Rating: 
Summary: Swain's 3rd novel hits the jackpot again
Review: I have to admit that I set out wanting to like this book, as the previous two in the Tony Valentine series, Grift Sense and Funny Money, were both winners. But Swain has really hit his stride with his 3rd outing. I think the best review I could give would be a direct quote from the book's cover, and it comes from none other than Michael Connelly: "Wow, what a discovery! James Swain is the best new writer I have come across in a long, long time. Sucker Bet is wonderful. It snaps with the gritty feel of the truth. Swain has carefully added all of the ingredients: tragedy, humor, action and, most of all, a cast of characters that would make Elmore Leonard's mouth water." Grab this one, you won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: [bad] Read
Review: I love quirky detective fiction. I dig fun and hip characters. I enjoy a great twister of a plot. This book is a letdown in all of these areas and more. Fist of all, it is a very poorly written book. The imagery is tired and the dialogue is flat. The plot unfolds haphazardly with very little direction or emphasis. It comes off as a poor writer trying to imitate other more talented authors and failing. The book has a lot of potential but doesn't pay off in any respects, pretty much like my last few trips to Vegas. Just stay away from this one, it's a bad read.
Rating:
Summary: A Magnificent Con
Review: I read this book in one sitting, and found it impossible to put down. The characters are a treat, the dialogue first rate, and the descriptions of cons and scams as much fun as seeing The Sting for the first time. The author has come up with an original premise, and a great cast to help pull it off.
Rating:
Summary: Paul Cummins
Review: I thought Grift Sense was GREAT. I thought Funny Money was better. Now along comes Swain with another winner in Sucker Bet. Female wrestlers and alligators on the prowl; blackjack and casino cheating scams; colorful and idiosycnratic characters; a guitar strumming ape with apparent psychic abilities; and Tony Valentine, the master at figuring out the schemes and scams perpetrated on the casinos of the world. It's a great book that I couldn't put down. I hope they make movies out of them. I hope hope Swain has 10 more of them coming down the pike. I can't wait for more!
Rating: 
Summary: A "Soft Hand" not a "Hard Hand"
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: bad book
Review: It is hard to believe how unremitingly bad this book is. The author gets it all wrong from the start with cartoonish characters, a thin plot and one silly situation after another. Every minor detail is wrong from the college basketball game having four quarters to the incorrect discussion of blackjack - hard to believe with the ease of researching over the webt. This thrown together book must not have had an editor. The injected quirkiness always rings falsely and makes it clear the author is attempting to rip-off Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiiasen to pick up their fans. A suggest Mr Swain try writing with his own voice as that could not possibly be worse than what he did here.
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.
Rating:
Summary: Bring me more Valentine
Review: Jim Swain has a terrific knack for making Tony Valentine more an more exciting and interesting. I just spent the weekend reading Funny Money and then Sucker Bet. I wish his fourth book was already out so that I could keep going. Swain's knowlege of cards and gambling is clear. You really feel like your following an insider through the exciting parts of the casino world. Catch his book signing tour with Michael Connelly if you can. The're a great pair.
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