Las Vegas Books

Brian Freeman--just "found" him a few months ago. REALLY enjoy his writing and was afraid #2 wouldn't be as good as #1. No worries--I enjoyed this as much as his first book and have since read his 3rd which continues to not disappoint.

In this follow up to Immoral, Detective Jonathan Stride has left Minnesota for Las Vegas. He's now living with Serena Dial, a detective from Las Vegas that was introduced in Immoral. His new partner is a pre-op transexual named Amanda. Add in a murder from Reno and 2 murders in Las Vegas that merge into one case, which in turn connect to the muirder of a Vegas showgirl from the 1960's. Given all of that this is a very slow read, and I ddin't care about any of the chareters involved. Skip this one.

Can't go wrong with this author!! A quick read, as it is a book you won't want to put down!!!

I picked "Stripped" up from a super market when I was desparate for something to read. WOW! I couldn't put it down and I think he is better than the established "masters of suspense": Patterson, Sandford, Patricia Cornwell. Forget them...here is a new, wonderful writer. I was so impressed that I emailed him and he emailed me back telling me that he was very thankful and for me to spread the word to my friends. Condider this spreading the word. I am ordering his other books.

I finally got around to reading "Stripped" after having read Freeman's initial novel, "Immoral" some time earlier and all I could think was, what took me so long. I enjoy Freeman for his believable characters, his sense of place, and his ability to turn a plot in unexpected directions...all while keeping me breathlessly turning page after page. He can handle violence and sex as plot devices in such a smooth manner that you never feel outraged or imposed upon.

In "Stripped", Jonathan Stride and Serena Dial have relocated from Minnesota (his home) to Las Vegas (her home). While initially assigned to different partners, their cases eventually intertwine and pick up a head of steam. A series of seemingly unrelated murders eventually reveal possible connections to a 40 year old murder that may or may not have been solved.

Before the novel runs its course, we are treated to a hodgepodge of bigger than life mobsters, strippers, prostitutes, hit men, retirees hiding secrets, and a transsexual cop, among others, who all have a part to play in this investigation of a crime in the past to solve a crime in the present. The plot is complex, winding, and fast paced. There are more than a few unexpected twists and turns as the story unfolds. Even after the apparent climactic confrontation, there are surprises in the denouement that will add to the reader's enjoyment.

As is typical of Freeman's efforts, there are numerous psychological aspects to this novel, both in character development and plotline implementation. There are multilayered issues regarding loyalty, familial love, power, corruption, and different ways to love different people. What his characters feel and why they feel that way is always a background element of Freeman's novels. I like this complexity and feel it contributes greatly to why I am attracted to his psychological thrillers.

This is a very good, hold `em in your seat story, not really a thriller, not really a mystery either, well kind of a mystery. The story opens in a New Jersey hospital where Jack Donovan is dying of cancer. He's telling his friend Gerry Valantine that he's figured out a way to never lose at poker. He's sold his system to some mob guys who are going to use it to win at a poker tournament in Vegas, but they've found out he's dying and they don't wanna to payup.

Donovan wants his friend to get the system back and sell it to someone else and give the money to his aging mother. However, someone kills Donovan before he can tell Gerry the secret. Enter Gerry's dad, an ex-cop who now specializes in poker cheats (among others). He's been hired to go to Vegas and find out if anything hinky is going on with the tournament. There is, of course, we know that right away. But how is it being done?

There's lots of good stuff going on in this book and Mr. Swain sure knows his stuff. I loved just about every character in this story, from Rufus the old Cowboy poker player to the wheelchair bound Vegas mob guy who thinks he's a law unto himself.

But as I neared the end, thinking I've just about got the scam figured out, the book stops. I've gotta buy Dead Man's Bluff to find out what happens. I woulda bought it anyway, but I didn't get closure with this story and that was a bit of a bummer.

Ken Douglas, author of Scorpion, Desperation Moon & Dead Ringer.

Another in the author's series of novels featuring Tony Valentine, who consults with casinos and law-enforcement about gambling scams and scammers.

In this tale, he and his son Gerry go to Las Vegas to discover how a blind poker player is scamming a poker tournament, which is being televised nationally by an ESPN-like cable sports network.

A few of the regular characters reappear, and there are two great new ones--a female reporter for the network, who Valentine develops a relationship with, and a 72-year-old grifter named Rufus, who among other "wagers" bets a mark that he can beat a horse and jockey in a 100-yard race.

There's a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor, with one chapter concluding with a plea to bring over a flamethrower. Wait for it.

Warning: at the end of the novel Valentine is halfway to the solution, but the sequel, "Deadman's Bluff," has been published. Some may object to this carving-up of a single tale, but really--the side stories are as interesting as the main plot, so I, for one, don't much mind.

The writing is great and the build up to the end is great but there is no payoff. We have to buy the next book to figure out what is going to happen (I think). Frustrating and disappointing.

Based on the first third of this book, I would give this 4 stars. The characters were interesting, and I was enjoying myself. Then the story really slowed down, with lots of side stuff. Then I figured out I would need to get the next book Deadman's Bluff to finish the story. So minus 1 star for taking a single 1 book story and splitting into 2 books to extort money. And clearly, it would have been 2 short books so filler was added. Another minus star for boring side stories; the Rufus scammer character is interesting in moderation, but after the fly, horserace, golf, ping pong, cat, x-ray vision, etc. scams, it was tiring. They didn't add anything, other than the mildly entertaining "how he tricked the Greek" variety. But they were too long as side stories, and it was ludicrous that the main character and his tacked-on "love" interest kept saying "there's no way he can do this" over and over again. Look, Rufus is a grifter, he will win not by playing by the rules. No reader was saying "yeah, there is no way" rather it was, "ok, what dumb trick will he use." So the dialog seemed contrived to try to make these side stories more dramatic. Didn't work. And in the end, the way that the tournament cheating was done, you probably will have figured out, and it isn't very "wow" to justify buying and reading 2 books. Even though my review sounds negative, I was impressed with the beginning of this book, and I assume that the rest of this book and the 2nd one were boring because the author (editor/publisher) were trying to stretch this out to sell twice as many books. If you just read this book and not the 2nd you really will be unhappy (1 star happy). However, given the good beginning of this book, I'm going to try Mr. Lucky and give this author 1 more chance. I think he is better than whomever told him to stretch this thin story to two volumes. The author seems to have a great sense of gambling, Atlantic City, and grifters. If these 2 books were 1, and tightened up by dropping a ton of Rufus stuff, this would be 4 stars!

I really like Swain. I really like Valentine. I even kinda like his kid. I'm not too sure about this novel. You see it's not finished. There's some strange, fatal method of winning at poker - maybe like what killed that Russian spy_ but after a lot of novel we do not yet know. Nor does Tony. I sure hope no one climbs up a rope and disappears in the follow up. You see, there is an old con man who makes and wins absurd bets with gamblers in Las Vegas. I suspect the chances of getting away with those bets would be about the same as not experiencing leg breaking ,cause they are on the order of "Betcha I can tell you where you got them shoes." So here we are anticipating a resolution to the surefire poker win and are only half the way there while being entertained with side shows. Maybe Swain needed some cash and had only half the novel done. After all, the carnie makes as much geeking as on the midway. I hope that's it cause now I am waiting for the follow up. Hooked I guess.Decide for yourself. Double or nothing. Watta bet!!!

I like mystery series with quirky heroes and a few surreal characters. The first couple of Tony Valentine novels didn't quite fit that description, but there was still something not quite mainstream that drew me. In this novel, Swain has really started to come into his own as a writer. Though his hero, Tony Valentine, lives in Florida, this is the first novel that actually takes place there, and the locale is a plus. Though not as zany as Dorsey or Hiaasen, some of that off-kilter Floridaness that makes their books so good shines through here. Valentine is his usual surly self, but this time he's doing it amid a cast of highly entertaining, colorful characters.

He responds to a request from the Micanopy Indian casino to help catch blackjack cheaters when his romance with a professional wrestler goes south. A dealer has disappeared after dealing 84 winning hands to aging rock star Nigel Moon, and the Micanopys want to know how the scam was pulled off. What makes Valentine suspicious is that they don't seem so curious about what happened to the missing dealer, which makes him think some of the bad guys might be in casino management. When they try to feed him to the gators, he gets mad. Moon's winning streak is only part of a bigger scam involving a hooker, a college basketball game, a game show, and a carnival owner with a trained chimpanzee named Mr. Beauregard. Valentine just wants to figure out the blackjack scam, and isn't even aware of most of the intrigue playing out around him until he stumbles into the thick of it. Using his wits, along with some help from his ne'er do well son Gerry, the Micanopy chief, and his indomitable neighbor Mabel, who's minding the store while he's out of town, Valentine slowly unravels the intricate scam a murdering lowlife has been weaving for months. He faces danger more than once, but manages to get through it and even figures out a few things in his personal life, as well, as he goes through the process of grieving for his dead wife Lois.

This is a quality series of well-woven mysteries with a strong lead character. Tony Valentine may be a little on the crotchety side, but he's a good guy with strong morals who inspires love and loyalty in those around him, and he's no prudish goody two-shoes. He faces tough decisions and he makes mistakes, but he always ferrets out the villain. This time out, he does so against a richer backdrop of minor characters that pushed this book a notch above his others. There are still several more books for me to read in this series, and I look forward to them. James Swain is a crime novelist to watch.

It seems that almost by default, the not-so-serious mafia tinged hi-jinx genre novel must... absolutely must be set in Florida. Probably starting around the mid-1970's Elmore Leonard wrote some great books that managed to pull slap-stick and tough crime together in an ingenious manner. Best known since Leonard has been Hiaasen, who wrote some good books also. Authors from the weaker Shamus to my all time favorite genre writer Willerford have set their books in Florida and they all feel that they are mining the same vein.

James Swain takes a lot from Leonard. His 'unique' take is that his main character in this series is an ex-cop who can solve just about any casino cheating problem. The character is named Valentine and despite being in his mid 60's attracts the attention of several voluptuous women, wrestles alligators, and manages to get into several scrapes. Swain is a fast learner and his prose is as amusing and enjoyable to read as all the writers I mentioned above. This is good because it saves an other-wise tired and uninspired plot.

I would read this book for the laughs. Its not the best genre book ever, and not the best in this series.

But as entertaining as ever. It's fun to learn while being held captive to the page.

Sucker Bet, a novel by James Swain featuring Tony Valentine, is not the kind of book that makes you say "this could have happened for real". It does make you laugh, get caught up in the plot, and it made me re-read several passages after finishing the book because several minor characters were interesting to me.
Tony Valentine is an ex-cop who catches gambling cheats for casinos and struggles with his own personal and family life at the same time. In this novel, he ends up caught in a crossfire between different gambling scams, involving the Micanopy Nation, a Sicilian mobster, alligators in Tony's car, a British former rock drummer, and a hooker with the unlikely name of Candy Hart. Swain's major talent consists of both building a plotline that involves all these characters and giving each one of them a certain depth, well-crafted backgrounds of their own.
Personally, the most interesting parts of the book for me involved the Micanopys, with a glimpse of their customs, problems, justice system, and relations with the society and government around them. Swain does an effective job of portraying a little-known world within the United States, managing to inspire curiosity about the lives of Native Americans.
Some reviewers point out the less believable aspects of the story, such as a chimpanzee who imagines people's favorite songs and plays them on the ukulele and a hoax involving a rock band - that's right, these parts are not believable, but they do their part to make the book more fun.
The only serious shortcomings I would note are two: one is the ending, which left me a bit in doubt as to how some things happened or were understood, and the other is that with the exception of Tony's daughter-in-law, all Latino characters are portrayed rather unsympathetically.
Overall, I enjoyed this book much more than Grift Sense, as Swain seems to have grown into his writing style, and became eager to read more novels with Tony Valentine and the other characters.

Good people of Amazon review board should consider giving 5 stars to books that are exceptionally well written. Although this is a good story with interesting characters, it is certainly not 5 stars.

This is a good book to read when you are on a plane and there is absolutely nothing to do. If you don't read it, your life didn't really miss anything important.

If you enjoy gambling or visits to casino, you will enjoy it but don't expect too much. You may want to consider "Bringing Down The House" as this one is based on true story.

Having not been to Las Vegas in 5 years I knew I needed to catch up on what was new. This book was very helpful especially with picking restaurants and dining options which was our entertainment. It is a great source of information on every topic. I would recommend it to a novice or repeat traveler.

Speedy delivery. Book in very good condition. I needed to know location of hotels and where excellent restarants were in relation to that. Very helpful reading even though it is a 2003 volume, I have a grasp of the basics and can work from there. Thank you for your services.

Out of the many travel books for Las Vegas that I own, this is one of the biggest. That's not to say that it's too big to bring with you! It's just that, at 472 pages, this provides by far the most information on the Las Vegas destination. It covers far more hotels, restaurants, golf courses, spas, etc. than any other book I have.

I love the charts in this book. One chart shows you every hotel in the area with the type of food, entertainment, pool, exercise room, etc. that they have. You can quickly scan and see which ones meet your needs. They've got reviews of the various nightclubs, describing what they are like in rather good detail. The reviews aren't about "everyone should go here!" They clearly lay out who would enjoy, and who would not enjoy, the particular atmosphere.

There are general restaurant reviews, plus a few "best of" if you're seeking a particular kind of food. The reviews of the shows are really good, and give you a great sense of what is good and not-so-good about each one.

If there's a downside with this book, it's that it focusses ONLY on Vegas - it doesn't go into the surrounding areas very much. But heck, the book is almost 500 pages long!! It does incredible justice to the city and really tells you everything you could want to know about enjoying your time there. If you want a book on other areas, go ahead and buy one. But if you want a book on Vegas itself, this is going to give you what you seek.

Like other Unofficial Guides, this one tries to pack everything under the sun in a heavy paperback, and a lot of the information is already out of date. Frommer's and Fodor's are better because they give you the best. After all, you buy a book so you can save money and time, not to carry an outdated encyclopedia with you when you travel.

I have been buying Bob Sehlinger's "Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas" each year it comes out. I am a seasoned Las Vegas tourist, having been there 20 plus times and let me tell you that he and his staff of writers are always on target. This book is a must for anyone who is going for the first time. Much more friendly and in depth than Fodor's or Frommer's releases, it is written to be, well, readable. You may be asking yourself why I need to keep buying his book year after year if I have gone to Las Vegas so many times. Well, the best answer I have is that the chronological coverage he gives to this dynamic destination is top-notch. I am able to keep abreast of the latest developments and prices within the city. The review for a specific hotel, restaurant, or casino may change from year to year. Anyway, pick one up. You won't be dissapointed.

Excellent guide for those wanting to learn about project management. Used this for a class and it was extremely helpful. Easy, clear reading.

A practical, direct introduction to project management in plain English -- that's how I would sum up this book.

The Bakers use PMI terminology (the project initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing processes), and provide good guidance throughout the book to beginners.

Each chapter is well structured with a clear introduction, middle and summary. There are practical common sense tips throughout the book, examples are easy to follow and there are useful bullet points that you can use as checklists for your projects.

If you are a seasoned projet manager, this book is not for you. However, it can be of great use if you are planning to create a project management training session for your company/clients.

It's been about 30 years since I did any reading on management
in school, but those years it now appears have been littered with
something that I didn't know to call Project Management.
I was nodding my head in agreement all the way through the book.

This text seems to have combined the terminology and structure
of Project Management (new to me) with a very appropriate emphasis on the coordination, communication, and for lack of a better word, politics of making something happen.
This book is not another over-simplified to the point of being
useless novice book. This one is filled with useful material yet still reads well.

This is a good first book for those without any project experience. It explains concepts clearly, and gives good examples. It will probably not provide enough depth for those individuals who are beyond the beginning phase: again, that doesn't appear to be its intent. I enjoy the way this series chunks information into easily digestible forms.

Actually, it isn't bad for experienced project managers to review the different sections of this book for a quick refresher on an annual basis. This is a very good book to have on your desk while you are working on your first couple of projects as a project manager. It explains in very simple terms the various aspects of this extensive field of project management. Like everyone else, you too may feel like project management is too overwhelming a subject when you first start out. It really helps to have a book like this nearby. You may want to keep it out of sight to prevent silly remarks from your colleagues.

The sidebars that you will see throughout the book 'Words from the Wise' and 'Project Lingo' are extremely useful to read and get upto speed on the definitions and the tricks of the trade. The only limitation that I found is that the treatment on some of the topics isn't very complete. That is completely understandable as this isn't aimed at teaching advanced tricks of the trade to the seasoned project manager. For that, you need to refer to an advanced book like Harold Kerzner's 'Project Management - A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling'. Or keep up with the latest by attending seminars and workshops at your local chapter of the PMI (Project Management Institute...).

Finally, keep in mind that there are situations in project management that are specific to the industry you are in and sometimes there is no right answer. But most other times, the knowledge in this book is extremely helpful. Overcome the fear of being caught with a book that has the word 'Idiot' in the title and exploit the knowledge that the book provides!

By now, I know that any James Swain book about Tony Valentine is going to be just terrific. I write about poker and Las Vegas. Swain is one of he best at capturing "the Meadows" at its weirdest. The plot's a long shot but that's no problem. In my new novel, Texas Poker Wisdom, I use some of the cheating slang that I stole from Tony Valentine. If this is your first of Swain's books in this series, you will want to read the others. This would make a great gift for anyone interested in gambling, Las Vegas, or just a great mystery read. I loved it. You will too.
Johnny HughesTexas Poker Wisdom

Only just recently heard of James Swain and his Tony Valentine books. Glad I did.

This story is a really good read. I liked it a lot.

Steady, engaging pace. Complicated enough story, but not so much as to tie itself in knots. A few leaps of faith here and there, but overall very believable and enjoyable.

The characters are likeable - even the villians.

Mr. Lucky is a fun read. If you are a gambler and a purist, you will spot some holes in the logic of this book, but you have to be pretty uptight to allow that to spoil your enjoyment. Having read all of the Tony Valentine books, I am happy to see that his son is finally starting to display some common sense. Not a lot, but some. This is a quick read, so put on your sneakers.

For pure reading entertainment, it's hard to beat anything in the Tony Valentine series by James Swain. The plot lines are simple and the supporting characters are often a little over the top. But, boy, does Swain ever make it work. In addition to a writing style that is thoroughly enjoyable, Swain's descriptions of various scams add a unique quality that takes an already wonderful story to the next level.

In Mr. Lucky, Tony and Mabel stand out as always. Tony has such a real quality to him, it's easy to forget that he's fictional. While all of the works in the series are highly entertaining, what makes Mr. Lucky even more complete is the development of Tony's son, Gerry, as a character. Gerry's contributions to the story have been building over the last couple of books, and with Mr. Lucky, he finally arrives as a quality main character.

Ricky Smith provides a worthy protagonist for Tony, all the while maintaining a surprising likeability. You want to see him go down, but not necessarily because of who he is or what he's done, but because we want and expect Tony to get to the bottom of things.

Well done, as always, Mr. Swain. I look forward to the next story in the series.

Swain's Tony Valentine's books are great summer reads, and although I have not read all of them, they are mostly enjoyable.

I like the gambling atmosphere of Casinos (though I hardly gamble myself), as well as learning about all the types of con games that exhist and these contribute to my enjoyment of Swain's works.

The author will throw in a lot of his knowlege of cheating, and why gambling is a loosing proposition, so reading one of these books acutally lets me feel like I've had some casino fun, without losing any money!

Mr. Lucky is one of the best of his books I have read for a couple of reasons. The first is the relationship between Tony Valentine and his son. In this story the son begins to come around and make better choices in his life, so the reader gets to root for him, but also get taken through the drama of his struggles.

Another reason for my claiming this is one of Swain's best is that I did not have to suspend belief to a ridiculous degree. One has to do this in any modern day mystery - granted - but I did not have to read about "little people" (aka midgets) hiding in speakers playing music for musicians who were faking it on stage, or about eukalale playing monkeys that can read your mind and play the song you are thinking of. No, this story was quite believable in comparison and that is a huge plus!

I thought this book would be more how to be "smooth" and "cool", but it more about getting your life on track, with a few tips on "coolness". It did motivate me though and I have been a much better house keeper since reading this book.

If you want to improve your lifestyle, you need this book.
If you want self-improvement, you need this book.
If you want to gain a happier life, you need this book.

The book is a step-by-step guildline to improve your LIFE. It is practical and easy to follow. It really works.

Thanks Mr. Kyriazi, you wrote a great book.

You'd expect this to be a joke, but Kyriazi takes his Bond very seriously. This is an amazing book, one that gets you excited just thinking of all the possibilities that the techniques could open up for you. Highly recommended!

Kyrazi's Bond seminar book offers a lot of good, practical advice that, upon first glance, seems like a no-brainer. But just the fact that one has purchased this book shows that he or she is motivated to improve his or her lifestyle, and the advice offered in this title becomes more realistic and attainable than it was before with that first step.
Although the text is not the great American novel by any stretch of the imagination, and I would go so far as to say that it is poorly written as far as books are concerned, this is not the point of the book; nor is it the point of the book to turn someone into James Bond or even to get someone to accomplish all of the things suggested therein (you have to be able to pick and choose things that are relevant to your life, personally, as we are all unique individuals). The book is, however, meant to help someone achieve his or her maximum potential as a unique human being, and this is what Paul Kyriazi does extremely well in the book. I have seen immediate results, and I haven't looked back since. The only place to go is up.

I hadn't expected a curious thing that happened while reading "The Complete James Bond Lifestyle Seminar" book: I was already doing a lot of what I found there. But I'm in my early 40's and I've been watching and rewatching the Bond films for most of my conscious life (I'm currently rereading all of the novels and just finished Andrew Lycett's wonderful bio of Ian Fleming), so it stands to reason that something had to rub off.

But if you're in your 20's or 30's, I'm sure you'll pick up a lot of very helpful tips about the style of your new cool life. The author doesn't limit his seminar to 007 but also includes very cool and swingin' insights from Bond's American cousins--Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack.

I have to disagree with the author on page 217. He writes, "I've never seen Bond running out the door yelling, 'I'm late. I'll never make it.'" The section is called "Be Early." Good advice. And it's true that we've never seen Bond rush out late...but that doesn't mean he's always on time either. In THUNDERBALL, M chides him in front of the other double-O's with, "Now that we're all here!" And how many films have shown a flustered Moneypenny trying to track him down?
He might be late once in a while...he just doesn't get excited about it, even if the world hangs in the balance.

But that's a quibble, along with typos and the first half of the book mentioning "Blowfeld" instead of "Blofeld" (it's corrected in the second half).

So with tongue firmly planted in cheek and open to improving your coolness, you'll have a good time reading through this seminar for tips. I did.

Hit man suddenly having to avoid being taken out by his employers.

I stumbled across this book as I randomly looked for a new (to me) author. I put off reading it for awhile until I was in the mood for something on the darker side. I am surprised by how much I liked this book. Really not sure why. Something in the way Thomas Perry writes I guess. I am fairly certain I need therapy of some kind because I couldn't stop myself from rooting for him - meaning: not hoping for the worst for "him". (he does have teeny-tiny moments where he showed very, very, very brief moments of some flashes of not being completely and utterly devoid of humanity or maybe I just was trying to justify my moments of rooting for him because he obviously is evily unwell). I did like his MacGyver-ness. Elizabeth was a total disappointment- I think the synopsis totally oversold/misrepresented her. I will now juggle Thomas Perry and Michael Connelly.

As you read this book, you have to keep reminding yourself that this is the first novel by Perry. It is an excellent debut novel.

Looking at the new books, at the library, I saw Thomas Perry's latest novel, Silence. I wasn't sure if I wanted to dedicate time to get it read and returned by the two week limit, so I went in search of some of his earlier works. I decided on The Butcher's Boy. And it was a great read.

He (the killer is always referred to as "he" throughout the novel) is very good. And extremely careful. His jobs always go through middlemen, so he doesn't know who hired him or why. He doesn't want to know. But he is very effective. A union officer is blown up in California. A senior Senator dies in Colorado. Nothing to link either victims or the people that wanted them eliminated. When the killer arrives in Las Vegas, a few days early, strange things start happening and it isn't long before he discovers that there is a contract out on him. But who and why? The killer finds himself running from not only his ex-employers but also a very smart and dedicated Department of Justice analyst.

I found this novel riveting. Told mainly from the point-of-view of the killer, you find yourself hoping that he makes it out alive. Even though he is ruthless. And the Department of Justice analyst, Elizabeth Waring, is one of the best female characters in fiction. She is smart, tenacious, dedicated. She feels that there is a link between the union official and the senator, but her bosses aren't about to go on "feelings." I looked forward to continuing the novel, spending as much free time as I could reading. For a debut novel, Perry includes plenty of twists and turns, believable dialog and characters, and an excellent plot.

A fantastic debut novel, one that will not disappoint.

An early 80s Edgar Award winner, this wonderful adventure pits Department of Justice prodigy Elizabeth Waring against The Butcher's Boy, the professional assassin who remains nameless throughout the book. He's good at his job. Two early murders, one of an influential U.S. Senator, put the Department of Justice and Elizabeth and her co-workers, sometimes in uneasy alliance with the FBI and local law enforcement, on the trail of an unknown murderer, maybe two since they aren't sure if the homicides are related or not. The factor tying them together turns out to be Fieldstone Growth Enterprises, ostensibly an investment company. Things end up going in unpredictable directions for both main characters, many caused by he role of a mafia-like organization that touches on all of this business and the lives of the murderer and Elizabeth. There are plenty of murders in the book, some first hand, some only discussed, but only peripherally gory in most cases. I found it disconcertingly easy to like the assassin, not the first bad guy of Perry's I liked (see Gordon in Metzger's Dog). I've read half a dozen or more of Perry's books. This is his first, and it's interesting to see in character Maureen a foreshadow of Jane Whitefield (try Vanishing Act), a character I enjoyed immensely in her several novels. This is one more sample of why I find Perry to be a most reliable story teller, entertaining and consistently good.

It was Michael Connelly's introduction that led me to this book. I read somewhere about the re-issue of "The Butcher's Boy" with an introduction by my favorite author and I was so impressed with Connelly's assessment of the book that I ordered it from Amazon. I enjoy reading debut novels and I will certainly continue to read Thomas Perry's books. Obviously, he has become an accomplished novelist since writing "The Butcher's Boy" and I am anxious to read more of his work.

The Butcher's Boy is not lyrical or beautifully written, it gets straight to the point--action and suspense. It is dark but lightened with sarcastic humor, and it is an intense, page turning thriller: a Female detective desperate to catch the killer, and a killer so well defined that you keep finding yourself rooting for him too. This book has a very satisfying ending no matter which one you were rooting for.

And I totally disagree with the reviewer who wanted to leave the last two pages out--they were the perfect, satisfying ending.

One of my other favorite books is Ludlum's The Bourne Identity (the movie was NOT based on the book!!! so read the book.) The Bourne Identity and the next two in the series were similar to The Butcher's Boy in that they were page turners that have a certain humor that showed itself just when you needed the relief.

Retired cop turned casino consultant Tony Valentine is back in Vegas on a job, and searching for his screw-up son Gerry, when he spies a woman bearing a strong resemblance to his deceased wife getting ready to jump off her balcony. Tony races away from a meeting with three high-buck casino bosses and to the aid of Lucy Price, who's feeling suicidal after her $25,000 winnings are stolen. Of course, this is all just part of a bigger scam happening at the Acropolis Casino next door, an old-style Vegas joint complete with statues of its owner's ex-wives out front. Nick Nicocropolis and Valentine go back, so Valentine readily agrees to help catch the scammers, who are led once again by the legendary Frank Fontaine, who Valentine has tangled with before.

Much more is at stake, however, when Gerry Valentine teams up with a couple guys from card counting school who are up to no good. Ripping off casinos is only a part of the evil schemes his new companions are up to, and soon Gerry is in so deep he has no one but the old man to turn to.

While not as much fun as Swain's last effort, and relying a bit heavily on a cast of warmed-over characters from his first novel, this is nonetheless another entertaining tale in the Tony Valentine saga. We get a few more peeks into the characters, but I could have used a tad more, since Valentine's last novel was so good.

This entry in James Swain's Tony Valentine series is stuffed with character, action, plot, a subplot, Oedipal conflicts, and as an extra added bonus, tips on gambling scams.

Valentine, the retired Atlantic City cop turned gambling consultant to casinos, is one of the great new heroes in the thriller genre.

The dialog's crispy, you'll care for the characters, you'll forget lunch, you'll forget dinner.

One click it now!

Loaded Dice was very entertaining. During the five days that Tony Valentine(the protagonist)spends in Las Vegas, he discovers a scheme that cheats a casino, is accused of murder, has a short romance with an addicted gambler, saves his son, and gets involved with terrorists. Tony did all the work and I relaxed. This is a very easy read and there is lots of interesting information about methods of cheating at games. I recommend this book.

But worthwhile none the less. The author shows a growing confidence and the readers follow.

I read Sucker Bet by James Swain as well and I must say he brings good stuff that can be great. However, ending is such a "Hollywood" formula that I cannot give 4 or 5 stars.

As with other book by James Swain, he starts off great so he will suck you in but at the end, it fizzles.... and disappoints.

If you have nothing else on your reading list, pick it up and read it but don't expect an original ending.

Having actually been there for the Las Vegas Reservation Systems and Travelscape parts of the story, it was interesting to read about some of the business deals that were going on at the time. While there was some new stuff that I didn't realize in there, there was also a fair bit left out. It is a very quick read, by the way. Lots of short chapters.

Imagine building an Internet business during the dotcom boom/bust and selling it to Microsoft for millions. Now imagine buying the famous Golden Nugget casino in Las Vegas and selling it in less than a year and half for hundreds of millions. Now imagine you are barely in your 30s and you are doing all this with your very best friend. This is the story of one of Las Vegas' most dynamic duos, two young guys from different backgrounds coming together to own the world.

The Book tells the story in autobiographical form of Tom, a simple hard working boy from Minnesota, and his friendship with Tim, a local Vegas boy who has gambling in his blood. The two formed a bond that has lasted throughout the last 20 years and will be around till one of them passes on to the big casino in the sky. The pages of the book offer the reader an insight to a world that most of us will never be in: a world of fast cars, movie stars, corporate jets and millions of dollars wrapped in cellophane being bet on one roll of the dice.

I enjoyed this book and I would have loved to have been a part of the world written in this book. The authors tell this story at about an 8th grade reading level which allows the book to be finished in a few hours. The book is not just about Vegas, it is about a time in financial history that was exciting and may never be duplicated, I hope you enjoy this book.

A testimony to friendship in an exciting journey. Fast, furious, electric.
As the reading progresses one feels as part of the adventure. A very easy and fun reading. What a treat!
Can't wait for the next one.
Marne

"Double or Nothing" should be mandatory reading for any entrepreneur. This book is a captivating quick read and has the perfect mix of lessons and laughter.

Tom and Tim made millions not once but twice in different ventures and they are still under 40! This book talks about the risks and rewards they have experienced in their business partnership and the challenges they have overcome. I can't wait to read about their next venture because I'm sure they have not slowed down after the Nugget!