Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

At Their Own Game

Rate this book
Book #1 in the SpoCompton Series

Jake Stankovic has been flying below the radar for years, dealing safely in stolen property crime with his two-man crew. But times are tough, so he decides to step up to the big money with a drug deal. Everything that can go wrong, does. The deal goes bad, a vengeful detective sets his sights on Jake, one of his crew might be a turncoat, and a woman from a long past affair suddenly reappears. All of this would be complicated enough on its own, but for Jake, it's even worse.

The woman is the detective's ex-wife.

And Jake Stankovic used to be a cop.

Now Jake must face new problems and old vendettas in an all-in proposition with lives on the line. He has to find a way to get his money back, keep the girl, and beat everyone involved... At Their Own Game.(* Jack McCrae mysteries, Sandy Banks thrillers, and Stanley Melvin PI Stories also take place in the shared universe of the SpoCompton series)

294 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 31, 2014

108 people are currently reading
413 people want to read

About the author

Frank Zafiro

132 books96 followers
A former police officer, Frank writes gritty crime fiction from both sides of the badge.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
113 (36%)
4 stars
105 (34%)
3 stars
63 (20%)
2 stars
20 (6%)
1 star
6 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
Profile Image for Monnie.
1,622 reviews790 followers
September 14, 2014
When I read the description of this book at Amazon.com, it got my attention right away. The "hero," Jake Stankovic, is a relatively successful thief with a crew of two, but there's a big difference: Jake used to be a police officer. Then when I learned the author is a retired law enforcement officer with a number of writing awards under his belt, I started to think seriously. And when I was able to download it free as part of my trial membership in Kindle Unlimited, well, let's just say I got right to it.

As it turns out, it was a great decision. Jake, it seems, now has been a criminal longer than he was a cop. As the property-stealing business heads into a slump - meaning a big drop in income for the trio - Jake decides to make a move into the drug market with what he hopes is a quick deal. Not only is it not quick, it doesn't go as planned, leaving Jake to try to figure a way to salvage their financial investment. Then, something else unplanned happens: a woman he used to know (yes, in the biblical sense) back in his police days shows up on his doorstep.

As if that weren't enough, the woman is the ex-wife of a detective from Jake's old department - and the detective has never forgiven Jake for stealing "his" woman and causing his ugly divorce way back then. Ever since, in fact, he's had it in for Jake big-time, and now he's caught wind of the drug deal and doubled his efforts to get even by putting Jake behind bars (or worse). As the action heats up, Jake begins to smell another rat; quite possibly it's emanating from one of his partners in crime, who's spilling his guts to the detective.

More details would give away too much, but I will say that there are a number of twists and turns; while some headed down expected paths, the destinations were not. The result? An intriguing, well-written story that's definitely worth reading (and the 246 pages fly by in no time at all).
Profile Image for T.G. Wolff.
Author 16 books137 followers
January 2, 2021
At Their Own Game had rapid-fire pacing and unpredictable turns that rival Pulp Fiction. Just when you thought you knew what Jake Stankovic was going to do next, the rules change on him. He has to think quick on his feet if he is going to be that last man standing at the end of this one.
19 reviews
May 25, 2015
I really enjoyed the main character. He had a lot of flaws and and was an ex-cop. I was definitely surprised how he dealt with'traitors'. I also enjoyed the plot and just as I thought I knew what was coming next...surprise.

I'd like to see this made into a series. I think much more can done with the antagonist, Kyle.
Profile Image for David Freas.
Author 2 books32 followers
January 7, 2022
I like Frank Zafiro’s River City books. I called him and them a worthy successor to Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct series.

I wish I could say the same about this first book in his SpoCompton (a mash-up of Spokane and Compton – two drug-infested cities) series. Jake Stankovic is an ex-cop now turned criminal breaking the law with thefts and credit card scams (justifying them as being minor crimes) who tries to pull off a drug deal.

I gave up a third of the way into this book because it glorifies such behavior, making heroes out of anti-heroes. And I won’t be back for the next book in this series – ever. Quite frankly, if this and its follow up were the only books available, I’d give up reading.

I awarded this book 1 star only because I could give it ¼ star (pure tripe).

An aside here: this was one colossally screwed up download. The very first page of this book was 281 and when I quit reading at the 33% mark, I was still on page 281. That has got to make pages 1 to 280 the shortest pages ever. And page 281 the longest page ever, because just for kicks I checked the last page in this book. Guess what number it was. Yep, page 281. Congratulations, Amazon. Great job on getting something so simple so completely wrong.
Profile Image for Colin Conway.
Author 78 books130 followers
January 22, 2020
Frank Zafiro’s AT THEIR OWN GAME is the first novel in his SpoCompton series.

