Nevada Books

Just read an excerpt..or the first page and you will see that it pulls you into the story immediately and it never lets you go. I was never bored and fell so deeply into this story and into the imagery and emotion that I wish I could find another book that could take me on a such a journey as this book did. I've been searching but have not found its likeness. I was blown away that this story was written by a man and not by a Japanese Geisha.

I find it very hard to believe that in the 30s and 40s the Japanese culture, one of the most esteemed cultures in the world, would train young girls for the exclusive pleasure of men.

The author does an incredible job at keeping the reader "hooked." i could not bring myself to put it down....when i finished the book, i wanted to learn more about geishas and their cultures.....this is a must read.

This book was thrilling and quite detailed. While it may not be considered an accurate depiction in the views of a true geisha it is still quite entertaining and very well written. Hard to put down once you start reading it. The movie did not do it justice.

Memoirs of a Geisha / 0-679-78158-7

This artful, veiled look into the hidden life of the geisha is incredibly captivating. The realism grips the reader instantly, as we read of a young girl's coming of age in a world where she must compete with her beauty, skill, art, and conversation in order to be a worthwhile companion to men. Our geisha correctly reminds us that her art is really no different from what many women practice, this careful battle to be a man's companion and mistress is just applied to the rigid rules and careful beauty of the society of which she is a member.

Realistically, Sayuri guides us through her training, shows us her fears and hopes. Her hopes are the simple hopes of the poor - she hopes to have enough food, money, and shelter to be comfortable. She does not dare to hope to buy her freedom, nor does she know what she would accomplish with this freedom. After a chance meeting with the only man who ever treated her kindly without hoping for something in return, her hopes expand to include being a geisha for this man - the only interaction she can imagine with him. Her fears are more complex - she fears the tyranny of the people who own her and live with her, she fears that she will be a failure as a geisha and will be forced to become a prostitute, she fears that she has no worth or value.

How much of this is real and how much is fiction? It is difficult to say. Certainly, the glimpses inside Sayuri's world ring true. It is hardly a stretch of the imagination that upper-class mistresses would be frequented by rich gentleman - certainly, this phenomenon has been a normal part of many societies and there is no reason to assume that the practice could not be generalized into a rigid business. I think that it misses the point, however, to belabor the "truth" of the story, though, for such a question posits that there is only one truth to be had. I think that this story is true for Sayuri, and that there are other stories, just as true to their tellers, which would show a different image to us.

There are few authors who continue to provide strong plots and great, long lasting characters after their first few novels. Fortunately for fans, Janet Evanovich knows how to deliver. Stephanie Plum, Jersey's wild and outrageous bounty hunter returns in the ninth novel of the series strong as ever. Once again Stephanie partners with Ranger, the secretive and sexual bounty hunter superstar to find Samuel Singh. Singh has disappeared and the chase to find him lands Stephanie in the middle of a dangerous and sinister game. With bodies piling up and startling e-mails appearing on her computer, Stephanie is caught between two protective men in her life. Ranger sends his mysteriously, muscle clad men to protect her while she seeks refuge in the home of Trenton cop Joe Morelli, also her current boyfriend. On top of everything crazy that makes up her life, her sister Valerie is ready to deliver a baby and Stephanie can not get her own biological clock to stop ticking. To the Nines take Stephanie, LuLu and Connie from Jersey to Vegas and back again in this spectacular book. Janet Evanovich's writing will leave your stomach muscles tightened from laughing out loud and you will find yourself panting and flushed from the sensual encounters between the two leading men. On top of that, you will enjoy a suspenseful mystery that will keep the pages turning and the night-light on. High praises for To the Nines.
Valerie Jones
mrsvaljones@netzero.net

This was another great book in the series. I read 1-10 in about 2 weeks. There are a great read w/action, mystery, comedy and a little romance. A great book.

I must first explain that this is my first Evanovich novel, so I had no expectations! I did like the fact that the book was a quick and easy read, and I didn't really have to think. The story was interesting and evolved into more than I initially anticipated. And there were frankly parts of the story where I laughed out loud (hint: dinner scene and conversation between future brother-in-law and grandmother).

Stepahnie Plum is a sassy bounty hunter who is trying desperately to locate Samuel Singh, a computer nerd who has skipped bail for her Boss, who fears that he will lose everything if he doesn't get him back. Following several clues and having many misadventures, a seemingly simple case has evolved into one that involved serial killings and a game, where Stephanie may be the ultimate prize. There are a host of very interesting characters, from Stephanie's pregnant sister Valarie (who refuses to marry the father of her baby); her elderly grandmother (who is overly concerned with her hair); her present boyfriend (Joe Morelli, who is a cop and who swears she will be the death of him); her partners, Ranger (ex-special forces/scary guy/hot ex-lover), and Lula (overweight ex-prostitute whose ultimate goal is to have the body of a supermodel by eating only meat); Vinnie (her cousin and Boss); and a very unstable killer.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel and probably would read another installment so that I could find out what ever becomes of the love triangle between Plum, Morelli and Ranger.

I listened to Loralei King narrate the audio version of this story. I thought CJ Critt was the best narrator for the Plum stories, but King does an amazing job with the voices and accents too. Great story that moves along quickly. Some very funny scenes, especially with Lula on her diet. Also some good scenes with yummy Morelli and Ranger. You can't go wrong with this series - very entertaining!

another fantastic stephanie adventure. these books get funnier and funnier. i am totally in love with Ranger and this book doesn't damper the feeling

Dean is amazing! He writes is a relaxed, conversational manner that makes you feel like he's talking to you directly. His experiences and the way he presents them make you never want to put the book down! Give us more, Dean!!! Your inspirational and we'll follow you anywhere.

This book is just as inspiring after reading it for the second time. Dean Karnazes shows the world that with hard work and determination you can accomplish what you want. It's a wonderful story.

As a fellow endurance athlete, I thoroughly enjoyed Dean's book. He has inspired me to further my journey and continually test my own limits.

At more than a few points in the book I wasn't sure if I should be laughing at the absurdity and the physical pain Dean would inflict on himself, but the truth be told, it was inspirational. The notion of pushing beyond any imaginable limits is a powerful message, and it rubbed off. I'm happy to say that Dean has transformed running, which I often used as a form of self-punishment, into an event I truly look forward to: "Competition with yourself is the ultimate test." For best effect, next time you go for a run, load "Ultramarathon Man" onto your player - you wont regret it.

Coming from a person who dabbled in ultra marathons a decade ago, Dean has motivated me to make the jump from the mundane marathon to the longer races again. This book would not let me put it down, and I ended up reading it in one long session (and I'm not a fast reader). I have a fear of jumping from the 100K to the 100 mile race due to running at night and Dean told the story of how difficult it is to achieve the 100 mile limit and beyond. I'm amazed that you can make money doing what you love and admire him for doing it. Now there is a role model (not your role of the mill).

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first half of this book. The reason I only rate it a three out of five is because the last half of the book was so incredibly boring and self-serving, as Lerner tries to justify the crime for which he was imprisoned.

What is most important in this book is the essence of the prison experience that Lerner writes about. Any informed reader can sort out the BS that Lerner weaves into the retelling of his prison experience. I actually found depth and meaning into his contrasting his prior life as a cubicle worker with the prison experience.

Some parts of the book had me laughing out loud. I also thought about the meaning and message of this book for a long time after I'd finished reading it. The book is worth reading and skipping over the self-serving part of the book when Lerner goes into the details of the murder that sent him to prison.

I loved this book. The author really has an ear for the lingo and an eye for a situation. I think that you will like this book as well.

Just read an account elsewhere that the author likely is far more guilty of outright murder than he makes out. In that, he is the typical "innocent" con.

But, that said, I read the book several times over the last year or so. He finds funny situations - made up or not.

For about the first chapter, I was impatient to learn about the author's crime. I guess I needed to know if I should sympathize with him or keep my emotional distance. Then I stopped caring, because his prison experiences were so fascinating, and I was kept busy laughing out loud at his sardonic asides. Lerner does tell the story of the murder at the book's conclusion, and I was grateful to discover that his actions seemed pretty darn justifable, because by then I thoroughly liked the guy.

The following is from "Reality Bites"
By Meghan O'Rourke
Posted Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2006, at 12:52 PM ET

"In 2002, a man published a memoir chronicling his substance abuse and the months he spent in jail after committing a crime. When a reporter discovered that the memoir was built around a fabrication, the author defended his embellishments in the name of literary license: "What I was doing was a literary genre known as a memoir," he explained, and pointed to a disclaimer in his book noting that identifying details had been changed. The man was not James Frey. He was Jimmy A. Lerner, the author of You Got Nothing Coming: Notes From a Prison Fish, published by Broadway Books. The fabrication was a significant one. The book describes Lerner's murder of a thuggish 6-foot-3 maniac he calls "the Monster," in a drug-fueled fight to the death in a hotel room. In fact, as David Kirkpatrick later reported in the New York Times Magazine, Lerner had actually killed a 5-foot-4 former medical equipment salesman who may not have been armed."

