Sucker Bet

By: James Swain

Narrated by: Paul Boehmer

A hardened ex-cop, Tony Valentine now nabs hustlers who rob casinos, and the Micanopy Indian Reservation Casino in South Florida desperately needs his expertise. A blackjack dealer has rigged a game, dealt a player eighty-four winning hands in a row, and then disappeared.

But the missing dealer is part of an even bigger, far deadlier scheme. Valentine’s trail leads him to Rico Blanco, a ruthless gangster who once worked for John Gotti; his shady, elusive partner-in-crime, Victor Marks; and a bombshell named Candy Hart, a hooker with dreams of love—a combination tailor-made to double-cross. It appears they have a con going down involving a cocky, filthy-rich Brit and his millions of dollars. Valentine’s challenge: to figure out how all the pieces of the seamy puzzle fit together . . . before his luck runs out and his life goes bust.© 2003 James Swain; (P) 2003 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Ingenious entertainment.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT DOWN . . . ENDLESS FUN . . .
SUCKER BET IS ITS OWN BEST PAYOUT.”
—St. Petersburg Times

“[Swain is] an entertaining writer whose breezy style and flair for wise-guy dialogue make the story zoom by.”
—The Boston Globe

“HITS THE JACKPOT . . . SUCKER BET IS A SURE THING.”
—Chicago Tribune

“WOW, WHAT A DISCOVERY!
James Swain is the best new writer I have come across in a long, long time. Sucker Bet is wonderful. It snaps with the gritty feel of the truth. Swain has carefully added all of the ingredients: tragedy, humor, action, and most of all, a cast of characters that would make Elmore Leonard’s mouth water.”
—MICHAEL CONNELLY

“Realistic, crisp dialogue spoken by three-dimensional characters . . . Swain moves Sucker Bet from the condos and hotels of Miami Beach to the suburbs of West Broward and the Everglades with a keen eye to the area.”
—Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

“Sucker Bet is sheer magic. Fast and full or surprises, and rich with fascinating insider knowledge of casinos and gambling and world-class con men and bad guys of every denomination. James Swain is the real thing, a writer of pure, athletic prose, capable of bringing alive characters as original and three-dimensional as our best novelists. . . . Sign me up as a charter member of the Swain fan club.”—JAMES W. HALL
Author of Blackwater Sound

“Swain has come up with a doozy. . . . The gambling details are a treat [and] the banter is worthy of a place at Elmore Leonard’s table. . . . Swain’s ship just JUNE have come in.”
—Booklist

Interesting and entertaining

Swain's books have gotten consistently better as his voice has developed and the character of Tony Valentine has established itself. Loaded Dice is well worth the price of admission.

All the things that were pretty good in the first two novels are now great. The pacing is terrific, and the information on casino cheating and on gambling rings with the voice of experience. If you want a mystery that has a different flavor, Swain's books may be the answer.

Well written

I enjoyed listening to this book very much & always looked forward to turning on my iPod again. The plot was interesting & plausible. I thought Sucker Bet was terrific. Also enjoyed the narrator, Paul Boehmer. Will now try other books by James Swain.