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Tony Valentine #3
Залог за глупаци
"О, какво откритие! Джеймс Суейн е най-добрият нов автор, на когото съм попадал от много, много време. „Залог за глупаци“ е прекрасна и поразява с правдивостта си. Суейн внимателно е добавил всички съставки: трагедия, хумор, екшън и преди всичко – набор от герои, от които и на Елмър Ленърд ще му потекат лигите." -М. Конъли
"Реалистичен, хаплив диалог между триизмерни герои... В „Залог за глупаци“ Суейн ни развежда от жилищните комплекси на Маями Бийч до предградията на Уест Броуърд и блатата Евърглейдс. А този автор познава тази територия."- в. Форт Лодърдейл Сън – Сентинел
„Залог за глупаци“ е вълшебен. Бързо повествование, пълно с изненади, богата информация от първа ръка за казината, за хазарта, за мошениците от световна класа и за всякакви други злодеи. Джеймс Суейн е страхотен, пише чиста, някак „атлетична“ проза и е способен да вдъхне живот на реалистични герои, достойни за перата на най-добрите ни романисти... Бройте ме за член на клуба на почитателите на Джеймс Суейн." - Дж. Хол, автор на „Профил на убиец“
"Суейн отново хвърля дюшеш... Фактите, свързани с хазарта в тази книга са истинско удоволствие и той лесно може да бъде сравнен с Елмър Ленърд... Изглежда, започва ерата на Джеймс Суейн." сп. Буклист
"Реалистичен, хаплив диалог между триизмерни герои... В „Залог за глупаци“ Суейн ни развежда от жилищните комплекси на Маями Бийч до предградията на Уест Броуърд и блатата Евърглейдс. А този автор познава тази територия."- в. Форт Лодърдейл Сън – Сентинел
„Залог за глупаци“ е вълшебен. Бързо повествование, пълно с изненади, богата информация от първа ръка за казината, за хазарта, за мошениците от световна класа и за всякакви други злодеи. Джеймс Суейн е страхотен, пише чиста, някак „атлетична“ проза и е способен да вдъхне живот на реалистични герои, достойни за перата на най-добрите ни романисти... Бройте ме за член на клуба на почитателите на Джеймс Суейн." - Дж. Хол, автор на „Профил на убиец“
"Суейн отново хвърля дюшеш... Фактите, свързани с хазарта в тази книга са истинско удоволствие и той лесно може да бъде сравнен с Елмър Ленърд... Изглежда, започва ерата на Джеймс Суейн." сп. Буклист
320 pages, Paperback
First published December 20, 2002
78 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
About the author
James Swain
49 books352 followersJames Swain is the national best selling author of seventeen mystery novels, and has been published in twelve different languages. His books have been chosen as Mysteries of the Year by Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, and have received three Barry Award nominations, a Florida Book Award for Fiction, and France’s prestigious Prix Calibre .38 for Best American Crime Fiction. Born in Huntington, New York, he graduated from New York University and worked as a magazine editor before moving to Florida to run a successful advertising firm. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys researching casino scams and cons, a subject on which he’s considered an expert.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
November 9, 2015
Tony Valentine is a former cop who now chases after people who cheat casinos. When a player wins eighty-four hands in a row at a blackjack table in a casino on Florida’s Micanopy Indian Reservation, it seems clear that something is badly out of whack and Tony is called in to consult.
It’s obvious to Valentine that no one could possibly win that many hands in a row without the connivance of a crooked dealer, but initially Tony can’t figure out how the scam was worked. Naturally, the people working the scam would prefer that Tony not figure out the scheme and track them down, and they initially attempt to diminish his enthusiasm for the job by planting a particularly nasty and hungry alligator in Tony’s Honda.
Meanwhile, a hustler named Rico Blanco, who has ties to the former mob boss John Gotti, is running a scheme of his own that involves the Micanopy casino. Tony and Blanco have crossed paths earlier, when Blanco cheated Tony’s errant son, Gerry, out of a bar that Tony had purchased for his son in an ill-fated effort to put the kid on the straight and narrow. Blanco’s current hustle involves an aging drummer for a once-famous rock band and a hooker with the improbable name of Candy Hart, and Tony soon finds himself entangled in this mess as well.
James Swain mixes all these characters into a very entertaining tale that is something of a mash-up of a story that might have been written by the team of Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen. The characters are all a bit off-norm; the story moves along at a quick pace, and the payoff is a lot of fun. As was the case in the first two entries in the Tony Valentine series, a good portion of the entertainment value lies in Tony’s explanations of the numerous schemes that hustlers use to cheat casinos. It’s all very enlightening and a very good read.
It’s obvious to Valentine that no one could possibly win that many hands in a row without the connivance of a crooked dealer, but initially Tony can’t figure out how the scam was worked. Naturally, the people working the scam would prefer that Tony not figure out the scheme and track them down, and they initially attempt to diminish his enthusiasm for the job by planting a particularly nasty and hungry alligator in Tony’s Honda.
Meanwhile, a hustler named Rico Blanco, who has ties to the former mob boss John Gotti, is running a scheme of his own that involves the Micanopy casino. Tony and Blanco have crossed paths earlier, when Blanco cheated Tony’s errant son, Gerry, out of a bar that Tony had purchased for his son in an ill-fated effort to put the kid on the straight and narrow. Blanco’s current hustle involves an aging drummer for a once-famous rock band and a hooker with the improbable name of Candy Hart, and Tony soon finds himself entangled in this mess as well.
James Swain mixes all these characters into a very entertaining tale that is something of a mash-up of a story that might have been written by the team of Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen. The characters are all a bit off-norm; the story moves along at a quick pace, and the payoff is a lot of fun. As was the case in the first two entries in the Tony Valentine series, a good portion of the entertainment value lies in Tony’s explanations of the numerous schemes that hustlers use to cheat casinos. It’s all very enlightening and a very good read.
