Rating: 
Summary: FUNNY MONEY
Review: "FUNNY MONEY" IS FAST AND ENTERTAINING. I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN. TONY VALENTINE, WHAT A GREAT CHARACTER. I HAVE ONLY ONE QUESTION WHEN IS THE NEXT ONE COMING OUT?
Rating: 
Summary: Mystery in the World of Gambling
Review: A true education of the world of gambling from a master of the cards himself- a professional magician and gambling expert - Swain fools the reader again and again as the mystery unravels. This is James Swain's second book featuring Tony Valentine, an intelligent ex-cop (retired) who worked Atlantic City when he was on the force, and became an expert in casino crime over the years. Now he catches casino cheaters for a living. I found this novel to be fast paced, witty, funny, and addictive. The first Tony Valentine book, Grift Sense, was a great read, too, introducing the reader to his deadbeat son, Gerry, and caring neighbor Mabel. Swain has created characters who are genuine, well-rounded, flaws and all. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of deceit taking place in Valentine's hometown, Atlantic City. Once again, the writing was crisp, concise and witty. Swain writes with a subtle, somewhat sarcastic sense of humor. In the same style as Grift Sense, there were so many plot twists, your head will spin! Over and over, I was absolutely sure "who dunnit", only to find I was wrong every time! I am looking forward to reading the third book, newly released, Sucker Bet.
Rating:
Summary: Mystery in the World of Gambling
Review: A true education of the world of gambling from a master of the cards himself- a professional magician and gambling expert - Swain fools the reader again and again as the mystery unravels. This is James Swain's second book featuring Tony Valentine, an intelligent ex-cop (retired) who worked Atlantic City when he was on the force, and became an expert in casino crime over the years. Now he catches casino cheaters for a living. I found this novel to be fast paced, witty, funny, and addictive. The first Tony Valentine book, Grift Sense, was a great read, too, introducing the reader to his deadbeat son, Gerry, and caring neighbor Mabel. Swain has created characters who are genuine, well-rounded, flaws and all. I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of deceit taking place in Valentine's hometown, Atlantic City. Once again, the writing was crisp, concise and witty. Swain writes with a subtle, somewhat sarcastic sense of humor. In the same style as Grift Sense, there were so many plot twists, your head will spin! Over and over, I was absolutely sure "who dunnit", only to find I was wrong every time! I am looking forward to reading the third book, newly released, Sucker Bet.
Rating:
Summary: Tony Valentine in New Jersey
Review: Archie Tanner is the disgusting owner of the Bombay Casino in Atlantic City. His blackjack tables get ripped off and he hires Doyle Flanagan to find the crossroaders (cheaters). But Flanagan gets killed before he gets very far. So Frank Porter, chief of surveillance of the casino, hires Tony Valentine to finish the job. Valentine is an old friend of Flanagan?s and sets out to revenge his murder. First suspect is ?The European?, and then there is a white panel truck. Enter a group of Croatians who cheat, but Valentine cannot figure out how they do it. But he gets close to Anna Ravic, one of their members and slowly unwinds the mystery. He is helped by detective Davis. Another helper is Kat Berman, a professional wrestler. A side story deals with Valentine?s son Gerry and the trouble he has with the Mafia connected Mollo brothers.Before the story?s end, all the bad guys are taken care of and the rip-off is explained in somewhat confusing terms. While Mr. Swain wrote this book as a sequel to his ?Grift Sense?, it is not as clearly written and the casino action can be a bit silly. Yet it is a book full of good humor and interesting characters.
Rating: 
Summary: Elmore Leonard lite.
Review: Ex-cop Tony Valentine is able to spot a casino cheat a mile away. That particular skill comes in very handy when he returns to Atlantic City to avenge the death of his friend and former partner who has been murdered while investigating a blackjack scammer known only as "the European". A great starting point for a detective story if there ever was one. Unfortunately, Funny Money fails to make the most of this terrific premise.
Before I list my criticisms, let me first say that James Swain deserves credit for writing a book that is extremely readable. Chapter after chapter just sails by. Also, the Tony Valentine character is well nuanced with a number of interesting attributes.
Most of the other characters, I'm sorry to say, are not nearly as well developed, making it hard for the reader to get a feel for them. In fact, some of the crooks are nothing more than one dimensional stereotypes.
The story itself seemed to be cobbled together rather haphazardly with little attention paid to smooth plot developement. And since so many of the characters, from the casino owner on down, are involved in something shady, the reader rapidly loses interest in finding out which of the multiple rip-offs resulted in Tony's partner's untimely death.
Funny Money provides a rare look into the fascinating world of casino gambling. There are a number of clever lines and some of the situations are entertaining. But ultimately, the book disappoints because of a failure to use interesting, believable characters to tell an engaging story.
Rating:
Summary: Elmore Leonard lite.
Review: Ex-cop Tony Valentine is able to spot a casino cheat a mile away. That particular skill comes in very handy when he returns to Atlantic City to avenge the death of his friend and former partner who has been murdered while investigating a blackjack scammer known only as "the European". A great starting point for a detective story if there ever was one. Unfortunately, Funny Money fails to make the most of this terrific premise.
Before I list my criticisms, let me first say that James Swain deserves credit for writing a book that is extremely readable. Chapter after chapter just sails by. Also, the Tony Valentine character is well nuanced with a number of interesting attributes.
Most of the other characters, I'm sorry to say, are not nearly as well developed, making it hard for the reader to get a feel for them. In fact, some of the crooks are nothing more than one dimensional stereotypes.
The story itself seemed to be cobbled together rather haphazardly with little attention paid to smooth plot developement. And since so many of the characters, from the casino owner on down, are involved in something shady, the reader rapidly loses interest in finding out which of the multiple rip-offs resulted in Tony's partner's untimely death.
Funny Money provides a rare look into the fascinating world of casino gambling. There are a number of clever lines and some of the situations are entertaining. But ultimately, the book disappoints because of a failure to use interesting, believable characters to tell an engaging story.
Rating:
Summary: Take a seat...
Review: for a chance to play in a fun game. A well told tale in which the reader is entertained and learns a little about cheating. I'll be back for another game.
Rating:
Summary: Enthusiastically recommended as a zesty, razor-edge mystery
Review: Funny Money by James Swain is the latest in a series of superbly written mystery novels featuring Tony Valentine, a cop specializing in casino cheats and who has seen the so much of the shady side of humanity that he is almost ready to renounce his membership in the species. When his ex-partner dies from a car bomb, Tony Valentine takes it on himself to learn just who killed his friend and why - a follows a trail that leads through $6 million dollar blackjack scams, double and triple crosses, and the dank streets of Atlantic City. Funny Money is enthusiastically recommended as a zesty, razor-edge mystery.
Rating:
Summary: Revenge Tale
Review: Funny Money is a classic tale of revenge, told with a backdrop of casino cheating and greed in Atlantic City. The main character, Tony Valentine, is a terrific departure from the usual mystery series protagonist, and the supporting cast is equally fine. Instead of following the usual made-for-TV-movie formula, the author weaves in many clever plot twists and unusual character developments. This was truly a fun read.
Rating:
Summary: Revenge Tale
Review: Funny Money is a classic tale of revenge, told with a backdrop of casino cheating and greed in Atlantic City. The main character, Tony Valentine, is a terrific departure from the usual mystery series protagonist, and the supporting cast is equally fine. Instead of following the usual made-for-TV-movie formula, the author weaves in many clever plot twists and unusual character developments. This was truly a fun read.
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