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Split Aces
Jim Dougherty lives the kind of unsatisfied life familiar to many a middle-aged millennial. He’s stuck in a dead-end job at a tired old casino, haunted by regrets of unfulfilled childhood potential and going nowhere—slow. Every day it seems the life he was meant to live becomes a little further out of reach.
But when the oddly familiar stranger appears at his pre-dawn blackjack table with a new perspective on the mysteries of a shared past and offering the possibility of true success, Jim learns that living his best life has a price he may not be willing—or able—to pay. For Jim Dougherty, the road not taken turns out to be a dangerous one.
In his debut novella, M.L. Schepps has produced a unique blend of noir, sci-fi, satire and creative meditation sure to keep readers guessing until the final desert sunrise.
But when the oddly familiar stranger appears at his pre-dawn blackjack table with a new perspective on the mysteries of a shared past and offering the possibility of true success, Jim learns that living his best life has a price he may not be willing—or able—to pay. For Jim Dougherty, the road not taken turns out to be a dangerous one.
In his debut novella, M.L. Schepps has produced a unique blend of noir, sci-fi, satire and creative meditation sure to keep readers guessing until the final desert sunrise.
120 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 22, 2022
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393 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 25, 2022
Split Aces is all kinds of noir-ish fun orbiting around a rich existential core. Through vivid detail, sharp dialogue, and precise prose, M.L. Schepps' portrait of Jim Dougherty and the faded desert trappings of his world is a thrillingly acute and expansive one. I felt hints of Fargo, The Twilight Zone, and Marisha Pessl's Night Film. Occupying the role of the down-on-their-luck narrator here, Jim immediately feels like a flesh-and-blood character, both archetypal and wonderfully specific. Highly recommended to readers of genre and literary fiction alike–both will find much to draw them in.
January 25, 2022
Thoroughly entertaining with thoughtful insight into the travails of art making. Schepps leverages vivid description and razor-sharp wit to create something that feels classic yet wholly original.
January 31, 2022
Split Aces takes you on a dizzying journey through the looking glass. Twists and turns guaranteed to keep you turning the pages. Loved this book! I look forward to reading more from this talented author.
January 30, 2022
This is a page-turning rip-roaring ride that you won’t forget. M.L. Schepps has a way with words. Stock up on snacks and drinks because you won’t be able to put Split Aces down. A great read!
May 31, 2022
I was really impressed by this novella. Somehow weird and fun and thought-provoking all at the same time. I quite enjoyed Schepps' writing.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews