Grift Sense (Tony Valentine Novels) [Paperback]

James Swain (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2002 | Series: Tony Valentine Novels

In the world of cheating, professional hustlers and cross-roaders (people who cheat casinos) pride themselves on their ability to sense when a scam is going down. Having this ability is the ultimate gift, and is called 'grift sense'. The Acropolis is a casino that has seen better days: it's quickly falling out of pace with the rest of Las Vegas. Its one big tourist attraction is One-Armed Billy, a cigar-store Indian turned slot machine. When a blackjack player starts to win consistently against the casino, the owner gets suspicious and calls in crusty Tony Valentine to investigate. A sixty-two-year-old retired cop with a unique understanding of the mechanics of high-stakes gambling, wonderfully misanthropic Tony also specializes in spotting and hunting down "grifters". Valentine soon finds himself embroiled in a fascinating but lethal world of hustlers, hit men and corrupt police, and he'll need more than luck to come out of it alive.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Penzler Pick, July 2001: The first four pages of this casino-themed debut are smashing--literally. Then James Swain, himself a gambling expert and professional magician, gets to the real story, and at that point, the plot starts churning out more twists than a corkscrew factory on overtime. Soon the characters are so enmeshed in their own self-serving lies, scams, and schemes that the only thing for a reader to do is just take a deep breath and let the steady barrage of surprises wash over him.

There's no point in saying "take a deep breath and enjoy the scenery," because in Swain's Las Vegas, what one gazes upon is most likely to be a casino's gambling floor as viewed from security monitors. "Watching surveillance videos," he explains, "is a unique experience. The cameras filtered twice as much light as the human eye, and as a result hairpieces looked like rugs, cheap suits took on zebra stripes, and women wearing red dresses became naked. It was like entering the Twilight Zone."

All too familiar with this eerie, totally paranoid, 24/7 universe is one-time Atlantic City cop Tony Valentine, who now runs a one-man consulting business he calls Grift Sense. To say of someone that he has that particular form of larcenous intuition, the author tells us, is "the highest compliment" one hustler can pay another. Grift sense means "that you not only knew how to do the moves, you also knew when to do them."

And even if Valentine is 62 and settled in Florida, away from the action, he's never lost his ability to "feel when a hustle's going down, even if (he doesn't) know exactly what it is." That's why the Acropolis Resort & Casino is determined to lure him West to check out what looks like funny business going on between blond blackjack dealer Nola Briggs and a player named Frank Fontaine, who happens to be winning a little too steadily. Swain's easy expertise with the world of gaming and gamblers makes Grift Sense into a fascinating guidebook, as well as a vivid debut in a series that so far has a flavor all its own. --Otto Penzler --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Tony Valentine, a retired cop, works as a consultant to gambling casinos when they need professional cheaters investigated. After the latest hustler hits a second-rate Las Vegas casino three times but escapes, a female dealer is accused of collusion. Called in to identify the hustler, Valentine finally comes up with a name a consummate but recently murdered crook named Sonny Fontana. Can the dead return to hustle again? Is the dealer as innocent as she appears? And will Valentine reconcile with his ne'er-do-well, gambling son? Find out in this well-crafted, dryly humorous, and highly enjoyable series debut. For all collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (May 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743406230
• ISBN-13: 978-0743406239
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,838,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James Swain is the author of fourteen nationally bestselling novels. His novels have been translated into French, Japanese, Russian, German, Serbian, Bulgarian, and Croatian, and 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 Writing. An avid magician, he has written and lectured extensively on the subject. Visit his web site at www.jimswain.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Scam the Scammer, February 8, 2002

By 

sweetmolly (RICHMOND, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grift Sense (Tony Valentine Novels) (Hardcover)

A strong debut novel by James Swain- observe his portrait. He just looks like a guy that would be wise to the ways of Las Vegas. Widower Tony Valentine, retired Atlantic City cop, lives the relaxed life in Florida while keeping his hand in with an occasional consulting job. He has a son who is so annoying, they only communicate via voice mail, and a lovely neighbor lady whose hobby is placing anonymous ads in the local paper, such as:

"Depressed, overweight, domineering older woman, slight drinking problem, hyper, on food stamps and oxygen. Would like to meet a cute young professional man with big abs and a foreign sports car, low mileage. Please send current, blood test results, and nude photo for a platonic relationship."

As you can see, there is lots of humor. The characters are Runyonesque with a dash of Ellroy. The best part of the novel is the scams; what they are and how Tony detects them. The ambience is more `50's Las Vegas than the present day. You expect any moment to see Bugsy Siegal sashay in with the gorgeous Virginia Hill on his arm. The fictional casino has more than a passing resemblance to the old mob-controlled Flamingo. The reader has more to figure out than the standard whodunit; with the help of expert Swain, we have to figure out "HOW" he dunnit as well.

A fun and fascinating read. Recommended.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I Bet You'll Like It, January 7, 2002

By 

Untouchable (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grift Sense (Tony Valentine Novels) (Hardcover)

In his debut novel, James Swain introduces us to Tony Valentine, a retired cop in his sixties living in Florida. Valentine is an expert in spotting a hustler and his talents are in great demand by casinos all over the country.

A particularly perplexing case sees Valentine leave the comforts of home to head for Las Vegas, not Tony's favourite city. The casino security staff knows that a man is cheating at blackjack, but they don't know how and it's for this reason that he's been called in to take a look. Things start going wrong the moment he hits town. He receives a death threat, a dealer from the casino (and suspect in his case) goes missing, and low-lifes from his past begin showing up.

Swain has managed to hit upon the winning combination of an interesting subject and a likable protagonist making it a very enjoyable book to read. I found that reading about the intricacies of gambling cheats and how to spot them was fascinating and was very nicely woven into the plot making me want to read more.

We are gradually familiarised with the past of Tony Valentine and, in so doing, learn what makes him tick and what ideals are important to him. It becomes very easy to like him and empathise with his character.

This is a very worthwhile mystery with a few twists to keep you on your toes. The pace is fast, the characters are likeable and the ending is satisfying. I'm looking forward to reading the next Tony Valentine mystery.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars On The Money!, May 18, 2001

By 

Patrick Picciarelli - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grift Sense (Tony Valentine Novels) (Hardcover)

This is the author's first novel and he's off to an auspicious beginning. It's rare that a fresh idea appears in the mystery genre, but Tony Valentine is a unique character. He's an ex-cop with an ability (Grift Sense) to spot grifters and con men who try to fleece casionos, and acts as a consultant to a Las Vegas casino in this series opener.

Swain knows Vegas, and the little touches like having to use a handkerchief on a car door handle to keep from getting scalded, brings back memories of those blistering hot days I spent on the strip.

A great story, too, pitting Valentine against master grifter Sonny Fontana, with a suprise ending and a nice sub-plot about Tony's relationship with his bookie son, Gerry.

Alas, the author could have done some research into polygraph, and how tests are administered. In this area he was completely wrong and it slowed the story down a bit, as he made an attempt to sound like he knew what he was talking about. Next time he should call a real PI and get the straight skinny on how to conduct a polygraph test, which are utilized often by the Vegas police in cheating cases.

A minor quibble, however. This is a fast-paced story with great characters and a terrific sense of place. I had to turn up the airconditioner halfway through the book.