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Doc Hill #1
Dead Money
Poker: a high-stakes, deadly serious professional sport. Doc Hill knows all too well the risks involved with the sport. Or so he thinks. But when one of the greatest poker players of all time dies, the stakes rise even higher. Doc must solve an increasingly frightening series of murders—and win the biggest tournament of his career—before he finds himself forced to fold his cards for good.
A fast-paced thriller that delves deep into the enticing world of high-stakes poker, Dead Money raises the risk of the political thriller to create an exciting new genre—political poker thriller.
“Dean Wesley Smith does for poker what James Patterson does for serial killers.”
—Sheldon McArthur, former owner of Mysterious Books in Los Angeles
USA Today bestselling writer Dean Wesley Smith published more than a hundred novels in thirty years and hundreds and hundreds of short stories across many genres.
He wrote a couple dozen Star Trek novels, the only two original Men in Black novels, Spider-Man and X-Men novels, plus novels set in gaming and television worlds. Writing with his wife Kristine Kathryn Rusch under the name Kathryn Wesley, they wrote the novel for the NBC miniseries The Tenth Kingdom and other books for Hallmark Hall of Fame movies.
He wrote novels under dozens of pen names in the worlds of comic books and movies, including novelizations of a dozen films, from The Final Fantasy to Steel to Rundown.
He now writes his own original fiction under just the one name, Dean Wesley Smith. In addition to his upcoming novel releases, his monthly magazine called Smith’s Monthly premiered October 1, 2013, filled entirely with his original novels and stories.
Dean also worked as an editor and publisher, first at Pulphouse Publishing, then for VB Tech Journal, then for Pocket Books. He now plays a role as an executive editor for the original anthology series Fiction River.
For more information go to www.deanwesleysmith.com or www.smithsmonthly.com.
A fast-paced thriller that delves deep into the enticing world of high-stakes poker, Dead Money raises the risk of the political thriller to create an exciting new genre—political poker thriller.
“Dean Wesley Smith does for poker what James Patterson does for serial killers.”
—Sheldon McArthur, former owner of Mysterious Books in Los Angeles
USA Today bestselling writer Dean Wesley Smith published more than a hundred novels in thirty years and hundreds and hundreds of short stories across many genres.
He wrote a couple dozen Star Trek novels, the only two original Men in Black novels, Spider-Man and X-Men novels, plus novels set in gaming and television worlds. Writing with his wife Kristine Kathryn Rusch under the name Kathryn Wesley, they wrote the novel for the NBC miniseries The Tenth Kingdom and other books for Hallmark Hall of Fame movies.
He wrote novels under dozens of pen names in the worlds of comic books and movies, including novelizations of a dozen films, from The Final Fantasy to Steel to Rundown.
He now writes his own original fiction under just the one name, Dean Wesley Smith. In addition to his upcoming novel releases, his monthly magazine called Smith’s Monthly premiered October 1, 2013, filled entirely with his original novels and stories.
Dean also worked as an editor and publisher, first at Pulphouse Publishing, then for VB Tech Journal, then for Pocket Books. He now plays a role as an executive editor for the original anthology series Fiction River.
For more information go to www.deanwesleysmith.com or www.smithsmonthly.com.
378 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 13, 2013
23 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Dean Wesley Smith
838 books177 followersPen Names
Edward Taft
Dee W. Schofield
Sandy Schofield
Kathryn Wesley
Dean Wesley Smith is the bestselling author of over ninety novels under many names and well over 100 published short stories. He has over eight million copies of his books in print and has books published in nine different countries. He has written many original novels in science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thriller, and romance as well as books for television, movies, games, and comics. He is also known for writing quality work very quickly and has written a large number of novels as a ghost writer or under house names.
With Kristine Kathryn Rusch, he is the coauthor of The Tenth Planet trilogy and The 10th Kingdom. The following is a list of novels under the Dean Wesley Smith name, plus a number of pen names that are open knowledge. Many ghost and pen name books are not on this list because he is under contractual obligations not to disclose that he wrote them. Many of Dean’s original novels are also under hidden pen names for marketing reasons.
Dean has also written books and comics for all three major comic book companies, Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse, and has done scripts for Hollywood. One movie was actually made.
