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Murder isn’t supposed to be in the cards for blackjack dealer Maddie Larsson. Busted takes on a new meaning when her favorite customer, a former Poker World Tour champion, is murdered. His family claims—loudly and often—Maddie is the gold-digging murderer. She better prove she’s on the level before the real killer cashes in her chips.

If the victim’s body had been dumped five hundred yards up the road, Franklin County Sheriff’s Detective JC Dimitrak wouldn’t have been assigned to the Tom Tom Casino murder case. Instead, he’s hunting for suspects and evidence while dealing with a nemesis from the past and trying to preserve his own future. He better play his cards correctly and find the killer before an innocent woman takes the ultimate hit.

205 pages, Paperback

First published October 24, 2017

29 people are currently reading
20 people want to read

About the author

Cathy Perkins

17 books138 followers
An award-winning author, Cathy Perkins works in the financial industry, where she's observed the hide-in-plain-sight skills employed by her villains. She writes financial-based mysteries but enjoys exploring the relationships in her characters' lives.

A member of Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers, she is a contributing editor for The Big Thrill, handled the blog and social media for the ITW Debut Authors, and coordinated the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.

When not writing, she can be found doing battle with the beavers over the pond height or setting off on another travel adventure. Born and raised in South Carolina, the setting for CYPHER, HONOR CODE and THE PROFESSOR, she now lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs and the resident deer herd.

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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
Profile Image for Lisa Malmquist.
773 reviews23 followers
October 28, 2020
Maddie Larsson is a dealer at the local casino. A former customer, Daniel Kaufman, and professional poker player is murdered and Maddie becomes a suspect.
The family claims she is a gold digger only after their Daniels' money.
Maddie is a single mother working two jobs and going to school.
The last thing she needs is Daniel's a greedy family coming after her, along with the cops investigation.
Detective JC Dimitrak has his own problems to worry about but the clock is ticking on this murder case.
Well written and entertaining.
Profile Image for Bethany.
Author 67 books373 followers
December 12, 2017
Double Down is a read-in-one-go mystery with likeable characters and a spunky heroine. Single mom Maddie is struggling to get out from under her abusive husband and keep her head above water as she works two jobs and raises her son. When one of her favorite customers from the casino where she deals black-jack ends up dead, his family all claim that she must have done it and it's up to Detective JC Dimitrak to find the real killer. As Dimitrak works to figure out "who-dun-it" he bumps into old enemies and Maddie finds herself being threatened on multiple fronts. Having visited the area, I loved the Tri-Cities of Washington locale and location descriptions. I haven't read the Holly Price Mysteries, but I might give them a whirl now that I've read this one. Although, I could tell that many of these characters had pasts in previous books, I didn't feel like I was missing any information or needed to have read the other books to enjoy this story. A fun, quick read!
Profile Image for Mary Elizabeth Hughes.
Author 11 books25 followers
February 20, 2020
Twenty-something Maddie Larsen is a suspect in a murder investigation. She's a hard working single mom with a part time job as a dealer at a local casino in Pasco, Washington. She wants to better herself and is saving to go to college. But the financial barriers are daunting. At the casino, she has befriended Daniel Kaufman, a "sweet older man" who very soon turns up dead. His four adult offspring gang up on Maddie, accusing her of being a gold-digger and a murderer.

Maddie is a devoted mother and the safety of her son is a priority. There's a birthday party scene that is totally charming. Yes, she is blonde and pretty, but that doesn't seem terribly important to her. She's smart and eminently likeable.

Detective JC Dimitrak leads the investigation. We don't get to know him as well. He works too hard, but he is thorough, patient and persistent as he methodically interviews neighbours, family and friends of the victim. Gradually the stories the family tell begin to unravel. There are numerous motives and the list of suspects grows.

There is tension on other levels right from the start, as the casino's Security Chief, Frank Phelan, reputedly a creepy guy, helps Maddie out of more than one dodgy situation. Will something develop between them? What is the problem between Phelan and Detective Dimitrak?

The youngest of Daniel Kaufman's kids, something of a deadbeat son, has serious anger management issues. And so has Maddie's ex-husband. Violence against women is an underlying theme. It is gratifying to see Maddie grow in strength as she learns how to stand up to bullies.

The setting is southeastern Washington state but the geography baffled me. It played a significant role in the logistics of the case. It seemed important to understand which route a certain character had taken to get from A to B. But as the area is utterly unfamiliar -- I had to Google "Pasco" to learn that it's a real place -- these scenes were confusing.

I also wondered about the choice of title. When I went to post this review to Amazon, I found twenty other books called Double Down.

This is a novella and the suspense builds throughout as events move rapidly to a satisfying conclusion. Double Down is skillfully written and thoroughly edited. It's a polished performance from a writer with several books to her credit, a fast paced detective novel with an attractive main character.
Profile Image for Thomas O..
Author 17 books22 followers
April 22, 2020
If you’re looking for a quick and easy-to-digest murder/mystery then give Double Down a try. Maddie is juggling several issues in her life - she’s a single mother, she has an abusive ex-husband, she works two jobs while going to school, and one of her favorite customers at the casino she works at has just been murdered. Maddie is one of the last people to see him alive, and she might even be an heir in his will. This launches her right to the top of the list of suspects. Detective JC Dimitrak is investigating the murder, he not only has to check Maddie’s alibi, but he also has to deal with the victim’s children, who themselves are suspects.

Told from the double vantage points of Maddie and JC, Double Down does a good job balancing both of their viewpoints. It’s a polished book that keeps its focus and keeps the reader interested. This is book-two in a series but reads as a self-contained entry, so don’t worry about joining in if you haven’t read the first one.
Profile Image for S. Lynn Helton.
Author 9 books123 followers
May 9, 2021
I enjoyed this entertaining, well-paced whodunit. I haven’t read any of the other books in the series, but had no trouble following events in this one and picking up the hints of previous relationships that impacted this story. The story works very well as a standalone.

I liked following Detective Dimitrak as he pulled the pieces together to figure out who the killer was. The twists and turns kept me guessing, along with the very real possibilities explored for each potential suspect having been the culprit. The story’s viewpoint alternated (approximately) between Dimitrak and Maddie with smooth transitions, although it mostly ended up being told from Dimitrak’s perspective. From the blurb, I expected more of the story to be from Maddie’s viewpoint, and I would’ve liked to have seen that, but the story didn’t suffer for the lack.

Overall, this is a quick, engaging little mystery that has a hint of romance to it, fast and fun and well worth reading.
Profile Image for Grady Brown.
Author 29 books47 followers
April 14, 2020
Normally, I am not interested in the murder mystery genre, but this entertaining read captured my interest! One of the most enjoyable aspects of the story were the well-developed characters. Even the lesser liked characters were fascinating! I would recommend this book to anyone who is seeking an entertaining read!
Profile Image for R.A. McCandless.
Author 11 books33 followers
September 3, 2019
Double Down (A Holly Price Mystery Series Book 2) by Cathy Perkins is a fun, quick read weaving together a murder-mystery with a romance. Blackjack dealer Maddie Larsson finds herself accused of gold-digging and murder when her favorite customer ends up dead. At the same time Detective JC Dimitrak is dodging old enemies while working to find the real killer.

Although part of a series, Double Down works as a standalone novel, with unique characters and an intriguing story. Perkins provides enough clues and information that fans of the genre will find this murder-mystery intriguing. Maddie, a single-mother trying to make a better life for herself and her son, is a well-rounded characters that readers can relate to. At the same time, Detective Dimitrak is the kind of police officer you’d want on your side.

Perkins does a nice job in Double Down crafting a fun, page-turning read that fans will enjoy.
Profile Image for Emily.
Author 6 books11 followers
October 9, 2019
Another great story in the Holly Price mystery series! In this book we meet Maddie Larson, a casino employee who works hard in order to provide a better life for herself and her son. When one of her favorite clients at the casino meets with foul play, the victim's family points the finger at Maddie, accusing her of being a gold digger. But what is his family hiding behind their facade? In order to stop the killer from striking again, Detective Dimitrak must find answers, and quick! This was a fun, engaging read that kept me guessing till the end. My only complaint is, I miss Holy! I hope she is more central in the next story.
4,416 reviews28 followers
February 10, 2018
Double Down is a Holly Price mystery novella written by author Cathy Perkins. Great story.
Profile Image for Sinmisola.
Author 64 books10 followers
September 20, 2019
This is my first book by this author, but it won’t be the last. The style is easy and the story flows, keeping me engaged and constantly thinking up who could ‘a dunnit! Great job!
Profile Image for James Blakley.
Author 4 books95 followers
July 18, 2021
While many of the reviews for “Double Down” seem to focus exclusively on one of the novel’s murder suspects, twenty-something Washington Stater Maddie Larsen, the real star of this backwater-based whodunit is the realistic plotting and almost quiet determination of Detective JC Dimitrak’s by-the-book investigation.

