Deadman's BLUFF: A Novel (Tony Valentine)

"Deadman's Bluff" picks up right where "Deadman's Poker" leaves off. Though "Poker" stands on its own, there are still a few loose ends at the close which extend beyond the story in that first of the duo of novels. In this book, "Deadman's Bluff", those ends unravel into another deeper level of higher reaching mystery and intrigue; leaping from the stage of Las Vegas to cross the country in devilish twists and turns. All the murder, mystery, intrigue, romance, full of life characters that you came to love in "Poker" are right here in "Bluff" as well. Do yourself a favor, when you pick up the first, get the second. You are going to want to open "Deadman's Bluff" as soon as you finish "Deadman's Poker". These two novels are contemporary pop-mystery writing at its finest.

Jim Swain has the knack of bringing his characters to life. Tony Valentine is a believable hero of the series and a man you'd like to meet. The added bonus of getting an inside look at gambling and casinos is icing on the cake.

Deadman's Bluff closes the story begun in Deadman's Poker about the World Poker Showdown at least insofar as how the tournament turns out and how the fates of many...but not all...of the characters created therein are decided. You really do need to read the first book before wading into this one. Gloria Curtis seems destined to appear for at least a while in any future book as she and Tony Valentine have personal issues to work out which will probably be very entertaining. One hopes that Rufus Steele will show up again if for no other reason than to show those of us who have had a sheltered upbringing how an aging gambler that smokes like a stove can beat a Kentucky Derby type race horse in a one hundred yard dash; how one can hyponotize a fly to land on one of many sugar cubes, etc., etc., with the result always being that Rufus announces..."I win." Gerry Valentine's reformation from being a bookie who constantly disappointed his father to a valued partner in the enterprise, Grift Sense will continue. Mabel will continue to answer the phones and keep Tony's life in some kind of order and the scammers and grifters out there will continue to supply business for Tony to solve and James Swain to tell us about. All of Swain's books are funny, well written, educational and above all, highly entertaining. You will enjoy the experience.

Super fast read, second in Dedman series read Dedman's Poker first and you wil love this finish. A must for Texas-holdum fans. Brad

As a novice and amateur when it comes to writing book reviews, I expect I am going to make some mistakes. Case in point: While reading Deadman's Bluff, James Swain's continuation of the story begun in Deadman's Poker, I got so caught up in the story that I did not stop periodically and take notes about what I liked or didn't like about the story. Quick read? Oh yeah. So, going back to re-visit the story is not THAT big of a deal. The basic plot remains the same: the fictional World Poker Showdown is in the process of being won by cheaters, and Tony Valentine is on the case. The Vegas story arc picks up in the latter stages of the tournament with the blind nephew of an Atlantic City mob boss cheating to build a massive lead going into the final days. The method used to cheat begins to become more apparent, and Gerry goes to Atlantic City to trace the leads back to a friend, murdered in the earlier book. While there, Gerry gets involved in busting a blackjack-cheating ring run by the same mob boss. Tony continues to apply pressure to the tournament cheater, and between the two of them the action brings the story to a very satisfying conclusion. Along the way, Swain continues to entertain and inform us through comic-relief Rufus Steele, an old-time hustler modeled after Amarillo Slim. Rufus continues to build a massive bankroll through a series of scams and hustles and gets paid off every time despite angle-shooting that pushes the ethical edge. These sequences are great training for inventive bar bets. You will have to read Deadman's Poker before you read Deadman's Bluff; the two books cannot be read separately or out of order. But the two books represent a great continuation in the Tony Valentine series.