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Lucky at Cards
AT CARDS AND WITH WOMEN, BILL MAYNARD KNEW HOW TO CHEAT
On the mend after getting run out of Chicago, professional cardsharp Bill Maynard is hungry for some action – but not nearly as hungry as Joyce Rogers, the tantalizing wife of Bill’s latest mark. Together they hatch an ingenious scheme to get rid of her husband. But in life as in poker, the other player sometimes has an ace up his sleeve.
On the mend after getting run out of Chicago, professional cardsharp Bill Maynard is hungry for some action – but not nearly as hungry as Joyce Rogers, the tantalizing wife of Bill’s latest mark. Together they hatch an ingenious scheme to get rid of her husband. But in life as in poker, the other player sometimes has an ace up his sleeve.
220 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1964
43 people are currently reading
669 people want to read
About the author
Sheldon Lord
42 books5 followersA pseudonym used by Donald E. Westlake, Lawrence Block, Peter Hochstein and Milo Perichitch.
Books positively identified as Westlake's or Block's will also have their name in the author field.
Books positively identified as Westlake's or Block's will also have their name in the author field.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
February 3, 2024
Bill Maynard was a stage magician playing cut-rate, third class hotels and resorts, occasional kids' parties, even strip joints. No money and few prospects, he is recruited to become a mechanic, a card sharp, a cheat. He is very good at it and makes good money.
This novel begins as his life begins to spiral out of control. Well written but predictable, particularly for fans of film noir such as DOUBLE INDEMNITY. The only real questions are how it will fall apart and how badly. I really didn't like him or the other characters. Let's see, he is a cheat, a con artist, a criminal, an adulterer, a betrayer, a boozer, a drifter and I probably left something out. Even his idea of success is questionable. The truly despicable crime which he and his scarlet woman put together is based upon pure greed and selfishness.
This novel begins as his life begins to spiral out of control. Well written but predictable, particularly for fans of film noir such as DOUBLE INDEMNITY. The only real questions are how it will fall apart and how badly. I really didn't like him or the other characters. Let's see, he is a cheat, a con artist, a criminal, an adulterer, a betrayer, a boozer, a drifter and I probably left something out. Even his idea of success is questionable. The truly despicable crime which he and his scarlet woman put together is based upon pure greed and selfishness.
March 8, 2021
It was originally written as a mass market paperback in 1964 by Lawrence Block and, more recently, reissued by Hard Case Crime. It is a great read from the first page to the last and holds up well over time. Our
protagonist Maynard or "Wizard" as he is affectionately known was a small time penny ante magician who is taught how to be a card hustler by a con man out of Florida. Falling into the hustling life, he does quite well at his craft until he is forced to leave Chicago in an incident that
leaves him desperately in need of a dentist. Upon getting his dental
work done, his new acquaintance introduces him to a local card game hosted by an older wills and trusts attorney with a young knockout for a wife. Of course, the wife who soon has Maynard under her siren's spell is trapped in her marriage and needs Maynard to figure out a con or a scam to get her out of it with a flush bankroll. Can Maynard continue his middle class life with the perfect girlfriend or does he succumb to Joyce, the femme fatale a man is unlucky to meet. A great story, well written, and worth your time.
protagonist Maynard or "Wizard" as he is affectionately known was a small time penny ante magician who is taught how to be a card hustler by a con man out of Florida. Falling into the hustling life, he does quite well at his craft until he is forced to leave Chicago in an incident that
leaves him desperately in need of a dentist. Upon getting his dental
work done, his new acquaintance introduces him to a local card game hosted by an older wills and trusts attorney with a young knockout for a wife. Of course, the wife who soon has Maynard under her siren's spell is trapped in her marriage and needs Maynard to figure out a con or a scam to get her out of it with a flush bankroll. Can Maynard continue his middle class life with the perfect girlfriend or does he succumb to Joyce, the femme fatale a man is unlucky to meet. A great story, well written, and worth your time.
September 5, 2020
A stand alone novel by Lawrence Block written as (Sheldon Lord) first published 1964.
This is the first Lawrence Block book I’ve read that’s left me feeling a bit ho hum.
Written when he was 26 the book is a strange mix of soft erotica and soft crime.
I did learn a bit about how card sharp operate but not much else.
Bill Maynard a card mechanic by occupation roles into town to do what he does best, taken money from unsuspecting punters. At one game his cheating is noticed by one of the players’ wives, who just happens to be a good looking sex kitten, there some cringe value for you. But rather than drop him in it she makes Bill a proposition. Get ride of her husband, not kill him, just make it so she can legally get all his money and then she and Bill can sail off to wonderland.
