Lucky at Cards

by Lawrence Block Narrated by Alan Sklar

Overview

At cards and with women, Bill Maynard knew how to cheat ...

On the mend after getting run out of Chicago, professional cardsharp Bill Maynard is hungry for some action ... but not nearly as hungry as Joyce Rogers, the tantalizing wife of Bill's latest mark. Together they hatch an ingenious scheme to get rid of her husband. But in life as in poker, the other player sometimes has an ace up his sleeve.

This classic pulp novel was originally released in 1964 as The Sex Shuffle under the pen name Sheldon Lord.

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
Originally published in 1964 as The Sex Shuffle under the pseudonym Sheldon Lord, this steamy pulp classic from Lawrence Block is being reissued by Hard Case Crime for the first time in almost 40 years! The story of a down-and-out grifter who meets his match in the form of the drop-dead-gorgeous wife of a poker buddy, this gritty Block novel has it all: sleazy swindlers, seductive femme fatales, cunning setups, and an ending that is as unlikely as it is ironic.

Card shark Bill Maynard barely got out of Chicago with his life. On the mend after getting caught cheating during a high-stakes poker game and being summarily beaten, Maynard has stopped in a small town somewhere between Chicago and New York City to nurse his wounds and find a new scam. But when Maynard is invited to a "friendly" poker game with a few local high rollers, he meets Joyce Rogers, the green-eyed, chestnut-haired wife of a tax lawyer who manipulates men like Maynard maneuvers cards. Obsessively attracted to the seductress, Maynard soon becomes a willing pawn in her scheme to frame her husband for murder; once he's imprisoned, all of his riches will belong to her. But professional con man Maynard soon realizes his troubles in Chicago were nothing compared to what could happen if he continues on with Rogers's murderous plan…

Block's hard-edged and unapologetic writing style is as wildly entertaining today as it was in 1964; the sex sequences in particular are vintage pulp fiction. In one scene, Block describes the action: "No kisses, no sweet caresses, no little bits and pieces. I fell on her like a tree." Pulp aficionados will absolutely cherish this unearthed chunk of noir gold. Paul Goat Allen

Library Journal

Block released this book in 1964 as The Sex Shuffle under the nom de plume Sheldon Lord. It came and went pretty fast, so most of his fans have never seen it. The plot follows a grifter and gambler who takes up with a mark's wicked wife to fleece her husband. The plan soon gets out of hand. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal - Audio

Released in 1964 as The Sex Shuffle (blech!), this first-person narrative follows Bill Maynard, a low-end magician-turned-high-end card mechanic. After fleeing Chicago with broken teeth and a dislocated thumb courtesy of poker players who caught him dealing from the bottom, Bill sets up business in another town. In his first card game with new suckers, Bill has the bad luck of meeting Joyce, who immediately notices he's cheating. Joyce, the trophy wife of wealthy attorney Murray Rogers, is a former grifter who has tired of the good-girl life after trying to go legit. She needs an able accomplice to fleece her husband for enough cash that she can get away and live big. Joyce trades her centerfold bod for Bill's help, and the two launch a scheme to frame Roger for a phony murder so Joyce can enjoy hubby's money while he rots behind bars. Narrator Alan Sklar's gritty baritone is perfect for this tawdry tale. VERDICT Although the book is dated, fans of nonviolent crime fare will enjoy. Block is always worth the time.—Mike Rogers, Library Journal

Product Details

BN ID:	2940169907384
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	08/01/2007
Edition description:	Unabridged

Videos