April 21, 2024
Трета книга от серията за Тони Валънтайн - пенсионирано ченге и ловец на измамници.
Джеймс Суейн добре познава света на казината, пороците и хазарта, както и хората около тях. Книгите му са подробни и забавни, криминалната интрига е умело вплетена в разказа и е на ниво. А и винаги има нещо ново за научаване.
Много обичам такива книги, разтоварват ме от по-сериозните четива. ;)
Джеймс Суейн добре познава света на казината, пороците и хазарта, както и хората около тях. Книгите му са подробни и забавни, криминалната интрига е умело вплетена в разказа и е на ниво. А и винаги има нещо ново за научаване.
Много обичам такива книги, разтоварват ме от по-сериозните четива. ;)
October 14, 2022
Sucker Bet is a bit like Carl Hiaasen lite, mixed in with some major grifting. Our lead, Tony Valentine, is an ex-cop who used to work in Atlantic Beach, helping the casinos find cheating scams of all sorts. Now, Tony runs a consulting business, doing the same thing but working freelance. Swain definitely comes off as an expert on all kinds of scams, and the various 'cases' Tony solves along the way are a lot of fun-- how to load dice, the scam at Black Jack, and so forth. One day Tony gets a call from an Indian casino down by Miami as some guy just won 82 hands in a row at Black Jack; even though it was a low dough table, it is pretty obvious something is going on. Yet, what Tony stumbles into is something much bigger...
While a fun read, Swain did not develop Tony as a real likable character, so it was pretty had to root for him to solve the scam. Swain did bring in an interesting cast, including a carny with an amazing monkey that plays the ukulele and can cover just about any song on request, Tony's ne'er-do-well son, his aging receptionist back in Orlando, and some old grifters who retired in sunny FLA. I think the biggest issue I had with this was that it did not feel like Swain had a clear objective when writing this. While it had its humorous moments, it was not really a spoof like Hiaasen does so well, not was it a straight forward mystery as the actual 'big scam' did not fall into place until pretty late in the text. The many anecdotes of ways to scam casinos were entertaining, and in my opinion, the best part of the book; if Swain's objective was to illustrate his knowledge of grift, he succeeded by all counts, but that by itself does not make a good novel, even when spiced with a bit of humor along the way. So, a fun, but light novel. 3 grifting stars!
While a fun read, Swain did not develop Tony as a real likable character, so it was pretty had to root for him to solve the scam. Swain did bring in an interesting cast, including a carny with an amazing monkey that plays the ukulele and can cover just about any song on request, Tony's ne'er-do-well son, his aging receptionist back in Orlando, and some old grifters who retired in sunny FLA. I think the biggest issue I had with this was that it did not feel like Swain had a clear objective when writing this. While it had its humorous moments, it was not really a spoof like Hiaasen does so well, not was it a straight forward mystery as the actual 'big scam' did not fall into place until pretty late in the text. The many anecdotes of ways to scam casinos were entertaining, and in my opinion, the best part of the book; if Swain's objective was to illustrate his knowledge of grift, he succeeded by all counts, but that by itself does not make a good novel, even when spiced with a bit of humor along the way. So, a fun, but light novel. 3 grifting stars!
July 10, 2020
If you want to learn about how people cheat casinos then this book is for you. Right in the middle of a gaggle of gangsters, carny owners, Indian casinos, and the swamplands of Florida we find Tony Valentine, ex-cop turned Casino consultant.
I can't wait to delve into more of this series.
Valentine works as a casino consultant. He gets paid big money to tell the casinos how folks are cheating them. This time, he is hired by a Florida Indian tribe that wants to know how a blackjack dealer was able to deal 84 straight winning hands to an accomplice.
This book follows in the tradition (though to a lesser extent) of Hiassan as he writes about various odd characters. For example, there is a ukelele-playing chimpanzee, a Tarzanish swamp-living hitman, a refugee from the Gotti crime family, a cross-dressing con man, etc. However, each one ties into the story in a clever manner. I never felt as if the odd characters were out of place or over-the-top (okay, the chimp's musical abilities were a bit much). Instead, what I read was a crackerjack mystery with lots of details about shaved dice, marked cards, statiscal cheats, and even computerized cheating.
Valentine is estranged from his son to some extent, but during this novel their relationship sees some healing. (I believe this is the 4th or 5th novel in the series.
I enjoyed this book thoroughly and have placed it in the "Pass-it-on" pile near my bed for mailing in my friendly redistribution program.
I can't wait to delve into more of this series.
Valentine works as a casino consultant. He gets paid big money to tell the casinos how folks are cheating them. This time, he is hired by a Florida Indian tribe that wants to know how a blackjack dealer was able to deal 84 straight winning hands to an accomplice.
This book follows in the tradition (though to a lesser extent) of Hiassan as he writes about various odd characters. For example, there is a ukelele-playing chimpanzee, a Tarzanish swamp-living hitman, a refugee from the Gotti crime family, a cross-dressing con man, etc. However, each one ties into the story in a clever manner. I never felt as if the odd characters were out of place or over-the-top (okay, the chimp's musical abilities were a bit much). Instead, what I read was a crackerjack mystery with lots of details about shaved dice, marked cards, statiscal cheats, and even computerized cheating.
Valentine is estranged from his son to some extent, but during this novel their relationship sees some healing. (I believe this is the 4th or 5th novel in the series.
I enjoyed this book thoroughly and have placed it in the "Pass-it-on" pile near my bed for mailing in my friendly redistribution program.
May 6, 2019
This was in my TBR pile for 10+ years. I have read two other books by this author from 2 other series, and they have all been great entertaining books.