Over his career he has also been an editor and publisher, first at Pulphouse Publishing, then for VB Tech Journal, then for Pocket Books.
Currently, he is writing thrillers and mystery novels under another name.
Edward Taft
Dee W. Schofield
Sandy Schofield
Kathryn Wesley
Dean Wesley Smith is the bestselling author of over ninety novels under many names and well over 100 published short stories. He has over eight million copies of his books in print and has books published in nine different countries. He has written many original novels in science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thriller, and romance as well as books for television, movies, games, and comics. He is also known for writing quality work very quickly and has written a large number of novels as a ghost writer or under house names.
With Kristine Kathryn Rusch, he is the coauthor of The Tenth Planet trilogy and The 10th Kingdom. The following is a list of novels under the Dean Wesley Smith name, plus a number of pen names that are open knowledge. Many ghost and pen name books are not on this list because he is under contractual obligations not to disclose that he wrote them. Many of Dean’s original novels are also under hidden pen names for marketing reasons.
Dean has also written books and comics for all three major comic book companies, Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse, and has done scripts for Hollywood. One movie was actually made.
Over his career he has also been an editor and publisher, first at Pulphouse Publishing, then for VB Tech Journal, then for Pocket Books.
Currently, he is writing thrillers and mystery novels under another name.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 6, 2020
Dead Money by Dean Wesley Smith is an entertaining, suspenseful story about life, death, and poker. Mr. Smith, who is also a professional poker player, does an excellent job of giving the reader a behind the scenes view of Las Vegas with the attendant shadiness one would expect from Sin City mixed with political intrigue, heroism, family values, and an unapologetic villain.
Well done, Mr. Smith! I look forward to reading the next books in the Doc Hill Series.
Well done, Mr. Smith! I look forward to reading the next books in the Doc Hill Series.
December 30, 2017
Author Dean Wesley Smith's, "Dead Money", (Doc Hill # 1), is a fair to midland suspense thriller. Protagonist Jonathan "Doc" Hill without question is one of THE very best poker players. Doc only loses when he wants to. He got his nickname "Doc" since he missed getting his Ph.D. by two credits. The plot revolves around nine unique keys spread among ten men. (The tenth man was murdered). A poker game from 1982 has lead to these keys being made to open a safety deposit box following the murder of one of the players. Yes, all nine keys are needed to open the box. In a plot that is all over the place from Idaho to Las Vegas, Doc manages to escape danger and death. With not much mystery who the bad guys are, it's characters beyond Doc are not all that interesting. however it was a quick enjoyable read without high expectations. Being nice in this Christmas season I'm giving, "Dead Money", three stars out of five stars possible. Really I'd give it roughly 2.66 stars. I don't highly recommend it, but give it an okay for reading on a dull day. Check it out especially if you're a big time poker fan. Most of the detailed poker hand pages I merely skimmed having no idea what action was going on.
January 31, 2015
Dead Money
Dean Wesley Smith
I started reading Dead Money by Dean Wesley Smith as I was in between some other recreational reading material, and I'm happy with the choice I made. This book kept me turning the pages (metaphorically speaking since it was an ebook) to find out what exactly was the driving force behind the killings and the ultimate showdown. Putting it all within the context of high-stakes professional poker was a unique angle that made for an interesting read.
The story starts out with a guy flying back from a high-stakes poker game. In the middle of nowhere, his plane stalls out, and he ends up flying it into a canyon wall. It also reveals that the accident was actually an act of sabotage, and the person who did it has a much bigger agenda than just one death. This death of Doc Hill's father starts Doc on a search to find the killer, regardless of the fact that he and his dad had been estranged for years. Some digging reveals that a number of poker legends are being murdered, and they all seem to be connected by the fact that each one had a key that means something to someone. By this time, Doc is determined to see this through, and is willing to risk everything (including his life) in a winner-take-all game of poker.
The uniqueness of Dead Money is how everything is set in the world of professional poker. Hill is an outstanding player, his dad was a legend, and most of the people he interacts with have some tie into that world. The poker jargon comes fast and furious, and Smith makes it work well. I can see if you're into poker, this would make a great mystery read. Even if you're not, it's a fast-paced novel that hides things well until the very end...
