Rating: 
Summary: Desert Dessert
Review: A great mystery or thriller is really about something else. Here Swain explores the mysteries of fatherhood from cradle to adulthood within the context of another primer on casino crime and the War against Terror.
Jerry, Tony's son, has gone to Vegas to learn how to count cards at a shadowy school for cheats. Nick surmises that Tony's purpose was not only to help teach Jerry how to catch cheaters but to see how well he was able to resist the temptations of cheating. By all objective standards Jerry can't, falling in with a couple of Middle-Eastern card counters with more than larceny on their minds.
Tony arrives in Vegas to teach three casino operators about a new Palm Pocket-like device called a Deadlock that can dramatically change the odds in the bettor's favor. Once there he becomes wrapped up in a new love interest as well as failing fortunes of Nick, whose Acropolis casino is rapidly heading for the dustbin of history. When Jerry's companions attract the attention of the FBI, the usually fast paced Swain slips into hyper drive. Then the tale rockets along to a thrilling climax in the desert suburbs.
This series may well be the most important new arrival since Michael Connelly and Harry Bosch made their debut. It's pure pleasure from start to finish.
Rating:
Summary: great storyteller who never bored me.
Review: all of his creations are so juicy. the writing, the character creations, the dialogue, the plot, the scenario....all too good to be ignored. just wish more readers would seek out this fantastic writer and his full-of-fun books. blessed are those who like me addicted to mr swaine's stories. god bless.
Rating: 
Summary: Good but not the best Tony Valentine
Review: Ex-cop and private investigator Tony Valentine is in Las Vegas checking up on the latest gambling scams. He finds plenty of crooks and con-men working their trade, but something more serious is going on. Tony becomes a suspect in the murder of a stripper, his home back in Florida is invaded by FBI agents who think that the Patriot Act allows them to enter homes without a search warrant, and his son disappears from sight. First, Tony has to save his friend's casino which is under attack from a career criminal who just may be working with the FBI, then he has to deal with a middle eastern terrorist threat. Author James Swain is at his best when he's dealing with the fascinating world of professional gambling and the eternal war between cheaters and the professionals who try to stop them. Aging ex-cop Valentine, with his problems with his son and his conflicted feelings about women makes an intriguing hero. For me, though, LOADED DICE felt like two books mashed together. On the one hand, we have the fascinating problem of Nick Nicocropolis and his casino under attack. On the other, a superhero vs. the evil terrorist subplot. Either one could have worked. By putting them both in a relatively short mystery, Swain ended up shortcharging both of them. Swain's strong writing and the information about gambling, cheating, and catching crooks definitely makes LOADED DICE worth reading. For me, though, this is not the strongest of the very nice Tony Valentine series.
Rating:
Summary: A Compelling Narrative and an Irresistible Work
Review: I believe that the hallmark of a good book --- of a good writer --- is the ability to attract, and hold, a reader who has little or no interest in the core subject matter. James Swain, by this definition, is an excellent writer. I have little interest in or understanding of gambling, yet Swain's Tony Valentine novels, set against the backdrop of the gambling industry, are on my must-read list. Swain's knowledge of not only the nuts and bolts of the gaming industry but also of its history would be enough to hold one's interest, whether one is familiar with the relative value of poker chips or not. Swain's ability to weave this knowledge into a plausible situation while presenting his story in a compelling narrative makes his work irresistible. Tony Valentine is a gaming consultant who is retained by casinos to identify grifters and the methods that they employ. LOADED DICE finds Valentine returning to Las Vegas for a twofold purpose. One is to demonstrate Deadlock, a computerized device that card cheats are using to rake in illegitimate blackjack pots. The other is Valentine's son, Gerry. Gerry, who has had a number of ups and downs, is in Las Vegas and attending a gambling school in order to learn the science of card counting so that he can assist Valentine in his consulting business. Gerry, however, has gone AWOL, and Valentine fears that he is on an illegal frolic of his own. Indeed, Gerry has fallen in with two of his fellow students, brothers whose intentions are far more nefarious than cheating at gambling. While trying to ascertain Gerry's whereabouts, Valentine uncovers an ingenious plot by the owners of a string of casinos to bankrupt another house. Valentine finds himself racing along twin tracks, trying to save a casino while extricating his son from a situation that is on the brink of creating havoc on the city of Las Vegas and its residents. Swain does an excellent job of explaining the ins and outs not only of casino gambling but also of casino management. What is especially impressive about Swain is that his narrative never lurches to a grinding halt while a particular aspect of his subject matter is explained. Swain seamlessly incorporates his explanation, frequently with the use of anecdotes, into the narrative. As a result the reader learns the meaning of the term "past-posting," finds out what a "sawdust joint" is, and discovers that "four-walling" is a tough way to earn a living. Swain also pulls off the neat trick of bringing a noir feel and atmosphere to Las Vegas, that most brightly illuminated of American cities. Yet LOADED DICE is not your typical thriller. Valentine is in his sixties, but he has aged well, to say the least. For those of us who are closer to that chronological benchmark than we like to admit, it's gratifying to read a series that presents a senior citizen who is able to show the younger set how the job gets done. LOADED DICE is also, perhaps most importantly, a story of forgiveness and redemption, of second and even third chances, of mistakes and corrections. There is something for everyone in LOADED DICE. Swain has, over the short course of a few novels (this is his fourth), created a memorable and riveting series and character. Don't miss LOADED DICE, or Swain. --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Rating: 
Summary: Viva Las Vegas.
Review: In this the 4th installment of the Tony Valentine series, James Swain expands his horizons by incorporating subject matter related to international terrorism. A wise move. Because, let's face it, after a while the different ways of cheating at cards begin to sound very much alike to readers not intimately familiar with the gaming life.
Loaded Dice takes place in Las Vegas, the site of the first Tony Valentine novel, Grift Sense. And some of the same colorful, interesting characters introduced in that book reappear.
There are a number of engaging subplots which simultaneously unfold over a very short period of time. Tony uses his brains, brawn, agility, computer skills and marksmanship to save the day on several occasions. Not bad for a guy who, in one more year, will be eligible for Medicare.
This is a very entertaining, tightly written novel. And like Swain's 3 other Tony Valentine books, it is extremely readable.
Rating:
Summary: Swain Rolls Sevens- Again
Review: Jim Swain's latest Tony Valentine novel sees a return to the scene of the crime - Las Vegas. It starts, like any good mystery, with a dead body. The action vectors off at warp speed from there. Swain mixes the usual casino scams, hustles and card-counting grifters with some geo-political thrills taken from the headlines involving terrorists. The reader will learn all he or she needs to know about casino security, while following the clever trail of double-crosses, vengeful lovers, and misguided Homeland Security agents. There are also familiar faces as well: Mabel, his (platonic?) love interest/next door neighbor/ employee; Gerry, the son whose striving for paternal approval always leads to trouble; and Nick the much-married casino owner who needs Tony's help yet again. Best of all, Mr Beauregard, the psychic chimp, puts in a cameo. All in all, a satisfying installment in what promises to be a long-running series.
Rating:
Summary: Another lovely mystery for Tony Valentine
Review: Loaded Dice is yet another winner in the Tony Valentine series from gifted author and gambling expert James Swain. Valentine is a consultant to most of the big casinos; like his creator, he knows all the ins and outs of games of chance and the ways of ripping them off. In Loaded Dice, Tony is again called to Las Vegas to help figure out how a mammoth casino is being cheated of millions of dollars. He's also determined to once and for all help his wayward son escape from the perpetual mess of a life that he has gotten himself into. Swain's knowledge is so comprehensive that it alone would be enough to make his books interesting to read. Combine that with his considerable skills as a writer, though, and it's easy to see why his stories so entertaining and readable. Even though the subplot involving Al Qaeda terrorists feels tacked on, rather than an organic part of the story, the rest of the narrative, especially the wonderful characters and dialogue, is truly top-notch. Reviewed by David Montgomery, Mystery Ink
Rating:
Summary: You might get hooked
Review: Swain includes as one of his characters in this a compulsive gambler, always looking for the repeat of the one big win. I'm always digging through the back volumes of series novels looking for the winner.I guess many of us are compulsive readers who do such hunting; I, for one got hooked on Sucker Bet, the second in the Tony Valentine series. Here was a promising, fresh new series, and not much of a backtrail if I wanted to get to know a little about the character's previous exploits - only Grift Sense. Looking at Loaded Dice in light of the previous novels, it's clear that Swain has not reached the goalposts, but he still has an entertaining run ahead of him, and maybe the blockbuster. Past characters are building nicely and he has avoided some of the dangers of serial repetitive plotting. Some readers may find the terrorist plot a bit of a stretch, others who are only into the casino process aspects may find those a little less in the fore ( maybe the other novels have removed some of the novelty from Valentine's solving the scams), and then there is Gerry, Valentine's neer-do-well son working as his father's not too able assistant, and who promises again to reform. Most parents recognize the scene. Will anything come of it? Well the next installment might reveal what kind of skill Swain has in escaping this paternal trap.
All of this is by way of saying that Loaded Dice is a good step along the path of a long running series which promises a lot of entertainment and a bit of insight. Then too I guess I sort of identify with a sixty year old, semi retired hero. I' ve become a little dulled by the never aging Florida heroes. This is fun reading, spend a buck or two and enjoy. Just watch out, you might end up reading all four of these.
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Summary: Tony Valentine Gets Mean
Review: This is the 4th book in the Tony Valentine series, a series that gives us a private investigator story with a twist that makes it a little special. So what gives the series that little something special? Well actually, it's a couple of things. The first is that Tony Valentine is a 64 year old retired cop, an unusually advanced age for the protagonist of a hardboiled private investigator series bringing with it a completely different perspective than his younger, less experience counterparts. The second is that Valentine specialises in a very specific, but very fascinating field. He runs an agency as a consultant to the country's casinos. When it comes to spotting a cheat or a scam in action he has no peer, an ability known as Grift Sense, and is constantly fielding calls from desperate casinos asking him for help. Before his first day back in Las Vegas is out, Valentine has saved a woman from committing suicide, renewed his acquaintance with the owner of the Acropolis Resort and Casino (scene of GRIFT SENSE), become a suspect in a murder, fought off an intruder in his hotel room and identified numerous scams both over the phone and after watching security video. Not bad for an old guy. But this is just a precursor to the main event that is to come when he identifies an old adversary he assumed was still in prison. Meanwhile, his son Gerry is up to his old tricks again, mixing with the wrong crowd and looking to make a fast buck. What starts out as a card-counting hustle turns into a much larger, much more life threatening proposition for Gerry Valentine. It's just as well for him that Tony is close at hand and has the connections to mount some sort of rescue operation. What isn't so certain is whether Tony's efforts will be enough to save Gerry's life. I think I may have made a misjudgement of the Tony Valentine persona and hence, the overall tone of the series while reading the earlier books. I placed the series on the lighter side of hardboiled thanks to the lightness in tone in which it is told and the many pithy observations made by Valentine as he makes his way from casino to casino and one gambling city to another. During LOADED DICE it became blindingly obvious that what I took to be light-hearted witticisms can more accurately be diagnosed as observations made by a world-weary ex-cop. As the series has progressed Valentine has become a tougher character to go with his already established genius when it comes to spotting a scam. In LOADED DICE he displays a ruthlessness that caught me unprepared considering his usually more passive responses to confrontation. This book was certainly given a much harder edge than the earlier ones; an edge that increases the level of action and paints Valentine as a more gritty character than I first credited him with being. The appeal that the Tony Valentine books have for me comes from the many cheats, cons and scams that are uncovered and explained throughout each book. Many of them have nothing to do with the main story, but are added as part of Valentine's day to day duties as a consultant. These sidelights are highly entertaining and are combined with a compelling thriller that turns out to be very relevant to recent terrorist events.
Rating:
Summary: HOT AS A PAIR OF LOADED DICE
Review: Tony Valentine,scam buster, accepts an assingnment in las vegas and draws a hand he never expected:a boy friend bent on revenge,a missing son and a lifetime freind being squeezed by a master criminal named Frank Fontaine.Tony knows he should fold but decides to stay for one more card.
He saves a would be suicide named Lois Price and finds Lois is an unwilling centerpiece in a billion dollar hustle.Meanwhile his son Gerry hooks up with a duo of unlikely card cheats and the F.B.I.is hot on Gerrys tail.For card cheating?Tony suspects that the game he is in involves a lot more then money.The appearance of Fontaine,who should be in prison,ripping off his pal Nick Nicropolis's casino tells tony his suspicions are justified.Who has the juice to spring fontaine and why bother?
With Pete Longo, an ex cop on his tail,convinced that tony killed his girl and his son calling for help from an undisclosed location Tony starts to unravel the truth.Piece by piece he finds himself drawn into a deadly game of murder, treachery , and greed that threatens tony,his son and the city of Las Vegas.Racing against time Tony struggles to prevent an unspeakable tragedy but the odds are against him.Has his luck run out?
Written with the pulse of Las Vegas beating beneath the surface,LOADED DICE,is an adrenalin rush as powerful and surprising as hitting a million dollar jackpot.If you crave an exciting adventure told by a writer who knows all their is to know about Las Vegas this book is a real find.A must read mystery.
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