Of course, even with all Bills quick of hand skills, nothing goes to plan.
Bill soon finds himself running for his life.
As I have already said, the book is full of soft sex and just as much soft crime. It’s all a bit over the top. Easy to read but it’s never going to have you turning pages in anticipation of what could possibly happen next.
Not one of Mr. Block’s best works but still worth 3 stars.
This is the first Lawrence Block book I’ve read that’s left me feeling a bit ho hum.
Written when he was 26 the book is a strange mix of soft erotica and soft crime.
I did learn a bit about how card sharp operate but not much else.
Bill Maynard a card mechanic by occupation roles into town to do what he does best, taken money from unsuspecting punters. At one game his cheating is noticed by one of the players’ wives, who just happens to be a good looking sex kitten, there some cringe value for you. But rather than drop him in it she makes Bill a proposition. Get ride of her husband, not kill him, just make it so she can legally get all his money and then she and Bill can sail off to wonderland.
Of course, even with all Bills quick of hand skills, nothing goes to plan.
Bill soon finds himself running for his life.
As I have already said, the book is full of soft sex and just as much soft crime. It’s all a bit over the top. Easy to read but it’s never going to have you turning pages in anticipation of what could possibly happen next.
Not one of Mr. Block’s best works but still worth 3 stars.
June 29, 2014
Fifty years old, that's how old this book is. And Lawrence Block is still pumping them out and marketing like a madman.
I love this pulpy cover however it was an audio that I listened to and it couldn't have been any better had I read it.
Great storyline, great characterization, great cover, great typeface, great paper, etc., etc. It was another LB blockbuster.
Lawrence Block. I can always depend on LB for entertainment.
I love this pulpy cover however it was an audio that I listened to and it couldn't have been any better had I read it.
Great storyline, great characterization, great cover, great typeface, great paper, etc., etc. It was another LB blockbuster.
Lawrence Block. I can always depend on LB for entertainment.
May 7, 2021
Lucky at Cards is a pulpy noir story that is part of the Hard Case Crime series I just discovered re-releasing a lot of stand-alone books by classic mystery writers such as Ed McBain, Donald Westlake, Mickey Spillane and others. I am also simultaneously listening to two LOOONG books, Emma by Jane Austen and 11/22/63 by Stephen King, so I alternate those with comics and these fast hard-boiled books.
Lucky at Cards was published in 1964 as The Sex Shuffle by Lawrence Block under the pseudonym Sheldon Lord. I also just read another one of his novels, Grifter's Game, that has a pretty similar premise to Lucky at Cards: a grifter/con who meets girl who is unhappily married to a man who is older, heavier, balding, and rich. You get the feeling at Mystery Writers conventions that these guys sit around and play "what if" literary plot games. In Grifter's Game the Grifter gets grifted.
In Lucky at Cards we have a magician and card "mechanic" (or card shark/sharp) Bill "Wizard" Maynard who meets Joyce Rogers, a sort of femme fatale who wants to use him to get out of her unhappy marriage (and maybe she falls in love with him?), but she wants the money, too. We, of the dull what-if variety of plot-imaginers, think the obvious: Kill the old dog and live happily ever after! But Block sets this extra roadblock to the challenge; the rich old guy is a lawyer who is twenty years older than Joyce who suspects he might lose her. He writes in his will and marriage agreement that if she divorces him she gets nothing, and if he dies and she remarries she gets nothing. So how else can they get the love and money?
In the process, Mr. Rogers meets and likes Bill, and sets him up in a legit business and finds him a hot woman, an English teacher!! (Nice for English teacher readers, Lawrence!) and Bill/Wizard likes the woman and the job, but Joyce forces him to work out a way to get her husband out of the picture. And again, the grifter gets grifted, but!! the old guy sets up a card game as a way to resolve the issue, winner taking $50K AND the girl (a commodity only, our Joyce at this point). I won't tell you what happens, but I was (again) pleasantly surprised by the twist at the end, and surprised how good Block was even in these early pulp books. And you learn quite a bit about how to cheat at cards! Can't wait to impress my friends with my (underhanded) skills.
Lucky at Cards was published in 1964 as The Sex Shuffle by Lawrence Block under the pseudonym Sheldon Lord. I also just read another one of his novels, Grifter's Game, that has a pretty similar premise to Lucky at Cards: a grifter/con who meets girl who is unhappily married to a man who is older, heavier, balding, and rich. You get the feeling at Mystery Writers conventions that these guys sit around and play "what if" literary plot games. In Grifter's Game the Grifter gets grifted.
