Rating: 
Summary: Tony's getting better
Review: Continuing character mysteries must improve or they fizzle. Readers want continuity in a character, but gradual revelation and growth are also necessary, still the author must avoid the trap of constantly repeating plot patterns. When the author reveals his character a bit at a time, building upon events and clues dropped in previous works the mystery novel becomes a true pleasure. For example, other Florida based characters, in the novels of White and HAll, demonstrate constancy and change. The reader is in a familiar place but on the edge of something new, empathy and fear neatly balanced. The other side is the excess of formula that became Travis McGee. Swain must watch this trap for his principal.
Tony Valentine, retired Atlantic City police detective, living on Florida's west coast, having spent his career solving casino scams, finds himself recently widowed and has opened a consulting business assisting with difficult to solve cheats. This is an opportunity for exotic settings, different levels of violence/threat and perhaps just a touch too much of the procedure mystery. Certainly, the concentration on blackjack and slots is noticable. Some ventures into roulette and craps seem to promise future adventures. Also the mechanics of the casino operation: cameras, security, count rooms, cashing in and out, etc. are also directions in which the author promises to give us future adventures.
This novel begins with a nice piece of misdirection, Tony and his girlfriend Kat ( meet her in his previous novel Funny Money) are part of a wrestling promo. Events at the Micanopy casino (also on the horizon in the previous novel)will soon interfere. What is the scam and who is really involved will take up the rest of the book. Son Gerry -"Son grow up. Get a Job,"and Gerry's girlfriend Yolanda as well as Tony's neighbor MAbel all reappear. No trusty sidekick yet. Given the Micanopys, the Miami/Everglades setting provides for some local thrillers on the beach and in the swamp. There is a nice twist, as the car-bomb in Funny Money which has carried off a couple thugs suggests to some Miami mobsters that Tony is "connected" and thus must be respected.
This is a fast read. Plot is tighter and better controlled than Funny Money. There is wit and thrills and more than a touch of the believable. having preferred Doc Ford"s relationships to Travis McGee's (Randy White vs John MacDonald) I hope, as the series develops that we do not get into predictable "significant other " dumpin used to keep romantic plots alive. Somehow a well balanced group of characters lends a sense of community .
Rating:
Summary: Lots of action, plenty of laughs.
Review: First of all, let me report some detective work of my own. At the end of chapter 25, Tony Valentine cites an anecdote which fans of the late Dashiell Hammett will undoubtedly recognize. It's a close variation of the famous "Flitcraft story" told by Sam Spade in the Maltese Falcon (the book, not the movie).
The rest of Sucker Bet is, however, quite original. In this the third installment of the Tony Valentine series, author James Swain takes us on a hilariously over the top joyride through South Florida.
The story is a gutsy one. Complex and full of surprises but at the same time not overly convoluted. The plot starts off with Tony Valentine investigating a dishonest blackjack dealer at a low rent Indian casino in the Everglades. But that's only the beginning. Before long, Tony finds he's become involved in a gangster's scheme to make millions from the outcome of a college basketball game.
A lot happens along the way. Tony is attacked by alligators. He exposes a clever way of cheating at blackjack. His beloved neighbor Mabel is taken hostage. And his ne'er do well son, Gerry, cuts short his honeymoon to help his Dad out.
Swain introduces us to a number of really interesting and colorful characters. Candy Hart, the redheaded hooker who falls for her client. Splinters, the Cuban limo driver who doubles as a hitman. Bobby Jewel, the 400 lb bookie and many many more. But perhaps the most unforgettable supporting character is Mr. Beauregard, the ukulele strumming chimpanzee who is smarter and more insightful than most human beings.
Sucker Bet, like Funny Money and Grift Sense before it, is remarkable for its "readability". Page after page and chapter after chapter just flies by.
James Swain is obviously a talented writer. It'll be fun to see what else he has in store.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of action, plenty of laughs.
Review: First of all, let me report some detective work of my own. At the end of chapter 25, Tony Valentine cites an anecdote which fans of the late Dashiell Hammett will undoubtedly recognize. It's a close variation of the famous "Flitcraft story" told by Sam Spade in the Maltese Falcon (the book, not the movie).
The rest of Sucker Bet is, however, quite original. In this the third installment of the Tony Valentine series, author James Swain takes us on a hilariously over the top joyride through South Florida.
The story is a gutsy one. Complex and full of surprises but at the same time not overly convoluted. The plot starts off with Tony Valentine investigating a dishonest blackjack dealer at a low rent Indian casino in the Everglades. But that's only the beginning. Before long, Tony finds he's become involved in a gangster's scheme to make millions from the outcome of a college basketball game.
A lot happens along the way. Tony is attacked by alligators. He exposes a clever way of cheating at blackjack. His beloved neighbor Mabel is taken hostage. And his ne'er do well son, Gerry, cuts short his honeymoon to help his Dad out.
Swain introduces us to a number of really interesting and colorful characters. Candy Hart, the redheaded hooker who falls for her client. Splinters, the Cuban limo driver who doubles as a hitman. Bobby Jewel, the 400 lb bookie and many many more. But perhaps the most unforgettable supporting character is Mr. Beauregard, the ukulele strumming chimpanzee who is smarter and more insightful than most human beings.
Sucker Bet, like Funny Money and Grift Sense before it, is remarkable for its "readability". Page after page and chapter after chapter just flies by.
James Swain is obviously a talented writer. It'll be fun to see what else he has in store.
Rating: 
Summary: You dont Know Great Books If You Haven't read Sucker Bet
Review: For all of you who found this book on a shelf one day and have never heard of James Swain, or Tony Valentine then you lucked out. Tht's exactly how i found this book. I was was browsing, read the back and the next thing i know I cant put it down. What other book has, prostitues, basketball games, alligators, native americans, casinos, blackjack, neighbors named Mabel, and a guy with a name like Tony Valentine. Yet, not only are the themes and ideas great the style is great. Ounce you get through a page your hooked and in suspense. ONE PAGE!!! The fun does'nt stop there though, the whole book is full of wonderful twist and turns so you can never put it down. The good thing is that if you like this book (which I know you will) then you got two more great books coming your way; Grift Sense, and Funny Money, two more wonderful stories about Tony Valentine.
Rating:
Summary: You dont Know Great Books If You Haven't read Sucker Bet
Review: For all of you who found this book on a shelf one day and have never heard of James Swain, or Tony Valentine then you lucked out. Tht's exactly how i found this book. I was was browsing, read the back and the next thing i know I cant put it down. What other book has, prostitues, basketball games, alligators, native americans, casinos, blackjack, neighbors named Mabel, and a guy with a name like Tony Valentine. Yet, not only are the themes and ideas great the style is great. Ounce you get through a page your hooked and in suspense. ONE PAGE!!! The fun does'nt stop there though, the whole book is full of wonderful twist and turns so you can never put it down. The good thing is that if you like this book (which I know you will) then you got two more great books coming your way; Grift Sense, and Funny Money, two more wonderful stories about Tony Valentine.
Rating:
Summary: Grifters, Con Artists and others: The Third Installment
Review: Having read and enjoyed the first two books of this series ("Grift Sense" and "Funny Money") I was really looking forward to reading this one. James Swain has done it again in that he has created another every enjoyable work as well as tying up several loose ends from the first novel. To appreciate this one, you simply have to read the first two so that you get a sense of the story arc that moves throughout all three novels.Using a secondary theme from the previous novel "Funny Money" to great effect, James Swain brings Tony Valentine back. He also brings back his son Gerry, the neighbor Mabel and others while adding a host of eccentric characters that would make Elmore Leonard proud. Once again he relies on his heavy knowledge of gambling and card manipulation to tell another intriguing story with plenty of action and depth. Harry Smooth Stone, head of security for the Micanopy Indian Reservation has a major problem. One of his dealers, Jack Lightfoot, dealt a player 84 winning hands at a Blackjack table. The player was Nigel Moon and the only possible way it could have happened was if the dealer, Jack Lightfoot, was in on it. Sooth Stone wants Valentine not to figure out why the dealer is suddenly missing but how he did it. Valentine begins to work the case and soon figures out that the actions of Jack Lightfoot are the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Valentine follows an increasing violent and convoluted trail to Rico Blanco who once worked for Crime boss John Gotti involved, as well a numerous other characters who are also working their own illegal deals. With millions in an ongoing scam and college basketball at stake, Valentine is soon marked for death as more as more things go wrong and the bad guys start dying. This third novel in the series continues to flesh out the Tony Valentine character as well as further explore the complicated backgrounds of others in his life. It features the tight writing, plotting, occasional humor and eccentric characters found in his first two novels but in considerably more abundance. Much like Robert Ludlum did with his wheels within wheels espionage novels, James Swain novels feature cons within cons at so many levels it becomes a very enjoyable reading experience.
Rating:
Summary: Damn Funny
Review: In Blackjack terminology this novel is a "soft hand" not a "hard hand" and that's good.. Sucker Bet is not the best mystery novel ever written but it certainly is one of the most refreshing mysteries I've read in a long time. Tony Valentine, a gaming consultant who uncovers casino crime, exposes us to a parade of characters, sub-plots and gambling realities. The joy of this read is not in the details of plot but in the development and mix of characters.
Rating:
Summary: Read in 3 days
Review: It's difficult to find free time so I choose my books carefully.
This guy has a fantastic writing style that simply kept me turning pages. Prior reviews draw some of the picture pretty well. I could provide more details but there's plenty below. Reading the book is truly enjoyable. The character development and their individual complexities are just fantastic.
And the book's cover is very cool. I absolutely concur with the other 5 star ratings. This is a great read.
Rating:
Summary: You'd have to be a sucker not to buy this book.
Review: James Swain has done it once again. I've read both Grift Sense and Funny Money, the first two books in this excellent series, and believe me Sucker Bet not only meets my expectations for a new Tony Valentine mystery but exceeds them.
I've read the other reviews for the novel so I'm not going to regurgitate the same info here. I do however want to say that Mr. Swain has absolutely brought Tony (the main character, a retired cop who now runs his own business), Gerry (Tony's son) and Mabel (his neighbor and secretary) to life.
One scene that comes to mind is when Tony goes to the hospital afraid that he's just had a heart attack. Not that it's written about exhaustively but its little things like this that gives a character a life of his/her own.
If you like to read about gambling or private eye's this is a book not to be missed. Other wise read it for the entertainment value. I can't recommend this book or others in the series highly enough.
Rating:
Summary: The Third Tony Valentine Novel Continues a Great Series
Review: James Swain writes fun books. I can't imagine anyone who would not enjoy his latest. It's the third novel featuring Tony Valentine, a retired former cop who now works as a casino consultant catching cheaters. He's a little older than your usual protagonist, but that only makes him more endearing. He's a pretty well developed character as well. His difficulty interacting with his son and his neglect of his caring neighbor show the reader that he is far from perfect. However, what he does is catch cheats, or crossroaders as Swain calls them, and at that, he is very good indeed. Swain's books are worth reading if only for the insight into the world of scams, cheats, and hustlers that he gives us. Each of his three books revolves around Valentine's investigation of a major scam. In Sucker Bet, it begins with a blackjack hustle but moves quickly into a major college sports scandal. While he is investigating, Tony frequently gets calls from worried customers asking him to look at security video or inventory lists and determine how their casino is getting scammed. These little episodes, while not really part of the plot, are some of the best parts of the book. Aside from the scams and grifts, hidden in each of his books is a pretty good mystery too. People end up dead and Tony in drawn in through his inevestigation. As with most novels of this type, Valentine's life and the lives of those he cares about are endangered. While there are better mytery novels out there, few can match the originality of James Swain. Sucker Bet also includes perhaps one of the best characters I've ever read about. He is a chimpanzee named Mr. Beauregard, and he is amazing. I won't give too much away, but if you can keep yourself from laughing when Mr. Beauregard starts his Western "hurry-up" music, you need to lighten up. In all, Sucker Bet is an slightly above average mystery novel with enough good character development, originality, and fun to make it worth reading for almost everyone. It might help to read the others in the series first (Grift Sense, Funny Money) but this could be read as a standalone as well. Swain is a fine novelist and I'm looking forward to more of his work. If you like this one, keep an eye out for the fourth Tony Valentine novel, set in his cop days of the late 70's, due out in 2004.
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