Disclosure:
Obtained From: StoryBundle
Payment: Purchase
Dean Wesley Smith
I started reading Dead Money by Dean Wesley Smith as I was in between some other recreational reading material, and I'm happy with the choice I made. This book kept me turning the pages (metaphorically speaking since it was an ebook) to find out what exactly was the driving force behind the killings and the ultimate showdown. Putting it all within the context of high-stakes professional poker was a unique angle that made for an interesting read.
The story starts out with a guy flying back from a high-stakes poker game. In the middle of nowhere, his plane stalls out, and he ends up flying it into a canyon wall. It also reveals that the accident was actually an act of sabotage, and the person who did it has a much bigger agenda than just one death. This death of Doc Hill's father starts Doc on a search to find the killer, regardless of the fact that he and his dad had been estranged for years. Some digging reveals that a number of poker legends are being murdered, and they all seem to be connected by the fact that each one had a key that means something to someone. By this time, Doc is determined to see this through, and is willing to risk everything (including his life) in a winner-take-all game of poker.
The uniqueness of Dead Money is how everything is set in the world of professional poker. Hill is an outstanding player, his dad was a legend, and most of the people he interacts with have some tie into that world. The poker jargon comes fast and furious, and Smith makes it work well. I can see if you're into poker, this would make a great mystery read. Even if you're not, it's a fast-paced novel that hides things well until the very end...
Disclosure:
Obtained From: StoryBundle
Payment: Purchase
March 15, 2014
Doc Hill knows two things to be true: he's a good poker player and he hates his father. But when his father's plane crashes in the Idaho wilderness, Doc gets coerced into a murderous game of cat and mouse with a killer who will stop at nothing, and a decades-old secret that involves the very highest levels of government.
This thriller intrigued me from the first page; it's a different take on gambling, and takes the reader deep into the fascinating world of professional, high-stakes poker. The characters are rich and well-drawn, and the tension grows tighter with every page, until the final (surprising) conclusion. Highly recommended.
This thriller intrigued me from the first page; it's a different take on gambling, and takes the reader deep into the fascinating world of professional, high-stakes poker. The characters are rich and well-drawn, and the tension grows tighter with every page, until the final (surprising) conclusion. Highly recommended.
May 9, 2014
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Fascinating in its details about professional poker playing.
Hard to put down.
We want more Doc Hill thrillers.
In DEAD MONEY (a poker term for a player who has paid an entry fee in a tournament he has no chance of winning) Doc Hill leads adventure tourists down the River of No Return during his time off from high stakes poker games, his real job. Abruptly, the death of his long-estranged father puts him in the middle of a decades-spanning mystery and into the sights of a stone cold killer. A really good thriller read ensues
Fascinating in its details about professional poker playing.
Hard to put down.
We want more Doc Hill thrillers.
In DEAD MONEY (a poker term for a player who has paid an entry fee in a tournament he has no chance of winning) Doc Hill leads adventure tourists down the River of No Return during his time off from high stakes poker games, his real job. Abruptly, the death of his long-estranged father puts him in the middle of a decades-spanning mystery and into the sights of a stone cold killer. A really good thriller read ensues
December 17, 2014
With Dead Money you're in the hands of a master storyteller. Dean Wesley Smith's sparse narrative doesn't use one unnecessary word. His dialogue is true-to-life, and the plot line spins out around several bends and curves. The parts about poker are realistic and fun. Doc seems like a great guy to spend some time with. Just a good, fun, easy read.
December 8, 2014
Super fun and fast-paced, with entertaining characters and a nifty plot that just grabs and keeps pulling you along. Dean's always good for a fun story, especially when he brings poker into it. Good times. :)
October 1, 2016
Wow, what a great story!
Man, what an awesome book, I literally could not put it down. I started on page one and read straight through to the end. Stories like this are exactly why I love to read.
Haven't looked yet, but I sure hope there are more Doc Hill books.
Man, what an awesome book, I literally could not put it down. I started on page one and read straight through to the end. Stories like this are exactly why I love to read.
Haven't looked yet, but I sure hope there are more Doc Hill books.
November 28, 2014
1st in the Doc Hill series. Poker mystery.
January 4, 2015
It was exciting and fast paced. Kept me reading.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews