Rating: 
Summary: Hang on to your receipt....
Review: Make sure you keep your receipt if you actually purchase this book. You can probably return it for a much more enjoyable book you'll find at the store.To start, some of the situations are sooooo far fetched it's not even believable! The dialog between Tony Valentine and his love interest is ludicrous! It's worse than some soap opera dialog! Another problem is there is no character development. While the author does tell you about them to some extent (not much though with the son and the love interest), it's not enough to make any of them likeable, much less care enough about any of them to finish the book. I grudgingly did finish, hoping for some kind of atonement at the end, something to make my time invested in the book worthwhile, but alas, I was disappointed, as it didn't get any better.
Rating: 
Summary: Turn off the T.V.
Review: Most of the other reviews will tell you what goes on in this novel. If you are like me, you are hunting something in the mystery line to fill up a few hours, so here's my take on why you should spend the few dollars this book will cost you. This is entertainment, pure and simple. A good plot, a dash of humor, likeable characters and just a dash of the real world, or as much as can be expected in the Never-Never-Land of casinos, all delivered in straight forward prose. Some writers can be counted on for the long evenings when nothing but mindless sit coms clutter the airwaves. It's then that a couple of bucks and a visit to my local bookstore seems most attractive. I have added Swain to my "Buy This Author's Books" list.
Rating: 
Summary: funny money
Review: Recently finished Funny Money. I thought it was outstanding!! Was captivating from beginning to end. Couldn't put it down. Swain took it to another level after Grift Sense. Fascinating insight into the casino world with lots of twists and turns. Would make an incredible movie! Keep them coming!!!!
Rating:
Summary: strong investigative story
Review: Retired cop Tony Valentine supplements his pension by exposing grifters at the Las Vegas casinos. He figures he needs the extra income because his son is always hitting him for a "loan" to pay off a questionable debt or two. Tony's former partner Doyle Flanagan is in the same line of work currently employed in Atlantic City. Doyle calls Tony to tell him about his current case involving a six million-dollar scam at the Bombay Casino. While on the phone together, a bomb explodes killing Doyle. Tony takes this personally and decides he must bring his partner's killers to justice, his style. He knows the prime path to identify the murderers is through the Bombay Casino besides which he believes that the corrupt gambling industry needs periodic cleansing so that the mark is not illegally fleeced. The second Tony Valentine tale lives up to the fabulous debut novel, GRIFT SENSE, with a strong investigative story line starring a hard-boiled yet somewhat soft in the middle sleuth whose actions and reactions make James Swain's tale feel excitingly genuine. Tony is the novel with his ambivalent attitude towards his son and his linebacker approach to justice and fairness. Fans of a modern day bruising yet compassionate private detective not afraid to wristlock and kiss lock women wrestlers will relish FUNNY MONEY. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Funny Money pushes Swain Higher
Review: Swain clearly has hit on a fresh topic in mystery novels. Grift Sense was very good. Funny Money is better. Like a fine well aged wine, Tony Valentine is both smooth and complex. His determination is inspiring and draws you in. Swain brings us through a labrynth of twisting scenarios making the book a very fun read. The relationship between Tony and his son is classic.
Swains descriptions of the emotions between them paints a clear picture in your mind putting you right there with them.
Read both Grift Sense and Funny Money and you get the sense that Jim Swain is well on his way to becoming big in the mystery catagory. I loved the story line and the fact that I couldn't put this book down. It's very intriguing to read about gambling scams. Makes you wonder just how much of it is based on actual similar events.
I suspect quite a bit. I can't wait for Book 3.
Rating:
Summary: Hugely entertaining
Review: Swain's Grift Sense was pure pleasure and, happily, he's followed up with a royal flush. The writing is lean, the characters are fully developed (even the dog) and hero Valentine is a believable and sympathetic fellow. Any book that entertains as well as informs is one well worth the cover price. The author's seemingly limitless knowledge of gambling scams makes for fascinating reading. Add to this a hero of sixty-two with a sense of chivalry and a good heart, as well as a fully functioning conscience, and you've got a solid series working. From white-haired neighbor Mabel who takes to her new job as Tony's assistant with believable mental agility to wrestler-love interest Kat, to a trio of hapless inept thugs, the entertainment factor is one hundred percent. Superior plotting skill and great narrative drive make Swain someone to watch.
Very highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Valentine In Atlantic City
Review: This is James Swain's second book and also the second book to feature the remarkable Tony Valentine, a 62 year-old ex-cop whose specialty is detecting casino cheats. A specialty at which he excels. While talking to his ex-partner over the phone he is shocked to hear his partner murdered. His ex-partner was working a case in which particularly clever blackjack cheatswere taking a casino to the cleaners to the tune of millions. And now it seems it had gotten him killed. Valentine immediately flies to Atlantic City where his skills are put to their strictest test ever, with continual life-threatening situations being played out. Once again Swain has written a highly fascinating story featuring a highly fascinating protagonist. The various scams that are described throughout the book provide many interesting moments while a compelling mystery is played out.
Rating: 
Summary: Not on par with his first
Review: Tony Valentine returns as the ex-cop who consults with casinos to stop scams. This time his long-time partner is killed while investigating a rip-off in a New Jersey casino. It turns out there are (at least) two cons going on: one with a gang of casino employees, another with a group of European gamblers. Unfortunately, the cons involve many of Tony's old friends and colleagues; he is not sure who can be trusted and who is trying to kill him. The final result is bittersweet. The tone of this second Tony Valentine book is more somber than the first. The characters are much less interesting than in his debut novel. Swain gives the reader little foundation to feel much connection to Valentine's old friends. His hapless son Gerry is kidnapped and released too many times to count and no revelation of his character explains why his high class fiancée sticks around. This time around Valentine really does seem too old for this kind of thing. Where Swain continues to shine is in the intricacies of his plots. His heists and scams are convoluted and elegant. He still rewards the reader with entertaining insights into the gambling world. While this story is not on par with his first, Swain shows signs of maturing into a more serious writer. I look forward to seeing his humorous and intelligent storylines improve with added compassion and depth.
Rating:
Summary: Move over Elmore, Carl and Raymond!
Review: What a terrific book! Jim Swain writes like Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen. And a bit like Raymond Chandler. I have always loved mysteries that had great plots and zany characters. This book fulfills with a solid mystery and wonderfully kookie characters. Maybe it'll be a movie because it is such an entertaining story. I even learned a bit about how gamblers cheat. A great read!
Rating:
Summary: Hard to put down
Review: While not a devoted fan of the mystery genre, I picked up this book on a whim, and finished it in two sittings. The opening chapter got me hooked, and it was smooth sailing from there. There is a tautness to the writing that is immensely appealing, and I found the Valentine character as credible as any in recent memory. The other characters in the book were equally strong, and believable. The book's plot revolves around two scams (to say any more would spoil the fun) and they are both easy to understand, and, I imagine, are based on the real thing. I could envision these things happening, which adds to the book's enjoyment. The other interesting element was that several of the bad guys end up being quite good, while a number of good people end up being quite bad. Sort of like real life, and a great twist.
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