It’s called Sin City for a reason. Dark secrets emerge when a young bartender meets a stranger on a hot streak in this gritty short story from New York Times bestselling author Chris Bohjalian. Dove, a recovering alcoholic covered in Emily Dickinson tattoos, serves up drinks and small talk at a casino in Vegas. Russell is a man on a roll. He claims to be a chain-restaurant manager, yet his tells point to different skills. The two leave together at the end of the night, but when all pretense is stripped away, they find themselves in a fight for their lives. Slot Machine Fever Dreams is part of Obsession , a collection of compulsively readable short stories about people pushed to their extremes. So addictive you won’t be able to put them down—read or listen to each story in a single sitting.
Chris Bohjalian is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 25 books. His 25th book, THE JACKAL’S MISTRESS, is now on sale. He writes literary fiction, historical fiction, thrillers, and (on occasion) ghost stories. His goal is never to write the same book twice. He has published somewhere in the neighborhood of 3.5 million words.
His work has been translated into 35 languages and become three movies (MIDWIVES, SECRETS OF EDEN, and PAST THE BLEACHERS) and an Emmy-winning TV series (THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT). He has two other novels in development for TV series as well.
He is also a playwright, including THE CLUB in 2024; MIDWIVES in 2020; and GROUNDED (now WINGSPAN) in 2018.
His books have been chosen as Best Books of the Year by the Washington Post, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Hartford Courant, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Bookpage, and Salon.
His awards include the Walter Cerf Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts; the Sarah Josefa Hale Award; the ANCA Freedom Award for his work educating Americans about the Armenian Genocide; the ANCA Arts and Letters Award for THE SANDCASTLE GIRLS, as well as the Saint Mesrob Mashdots Medal; the New England Society Book Award for THE NIGHT STRANGERS; the New England Book Award; Russia’s Soglasie (Concord) Award for THE SANDCASTLE GIRLS; a Boston Public Library Literary Light; a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for TRANS-SISTER RADIO; a Best Lifestyle Column for “Idyll Banter” from the Vermont Press Association; and the Anahid Literary Award. His short story, SLOT MACHINE FEVER DREAMS was a finalist for Best Short Story from the International Thriller Writers Association and the audio production was an Audie Finalist. His novel, MIDWVES was a selection of Oprah’s Book Club, and his novel, HOUR OF THE WITCH, was a Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. He is a Fellow of the Vermont Academy of Arts and Sciences.
He has written for a wide variety of magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Reader’s Digest, and The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. He was a weekly columnist in Vermont for The Burlington Free Press from 1992 through 2015.
Chris graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from Amherst College. He has been awarded Honorary Degrees as well from Amherst, Champlain College, and Castleton University.
He lives in Vermont with his wife, the photographer Victoria Blewer.
Lmaooo I would enjoy the lowest rated short story in this series the most. This was the ONLY one written above a fifth grade level. He actually deployed different writing styles and techniques vs the rest of the tales being written like such: I am so sad that my kids left the house. I bought a dog to give me companionship. The dog is white and fluffy and has a high pitched bark. *Starts snoring*
Yes this is written in second person narration which would usually be an auto DNF for me but because it was short and he can actually write, I decided to stick with it. I'm glad I did.
Many are describing this as weird. It's not so much weird as it is an action movie/tv show come to life. Think Tom and Elizabeth Keene vibes. To me, weird is something like Bliss Montage which is just saying random shit that only someone who dropped acid could understand. In this quick tale, the humor is more tongue in cheek and things unfold rapidly. If you enjoyed Daniel Cole's Fawkes & Baxter series you may like this one.
Closer to 2.5 stars, since 3 stars means I thought it was okay. My least favorite of the Amazon Originals Obsession series. The beginning had me interested but the ending didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. Thanks for reading! Opinions. We’ve all got ‘em.
An alcoholic barmaid but several years sober meets a gambling obsessive, two addicts go head to head. An unlikely tale but surprisingly I like the way it pans out as it’s not what you expect. Love the clever use of Emily Dickinson.
Another Amazon free short story - i’d rate this one is fairly good. I enjoyed the characters and their banter. They were lots of twists. And an unexpected ending.