Zafiro’s River City novels are a tribute to good cops doing a tough job. While they may have personal frailties, when they put on the badge, they do their best to protect and serve River City.

This is not the world Zafiro reflects in At Their Own Game. It’s a world of criminals who consider police the enemy. In this world, there is no love for the badge and no respect for the people behind it.

Jake Stankovic is a former cop who is now living on the wrong side of the law. He’s in the crosshairs of a city detective who has a personal score settle. A lot of heat is coming Stankovic’s way and he needs to make moves fast if he wants to remain out of prison.

He’s going to choose a course of action he can never unmake.

Zafiro delivers a fast-paced tale of double-crosses and revenge. It’s great way to start off a series.
8 reviews1 follower
December 28, 2020
Another high five for Frank Zafiro. At Their Own Game and it was wonderful as expected, yet still unexpected. You would figure someone who was a cop would know how to put forth believable stories from a legal standing. What is right, who is wrong… At Their Own Game is a cop story, but not from the expected point of view… This is one of those stories you cannot put down as you really want to find out what is going on, who is doing what, and what the outcome will be. The characters are believable and it is easy to see them in your mind, to picture them weighing their options and acting upon what is happening. Frank can tell a story from any or all sides and make it believable and make you feel for and side with the character - whether he is a good guy or bad guy - then again, Is he a good guy or bad guy? You decide…
1,772 reviews23 followers
September 20, 2020
Wow, what a ride! Where are the good guys? I thought I was going to fall for Jake, even tho he was a thief. But as the story proceeds, no one is good. Jake says, "We may be criminals, but we're not bad guys." Ha! If you like police procedurals on the darker side, this one is very good. Fast paced. Twists you don't expect. A woman to complicate everything. Traitors. Violence. Language. It's all here.
I listened to Audible version. The narrator was excellent! He has several voices which was very helpful for me as there are many characters to keep track of.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Profile Image for Chris Stephens.
567 reviews3 followers
February 29, 2024
Being a Hillyard/Spokane guy, this book being written by a local ex-cop writing about our world is kind of strange, a pretty good read but the perspective is very off in its feel, like a square writing about something he has only seen or heard about from the outside but don't really get, like a virgin describing sex, but all you have to go on is a porno movie. Aside from that I enjoyed the read and plot and loved the familiarity of the locations around town (Spokane).
No, I was never arrested by Mr. Zafiro or Mr. Conway.
269 reviews
November 3, 2022
Ok book....not great but not bad...

Worth the read if you have nothing else to read. Not a bad book, just not great . ends in a cliff hanger, and that I do HATE.

Books is about a cop turned bad. He messed around with another cop's wife, got caught. That Cop makes it his life's mission to destroy him. He gets involved in crime to survive and winds up being a very bad guy. worth the read, just not anything to brag about.
Profile Image for Donna.
874 reviews5 followers
May 17, 2018
Riveting Crime Novel

A riveting crime novel with a lot of twists and turns you won't expect. From beginning to end full of action and intrigue. Great descriptions and characters with a good plot and surprising end.
9 reviews
June 28, 2021
Spokane from the underside.

How many ways can you be double crossed? Lots of action and unexpected twists and turns keep the pages turning. If you like action and surprises don't miss this one.
883 reviews4 followers
July 28, 2021
Disappointing

The protagonist is thoroughly unlikable from the beginning, and early on you start hoping he and his ne nemesis wind up killing each other off. Still !the plot is intricate and the writing good
76 reviews4 followers
August 12, 2024
Better Than Advertised

Of course I knew what was up. Didn’t you? But getting there was fun, wasn’t it? Small town, small crime it’s not. And we all know no one’s innocent, don’t we? Great book.
Profile Image for Gregory Stevens.
438 reviews
July 3, 2025
This is full of Jake and others double crossing each other. Jake ends up killing the wrong partner thinking he was a rat but it turns out it was his other partner who he kills as well. Lots of killing and beatings in this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Julie.
25 reviews17 followers
June 29, 2021
Boring but intriguing

Read until the end. Too many plots going on but worth the read. Not sure I'd read again. Sorry line was chunky.
Profile Image for Kevintipple.
914 reviews21 followers
January 5, 2020
At Their Own Game: A SpoCompton Crime Novel by Frank Zafiro revolves around former police officer Jacob Stankovic. He runs a small criminal enterprise using Matt for short range stuff and Brent for long haul gigs. Though he is now on the other side from his former fellow officers of the law, he has worked to keep things relatively clean these past seven years and kept things small time to stay off the radar of everyone. Especially one Detective who got seriously upset over the fact that Jacob, when he was still a cop, spent a lot of time between the sheets with the Detective’s wife.

Who would have thought he would take things so personally?

He has been running things small and tight with no issues. His number one rule was no drugs. Thanks to desperate circumstances, Jacob Stankovic broke that rule and now things are blowing up. The drug deal went sideways though it might still be salvageable. That is one problem. Another one is the fact that minutes after the drug deal went haywire, Matt got picked up by the cops and is in jail with that same Detective leaning on him.

Jacob Stankovic has never had to kill anyone before. If things keep going wrong, he may have to rethink his rule against murders.

At Their Own Game: A SpoCompton Crime Novel is another intense read from the mind of Frank Zafiro. A former officer himself, Frank Zafiro brings a gritty realism to all his characters. These are not super hero cops like you read in other books where the cops are perfect, or nearly perfect, at home and at work. The officers and former officers in Frank Zafiro’s tales are flawed human beings. Some are just way more flawed than others. Under pressure, those circumstances coupled with inner flaws, can and often do become major issues.

Issues that drive action and result in very intense read. Such is the case here in At Their Own Game: A SpoCompton Crime Novel. Another strong read from author Frank Zafiro and like his other books, very much worth your time.


I purchased my copy to read and review back in the middle of October.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2020
Profile Image for Kathryn Svendsen.
468 reviews12 followers
November 14, 2014
At Their Own Game was a different take on a detective novel. The protagonist this time is Jake Stankovic, who used to be a police officer until he was ousted from the police force by another officer with a vendetta against him for sleeping with his wife.

Now Jake is a property crime thief, considering stepping up his business into drugs. But he considers himself “one of the good guys”. The good guys don’t deal in drugs. They don’t murder. But this deal goes sour and Jake loses all his money. To make matters worse, that detective that had a vendetta against him is back on his tail.

In a miracle moment a woman from his past walks back into his past and presents him an offer he can’t refuse whereupon everything starts to fall apart.

I found the plot complicated, yet plausible. The author did a good job with the character development and the plot twists. I never suspected that the protagonist would do what he did, but perhaps that’s just my naïve belief in people.

The pace of At Their Own Game was excellent. It moved along quite nicely and had a fair amount of action. It did not lag at all. The dialogue was natural and smooth.

There was a lot of foul language in this book, so if that offends you, I would suggest you give this book a pass, otherwise, the plot and storyline are very interesting and will hold your attention if you enjoy the suspense genre.

I rated this novel at 4 out of 5 stars. If you are a crime and suspense fan, I think you’ll enjoy this different approach to the genre.

Thank you to the author who provided a copy of the book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

This review was published on my blog Shelf Full of Books http://kathrynsshelffullofbooks.blogs...
Profile Image for Shirley Ford.
Author 8 books15 followers
March 10, 2014
Jake Stankovic, a former cop, now earns a living dealing in stolen property with his two sidekicks, Matt and Brent, while managing to keep out of the clutches of the law. With money tight, Jake decides to break into drug dealing, something which he has avoided up to now, because of the dangers involved, but just this once he takes the risk - a big mistake - he soon finds out, as he gets involved with Ozzy the local drug dealer.

At the same time, Helen, who is the ex-wife of detective Falkner, returns and wants to renew the affair that she and Jake had years ago when Jake was still a cop. This re-ignites Falkner’s hatred of Jake and he begins to harass him in every way possible. Jake now seems threatened on all sides. He wants to trust Helen, but something about her return niggles away at him. Ozzy is after his blood. He even suspects one of his sidekicks of being a traitor. Poor Jake, we all get dragged into the sorry state of affairs and whilst wanting to be on Jake’s side, a ruthless streak within his character makes us step back and look at him in a different way. What lengths will a person go to when the chips are down?

It is a compelling story, with many twists and turns, but one that makes us question our own morals. Would we resort to the way Jake deals with his friends and enemies alike?
Profile Image for Ned Hayes.
Author 20 books269 followers
April 8, 2014
The brilliance of Frank Zafiro’s book AT THEIR OWN GAME is that you’re inside the head of a “basically good” ex-cop who gradually turns the corner into a different kind of animal. The change is so gradual – and the reader so complicit in this change – that any avid Breaking Bad fan might not immediately recognize the careful tight-rope act this novel walks.

