writing, I’m surprised he’s not more visible in the self-publishing world. I particularly enjoyed his previously reviewed Stanton Brothers books. They are short, sharp and to the point, but on the evidence of The Gamblers I’d say the longer story format suits the author –not something I’d usually state. However, if you like this genre, none of Stanley’s work will disappoint. Quite the opposite.
**Originally published on Books & Pals blog. May have received free review copy.**
June 13, 2013
When William Friedkin's movie version of "The French Connection" came out in 1971, it raised the bar for depictions of grittiness and nastiness in the drug underworld. A lot has come along since then, but after finishing "The Gamblers" by Martin Stanley, this is the closest parallel for me.
The hero of "The French Connection" -- Popeye Doyle -- was not especially sympathetic. Neither is the protagonist of "The Gamblers," Kandinsky. In fact, he's a dreadful human being who's trying vainly to redeem himself by the worst means possible. He's surrounded by a huge array of even more loathsome characters, yet some of them (such as Liam the dealer and Dave the ultra-dirty cop) still engage gleams of sympathy as they try to keep their lives on track amid chaos.
The subject matter here is not everyone's cup of tea. The violence is pulverizing (and the raunch factor is very, very high). But I stayed up well past my bedtime last night to finish this because I was compelled to see how it turned out. The intricate web of deceits and double-crosses plays out really well. Every time you think things can't get worse, they do. And the atmosphere -- with a big hand from the regional English locations and accents -- is very rich.
The hero of "The French Connection" -- Popeye Doyle -- was not especially sympathetic. Neither is the protagonist of "The Gamblers," Kandinsky. In fact, he's a dreadful human being who's trying vainly to redeem himself by the worst means possible. He's surrounded by a huge array of even more loathsome characters, yet some of them (such as Liam the dealer and Dave the ultra-dirty cop) still engage gleams of sympathy as they try to keep their lives on track amid chaos.
The subject matter here is not everyone's cup of tea. The violence is pulverizing (and the raunch factor is very, very high). But I stayed up well past my bedtime last night to finish this because I was compelled to see how it turned out. The intricate web of deceits and double-crosses plays out really well. Every time you think things can't get worse, they do. And the atmosphere -- with a big hand from the regional English locations and accents -- is very rich.
March 24, 2014
I've read a couple of novellas from Martin Stanley's increasingly impressive back catalogue before this one, and they've been entertaining blasts of violence and witty dialogue, bereft of morality and generally ending with a winner-takes-all finale that leave the taste of blood in your mouth. So when I jumped all the way to the beginning and picked up this huge and ambitious debut novel, I was hardly surprised when he gave me more of the same. What surprised me, however, was just how grander the scale would be.
It's the tale of several men, each with their eyes on a final score which will see them leave the life they're living for good. There's Liam, a drug dealer whose own men have got designs on taking him to the cleaners. He's got a huge deal coming up, which involved Colombians, cocaine, and £750k of Liam's hard fought money. The thing is, Spike knows all about the money, and he's got his own plans to take it. Then add to the mix overweight gambling addict Mike Kandinsky who, in an act of fate, overhears Spikes plans, and comes to the conclusion that he and his equally deadbeat friends can liberate the cash for themselves. And finally there's corrupt cop Dave McManus, who feels like getting involved so he can disappear with the wife and kids for good. The story bounces from double cross to double cross before culminating in a bloody and violent conclusion where any of them will be lucky to get out alive.
So yeah, I said it was ambitious. It is. Martin Stanley carefully and professionally constructs a superb piece of crime fiction filled to the brim with potty-mouthed scumbags, bone crunching violence, and filthy sex. he weaves the plot strands tighter than a Bristolian yardie's dreadlocks, and not one strand is left dangling. Seriously, at any given moment there are two or three parts of the story working overtime but Martin Stanley controls them with the finesse of a snake charmer with twenty years experience under his belt. The dialogue is clever too. It's got the Guy Ritchie vibe to it, in that it's far from realistic, but it's very funny with a huge amount of words in its vocabulary, and the author has an astonishingly large bag of one-liners at his disposal. As a fan of character-focussed fiction I would have maybe liked a little bit more time spent with the characters, maybe getting to know them a bit more than how violently they deal with what life throws at them, but when the story is this huge and this entertaining I can forgive it.