I read this thinking it would be more of a "Prison Survival" type book, and I picked this up on a novelty. What I found was a very interesting page turner about how a seemingly regular 9-5 person let his bad choices lead him into a situation where he landed in prison for murder.

I don't want to say that Jimmy had it easy in prison, becuase nothing about jail is easy. However, he did get lucky in that he made friends with the right people. Jimmy seems like a likable, friendly and trustworthy guy, and it is what kept his head above water while doing time.

Most of this book is about Jimmy's time in prison. However, the last chapter deals with the events that led him there.

I really became engrossed in the story and was reading late into the nights to finish this. This book still leaves a few unanswered questions, and I would be interested in reading a "part II" to this to see how 'OG' finished out his time, and how his life is going now.

I liked this book, I don't know if it is entirely truthful, but I still enjoyed it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book--I finished it in only a couple days. I don't really agree with a lot of the reviewers about how "it drags" and there was too much filler--I thought it was pretty hard to put down. Since I am probably moving down to Vegas soon (I live in Reno currently) I liked the parts where he wrote about locals and life outside of the Strip--but I also think this would be interesting to anyone in general. I also liked all the different descriptions of the casinos he stayed at--since the book was written before all the new casinos opened (Venetian, Wynn, etc) you read about some of the lesser-known or older ones, which I thought was pretty interesting. The book draws you in quickly--I would become genuinely anxious/excited during his gambling sprees and "nest egg" fluctuations. I will agree with another reviewer that said he should have talked more about actual gambling theory--which I find fascinating-- and the games he was playing. I found myself wondering if he even knew what he was doing most of the time...but overall a very fun read for anyone who likes gambling/casinos/Vegas, etc.

I just read this book after it being recommended by a dealer. I play pretty high stakes baccarat and BJ and when in Vegas live those crazy hours. I was extremely excited when I first bought the book and read the plot outline and the first few pages. However it begins to drag on far too long when he spends time with people like conventioneers. It is pretty surprising that he had such wild swings in his bankroll, at times he'd be down 10-20 grand and come back with a couple thousand dollars left. There wasn't enough about a "wild time" in Vegas in my opinion, it seems his stay while nice because his free bankroll, was fairly dull in many ways.

I read this when I need a Vegas fix. If you like Vegas or casino gambling you will love this book. This is the reality show of books. Martinez go head to head with the casinos and experiences the up and downs of a real gambler. Enjoying the high of winning and the despair of losing.

Its a cliche but the phrase "A great read" is applicable. Book is entertaining throughout, one that I reread a few years later and enjoyed equally the second time around. Mr Martinez is one of the few writers that captures the adrenaline of Las Vegas, the feeling of non-stop action.
You won't be disappointed.

24/7 sounds like an adrenaline and hormone ride, but it actually isn't. Andres Martinez is a middle class, stable guy who is given $50,000 by a publisher and told to go to Las Vegas and gamble it up or down. What he makes in profit he gets to keep. I won't ruin the plot for you, but Martinez plays a great deal of baccarat and blackjack along with some slots and a single game of poker. As a narrator, he seems like a kind man whose decency, unfortunately, detracts from the story's value. Everything's pretty tame here, and for those of us who read books as a way to vicariously escape our own moderation, it's more bourgeois than ideal. Martinez is strongest when talking about his own childhood in Mexico or about The World Cup. He's weakest and annoying when talking politics. He appears to have all the usual biases of the mainstream press. Indeed, he views "libertarian" as a pejorative even though a careful study of his former country would prove to him the extent in which socialism impoverishes the masses.

One problem that I should mention is that the book is now dated. Oh, it wouldn't be if it were written about any other city, but 1999, in Vegas years, was four decades ago. Many of his observations, such as those about the former mayor, have little application to the present. Much has changed since 2000 and the changes will continue ad infinitum. I do have to say though that the sections on baccarat were educational and very entertaining. It's a game of which most of us small timers know absolutely nothing. Another reason for my mild recommendation is that the role of casino host, such as the one he had at the Luxor, is really fleshed out. We see their tremendous dedication their clients here. The hosts, like the high stakes gaming areas, are another side to Vegas which most of us rarely see.

I always enjoy Nevada Barr's novels. Once again Anna Pigeon finds herself in another dangerous situation, this one inside a vast underground cavern with some very tight spots. Great suspense!

Out of 5 or 6, this book strains less credibility than any of the other Anna Pigeon books I've read. Having visited Carlsbad, I could imagine the surrounding terrain, and the other world deep underground from the author's prose. Her descriptions of the caverns were excellent and the mystery more intense than most, especially the method of death for one of the victims. I admit, it was the 1st one of her books that I figured out why the murders were happening before hands, but I still didn't figure out the who done it until it was revealed deep in the bowels of the earth. The ending was quite abrupt, but that was in keeping with the entire book. I stayed up way past my bedtime reading this one.

Nevada Barr's BLIND DESCENT, the 6th Anna Pigeon mystery is not for the claustrophobic. New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns is one of the most beautiful and mysterious of the National Park System. I'm not a spelunker, but have managed to find myself in several along with my camera. Tight spaces don't particularly bother me, but I've watched people freeze even in a mock up of a cave in a natural history museum. If you're one of those ease back in your best chair and let Nevada's vivid prose give you a vicarious experience. BLIND DESCENT is well worth the trip and her masterful plotting, red herrings, and convoluted paths to the exciting conclusion might cure your fear of closed places.
Nash Black, author of WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

Though I have read and enjoyed every Anna Pigeon mystery that preceded this book, this was by far my favorite. This is because Barr's skills grow with each novel and with each new mystery, her gifts as a writer begin to flower more and more.

One of the great rewards of serial fiction is watching a character grow and develop over the course of several novels. This leads to a depth that's not possible with stand-alone novels. It also presents a greater challenge to an author, a test that Barr is passing with flying colors. I've always found Anna to be a likable character but the more I get to know her, the more I like her. I have a vested interest in her and when she does something stupid, when she's in danger, I truly care what happens to her.

An enormous part of the appeal of this novel has to do with its setting. Anyone who has ever visited a cave and been treated to even a minute stretch of time in its absolute darkness will feel the same willies I felt while reading the cave passages. Even those who have never visited will be able to feel it and will relate to Anna's claustrophobia. The cold, calculating villain of the novel has nothing on the setting, on the cave that seems equal parts source of wonder and nightmare.

My only gripe with this novel was its end and that is what kept me from rating this one five stars. The ending was too abrupt for me and left me feeling like perhaps some of my pages were missing. Still, this is a pretty minor fault in a novel that is well worth reading, especially for those who enjoy a taut, well-written mystery with a cast of interesting, well-drawn characters.

Blind Descent is my introduction to the Anna Pigeon series, and a very satisfactory one it has turned out to be. My first impression of author Barr as a writer is a favorable one. She's literate (I know, all published authors are supposed to be literate, but that's not the case), intelligent, and excels at description, dialogue, and creating palpable ambience. Anna is an attractive heroine, but while her personality is finely drawn, other characters aren't as deep. As for plot, Blind comes across as an adventure that requires courage, with a mystery thrown in to stimulate curiosity. Having visited other caves (as a tourist), I was struck by the immediacy and precision of Barr's ability to capture the qualities of utter darkness, other-worldliness, and isolation.

I haven't granted Blind Descent with a fifth star because Anna comes across as dogged and determined but makes some stupid decisions and choices. Her bravery and daring I can buy, but it's too hard to accept that someone with her training and knowledge would not be willing to seek out the proper parties for professional assistance in uncovering crimes.
That aside, Blind Darkness is a well-written, original, and most enjoyable novel.

I'm a very fast reader, easily starting and finishing a book within a day or two. I bought this book, along with another Anna Pidgeon book, back in June, and have been trying since then to get any further than the third chapter in either book. I pick up the books, start them, plug through the first chapter, make myself get through the second, and by the third chapter both books are being laid back down. Over Christmas I found myself with no book to read, so out of desperate boredom, I picked up Deep South, again, and was determined to finish it.

I did finish the book, and I know I'll never read another book written by Nevada Barr. This is an author who literally writes her stories to death. Every sentence takes the long way around, and so often by the time I finished reading a paragraph I'd have to just go back and read it again, forcing myself to hold onto that long winding train of thought.

Descriptive writing is good, it's a talent, but there's a definite line at which you cross over into utter tediousness. There were also small inconsistencies, which immediately lowered my expectations of this writer, for example, when describing the hood over the body's head, Ms. Barr writes about only the nose and part of a cheek being visible. Then, a few paragraphs later she writes "...and she hoped there was a head under there!"...well, if the nose and a cheek were visible then it's obvious there WAS indeed a head under that hood! Slip ups like that, slight as they may be, cause me to lose respect for the writing.

Anyway...sometimes a sentence, or a paragraph, can be presented simply and directly and have far more effect than a sentence or paragraph that is overstocked, crammed jammed full of descriptions and qualifiers and adjectives and nouns and pronouns and verbs and adverbs and...well, you get the point.

As I said before, this author literally writes her stories to death.

Set in Mississippi, this is a great fun book. No, it's not going to pass as high art, but it is a page turner, especially when you get about half way through.

There's a love interest also, for those into that sort of thing, and then the "who dunnit" aspect which keeps you on your seat.

I was impressed that Barr has actually worked as a park ranger and it shows in the details in this book. Her plotting is also excellent and I'll look forward to reading more of her works.

I found this book in a discount bin and decided to give it a shot. Glad I did as it turned out to be so much better than the usual stuff "they" try to sell you. While it's not perfect, it is pretty darn good.

This was my second Nevada Barr book - the first I read was Hidden Truth, which I found entertaining and well written. I enjoyed this book up until the last 50 pages or so. I got the feeling that the writer was struggling with a suitable/plausible ending to an otherwise enjoyable story. It dragged on a bit and the final who-done-it & more so - why - felt weak and far fetched for such a big story.

I did enjoy the info and data on the NPS, racism and sexism in the south, and the strength of the character. But perhaps the end could have included more info about topics such as did the people behind the alligator incident ever get prosecuted?

I have not traveled the Natchez Trace since the parkway was build, but the old road is one from which not even Meriwether Lewis, of Lewis and Clark fame, returned. The Trace is steeped in mystery, death and kudzu, which covers everything if allowed free rein.
Anna Pigeon accepts a promotion and finds, a not unexpected wall of resentment, from male Park Service members under her supervision. What she didn't expect to find on her first watch was the murder of a popular high school coed, whose life had dredged up resentment.
DEEP SOUTH by Nevada Barr leads the reader alone with Anna to a fine conclusion. No guessing on this one, you will be surprised along with Anna when Barr tips her pen.
Nash Black, author of WRITING OF A SMALL BUSINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

She started the story and based it across the border in the beautiful country of North Carolina. She must have seen the Phoenix here and decided to turn it into an exclusive spa. With the help of a few friends, her hard labor proved to be dynamite. The Phonenix, contrary to the one located on Gay Street, is an upscale spa for the rich and famous. The scene of five murders, this time the characters are all interrelated, which is uncovered in the final chapter. It was all rather convoluted, being the artistic endeavors of thirteen prominent writers, each for one chapter. This is the result of a project to copy the serial novels of the Thirties in which Agatha Cristie was involved. In 'Agatha,' the movie, she was incognito "shadowing" her nemesis in a steam room in England about the same time she was writing such (living a dream). Our Phoenix building downtown has been renovated into high priced condos for strange folks who moved here and think it is novel to live on the main street of this town. No Spa there, however, you have to go to Powell to the Fitness Center to find the hot tub and steam room.

The Phoenix in this story in segments is a place of myster with drugs, adoptions, murders all involved until the Chapter 13 which explains all in detail to the survivors who are all family, interrelated in a weird way. "A family, rising phoenixlike from the ashes." Caroline thanked God for bringint this man into her life; Tennessee congressman Doug Blessing with some secrets of his own. She hadd not "forced her way to freedom" because of an anticipated "need for Doug's more delicate plumbing." This written by a mystery writer as opposed to a romance novelist who would be more explicit. Just a slightly different way of phrasing, which I always used in the book reviews I gave to the literary club -- it was fun to confuse those who weren't napping. The Phoenix had a mud room with its own secret stash.

Some of the gathering of strong personalities include the beautiful made model (Adonis), the kinky actress, the green-haired rock star who went through N.A., the detective Toscana who sometimes acted like God ("and Toscana saw that it was good."), Dante, t he masseur, and Geoff, the assitant pastry chef. The sociopathic personality responsible for the deaths had no conscience, and was evil with no sense of honor. Knowledge was her weapon. A person can only ask, to be granted a wish for anything.

Led by Nevada Barr based this confusing story showing how a character can be killed in a spa. I review another book wherin the pivotal chatacter was killed in the steam room of the notel spa shortly before his scheduled assignation with the main person. So, this premise is nothing new, nor the format. What is different is t he freedom of each of these authors to develop their own characters and circumstances leading to the next sequence of unusual, never-thought-of-before things a client could do at this exclusive Phoenix Spa. This serial format started in 1931 with 'The Floating Admiral' which was serialized in England. Marcia Talley, editor, discovers a link with that first collaboration and declared, "We have now come full circle."

In some ways this could be considered a story about negotiating terms and conditions - these factors were key in determining the outcome of "the game". Very interesting backstories about some of the players that appear at so many final tables of big tournaments.

