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Tony Valentine, a former Atlantic City cop, now runs an agency dealing strictly with cheating. Cheating at gambling that is. Together with his son, Gerry, they operate an agency called Grift Sense which means an innate ability to spot a hustle or a scam. Both Tony and Gerry have that sense. Gerry used to be a bookie and on the wrong side of the law, but after his daughter was born he finally grew up, saw the light and joined his father's business. Tony's agency has been hired to oversee the World Poker Showdown in Las Vegas and to make sure there is no cheating going on at the tables. Tony's old friend, a character named Rufus, an old Texas gambler, was in the tournament but lost early in the first few rounds. Rufus usually has a few tricks up his own sleeve and he's insistent that the current leader, a young man named Skip De Marco is cheating. Skip is legally blind and is an exceptional player. Tony wants to keep an eye on Skip because his uncle is a notorious gangster from Atlantic City, with whom Tony has had several run-ins. There are several amusing incidents in the book where Rufus scams others, but so cleverly that even Tony has to overlook his friend's ability to hustle the suckers, as he calls them. The author has one thing in common with his character of Tony. He hates to see cheating and has spent years collecting scams and talking to gamblers and finding out how the scams work. He says that all of the scams mentioned in his books are true ones that have been successfully worked on the unsuspecting.Ê As a former magician, he is very interested in sleight of hand and the various ways that a person can cheat another with a deck of cards in his hands. This book and another, DEADMAN'S POKER, are the latest in the series featuring Tony and his crew. They all deal with gambling and cheating. A reader does not have to be interested in gambling to enjoy this book. I found it to be interesting and I loved learning about the ways the various scams were operated. Tony is a believable character, a man in his 60s, slowing down but anxious to show that he still counts for something.
Reviewed by Lorraine Gelly, July 2006
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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