This is my favourite of Martin Stanley's books so far, and if the sequel's this good, then I'm gonna be a very happy man indeed. Very highly recommended reading.
It's the tale of several men, each with their eyes on a final score which will see them leave the life they're living for good. There's Liam, a drug dealer whose own men have got designs on taking him to the cleaners. He's got a huge deal coming up, which involved Colombians, cocaine, and £750k of Liam's hard fought money. The thing is, Spike knows all about the money, and he's got his own plans to take it. Then add to the mix overweight gambling addict Mike Kandinsky who, in an act of fate, overhears Spikes plans, and comes to the conclusion that he and his equally deadbeat friends can liberate the cash for themselves. And finally there's corrupt cop Dave McManus, who feels like getting involved so he can disappear with the wife and kids for good. The story bounces from double cross to double cross before culminating in a bloody and violent conclusion where any of them will be lucky to get out alive.
So yeah, I said it was ambitious. It is. Martin Stanley carefully and professionally constructs a superb piece of crime fiction filled to the brim with potty-mouthed scumbags, bone crunching violence, and filthy sex. he weaves the plot strands tighter than a Bristolian yardie's dreadlocks, and not one strand is left dangling. Seriously, at any given moment there are two or three parts of the story working overtime but Martin Stanley controls them with the finesse of a snake charmer with twenty years experience under his belt. The dialogue is clever too. It's got the Guy Ritchie vibe to it, in that it's far from realistic, but it's very funny with a huge amount of words in its vocabulary, and the author has an astonishingly large bag of one-liners at his disposal. As a fan of character-focussed fiction I would have maybe liked a little bit more time spent with the characters, maybe getting to know them a bit more than how violently they deal with what life throws at them, but when the story is this huge and this entertaining I can forgive it.
This is my favourite of Martin Stanley's books so far, and if the sequel's this good, then I'm gonna be a very happy man indeed. Very highly recommended reading.
May 9, 2012
Kandinsky is a hardcore gambling addict and loser who owes far more than he can repay to loan shark. He’s a guy who’s screwed from the get-go. But when he overhears a plan to rob a drug dealer, he convinces himself and his friends—who are even bigger losers than him—that they can pull off a miracle. THE GAMBLERS is a sprawling, complicated novel with lots of intriguing characters, a great sense of humor, and a beautifully constructed sense of impending doom. The large cast are all tied together in really clever ways that you wouldn’t suspect, and as each of their personal sagas play out, and wind closer together, you’re left slightly amazed that Stanley is able to pull it off. It’s a very well-structured novel, but Stanley’s real strength is the depth and believability of his characters.
November 19, 2014
Reservoir Staffies!
An exciting, gritty, crime drama set in Bristol filled with losers and loan sharks, junkies and dealers and the pay grades above pulling the strings. But the story is played out very much in the trenches, and feels all the more authentic for it. You feel every punch, every bone broken, every pool of blood spilled. Along the way you meet an array of generally unlikeable, irredeemable characters that would stab in the back literally as well as figuratively without thinking. There is no mythical honour amongst thieves here. There is however humour to be found among the spent bullets and teeth.
It's a fairly long book, but there's a lot of ground covered as deal turns to deal, turns to double cross and back again before it all ends with a firm handshake and a pat on the back…or maybe not!
An exciting, gritty, crime drama set in Bristol filled with losers and loan sharks, junkies and dealers and the pay grades above pulling the strings. But the story is played out very much in the trenches, and feels all the more authentic for it. You feel every punch, every bone broken, every pool of blood spilled. Along the way you meet an array of generally unlikeable, irredeemable characters that would stab in the back literally as well as figuratively without thinking. There is no mythical honour amongst thieves here. There is however humour to be found among the spent bullets and teeth.