In this tension-filled crime novel, Zafiro gradually reveals the truth behind protagonist’s Jake Stankovic’s problems. Every beef Stankovic has with his ex-superiors and every problem he has with the criminal competition seem entirely legitimate. He’s in love with a woman who (spoiler) betrays his trust, and he’s dogged by a past affair with a fellow cop’s wife. He has a tough life.

Yet our hero is always wanting to do the right thing – or so we are led to believe. However, by the end, the dark truth that has lurked behind the scenes forces its way to the forefront. The genius of the story is that this darker reality doesn’t come clear to the reader until the last powerful words of the book. Then that truth reverberates backwards through our entire reading.

A brief, tight, criminally intense story of destructive behavior masked by “good” intentions, AT THEIR OWN GAME puts its finger right on the pulse of the ever-sinful human heart. There is little redemptive in this strong story, but there is a lot that is true.
Profile Image for Will Decker.
Author 23 books17 followers
May 11, 2015
Wow! This one came loaded with some very surprising plot twists. You don't see them coming until they slap you up side the head. The writing was excellent, editing flawless, and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat to the end of the ride. The protagonist drew you in, making you feel empathy for the raw deal he got early on in life, and then later after becoming a cop. You're drawn right into the trap through great writing by an author at the top of his game. I highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys police procedural with a lot of suspense and action. People can be unpredictable, even when they're not bad guys!
Profile Image for Terry Fossum.
2 reviews1 follower
April 18, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I would have read it straight through, but had to sleep a few hours, then got up and began reading again. The plot twists and realistic dialogue keep you laser-focused, and the insight that only a true cop can give disclosed fascinating insight into a world most of us don’t even know exists – and perhaps don’t want to.
Captivating, intriguing, surprising - definite recommend.
Profile Image for Jonathan Vine.
Author 17 books54 followers
May 16, 2014
Frank zafiro has put together a thriller that is beautifully told, and intertwined to create a marvelous mystery. If I were to explain this further, it would definitely be a spoiler. The characters - all interesting - are developed slowly and fully. This is a page-turner, and I've been up until 3 AM for the last two nights to read how it "turns out." I wholeheartedly recommend "At their own game" and will keep reading more of Frank zapiro books , he just have a huge catalog of books!
Profile Image for Cynthia Raleigh.
Author 8 books24 followers
May 13, 2015
At Their Own Game was a different from the other Frank Zafiro books I have read, but I enjoyed it just as much. I was uncertain at first, but soon became absorbed in Jake Stankovic's problem of the week which only grew in its enormity as the story progressed. With a truly imperfect protagonist and even more imperfect characters populating the setting, the book ended in a way I had not completely foreseen. As always, thank you for a very enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Keri.
20 reviews3 followers
June 8, 2015
When I first read the description on Barnes and Nobel the book sounded amazing. When I started reading it I liked it, but on one hand Matt screwing Jake over was pretty predictable from the get go. When Jake did his test and it turned out Matt snitched on him and he killed him was surprising. What was even more surprising was that Brent was working with Ozzy the entire time. Helen I figured would screw him over, just not the way I thought. In all I loved the book a lot.
Profile Image for Melanie.
1,071 reviews
September 10, 2015
This was a good book. I was really drawn in by the main character, Jake. I liked that he was an ex-cop turned con with a big heart. The ending of the book was somewhat of a let down. I didn't think the character build up that the author did led to the ending but it was a surprise and didn't totally ruin the book for me.
Profile Image for Shirley Steiniger.
41 reviews
May 9, 2015
Was a great read until the end. Ending makes you think there is another book to let you know how everything ends....don't see anything to give me that impression so I really didn't like the ending...cliffhangers aren't good!
486 reviews2 followers
October 30, 2015
Bad Cops?

Drugs, police corruption and snitches! Story about a cop removed from the force and sent to prison essentially for a misunderstanding. Years later, he is a fence of stolen property and about to delve into the drug world. A good story with interesting characters!
294 reviews4 followers
November 7, 2015
This book had potential but fell short in the ending. There were a few surprises along the way but they were not ones to make you stop and say 'I never saw that coming'. With so few characters I felt they could have been developed further especially the roles they played in the end.
Profile Image for Domo.
38 reviews
May 10, 2015
A good "ex-cop" story written by a real retired cop. Good stuff. Nothing too out of the ordinary here but lots of cool "insider" information.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.