Grift Sense: A Tony Valentine Novel (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "Everybody cheated, at least everybody Tony Valentine had ever known..." (more)
Key Phrases: surveillance control room, chubby lieutenant, pizza king, Las Vegas, Frank Fontaine, Sammy Mann (more...)

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 Publishers Weekly

Billed as one of the best card-handlers in the world, Swain packs this first novel with enough tidbits on the art to back up the claim. Combine that insider's knowledge with clean writing and a reasonable con, and the result is a fun read … la Elmore Leonard. A grifter named Frank Fontaine strolls into a faded Las Vegas joint, the Acropolis Resort & Casino, and cleans up at a blackjack table. Though the dealer at the table, Nola Briggs, has a spotless record, it seems impossible that Fontaine could have pulled it off alone. The club's owner, Nick Nicocropolis, calls in consultant Tony Valentine, a retired cop from Atlantic City who's an expert on casino scams. Tony is puzzled by this one: he watches the surveillance tape repeatedly, but he can't figure out how Fontaine is doing it. Even more mysterious to Tony is that Fontaine obviously enjoys the attention he attracts. Good hustlers like to rake in their chips as inconspicuously as possible; it's the only way they can continue to work. Tony heads for Vegas, where he meets up with a group of near-stereotypes who are saved from that fate by some nice details. The plot unfolds, and our hero is properly modest and clever. Quirkiness is occasionally forced and names are singularly unimaginative. The domestic scenes in the book, with Tony's neighbor Mabel or his son Gerry, are a little stilted and unconvincing, but the heart of the book lies in the dubious charms of a second-rate Las Vegas casino, and there the author does a terrific job. Agent, Jennifer Hengen at Sterling Lord. (June 12)Forecast: As Ricky Jay and David Mamet (in House of Games) have shown, this kind of authentic picture of con men and card tricks has wide appeal. Targeted hand-selling could reach beyond the mystery market.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (January 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 034548035X
• ISBN-13: 978-0345480354
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 3.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #937,378 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 1 in The Tony Valentine Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 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 (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This excellent read will con you out of your evening!, November 19, 2001

By	David Montgomery "Book Critic" (davidjmontgomery.com) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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

Tony Valentine has spent most of his life dealing with creeps, crumbs, crooks, con men, and other assorted low-lifes. First as a cop and now as a freelance investigator, he has used his skill at spotting scams to bust enough grifters to fill a $3.99 buffet. When casino pit bosses find the house getting taken to the cleaners by the best, they know Tony's the man to stop them.

"Grift Sense" is James Swain's first novel and it's a winner. The story is very interesting and unfolds at a well-measured, suspenseful pace. Like Elmore Leonard, Swain has the knack for creating the kind of thugs and larcenous malcontents whom you can't help but be like.

This book is supposed to be the first in a series featuring Tony Valentine. I hope the author is already hard at work on the next volume because I'm looking forward to reading more.

6 of 6 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 (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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.