In Lucky at Cards we have a magician and card "mechanic" (or card shark/sharp) Bill "Wizard" Maynard who meets Joyce Rogers, a sort of femme fatale who wants to use him to get out of her unhappy marriage (and maybe she falls in love with him?), but she wants the money, too. We, of the dull what-if variety of plot-imaginers, think the obvious: Kill the old dog and live happily ever after! But Block sets this extra roadblock to the challenge; the rich old guy is a lawyer who is twenty years older than Joyce who suspects he might lose her. He writes in his will and marriage agreement that if she divorces him she gets nothing, and if he dies and she remarries she gets nothing. So how else can they get the love and money?
In the process, Mr. Rogers meets and likes Bill, and sets him up in a legit business and finds him a hot woman, an English teacher!! (Nice for English teacher readers, Lawrence!) and Bill/Wizard likes the woman and the job, but Joyce forces him to work out a way to get her husband out of the picture. And again, the grifter gets grifted, but!! the old guy sets up a card game as a way to resolve the issue, winner taking $50K AND the girl (a commodity only, our Joyce at this point). I won't tell you what happens, but I was (again) pleasantly surprised by the twist at the end, and surprised how good Block was even in these early pulp books. And you learn quite a bit about how to cheat at cards! Can't wait to impress my friends with my (underhanded) skills.
January 1, 2024
04/2012
I'm just taken with the idea that in the early 60s a writer like Lawrence Block (a good writer based on these Hard Case Crime books I've read, though I haven't read his current work) would write these drugstore pulps, but so much better than they had to be. And it's so cool that Hard Case Crime reprints them. I'm happy.
I'm just taken with the idea that in the early 60s a writer like Lawrence Block (a good writer based on these Hard Case Crime books I've read, though I haven't read his current work) would write these drugstore pulps, but so much better than they had to be. And it's so cool that Hard Case Crime reprints them. I'm happy.
January 27, 2025
Lawrence Block is such a talented writer. That gritty feeling, morally gray characters, hard drinking men and scheming women. It has it all. A murder plot to get a rich husband sent to prison so his wife and a card cheat can inherent his fortune goes wrong and everyone's life is on the line. I loved all the bits on how our main character cheats at cards and how the mystery unfolded. Classic crime noir and Block is one of the best.
November 11, 2013
William Maynard, a former magician turned card shark, was run out of Chicago following a botched poker scheme. Following a nasty dust up, Bill befriends a dentist and finds himself with an invitation to a low stakes card game. It’s there that he meets Joyce, the sultry wife of tax lawyer Murray Rogers. Before long, Bill finds himself tangled up in the sheets with Joyce and the two hatch a plan to frame Murray for murder, eliminating him from the picture. Will their plan succeed or will Bill’s luck run out once again?
While the story progressed swiftly and the twists and turns refused to let up, it’s the banter between the characters as well as Bill’s narration that kept me from putting the book down. Granted, my knowledge isn’t the strongest when it comes to card games – I barely know how to play anything outside of Go Fish – I rarely felt intimidated when Block gave the play-by-play in describing Bill’s cheating methods It’s not like he held my hand or over explained things, Block kept the scenes moving smoothly and was careful not to get bogged down in the technical aspects of it all.
Now that I’ve got a few of these Hardcase Crime novels under my belt, I can easily say that this was the most sex-driven yet. While I’m sure there may be others on the horizon that will give Lucky At Cards a run for its money, this takes the cake for the time being. Hey, don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a complaint, the sex scenes aren’t overly gratuitous by any means nor are they really all that lengthy, they’re just abundant I suppose.
While Bill’s not really that likeable – he’s a card shark who specializes in cheating others – you just can’t help but root for him to succeed. It’s bewildering to say the least. It’s not like Block does him any favors. Even if he shows the smallest glimmer of light escaping from Bill’s criminally hardened facade, he quickly covers him in another layer of scum. This is the great thing about the pulps of this era, the characters are deeply flawed so their decisions aren’t always the right ones, which makes the story wholly unpredictable.
Lucky at Cards is another exceptional release from the folks at Hardcase Crime who continue to strive to keep this genre alive and well.
While the story progressed swiftly and the twists and turns refused to let up, it’s the banter between the characters as well as Bill’s narration that kept me from putting the book down. Granted, my knowledge isn’t the strongest when it comes to card games – I barely know how to play anything outside of Go Fish – I rarely felt intimidated when Block gave the play-by-play in describing Bill’s cheating methods It’s not like he held my hand or over explained things, Block kept the scenes moving smoothly and was careful not to get bogged down in the technical aspects of it all.
Now that I’ve got a few of these Hardcase Crime novels under my belt, I can easily say that this was the most sex-driven yet. While I’m sure there may be others on the horizon that will give Lucky At Cards a run for its money, this takes the cake for the time being. Hey, don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a complaint, the sex scenes aren’t overly gratuitous by any means nor are they really all that lengthy, they’re just abundant I suppose.
While Bill’s not really that likeable – he’s a card shark who specializes in cheating others – you just can’t help but root for him to succeed. It’s bewildering to say the least. It’s not like Block does him any favors. Even if he shows the smallest glimmer of light escaping from Bill’s criminally hardened facade, he quickly covers him in another layer of scum. This is the great thing about the pulps of this era, the characters are deeply flawed so their decisions aren’t always the right ones, which makes the story wholly unpredictable.
Lucky at Cards is another exceptional release from the folks at Hardcase Crime who continue to strive to keep this genre alive and well.
July 3, 2023
Malheureux en amour, heureux au jeu! You can't have it both ways...well, a few people can and do, but let's ignore those annoying bastards, shall we?
Renowned crime writer, Lawrence Block, churned out this Hard Case Crime novel under a pen name back in the 60s for a bit of the bill-paying ready cash. Pulp and potboiler though it may be, it holds up as a decent bit of writing!
Cardsharp Bill Maynard dabbles in a low-stakes friendly game of poker with some small town locals, but soon finds himself neck deep in high-stakes love. A plot is hastily hatched to heist a sizable pay-off from the woman's lawyer husband. It seems foolproof, but as they say, the best laid plans...
I prefer the Matt Scudder detective series Block is known for more than these one-off crime novels he wrote for money as a young man prior. However, this one isn't bad at all. One or two points in the plot could've been a bit stronger, but all in all it was a nice, light, and enjoyable read.
Renowned crime writer, Lawrence Block, churned out this Hard Case Crime novel under a pen name back in the 60s for a bit of the bill-paying ready cash. Pulp and potboiler though it may be, it holds up as a decent bit of writing!
Cardsharp Bill Maynard dabbles in a low-stakes friendly game of poker with some small town locals, but soon finds himself neck deep in high-stakes love. A plot is hastily hatched to heist a sizable pay-off from the woman's lawyer husband. It seems foolproof, but as they say, the best laid plans...
I prefer the Matt Scudder detective series Block is known for more than these one-off crime novels he wrote for money as a young man prior. However, this one isn't bad at all. One or two points in the plot could've been a bit stronger, but all in all it was a nice, light, and enjoyable read.
October 29, 2009
I can't get over how this books simultaneously feels quite modern, yet is a total throw-back. The world of seeling real estate syndicates, and the descriptions of the lifestyles of salespeople and businessmen doesn't seem that dated... But playing gin for money? That's one detail that just seems so old-fashioned.
While I'm at it, I had to smile when I finished the book... I realized it was a romance novel "for men" - It's got all the tropes, people with unusual and dangerous histories, a bit of a love triangle, several sex scenes, and even a happily ever after at the end. I suspect there are plenty of Hard Case Crime readers who wouldn't appreciate the comparisson, but I can't see any way around it. :)
I love that Hard Case is reprinting these old pulp novels. I can't read them back-to-back, it's too easy to see how formulaic these books were, but they're so much fun! I wonder why this genre seems to have faded. Of course we have modern mysteries and thrillers, but they don't feel like quite the same type of book.
While I'm at it, I had to smile when I finished the book... I realized it was a romance novel "for men" - It's got all the tropes, people with unusual and dangerous histories, a bit of a love triangle, several sex scenes, and even a happily ever after at the end. I suspect there are plenty of Hard Case Crime readers who wouldn't appreciate the comparisson, but I can't see any way around it. :)
I love that Hard Case is reprinting these old pulp novels. I can't read them back-to-back, it's too easy to see how formulaic these books were, but they're so much fun! I wonder why this genre seems to have faded. Of course we have modern mysteries and thrillers, but they don't feel like quite the same type of book.
June 23, 2008
Cards, scotch, cigarettes, lust, betrayal, what's not to love? Block's writing is akin to Bukowski, in that he gets to the point, weaves an interesting tale and pulls on your emotions only when it matters most. No extra fluff or literary gymnastics. Despite being written in the mid sixties, the language is timeless and not dated, yet still makes you feel that you are fully there in that era observing and relating to the characters. Suspenseful, intriguing, gritty, yet sweet. It would make a fantastic movie!
July 8, 2018
That was a good read. I didn't expect that ending. The story didn't slow down. The characters likeable. I enjoyed it.
March 28, 2021
This is a solid addition to the Hard Case Crime series. Block is a fine writer that fills in characters with just enough brush strokes to bring them to life. I've never played cards for serious money or cheated at cards but by reading this novel, I felt that I got a taste of how a true card shark probably thinks.
October 12, 2011
This was the novel that made me love Lawrence Block.
My dad, who always had a stack of thriller novels on his nightstand & on the desk in his office (still does), always tried to get me to read thrillers. My nightstand always had sci-fi or fantasy novels stacked as high as his books & he would pick them up, check the synopsis on their backs & tell me I could be reading better stuff than that.
Now & then he would hand me a book by Westlake, Ellroy or Block & tell me to give them a try. I would come home & find a novel by Thompson or Chandler on my bed so I wouldn't miss it--his way of saying: "I know you are resisting but I'm not giving up on you." One day I found a Spencer novel by Parker on my pillow & thought, "Oh for cryin' out loud! Okay! I'll read it." It wasn't bad--could of been better--but not bad.
Later I would discover the dark beauty that is Jim Thompson & I started to read more & more thrillers. I could tell my dad was pleased because soon we were discussing authors we both liked or told each other to avoid.
Block was one of the authors we both liked.
LUCKY AT CARDS is, in my opinion, one of Block's best novels--ever! It's a simple plot but his prose just makes you part of the seediness of his characters' world. You don't like any of the characters--including the protagonist--but you find yourself wanted the card hustler to come out on top anyway. I also liked the fact Block made the card game Gin instead of Poker like almost every thriller author does. It's understandable why they pick Poker as the card game of choice within their thrillers but Block's choosing of Gin shows how much of a complicated mind Block possesses with his approach to the genre. His prose is splattered with the slang of the time & he weaves it with deftness of a Bukowski or an unknown Beat writer--drawing you into his world with his poetry. I would almost say his early works are written like an Urban Harper Lee--maybe I'm overreaching but it sometimes strikes me as such.
On top of this, how awesome is it Hard Case Crime is republishing Block's early pulp novels? It really introduces new readers to his brilliant style & learn how he grows into the grandmaster of thrillers he is today.
Do not pass by this book. If you like well crafted pulp fiction worth every penny, then pick this one up.
My dad, who always had a stack of thriller novels on his nightstand & on the desk in his office (still does), always tried to get me to read thrillers. My nightstand always had sci-fi or fantasy novels stacked as high as his books & he would pick them up, check the synopsis on their backs & tell me I could be reading better stuff than that.
Now & then he would hand me a book by Westlake, Ellroy or Block & tell me to give them a try. I would come home & find a novel by Thompson or Chandler on my bed so I wouldn't miss it--his way of saying: "I know you are resisting but I'm not giving up on you." One day I found a Spencer novel by Parker on my pillow & thought, "Oh for cryin' out loud! Okay! I'll read it." It wasn't bad--could of been better--but not bad.
Later I would discover the dark beauty that is Jim Thompson & I started to read more & more thrillers. I could tell my dad was pleased because soon we were discussing authors we both liked or told each other to avoid.
Block was one of the authors we both liked.
LUCKY AT CARDS is, in my opinion, one of Block's best novels--ever! It's a simple plot but his prose just makes you part of the seediness of his characters' world. You don't like any of the characters--including the protagonist--but you find yourself wanted the card hustler to come out on top anyway. I also liked the fact Block made the card game Gin instead of Poker like almost every thriller author does. It's understandable why they pick Poker as the card game of choice within their thrillers but Block's choosing of Gin shows how much of a complicated mind Block possesses with his approach to the genre. His prose is splattered with the slang of the time & he weaves it with deftness of a Bukowski or an unknown Beat writer--drawing you into his world with his poetry. I would almost say his early works are written like an Urban Harper Lee--maybe I'm overreaching but it sometimes strikes me as such.
On top of this, how awesome is it Hard Case Crime is republishing Block's early pulp novels? It really introduces new readers to his brilliant style & learn how he grows into the grandmaster of thrillers he is today.
Do not pass by this book. If you like well crafted pulp fiction worth every penny, then pick this one up.
January 2, 2011
If you are a fan of Lawrence Block, like I am, "Lucky at Cards" is right up your alley. It was written in 1964, and is one of Block's earliest works. It's about an ex-magician named Bill Maynard, who decides to become a card shark. He get outed by the wrong type of people, and is left in a heap in an alley, with several of his teeth missing. He makes an emergency trip to a dentist, in another town of course, and find out that the dentist is a card player himself. Trying to recoup the money to pay his dental bills, Maynard joins the dentist's card playing group, and in no time he's up to his old trick again, fleecing his fellow card player at will.
He soon falls in love with Joyce Rodgers, the wife of sleazy tax attorney Murry Rodgers, who is one of his new card-playing group. Joyce is 20 years younger than her husband, and wouldn't you know it, she falls for Maynard (or does she?), and they plot to steal hubby's money and live the good life together. But hubby gets wise, and before Maynard realizes it, he's the hunted instead of the hunter.
Lucky at Cards is one of several of Block's early works that imitates the popular film noir movies of the 40's and 50's. None of his protagonists are very likable, like Maynard, for instance, who is nothing more than a card cheat, but we wind up rooting for them anyway. It would be nice if Block, who never has writer's block, stared writing again as if he were still stuck in the 1950's, or even 1960's. No one is doing this now, and no one else could do it better than Lawrence Block .
September 20, 2013
Fun though slight book. The main character is a sleight of hand artist turned card sharp, able at dealing from the top of the deck, setting up cards for further deals, etc. etc. In Chicago, he is beat up by some mobsters, his teeth are broken, and he's run out of town. In some unnamed midwestern city, he is steered to a game by his dentist (fixing his broken teeth). Surprisingly, in this home game, the wife of the homeowner catches on to what he's doing, and drop some hints to him about it. This turns into a torrid love affair between the two, and a plot to get her away from the husband, with all his money. It's fast-paced, with some fun stuff especially about the cards, and the two or three main characters are interesting (especially with what happens with the husband). But probably in the long run forgettable.
March 18, 2015
Early Lawrence Block, re-issued by Hard Case Crime. A card shark gets run out of Chicago when he gets caught cheating and washes up in an unnamed Midwestern city. He spots the local marks and is preparing to fleece them when the femme fatale appears in the person of the young, voluptuous and terribly bored wife of one of his new poker pals. She spots the dirty tricks but doesn't blow the whistle, and our hero knows he has found a soulmate. Soon she has a proposition for him, and a classic noir setup is underway: take the rich husband for all he's got and skip town.
Things never go according to plan, however, which is why we love these morality plays. A quick and entertaining read.
Things never go according to plan, however, which is why we love these morality plays. A quick and entertaining read.
July 8, 2016
Review coming soon.
July 20, 2025
"Life is a hellishly iffy proposition from beginning to end. There are always a million sneaky little variables and any one of them can send you spinning in another direction entirely."
Decent story about a card sharp who came into a town after getting run outta Chicago. Gets his tooth fixed at a dentist and is invited to a local poker game. Book is from the 1960s and overall a fun read.
Decent story about a card sharp who came into a town after getting run outta Chicago. Gets his tooth fixed at a dentist and is invited to a local poker game. Book is from the 1960s and overall a fun read.
January 22, 2013
I've been a long time fan of pulp but haven't really dipped into the realm of "real world" crime pulp. Usually in the crime pulps I read there is a buff bronze-skinned super-genius or mystery man that can cloud the minds of men.
I found this at my local library for 50 cents. Even though it's a modern reprint, it has classic pulp art from the 60s which immediately caught my eye. The brief summary on the back tells of an on the run cardsharp who falls for the wife of his latest mark and their hatching a scheme to get rid of her husband. That pretty much sold me on it!
Block describes how the main character cheats at cards with the same skill Fleming would talk about any card game Bond ever played. Even if it's not something you'd normally be interested in, he makes it interesting.
The rest of the text is exactly what I'd expect in a hard-boiled crime novel: plenty of smoking, drinking, the occasional roll in the sheets and of course, the best laid plans falling apart. There was also the laugh out loud use of the phrase "genital gymnastics." They don't write em like that anymore!
Prior to this, I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this type of story firmly rooted in our mundane day-to-day world but now I know better. I'll definitely be checking out more in this genre.
I found this at my local library for 50 cents. Even though it's a modern reprint, it has classic pulp art from the 60s which immediately caught my eye. The brief summary on the back tells of an on the run cardsharp who falls for the wife of his latest mark and their hatching a scheme to get rid of her husband. That pretty much sold me on it!
Block describes how the main character cheats at cards with the same skill Fleming would talk about any card game Bond ever played. Even if it's not something you'd normally be interested in, he makes it interesting.
The rest of the text is exactly what I'd expect in a hard-boiled crime novel: plenty of smoking, drinking, the occasional roll in the sheets and of course, the best laid plans falling apart. There was also the laugh out loud use of the phrase "genital gymnastics." They don't write em like that anymore!
Prior to this, I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this type of story firmly rooted in our mundane day-to-day world but now I know better. I'll definitely be checking out more in this genre.
February 26, 2013
I kind of hated this but also kind of liked it. It was pulp noir, so I can't completely fault it for the clichés, but why are there only two types of women in these kinds of books, and they both just can't help but throw themselves at the protagonist, no matter how uninteresting he is? Granted, they might have different motivations or whatnot, but it all seems like the author's wet dream. Then again, maybe it says more about the male main character, whose viewpoint drives the narrative, that he only pays attention to these women who are for some reason attracted to him. Either way, a lot of the tone was fun and it had a nice theme of inevitability going on. For some reason, it took like 2 hours to read it, which is neither good nor bad.
This was another ebook that featured a recent afterword from Block. This one gave an idea of how many damn books he's written, or maybe it made it clear that we'll never know, since he seems to have written under a ton of pseudonyms and could be commissioned to write anything for some money.
This was another ebook that featured a recent afterword from Block. This one gave an idea of how many damn books he's written, or maybe it made it clear that we'll never know, since he seems to have written under a ton of pseudonyms and could be commissioned to write anything for some money.
June 5, 2011
You know what you're getting with a book like this: card shark blows into town, meets the femme fatale, everything falls into place, everything falls apart. But it's a matter of when and how and how far. I read this genre so I can find books like this one. Lean writing, fast moving. The plot, the plot, the plot - fantastic. Nothing forced or inserted, it moves naturally and quickly, keeps you wondering how it'll turn out.
Written in the mid-sixties, it's got a great sense of the era, especially the gender roles. Men drink and play cards, day and night. Women serve the men. Typewriters and carbon copies. Smoking indoors.
Being only the second audiobook I've listened to, maybe it's the novelty, but I loved it. Skar reads it with a great man of the world laidback tone, like he's telling it to you over shots in a smoky bar. The only drawback is some of those hot'n'heavy scenes sound awful cheesy when read out loud. But he manages to sell it with a straight face.
Written in the mid-sixties, it's got a great sense of the era, especially the gender roles. Men drink and play cards, day and night. Women serve the men. Typewriters and carbon copies. Smoking indoors.
Being only the second audiobook I've listened to, maybe it's the novelty, but I loved it. Skar reads it with a great man of the world laidback tone, like he's telling it to you over shots in a smoky bar. The only drawback is some of those hot'n'heavy scenes sound awful cheesy when read out loud. But he manages to sell it with a straight face.
July 17, 2012
This was my first Lawrence Block novel, an author that I might never have tried if it hadn't been for some friends right here on Goodreads that highly recommended him. This is a stand-alone novel; I wanted to try one like this first to see if I liked it. Card sharks, con men, femme fatales, a con with several twists...what's not to love? (Plus I liked the cover art). I also knew that since the story had been picked up by the "Hard Case Crime" inprint, it would likely be a good one. Indeed, I was intrigued right from the beginning and really liked the main character, possibly because the story is told in the first person which usually sucks me in anyway. But there was something about this guy's nature that made me want to root for him and hope he would make the right decisions.
Block has written a lot of books, many of them lengthy series with what I'm told are memorable characters. If this book is a barometer of his works, then I'll be visiting a lot of his stuff in the future.
Block has written a lot of books, many of them lengthy series with what I'm told are memorable characters. If this book is a barometer of his works, then I'll be visiting a lot of his stuff in the future.
May 28, 2008
With reprints like this one, Hard Case Crime fulfills its mission in the universe. Lucky at Cards by Lawrence Block was originally published in 1964 as The Sex Shuffle by Sheldon Lord. The original title was terrible, and the pseudonym was not even to specific to Block--it was a name used by several writers. In sum, this book might easily have fallen forever out of print, which would have been a shame. Lucky at Cards mines familiar territory with a great deal of skill: The book's narrator is a cardsharp who plots a score that could allow him to retire, and Block does a fine job of humanizing a character who, in other hands, might have seemed despicable and nothing more. After five (!) stinkers in a row (The Last Quarry, The Guns of Heaven, The Last Match, Grave Descend, and The Peddler), Hard Case Crime renews my faith--at least for now.
