Sucker Bet

April 15, 2003
Swain's third Tony Valentine novel (after Grift Sense and Funny Money) finds Tony at loose ends. A widower, retired from the Atlantic City police force and living in Florida, he has become bored with his work as a gambling casino consultant, disenchanted with the younger woman he has been dating, and disappointed in his son, who has opened a bar-and-betting parlor. It is Mabel, his next-door neighbor and the one stable influence in his life, who persuades him to accept an assignment to look into a blackjack scam at the Micanopy Indian reservation casino, located in the Everglades. However, before he can investigate, the dealer in question disappears, and Tony finds himself on the trail of a con-man/murderer as dangerous as any 'gator. The author is a gambling expert, considered one of the best card handlers in the world, and his knowledge of games and scams is evident in his novels. Detective and mystery enthusiasts who enjoy Elmore Leonard will certainly find Sucker Bet to their liking.-Thomas L. Kilpatrick, formerly with Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2003
In the mystery genre, there's always room for a new premise, and Swain has come up with a doozy: his hero, Tony Valentine, is an ex-cop who specializes in catching casino cheats. The downside of the job is that Tony must work for casino owners, which is why, as this third entry in the high-spirited series begins, he is on the lam, enjoying a romance with a lady wrestler and even participating in the odd tag-team match. But when the romance founders and Tony gets a summons from the head of security at Florida's Micanopy Indian Reservation Casino, he heads for the Everglades. The scam is several layers deep--crooked blackjack dealers and fixed basketball games play roles, along with a couple of nasty alligators eager to test Tony's wrestling skills. The gambling details are a treat, the banter is worthy of a place at Elmore Leonard's table, and the Floridian sense of absurdity draws on Hiaasen without seeming derivative. With a new publisher willing to back Tony's play, Swain's ship just may have come in.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)