Rating: 
Summary: A winning hand!!
Review: Jim Swain's third Tony Valentine novel, "Sucker Bet," is a treat.Mr. Swain is a gambling expert as well as one the world's foremost card handlers. He has been collecting casino and gambling scams since 18\987. He writes what he knows and delivers a fascinating insight to the social milieu of scams, schemers, hustlers, con men et al. His expertise is evident throughout the book. He peoples the novel with colorful characters. With the gambling backdrop, we see many Runyonesque types. The main recurring cast is solid, believable and three-dimensional. The additional heroes and villains introduced support the primary crew delightfully. The multiple subplots skillfully weave into the main plot...keeping you on your toes and guessing all the way. It is a taut narrative full of engaging language, complete with tragedy, humor and action. Anyone interested in gambling, card playing or a good mystery yarn will appreciate "Sucker Bet." Didjaknow that casino security cameras see thru red clothing?
Rating:
Summary: No walking away from this table
Review: Meet Tony Valentine.
You know him already. He's Nathan Detroit's half-brother, raised over in Jersey by his Italian dad, who gets him a job on the Atlantic City PD to keep him out of trouble. When casinos come to town Tony becomes an expert in economic crime, forsaking the hookers and pimps he busted when he was in Vice.
Now Tony's retired to Florida (where else?) and supplements his pension helping casinos catch the crooks and cheats that are drawn to the action like paparazzi to Madonna. It's a growth business and new casinos are popping up everywhere along with new ways of changing the odds in someone else's favor.
The Micanopy tribe has a problem and gets Tony to drive over from the west coast (Florida, where else?)to catch the cheats. When the guy who hired him puts a gator in his car, Tony realizes that there is more going on than he was engaged to uncover.
Welcome to Tony's world, where character is revealed and discarded as quickly as the turn of a card on the blackjack table. Meet the whales, the suckers (hey, that's you Mr. and Mrs. America!), the dealers, the cheats, the cons and the ex-cons. Step behind the surveillance cameras and rifle through the lockers of dealer-cheaters.
Tony, an unlikely protagonist, is most things your mother warned you not to become. He is loud, garish, moody, and unreliable. But he is honest and smart as a whip. Even if Mom won't like him, you will love him.
Rating:
Summary: His best yet!
Review: The plot develops and flows nicely in Swain's latest book. I think the story in this book is his best so far! Some shady sides of Tony Valentines character are introduced which makes him even more interesting. As usual, Swain's knowledge of the gambling industry shines through and his references to Florida places and events makes the reading fun (especially for the locals). The cover is an eye catcher (a good book for the coffee table).
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