This is a great book, I believe for a poker player although someone who wants insights into the High Stakes world would also enjoy it. It was absolutely riveting and it was extremely difficult to lay it down. An exceptionally fast read. I would recommend the book wholeheartedly. The ending was a bit off with the author forcibly interjectedly himself into the story. I found that trivial and quite unnecessary.

This book was very interesting and hard to put down. It talks about a lot of the poker pros that live and play in Las Vegas and L.A. And is a good insight into some of the highest stakes poker games in the world. If you ever wanted to know what it would be like to be a high stakes poker player you should read this book. It is also very interesting to read about what goes on behind the scenes in the high stakes poker rooms in Las Vegas.

Michael Craig does a great job of mixing reportorial style with novelistic pacing. He tells the story of Andy Beal, a very rich man even among rich men, whose motivations for taking on the greatest poker players in the world by definition transcend the money. At the same time, he raised the stakes for the heads-up hold 'em games to levels never before seen -- even among the highest stakes players who joined financial forces to accept the challenge. Craig also gives insight into the "gambler's mindset" -- that itch that sits in the mind of anyone who gets off in a casino -- as it applies to the game of poker. This is the most interesting part for me, as poker is the only widely spread casino game where the house's advantage is 100% but capped (in other words, they charge a fee or "rake", rather than making money off of a statistical advantage). Thus, Poker combines the skill and gambling -- which is why it attracts some of the brightest people you will find in a casino. Michael digs into this phenomenon, both in his interviews of Beal and of many of the successful players who played against Beal.

This book is a must-have for any poker player or enthusiast. It's an awesome story of the biggest cash game in the history of poker! It takes you inside and behind the scenes of a poker game which very little people were privileged enough to see. Michael Craig, the author, is a regular writer for several leading poker magazines, including Card Player magazine (where he first broke the story). He was the only journalist allowed to get close to the action. He does an excellent job in giving you the most accurate details of the game. He introduces the players as they assemble to take on their wealthiest opponent ever, Texas billionaire Andy Beal. It's full of surprises, colorful characters, and of course, drama. You won't want to put it down once you start reading it. I bet on it!!

Retired cop turned crime consultant Tony Valentine lives quietly in Florida while doing freelance work for casinos, helping them catch cheats. To avoid his estranged son Gerry, he accepts a job at the aging Acropolis on the Vegas Strip, where casino owner Nick Nicocropolis is sure he's being ripped off by a hustler and possibly one of his dealers. The hustler walks, but the casino has blackjack dealer Nola Briggs arrested, sure she's involved, though they need Valentine to help prove it.

The first thing Valentine has to do is identify the hustler now going by the name Frank Fontaine. After checking his database and reviewing other clues, he thinks it can be no other than the legendary Sonny Fontana, his personal nemesis, who supposedly had his head crushed in a car door several years earlier. The waters get muddied further when the lawyer Nola hires has a grudge against Fontana/Fontaine and hires a thug to take him out. Meanwhile, interesting details about Nola's past relationship with both Sonny Fontana and Nick Nicocropolis come to light. Just as things in Vegas heat up worse than the desert at midday, Valentine's son goes missing, most likely the victim of Fontana's thugs. Torn between a need to run to his son's aid and his need to take down Sonny Fontana for good before he can bankrupt the Acropolis, Tony finds himself in the thick of things as he figures out Sonny Fontana's complex plan to rip off the casino. And all along, one question hangs in the air: is Nola guilty?

When I first started the book, I found it enjoyable, but was ready to relegate it to just one more mystery series with a twist. However, Swain's characters won me over. There is more going on here than just a series mystery that happens to be set in Las Vegas with a gambling backdrop. Instead, it's more like a romp through Sin City with its quirky locals while Valentine unravels a convoluted set of clues, at the same time he ponders his rocky relationship with his son, his friendship with his next-door neighbor Mabel, and wonders if he's ready to move on to a new relationship with a woman after the death of his wife, since lovely Roxanne at the front desk of the Acropolis starts making some overt moves.

When it's all said and done, Valentine wraps up the mystery and makes some headway with his personal issues. Valentine himself is quite a likeable character with not only street smarts, but what he calls "grift sense," an ability to sense a con even when he's not even quite sure what it is. The other characters are a mishmash of witty old ladies, cops, security experts, scumbags, and just ordinary people going about living their lives. For a mystery series slightly different than the norm, Tony Valentine is your man.

Crime

By MARILYN STASIO
Published: July 8, 2001

Have you heard the one about the canny granny who won a pot of money by card-counting on her rosary beads? How about the mother-and-son team whose method of palming cards at the blackjack table was ''pure poetry''? And what about the sweet techniques of guys like Jake the Snake and Larry the Lightbulb? James Swain, who came to his expertise on gambling hustles by way of his skills as a sleight-of-hand magician, uses the crooked play of these inspired cheats

to pull us into GRIFT SENSE (Pocket Books, [...]), a flashy, funny novel about a cool [...] to break the bank at a Las Vegas casino.

When Nick Nicocropolis gets wind that someone is out to bring down his establishment, the grandly named but barely solvent Acropolis, he does the smart thing by calling in Tony Valentine, an ex-cop with a nose for a good grift. ''I can feel when a hustle's going down, even if I don't know exactly what it is,'' says Tony, who tests his instinct against his database of some 5,000 known hustlers and comes up with the profile of a dead man. (So much for science.) Although it's slightly maddening to watch Tony conducting off-the-premises research when he could be walking us through some of the other swindles going down on the casino floor, Swain knows how to misdirect the eye during the deal.

I don't personally read a lot of mysteries, usually only those where I'm drawn to the subject matter or setting. Such was the case with Grift Sense: a setting of Las Vegas, casinos, and gambling grabbed my interest and this book found its way onto my shelf. When I eventually got around to starting this book, I was hooked almost instantly.

Grift Sense is the first foray into the mystery genre by gambling expert James Swain. Swain is able to use this expertise to set-up some seemingly ingenious scams and to show us the inner workings of casino security. Swain's protagonist is one Tony Valentine, a retired Atlantic City cop with a wealth of experience dealing with casino scammers. He is now putting this experience to use working as a security consultant for various casinos across the country. This case he gets sucked into draws him out of his complacent Florida retirement into the heart of the action in Las Vegas. From there it's nonstop twists and turns until the final showdown with the bad guys. Swain does an excellent job of keeping the plot moving and keeping you guessing right up to the end.

As far as characters go, Swain does a good job of assembling a fun cast of interesting characters. Tony comes across well as the experienced investigator who is always a couple of steps ahead of everyone else. Mabel Struck is Tony's slightly eccentric neighbor who evidently gets her kicks running prank ads in the classifieds. I could see some kind of relationship eventually developing between her and Tony. Once Tony gets to Vegas, we meet several other interesting characters including the seedy, womanizing casino owner and his slightly incompetent head of security, a potential love interest who works the hotels front desk, and of course the bad guy.

Overall this is a fun, fast mystery and a great start to a new series. Recommended to any mystery buff or to anyone into Las Vegas and casino gambling. Also, look for the other Tony Valentine mysteries: Funny Money, Sucker Bet, Loaded Dice, and Mr. Lucky.

Grift Sense is the first of what has now become a series of five Tony Valentine novels by author James Swain (currently working on book six). I read Swain's latest, Mr. Lucky, first, and it was good enough to cause me to go back and start at the beginning. And Grift Sense was not a disappointment either. Swain is a talented and very imaginative writer who has carved out a nice little niche of a storyline that is timely and fits in well with the current popularity of casino and televised poker tournaments.

Swain's main character in all his books is Tony Valentine, a retired Atlantic City cop, living in Palm Harbor, Florida. In Grift Sense Swain explains how Tony got his start as a consultant to the casinos and how he established his reputation as THE authoritative source for ferreting out those headline grabbing gambling scams that can ruin a casino.

In Grift Sense, Tony receives an overnight package containing video security tapes from the Acropolis, an older Vegas casino. Seems a stranger had taken the same blackjack dealer for more than $50,000 over a period of a couple days, and the only plausible explanation is cheating. No one on the security staff was able to spot how the player had cheated and so they turned to Tony. Recognizing the potential this scam has for ruining the Acropolis, Tony agrees to help and hops the next first class flight to Vegas. As the story plays out, Tony discovers he is on the trail of one of the most hated and feared scam artists of all time, and someone that everyone had thought was dead.

Swain leads the reader into a house of mirrors with twists and turns as unexpected as they ingenious. Grift Sense is as entertaining as it is enlighteningly educational. Sure to be enjoyed by everyone who likes a good mystery. My lone complaint about this book and the other Swain book I read is that it is hard not to pull for the scam artist who is sticking it to the casinos, after all, whoever heard of the casinos being lumped in with the good guys?

...describes the writing in this first of a series. Very well done with insider knowledge.

Dragon's Gate seems to be quite the marvelous book to read. I always favored the Chinese culture, and it was pleasing to learn more about it. Though I didn't really understand half of it. It didn't seem to get through my head when it was mentioned Otter was adopted by a new woman, who was married to Squeaky, but had feelings for another man, his father. I wasn't exactly sure whether his adopted father was Squeaky or not, which threw me off course slightly. However, the book was very enjoyable. It was somewhat humorous, since Braid seems to be a gurgler when someone says something wrong. It was strange though, how they called America 'The Golden Mountain.' I was somewhat confused more than half the time, but I was able to understand the story. It was exciting when he acctually had the chance to visit 'The Golden Mountain,' as well. Out of all events, I liked three the most. I adored how Braid continued to clear his throat and gurgle while Otter's friend carried on with speaking. It was amazing to learn that a special drug, opium, was sold in China after the Opium War, causing several addicts spending their money, resulting to poverty. What I truly liked the most though was the fact that Otter's father had worse English than Otter, when his father had been working on 'The Golden Mountain' for years. I would definately recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction, at ages ten and up.

The Chinese culture has always been fascinated by dragons. They have many sculptures, drawings and stories about dragons. The book Dragon Keeper is no exception. It is about a slave girl who befriends a dragon and goes out on a quest to get to a mystical place called Ocean.

The story starts with a lowly slave girl living on a mountain in the far borders of the Han Empire (which was the ruling force back then in China.) The girl lives with the Imperial Dragon Keeper, her master, Lan. It was Lan's job to take care of the imperial dragons, but he got lazy and the slave girl took his job and took care of the beasts. Then, when one of the two last dragons die, the girl feels remorse and starts to take better care of the last one. Then, one day, the girl is forced to escape with the dragon, when an evil dragon hunter finds her and the dragon out.

During the long journey to Ocean, the girl learns her name, befriends people (who turn into her enemies), and fights villains. The book was very enjoyable because of its excitement when you didn't know what was going to happen next. The riddles sometimes go unsolved in the book, which I really didn't like, but if you do solve them it makes you want to read it more. Over all, the book was pretty good, and if you like dragons or the Chinese culture, you should get the book. Dragon Keeper had many mysteries and surprises around every corner, so stay close to the dragons, but keep away from the tigers.

Dragon's Gate is a book that orbits around the great bond of friendship that can ease pain. I am very fond of the characters as they are who grab the reader to read on. The book takes place at the time of America's construction of the railroad (mid 1800's) and as we all know many Chinese men were the reason for its climb. So we follow the main character, Otter in his journey to the land where his father and uncle work and with him meet many of his disappointments and surprises. I myself have learned a lot as the author dresses the reader in Otter's shoes. We see the unruly way the Chinese men were treated despite all that they lost to give to The Land of the Golden Mountain (America) what they had planned. I also appreciate the author's great talent of figurative language. The scenery created with his words really helps compose the outlook of whatever situation the author is trying to describe; which in my opinion aids the reader in "living" the story.
I recommend this book to whoever is (or vaguely is) familiar with the situation occurring at that time. The book is an easy read and students starting from middle school level and above might enjoy and understand its adventure. Dragon's Gate will definitely enhance the readers knowledge of the situation at that time especially because history never recorded the happenings. As wonderful as the language use was in the book, it still felt that it needed to be more tangible to the reader, and the events happened too fast you could find yourself lost a couple of times at each chapter. Some situations were very vague.

Dragon's Gate was an interesting read. The characters came to life, and the situations brought upon a reality which no one could have possibly imagined to be real. I loved the descriptive language that was used throughout the story. It made things look real through the perspective of another person. In a way, it gave me a better feel of the atmosphere and setting. The characters itself were charming yet original or life-like. I say this because we often feel that the characters in most stories are too non-realistic and we don't often find similarities between us and the characters. The characters in Dragon's Gate allowed most of the readers to learn from a more realistic perspective and feeling which also gave room to finding similarities and familiar emotions we often face in every day life. For example, in reality, how would we feel about sacrificing our lives to save others? I for one, must say that the very thought scares me yet at the same time we feel we must. This book makes you ponder how you value yourself, and as you read through the enchanting pages you find yourself asking, "Did I do the same thing when I was put in this situation?" or, "Is this what you really do?" and so forth. You may also find that as you read the book, your feelings unwind and you find yourself bound to the characters themselves.
I would personally recommend this book to ages 12 and above. I believe that it's both enriching and informative and will allow them to broaden their minds while receiving a general knowledge and understanding in return.

This book is officialy the most boring and worst book that i have ever read. I didnt find any part of this book exciting or good. The whole thing was boring. I had to read this book for school with a group of 5 or 6 other people. Every single person in the group hated the book. I hated this book.