The Druperman Tapes [Mass Market Paperback]

John D. Goodger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2005

Druperman, the head of a confidential cooperative of the most powerful casinos in Las Vegas, has received a videotape threatening violence against the cooperative's members unless a ransom is paid. The criminals identify themselves only by a code name. As the casino owners dig in their heels and refuse to pay, the stakes get higher. The head of security at the city's top casino, a former LVPD detective, is determined to find the perpetrators, putting himself, and his new love, at risk in the process.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Terrorist-level blackmail threatens the Las Vegas Casino Association in first-time novelist Goodger's slow-to-boil crime thriller. Videotapes of short clips of disasters taken from TV and movies mysteriously appear in the offices of the association's head, Emmett "Droopy" Druperman, a hard-nosed negotiator who refuses to make the payoff demanded by the blackmailers. Instead, he alerts his security chief, Steve Forrester, as each new threat comes in. Despite the increasingly high stakes—poisoning, fire, an Oklahoma City–style bomb—as Druperman and Forrester work desperately to keep the gaming tables open and the public in the dark, the plot seldom gains true momentum. The budding love affair between Forrester and pit supervisor Lucy Baker does nothing for the suspense because of a lack of chemistry. On the other hand, gambling fans will relish the behind-the-scenes look at Vegas—the moment when the obnoxious, aging Sinatra-esque singer Tony Francisco steps unwittingly into danger is a nice commentary on the thrill of betting and luck playing out—and the credible if unspectacular investigative search for the blackmailers builds to a solid action-movie finale.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Goodger hits the jackpot with his first novel, a riveting tale set in the glitzy world of Las Vegas casinos. The novel offers more than its share of suspense, but it is Goodger's believable, compelling characters who lift the tale well above the typical action novel. Emmett "Droopy" Druperman, big boss at the Galaxy Casino and president of a secret consortium of Las Vegas casinos, at first dismisses a strange package that includes a movie clip of someone being poisoned. A real poisoning in the casino a short time later makes him sit up and take notice. When the second package contains video of an electrocution--and a demand for millions of dollars--Druperman is still determined not to give in to the mysterious extortionists, who call themselves "Thanatos." To solve the case, Galaxy security chief Steve Forrester strikes an uneasy alliance with his bitter former partner on the LVPD; meanwhile, he also begins an uneasy courtship of gun-shy colleague Lucy Baker. Too often Vegas-set mysteries either succumb to the glitz of the setting or become mired in the intricacies of Ocean's 11-like capers. Neither happens here, despite the complexity of the plot. Rather than questioning the believability of the story, readers may have trouble accepting the notion that this superb adventure is the work of a first-time novelist. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 389 pages
• Publisher: Leisure Books (November 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0843956119
• ISBN-13: 978-0843956115
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 3.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,884,301 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars enjoyable investigative tale, October 31, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Druperman Tapes (Hardcover)

In Las Vegas normally just irascible grumpy Galaxy Hotel and Casino CEO Emmett Druperman has watched his temperament turn hot coal irate from minor irritants. Pickets were reducing the drop in leisurely casino players who detested stepping past the "ants" picketing his facility. The agent of his entertainer wants more money or he will cancel in spite of a half million ad campaign. His hemorrhoids on fire, Emmett receives a plain envelop addressed to him as the head of LVCA (Las Vegas Casino Association) containing videotapes and demanding $10 million or else from the casino owners.

Realizing he has real trouble, Emmett hands everything over to his Vice President of Security Steve Forrester who takes the threat seriously. They think of possible strip con artists such as Dan Shiller and Jurgen Voss, but Steve cannot picture either doing what happened on the tape, the poisoning of a guest. Knowing that the culprit is most likely a casino insider, Steve needs to figure out who would be bold enough to risk murder as opposed to card game scams.

THE DRUPERMAN TAPES is an enjoyable investigative tale that showcases Las Vegas glitz from the perspective of those who keep the casinos safe. The cast is powerful as all the key players seem genuine (hemorrhoids will do that) and a subplot involving a romance makes former cop Steve seem that much more real. Though the cat and mouse game never quite takes the audience over the edge, John Goodger hits black jack with his first hand.

Harriet Klausner

2.0 out of 5 stars Comes up short, November 23, 2006

By 

JoeV "Reader" (Arlington Hts, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Druperman Tapes (Hardcover)

At the risk of going against the grain here - I missed the magic in this one. On the plus side, the plot line is an interesting one - i.e., the method used to extort money from Las Vegas casinos - and the author has a keen understanding of the workings and history of said place. Unfortunately the story itself doesn't flow and the characters, (as well as their development), were to me flat, wooden and very predictable. All of it reminding me of `70's TV show. Can't recommend this one.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, Exciting Reading, March 23, 2006

By 

Susie (Fairfield, CT, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Druperman Tapes (Hardcover)

This book is truly a "sleeper". The more you read, the more you get pulled into this Las Vegas web of intrigue. I truly could not put this book down, nor could my sister Jane in Toronto who recommended it to me.

Good work, John Goodger. I hope you continue to write.

Susanne