Maddie Larsen hasn’t been dealt the best hand in life. She’s a single mother who works 2 jobs, most notably as a local casino dealer. But she’s trying to better the odds, by going to college, and raising her young son. But when a favorite card player turns up brutally murdered, his family suspects it was the work of Maddie.

Most mystery buffs will figure out early-on that pretty, young blonde Maddie isn’t likely the murderer, which might put a damper on figuring out who is (among the obviously seedier set of remaining suspects). In fact, author Cathy Perkins’s complete title of the book “Double Down: A Whodunit Focused on Family, Money and Murder” may be an outright spoiler. But what will probably keep true detective fans reading “Double Down” is seeing how the Franklin County Washington Sheriff’s Detective JC Dimitrak handles the case. And he does it justice, pun intended.

Dimitrak stands out because he’s not your typical fiction cop. Yes, he may work a little too hard (making 100 phone calls only 36 hours into the case). But he stops just long enough to allow himself a fleeting daydream about calling up “Holly” (an nondescript woman he once took on a “dinner date”). Otherwise, unlike many pulp fiction detectives, Dimitrak isn’t a functioning alcoholic who’s also a chain smoker, world-weary, and misogynistic. The only reason he “loved fair complexions [in women]” is because “the pale skin made it so much easier to see the guilt painted across a blonde’s face.” And Dimitrak isn’t a Sherlock Holmes: He must press a Pasco PD detective and another Sheriff’s deputy into helping him interview suspects. In fact, Dimitrak spends most of the story interviewing suspects, victim’s family, and conducting searches of property and spending time reviewing lab analyses. In fact, there’s an almost “Law & Order” quality to the character: You get a peek at his personal life, but the focus is on how he does his job.

Another nice touch to “Double Down” is its unusual setting: The Tri-Cities region of Washington State, specifically the town of Pasco, Washington. Though it’s set on a coast – like it seems many of the memorable detective novels are (to those of us in the Midwest)— it doesn’t have darkened allies, freeways for high-speed chases, or other stereotypical big city crime settings. The Pasco of “Double Down” comes off as “windy and dry…”, with "beige siding, white [trimmed] houses," and some areas still having “houses built in the 50’s…” Rather unspectacular. But it does help many of the characters’ personalities and motives resonate better than if the story was set in scenic L.A., San Francisco, or Seattle.

When you come down to it, “Double Down” really should have been titled “Dimitrak: Double Down.” It is a mystery that doesn’t offer a lot of twists and turns and protagonist Maddie Larsen isn’t believable as a suspect because the author made her a bit too heroic to seriously consider as capable of being a cold-blooded killer. However, Cathy Perkins does [unintentionally perhaps?] a great job of painting the portrait of a dedicated small-town cop who pursues every clue and lead, no matter how small and how insignificant the setting.

Detective JC Dimitrak may not be as flamboyant as his coastal crime stopper counterparts Sam Spade, Philip Marlowe, or even Spenser. But like them, he doubles down on due diligence and is the true ace in the hole that saves “Double Down” from being a dull whodunit.
Profile Image for Cathy P.
1,790 reviews9 followers
June 16, 2021
I struggled with this review rating

I really enjoyed the book. I enjoyed the mystery, the additional POVs, etc. I don't ven liked Maddie. A new character that gets an epilogue and HEA. BUT....We get no resolution or HEA or even HFN with our main character Holly and JC. We get Holly in one chapter in the beginning of this book. He was cancelling on her AGAIN, she hadn't seen him in a week and he still was putting work before her. Nothing is resolved on her earlier concerns. We don't know if they work it out or not. Or how. We don't get an epilogue. The last book on series came out in 2017 so pretty sure this was it. JC spent v only a few pages in the previous book and Holly only gets a few in this one. They are supposed to be main couple yet they are never together. I like spinoffs, but I still want a resolution to previous issues the author introduces. I can't give !ore than three, though the book, if standalone, would be a solid four, if rated as part of series ender, would be a one or two star rating. So split the difference and added benefit of likable characters. Almost wish I had never started series. If a followup occurs and above questions answered, then will adjust this rating.
Profile Image for Balroop Singh.
Author 14 books82 followers
February 25, 2020
Double Down by Cathy Perkins is a focused murder mystery investigation, written in an incisive style. A page-turner, it can be read in just one sitting, as the mystery deepens with each suspect and keeps you engrossed. Usually in a murder mystery, investigations drag on and become irritating but Cathy takes care of that by throwing in interesting details about the lives of her characters. Not a word is wasted in unnecessary description.

