Texas Bluff: A Western Mystery of Murder, Corruption, and Justice

Gamblers

by Robert J. Randisi

Professional gambler Ty Butler knows he should keep moving to stay ahead of the killers who wiped out his family and are now gunning for him. But when a serious card player finds a challenging game in an honest house, he wants to stay awhile.

For Butler, a certain gambling hall is paradise—though the emporium's notorious owner, Little Luke Short, can't seem to steer clear of Hell's Half Acre, a corrupt and festering boil in the middle of Fort Worth. Short's been waging an ongoing war with a crooked kingpin, and now he's making it Ty's fight as well. The stakes get higher when the criminal is murdered and the law comes gunning for Little Luke. But Ty Butler recognizes a bluff when he sees one—not to mention the unmistakable hand of a hired killer. He may end up taking a bullet, but he's not cashing out of this game until real justice is done.

Genres: Westerns, Historical Fiction

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Robert Joseph Randisi was a prolific American author, editor, and screenwriter, best known for his work in detective and Western fiction. He wrote over 650 books, including The Gunsmith series under the pen name J.R. Roberts, and edited more than 30 anthologies. A co-founder of Mystery Scene magazine, the American Crime Writers League, and Western Fictioneers, he also established The Private Eye Writers of America and created the Shamus Award. Randisi collaborated on novels with Eileen Davidson and Vince Van Patten, and created memorable characters such as Miles Jacoby, Joe Keough, and The Rat Pack. He received multiple lifetime achievement awards and the John Seigenthaler Humanitarian Award.

Reviews

[Bettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Description: Cardshark Ty Butler continues his migration to California, while stopping at every gambling hall along the way. This time his chips might be cashed in early, however, as he gets caught up in a deadly fight between two notorious criminals.





3* Butler's Wager
2* Texas Bluff

[B.J. Burgess · Rating 4 out of 5]

While "The Gamblers: Texas Bluff" may not stand as Randisi’s pinnacle achievement, I found it enjoyable—a delightful throwback to the old-school "pulp" Westerns rather than the more mature fare for which he’s renowned. It resonates with the charm of a '50s episode of Maverick, complete with poker scheming and thrilling shootouts. Overall, it was an entertaining read, and I liked it.

Find my full review at https://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com/....

[Daniel Sorrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This installment is definitely the weakest of the three book Gamblers series. Still, Randisi didn’t know how to write a book that wasn’t a fun read, so it was still pretty decent. The fact that we never got a resolution to the mystery of who put the price on Butler’s head makes me think there were supposed to be further installments. Butler never got to San Francisco either, which was his destination since book 1.

[Tonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good western. The ending fell a little flat, though.