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Dead Ringer
VEGAS 1967. Tycoon Howard Hughes becomes caught in the middle of a deadly battle between mobster Moe Dalitz and the Mormon church for control of the Desert Inn hotel and casino. As the casino war escalates and bodies pile up, Harry Lake finds himself a target of both sides as he attempts to use his position as hotel president to pull off the score of a lifetime. Fighting to stay alive as sex, blackmail and betrayal propel this fast-paced thriller through mind-blowing twists and turns, delivering Harry to the moment of truth where in order to cash in, he must kill the woman he loves.
244 pages, Paperback
Published June 17, 2022
4 people are currently reading
2974 people want to read
About the author
P. Moss
13 books50 followersP Moss is an author whose books and short stories offer a twisted view of life away from the spotlight. He is also a musician and songwriter whose band Bloodcocks UK, the only American band never to play in America, recently completed a seventh sold out tour of Japan. A film noir and pulp fiction enthusiast, he is also a prominent name in the nightlife world as owner of the popular Double Down Saloons in Las Vegas and New York City, as well as Frankie's Tiki Room in Las Vegas.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 12, 2022
A Great Read!
Throwback to my Dad's books I used to sneak into the basement, workshop and his car's glove compartment to read.
Old school mobsters, Vegas, glamor, glitz...
You can almost smell and taste it all..the cigarettes, booze, fear, envy, hope...
I enjoyed this SO much! So descriptive. It was like you are THERE.
I'm gonna remember this one for a while!
I received an ARC of this book from BookSirens and this is my honest review.
Throwback to my Dad's books I used to sneak into the basement, workshop and his car's glove compartment to read.
Old school mobsters, Vegas, glamor, glitz...
You can almost smell and taste it all..the cigarettes, booze, fear, envy, hope...
I enjoyed this SO much! So descriptive. It was like you are THERE.
I'm gonna remember this one for a while!
I received an ARC of this book from BookSirens and this is my honest review.
October 16, 2022
I really liked this book. I loved the short chapters and did not see the twist at the end coming. It was a good short read.
October 25, 2022
* I won this novel in a Goodreads giveaway.
So... I tried and tried and tried to read this novel because I wanted to give a real review after winning this book in a giveaway and because most of the other reviews have few details and seem a bit copy and paste.
I got to chapter 8 before giving up and DNF. But... I DNF for very specific reasons that I go into below, and not because of poor editing or sloppy writing. If you like a certain style of writing, you might like this book. So.... My main problem was I wasn't able to get into the story because I had no idea who the main character was, and no sense of the setting for some scenes. Every chapter had a new character, was someplace either overly described or under-described, and it never seemed to settle into a coherent story or even a main character's point of view. After a while, it got confusing and frustrating and I finally gave up.
For example, the first chapter seems to be told by an escort/prostitute named Sunny who's in a bowling alley. She's at the bar, drinking with Howard Hughes and two twin Chinese cowgirls are dancing on the bar. Suddenly, she has her legs in the air and is getting penetrated by the barrel of a gun, while reminiscing about how she decided to become a prostitute. And that's where chapter one ends.
Chapter 2 is about an aging mobster sitting alone in a coffee shop who gets approached by some random guy who we later find out is a car dealer. The car dealer immediately starts talking crap and making threats to the mobster, but there's no backstory to explain why or anything that's happening.
Chapter 3 opens in a ballroom. You think at first the character's POV is Moe, the aging gangster, but it's actually a new character called Harry Lake.
In chapter 4, you have no idea which character's POV you're in, and the dialogue is very confusing. I had no idea what was going on, and who was telling the story, and it seemed like the author was head-hopping between multiple characters' POVs. On the last page of the chapter, you find out it's another new character, but since he's just been killed, you won't be hearing from him again.
Chapter 5 is back to Harry
Chapter 6 is about a new character named Freddy, but then you realize it's actually Harry again, but the POV is both Freddy's and Harry's. It's seriously confusing.
Chapter 7 is Moe and Harry, but you're never really sure whose POV you're in.
Chapter 8 is about Moe and a new character called Vernon. It's a little clearer that it's in Moe's POV, but just barely.
It's at this point the novel just became too confusing, and frustrating, and I gave up. I couldn't settle into a sense of setting in my mind, the scenes were all over the place, and I couldn't connect with any of the characters. It's also the point where I realized it was intentional, and that this is the author's writing style. It's like reading a book version of a movie script that's describing what's happening, what the actors are thinking, and what the setting should be and feel like.
As another reviewer said, it's like a book version of a Quentin Tarantino film. It's confusing, it jumps around a lot, and as a reader, you feel discombobulated. It works in the movies, but for me, I need to get into a character's head to get into the story.
If you like this sort of storytelling, this book might be for you. The first 8 chapters were a well done
version of this style, and I can see how some people might enjoy it.
So... I tried and tried and tried to read this novel because I wanted to give a real review after winning this book in a giveaway and because most of the other reviews have few details and seem a bit copy and paste.
I got to chapter 8 before giving up and DNF. But... I DNF for very specific reasons that I go into below, and not because of poor editing or sloppy writing. If you like a certain style of writing, you might like this book. So.... My main problem was I wasn't able to get into the story because I had no idea who the main character was, and no sense of the setting for some scenes. Every chapter had a new character, was someplace either overly described or under-described, and it never seemed to settle into a coherent story or even a main character's point of view. After a while, it got confusing and frustrating and I finally gave up.
For example, the first chapter seems to be told by an escort/prostitute named Sunny who's in a bowling alley. She's at the bar, drinking with Howard Hughes and two twin Chinese cowgirls are dancing on the bar. Suddenly, she has her legs in the air and is getting penetrated by the barrel of a gun, while reminiscing about how she decided to become a prostitute. And that's where chapter one ends.
Chapter 2 is about an aging mobster sitting alone in a coffee shop who gets approached by some random guy who we later find out is a car dealer. The car dealer immediately starts talking crap and making threats to the mobster, but there's no backstory to explain why or anything that's happening.
Chapter 3 opens in a ballroom. You think at first the character's POV is Moe, the aging gangster, but it's actually a new character called Harry Lake.
In chapter 4, you have no idea which character's POV you're in, and the dialogue is very confusing. I had no idea what was going on, and who was telling the story, and it seemed like the author was head-hopping between multiple characters' POVs. On the last page of the chapter, you find out it's another new character, but since he's just been killed, you won't be hearing from him again.
Chapter 5 is back to Harry
Chapter 6 is about a new character named Freddy, but then you realize it's actually Harry again, but the POV is both Freddy's and Harry's. It's seriously confusing.
Chapter 7 is Moe and Harry, but you're never really sure whose POV you're in.
Chapter 8 is about Moe and a new character called Vernon. It's a little clearer that it's in Moe's POV, but just barely.
It's at this point the novel just became too confusing, and frustrating, and I gave up. I couldn't settle into a sense of setting in my mind, the scenes were all over the place, and I couldn't connect with any of the characters. It's also the point where I realized it was intentional, and that this is the author's writing style. It's like reading a book version of a movie script that's describing what's happening, what the actors are thinking, and what the setting should be and feel like.
As another reviewer said, it's like a book version of a Quentin Tarantino film. It's confusing, it jumps around a lot, and as a reader, you feel discombobulated. It works in the movies, but for me, I need to get into a character's head to get into the story.
If you like this sort of storytelling, this book might be for you. The first 8 chapters were a well done
version of this style, and I can see how some people might enjoy it.
October 10, 2022
Incredibly fun read. Vegas historical characters untethered from reality and existing in short punchy chapters that read like a Tarantino movie.
September 17, 2022
Great book!! I really enjoyed && highly recommend.
June 15, 2023
I won this in a giveaway and was asked to give a review.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s different from books i normally read, but in a good way! It had short chapters, which I love. It was written very well in my opinion. Quite a few parts had me so anxious to see what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed the characters in this book, and how Moss portrayed them. The ending involved a bit of a twist that I honestly did not see coming at all. But I loved the twist ending. Overall this book is amazing, and a good book to read when trying to veer from normal genres/reading habits!!
I really enjoyed this book. It’s different from books i normally read, but in a good way! It had short chapters, which I love. It was written very well in my opinion. Quite a few parts had me so anxious to see what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed the characters in this book, and how Moss portrayed them. The ending involved a bit of a twist that I honestly did not see coming at all. But I loved the twist ending. Overall this book is amazing, and a good book to read when trying to veer from normal genres/reading habits!!
November 2, 2022
Sir P. Moss has done it again!!! Gangsters vs. Mormons with someone caught in the middle in the wonderful Sin City. All vying for control over a Casino and more. Howard Hugh’s plays all into this perfect mess. Character’s are mean, lovable and not so bright. (You’ll witness when you read the book.) The players flow throughout the book with incredible descriptions as you could almost picture them. The Rogers are a nice addition into this tale as there are three of them. Charlotte rocks period who is a down to earth girl that you can fall in love with. Moss also is very detailed on old Las Vegas including a guest appearance of a slightly famous gent. (Just kidding a really famous person yet youngstas reading the book won’t grasp the name. So if your under 35 or so google the name lol) All in all Moss is a most talented author who creates amazing books. I’m HaPpY to have read this and def think this should be made into a movie. Yes it’s that good❗️❗️❗️
February 7, 2023
I recieved this copy as a promotional givaway.
DNF
I knew I was not going to be into this book by page 2, when the description "leggy" was used for the same female character for the second time in two pages.
I tried to stick with it, but alas.
I am a big fan of the quick pace and short chapters, but I found myself completely uninterested in any of the underdeveloped characters. Nothing about the story gripped me. This one just wasn't for me.
DNF
I knew I was not going to be into this book by page 2, when the description "leggy" was used for the same female character for the second time in two pages.
I tried to stick with it, but alas.
I am a big fan of the quick pace and short chapters, but I found myself completely uninterested in any of the underdeveloped characters. Nothing about the story gripped me. This one just wasn't for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2022
Great read! Fast moving.
this was a goodreads giveaway
this was a goodreads giveaway
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews