Las Vegas Books

John Peel wrote this book well! One of the better Alex Mack stories. More interesting than usual Alex Mack books because it is sett outside of Paradise Valley. Good genre and characters! A great book!!!!

This Alex Mack was very good yet not the best. I have this one and I think everyone else should get it or read it. Thank you. Snowgi1022

"Lost in Vegas" spends more time describing the sights than telling the story. A great tourguide, but for young readers, a very slow book. The basic story is an Americanized retelling of "Bounjor, Alex." Like the Paris adventure, Alex and her family unwittingly become the focal point of two criminals in this tale. One is Lars Frederickson, following the Mack family in the belief that George Mack is in Vegas to sell a probability formula. The other is a very cliched crime boss who wants the formula to run the Vegas casinos. The basic premise has the potential for an exciting, fast-paced crime tale with real dangers for the Macks, but little is done with it. Instead, the author describes every ride, stage show, and hotel in the city. Pretty much everyone, even kids, knows that Vegas is a very glitzy gamblers' paradise. Like special effects shots looking for a good movie, the descriptions are looking for a good story to be in. And to top it all off, George, Barbara, and Mr. Alvarado spend their time in the casinos, striking it rich with his formula at the roulette tables. George easily rakes in $10 grand. So does he do what everybody in the USA would do, keep it all? Heck no! He purposely looses it all! Because of his conscience, yet! No one in his right mind would do that! (All right, I'll concede the point. This is a kid's book, after all.)

Sometimes I don't like a Blaze book too much because they seem so implausible and mostly about sex, but I enjoyed this one. I liked plain Jane's transformation and sexy Perry's beginning turn around toward his neighbor BEFORE she was so hot. I felt a little disappointed not to know what happened with the lottery case...oh well. Stephanie does a great job telling an entertaining story that light enough to be fun and just deep enough to be believed.

Night Owl Romance Review - [...]

She Did a Bad, Bad Thing
Harlequin Blaze #338
Score: 3.5 / 5
Reviewer: Deidre Sine

Jane Kurtz is a makeup artist for a television show, which is on the rise. She is mild-mannered, quiet and desperate to change something about herself. She meets her new neighbor, Perry, who is rude and loud in the most inappropriate of ways. Perry later attempts to redeem himself to his new neighbor when, because of him, Jane experiences some problems. Jane's life changes, when she realizes that her coworkers and she have won a huge lottery. She decides to head to Las Vegas to release her inner wild child, to try a little bit of everything.

Perry Brewer is a bad boy attorney who starts off on the wrong foot with Jane. He finds himself inexplicitly drawn to Jane, especially as he attempts to make up for some thoughtless actions and words. He decides to follow Jane to Las Vegas, as he feels he is responsible for her rash actions. He wants to keep her safe and as the weekend progresses, so does his feelings for her. As they have a sexually wild time together, both Jane and Perry find themselves with deeper feelings than they experienced. However, as they don't know each other well Jane finds herself mistrustful of Perry's motives. Perry must prove to Jane that he is not only the bad guy she first met.

I found this book a quick, enjoyable read. I was able to finish this in one sitting. This book is the first in the Million Dollar Secrets series. Ms. Bond does a good job making likeable and believable characters. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Plain mousy Jane Kurtz's life turns upside down when she learns that she's won a multi million dollar lottery. Desperate to release her inner wild child and get the hell out of dodge and her jerk neighbor, she packs up and jumps on the next plane to Vegas. For a fabulous makeover, some fun and lots of fornication!

Lawyer Perry Bower didn't hit off well with his new neighbor. Not only did he irritate her by playing loud music, but he also created some obnoxious noises of his own with his date. And he downright insulted her behind her back. He new she heard it all and has been guilt ridden since seeing her obviously red I've-been-crying-all-night eyes the next morning. And he doesn't know why, but something about her sadness/loneliness bothers him inside and he wants to make it up to her. And now he's got to follow her to Vegas to do it.

Basically a make-over story where the plain heroine changes her hair and clothes and then all of a sudden is gorgeous. Only then does the hero notice her. Normally I like these kinds of books, but this one I didn't. I simply could not get past the hero's behavior in the first few pages of the book. He was such a complete jerk to the heroine. I couldn't possibly accept that he really was this great lawyer that helped out the 'little guys'; A person who saw beneath the exterior of Jane to the real lovely women she is. I tried, I really did, but the first impressions were just seared into my head throughout the entire read. If you can get past it, more power to you. Too bad because I absolutely loved Bond's (author) other Blaze book 'Just Dare Me'.

This book feels like a young adult book that doesn't quite make it. No one in my book club liked it. Hayden has some interesting ideas but she skips around--never finishing what she's started.

When Colette Died by L C Hayden

Debbie Gunther is in Las Vegas for her big break into the world of show business impersonating the Las Vegas singing star Colette who was murdered five years previously.

From the opening sentence it is clear that Debbie is being stalked and is surrounded by enemies. The fear is palpable and the reader is immediately catapulted into a world of distrust.

Smiling ambitious Jack Armstrong with the position of Casino General Manager in his sights. Her director Bill Davis who doesn't attempt to hide his animosity towards Debbie. Motherly Annie and the Casino owner, the legendary Ms Elizabeth. All have there own agenda. Beset by animosity on all sides Debbie is attracted by a reporter Dan Springer who initially seems to care, but does he?

As the murderer of Colette was caught, why is Debbie receiving threats against her life. Could this be related to her own difficult past? Who is the mysterious Boss.

Set against the glitzy background of the Las Vegas casino, this book is full of greed, family anguish and murder, and holds the reader to the end. If you relish suspense, this book is for you.

Lizzie Hayes 30 January 2000

Debbie Gunther had a dreadful childhood. When her mother died in childbirth, her father blamed her and would not take her to raise her. Debbie was raised for eight years by her grandmother, who let her know on a daily basis that she was not wanted there. So, at the age of eight, her grandmother got in touch with her father and told him to take Debbie, or she would have him brought up on abandonment charges. Debbie's father took her but he treated her badly the whole time that he had her.

After a choir teacher of Debbie's told her how much she looks like a famous Las Vegas singer named Colette, Debbie learns everything she can about Colette and becomes an impersonator for the stage. Debbie is hired at the Crystal Palace Casino--the very place that Colette was working and where she was murdered.

Debbie is apprehensive from the very beginning. She receives a note, which she tries to ignore, but the very dress that Colette is murdered in arrives for her and then roses arrive for Debbie--all yellow with one red rose in the middle, the same exact bouquet that Colette was given on stage just before she was shot. Debbie believes that the only one she can confide in is Dan Springer, a young reporter who is supposed to do a story on Debbie. Dan Springer has his own conflicts to deal with. There is a strong attraction between Dan and Debbie, but Dan is determined not to fall for Debbie. Debbie's problem is wondering if she can trust Dan to find out who wants her dead before it is too late.

This a top notch suspense story filled with a lot of fast-paced action along with more twists and turns than you have ever seen and an ending that is truly a surprise for the reader. The characters are real, and they all have their own agendas. The characters of Dan and Debbie are written with such rich details they feel like true friends to the reader. This book is set with Las Vegas as the background. L.C. Hayden has done it again. First there was "Who's Susan" and now "When Colette Died." I can hardly wait for her next book to come out.

This book was so bad simple words cannot describe it. It was predictable, boring, juvenile and just plain bad. The only thing about reading this book that was good was that I never bought it. Do not waste your time with this drivel. Go out and stare at your shoes in the snow. That'd be much more productive.

I loved the story and the characters. Best novel I've read in the last couple years. It's like Donald Westlake. Funny and interesting.

Much better than your everyday crime fiction. It's a small book with a sense of humor that should have sold plenty, but small publisher and I guess hard to find. This guy knows lots about Las Vegas and gambling and only gives us the interesting parts. Moves fast & the characters, big or small, all fascinating.

I gave this guide to my Dad who is crazy about Vegas. He already have one, dated 1994, which got very old. Myself, I personally think of Fodor's guide that they're too arid, with few or none pictures. I think they're boring and dull, but my Dad says they're great. I think he's just gambling.

I was very pleased with my purchase! The book was totally up to date as of this review (good solid information on even the newest hotel/casino's including Paris and The Aladdin). It's well organized, well written, and easy to use...with good tips, good background on all the popular games, and good information on trips that will take you away from the Strip. I wouldn't mind if it contained a few more pictures though. :-)

Overly opinionated writing with too much sarcasm. Where's the info? It's hidden in the author's own agenda. The who's who don't need this guide. They know where to be and it's not sitting among the tourists of Vegas. We did not see all the "pretty" people he was boasting about. Overrated info. We saw more frumpy people in Vegas staring blankly at their slot machines. There are better books out there.

I am very excited about my first trip to Vegas. This book has totally prepared me for the best and worst of Vegas. The comments are honest and irreverent - just as the title implies. If you want to really know the low down - and avoid the cheesey aspects of Vegas - this book is perfect. Prices for hotels, restaurants, and events are all broken down into easy lists. The maps of the strip and downtown Vegas are awesome - I feel like I know the town already and I haven't left home yet. My only complaint is that I wish there were a few more pictures in the guide - real pics of the strip, things not to miss while in Vegas, or a large fold out map.
I definitely plan on purchasing more "Irreverent" guides in the future. I really enjoy the reviews and the size.

While this book claims to be a history of gambling in American society it really is a history of organized gambling on the American frontier, whereever that may be. While the author presents the interesting idea that gambling has followed the frontier he fails to explain what is happening behind the frontier. Illegal gambling is hardly mentioned, possibily because it is harder to research. It's an interesting book and provides a good bibliography for those interested in pursuing the topic, but alone it is not a great resource.

The focus of "People of Chance: Gambling in American Society from Jamestown to Las Vegas" is indeed on the affinity between gambling and frontier societies. John M. Findlay, then an Assistant Professor of United States History at The Pennsylvania State University, points to a quotation from Alexis de Tocqueville, who offered this speculation on the American character: "Those who live in the midst of democratic fluctuations have always before their eyes the image of chance, and they end by liking all undertakings in which chance plays a part." Following de Tocqueville's lead, Findlay focuses on the American fascination with games of chance as a key to our natural culture, tracing the development of a distinctly American style of gambling through more than 350 years of history from 17th-century Jamestown to 20th-century Las Vegas.

The central thesis here is that both gambling and frontier societies thrived on high expectations, risk-taking, opportunism, and movement. Consequently, gambling gained an acceptance on the frontier that it did not have in more settled parts of the nation. While Easterners bet too, they did not do it as publicly or adventurously as Westerners. The first half of the book details gambling in the colonial and early national frontiers, on the Mississippi River, and in the California Gold Rush. One of the most interesting arguments in this section is how each generation of westward-moving Americans first attempted to imitate the betting practices of the east, usually English style horse-racing and lottery schemes, but ended up modifying them for the American temperament.

This becomes epitomized by the refinement in the old Southwest between 1800 and 1848 when professional gamblers, operating in towns and riverboats all along the Mississippi, popularized casino games. In the mining frontiers of California and the Far West, casino gambling became a short-lived, high-volume industry, embodying the Gold Rush mentality until society eventually become more civilized. Of course, that did not mean that this was the end of gambling in the West, just that it had to be transformed into something more acceptable for American society in the late 20th century.

The last half of the book focuses on the rise of Las Vegas as the ultimate American resort destination. Findlay argues that Las Vegas is the culmination of almost four centuries worth of westward migration and chance-taking by Americans. As such, Las Vegas is the living link between America's frontier past and the contemporary, forward-looking values of the Sunbelt culture defined by California, which is consistent with Tom Wolfe's "super-hyper-version" of the whole new way of life that Americans created in the period after World War II. In his Epilogue Findlay gets to touch on the meteoric rise of Atlantic City as the rival of Las Vegas, which embodies the newfound belief that gaming now had a more legitimate place in American life.

Most readers will appreciate the history of the first half of this book more than the sociological implications drawn in the second, although most readers will recognize that Las Vegas epitomizes the restless, commercial, and middle-class orientations of modern Americans. But the way these two halves come together is Findlay's argument that the far western location of Las Vegas as an index to national culture was not incidental. What struck me was the way Findlay documented the transformation of gambling in this country, which went through distinctive stages just as the nation did during those same years. By the end of the book I could at least appreciate Findlays' anthropological view of American gaming.

somewhat disappointing after all the media attention this book received. can just picture Bock sitting in his dark little apartment, relishing his every sentence. not that there's anything wrong with that...but the writing seems too self-conscious. reminds me of a cheesy film noir. the theme that ties it all together is poorly and over-done. not even really that good a picture of las vegas.

I can understand why reviews range from excellent to poor. The book is a strange mix of both. Here are my random thoughts:

1. The author sometimes describes brilliantly the emotional dynamics of life, such as his portrayal of a marriage going wrong. The subtleties of various human emotions and reactions to a cold shoulder here and there and the interplay between men and women on various adult levels is excellent.

2. I did not enjoy the disjointed time frames, moving back and forth to the beginning of the story to the end of the story, long winded sidetracks of characters that are never fully developed and have little to do with the actual story. In his attempt to be clever and profound and to give us and insightful, well written tale, I ended up a bit dizzy being forced to try to figure out what is really happening and when.

3.We are left with a pretty lugubrious view of life. There was a tiny bit of hope and here and there when some of the characters such as the stripper Cheri, might realize that her boyfriend is a dope, some of the lost children may make it back home, etc., but the only real story here is how life sucks sometimes and it's particularly bad in Las Vegas. Nothing about the story is hopeful, there is no redemption. Certainly life may really be this way most of the time, but why not leave us with a little bit of hope?

4. I thought the portrayals of the porn world and the stripper world were remedial, even though it seemed like he's trying to carefully open our eyes to the horrors and realities of these worlds. Gosh, the husband ended up in a strip joint and watched dirty videos! And, the strippers don't really like the guys they're dancing for and are mostly abused girls from sad homes! The people in the adult video business are phony creeps!

5. There is a lot of excellent writing and carefully designed verbiage. It reminds me of Tom Wolfe's writing sometimes, not a lot of beautiful adjectives and descriptions, more descriptions of horrible things through creepy actions. However, because of this very device, I found it hard to follow a lot of the action, like there was no coherent reason why characters are scared and moving here and there.

6. The book just ends. I reminds me of the movie "No Country for Old Men." If you're like me, you won't shed a tear, you'll just kind of feel empty.

My overall grade: C+ maybe B-

Reviewed by Lynn Bee for RebeccasReads (5/08)

Charles Bock takes us into the dark and dirty world of Las Vegas, when a twelve-year-old boy fails to return home.

The child's mother, Lorraine, becomes obsessed with saving cats when she can no longer find her own child to rescue. Then she volunteers with Nevada Child Search, giving herself, and the reader, poignant hope for the many children who simply disappear each year. Her marriage disintegrates. Husband Lincoln manages to fulfill his job duties, but finds pornography as a pitiful and dismal release.

The prose is powerful and the characters more than disturbing. Newell Ewing, the missing boy, is spoiled, snotty, self-centered and all too typical. His rootless friend Kenny is old enough to drive and introduce Newell to many of the seedier dives and activities of Vegas. There's a stripper with a good heart and implants that have hindered her sexual pleasure. She's a well-developed and almost likable addition to the cast. Her demanding boyfriend is a scheming porn courier. The insider views into stripping and the porn business are fascinating. Then there's a semi-successful comic book artist with lots of issues, out for a little degenerate pleasure in Sin City. The myriad alienated teens, thoughtful, yet unthinking, tug at the reader's heart, mind and soul.

This is a crude, rude, and consuming story. Bock deals with teen sex, drugs and isolation, adult despair, and society's problems as a whole. The details of Newell's disappearance are both connected and disconnected in this disturbing first novel. Bock even manages to add touches of humor, and a list of resources for tracking missing children.

The subject matter of "Beautiful Children" truly interested me, yet I felt parts of the tale were overlong and repetitive. However, Bock demonstrates a masterful grip on both the real and surreal in the city of Las Vegas.

This is a marvelous book -- vivid, passionate, heartfelt. I took a writing class from Charles some six years ago, and remember him as a man on fire for great fiction. He told us he'd been working on one novel for many years, to the exclusion of everything else. Frankly, I worried for him. I was working then as a book editor at Penguin, and knew that most books, no matter how well-written, are ignored; they never find the kind of audience that would justify ten years of devotion. I was thrilled to read the book and see that his commitment had paid off. And I'm ecstatic to see Charles's book get this great publicity, because the attention ensures that a lot more of the right people will find their way to his book -- and will be thrilled that they did.

Who are the right people? Those who want a funny, sad, angry, and above all accurate portrayal of life as it is lived for countless Americans today. Those who want a great story full of vivid characters and illuminating descriptions -- a book that sustains an intriguing mood as it moves between one unique person and the next, and takes you all kinds of places you've never been. It reminds me of Don DeLillo's "White Noise"; both books create an atmosphere that stays with you long after the details slip your mind. "Beautiful Children" takes a little time to gather its full momentum, but so do most great novels. Those who stay with it will reap a rich reward: a novel that will live with them long after they close its covers.

This has to be one of the most boring books that I have attempted to read in a long while. The dilogue serves only to narrowly portray bizarre and generally uninteresting and boorish characters. There is no story, no plot, no thread, except for a commonality in a venue -- Las Vegas. If this effort is truly, "heralding the arrival of a major new writer." the book world is in for a great gain of obscurity.

If you're looking for a biography-style book about S.Wynn's road to being King of Las Vegas this really isn't it. I'm about 120 pages into it now, and I'm already flipping through to see if it is going to get any better. Here's a little on the book:

VERY detailed! Assuming all is true in the book, you can tell there has been much research and hours of connecting people together in the stories in the book. Unfortunately, the book seems to be just that, many many small stories or bits of stories that rarely link together at once. The book really doesn't have a good time line -- it's all kinda scattered, and doesn't read very well. The worst part about the book is for me it seems the author has an agenda to destroy the reputation of S.Wynn. Every opportunity is taken to say how Wynn was asscoiated with crooked and shady characters. So many of these characters one would never recognize, so there is much wrote about why these characters are shady people, so we all will know just how bad the company of Wynn was. There just seems to be nothing good written about Wynn in the book (so far) and that doesn't seem to be changing. Maybe that's just how it really is, I don't know. There's no wonder Steve Wynn sued these people for putting this book out. If you really want a copy, you can look for mine on ebay. This will be the first book I haven't finished in long time.

This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to know more about the character of the man who is Steve Wynn. It is a true account of the way he has conducted himself over his history in Vegas and Atlantic City, not the image projected of him by Steve Wynn and his company. It is well written and concise. John L. Smith does an excellent job presenting the information, including several of the more uncanny incidents Steve Wynn has been involved in over the years by merely presenting the facts as they happened. He asks some very good questions that should have been asked but never were because of who the man is. He also points out numerous things that have been glazed over by the press and various agencies involved. Very informative. A definite must read.

This book is a real page turner. It is amazing it ever got printed, given Wynn's many attempts to strangle the unflattering portrayal it in its infancy. That in itself is reason enough to pick it up and study it.

I'm not sure how true all of the "accusations" / "observations" are about the infamous Mr. Wynn, but the book is extremely well written. Paired with the "Green Felt Jungle" (another excellent book) you will be hard-pressed to put these two books down. I would recommend this book to everyone.

So damaging to his super clean image, Wynn drove the original publisher into bancruptcy and tried everything he could manage to keep this book out of circulation. Steve Wynn vs. the First Amendment (1st 1, Wynn 0).

Certainly did improve Vegas by leaps and bounds, but at what cost? Using public water to build his exclusive Shadow Creek golf course, buying art, jets and NY condos with stockholders money as the stock sank into takeover waters, untimately being shown the door by casino magnate Kirk Kerkorian. Once owned by MGM, things changed. The golf course was opened, the art, NY condo and jet all sold.

How does one man undermine Federal law to build a dolphin attraction? he is on film meeting with a known mobster who used his Atlantic City casino (Golden Nugget) to launder money, but can't seem to remember anything about it.

Fact: the son of a Bino Hall operator rises up to be one of the worlds leading casino developers and owners through some very shady associations. He influences Nevada politics as all people with money are able to, so no surprise there. The mob associations are clearly documented and associating with a convicted felon (Milken) is grounds for losing your gaming license, yet Wynn does so with impunity.

Wynn has brought some great changes to Las Vegas, but after reading the other sidie of the story, you have to ask yourself if the ends justify the means.

John L. Smith has done a great job with the facts surrounding Steve Wynn. Hat's off to him!

Well, I guess their lives will still remain a secret because this book has nothing new to offer! As former employees who claim to have had a long and close relationship with S and R, they really don't have much to say about their OWN on the job experiences. The book simply rehashes old tabloid and magazine stories about S and R--not much about their own accounts on anything! The rest of the book is simply 'filler' material about the history of Las Vegas, Liberace's sexual preferences, etc...--not much to do with S and R. There are a couple of chapters that are copied almost exactly from S and R's own autobiography as well. If you have followed the careers of S and R, believe me when I say that this book has absolutely NOTHING new to offer! Don't waste your time nor your money!

This book is easy to read. I was done with it in no time. It is full of fascinating information that, far from marring Siegfried and Roy's names, only paints them as fallible human beings like many of the other of us "mere mortals". Blind-loyalty fans will have a difficult time accepting the possibility of these "hidden" personality traits and incidents as being true.
The tone of the book is hardly mean-spirited; in fact, the writers sound very much on Siegfried and Roy's "side". The content includes histories of such Las Vegas icons as Liberace and Steve Wynn, as well as a history of Las Vegas itself.

My main complaints about the book are as follows: Siegfried's birthdate is written as being June 12th instead of 13th, the lions in a few of the pictures are mistakenly called tigers in the captions, Mastering the Impossible is quoted rather a lot in a few areas, and some of the information from it seems to have been changed slightly.

You don't want to admit it but you're kinda curious about what goes on behind the scenes with S&R. This is a perfect little page-turning, guilty pleasure of a tome. The stories might be from bitter ex-employees, but who else is going to have the best stories? Well put together, fast, fun read- perfect for the Summer.

I loved author's cool and wit way of telling the story.
Not trashing The Maestros, but an interesting story written with a great sens of humor.
A+ for summer reading!

I was lucky enough to see Siegfried and Roy's show at the Mirage, from a seat right in front of the stage. It was totally awesome, one of the most memorable shows I've ever seen. Curious about the duo, I purchased this book. Well...The first thing that must be said, is that it was written by former employees, who would seem to have an axe to grind. The second thing that must be said, is that former employees know where all the bodies are buried; in this case, literally. So how much of this book is true? Hard to say. What can be said is that it is almost as fascinating as their show. Lots of "dirt" about lots of people, everyone from Steve Wynn to Liberace. Eccentric behavior in full measure (and beyond). And what really did happen the night Montecore attacked Roy? It's all a bit creepy at times, but it's sure a page-turner. Take it to the beach, this summer.