Final Table

by Dan Schorr

A political thriller about sexual misconduct in the #MeToo era, one victim's battle to survive and overcome trauma, and the cable news machine that feeds off titillating scandal coverage and inflammatory confrontation, Final Table draws upon Dan Schorr's firsthand experience as a New York City sex crimes prosecutor and sexual misconduct investigator to tackle the worlds of political and media dysfunction.

Former White House staffer Maggie Raster is struggling to build her own consulting firm and overcome a recent sexual assault by an ex-boss. Kyler Dawson, a broke former poker champion, desperately needs to gain entry into a controversial but potentially very lucrative international poker tournament. The host nation faces widespread condemnation for the recent murder of a prominent female US journalist, and a pending presidential executive order threatens to prohibit him and others from participating.

Maggie's chaotic first attempt to promote her new business as a television political analyst brings her to Kyler's attention, and convinces him that her political smarts and connections can provide the help he needs. When he approaches her for assistance, she must decide whether to agree - in return for a portion of the potential $20 million prize. To succeed, she will have to confront numerous challenges - personal and political, foreign and domestic - including mounting pressure to publicly address the misconduct of her former boss. Kyler also has his own obstacles and upsetting past to overcome, but if they each can outmaneuver their daunting challenges, he might win the tournament - and earn them both a fortune.

Genres: Fiction

344 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 2021

Reviews

[Clued-in With A Book (Elvina Ulrich) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emily Kinum, a prominent American journalist was brutally murdered in Kingdom.

Jacques Bouchard, Canadian ambassador at Kingdom who knew Emily, wants to retire and leave Kingdom immediately.

Kyler Dawson, a broke former poker champion desperately needs to play at the controversial but lucrative Goodwill Poker Classic at Kingdom.

Maggie Raster, former special assistant to the White House chief of staff just started her new consulting business that is not gaining any traction.

All of them will cross path and the $20 million wining prize is at stake.


My thoughts: This was my first political thriller, and oh boy, there is a lot going on. The author weaves a complex plot that covers topics like sexual misconduct, corruption, gambling, human rights and family issues, with settings both in America and international. The storybuilding was absolutely suspenseful with amazing background stories on the characters.

I have to be honest that I have no clue about poker and I still ended up enjoying reading all the poker games scenes. It was so intense! It was really interesting learning about policies and politics and how they played out in the plot.

In a nutshell, this is a pageturner that I ended up enjoying it more than I expected!


Pub. Date: Oct 5th, 2021

***Thank you BookSparks and author Dan Schorr for this gifted copy to read and review. All opinions expressed are my own.***

[Dive Into A Good Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

High stakes poker, politics, me too movement, ruthless dictators, high ranking government officials, murder. Final Table hits on a wide variety of topics, that fold seamlessly together, through multiple points of views. I was a little unsure about this book, however, that thought quickly vanished as I dove deep into the first chapter. It quickly captures your attention, leaving you utterly captivated.

Kyler has hit rock bottom. Eighteen months after becoming the World Poker Champion he is in dire straits and cannot seem to catch a break. He has one more chance to turn his life around, the Goodwill Poker Tournament, that is being held in the Kingdom. There will be only one winner and a 20-million-dollar pot, pretty tempting prospect. The prince and his political practices are being called into question after an American reporter is killed in the Kingdom. The other poker players begin to withdraw and space themselves from the tournament. Kyler is left in desperation. He needs that money and now with no big players going, it could be his. Kyler sees a political consultant on tv, could this be the answer to his problems? Maggie's own life is in shambles after a night gone wrong with her old boss from the White House. She is still trying to deal with what happened and trying to make her consulting business a success. She just needs to nab one big client. Kyler contacts Maggie to help him navigate the political upheaval that is going on between the USA and the Kingdom. Can them come together and each benefit from one another?

Final Table quickly draws you in with its multiple story lines, which are each a tantalizing morsel. All the characters are down on the luck, and they all want to win big. Dan Schoor has written a completely enthralling political thriller, that weaves in the intriguing world of poker. Even if you are not a poker fan, I guarantee you will be sucked into this fascinating world. Thank you to Dan Schoor, Spark Press, and Book Sparks for this winning read!

[Kayleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

If Molly’s Game & Scandal met today….

Great debut novel from Dan Schorr. The plot was fast moving and interesting from the jump featuring characters that are all flawed (some well meaning, some not, and some to be determined)…. There is also a thoughtful look at some of the consequences after a sexual assault both small scale and larger scale that was refreshing to see in fiction. Would recommend.

[Reyna Gentin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan Schorr's debut novel, Final Table, is fast-paced, intriguing, and intelligent. The story revolves around Maggie Raster, an ambitious, up-and-coming player in the high stakes world of D.C. politics, who is somehow just naive enough to end up in all sorts of precarious positions, and Kyler Dawson, a down and out poker player with just enough talent and determination to save himself if his luck holds out. I had to hold my hand over my eyes at times (which makes reading difficult!) as Schorr moves these characters into dangerous situations ranging from sexual assault, cyber bullying, and nuclear disaster.

[tre be · Rating 4 out of 5]

At any given moment my nerves were on edge! I know absolutely nothing about poker, yet I learned so much about it. I don’t follow politics too closely. The Me-too movement, I’ve learned, is such a broad spectrum. But, the combination of these plots was magnetic!

I don’t want to give the plot away, so I’ll just talk about a couple of the characters who stood out to me most, amongst others.

♥️ Kyler is a major screw up! A poker player who is wreckless with money (kinda like me 😩) and who’s actually pretty pathetic, but I couldn’t help but root for him. His heated poker games had my heart racing and desperately hoping he’d come out on top. I really wanted Kyler to get action!

♣️ Maggie, girl, let’s just say we have a shared experience. Maggie left her job as an assistant to the White House Chief to start her own business, but is having a hard time boosting her clientele. She’s stressed about a recent sexual encounter with a man in power. Things seem to look up after she’s given some opportunities to speak live on a political show and let’s just say… it was a “fold”.

All of these stories collide leading to an explosive finish. The sheer panic and stress these characters put me through was agonizing. This entire concept was fresh and original and I was all-in! ♦️

I love it when an author uses their personal and professional experiences to create such fascinating, detailed, informative and entertaining stories!

[Jacqueline Friedland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A smart and insightful action-packed read. Kept me turning pages until late into the night. Highly recommend!

