Tumblin' Dice: A Mystery

by John McFetridge

Overview

Two aging rock stars plot against the manager who ripped them off in this witty thriller by “Canada’s answer to Elmore Leonard” (Toronto Star).
 
The High, a band with a few hit songs back in the late 1970s, have reunited to play the nostalgia circuit at casinos. But for bassist Barry and lead singer Cliff, this tour will be more lucrative than it appears, as they team up to turn the tables on the gritty underworld of these gambling palaces—robbing the loan sharks and drug dealers who work at every stop of the tour.
 
After coming across their old manager, who had swindled millions from them years ago, Barry and Cliff decide to go for the big score and get it all back—and more. But when a notoriously dangerous motorcycle gang gets involved, all bets are off.
 
“Things start accelerating from the opening line, which sets the tone [and] engages interest perfectly . . . McFetridge is able to convincingly portray flawed figures on both sides of the law.” —Publishers Weekly

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781770900943
Publisher:	ECW Press
Publication date:	09/06/2019
Series:	The Toronto Series , #4
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
File size:	529 KB

About the Author

JOHN MCFETRIDGE, author of Dirty Sweet, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, and Swap, became fascinated with crime when attending a murder trial at age 12 with his police officer brother. He lives in Toronto with his family and blogs at johnmcfetridge.blogspot.com.

Editorial Reviews

McFetridge (Dirty Sweet) continues to justify having been named one of Canada's crime writers to watch in 2007 with this latest contemporary gritty novel, which features some characters previously seen in his Toronto Series. Things start accelerating from the opening line, which sets the tone, engages interest perfectly, and could have come from Elmore Leonard. "The High had been back together and on the road for a couple of months playing mostly casinos when the lead singer, Cliff Moore, got the idea to start robbing them." And the avalanching pace keeps going as the band's efforts to supplement their income illegally leads to violent complications. The scheme takes a personal turn when the High decide to take revenge on a casino owner, Frank Kloss, who had ripped them off on their first contract, and continued to take advantage of them for a decade of representation. Like Leonard, McFetridge is able to convincingly portray flawed figures on both sides of the law. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Each of McFetridge’s colourful characters takes huge chances, frequently hoping for an equally huge payoff. The only one not taking a chance on Tumblin’ Dice is the reader.” — Quill & Quire

“[McFetridge] continues to justify having been named one of Canada’s crime writers to watch in 2007 with this latest contemporary gritty novel.” — Publishers Weekly

“Eventually, some crime writer or other had to give a novel its setting among the broken down 1970s rock groups who work the circuit of gambling casinos these days. Fortunately for readers, the writer first on to the subject is Toronto’s own John McFetridge. He’s the guy with just the right balance of grit, humour and rock’n’roll knowledge to do the job.” — Toronto Star

“John McFetridge is — or should be — a star in the world of crime fiction. He’s got a firm, lively hand on all the essentials, from setting to intricate plot, clear, bold characterization and, best of all, to dialogue that sizzles and sparks through the pages, providing its own music, naturally of the hard-rocking kind.” — Toronto Sun

“Each of John McFetridge’s...novels have a rhythm to them, mixing taut dialogue, spare description and a dark sensibility with the cool calm of a master bass player.” National Post

“Readers of gritty, tough and in your face crime novels will enjoy McFetridge’s books. He develops his voice with each one, and his Toronto series gets better and better.” — Crime Fiction Lover

From the Publisher