This one is about a plan to rip off a sports book outfit, and a casino, and a lot of backstabbing and double crossing, throw in a few psychos, and a sympathetic prostitute, as well as an assortment of other crazy and or social misfit characters and lastly have it take place in southern Florida.
I really do like these types of books.
This one is about a plan to rip off a sports book outfit, and a casino, and a lot of backstabbing and double crossing, throw in a few psychos, and a sympathetic prostitute, as well as an assortment of other crazy and or social misfit characters and lastly have it take place in southern Florida.
I really do like these types of books.
February 4, 2015
RATING: 3.75
How on earth does someone win 84 blackjack hands in a row? By having a crooked dealer, of course. And who does a casino call when they have cheating going on? Why, the expert, naturally, Tony Valentine, an Atlantic City ex-cop who now lives in Florida and specializes in uncovering casino scams.
Harry Smooth Stone is the head of security at the Micanopy Indian Reservation in south Florida. The dealer who has provided all of the good luck to rich, retired rock and roll drummer Nigel Moon has disappeared, and Harry calls in Valentine to find the man and reveal the con. Tony is pretty sure that Jack Lightfoot, the dealer, is alligator food. The investigation leads him to a gangster by the name of Rico Blanco who at one time worked for John Gotti. Blanco has built a plan to convince Mr. Moon that he is blessed with good luck. At the opportune moment, Blanco will relieve him of the fruits of his labor. He's involved a hooker by the name of Candy Hart to help hoodwink Moon, but she foolishly falls in love with the mark.
Valentine almost ends up as alligator bait himself, but he's assisted by a few unexpected partners. My favorite new "character" in the book was Mr. Beauregard, an amazing chimp who is extremely sensitive to the human beings around him and plays their favorite tunes on the ukulele. Tony's no-good son is in the picture again, and it looks like he might finally be turning himself around. Tony's also showing better taste in women than in the past.
I liked SUCKER BET even more than the first 2 books in the series. Tony is maturing in important ways (an odd thing to say about a 65-year-old man!) which make him a more likable character in this book. He is assisted in his investigations by his trusty neighbor, Mabel, who mans the office while he is out. Valentine has numerous clients, and Mabel frequently calls him to figure out one of the scams that is being run on them. These little mini-scams are sprinkled throughout the book, and it's amazing to see exactly what the various crooks are doing to make the big win. There are sanded card edges, the double underpants substitute and more ways to cheat than there are spots in a truckload of dice. Sometimes these incidents are included in the story in a rather clumsy way, but it doesn't matter because it's interesting to see how they are being worked.
SUCKER BET may not be great literature, but it's great fun to read! Engaging characters, twisty plot threads and hits of humor all add up to an enjoyable romp.
How on earth does someone win 84 blackjack hands in a row? By having a crooked dealer, of course. And who does a casino call when they have cheating going on? Why, the expert, naturally, Tony Valentine, an Atlantic City ex-cop who now lives in Florida and specializes in uncovering casino scams.
Harry Smooth Stone is the head of security at the Micanopy Indian Reservation in south Florida. The dealer who has provided all of the good luck to rich, retired rock and roll drummer Nigel Moon has disappeared, and Harry calls in Valentine to find the man and reveal the con. Tony is pretty sure that Jack Lightfoot, the dealer, is alligator food. The investigation leads him to a gangster by the name of Rico Blanco who at one time worked for John Gotti. Blanco has built a plan to convince Mr. Moon that he is blessed with good luck. At the opportune moment, Blanco will relieve him of the fruits of his labor. He's involved a hooker by the name of Candy Hart to help hoodwink Moon, but she foolishly falls in love with the mark.
Valentine almost ends up as alligator bait himself, but he's assisted by a few unexpected partners. My favorite new "character" in the book was Mr. Beauregard, an amazing chimp who is extremely sensitive to the human beings around him and plays their favorite tunes on the ukulele. Tony's no-good son is in the picture again, and it looks like he might finally be turning himself around. Tony's also showing better taste in women than in the past.
I liked SUCKER BET even more than the first 2 books in the series. Tony is maturing in important ways (an odd thing to say about a 65-year-old man!) which make him a more likable character in this book. He is assisted in his investigations by his trusty neighbor, Mabel, who mans the office while he is out. Valentine has numerous clients, and Mabel frequently calls him to figure out one of the scams that is being run on them. These little mini-scams are sprinkled throughout the book, and it's amazing to see exactly what the various crooks are doing to make the big win. There are sanded card edges, the double underpants substitute and more ways to cheat than there are spots in a truckload of dice. Sometimes these incidents are included in the story in a rather clumsy way, but it doesn't matter because it's interesting to see how they are being worked.
SUCKER BET may not be great literature, but it's great fun to read! Engaging characters, twisty plot threads and hits of humor all add up to an enjoyable romp.
April 28, 2015
I actually finished this one a few months ago, but haven't gotten it together to rate it. If you like stories about gambling and scams, you'll love this one. If you're not into gambling and scams, you'll still love it. This is not a complicated story, but it's everything a story should be and the narrative voice is easy on your head. I just floated into this one from the first page.
Swain has a way with words. Here's an example: "Saul was hunched over his drink like it was a small fire." That one knocked me out. I'm putting that in my Quote Box. And there's plenty more where that came from.
In my view, Sucker Bet is a sure-fire winner. In the lines of an old song: "Put your money on the table and drive it off the lot."
Cheers!
Jim in MT
Swain has a way with words. Here's an example: "Saul was hunched over his drink like it was a small fire." That one knocked me out. I'm putting that in my Quote Box. And there's plenty more where that came from.
In my view, Sucker Bet is a sure-fire winner. In the lines of an old song: "Put your money on the table and drive it off the lot."
Cheers!
Jim in MT
February 29, 2016
An South Florida crime romp in the Carl Hiaasen vein, the third in a series featuring Tony Valentine, an ex-cop who helps casinos catch cheaters. Author Swain is billed as a gambling expert, and the expertise shows, with lots of inside info about the casino business and the crooks involved on all sides. A Florida Indian tribe that runs a casino calls in Valentine to figure out how a blackjack dealer ripped them off; the dealer turns up dead, the trail leads to a transplanted New York mobster, and we're off to the races. A jaded Brit rock star, a tender-hearted hooker, and con men and scoundrels of various stripes have prominent roles. Fast-paced, funny, very entertaining.
January 9, 2020
In the third Tony Valentine novel, Swain answers the question of what's left after exploring Las Vegas and Atlantic City. The answer is an Indian casino in the Florida Everglades. And, Swain ups the ante here bringing in carnivals, alligator wrestling, strippers, and useless-playing chimpanzees.
If you haven't dug into a Tony Valentine adventure before, you are late to the party, but at least you arrived before the booze ran out and all the remaining bozos started fighting amongst themselves.
Valentine is a retired police officer with a sort of sixth sense for spotting a grift. He has a second career catching cheats working the casinos and he can spot things no one else can.
If you haven't dug into a Tony Valentine adventure before, you are late to the party, but at least you arrived before the booze ran out and all the remaining bozos started fighting amongst themselves.
Valentine is a retired police officer with a sort of sixth sense for spotting a grift. He has a second career catching cheats working the casinos and he can spot things no one else can.
April 6, 2011
Enjoyable beach or airplane book! Like taking a midwinter trip to Fort Lauderdale/Miami and listening to the senior citizens banter around the pool. The lead character Tony Valentine is a consultant to casinos about gambling scams. Fun stuff I never knew about casinos, blackjack, and ways to cheat the House.
November 12, 2020
(3). James Swain is one of those slightly under the radar writers who really should be elevated to rock star status. He has a couple of different franchises, writes entertaining and fun stories, and does his research well. I thoroughly enjoy Tony Valentine. I think he is a rock solid character, the information in these books about gambling, cheating and casinos is just remarkable. The story here is a little convoluted, lots of pieces and players that are tough to follow at times, but we do have a remarkable cast here, including a wonderful and highly engaging chimpanzee. This is a solid read. Good stuff.
December 19, 2012
I like mystery series with quirky heroes and a few surreal characters. The first couple of Tony Valentine novels didn’t quite fit that description, but there was still something not quite mainstream that drew me. In this novel, Swain has really started to come into his own as a writer. Though his hero, Tony Valentine, lives in Florida, this is the first novel that actually takes place there, and the locale is a plus. Though not as zany as Dorsey or Hiaasen, some of that off-kilter Floridaness that makes their books so good shines through here. Valentine is his usual surly self, but this time he’s doing it amid a cast of highly entertaining, colorful characters.
He responds to a request from the Micanopy Indian casino to help catch blackjack cheaters when his romance with a professional wrestler goes south. A dealer has disappeared after dealing 84 winning hands to aging rock star Nigel Moon, and the Micanopys want to know how the scam was pulled off. What makes Valentine suspicious is that they don’t seem so curious about what happened to the missing dealer, which makes him think some of the bad guys might be in casino management. When they try to feed him to the gators, he gets mad. Moon’s winning streak is only part of a bigger scam involving a hooker, a college basketball game, a game show, and a carnival owner with a trained chimpanzee named Mr. Beauregard. Valentine just wants to figure out the blackjack scam, and isn’t even aware of most of the intrigue playing out around him until he stumbles into the thick of it. Using his wits, along with some help from his ne’er do well son Gerry, the Micanopy chief, and his indomitable neighbor Mabel, who’s minding the store while he’s out of town, Valentine slowly unravels the intricate scam a murdering lowlife has been weaving for months. He faces danger more than once, but manages to get through it and even figures out a few things in his personal life, as well, as he goes through the process of grieving for his dead wife Lois.
This is a quality series of well-woven mysteries with a strong lead character. Tony Valentine may be a little on the crotchety side, but he’s a good guy with strong morals who inspires love and loyalty in those around him, and he’s no prudish goody two-shoes. He faces tough decisions and he makes mistakes, but he always ferrets out the villain. This time out, he did so against a richer backdrop of minor characters that pushed this book a notch above his others. There are still several more books for me to read in this series, and I look forward to them. James Swain is a crime novelist to watch.
He responds to a request from the Micanopy Indian casino to help catch blackjack cheaters when his romance with a professional wrestler goes south. A dealer has disappeared after dealing 84 winning hands to aging rock star Nigel Moon, and the Micanopys want to know how the scam was pulled off. What makes Valentine suspicious is that they don’t seem so curious about what happened to the missing dealer, which makes him think some of the bad guys might be in casino management. When they try to feed him to the gators, he gets mad. Moon’s winning streak is only part of a bigger scam involving a hooker, a college basketball game, a game show, and a carnival owner with a trained chimpanzee named Mr. Beauregard. Valentine just wants to figure out the blackjack scam, and isn’t even aware of most of the intrigue playing out around him until he stumbles into the thick of it. Using his wits, along with some help from his ne’er do well son Gerry, the Micanopy chief, and his indomitable neighbor Mabel, who’s minding the store while he’s out of town, Valentine slowly unravels the intricate scam a murdering lowlife has been weaving for months. He faces danger more than once, but manages to get through it and even figures out a few things in his personal life, as well, as he goes through the process of grieving for his dead wife Lois.
This is a quality series of well-woven mysteries with a strong lead character. Tony Valentine may be a little on the crotchety side, but he’s a good guy with strong morals who inspires love and loyalty in those around him, and he’s no prudish goody two-shoes. He faces tough decisions and he makes mistakes, but he always ferrets out the villain. This time out, he did so against a richer backdrop of minor characters that pushed this book a notch above his others. There are still several more books for me to read in this series, and I look forward to them. James Swain is a crime novelist to watch.
