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. It’s a shame that this and WILDCARD are only available on the Kindle (or on an IPad with a free Kindle app – which is how I read them). 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 a Kindle to read them, but I’ll let you make that decision.
JACKPOT by James Swain Rating: A This novel is set in modern-day with Tony Valentine’s son playing a prominent role as his sidekick. Tony has a score to settle. Decades before, his brother-in-law was gunned down by a gang of ruthless con men, each of whom Valentine has sworn to track down. Now, only one is left, the cold-blooded Bronco Marchese. Valentine goes to Nevada to bring Bronco to justice, while also helping the police figure out how someone is stealing hundreds of slot machine jackpots without ever touching the machines.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
From the national bestselling novelist the Houston Press calls “One of today’s best suspense writers†comes a electrifying story of murder, greed, and revenge.
Ex-cop Tony Valentine has a score to settle. Decades before, his brother-in-law was gunned down by a gang of ruthless con men, each of whom Valentine has sworn to track down. Now, only one is left, the cold-blooded Bronco Marchese.
Valentine goes to Nevada to bring Bronco to justice, while also helping the police figure out how someone is stealing hundreds of slot machine jackpots without ever touching the machines. It’s a case that only Valentine with his amazing “grift sense†can solve. Along the way, he will put his own life in peril, and risk everything that he holds dear, to bring his life-long enemy to justice.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR James Swain is the author of fourteen nationally bestselling mystery novels. His novels have been translated into French, Russian, Japanese and German, and have been chosen as mysteries of the year by Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. Swain has 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.
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
“Swain is nothing short of marvelous.†–Bookreporter.com
“Wow, what a discovery. Swain is one of the best writers I’ve come across.†–Michael Connelly
“This series has got to be one of the finds of the decade.†–Kirkus Reviews