It is Maddie’s grit and her love for life that stands out despite the threats that loom around her. I could fathom the subtle messages of relationships that need to be valued. On the surface it may seem to be a quick fun read but this thought-provoking story highlights many more aspects of living a meaningful life, if you try to delve deeper into it. I haven’t read a more inspiring murder mystery that sends mute messages about complexities of life. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Loralee.
Author 18 books110 followers
April 4, 2020
Maddie is a likable, hard working single mom who is working at two jobs, taking college classes, making time for her son, and dealing with a jerk of an ex-husband, when one more thing, one very terrible thing, is thrown in her path. A regular at the casino where she works, a sweet old man she had befriended, is found murdered, and the police need to question her about it. This begins a fast paced, exciting novella that follows twists and turns as the police try to find the killer before the killer can get to Maddie, too.

Double Down has quite strong language in it, and scary situations.
Profile Image for J.E. Rowney.
Author 40 books825 followers
February 17, 2020
This is a murder mystery with splashes of romance. The writing itself is of good quality, the characters are well fleshed out and believable, it’s a decently plotted book. However, for me, there was not a high degree of originality. I wasn’t interested in the story and there was nothing really that stood out to me about the content. If you like this kind of book then you will probably enjoy it for what it is. It’s inoffensive and tightly constructed. Nothing new though.
Profile Image for Veronica.
Author 15 books7 followers
April 10, 2020
Double Down is a fun though predictable mystery story. The opening is a great introduction to the characters and very well written. I felt that it bogged down a little in the middle and the end was saccharine, with every problem of a character’s entire life being solved. The story is told from two different perspectives, which I didn’t find to be necessary as most of the story ends up being told from the perspective of the more-involved detective. It’s still an enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Felix Long.
Author 5 books10 followers
April 19, 2020
Snappy clever mystery.

This was a good cosy mystery. Maddie is a plucky hardworking single mum who is doing it tough. She earns just enough as a casino croupier to pay the bills and put herself through college.

But when one of her casino regulars is found murdered she becomes a suspect in a web of greed and lies.

The pace was good, the characters well drawn and the plot came together well at the end.
Profile Image for Kathy.
1,436 reviews36 followers
July 18, 2020
This was a good mystery with a little romance. The characters were good and there were plenty of them. The cop & the security guard had some history that wasn't spelled out but it didn't disrupt the reading of this book. I haven't read earlier books in this series but had no trouble understanding everything going on in this one. All in all, a good read and will be looking forward to reading more in this series.
I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
Profile Image for Charlene.
1,284 reviews39 followers
July 5, 2020
I loved this book! Fast paced and filled with interesting and complex characters and lots of twists and turns. Maddie, a blackjack dealer and single mom, becomes embroiled in a family suspecting her of murdering her customer for his money. Det. Dimitrak is on the case. I was guessing until the end of the story in this whodunit!
945 reviews7 followers
December 8, 2017
I loved the characters, even the victim's bratty kids, and the mystery kept me guessing who had gone up up til the end. Maddie and her son also got the happy ending that they deserved. All around, this was just a great story.

4.5 stars
4 reviews
November 18, 2019
I'll be honest, I'm not normally a murder mystery girl, but Perkins fast-paced, fun read could probably convert me! The characters were great and well developed, even the ones I wasn't too fond of! If you're looking for a quick, well rounded ready, look no further!
Profile Image for Renee Rearden.
Author 2 books79 followers
December 10, 2017
Cathy Perkins is my go-to author for engaging mysteries. I have her set as an automatic purchase so I never miss a book. She always delivers a fantastic story that's filled with tension, keeps me guessing till the last page, and leaves me intellectually and emotionally satisfied.

Double Down is the next story in the Holly Price Mystery series. I love and hate (kudos to the author) the new characters. Maddie Larsson captures the reader's heart with her struggle to make a better life for herself and her son. A single mother, part-time student by day and blackjack dealer by night, her life is busy. When a well-known casino customer dies, Maddie becomes a suspect in his death and a target for blame by his family.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novella. Ms. Perkins delivered a story with a solid plot, likable characters, and a satisfying ending. Pick up your copy of Double Down. You won't be disappointed!
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