June 26, 2015
I liked this book in the beginning. Reminiscent of Elmore Leonard it's the story of Tony Valentine investigating reservation casino scammers in Florida. I enjoyed the stories of various cheat methods and liked Tony Valentine. But the book is several chapters too long, there's too many sub plots and flashbacks to Tony's successes in uncovering scams. I eventually got a bit bored and just wanted to get to the conclusion.
July 7, 2015
Valentine finds himself wrapped up in what he at first thinks is a simple case of casino cheating only to find murder and more on the menu. A good story complete with Indians, alligators, two bit mobsters and a psychic ukulele playing chimp. So far I really find this series enjoyable as it covers a subject near and dear to me. I look forward to the challenge of attempting to find the next in the series at our library.
May 18, 2013
This was a fascinating read because it includes several methods gambling cheats use - they go to a lot of trouble to game the systems. Tony Valentine and his Florida world are colorful, a bit reminiscent of Carl Haiiassen and Elmore Leonard, also very wry, not as wacky. Considering how many clichéd mysteries out there, this was very entertaining.
June 1, 2015
Another Tony Valentine winner!
James Swain has his own genre - the intriguing world of gambling hustlers and their cons. He alone has mastered the art of writing great books to fill this genre.
James Swain has his own genre - the intriguing world of gambling hustlers and their cons. He alone has mastered the art of writing great books to fill this genre.
March 8, 2011
An engaging series.
March 26, 2011
This was another Tony Valentine novel. It was fast paced, full of surprises and was impossible to put down once I started it.
May 4, 2011
I enjoyed this fun book. The story is good, but it is the character development and the humor that drives this series. An easy and fun read.
January 17, 2014
Everything you don't know about gambling wrapped around a great mystery. James Swain is on my must read list!
May 10, 2015
Long and dry with a monkey the most entertaining character. 4 of 10 stars
September 23, 2021
Here's the thing. I haven't been my usual reading self lately. It makes me sad, because I really do miss getting lost in a good book. So being stuck at home yesterday, I decided to pick up a book and just start reading. It was this one.
Boy, I started out like a bat out of hell. I really got into it. He's not a great writer, but he's pretty good. He's okay. And the story line is pretty decent. Then this morning, I hit one particular set of facing pages that just turned me completely off. And here's the other thing: they were talking about tits.
I know, right? Anyone who knows me knows that if tits ceased to exist today, I'd be gone tomorrow. But it was so cheap and ludicrous that it pushed me completely out of the story. It was the protag talking to his son - whom we only met over a hundred pages in, and like two sentences before. Wait, what? And he's telling his son not to let his new wife get fake titties? What the actual fuck? I mean, whatever, I actually agree with the sentiment, but come on. It was just so plastic and out of place.
I kept going though. I really wanted to give this book a fair chance. But I finally just couldn't take any more. The protag finding a steak on his passenger floorboard, then as soon as he picks it up, a FUCKING ALLIGATOR BUSTS THROUGH THE BACK SEAT FROM THE TRUNK - BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOME CARS HAVE THAT FEATURE WHERE THE BACK SEAT FOLDS DOWN AND GIVES YOU ACCESS TO A TRUNK, AND HIS TRUNK HAD A FUCKIN' ALLIGATOR IN IT! BUT THEN WAIT, IT GETS BETTER: HE GETS OUT OF THE CAR AND BODY SLAMS ANOTHER ALLIGATOR. I shit you not.
Actually, body slam isn't the correct wrestling term for it. It's the one where you pick someone up and hold him vertically, upside-down, and drop him on his head. That's what he did to the gator. Because - get this - he's an ex-cop, one of the best guys in the world at catching card sharks, AND he does wrestling gigs with a woman he met six weeks ago.
Trust me. I want to pretend I'm making that up. But no, I'm not. I really don't want it on my wall here. But there we are. This is the story. So the pretty-good story line I talked about is still pretty good. But it just has these little splatters of verbal vomit thrown about throughout it. I mean, I can get past it if the rest of the story is good enough. Which I was thinking it was. Then on about 150 or so, I finally had to give up the ghost. Too many characters I can't remember. Because they're thinner than the paper the book is printed on. Seriously. He doesn't describe anyone. And most of them are Native Americans with Native American Names. Like Running Bear. Now, who was he again? Oh yeah, the casino owner. And then there's Gladys Soft Wings. Shit. Who was she again? Then some other guy you met once, about 70 pages ago makes another appearance, but you can't remember who he is because he was introduced with NO description, and only had two or three paragraphs of play, then it moved on. SO confusing.
Story line gets two-and-a-half stars. The little vomitous bits do finally start stinking bad enough to make you want to throw the blouse out. I think it could have been pretty good, but all this back and forth and flimsy character building just spoiled it. And then there's the writing. This guy is no writer. But hey, that's okay. As long as he's not misspelling every other word, and not terribly abusing his grammar. And if he's not picking fights with Strunk and White, then I don't care that much. But one thing he did constantly that bothered the shit out of me was misuse independent clauses with conjunctions. Well, specifically, the word 'and'. Take this gem, for instance:
The scent was intoxicating, and she felt the car pull away.
DON'T DO THAT. F Sake. Just constantly. Those two things don't go together in the slightest! Make them two separate sentences! It's like saying this guy writes a bunch of books about casino scams. He also uses Tony Valentine as his main character, and I bought this book at a thrift store.
Just shoot me in the face. That could almost fall into storytelling as a category, but I let it fall into the writing category because it's consistently done the same way throughout the book. So we know he can't build characters very well, because he literally doesn't even try. Then he makes then cardboard thin, and they say the lamest shit, so I chalk that up to bad storytelling. Storytelling, therefore, gets 2 stars. Writing, I'll give him 3 on that.
Story line - 2.5
Storytelling - 2
Writing - 3
Total - 2.5 stars. Which I will gladly represent as two starts - rather than rounding up to three - because Goodreads doesn't let me do halves.
The best thing I can say about this book in the end is that it makes me want to read. Something else. To get this book out of my head.
Boy, I started out like a bat out of hell. I really got into it. He's not a great writer, but he's pretty good. He's okay. And the story line is pretty decent. Then this morning, I hit one particular set of facing pages that just turned me completely off. And here's the other thing: they were talking about tits.
I know, right? Anyone who knows me knows that if tits ceased to exist today, I'd be gone tomorrow. But it was so cheap and ludicrous that it pushed me completely out of the story. It was the protag talking to his son - whom we only met over a hundred pages in, and like two sentences before. Wait, what? And he's telling his son not to let his new wife get fake titties? What the actual fuck? I mean, whatever, I actually agree with the sentiment, but come on. It was just so plastic and out of place.
I kept going though. I really wanted to give this book a fair chance. But I finally just couldn't take any more. The protag finding a steak on his passenger floorboard, then as soon as he picks it up, a FUCKING ALLIGATOR BUSTS THROUGH THE BACK SEAT FROM THE TRUNK - BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOME CARS HAVE THAT FEATURE WHERE THE BACK SEAT FOLDS DOWN AND GIVES YOU ACCESS TO A TRUNK, AND HIS TRUNK HAD A FUCKIN' ALLIGATOR IN IT! BUT THEN WAIT, IT GETS BETTER: HE GETS OUT OF THE CAR AND BODY SLAMS ANOTHER ALLIGATOR. I shit you not.
Actually, body slam isn't the correct wrestling term for it. It's the one where you pick someone up and hold him vertically, upside-down, and drop him on his head. That's what he did to the gator. Because - get this - he's an ex-cop, one of the best guys in the world at catching card sharks, AND he does wrestling gigs with a woman he met six weeks ago.
Trust me. I want to pretend I'm making that up. But no, I'm not. I really don't want it on my wall here. But there we are. This is the story. So the pretty-good story line I talked about is still pretty good. But it just has these little splatters of verbal vomit thrown about throughout it. I mean, I can get past it if the rest of the story is good enough. Which I was thinking it was. Then on about 150 or so, I finally had to give up the ghost. Too many characters I can't remember. Because they're thinner than the paper the book is printed on. Seriously. He doesn't describe anyone. And most of them are Native Americans with Native American Names. Like Running Bear. Now, who was he again? Oh yeah, the casino owner. And then there's Gladys Soft Wings. Shit. Who was she again? Then some other guy you met once, about 70 pages ago makes another appearance, but you can't remember who he is because he was introduced with NO description, and only had two or three paragraphs of play, then it moved on. SO confusing.
Story line gets two-and-a-half stars. The little vomitous bits do finally start stinking bad enough to make you want to throw the blouse out. I think it could have been pretty good, but all this back and forth and flimsy character building just spoiled it. And then there's the writing. This guy is no writer. But hey, that's okay. As long as he's not misspelling every other word, and not terribly abusing his grammar. And if he's not picking fights with Strunk and White, then I don't care that much. But one thing he did constantly that bothered the shit out of me was misuse independent clauses with conjunctions. Well, specifically, the word 'and'. Take this gem, for instance:
The scent was intoxicating, and she felt the car pull away.
DON'T DO THAT. F Sake. Just constantly. Those two things don't go together in the slightest! Make them two separate sentences! It's like saying this guy writes a bunch of books about casino scams. He also uses Tony Valentine as his main character, and I bought this book at a thrift store.
Just shoot me in the face. That could almost fall into storytelling as a category, but I let it fall into the writing category because it's consistently done the same way throughout the book. So we know he can't build characters very well, because he literally doesn't even try. Then he makes then cardboard thin, and they say the lamest shit, so I chalk that up to bad storytelling. Storytelling, therefore, gets 2 stars. Writing, I'll give him 3 on that.
Story line - 2.5
Storytelling - 2
Writing - 3
Total - 2.5 stars. Which I will gladly represent as two starts - rather than rounding up to three - because Goodreads doesn't let me do halves.
The best thing I can say about this book in the end is that it makes me want to read. Something else. To get this book out of my head.
January 22, 2019
James Swain wrote this fascinating tale about Tony Valentine, president of Grift Sense, an International Gambling Consultant Firm. Swain, considered one of the best card handlers in the world, uses his considerable knowledge of gambling to develop the character of Tony Valentine, an extremely adroit nemesis of gamblers who cheat. So well respected is Valentine that casinos all over the world offer big bucks for his services.
Valentine, in his 60's, widowed, and a retired policeman cannot give up being a cop. He dates a stunning woman wrestler, Kat Berman, who has a twelve year old daughter, Zoe. Valentine has a strained relationship with his son, Gerry, due to Valentine's long hours away from home when he was active with the Atlantic City police. Valentine's next door neighbor and friend, Mabel Struck, also in her 60's, sometimes helps him in his business answering calls and conveying messages.
Besides these main characters, Swain develops Rico Blanco, Candy Hart, Saul Hyman, Running Bear of the Micanopy nation, and Bill Higgins as a mixture of villains and friends in "Sucker Bet." Swain also introduces many minor characters who play less important roles in the main plot and subplots. Swain does not go into exhaustive characterization, only enough to keep the story line moving. The result is an action-packed, fast-moving thriller that covers casino rip offs, a topic that few readers are familiar with, but most will find interesting.