It's a fairly long book, but there's a lot of ground covered as deal turns to deal, turns to double cross and back again before it all ends with a firm handshake and a pat on the back…or maybe not!
May 10, 2015
This is Martin's first book and, full disclosure, he's a mate. He talked the book up a lot as he made notes and wrote his drafts, and when it was finally finished, I was surprised at what a great job he did. The Gamblers is tightly plotted, and speeds along at a furious pace. There's not much lagging as the story unfolds, and he's only got better over the years as a writer. And as such, I have to hate him.
February 12, 2018
A powerhouse of a story!
This is not for the faint of heart. Its brutal and graphic and completly full on. This is the first time I have read anything by this author and without doubt, will not be the last.
The story is complex, the narrative relentless and the authors skill at bringing it all together into a far from predictable finnaly is priceless.
Great book and happy to recommend it x
This is not for the faint of heart. Its brutal and graphic and completly full on. This is the first time I have read anything by this author and without doubt, will not be the last.
The story is complex, the narrative relentless and the authors skill at bringing it all together into a far from predictable finnaly is priceless.
Great book and happy to recommend it x
November 23, 2018
Brilliant read brilliant author
What an amazing read from this talented author and I've read every book from this excellent author and I can't wait to read more from this author and would definitely be recommending this book to others
What an amazing read from this talented author and I've read every book from this excellent author and I can't wait to read more from this author and would definitely be recommending this book to others
August 27, 2018
Good read
Liked this book , Not one character was likeable but had to keep reading to see how they got on ,
Liked this book , Not one character was likeable but had to keep reading to see how they got on ,
October 7, 2013
THE GAMBLERS is an ambitious novel. Not many stories offer such a deep, complex scope and a break-neck pace that never, ever lets up and it's a pretty long novel. I enjoyed it. It's a well-written, ultra-violent, high-octane U.K gangster story in the vein of Guy Ritchie, but here's the thing. The great sope and the crazy pace are both good and bad as Stanley focused so much on these, they ended up choking a bit of life out of the story.
It lacked a bit of characterization and atmosphere for my own taste, because the characters are more than busy with the story Stanley has planned out for them. But hey, THE GAMBLERS owns that it's trying to do and mounts one of the most spectacularly complex crime stories I've ever read about. Stanley owns the choices he made. It could have been broken down into several novels, really. If you're looking to a crime/ation novel with little fear and lots of scope, well, THE GAMBLERS will indulge the hell out of it.
It lacked a bit of characterization and atmosphere for my own taste, because the characters are more than busy with the story Stanley has planned out for them. But hey, THE GAMBLERS owns that it's trying to do and mounts one of the most spectacularly complex crime stories I've ever read about. Stanley owns the choices he made. It could have been broken down into several novels, really. If you're looking to a crime/ation novel with little fear and lots of scope, well, THE GAMBLERS will indulge the hell out of it.
September 12, 2014
This is a long book but completely engrossing. The plot is utterly brilliant. Think a far more violent "Lock Stock" without the humour or loveable rogues, because none of the characters are remotely 'loveable' or even likeable. They are debauched, disgusting, depraved and greedy but their intertwining stories keep you intrigued as to how their behaviour is going to cope with the inevitable consequences. This novel makes the works of Martina Cole look like Enid Blyton! Cracking read!
August 22, 2012
This shouldn't have been my kind of book - boys' games; unpleasant men, drug dealers, heads and limbs blown off, calling each other c@%$ all the time. But it was well written with a tidy plot so I enjoyed it
July 21, 2014
This is a good book that moved along very quickly. There are three separate story lines, each one filled with betrayal and violence. I will definitely be looking to read more of Stanley's works.
May 9, 2015
Great gritty read about UK underworld, looking forward to more books by this author
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews