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Blinders
Bobby Higdon, a wine kid from Nebraska, gets sucked into the dark world of high-stakes gambling on underground blind-tasting competitions.
Mentored by the charismatic, mysterious and always scheming Trilby, Bobby is plunged into an unfamiliar world of sommeliers, New York money guys, Asian gangsters, mafioso, and Russian oil tycoons - all chasing the big paydays on highly competitive wine competitions. Trilby skillfully trains Bobby and manipulates him into competing at La Paulée, the biggest of all underground blind contests, run by international gangster and professional scumbag Johnny Tan. With millions at stake, Johnny brings Sommurai, the one-eyed former champion out of retirement to fix the competition.
This breakneck plot twists and turns as the players try to out maneuver all the others to grab the big money. Debut novelist Amon has redefined the hustle fiction genre with this groundbreaking and highly entertaining heist novel, where he details the insides of the wine business and blind tasting with sommelier level precision.
Kirkus Reviews called it a "fast paced, entertaining caper...with plenty of Pulp Fiction-style punch" and an "Oceans 11-type tale of an intriguing oenophile underworld".
Mentored by the charismatic, mysterious and always scheming Trilby, Bobby is plunged into an unfamiliar world of sommeliers, New York money guys, Asian gangsters, mafioso, and Russian oil tycoons - all chasing the big paydays on highly competitive wine competitions. Trilby skillfully trains Bobby and manipulates him into competing at La Paulée, the biggest of all underground blind contests, run by international gangster and professional scumbag Johnny Tan. With millions at stake, Johnny brings Sommurai, the one-eyed former champion out of retirement to fix the competition.
This breakneck plot twists and turns as the players try to out maneuver all the others to grab the big money. Debut novelist Amon has redefined the hustle fiction genre with this groundbreaking and highly entertaining heist novel, where he details the insides of the wine business and blind tasting with sommelier level precision.
Kirkus Reviews called it a "fast paced, entertaining caper...with plenty of Pulp Fiction-style punch" and an "Oceans 11-type tale of an intriguing oenophile underworld".
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First published September 15, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 11, 2020
Imagine the movies The Hustler and The Color of Money on steroids and if they were about wine. This book was one of the most unique pieces of literature I've ever read. Trilby is a former wine tasting competitor. He meets a dumb looking guy named Bobby who knows his way around a wine cellar. They strike up a partnership and take the underground world of wine tasting by storm.
The author is a certified sommelier and he describes wines in such detail that it's ridiculously impressive. He also describes fashion, lifestyles and uses humorous references in such detail that you find yourself drawn in and as an author taking notes so you too can truly describe things as well.
I pictured Trilby as Paul Newman and Bobby as every bumbling dumb character you can think of but they are totally fun and likeable. The antagonist Johnny Tan is an overzealous eccentric Asian boss type character who you either admire or find repulsive. I found myself going back and forth on him.
Overall, this book was amazing and a great read. Sure, there's an aircraft carrier amount of swears but aside from this and a few graphically explicit pages the book is a great crime read. If you like crime thrillers and books on gambling then you'll enjoy this wildly entertaining thrill of a book.
The author is a certified sommelier and he describes wines in such detail that it's ridiculously impressive. He also describes fashion, lifestyles and uses humorous references in such detail that you find yourself drawn in and as an author taking notes so you too can truly describe things as well.
I pictured Trilby as Paul Newman and Bobby as every bumbling dumb character you can think of but they are totally fun and likeable. The antagonist Johnny Tan is an overzealous eccentric Asian boss type character who you either admire or find repulsive. I found myself going back and forth on him.
Overall, this book was amazing and a great read. Sure, there's an aircraft carrier amount of swears but aside from this and a few graphically explicit pages the book is a great crime read. If you like crime thrillers and books on gambling then you'll enjoy this wildly entertaining thrill of a book.
September 29, 2015
I can honestly say that I have never read anything like "Blinders" by Michael Amon. I had never entertained the idea that there was anything like high-stakes gambling in the wine tasting industry. Amon takes something that seems like the harmless entertainment of the upper class and spins into a fascinating and exciting tale of intrigue and action. If you could imagine Quentin Tarantino making a movie about wine tasting with his signature wry wit and sudden jarring violence, then you could imagine this being the movie's novelization.. Great stuff!
October 12, 2015
I love the world of wine, so it was great to find a story like ‘Blinders.’ It was fun how the story turned into a piece of crime fiction — I really got into the story and just had to know how things were going to turn out for Trilby. Author Michael Amon really knows how to write unique characters that keep the reader engaged in the story. Johnny Tan was the ultimate kingpin and Bobby was a quintessential hick with a surprising skill. Put everyone together on the tasting stage and you have an exciting story that any wine or crime fiction lover will enjoy.
September 29, 2015
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I love trying different wines and learning about where they are made. Who knew that a story could be made around the world of wine tasting. I love a good story about back room gambling rings and the danger that comes along with them, add to it the competitive wine tasting you have a fantastic story. Michael Amon did a great job developing the characters and creating the tension in the room during the competitions that I could not put my kindle down.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews