Rating: 
Summary: What book are they reading????
Review: I had to write this review after reading the total non-sense the people granting one star had to say. Most of them had problems with the technical aspects of the book. As a gambler and person who is 'in the know' Swain is dead on. With only very minor uses of artistic freedom... after all it is fiction! All of that aside it was one of the most pleasant reads I have had in years. And I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Rating:
Summary: Grift Sense AKA True Sense
Review: I just finished Grift Sense by Jim Swain. Being a fan of Las Vegas, Gambling and magic the book rings true in the detail. Mr. Swain has done his homework. I very much am looking forward to the next book. If you like gambling, con men and Vegas this is a book for you.
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: I just finished reading this book and I have to say I really enjoyed it.
The story introduces us to Tony Valentine an ex New Jersey cop who now owns the consulting firm Grift Sense. Tony is 62, his wife has passed away, his relationship with his son is strained and he's a little confused about his life.
I'm writing this review because I don't understand why other reviewers gave the book one star, it's worthy of much more than that.
The story is absorbing and the characters are great. I'm going out tonight to buy the next book in the series.
Rating:
Summary: "Grift Sense" hits the jackpot
Review: I must admit that I approached Swain's first novel with very high expectations. I'd happened on Kirkus Review's April 15th review of the book, wherein they evoked the name of one of my personal favorites, Elmore Leonard. When a review states that a novel's "fast pace, zany humor, and genuine warmth recall the South Florida school of Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiaassen, and Laurence Shames, I expect plenty. I got that and much more: "Grift Sense" reads like Swain's already a seasoned pro of the crime/mystery genre, packing it with enough inside information of the workings of Vegas and casinos to convince me that either a heist like this could happen, or has already been attempted. The comparison to Leonard was right on the money: the author's wiseguy humor is never stilted, but crisp and fresh, as good as a Sopranos episode. Characters are as well developed as the plot, which, although intricate, is never confusing, a minor miracle in and of itself. And like Leonard's dialog, you can tell who's speaking without the characters being identified by name. If (or preferably when) this gets made into a movie, they should just lift the lines straight from the book. Here is one of those books with such vivid, well-etched and original characters, especially protagonist Tony Valentine, that you truly don't want it to end. Best part about the book for me? The cover, which states: "Introducing Tony Valentine." Which means there will be more of Valentine, and hopefully, alot more. I know I'll be first in line when Swain's next novel of the series comes out.
Rating: 
Summary: grift sense
Review: I really enjoyed Swain's story of a retired cop who returns to Vegas to help capture a master con man. Swain's mix of Vegas and plot twists made it a very hard book to put down. I did not see the ending coming. Great job!
Rating: 
Summary: Great mix of Vegas and Mystery
Review: I really enjoyed Swain's story of a retired cop who returns to Vegas to help capture a master con man. Swain's mix of Vegas and plot twists made it a very hard book to put down. I did not see the ending coming. Great job!
Rating:
Summary: Good Humor, Nice Flow for first of series
Review: I really enjoyed this book. I read 2-3 books a week. This one kept my attention. When I review a book I ask, Did it keep my interest? Does it have humor? Is it well written? Does the ending have resolve? I answered yes to all these questions after reading Grift Sense.
This is the first of a series of 4. The author is also an expert on gambling. You could tell. The main character, Valentine, is likeable and funny. I can't wait to read the next one.
Rating:
Summary: A Decent Stroll Down the Strip
Review: if you're looking for a passable convoluted crime caper a la Elmore Leonard, set amidst the flashing lights of Vegas, look no further. This first in a projected series introduces Tony Valentine, a 62-year-old ex-cop who now works as a security consultant to casinos. His weapon is experience, his computerized database of hustlers, some judo, and the "grift sense" of the title-the ability to sense a scam. All of these serve him well as he gets called in to figure out how one the strip's seediest casinos keeps getting taken at blackjack by one man. A somewhat clumsy prologue foreshadows the discovery that the hustler is in fact renown in the casino world-and thought to be dead. From there it's a fairly average tale of rip-offs, tip-offs, and double crosses as Valentine tries to help his scuzzy employer get hit for a big score. The characters are one's we've all seen before-mostly from Vegas movies like Casino, Hard Eight, and Ocean's Eleven-a veritable lineup of idiosyncratic goons, scummy lawyers, women on the make, bent cops, reformed hustlers, sloppy lieutenants, wisecracking bartenders, and soforth. That's not to say it's not entertaining, because for the most part it is, it's just nothing particularly new. Swain tries hard to inject a subplot, with Valentine and his estranged son, but it never achieves any resonance of consequence. What is ffresh about the book is the behind the scenes casino security and scam stuff that he builds into the plot. If you're into that kind of thing, it's worth reading just for that.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting-entertaining -unique
Review: In 1998, Acropolis Resort and Casino pit boss Wily hires former cop Tony Valentine to review the tape of a man winning $50,000 at black jack. Wily is positive the man cheated perhaps with the help of his dealer Nola Briggs. While watching the tape, Tony calculates that Frank wins 65-70% of the time regardless of what is dealt. Using the Blackjack Master Program to find trends, Tony learns that a high amount of the winnings defy the odds which are typically less than twenty-five percent with the hands Fran consistently wins with. Though Tony sees Nola enjoys Frank's flirting, he cannot figure out how he or they are cheating. Frank seemingly vanishes, but hotel security boss Sammy had Nola arrested for cheating with a player. Since the Gaming Control Board believes the casino has no case, Wily pleads with Tony to come to Vegas to help them convict Nola. Selecting the lesser of two evils, Tony agrees to come to Vegas in August when he learns his estrange son is flying from New York to reconcile with him in his home in Palm Harbor, Florida. However, once on site investigating the case, Tony will learn that even his slimy son would have been a better choice. GRIFT SENSE is an exciting, very entertaining, and quite unique mystery. The story line is fun as a different side of Las Vegas surfaces. Tony is a great sleuth and the support cast namely his neighbor and those at the casino augment the tale with depth. The odds are very heavy that those readers who enjoy a different type of mystery will want to read James Swain's interesting novel. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: I Bet You'll Like It
Review: In his debut novel, James Swain introduces us to Tony Valentine, a retired cop in his sixties living in Florida. Valentine is an expert in spotting a hustler and his talents are in great demand by casinos all over the country. A particularly perplexing case sees Valentine leave the comforts of home to head for Las Vegas, not Tony's favourite city. The casino security staff knows that a man is cheating at blackjack, but they don't know how and it's for this reason that he's been called in to take a look. Things start going wrong the moment he hits town. He receives a death threat, a dealer from the casino (and suspect in his case) goes missing, and low-lifes from his past begin showing up. Swain has managed to hit upon the winning combination of an interesting subject and a likable protagonist making it a very enjoyable book to read. I found that reading about the intricacies of gambling cheats and how to spot them was fascinating and was very nicely woven into the plot making me want to read more. We are gradually familiarised with the past of Tony Valentine and, in so doing, learn what makes him tick and what ideals are important to him. It becomes very easy to like him and empathise with his character. This is a very worthwhile mystery with a few twists to keep you on your toes. The pace is fast, the characters are likeable and the ending is satisfying. I'm looking forward to reading the next Tony Valentine mystery.
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