This book, "Sucker Bet" gets its name from an involved scheme that Swain skillfully builds, step by step, throughout the book. Mixed in with the main plot are some additional scams foiled by Valentine. Swain's terse, but concise, diction takes the reader quickly into the world of gambling, con men, and casino operators, a fascinating story that will also teach the reader much fact about gambling and how unscrupulous people try to bend the odds in their favor.
Swain cites background information that, upon investigation, turns out to be factual. For example, do you know that the 1919 World Series was fixed by Titanic Thompson and Arnold Rothstein? Do you know the odds of two people in a group of thirty sharing the same birthday or that there is a website devoted to blackjack? Did you know that Edward Thorp's "Beat the Dealer," in 1966, caused casinos to change the way they play blackjack? Thorp's book helps Valentine solve a casino scam.
The main story line involves a casino operated by the Micanopy Indians in Southern Florida who are earning far below what honest odds would expect. The Micanopy most likely are based on the Seminole Nation Reservation. Micanopy is the name of the Seminole Nation's Capital city, itself named after a Seminole Chief during the Second Seminole war of 1835-42. The Seminole Nation today is building a twelve story "Hard Rock Hotel and Casino" expected to be completed in April 2004.
Swain brings in other cases handled by Valentine and blends them in a sequence that keeps you guessing throughout the novel. Swain grabs your interest, brings you to an understanding of a scene then introduces a new scene, equally interesting. Later in the book, you see that some scenes are related to the main plot, which Swain ties together in an exciting and skillful way. Swain develops Valentine's character with details of Valentine's family, friends, past activities, and deep goals. Swain mixes scenes of ruthlessness, betrayal, murder, with scenes of loyalty, fair play, and compassion. He has Valentine pitted against con men who almost kill him, alligators that almost devour him, a beautiful woman who wants to draw him into her world, a son who just might develop a better relationship with his father, and many subplots that task Valentine's skill. Swain paints Valentine as sometimes gruff, but honest and decent within.
This is a book anyone can bet on.
Valentine, in his 60's, widowed, and a retired policeman cannot give up being a cop. He dates a stunning woman wrestler, Kat Berman, who has a twelve year old daughter, Zoe. Valentine has a strained relationship with his son, Gerry, due to Valentine's long hours away from home when he was active with the Atlantic City police. Valentine's next door neighbor and friend, Mabel Struck, also in her 60's, sometimes helps him in his business answering calls and conveying messages.
Besides these main characters, Swain develops Rico Blanco, Candy Hart, Saul Hyman, Running Bear of the Micanopy nation, and Bill Higgins as a mixture of villains and friends in "Sucker Bet." Swain also introduces many minor characters who play less important roles in the main plot and subplots. Swain does not go into exhaustive characterization, only enough to keep the story line moving. The result is an action-packed, fast-moving thriller that covers casino rip offs, a topic that few readers are familiar with, but most will find interesting.
This book, "Sucker Bet" gets its name from an involved scheme that Swain skillfully builds, step by step, throughout the book. Mixed in with the main plot are some additional scams foiled by Valentine. Swain's terse, but concise, diction takes the reader quickly into the world of gambling, con men, and casino operators, a fascinating story that will also teach the reader much fact about gambling and how unscrupulous people try to bend the odds in their favor.
Swain cites background information that, upon investigation, turns out to be factual. For example, do you know that the 1919 World Series was fixed by Titanic Thompson and Arnold Rothstein? Do you know the odds of two people in a group of thirty sharing the same birthday or that there is a website devoted to blackjack? Did you know that Edward Thorp's "Beat the Dealer," in 1966, caused casinos to change the way they play blackjack? Thorp's book helps Valentine solve a casino scam.
The main story line involves a casino operated by the Micanopy Indians in Southern Florida who are earning far below what honest odds would expect. The Micanopy most likely are based on the Seminole Nation Reservation. Micanopy is the name of the Seminole Nation's Capital city, itself named after a Seminole Chief during the Second Seminole war of 1835-42. The Seminole Nation today is building a twelve story "Hard Rock Hotel and Casino" expected to be completed in April 2004.
Swain brings in other cases handled by Valentine and blends them in a sequence that keeps you guessing throughout the novel. Swain grabs your interest, brings you to an understanding of a scene then introduces a new scene, equally interesting. Later in the book, you see that some scenes are related to the main plot, which Swain ties together in an exciting and skillful way. Swain develops Valentine's character with details of Valentine's family, friends, past activities, and deep goals. Swain mixes scenes of ruthlessness, betrayal, murder, with scenes of loyalty, fair play, and compassion. He has Valentine pitted against con men who almost kill him, alligators that almost devour him, a beautiful woman who wants to draw him into her world, a son who just might develop a better relationship with his father, and many subplots that task Valentine's skill. Swain paints Valentine as sometimes gruff, but honest and decent within.
This is a book anyone can bet on.
July 24, 2019
I have thoroughly enjoyed James Swain’s previous books in this series. Sucker Bet was slightly less rewarding than the others, but still a fun read. The pace is rapid, the plot twists are pleasing and, as is the case with his other books, the education in gambling scams is endless.
Swain populates the story with some pretty far fetched characters and as a result, diminishes the credulity of the story. In fact, the inclusion of one in particular, dropped my rating a half star. To say more would give away too much, but suffice it to say that I had trouble buying into the “carnival” atmosphere that plays a prominent role in the book’s ending.
Seeing Tony Valentine as an older man rediscovering his relationship with his son (and setting up future books, no doubt) was a nice touch. Swain also gave his readers some romance and a nice possibility for Valentine’s future love & personal life. So, although not his best contribution to the series, this is nevertheless a solid entry. 3.5 rounded to 4 stars.
Swain populates the story with some pretty far fetched characters and as a result, diminishes the credulity of the story. In fact, the inclusion of one in particular, dropped my rating a half star. To say more would give away too much, but suffice it to say that I had trouble buying into the “carnival” atmosphere that plays a prominent role in the book’s ending.
Seeing Tony Valentine as an older man rediscovering his relationship with his son (and setting up future books, no doubt) was a nice touch. Swain also gave his readers some romance and a nice possibility for Valentine’s future love & personal life. So, although not his best contribution to the series, this is nevertheless a solid entry. 3.5 rounded to 4 stars.
May 25, 2017
I wouldn't say I enjoyed this book but I did find it interesting. It was fascinating to learn all about the cons people run in casinos. I wonder if the techniques in the book were legit and still used today.
I think it would be accurate to call Valentine the Sherlock Holmes of gambling. However, I did lose a little respect for him when he had to ask for help to solve the main problem he was working on. It kind of made him seem outdated and obsolete.
For the most part Valentine was good at his job but I would rather have enjoyed reading a book about his days as a cop. I don't see myself reading anymore books in this series because I feel like the basic plots would be the same. I did like how I didn't have to read any of the other books to get the background for this book.
My main complaint about the book was that it was very confusing! It had WAY too many characters and it didn't help how he worked on more than one case at a time.
I think it would be accurate to call Valentine the Sherlock Holmes of gambling. However, I did lose a little respect for him when he had to ask for help to solve the main problem he was working on. It kind of made him seem outdated and obsolete.
For the most part Valentine was good at his job but I would rather have enjoyed reading a book about his days as a cop. I don't see myself reading anymore books in this series because I feel like the basic plots would be the same. I did like how I didn't have to read any of the other books to get the background for this book.
My main complaint about the book was that it was very confusing! It had WAY too many characters and it didn't help how he worked on more than one case at a time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 5, 2022
Summary: A retired police officer who specializes in catching gambling cheats is called to determine how someone cheated in blackjack. What appeared to be a simple con has multiple long cons piled underneath. It is upto Tony Valentine to figure out all the pieces of the puzzle before it is too late.
I have a soft spot for hardboiled detectives in the noir genre. From the knockout dames to the sardonic broken detective and a host of colorful characters; sucker bet fulfills every trope of the genre. However, it has the additional layer of card mechanics, swindlers, and hoodlums which can be unique only to James owing to his expertise. It is refreshing from the usual murders and thefts that populate the detective genre making this a unique proposition. It is like White collar meeting LA Noire with a backdrop in Las Vegas/Atlantic City.
I have a soft spot for hardboiled detectives in the noir genre. From the knockout dames to the sardonic broken detective and a host of colorful characters; sucker bet fulfills every trope of the genre. However, it has the additional layer of card mechanics, swindlers, and hoodlums which can be unique only to James owing to his expertise. It is refreshing from the usual murders and thefts that populate the detective genre making this a unique proposition. It is like White collar meeting LA Noire with a backdrop in Las Vegas/Atlantic City.
September 1, 2020
A hardened ex-cop, Tony Valentine now nabs hustlers who rob casinos, and the Micanopy Indian Reservation Casino in South Florida desperately needs his expertise. A blackjack dealer has rigged a game, dealt a player eighty-four winning hands in a row, and then disappeared.
But the missing dealer is part of an even bigger, far deadlier scheme. Valentine’s trail leads him to Rico Blanco, a ruthless gangster who once worked for John Gotti; his shady, elusive partner-in-crime, Victor Marks; and a bombshell named Candy Hart, a hooker with dreams of love—a combination tailor-made to double-cross. It appears they have a con going down involving a cocky, filthy-rich Brit and his millions of dollars. Valentine’s challenge: to figure out how all the pieces of the seamy puzzle fit together .
But the missing dealer is part of an even bigger, far deadlier scheme. Valentine’s trail leads him to Rico Blanco, a ruthless gangster who once worked for John Gotti; his shady, elusive partner-in-crime, Victor Marks; and a bombshell named Candy Hart, a hooker with dreams of love—a combination tailor-made to double-cross. It appears they have a con going down involving a cocky, filthy-rich Brit and his millions of dollars. Valentine’s challenge: to figure out how all the pieces of the seamy puzzle fit together .
February 11, 2022
James Swain, the author, is a gambling expert, and brings his expertise to his writing. Tony Valentine, his main character, knows his way around gambling. He is an expert at catching gamblers or Casino personnel who are cheating. Throughout the book he is hired to find cheats without even going to the locale. His main focus is a large scam. A scam that could involve Rico Blanco, who once worked for John Gotti. He also becomes involved in the life of Candy Hart, a hooker who is only looking for love, but could be involved with the scam of a wealthy British Subject.
A good mystery, that at times can be light hearted and funny. This can also give the reader a reason not to gamble, the house always wins.
A good mystery, that at times can be light hearted and funny. This can also give the reader a reason not to gamble, the house always wins.
August 18, 2020
Tony is in Florida this time with alligators and Indian casinos. Also we see Rico, who done Gerry wrong, and his con with Victor and the prostitute with a heart of gold, looking for love, Candy. She has her sights set on the sucker a Brit rocker drummer.
Gerry is pulled from his honeymoon to help and he offers to sell the bar and buy into Grift Sense. Tony is estranged from Kat and looking at Mable, who gets to do more in the business and fend off her kidnapper.
Fun, not as good as the first two books though.
Gerry is pulled from his honeymoon to help and he offers to sell the bar and buy into Grift Sense. Tony is estranged from Kat and looking at Mable, who gets to do more in the business and fend off her kidnapper.
Fun, not as good as the first two books though.
January 28, 2022
In a way this is the same as all mysteries - there is something happening that the plot gradually allows or guides you to figure out. The better ones have more atmosphere for lack of a better word - a wonderfully described setting (place, time) or people (surrounding/sub-characters) or subplots. The best ones have some combination of all three. This one had a combination of all 3. Some better than others, but enough that I enjoyed what the author setup.
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