Wild Card [NOOK Book]

( 21 )
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Overview

DEADLY PLEASURES MAGAZINE Review by George Easter

I’ve been a big fan of this series since its inception with GRIFT SENSE. Swain has a natural gift for storytelling. The various scams are fascinating in their ingenuity and for the clever detection that thwarts them. And Tony Valentine
and his crew are among my favorite characters in crime fiction. He’s also published two other e-book originals – one a Jack Carpenter novel and the other a ...
See more details below

More About This Book

Overview

DEADLY PLEASURES MAGAZINE Review by George Easter

I’ve been a big fan of this series since its inception with GRIFT SENSE. Swain has a natural gift for storytelling. The various scams are fascinating in their ingenuity and for the clever detection that thwarts them. And Tony Valentine
and his crew are among my favorite characters in crime fiction. He’s also published two other e-book originals – one a Jack Carpenter novel and the other a stand-alone (his first novel). I’d say that it’s almost worth buying an ereader to read them, but I’ll let you make that decision.

WILD CARD by James Swain Rating: A

This novel takes us back to Tony Valentine’s early days as a policeman in
Atlantic City, New Jersey and how he came to be an expert on gambling scams and crime. It also treats the reader to his wife, the love of his life. In all the books in the series to this date, Tony is a widower and we know little about his
beloved wife and Swain gives us a sweet portrait of that loving relationship.
We also see the forces that shape his son, who at this time is just about to enter his teens. It’s 1979, and the Boardwalk Empire of Atlantic
City is being torn down, replaced by a glitzy casino and all the crime that goes with it. Cops on the take,mobsters stealing a million dollars a day, a serial
killer preying on young women, and more con men and hustlers than you can shake a stick at, define the new Atlantic City. Detective Tony Valentine uses his newly gained skills to combat this crime wave.


PRAISE FOR THE TONY VALENTINE SERIES

“Top class suspense... must reads for me, and one of my favorite series.”
– Lee Child

“In this series, the main character is a big winner.”
– Janet Maslin, The New York Times

“The momentum is great, the writing nimble, the action intricate.”
– Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Swain has hit on a winning combination.”
–Washington Post Book World

“Mixing humor, suspense, poignancy and insider-lore, Swain is one terrific writer.
A thoroughly winning book.”
–The Wall Street Journal

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

“Swain’s mysteries are a sure bet.”
–The Chicago Tribune

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780983058410
  • Publisher: James Swain
  • Publication date: 10/4/2010
  • Sold by: Barnes & Noble
  • Format: eBook
  • Sales rank: 48,333
  • Series: Tony Valentine series , #8
  • File size: 509 KB

Meet the Author

James Swain is the author of fourteen nationally bestselling mystery novels. His novels have been chosen as mysteries of the year by Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, and have received three Barry Award nominations, a Florida book award for Fiction, and the prestigious Prix Calibre .38 for Best American Crime Fiction. His Tony Valentine novels have been purchased by Langley Films (Cops, Brooklyn’s Finest) for theatrical release, with the author to write the screenplay. Visit his website at www.jimswain.com

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 21 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(10)

4 Star

(5)

3 Star

(3)

2 Star

(1)

1 Star

(2)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 21 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 11, 2012

    Great Read!

    I was pleasantly suprised by this one. Good, easily identfiable characters and a great plot. Definitely a must read for folks who like the style of book.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 5, 2012

    Highly Recommended

    I've read about five of Swain's novels on gambling cheats. This is background for when he worked in Atlantic City. Though not as humorous as some of his others, it provides background for how he became a gambling cheat consultant.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted February 2, 2011

    Not for me...

    I bought this based on reader reviews, it sounded like something I'd like. Nope! I thought it was terribly written too. Very simplistic.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted October 25, 2010

    Maybe Swain's best!

    There are nine novels in the Tony Valentine series. Wild Card may very well be the best of the lot. It's a prequel that takes place in Atlantic City in 1979, and is filled with lots of action and clever detective work and of course suspense. But what makes it really ring true are the depictions of the city being torn down as the casinos are put up, and how the lives of everyone are changed forever. This books captures the soul of a lost era in a way that few mystery books do. Don't miss it.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted October 23, 2010

    The long-awaited prequel to the Tony Valentine series was worth the wait

    As so many rave reviews make abundantly clear, if you like Tony Valentine, you'll love Wild Card. Finally we learn the events that created the character we first met in Grift Sense and came to know in half a dozen great reads since. James Swain knows more great gambling scams than anybody, and he knows how to spin them into gripping stories. Wild Card is a pure page turner like all Swain's books.

    If you haven't read any Tony Valentine books, this is actually a great one to start with. Usually you wouldn't want to start with the eighth book of a series, because you've missed so much. But Wild Card is a prequel to the other seven, so you haven't missed anything. Then if you like it, and you will, you can go back to Grift Sense and catch up on all the great stories. Then you can go on to Jackpot, which come to think of it, it's time for me to go download.

    Not to be crass, but it's a tremendous bonus that this book is only $2.99. Great books cheap -- this is exactly why the Nook was invented.

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    Posted July 28, 2011

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