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A mysterious man drives into a small town in West Texas. He is traveling with his girlfriend Della. The man is interested in the big poker game that is held every weekend in this town. Or at least that is what he appears to be interested in. In fact, he seems to have a grudge against a banker named Clifton Robillard. He has something planned that will involve Robillard getting what is due him. This plan involves a former criminal turned cockfighter and a band of misfits. Whatever this plan is, it gets sidetracked by the oil boom that hits the town. Della jumps straight into it and soon both she and the protagonist are extremely rich. Regardless, the protagonist still decides to go after Robillard and carry through with his obviously criminal plan. THE ROGUES' GAME starts a little slow but the story line picks up quickly. The answers to all of the reader's questions are not provided until the very end of the book, although enough answers are given that the plot begins to make sense. Most readers lose interest when they do not understand what is happening so it is a good thing that Burton begins to answer questions within the first 30 pages. Once enough information is provided, a reader will follow along to find the rest of the answers he or she desires. One of the most enjoyable parts of THE ROGUES' GAME is that fact that Della is such a strong character. While she knows that the protagonist is probably involved in a criminal act she does not want to stop him. She knows that he will tell her everything once he is ready. In addition, Della does not need the protagonist so if his explanation is not valid, she has not qualms about leaving him. Ultimately she trusts that he will do the right thing. While this might make her seem weak because she is allowing the protagonist to have control, it in fact shows strength because she is so sure of herself and of him that the truth does not scare her. In addition, she runs their company and deals with the oil boom and prospectors with few problems or concerns. It is impressive that she is such an astute businesswoman when her background is that of a debutante. For me, the one thing that was aggravating was the fact that the protagonist does not have a name. When I read a book, I like to have a character with a name and a somewhat developed personality. A character's name can also provide details about his or her identity and the role he or she might take in the story. While the protagonist does provide details about his past to both the other characters and the reader, it is hard to determine what are lies and what is the truth. I believe that the protagonist does not have a name in the book because that makes him more mysterious and intriguing. In addition, by not giving him a name, Burton forces the reader to make up his or her own truth. While I can understand why Burton does what he does, it is still frustrating to me as a reader.
Reviewed by Sarah Dudley, September 2005
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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