Rating: 
Summary: suckers bet
Review: Jim Swain has another hit on his hands. This is the third book on the character Tony Valentine. With the the twist and turns you can't put it down. The way Jim brings in the cast of character is masterful. Especialy Mr. B. You'll have to read the book to see who this one is.
Can't wait for the next one.
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: gritty yet humorous wild tale
Review: On the Micanopy Indian Reservation in the Florida Everglades, Nigel Moon, a former drummer for an English rock band, won eighty-four hands of blackjack in a row. The dealer, Jack Lightfoot, did it on purpose at the instructions of his partner Rico Blanco who intends to run a scam using Moon's money. The chief of the tribe Running Bear is watching the security tapes but can't see how this scam went down so in desperation he calls in a consultant. Tony Valentine, founder and president of Grift Sense, finds the cheaters who try to rip off the casinos. He has a lot of experience doing that because he used to work as a police officer in Atlantic City when gambling was first legalized there. When he arrives on the reservation he figures out how the scam was run but a quick job soon gets very complicated as he becomes involved in tribunal justice and stopping Rico's scam. Along the way, he wrestles alligators, gets shot at and is almost killed by an out-of-control Rico, owing his life to a super intelligent monkey. If this book sounds a bit crazy, that is because it is a typical James Swain gritty yet humorous wild tale that also educates the readers in the ways a con artist can rip off a casino. The protagonist is a sixty-something year old honorable man who always stays true to his principles and values even if it makes him seem rigid to all the lesser mortals. SUCKER BET is a sure bet. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: BLACKJACK !
Review: Once again Jim Swaim delivers with a great study of the grimy underbelly of the gambling world. Swaim understands the casino business like no other writer and manages to put a fascinating spin on this interesting topic. This is one of those reads that you just can't put down - I found myself being the last one to leave the plane so I could just get through one more chapter ! Tony Valentine delivers in an almost "Columbo" fashion as the sharpest gumshoe in the casino world with a very colorful personal life. I can't wait to see what mess Swaim manages to get Valentine involved in on the next one. A MUST READ !
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).
Rating:
Summary: Damn Funny
Review: This book is one of the funniest I've read in long time. The story takes place in South Florida, and the characters and settings feel real. Especially enjoyable is the relationship between the protagonist, Tony Valentine, and his misfit son, Gerry. The laughs are never forced, or punch-lines to tired jokes. The author knows a lot about crooked gambling and scams. He is also adept at fleshing out why criminals commit these crimes, and how greed permeates the gambling business. Opening the pages to this book is like stepping into a different world.
Rating:
Summary: Can' Put It Down
Review: This is one of the most well written, exciting books I have read in years. Swain really understands the people he is writing about.
Rating:
Summary: Another Spinner From Swain
Review: Tony Valentine's shuffle from the glitter of Vegas (Grift Sense) and Atlantic City (Funny Money) to an Indian Sawdust Joint of South Florida, continues to pay-out big for fans of James Swain. His realistic portrayals of the personas and the scams make for an incredibly fast, enjoyable read. The only thing I hate is waiting a year between releases! Deal me another, and soon!
Rating:
Summary: Good Time
Review: You gotta read this it's really funny. I love scams and gambling stories and this one is perfect. I can't wait for another book by this author.
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