[V · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prepare to stay up way past bedtime to finish this tense debut political thriller. It is an adult novel with sexual content and profanity. There is a variety of social and political issues woven into a fast-paced plot with unique characters.
Kyler is a down on his luck poker player in financial trouble, wife and kids trouble, and he's full of excuses. He is a complex, well described character, not particularly likable, yet I kept secretly cheering him on. His first tournament is set in Vegas.
Brush up on your poker terminology, it has its own language. I haven't played poker in a very long time and then only for pocket change, not a gambler, barely remembered all those words. I could follow the hands enough to know what the players were doing.
The chapters alternate between the various characters and events, but merge together quite well. All culminating at the "Final Table" in the high stakes Goodwill Poker Classic.
Tori Kinum is a TV news reporter in DC. Her older sister, Emily (an international reporter) has been murdered. Emily was covering human rights atrocities in a small developing nation, the Kingdom, ruled by the Crown Prince.
Maggie Raster quit a prestigious White House position to create her own political consulting business. Now she's deep in debt with no clients.
Bryce Kirkwood is the White House chief of staff, Maggie's former boss. He's not a good guy.
Jacques Bouchard, Canadian ambassador, is the liaison between the US and the Kingdom. He's trying to avoid a nuclear war after Emily's murder.
Priya Varma is a poker professional, an international activist, and a rising media star. She's outraged that Kyler is playing in the Crown Prince's poker tournament.
The plot incorporates a timely example about the ‘#MeToo’ movement. The use and result of social media is prevalent in the plot. There is also some insightful behind the scenes political drama. While there was lots going on, it was all tied together in a life or death "Final Table". There are thought provoking topics throughout the story. I didn't agree with everything or even like some of the characters. However; I read to be challenged, to see things in a different perspective, to be entertained. This story certainly achieved that for me.
The author's background and experience with the legal system and sex crimes was a noticeable advantage in the book. I will watch for his future endeavors.
Thanks so much to Netgalley, Dan Schorr and SparkPress for the advance digital copy of "Final Table". These are my personal opinions and thoughts given voluntarily.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Final Table by Dan Schorr:
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Maggie Raster has left her job at the White House to start her own consulting firm and while trying to build from the ground up and get her name out there, she’s also trying to work through the aftermath of a sexual assault by her former boss. Her former boss who is also in a very powerful position and can destroy her career. Kyler Dawson is a professional poker player who has dug himself into a hole that he’s finding hard to get out from. Kyler happens to be Maggie’s first client as he needs help to stop an executive order that would stop travel to the host country of a poker tournament that can get him out of the hole. The only problem is, the host country is run by a dangerous dictator who likely had a well-known American journalist brutally murdered. And now Maggie and Kyler are being publicly shamed for their complicity in a strongly condemned international event. Final Table is a story about power, and it’s a story about political and media dysfunction.

This book is nicely paced and has a lot going on to keep readers invested. You get the inner workings of the characters minds and thought processes. While I did have a difficult time trying to keep track of the timeline, it was a decent portrayal of the injustices in the world and men and their abuse of power. I didn’t really like any of the characters, their entitlement across the board and expectation of being owed something - I found myself getting frustrated with them. Final Table is a political thriller with multiple storylines that does a great job of illustrating how the media can be used to manipulate information to drive alternative narratives.

Thank you @BookSparks [#partner] for gifting me with an early readers copy in exchange for an independent and honest review! This book is out now.

⚠️ Trigger Warnings: Sexual Assault; Gambling

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fast paced political novel mirrors many things that are currently going on in the world.
- the 'me-too' movement and discrimination against women
-The fast paced news cycle that keeps churning out scandal and confrontation
-Social media and the negative effects it can have on people's lives

The main characters
-Maggie, a former White House staffer is trying to start her own consulting firm. She is dealing with a forced sexual encounter with a member of the White House staff.
-Kylar, a US poker champion who has been invited to join a tournament in the Kingdom for a rich payout. He is down and out and wants to hire Maggie to help him with the publicity and social media so he can concentrate on his game. If he wins, it will be a big payoff for both Kylar and Maggie.
-A slain news reporter and the ambassador from Canada whose paths crossed in the Kingdom. She is killed because of an article she was working on and he is in terror of them finding out that he helped her.

Added to all of this, there is coverage on the news stations and a taste of facebook and how it becomes negative when people are down.

Political intrigue isn't usually my favorite genre but this book is so well written and reflects so much of modern life, that I enjoyed every minute of it. This is a debut novel by Dan Schorr and I am anxious to read whatever he writes next.

There is a lot of poker terminology in this novel that I totally didn't understand. It didn't lessen the political intrigue and the fast pace of the novel.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review.

[Morgan (youarethelibrarian) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

This was fast-paced, and I was invested in the characters, but at the same time most of them were not likable. I do think that was intended, but wow everyone except the Canadian ambassador and Maggie came off as terrible people. Even Priya, the one who appeared golden to the world, didn’t have a problem blackmailing others to get what she wanted, even if what she wanted was justice for others. Kind of like a “hurt one person for the greater good” scenario, but it made me hate her.

Kyler is a loser who you sort of feel bad for, but also don’t because he just continues to gamble without ever thinking of getting an actual job. Maggie is trying to help him get to the Kingdom to win $20 million dollars, because her life and finances are in tatters, too, but she didn’t gamble hers away. The Kingdom is fictional but the situations with the media and the political world are all too real.

It was left very open-ended, which leaves you to think. It’s a little hopeful, but also depressing how much the media had control over these people’s lives. And it’s true how thousands of people jump on board with shaming people they don’t even know based on media coverage that may or may not be true.

[Stacy40pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

Final Table by Dan Schorr. Thanks to @booksparks for the gifted copy #fallpopup ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kyler Dawson is at a low point in his life. That may change with the high stakes poker game he’s posed to win. But politics and sexual harassment scandals are abound and affect the international poker world.

I’ve been reading some books lately that I normally wouldn’t .. and loving it! Who would have thought I’d like a book about poker, which I know nothing about. While there is a lot of poker in the book, there’s a lot of other things going on as well. It’s a political thriller and also gets into a MeToo scandal that affects the political world. Even not knowing poker, I was able to get into the high stakes and feel the excitement.

“Going from game to game, facing down thugs and thieves and murderers. Shady houses hosting illicit action. Taking down big hands and then figuring out how to escape with the winnings. That’s poker.”

Final Table comes out 10/5.

[Emily | booksandbedtime · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely not my typical read. It’s a book about politics and poker and I’m normally into thrillers or romcoms. Even though I’m not the target audience, I found myself surprisingly enjoying this one.

After Kyler wins big in a poker tournament he’s invited to play at an international poker tournament with a grand prize of 20 million. Maggie struggles to build her business after leaving her job at the White House. Insert evil dictators and the Me Too movement and you’ve got this novel.

I didn’t like any of the characters, but I think that’s the point of having extremely flawed people. This is Dan Schorr’s first novel and I’m excited to see where he goes from here. My husband is very excited to read this next - it’s a book right up his alley.

Thank you Book Sparks for this book. Final Table comes out October 12th.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite thing about Final Table was its characters. Kyle is well-drawn-flawed, while remaining sympathetic, and the reader gets to enjoy him maturing enough to pull out of a destructive/difficult period of his life. Maggie in particular stood out as an example of a deftly-written female character. Male writers often struggle to capture the internal world of female characters in a way that feels realistic. In Final Table, Schorr takes us through Maggie's perspective in a way that is both sensitive and relatable. The book touches on a bunch of important, current themes like the #MeToo movement, foreign policy/alliances with morally dubious governments, and the kinds of challenging moral choices that people confront at work. Also, I know nothing about poker, so it was fun to get a brief tour of that scene!

[Yehuda Kantor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story with many twists and turns that I didn't see coming. It is very cleverly done.

Each chapter of this book brings more turns and twists. That kept me reading late at night in order to find out what was going to happen next. The book is very well written and easy to read.

I found the evolving scene of the poker world championship fascinating and thrilling. I could not stop reading it until I knew who won

Maggie's contacts with her former boss are thrilling and full of surprises.

When Maggie appears on TV live , one would expect a typical session. But instead, the reader is surprised as the TV host is trying to manipulate Maggie, which is resulting in more twists in the evolving story.

Such a great book must be given a five star recommendation.

[Santiago Mansilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting novel with a very wide variety of subjects: politics, social media, international conflicts, #MeToo and poker.

The author does a good job in creating an entertaining history with characters you can empathize with. The conflicts escalate quicky and you want to read the outcome of the story.

Poker players will find in the book scenes at the WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas and a winner takes all High Roller tournament in a fictional country. I found the poker scenes real and love them.

One of the best poker books from 2021 for sure.

[Alexandra Chauran · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a very self-published feel. It was awkward following the characters at first as chapters jumped around, and there was plenty of dated and weird punctuation associated with social media. All of the characters were deeply unlikable except for one Mary Sue type character who was a female professional poker player. That said, the plot was very engaging and I was excited to find out what happened next on every page! I would read a sequel, especially as I feel the author was finding his voice throughout the novel.

[Jodi VanMeter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pulled in from the very beginning of this book. A high stakes poker game, a murdered journalist by a tyrannical dictator, me too movement and a threat of nuclear war. What doesn't this book have?

I thought this book was action packed and very well written. I fell in love with one of the main character's Kyler and I didn't really like the way it ended only because of how much I liked Kyler.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher and especially the author....great job!

[CR · Rating 4 out of 5]

This thriller was great! I loved the political feel and I recommend this one to all readers! I can not believe that this is a debut because this author knows what they are doing. This book has multiple storylines that all weave for a larger overall story and the author did a wonderful job with the entire thing.

[James Weaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schorr manages to weave an engaging tale of poker, international high stakes and the power of social media. I really wanted to give it a 3.5 - it was a solid 4 until the abrupt ending which left much to be desired. Not overly likeable characters, especially the loser protagonist poker player without a character arc, but worth a read - just really didn’t like that ending.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by SparkPress and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Final Table is an international political thriller told in multiple storylines. Fast paced, full of intrigue, you’ll keep yourself guessing.

[Erica Romero · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic read! I finished it in 2 sittings! I loved the political mixed with the me-too movement. Admittedly I was lost on the poker stuff but I don't think it made me lose out on anything important. I also thought the stories were woven together amazingly well.

[Jerry Zehr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book. Great read

[Dwight Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had trouble with time shift.
Good plot, interesting story

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

plot was good. Some crazy characters a fun read.

[Jenn Bennett]

Another I could not get into.

[Art Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a poker book

Politics not poker _what Final Table mostly intrigue not what I expect Ted shipped thru most of it!l too long

[Steve Rockower, · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Poker book with international conspiracy and intrigue. Keeps you on your toes as you turn pages.

[Mydogsread · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page turner

Even as someone who knows nothing about poker, I found this to be an exciting read involving politics, sexual abuse, gambling and international affairs. Unputdownable!

[Darinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poker and politics come together in Final Table to create an intriguing novel.

Final Table is told using the alternating points of view of Maggie and Kyler. Maggie is a former White House staffer trying to start her own consulting business. Kyler is a down on his luck professional poker player. They come together due to a unique situation involving a high stakes poker game hosted in a country under fire for the recent murder of a US journalist. The host country is being called out for the recent murder, plus the unjust treatment of its citizens. Meanwhile, Maggie and Kyler are both fighting battles in their personal lives. It’s not a safe time to travel, but Maggie and Kyler both have a lot to gain if they can work together.

With multiple storylines, a lot happens in this book to keep the reader interested. At times, I felt too much was happening, but still found it to be an entertaining read.

A great debut novel. Good for readers who enjoy poker and political thrillers.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Lacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

DEBUT In former New York Sex Crimes prosecutor Schorr’s first novel, an American journalist investigating government brutality in a foreign nation called the Kingdom¬¬ has just been murdered. Meanwhile, Maggie Raster has recently resigned from the White House and is struggling to start her own political consulting firm because she can’t shake the trauma from a sexual assault by her ex-boss. Kyler Dawson is a poker player in desperate need of a win after recently losing millions. He has the opportunity to play for a big payout in the Kingdom, but Americans are determined to boycott the tournament and are requesting a travel ban because of the recent murder. So, Kyler hires Maggie to use her political connections to stop the travel ban in exchange for part of his winnings. This is a high-stakes political story that sheds light on the internal political struggles between the U.S. and foreign nations who are believed to possess nuclear power. VERDICT This is a great purchase for all collections as Schorr is skillful at creating realistic characters and tackles political issues such as the problems that many women still face in the workplace today and how big news media outlets can misconstrue the words of people being interviewed, which ultimately questions the credibility of these types of sources.