From the Obsession collection, one of my favorite collections available with subscription. This story was odd, and casinos aren't really my vibe, but it's a great installation within the collection addressing different types of obsessions.
In this story, the FMC works at a casino and is turned on by big winners. She describes in detail the qualities that make up someone who wins a lot of money at the casino. She says there are different types of winners, some are just lucky, some are actually very skilled at cards--obsessed, even. She is drawn to someone who turns out was luring her. He is a hit-man with a special set of skills, if you will. Their dialogue is very tense and high energy. The dialogue between hit-man and casino worker was the charging component that compelled the suspense. I didn't really find the plot suspenseful overall, but the dialogue is sharp. I didn't quite pick up why a hit-man was after her.
Their two different obsessions morph into another sort of obsession laced with sexual tension. Their dialogue has undertones of strong desire or obsession with the other, even though they both want to kill each other. Interesting fiction, gave me stuff to ponder.
Overall a solid story, slightly unbelievable that two killers could ever trust each other but ends on a positive note at least. Enjoyed the narrator, quick east listen. Didn’t hold my attention as well as the beginning of the series.
This is a short story from the "Obsession" collection.
He wants to kill her. She wants to kill him. But under the mesmerizing sound of a slot machine, they fall in love with each other and decide to change events.
A little all over the place at times, but I enjoyed the ending and the journey to get to it. I did like the narrator and what ended up pushing her to not kill and play the slot/game to an unforeseen end.
Amazon came out in October with a couple novellas that I want to read, but my card was full so I had to read a couple that I had already gotten, to make room for the new ones. This novella by Chris Bohjalian was one that I decided to read.
Short and sweet - well maybe not sweet. Deals with a professional hit man and the girl he was sent to kill. She also has a record of killing. So once she turns the tables on the professional killer they both go after the man who holds the contract and wants her killed.
Yes a bit of an overload, but you know Bohjalian - always a good story. Short, complex and intense.
Slot Machine Fever Dreams is part of Obsession , a collection of compulsively readable short stories about people pushed to their extremes.
I loved this one! I thought it was witty, charming, and playful. Sexy too. I could tell the author writes for the screen—the dialogue was perfect. Two obsessive people square off at an impasse. Will they kill each other or fall in love. It’s fun & entertaining
Casino Madness Review of the Amazon Original Story ebook (July 23, 2023) released simultaneously with the Brilliance Audio audiobook.
I can't rise to a 3-star "Like" for this one. It turns dark almost immediately and then it just gets ridiculous. It still gets a 2-star "OK" due to using a smattering of Emily Dickinson quotes throughout. I think I caught them all in my Kindle highlights if you are interested.
It did get one silent LOL 😂 though for this exchange of dialogue:
“How do you know if someone’s gluten-free?” “How?” “Oh, they’ll tell you.”
Chris Bohjalian is a thriller and historical fiction writer who has published 24 novels, the most popular of which is Midwives (1997).
Soundtrack OK, had to go with Elvis and Viva Las Vegas on this one. You can hear it on YouTube here or on Spotify here.
Trivia and Links Slot Machine Fever Dreams is the 5th of 6 short stories making up the psychological suspense series Obsession, released simultaneously on July 23, 2023 as eBooks by Amazon Originals and as audiobooks by Brilliance Audio. The Obsession collection is described as “Lust. Revenge. Greed. Hunger. Desire doesn’t care if you’re at the bottom of the ladder or the top of your game. Six masters of psychological suspense craft tales about people crossing moral lines in pursuit of their deepest desires. In these short stories, even the most mild-mannered characters can spin out of control when passion is at play. Hold on tight—there’s no turning back.”
You can watch for current and past Amazon Original Kindle short stories which are usually paired with their Audible Original narrations at an Amazon page here (Link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
A Night in Sin City ends in unexpected twists and turns!
This is my final read in the Amazon Obsession Series. Although I enjoyed all of the stories, this one feels like the most cleverly plotted of them all.
The story is set in Sin City, where Dove works as a bartender at a casino. One night, a customer on a winning streak approaches her at the end of her shift and they end up leaving together. However, the night takes a series of unexpected turns. The story is full of surprising twists and turns, and the ending is completely unexpected!
I loved this! Starting with the second person narrative, I was deliciously off-balance. Then the unexpected struck and didn’t let up. Thrilling, funny, this was so much fun. Hats off to Mr Bohjalian for a quick, thoroughly enjoyable read.
Wanting to fill my summer with a mix of novels and short stories, I came upon this collection of short pieces called the Obsession Collection. This short story by Chris Bohjalian explores a unique encounter between a Vegas casino bartender and a man who’s on a streak at the tables. What starts as innocent flirting takes an odd turn before the truth behind the encounter becomes apparent. Chris Bohjalian delivers a story unlike others in the series to date.
Las Vegas has always had a reputation for being dark and sinister, likely where it got the moniker ‘Sin City’. Dove is a recovering alcoholic and working behind the bar at one of the casinos along the Strip. When she encounters Francis, a man on a hot streak, they seek to hit it off. Their banter goes from the banal to the intense and soon things take a turn up to his newly offered hotel room. From there, it is a chance for both to show their true colours, which is not the steamy engagement many might presume in the middle of a Vegas night. However, the intensity ensures that nothing is as it seems and no clear solution is forthcoming. Chris Bohjalian delivers the most unique of the stories in this collection, which surely left me confused.
I enjoy short stories with underlying subtleties and Chris Bohjalian did that in this piece. He builds a murky narrative that meanders throughout. As the story develops, he keeps the reader wondering about how things will develop but never quite completes the circle. Characters are decent but not as impactful as I would have liked. Plot twists are surely present, but I was not as pulled into things as I found myself with the other stories in this collection. Still, a decent and quick read to pass the time.
Kudos, Mr. Bohjalian, for a gamble I think was worth my time.
A friend recommended Chris so I thought this would be a good start. Did not realize how short is was until I downloaded it. Bit too long for a short story, a bit too short for a novella but enough to give me a taste of the writer's style. Still trying to decide if telling the story in the second person is a bit gimmicky but I enjoyed the tale, it moved swiftly along and sent me to the kindle dictionary a few times more than is normal since I had either not heard the word in a long time or it was being used in a different context to what I was used to seeing. Liked it enough to pick up "The Lioness" on sale at a local bookstore so we will see how it goes.
I was listening to the audiobook and didn't know what was happening.
Dove works as a bartender in a casino and Russel turns out to be the guy full of luck winning all the games. They both are weird and if this wasn't falling in love at first sight, then it's probably after their fifth one that it finally clicks, LOL.
It had some funny banter between them and there was killing too.
“You don’t have a type. But this one? A loser who’s winning? There’s more to him, you can sense it, and you feel the tug of the magnet inside you.”
In a world in which most everyone is a loser, a winner will still make your heart beat a little faster.
But going to keep saying that this is what my dreams are made of when I’m sick and delusional with a high fever and my mind is trying to distract me.
I have been reading the books in the Obsession collection obsessively over spring break. This one missed the mark. I wanted to love this, it takes place in my old home town, so I really wanted this to go well. The ending was a let down, considering that most of the book was engaging.
This was my third story in the „Obsession“-Collection and it is a difficult one to rate. I kind of liked it but it wasn‘t really a good or very unique story.
„Dove, a recovering alcoholic covered in Emily Dickinson tattoos, serves up drinks and small talk at a casino in Vegas. Russell is a man on a roll. He claims to be a chain-restaurant manager, yet his tells point to different skills. The two leave together at the end of the night, but when all pretense is stripped away, they find themselves in a fight for their lives.“
The writing was great, very pleasant to read and the whole story was entertaining and even gripping at times. Then again, it wasn‘t very original… it was very predictable and there wasn‘t one amazing twist that changed everything. Still a solid short read. 🙂
The best part was the writing. I'm fond of this author's style and even in a short story it was glowing! I say this often about short stories but this would make a great novel! I loved the setting in Vegas and the character roles as bartender and gambler -- both with secrets of course. But everything was only surface deep. I'm not one to hold that against a short because truly with a complex idea there's just not the word count available. That said, the situation began and concluded through the pages, the tension got my heart racing and the characters quickly grew on me, these are hallmarks of a satisfying short story in my opinion!