January 28, 2009
What's not to love about this book. Vintage Block. A card sharp winds up in a small town to get his teeth fixed, gets in a card game where he uses his card skills to win some money, is recognized as a card shark by the host's beautiful wife who wants out of her marriage, they conspire, but the card shark falls for a local school teacher and the con begins to collapse around him. Sounds hokey, but in Black's deft hand, it works, and you keep reading. The book was first written under a different name in the sixties and my goodness it's astonishing how much smoking everyone did. Not a great book, obviously, but a good fun read. My hat's off to Hard Case Crime books for bringing many of these books back into print.
March 7, 2010
Block's 2 books in the hard case crime series have been a welcome surprise the last couple of days. There is not much that is distinct from noir traditions here, but Block fuses things together pretty well and paces the text pretty quickly - the rhythm carries you through, the language is fresh/snappy enough, or at last aware of itself. I would recommend checking Block out - starting with Grifter's Game and if you dig it come back to this one.
I'm a little scared of the many other Block texts (Burglar who read Spinoza for example. or that whole series, i am curious if they are worth any time tyhough....)
I'm a little scared of the many other Block texts (Burglar who read Spinoza for example. or that whole series, i am curious if they are worth any time tyhough....)
January 8, 2011
This book was written in the early sixties, at the beginning of his career, and it shows. If you are a Block fan, and are interested in how he developed as a writer, I highly recommend this book. Additionally, if you are interested in, or like, the thriller style that was popular in the 50's and 60's then this book is for you. The plotting, with a good twist at the end, is well done and his writing style was doing really well, even then. My only problems are that his characters were unbelievable for me (or to state more clearly: I wasn't able to suspend my disbelief) and I felt the sex scenes gratuitous. Still ... I enjoyed it.
August 24, 2011
Lucky at cards, unlucky in love.
Nothing more than your standard pulp fare ala 50's crime novel, but what sets this apart from other Block novels is that this book felt right. It felt like it just rolled off his tongue, off his fingertips, like the short con with a shell game. It's a bunch of bullshit but you eat it up because it's believable ( as opposed to some of his other character novels ).
Block was born to churn out these types of novels- ones featuring femme fatale, a mark and the con man. It's not so much noir as pulp because there's no art to it. This book is pure entertainment and delivers that in spades.
Nothing more than your standard pulp fare ala 50's crime novel, but what sets this apart from other Block novels is that this book felt right. It felt like it just rolled off his tongue, off his fingertips, like the short con with a shell game. It's a bunch of bullshit but you eat it up because it's believable ( as opposed to some of his other character novels ).
Block was born to churn out these types of novels- ones featuring femme fatale, a mark and the con man. It's not so much noir as pulp because there's no art to it. This book is pure entertainment and delivers that in spades.
June 13, 2014
An original Block from 4 years before I was even born, this one has a sizeable dollop of the Pulp approach that you'd expect from Hard Case Crime (read: more sex scenes than the story really needs, and an almost absolute absence of characterisation beyond the 4 principals) but it's still a Brilliant piece of writing. It shines in the simplicity and yet engagement of the story. It makes you want to know "What happens next," and then - having give you over 200 pages of hard boiled cynicism - it reveals a heart of pure romanticism. I liked it, but then I'm a sucker for bad boys, girls, losers and thugs, so what's not to like..?
September 9, 2014
A quick read with a lot of decent twists. The last couple of chapters seem a little rushed through, but they're not the most important ones anyway.
I did enjoy that this book had one of the few happy endings that didn't make me feel annoyed. The "good girl" character is drawn well enough that you are happy for the narrator's choices more than you aren't left feeling like the narrator's decisions are a cop-out, and it satisfies a certain romantic aspect, even if it is only because the ideal of the era it was written in 50 years ago is the only one in which you can imagine said good girl driving off into the sunset with an idiotic criminal with no certain vision of the future.
I did enjoy that this book had one of the few happy endings that didn't make me feel annoyed. The "good girl" character is drawn well enough that you are happy for the narrator's choices more than you aren't left feeling like the narrator's decisions are a cop-out, and it satisfies a certain romantic aspect, even if it is only because the ideal of the era it was written in 50 years ago is the only one in which you can imagine said good girl driving off into the sunset with an idiotic criminal with no certain vision of the future.
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