Loaded Dice, James Swain
Loaded Dice, James Swain
List: $12.95 | Sale: $9.07
Club: $6.47

Loaded Dice

Author: James Swain

Narrator: Tony Roberts

Abridged: 5 hr 2 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/01/2004


Synopsis

For ex-cop Tony Valentine, life in balmy Florida provides little R&R. In fact, he’s in demand now more than ever. Armed with a special grift sense, Valentine can spot card cheats and even bigger game whose sole purpose on earth is to relieve a casino of its cash. But when his son, who was going to card-counting school, goes missing, Valentine jets to Las Vegas. Once in town, he is pressed into service—and lands inside a treacherous game with higher stakes than he has ever encountered before.

There’s a new casino in town, aptly named Sin, the largest on The Strip: three thousand guest rooms and a gambling floor as big as an airport terminal. The owners of Sin want Valentine to show them how the scams are done. But these powerful men harbor ulterior motives: They want to use their newfound skills to put a rival casino out of business.

Sin’s competition is the Acropolis, run by Valentine’s longtime pal. Nick taps Tony to figure out how an amateur won $50,000 at his blackjack tables. But the small job is full of landmines. For starters, the suspect bears a strong resemblance to his late wife. What’s more, Valentine’s son is still M.I.A. Upping the ante, a dead stripper is found with Valentine’s calling card—and her grief-stricken boyfriend is vowing revenge.

Yet in a city where barracudas wear pinstripes, time seems motionless even while it flies, and reality and illusion shift depending on the neon light, a greater threat maneuvers through the streets: an all-new breed of criminal with an agenda propelled by fury that will shake not just Valentine, but the city of Las Vegas.

About The Author

James Swain is the bestselling author of Grift Sense, Funny Money, and Sucker Bet, and is considered an authority on crooked gambling and casino scams. He lives in Odessa, Florida, with his wife, Laura, where he is currently at work on his fifth Tony Valentine novel.Visit his Web site at www.jimswain.com.


Reviews

Goodreads review by James on January 11, 2016

Readers who follow this series will certainly not be surprised to learn that Tony Valentine's son, Gerry is in big trouble. Again. Time after time, Tony has bailed Gerry out of dangerous situations; time after time, Gerry has promised to reform, and time after time, his promise is very short-lived. G......more

Goodreads review by K on August 08, 2019

Another enjoyable entry in this series, but falls shy of its predecessors. Tony Valentine continues to be an engaging character, especially since he’s been allowed to age and is dealing with being 63 and alone (lost his wife and misses her and the sense of being loved). He continues to do his thing—......more

Goodreads review by Johnny on July 26, 2010

Loaded Dice is my latest encounter with the work of James Swain. Not being a gambler, I wouldn’t have picked up these entertaining mysteries from the titles or cover illustrations. My copies of these books were given to me and I’m glad they were. I still haven’t figured out what it is I like about t......more

Goodreads review by Kara on December 19, 2012

Retired cop turned casino consultant Tony Valentine is back in Vegas on a job, and searching for his screw-up son Gerry, when he spies a woman bearing a strong resemblance to his deceased wife getting ready to jump off her balcony. Tony races away from a meeting with three high-buck casino bosses an......more

Goodreads review by Don on March 26, 2021

(3). I believe this totally catches me up on the Tony Valentine series. What good fun. Tony is the consummate protagonist. Very smart, a tough streak and totally likable. The gambling and cheating insights are still here, but not in quite the abundance as in some of the other entries in this franchi......more


Quotes

“Leaves us wanting more of this pulsing, buoyant book.”
Los Angeles Times

“Loaded Dice, like all Tony Valentine novels, is pure entertainment.”
San Jose Mercury News

“This smooth, funny series has got to be one of the finds of the decade.”
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“The author packs his books with mind-boggling cons and scams–how to do them, how to stop them–along with entertaining dialogue and vivid characters, [most] notably the strong, sympathetic Tony.”
Publishers Weekly