The Gamblers [Kindle Edition]

Martin Stanley (Author)

Book Description

What would you do for seven hundred and fifty grand?

Would you betray your friends? Would you gamble your future? Would you kill?

Four men with dirty pasts and uncertain futures discover just what they're capable of when they have the chance to get their hands on a fortune, in this action-packed noir from the author of The Hunters. They lie, they steal, they double-cross, they kill, and they gamble it all for the big score.

But one thing’s for certain, when the gamble is this big somebody has to lose.

The Gamblers is a powerful, complex, well-plotted crime thriller that makes the most of its gritty British setting. A cast of strong characters spout profane and snappy dialogue at each other and, once experienced, its explosive blood-spattered finale is difficult to forget. It would be a crime to miss it.

Product Details

• File Size: 703 KB
• Print Length: 556 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004W82MYI
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #294,964 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great characters, crazy story January 24, 2012

By Heath Lowrance

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Kandinsky is a hardcore gambling addict and loser who owes far more than he can repay to loan shark. He's a guy who's screwed from the get-go. But when he overhears a plan to rob a drug dealer, he convinces himself and his friends--who are even bigger losers than him--that they can pull off a miracle. THE GAMBLERS is a sprawling, complicated novel with lots of intriguing characters, a great sense of humor, and a beautifully constructed sense of impending doom. The large cast are all tied together in really clever ways that you wouldn't suspect, and as each of their personal sagas play out, and wind closer together, you're left slightly amazed that Stanley is able to pull it off. It's a very well-structured novel, but Stanley's real strength is the depth and believability of his characters.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The mutant son of "The French Connection" April 30, 2013

By Mets6986

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

When William Friedkin's movie version of "The French Connection" came out in 1971, it raised the bar for depictions of grittiness and nastiness in the drug underworld. A lot has come along since then, but after finishing "The Gamblers" by Martin Stanley, this is the closest parallel for me.

The hero of "The French Connection" -- Popeye Doyle -- was not especially sympathetic. Neither is the protagonist of "The Gamblers," Kandinsky. In fact, he's a dreadful human being who's trying vainly to redeem himself by the worst means possible. He's surrounded by a huge array of even more loathsome characters, yet some of them (such as Liam the dealer and Dave the ultra-dirty cop) still engage gleams of sympathy as they try to keep their lives on track amid chaos.

The subject matter here is not everyone's cup of tea. The violence is pulverizing (and the raunch factor is very, very high). But I stayed up well past my bedtime last night to finish this because I was compelled to see how it turned out. The intricate web of deceits and double-crosses plays out really well. Every time you think things can't get worse, they do. And the atmosphere -- with a big hand from the regional English locations and accents -- is very rich.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Gritty! January 27, 2013

By Paul D Brazill

Format:Kindle Edition

Kandisky is a loser. A deadbeat student who is addicted to porn and gambling. He also owes Priest, a gangster, a wad of money and is given a few days to get it together - or else.

Liam is a drug dealer who finds out his long-time friend Omar has been ripping him off, not realising that Omar has been working on getting an even bigger piece of Liam's pie.

The Gamblers is a hard-core crime story, set in Bristol of all places, which captures the spirit of Ted Lewis and brings us BANG up to date with a cleverly woven, hard-hitting, multi - character story of betrayal.

More About the Author

Martin Stanley was born in Middlesbrough in 1972. He was educated in Teesside and later in Bristol, where he studied graphic design.

He began reading at an early age. Although it was horror and science fiction that kindled his love of reading, it was crime fiction that really grabbed his attention. It began with Elmore Leonard, moved on to Jim Thompson and took off with his discovery of James Ellroy and, later, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett and Ross MacDonald.

He is the author of The Gamblers a dark and violent noir set in Bristol; The Hunters, the first in a series of books featuring his violent anti-heroes the Stanton brothers; and The Greatest Show in Town a collection of short stories.

He lives, works and socialises in London.